The overall aim of the present study is to develop knowledge of Swedish students’ writing in English, and how teaching of a specific kind of writing can be designed and enacted. The study focuses on what the students need to discern in order to develop a more differentiated knowledge of how to adapt a message to an unknown receiver—in this case a message for a person at a hotel. The research question addressed is how aspects of text and receiver can be varied and explored by teachers and students jointly in order to expand the students’ capability to adapt a text to an unknown receiver. The study is based on transcribed lesson data from a learning study, which is a research approach where teachers and researchers work together in an iterative process to understand and improve teaching and learning of a specific object of learning. The research question was explored in five cycles with five different groups. Thirty-four Swedish students, 14–16 years of age, from a special school for students with dyslexia and neuropsychiatric disorders, participated in the study. The theoretical framework of the study was variation theory. A basic assumption of variation theory is that, in order to develop a certain piece of knowledge, it is critical to discern some particular aspects of that knowledge. To enable the discernment of such aspects, they must be made discernible by means of variation. The results show that a short message, used as an example, needs to be deconstructed into its aspects. Once the students had discerned the concept of the receiver, they started to contrast ways to express the same content for known and unknown receivers. With the help of the concept of the receiver, the students explored the aspects amount of information, politeness, and formality together with the teachers. Each aspect needed to be focused on separately but within the framing whole of the specific context, that is, writing a message to a hotel. The findings also show that certain aspects on the macro-level were possible to discern when two texts were compared, whereas other aspects on the micro-level, such as modal verbs, had to be varied against the background of an invariant clause in order for the students to discern them.

The Peña del Seo tungsten deposit in northwestern Spain is situated in the tin (Sn)-tungsten (W) metallogenic province of Europe − one of the richest tin-tungsten (tantalum-lithium) mineral provinces in the world. The European Union’s current goal is to become self-sufficient of these commodities in the near future and the iTARG3T project was launched in order to improve the understanding and provide innovative exploration methods of these types of deposits. This master thesis will contribute to the iTARG3T project. The aim was to determine which physico-chemical conditions (temperature, pressure, salinity) that prevailed during the emplacement of the Peña del Seo deposit. A geochemical study was done consisting of a fluid inclusion study on the quartz veins from the deposit, and a whole-rock geochemistry analyse of the granitic rock. Homogenisation temperatures ranged between 97,6° C to 325,6° C and salinities (NaCl % equiv.) between 0,2% to 21,3%. The fluid was determined to consist of a two-component system of H2O and NaCl based on eutectic temperature. Based on its geochemical classification the granitic rock was considered to be an alkali granite, strongly peraluminous with S-type characteristics. At least two different types of fluids were present during the emplacement of the Peña del Seo deposit, one that was hot and with a moderate salinity, and one that had a lower temperature than the other fluid and a lower salinity, possibly meteoric water. The depositional mechanism of tungsten is thought to be caused by a combination between mixing between two fluids and cooling of the fluids, with the main depositional mechanism being cooling since the change in salinity was not of such magnitude that it would change the fluid chemical composition, while the decrease in temperature was. It is uncertain whether the granitic rock found at Peña del Seo is part of the granitic cupola of the greisen system. The granitic rock has similar characteristics as the leucogranites of the West Asturian-Leonese Zone and based on quartz vein morphology, which cut the D2 foliation, time of emplacement of the deposit could be linked to the syntectonic event at 320-310 Ma. If the relation between the granitic rock and the greisen system can be determined the time of emplacement would be possible.

This is a scholarly essay in which I examine and reflect on issues related to collaborationbetween teachers and parents and also inclusion of students with special needs. In the firstpart of the essay a story is presented that describes the problems followed by a lack ofconsensus between parents and school regarding a student with special needs. In which waycan a good collaboration between teachers and parents be promoted? I have used the“partnership model” and the “Overlapping Spheres of Influence”-theory to problematize andreflect on collaboration between teachers and parents. Are we as teachers able to changeparental attitudes? Or should we as teaches try to reach a deeper comprehension about whyparents have different attitudes towards the school? In this essay I will also introduce different perspectives within the special education field andalso the meaning of inclusion and including pedagogy. What does it mean that school shouldbe for everyone? In which way can I as a leisure-time teacher make sure that all students areinvolved regardless of their needs? These issues are problematized and discussed not onlyfrom my perspective but also from students and teachers perspectives.

In many developing economies, access to and subsequent utilisation of mainstream financial services act as a barrier to financial inclusion. The merging of financial services and information technology, especially by means of mobile devices, result in consumers being able to make use of financial services at any time and place, thereby overcoming the distribution challenges and subsequent use (Gu, Lee, & Suh, 2009). This research examined the factors influencing the continued use of tech-based financial services post adoption by the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) in South Africa. The research uses the risk-benefit framework to understand usage behaviour focusing on cost, convenience, perceived ease of use and risk (security and operational) as predictor variables. The research makes use of analysed secondary data on 481 low-income individuals using the Structural equation modelling (SEM).The partial least squares structural modelling was utilised to test the hypotheses and relationship between the variables. The findings indicate that perceived benefit has a greater influence on usage than perceived risk. Even though consumers consider both benefit and risk in decision making, the expectation of potential benefits is a greater driver of usage. Convenience, cost and perceived ease of use were found to have significant impacts on usage, with the latter two having the greatest impacts. Perceived risk had a significant but weak impact on usage, with operating risk influencing usage more than security risk. The research recommends that when creating a value proposition for Fintech products, resources should be weighted more towards improving and highlighting those factors that drive the perception of benefit or value added to customers (cheaper, quicker etc.) vs. those that manage a potential risk. Customers are likely to respond positively and increase usage when there is an additional benefit to be derived.

The purpose of the study is to investigate how teachers can work to promote and support thegender equality mission in their teaching practice. To be able to investigate this, two questionswere addressed: the first question is how teachers describe their work to promote genderequality in the classroom, and the second question is how can teachers' different ways ofworking with gender equality be understood? The research in the chosen area claims thatsociety's norms about how boys and girls should be characterize the classroom environmentand have a great impact on students' learning. As a result, teachers may unknowingly havedifferent expectations of boys 'and girls' performance in the classroom. To answer thesequestions, a qualitative study was conducted focusing on semi-structured interviews. Thestudy interviewed a total of 8 experienced licensed primary school teachers. The selection ofschools was that we had three schools in two cities, where both men and women wereinterviewed. The interviews show that all teachers have similar views on gender equality.They mentioned that gender equality is about everyone receiving an equal education and thatthe human gender should not prevent them from reaching their full potential. The resultsreport themes that have been developed through coding and categorization of the teachers'answers. The teachers described their work by explaining their methods and approaches togender equality work in the classroom. The teachers' way of working includes that they workin a democratic way of working, that they work with inclusion where an importantcontributing factor is "Drag the Stick" and to think about the placement of students.

This diploma thesis represents inclusive education of a pupil with ASD in a common type of primary school. It deals with the definition of the autism spectrum disorder concept and relates it with the difficulty of educating pupils who have this diagnosis. The thesis describes the adjustment of educational conditions and possible differences in approach of pedagogical staff to these pupils. Attention is further focused on inclusion and its specifics. The practical part of the diploma thesis gathers pedagogical staff opinions on the education of a pupil with ASD and also the strategies which are applied in his education by these members of staff. Qualitative reserach is realized through pedagogical documentation research and through individual interviews with participants of the educational process, especially with teachers and teaching assistants. The aim of the work is to determine the opinion spectrum of pedagogical staff in a common school type towards educating a pupil with ASD. The focus of the work presents interviews and analysis with teachers. Findings based on open coding showed that the education of a pupil with ASD in a common type of primary school is a challenging process for the pedagogical staff, who require better preparation, support and mutual cooperation among the participants....

This research examined underpinning aspects of decolonised support service needs and preferences of open distance learning students with disabilities. In order to fulfil this purpose, views and perceptions of students with disabilities on the importance, availability, and accessibility of student support services were investigated. The extensive literature review done confirms the extent to which decolonisation of higher education has received prominence however, that prominence is not given to the decolonisation of support services for students with disabilities. The Capabilities Approach is utilized as the theoretical framework for this study. It coupled with the Social Model of disability channels our focus on the person's abilities rather than the impairments. Positioned as a qualitative illustrative case study, it sought to examine the factors that positively and negatively affect increased decolonisation of the higher education experiences of students with disabilities in South African universities. As the foremost Open Distance Learning institution in South Africa; the University of South Africa is the primary site for the study. Interviews with students with disabilities, the student representative council and staff members responsible for student support revealed the current experiences and perceptions of both students and staff regarding the topic. The study findings revealed key aspects of a decolonised Student Walk as being internationally relevant, students playing a pivotal role as a stakeholder, controlling worldviews, replicating inequalities and curriculum and power plays and clear strategy as a cardinal aspect of the process. It also discovered that decolonisation was not well understood by both staff and students, hypothetically pointing to many barriers than opportunities. There was disjointed institutional support initiatives that needed to be decolonised, inclusive, teaching and student support aligned. The major implications are linked to institutional level strategic support, staff training and awareness, policy reflection and strategy, inclusive initiatives and student involvement. Above all, a decolonised Student Walk framework has been proposed.

Magister Commercii - MCom / Inequality in South Africa has long been recognised as one of the most salient features of our society. Despite many efforts by the government to reduce inequality since our democratic transition in 1994, progress has been limited. The historic patterns of accumulation and economic concentration have continued to feed into South Africa’s patterns of uneven and combined development. Moreover, financial markets in many countries are undeniably incomplete, segmented, and inefficient. This is largely attributed by high transaction costs for both institutions and clients as well as biases against certain parts of the market. Therefore, people will continue to transact outside the formal financial system if they lack easy access and use of formal financial institutions. Private resources are often used in formal areas that provide better access and higher return on investment for private institutions. As a result, the development of the poorest areas remains relatively neglected.

Access to financial services from financial institutions has often proved to be one of the major constraints to rural and smallholder agricultural development in Zimbabwe. However, the ICT revolution across the world leading to the development of branchless banking options has brought new financial inclusion opportunities in the rural areas. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of branchless banking in smallholder agriculture through investigating the user patterns and adoption rate of mobile banking by rural farmers in Zimbabwe. Zvimba District was used as the case study while mobile banking was the branchless banking option investigated. The study also sought to investigate the barriers to adoption of mobile banking, in addition to laying out the difference between traditional banking channels and mobile banking. A survey through a structured interview with rural smallholder farmers was the main means of data collection. The data collected was then used to quantify the adoption of mobile banking, the barriers to adoption, and the alternative financial service providers used in rural areas, making it possible to draw conclusions for the purposes of policy formulation. The findings from the study revealed a high rate of adoption of mobile banking among the rural people. According to the study, even though mobile banking was cheaper and more accessible, traditional banking channels were still cited as being an important need for rural people. The significant factors investigated as creating barriers to adoption of mobile banking included age, education, income, marital status and farming experience, while factors such as gender and farm size proved to be insignificant. In light of the findings, it was recommended that besides transactional uses, branchless banking should be further developed and enhanced to provide other services such as insurance services and credit needed by smallholder farmers. Furthermore, in order to enhance customer uptake, mobile network operators (MNOs) were recommended to consider a segmentation approach when extending services to appropriate segments in rural areas. / Dissertation (MInst (Agrar))--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / MInst (Agrar) / Unrestricted

Geóloga / La región de Atacama presenta sectores que poseen condiciones sumamente hostiles para la vida, la combinación entre un clima extremadamente árido con la alta radiación UV que recibe, lo ha instalado dentro de la comunidad científica como un potencial análogo terrestre a la superficie marciana, en el que además, se han reportado microorganismos y componentes orgánicos. Bajo este contexto se desarrolla este estudio, el cual analiza al salar Azufrera y a un sistema hidrotermal en sus cercanías, ambos ubicados en la parte noreste de la región, específicamente en el sector más cordillerano, donde si bien las condiciones imperantes no son tan adversas como las que se encuentran en el desierto de Atacama como tal, sí lo son para el desarrollo de la vida. El objetivo de este trabajo es caracterizar los fluidos que permiten la posible existencia de microorganismos en estos depósitos, intentar bosquejar su evolución y compararlos con fluidos que eventualmente podrían existir en la superficie marciana. Para esto se requiere una recopilación representativa de las zonas a estudiar, luego una caracterización petrográfica de los minerales de la zona y de las inclusiones fluidas primarias y secundarias que hayan albergado idealmente microorganismos. Con los datos obtenidos de estos procedimientos se realiza un análisis microtermométrico para determinar la composición de los fluidos. Se identificaron en las muestras del salar Azufrera diatomeas, coccis, algas y componentes orgánicos. Sin embargo, las inclusiones que aportan información válida para este estudio, lamentablemente no contienen ni microorganismos ni materia orgánica. Además un gran porcentaje de las inclusiones resultaron ser metaestables, lo cual imposibilitó la obtención de datos de un gran número de FIAs. En el sistema hidrotermal se encontraron filamentos, diatomeas e insectos alados afuera de las inclusiones desafortunadamente, por lo tanto no fue posible caracterizar los fluidos que permitieron su existencia en este sistema. Con el software Frezchem se modelaron los fluidos primarios del salar Azufrera y se intentó estimar la concentración de estos en un ambiente similar a Marte. Las condiciones ambientales fueron modeladas con pH 7.7 y 3.0. El pH neutro prevalece en el suelo marciano (Marion et al. (2010)) y en la mayoría de los salares de la zona de estudio; el pH ácido se justifica por la presencia de jarosita en Marte y la presencia de alteraciones hidrotermales en la tierra. Los resultados indican que las composiciones iónicas son tres órdenes de magnitud diferentes y por lo tanto poco comparables, además las variaciones en el pH no tendrían repercusiones en las concentraciones iónicas, no obstante, bajo ambos escenarios podría precipitar yeso, mineral con propiedades que permiten la preservación adecuada de microorganismos bajo condiciones adversas. Dado lo anterior no es posible concluir tajantemente al respecto.