The aim of this study is to investigate what difficulties Swedish students with reading and writing difficulties may encounter when they write texts in English. A teaching experiment was done to see whether scaffolding, a process where the teacher shows the overall structure of e.g. a text, can help students with reading and writing difficulties improve their writing in English. Ten students in the 7th grade participated in the study, as well as four English teachers in a secondary school in Sweden. The students who participated were asked to write two texts in English. Before writing the first text, the students were told that they were going to write a fairy tale, but they were not given any other guidelines. Prior to writing the second text, two lessons of scaffolding were conducted. Then the texts were compared to see if the students had improved their ability to write in English in regards of content, spelling and genre-specific vocabulary. The results of the study show that students with reading and writing difficulties will indeed benefit from scaffolding when writing texts in English. / Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka vilka svårigheter som elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter stöter på när de skriver texter på engelska. En undervisningsmetod influerad av scaffolding, stödstrukturer för att visa eleverna hur man t.ex. skriver en text på engelska, användes för att undersöka om elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter kan förbättra sin förmåga att skriva på engelska. Tio elever i årskurs 7 samt fyra grundskolelärare i engelska deltog i undersökningen. Eleverna som deltog fick skriva två texter på engelska som sedan jämfördes för att ta reda på om elevernas förmåga att skriva på engelska hade förbättrats gällande innehåll, stavning och genre-specifikt språk. Innan de skrev den första texten fick eleverna enbart veta att de skulle skriva en saga. Den andra texten föregicks av två lektioner där eleverna fick stödstrukturer för att skriva en saga. Resultaten visar att det var en fördel för eleverna med läs- och skrivsvårigheter att arbeta med stödstrukturer när de skrev texter på engelska.

The purpose of this study is to describe how and why primary school teachers use the Kiwi method – especially in relation to reading difficulties. To answer this purpose, I conducted qualitative interviews with three primary school teachers. The interviews were transcribed since I made the estimation that they would provide with a more comprehensive material to the study that way. The result showed that the teachers did not make any differences in their teaching regardless whether they were planning for pupils with or without reading difficulties. Adjustments were made to all pupils, to meet all their special needs. They did so since the Kiwi method advocates meaningful teaching, where reading should be rewarding already from the beginning. The Kiwi method’s key stones are reading aloud, unified reading, guided reading and independent reading. All three of the teachers used these key stones in their teaching, but in different ways. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur och varför lärare arbetar med Kiwimetoden, särskilt i relation till elever med lässvårigheter. För att svara på detta syfte genomfördes kvalitativa in- tervjuer med tre lärare som arbetar med Kiwimetoden inom årskurs 1–3. Intervjuerna transkri- berades, eftersom bedömningen gjordes att det skulle resultera i ett rikare material till under- sökningen. Resultatet visade att lärarna inte gjorde någon skillnad på undervisningen oavsett om det gällde elever med eller utan lässvårigheter. Anpassningar gjordes nämligen åt alla elever, för att möta alla elevers särskilda behov. Detta gjordes eftersom Kiwimetoden förespråkar me- ningsfull undervisning där det ska löna sig att läsa redan från start. Kiwimetodens hörnstenar är högläsning, gemensam läsning, vägledd läsning och självständig läsning. Alla lärarna an- vände sig av dessa i sin läsundervisning, men på olika sätt.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur grundskollärare i årskurs 2 och 3 arbetar med läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Samt att undersöka vad grundskolan kan ge för resurser för att hjälpa dessa elever. Materialet till denna studie har samlats in med hjälp av den kvalitativa metoden intervju. Under intervjun har jag tagit hjälp utav en föreställningskarta. En föreställningskarta är ett redskap som skapar en lättare förståelse för respondenten. Det blir djupare svar och jag som intervjuar blir en bättre lyssnare. Jag har intervjuat fyra stycken grundskollärare från årkurs 2 och 3 samt en rektor från en grundskola. Resultaten av denna studie tyder på att lärarens kompetens, metoder och skolans resurser är av stor vikt kring elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter. / The purpose of this study is to investigate how primary school teachers in grades 2 and 3 work with pupils with reading and writing difficulties, and what resources primary school can provide to assist these students. To answer this purpose, I conducted a qualitative interview method, the performance map. This is a tool that creates a broader understanding of respondents. The answers will be more profound and the interviewer will be a better listener. I have interviewed four primary school teachers from grade 2 and 3, as well as a principal, all from the same primary school. The results of this study indicate that the teacher`s competence, reading and writing methods and school resources are of great importance when working with students who has reading and writing difficulties.

The phonological system can be described and analyzed on three levels; word, syllable and segment. The non-linear nature of the system enables an analysis from different viewpoints on phonology. LINköpingsUnderSökningen (LINUS) is a phonological test for children between the ages of 3 to 6 years which enables a non-linear analysis. Previous studies at  Linköping University have shown that children with phonological language impairment have phonological deviations on all three levels. Even though there is research involving Swedish-speaking children with expressive phonological impairment, further research is needed due to lacking in sample size and age span of participants. The purpose of this thesis is to compare the expressive phonological ability of children between the ages of 3 to 5 years who have been referred to a speech and language pathologist (SLP) for suspected phonological difficulties with a control group consisting of peers without known difficulties. In the study 10 children participated who were recruited from a speech and language pathologist clinic in a big city in Sweden, and raw data was also used from a previous study on an additional 11 children. Children with language impairment were matched with a control group with children of the same age. The age interval of participating children was between 3 years and 2 months and 4 years and 11 months.  The LINUS test was issued at a speech and language pathologist clinic together with a SLP.  The results showed similar deviations on word, syllable and segment level for both the study group and the control group. However the results of the study group contained a higher amount of deviations. The word and syllable level caused the greatest challenge for both groups. Additionally, both the study group and the control group exhibited deviations in terms of word structure where the most frequent shortcoming was reduction of consonant clusters. To conclude, similar types of deviations occurred in both groups, although the study group had a higher amount of deviations on all levels. For stronger conclusions, a larger sample size and younger participants are needed.

Context: The purpose of this research was to examine if the educational approach (the Approach) adopted at Kilnbarn Residential Special School (the School) secured the developmental learning pathways for its pupils. All pupils were diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and many had single or multiple comorbid conditions. The research sought to understand how their parents could be substantive partners and co-creators in the design, modification, and implementation of the Approach. It was a unique feature of Kilnbarn’s Approach to fulfil the potential of parents to be co-creators and co-therapists in their child’s progress. Objective: The case study became one of the instruments in which to test the School’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of its pupils. It enabled a review of the School’s methodology, curriculum and organisational practices. The Approach was designed to provide secure developmental learning pathways for its pupils, improving their quality of life and independence. Method: The case study design, was chosen as it was considered the most appropriate research model. A Parents’ Questionnaire, distributed annually over 3 consecutive years (2004-6) was the evidential basis for this study. Interviews and collected data were used to analyse and evaluate the progress of the School through parents’ eyes. Results: The combination of parents working with professionals to maximise the culture of “technical eclecticism” seems to be, in the light of this case study, best suited to the needs of children diagnosed with autism, SLD and comorbid conditions. The child should be immersed in a consistent approach across all areas of their life. Improvements in well-being, communication and joint action routines, sleep balance, a healthy diet, physical exercise, incontinence and behaviours was observed. Conclusion The study identified that parents could be substantive partners and influencers in the design and modification of the Kilnbarn Approach. The Approach secured developmental learning pathways for its pupils and appeared to improve their quality of life. Parents as co-creators and co-therapists had regained ownership of their child’s quality of life, learning outcomes and personal development. From the experience and unique evidence of this case study schools should utilise and profit from the mass resource of their parents. It has been shown that the Kilnbarn Approach was, during the research, an effective and suitable intervention for the many children it served. It is hoped that further studies in this field will explore the concept of a “technical eclectic” approach that further validates and brings together interventions that are conceptually grounded and incorporates evidence-based focused intervention practices.

No description available.

Syftet med studien är att förstå hur två gymnasieelever i läs- och skrivsvårigheter, på olika yrkesprogram, upplever sin undervisning i kursen Engelska 5. Följande frågeställningar har valts för att nå studiens syfte: Hur upplever eleverna att deras läs- och skrivsvårigheter påverkat deras studieresultat i kursen Engelska 5? Hur upplever eleverna att studieresultaten i kursen Engelska 5 påverkat den akademiska självbilden? Hur upplever eleverna olika bedömningspraktiker i engelskundervisningen? Studien har en kvalitativ ansats med livsberättelseintervju som metod. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten i studien är fenomenologi och Amedo Giorgis femstegsmodell har tillämpats för att analysera studiens data. I resultatet framkommer att eleverna upplever att deras läs- och skrivsvårigheter har påverkat både studieresultatet i kursen Engelska 5 och den akademiska självbilden negativt. De upplever att undervisningens upplägg, med stora undervisningsgrupper, begränsat lärarstöd och inga stödinsatser, är bidragande orsaker till att de inte lyckats nå kunskapskraven i kursen Engelska 5. Eleverna upplever att den muntliga feedbacken från läraren är mest effektiv för kunskapsinhämtandet samt att strategin kamratbedömning upplevs som negativ på grund av nya gruppkonstellationer varje läsår i kursen Engelska 5. Båda elever anser att de kommer ut i ett yrke efter gymnasiestudierna oavsett om de lyckas nå kunskapskraven i kursen Engelska 5 eller ej. / The purpose of the study is to understand how two students in upper secondary school, with reading- and writing difficulties, experience their education in the course English 5. To clarify and deepen the aim of the study three questions have been used: Do the students experience that their reading- and writing difficulties have affected their academic results? In what way do the students experience that their academic results have affected their academic self-concept? How do the students experience different types of assessment? The study has a qualitative approach with life stories as a method and the theoretical frame of the study is phenomenology. Amedo Giorgi's five steps model has been used to analyze the data of the study. The results show that the students experience that their reading- and writing difficulties have affected both their academic results and their academic self-concept negatively. They experience that the structure of their lessons, with big classes, limited teacher support and no special educational support, affect their possibility to accomplish the knowledge requirements. The students experience that the oral feedback from the teacher is the most important thing to accomplish knowledge. The strategy peer review is experienced as negative due to new classes every semester in the course English 5. Both students are convinced that they will be employable after their studies regardless if they have accomplished the knowledge requirements in the course English 5 or not.

Although previous research has been done on adolescents with learning difficulties or barriers to learning such as dyslexia and ADHD, no research has been done in South Africa on their self-perceptions of these difficulties. A phenomenological study was conducted through means of semi-structured, individual, face-to-face interviews. Self-perceptions that adolescents with dyslexia and ADHD form were explored. Selfperceptions are formed through comparisons with other learners and friends. Self-perceptions were left as an open-term in order to investigate the adolescents' own idiosyncratic interpretations of dyslexia and ADHD. From the interviews themes could be identified concerning their understanding of dyslexia and ADHD, feelings and cognitions associated with dyslexia and ADHD, the importance that significant others such as educators, parents and friends play, as well as the adolescents' way of coping with dyslexia and ADHD. Selfperceptions were both negative and positive and found to be influenced by factors such as age, type of support systems and sufficient coping strategies. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

In this qualitative research study the focus is on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Three respondents specialising in sensory integration in the Durbanville area were involved. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the respondents in order to gain knowledge on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by a professional other than an occupational therapist. After permission had been obtained, the interviews were captured on video tape and transcribed for use in the empirical study. Seven themes were identified from the interviews and a literature control was done with each of the themes. The researcher did not attempt to generalise the results of the research, but tried to reflect on the information that the respondents provided. The researcher summarised the findings of the empirical study and made recommendations. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

S’il est actuellement reconnu qu’un ensemble de facteurs vulnérabilisant et protecteurs interagissent dans les processus d’instauration des conduites de dépendance alcoolique et cannabique à l’adolescence, les connaissances sont encore peu avancées concernant la manière dont ils s’articulent. Parmi ces facteurs, certains traits de personnalité, l’estime de soi et les difficultés interpersonnelles, sont considérés comme majeurs. L’introduction théorique de notre travail tente de mettre en évidence l’intérêt de retenir la théorie des Big Five (Goldberg, 1993; John & Srivastava, 1999) dans l’étude de ces conduites, car elle est considérée actuellement comme une taxonomie rigoureuse, connaissant un large consensus dans le domaine de la psychologie de la personnalité (McAdams & Pals, 2006). Dans cette même partie, nous soulignons l’intérêt de s’appuyer sur une conception multi-dimensionnelle de l’estime de soi, afin de l’inscrire dans une approche globale. Enfin, nous y distinguons différents domaines liés aux difficultés interpersonnelles à l’adolescence, tels que l’affirmation de soi, les relations familiales, les relations aux pairs, les relations amicales et les relations sentimentales / Even though it is now commonly acknowldged that a set of destabilising and protecting factors are at play in the appearance of alcohol and cannabis dependence in adolescents, there is as of yet little knowledge of how these factors actually interact. Amongst the latter, certain personality traits, self-esteem and interpersonal difficulties are considered key. The theoretical introduction to our work aims at underlining the importance of the theory of the Big Five (Goldberg, 1993; John & Srivastava, 1999) in this field, this model being currently considered a rigorous taxonomy that gathers a large consensus in the field of personality psychology (McAdams & Pals, 2006). In the introduction as well, we stress the relevance of a multi-dimensional conception of self-esteem, so as to frame it as part of a wider approach. Finally, we establish different areas related to interpersonal difficulties in adolescents, such as self-assertion, family relations, relations with peers, love relationships and friendship