<p>The object of study is the international knowledge assessments and attention is given to the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). As a way to explain the content in the international knowledge assessments an historical exposition about the IEA and OECD is written. International knowledge assessment is studied in relation to the national and international perspective, but also in relation to educational governing. By doing this concepts of globalisation and internationalisation are discussed as communication patterns. It is then possible to understand organisations like the IEA and OECD as institutionalised communication channels. If this is done it is possible to discuss globalisation and internationalisation as something else than an inevitable endpoint. </p><p>Through institutionalised communication channels international knowledge assessments appear in national contexts and some observations can be made. The first one is that international knowledge assessments reformulate relationships. In this the educational actors on national levels are observed. These actors are involved in a struggle for power over definition in what should be seen as educational problems and solutions. In this the actors and the educational system they represent tries to strive and communicate modernity, strong international competitiveness and development. Secondly the actors when reformulating the international ideologies into national contexts transform extern priorities to internal priorities. Thirdly an international ideology might be understood as isomorphic ideology. When the isomorphic ideology impacts national contexts it has to be mediated. The mediation is driven by the fact that it is constituted by the national context, but also by the different roles the actors take or are given. The notion about isomorphic ideology is investigated more properly in Appendix I, in relation to UNESCO, and it is declared that international cooperations are part of nations urge to make their educational institutions more effective. In relation to the conclusion from Appendix I international knowledge assessments are interpreted as a technological/instrumental method for making the production process more effective.</p><p>When the international knowledge assessments come down in national contexts some empirical reactions can be discussed. This is analysed from examples taken from the Swedish context, but these results are also in relation to the contexts in Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. In the study examples are given on how international knowledge assessments are given meaning by political, administrative and media actors. It is primarily three results that can be uplifted. International knowledge assessments are used as an arena for communication in which arguments can be fetched and discussions can be made. International knowledge assessments are also used as present point descriptions, and point of departure for descriptions of educational vision of the future. And finally they are used for legitimising or repudiating politics of education.</p>

Lästester genomförda av IEA, PIRLS och PISA, både inom Europa och i världen, har visat att eleverna i Sverige genom åren har uppnått allt sämre resultat på lästester. Att kunna läsa är något som är nödvändigt för att kunna fungera i vårt samhälle, både i skolan, senare i yrkeslivet och i privatlivet. Examensarbetets övergripande syfte är att undersöka vilka faktorer i skolan som kan ha del i den sjunkande läs- och skrivförmågan hos eleverna. Examensarbetet förtydligar begreppet literacy närmare och redogör för de faktorer som vi, genom en avgränsad sökning, funnit kan ha påverkan på elevernas studieresultat. Då läroplanen är det dokument som skolan ska förhålla sig till, finns det i examensarbetet en jämförelse om vad som skrivs om undervisning och ämnet svenska mellan Lgr 80, Lpo 94 och Lgr 11. Metoden som används i denna uppsats är kvalitativ intervju. I studien deltog tre lärare som arbetat i ca 15 år inom läs- och skrivundervisning.   Resultaten i examensarbetet har visat att majoriteten av de intervjuade lärarna anser att elevernas läskunnighet blivit bättre, snarare än sämre, vilket är vad de internationella undersökningarna visat. Resultaten visar också att läs- och skrivundervisningen har förändrats till att mer fokus läggs på innehåll än form, jämfört med tidigare. Enligt de intervjuade lärarna är det viktigt att både lärare och föräldrar har en positiv attityd till läsning, för att även eleverna ska få en positiv attityd.

O reator IEA-R1 do Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPENCNEN/ SP) é um reator de pesquisa tipo piscina aberta, projetado e construído pela empresa norte-americana \"Babcock & Wilcox\", tendo, como refrigerante e moderador, água leve deionizada e berílio e grafite como refletores. Até cerca de 1988, os sistemas de segurança do reator recebiam alimentação de uma única fonte de energia. Nos anos de 1989 e 1990, uma reforma de modernização do sistema elétrico para aumentar a potência do reator e, também, para atender às normas técnicas da Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) e da Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT) foi realizada. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de mostrar a relação entre o sistema de energia elétrica e a segurança do reator IEA-R1. Além disso, ele demonstra que, caso ocorra alguma interrupção de energia elétrica durante a operação do reator, esta ocorrência não irá começar um evento de acidente. / The IEA-R1 reactor of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPENCNEN/SP) is a research reactor open pool type, designed and built by the U.S. firm \"Babcock & Wilcox\", having, as coolant and moderator, deionized light water and beryllium and graphite, as reflectors. Until about 1988, the reactor safety systems received power from only one source of energy. In the years 1989 and 1990, a reform of the electrical system upgrading to increase the reactor power and, also, to meet the technical standards of the National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEN) and of Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) was carried out. This work has the objective of showing the relationship between the electric power system and the IEA-R1 reactor security. Also, it demonstrates that, should some electrical power interruption occur during the reactor operation, this occurrence would not start an accident event.

O reator IEA-R1 do Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPENCNEN/ SP) é um reator de pesquisa tipo piscina aberta, projetado e construído pela empresa norte-americana \"Babcock & Wilcox\", tendo, como refrigerante e moderador, água leve deionizada e berílio e grafite como refletores. Até cerca de 1988, os sistemas de segurança do reator recebiam alimentação de uma única fonte de energia. Nos anos de 1989 e 1990, uma reforma de modernização do sistema elétrico para aumentar a potência do reator e, também, para atender às normas técnicas da Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) e da Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT) foi realizada. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de mostrar a relação entre o sistema de energia elétrica e a segurança do reator IEA-R1. Além disso, ele demonstra que, caso ocorra alguma interrupção de energia elétrica durante a operação do reator, esta ocorrência não irá começar um evento de acidente. / The IEA-R1 reactor of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPENCNEN/SP) is a research reactor open pool type, designed and built by the U.S. firm \"Babcock & Wilcox\", having, as coolant and moderator, deionized light water and beryllium and graphite, as reflectors. Until about 1988, the reactor safety systems received power from only one source of energy. In the years 1989 and 1990, a reform of the electrical system upgrading to increase the reactor power and, also, to meet the technical standards of the National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEN) and of Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) was carried out. This work has the objective of showing the relationship between the electric power system and the IEA-R1 reactor security. Also, it demonstrates that, should some electrical power interruption occur during the reactor operation, this occurrence would not start an accident event.

The object of study is the international knowledge assessments and attention is given to the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). As a way to explain the content in the international knowledge assessments an historical exposition about the IEA and OECD is written. International knowledge assessment is studied in relation to the national and international perspective, but also in relation to educational governing. By doing this concepts of globalisation and internationalisation are discussed as communication patterns. It is then possible to understand organisations like the IEA and OECD as institutionalised communication channels. If this is done it is possible to discuss globalisation and internationalisation as something else than an inevitable endpoint. Through institutionalised communication channels international knowledge assessments appear in national contexts and some observations can be made. The first one is that international knowledge assessments reformulate relationships. In this the educational actors on national levels are observed. These actors are involved in a struggle for power over definition in what should be seen as educational problems and solutions. In this the actors and the educational system they represent tries to strive and communicate modernity, strong international competitiveness and development. Secondly the actors when reformulating the international ideologies into national contexts transform extern priorities to internal priorities. Thirdly an international ideology might be understood as isomorphic ideology. When the isomorphic ideology impacts national contexts it has to be mediated. The mediation is driven by the fact that it is constituted by the national context, but also by the different roles the actors take or are given. The notion about isomorphic ideology is investigated more properly in Appendix I, in relation to UNESCO, and it is declared that international cooperations are part of nations urge to make their educational institutions more effective. In relation to the conclusion from Appendix I international knowledge assessments are interpreted as a technological/instrumental method for making the production process more effective. When the international knowledge assessments come down in national contexts some empirical reactions can be discussed. This is analysed from examples taken from the Swedish context, but these results are also in relation to the contexts in Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. In the study examples are given on how international knowledge assessments are given meaning by political, administrative and media actors. It is primarily three results that can be uplifted. International knowledge assessments are used as an arena for communication in which arguments can be fetched and discussions can be made. International knowledge assessments are also used as present point descriptions, and point of departure for descriptions of educational vision of the future. And finally they are used for legitimising or repudiating politics of education.

A predictive validity approach has been employed to find some implications to support evidences for Automated Essay Scoring (AES) systems. First, using R² values from multiple linear regression models, validity indices are compared first between multiple choice scores and essay scores across four AES systems. Secondly, R² values from models using only essay scores, the validity indices of four AES systems are hypothetically compared to see if how well AES systems could predict student outcome such as GPA. / text

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:24:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 01274.pdf: 6822170 bytes, checksum: 76fb84bfa82403bd4c192a27a3ca181b (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IEA/D / Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo - POLI/USP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:24:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:04:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 00422.pdf: 1756629 bytes, checksum: 85b8a14cae110a01c2e28df8958192d9 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IEA/D / Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo - POLI/USP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:24:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 01274.pdf: 6822170 bytes, checksum: 76fb84bfa82403bd4c192a27a3ca181b (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IEA/D / Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo - POLI/USP

The concept of producing energy from biomass has, for the last two decades, occupied attention of policy-makers, private industries, researchers and civil societies around the world. The highly contested and contingent character of the biofuel production, its entanglement in the nexus of three problematic issues of energy, climate and agriculture, as well as its injection into the current socioeconomic arrangements, is what makes it timely to analyse. The thesis sheds light on the state of international debate on bioenergy by looking at deliberations of three major global institutions: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Energy Agency (IEA) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The primary aim is to trace and analyse how the concept of bioenergy is conceptualized and contextualized in assessments, reports, policy papers and other documents issued by FAO, IEA and IPCC in the 1990-2010 period. The secondary aim of the thesis, based on results derived from the primary objective, is set to problematize and reflect upon currently dominating socioeconomic arrangements that the concept of biomass-derived energy is inserted into. The research questions are organized around four distinctively contentious issues in the debate: biofuel production in developing countries, the food vs. fuel dilemma, bioenergy as a win-win-win solution and the future role of the second-generation bioenergy technology. The research questions are operationalized by applying four theoretical perspectives: the world-economy, Michel Foucault’s genealogy, discourse theory of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, and Fredric Jameson’s critical approach. The institutional debate illustrates that, while bioenergy appears to be an easy, plausible and thus attractive patch able to temporarily fix societal challenges of energy insecurity, climate change and agricultural crisis without changing much in the socioeconomic structure, its implementation exposes internal discrepancies of the hegemonic capitalist system. Whether bioenergy could actually function as a feasible win-win-win solution is of secondary importance. It is its economic feasibility expressed in the pressure on cost-effectiveness that matters the most but, at the same time, causes serious internal discrepancies in conceptualizations pursued by the organizations. The results point to two main conclusions. On the one hand, bioenergy is inevitably entrapped by the rules and arrangements of the hegemonic system that, in turn, cause internal contradictions. On the other hand, the institutional debate attempts to stabilize the shaky conceptualization of bioenergy, so that it can appear consistent and plausible, even if the possibility of reaching the closure of meaning fades away, with more conflicts on the rise. Furthermore, the results also show that the three international organizations exhibit uniform patterns of argumentations and the way they similarly discuss biomass-derived energy illustrates the objective to stabilize the meaning and adjust the concept of bioenergy to the hegemonic system. / Under de senaste två decennierna har idén om att producera energi av biomassa rönt stor uppmärksamhet bland forskare, företagare, beslutsfattare och i samhället i övrigt. De förhållandevis många kontroverser och alternativ som är förbundna med produktion av biobränslen, deras koppling till de tre problemområdena energi, klimat och jordbruk, samt deras etablering inom samtida geopolitiska, socioekonomiska och miljömässiga sammanhang, gör dem till en aktuell fråga att analysera. Avhandlingen belyser den internationella debatten genom att fokusera överväganden och ståndpunkter inom tre globala institutioner: FN:s mat- och jordbruksorgan (FAO), Internationella Energiorganet (IEA) och FN:s klimatpanel (IPCC). Huvudsyftet är spåra och analysera hur begreppet bioenergi formas och kontextualiseras i bedömningsrapporter och policydokument producerade av FAO, IEA och IPCC under perioden 1990-2010. Ett ytterligare syfte är att problematisera och reflektera över de socioekonomiska förhållanden som bioenergibegreppet ingår i. Forskningsfrågorna är formulerade utifrån fyra kontroversiella områden i debatten: biobränsleproduktion i utvecklingsländer, dilemmat mat kontra biobränsle, bioenergi som en ”win-win-win-lösning” och den framtida roll som tillskrivs andra generationens bioteknologi. Forskningsfrågorna operationaliseras genom att var och en knyts till ett av fyra teoretiska perspektiv: världssystemteori, Michel Foucaults genealogi, Ernesto Laclaus och Chantal Mouffes diskursteori respektive Fredric Jamesons kritiska ansats. I debatten framställs ofta bioenergi som ett enkelt och rimligt alternativ med kapacitet att tillfälligt lösa samhälleliga utmaningar som energi-osäkerhet, klimatförändringar och jordbrukskrisen, dock utan att den socioekonomiska strukturen ändras nämnvärt. Analysen visar emellertid att begreppsliggörandet istället påvisar interna diskrepanser i det hegemoniska, kapitalistiska systemet. Huruvida bioenergi verkligen kan fungera som en sådan ”win-win-win”- lösning framstår som sekundärt i dessa texter. Det är kostnadseffektiviteten som har störst betydelse, men samtidigt skapar man här allvarliga begreppsliga diskrepanser inom organisationerna. Utfallet av analysen pekar på två huvudslutsatser. Å ena sidan är bioenergin oundvikligen låst av det hegemoniska systemets struktur och de motsägelser som det rymmer. Å andra sidan tycks debatten inom organisationerna söka efter en stabilisering av det instabila begreppsliggörandet av bioenergin så att den framstår som konsistent och möjlig. Vidare visar analysen också att de tre organisationerna har liknande argumentationsmönster, och det likartade sätt på vilket de diskuterar energi från biomassa illustrerar en stabilisering av mening inom diskursen där bioenergibegreppet anpassas till det hegemoniska systemet.