This degree project investigates the qualitative function of technology in a language learning environment in the south-eastern Skåne region of Sweden. This is done by comparing individual teacher experiences to CSCL theory. The data in the paper is collected through qualitative interviews representing six separate upper-secondary schools in the region. From the results of the paper the conclusion is drawn that the computer-supported classroom environment represents a new and radically different infrastructure and that there seems to be a lack of communication concerning how to best use computer-technology as a productive language-learning tool in the classroom.

Published Article / Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is a form of Experiential Learning (EL) which implies learning by experience. This article represents the findings of a study regarding the roles of WIL and how such roles can be quantified when measured against the achievement of Critical Cross-Field Outcomes (CCFOs). The study was based on an empirical mixed-method triangulation, which allowed the researchers to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to address the research problem. The sample size is 35, constituting the third and fourth-year groups in the Hospitality Management programme at a higher education institution in South Africa. The results of the quantitative study indicate that the students have identified various roles for WIL whereas the quantitative investigation revealed that students are of the opinion that WIL contributes significantly towards the achievement of CCFOs. WIL therefore contributes to skills development in general and to the attainment of skills and attributes as represented by the CCFOs in particular. Recommendations regarding the implications of the study are made for curriculation purposes as well as for credit values to be attached to WIL.

Syftet med att genom deltagande observationer studera stöd inom en svensk vuxenutbildningsverksamhet var att sätta stöd i vuxnas lärande på dagordningen och kommunicera vikten av ett inkluderande arbetssätt för lärande. Arbetssätt som bygger på en synergistisk samverkan mellan miljö och pedagogik. Resultatet visar att det finns utvecklingspotential i verksamheten genom att öka och bredda det kollegiala lärandet, samarbete kring eleverna samt tydliggöra stödet som en röd tråd i verksamhetens olika delar. Det kan till exempel handla om att redan vid ansökan låta eleverna delge sina behov av, eller misstanke om behov av stöd. Vidare vid antagning låta eleverna möta lärare för kartläggning och låta utbildningen genomsyras av studieteknik individuella möjligheter till anpassningar. Därtill återfanns behov av tydlig kommunikation kring struktur och rutiner där det klart definieras vem som gör vad, hur och varför. / The purpose of conducting participating observations within a Swedish adult education was to put the support in the learning of adults on the agenda. Also, it concerned the importance of an inclusive way of working for learning. This is a way of working which is based on a synergistic cooperation between environment and pedagogy. The result shows that there is a potential for development within the organization through increasing and broadening the learning among and between colleagues. Moreover it is about cooperation in the work with the students whereas it is important to make the support visible as a red thread through the organizational work. For example, the students already in their applications be able to acknowledge needs or suspected needs of support in learning. At admittance, students can meet teachers for mapping their situation and thereafter let the education be permeated by study techniques and individual possibilities for adjustments. Furthermore, the results showed need for distinct communication regarding structure and routines in which it is clearly stated who does what, how and why.

This thesis investigates whether studying through English has an effect on the written texts secondary school students produce in their first language, Spanish. Research in bilingual education has tended to focus on students‟ language proficiency and academic achievement as opposed to investigating differences in discourse norms. However, an increased awareness of the role of discourse in language use and the culturally-specific nature of discourse, along with a growing concern over the dominance of the English language in Europe and elsewhere, have widened the range of questions identified as requiring investigation in bilingual education. Popular understanding suggests that English speakers make different choices from Spanish speakers in particular rhetorical situations. Although research into these contrasts can be problematic, there is support for the existence of cultural preference in the selection of options, and specific areas of similarity and difference between Spanish and English discourse have been suggested. This study then looks at one group of secondary three (3º E.S.O.) Spanish students studying through English on a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programme in Spain, and compares two sets of argumentative texts written in Spanish by the CLIL students with equivalent texts written by non-CLIL students in the same school. Forty-eight texts are examined in total, and the comparison draws on previous research into discourse differences between Spanish and English texts from contrastive rhetoric, systemic functional linguistics (SFL), and other fields, using tools from SFL for the textual analysis. Areas of analysis include use of clause complexes, multiple Theme and thematic progression, and also genre structure and text organisation strategies for argumentative writing. The main contrasts are found to be in length of t-units, use of simplexes versus complexes, use of multiple Theme, and some issues of text structure. These differences largely correspond to contrasts found in studies comparing written Spanish and written English text, with the CLIL students‟ texts showing features more commonly associated with English writing. Additional data from analysis of the geography textbooks used by the CLIL and non-CLIL students, questionnaires administered to these students, and interviews with their teachers are also used to explore the possible CLIL effect on the students‟ written text. The study discusses how discourse conventions associated with English text in contrast with Spanish text may have influenced the Spanish writing of the CLIL students, considering possibilities including the effect of direct and indirect teaching, and the more general impact of the CLIL programme. Also explored is the question of whether this possible influence of English on Spanish language use is a matter for concern or not, with increased work on language and discourse awareness suggested as a potential response. Methodological issues raised through the study relating to aspects of text analysis and of data collection are also addressed.

Currently, new knowledge domains and professions emerge as a consequence of societal changes that transform that conditions for work and work integrated learning. Integration work directed to newly arrived immigrants is one example of such a new professional knowledge domain. In civic orientation, which is the empirical case in this study, quality, standardization and dialogue are explicit strategies that impact the planning, organization and decision-making in everyday work. The interest in this thesis concerns the professional knowledge that is developed in activities aiming to provide heterogeneous groups of immigrants an orientation in the Swedish society. By making activity systems the prime unit ofanalysis and scrutinizing the ways in which integration workers make use of a stipulated course material and interactions in a specific context, the aim is to contribute to the understanding of the pedagogical and communicative knowledge that is developed in practice. The analytical approach takes its point of departure in a socio-cultural perspective on workplace studies. Three separate studies have been carried out in which the empirical data consist of observations,interviews, video recordings, field notes and documents from various integration offices.The results show that different perspectives on knowledge and culture becomes relevant in local discourses on quality in integration work. What distinguishes the integration workers professional knowledge concern seeing and understanding the heterogeneity of immigrants' cultural backgrounds and bridging boundaries.Culture function as an organizing element in work that makes it possible to make distinctions and organize a contextually relevant content that can be elaborated together with the members in the groups. Such work imply transformation of procedures and it is shown that the integration workers develop their knowledge from specific situations to understand the significance of textually mediate dimeanings in other situations. Knowledge is developed as the integration workers move between different situations and activities. It is concluded that the meaning-making involved in bridging between different cultural contexts relies on extensive knowledge in and about the recognition of the other and of interactions based on equal grounds. Negotiating agreements with the members of the groups about how common possibilities and responsibilities can be understood is central for respecting heterogeneity in the process and is at the core of the integration workers professional knowledge. Considering the future development of integration work, cumulative structures are needed that recognize and support the development of the integration workers professional knowledge within as well as between organizations and other related fields of practice and in relation to higher education.

This work refers to the topic of bilingual mathematics education. It is focused on monitoring the communicational influences of teacher's and pupil's language, categorization of the disturbing effects and possibilities, how the teacher should prepare for them and how to solve them. A significant role plays the reflection of the teacher, as the results were done on the basis of action research during teaching in England, Germany and the Czech Republic. The teaching was realized in a second language as well for the teacher as for the pupils. The teacher was at the same time experimenter as well as author of this work. The theoretical part results from dealing with scientific literature about bilingualism, bilingual education, methodology of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), relations between first language, language of mathematics and the foreign language. In the practical part an analysis of lessons performed in mathematics with the subject of probability is carried out. The teaching was focused on playing a game with dice and deciding whether the game is fair or not. The lessons were audio taped and transcriptions of the spoken language were made. An analysis of the language, teacher's mistakes, communicational interference, proportional relations on communication of the pupils and of the...

This research focuses on how educators are using openly accessible sources of knowledge and open-source tools in ways that impact their pedagogical designs. Using a phenomenological approach with self-identifying open education practitioners, I explore how open educational practices (OEP) are being actualized in formal higher education and impacting learning design. Specifically, I examine how educators are bringing elements of openness into their everyday teaching and learning practice using educational technologies. I draw upon Giddens (1986) structuration theory, further developed for use in technology adoption research most notably by DeSanctis and Poole (1994) and Orlikowski (2000). This approach positions technologies as being continually socially constructed, interpreted, and put into practice. In an organizational context, the use of technology is intrinsically linked with institutional properties, rules and norms, as well as individual perceptions and knowledge. The findings suggest that OEP represents an emerging form of learning design, which draws from existing models of constructivist and networked pedagogy. Open technologies are being used to support and enable active learning experiences, presenting and sharing learners work in real-time, allowing for formative feedback, peer review, and ultimately, promoting community-engaged coursework. By designing learning in this way, faculty offer learners an opportunity to consider and practice developing themselves as public citizens and develop the knowledge and literacies for working with copyright and controlling access to their online contributions, while presenting options for extending some of those rights to others. Inviting learners to share their work widely, demonstrates to them that their work has inherent value beyond the course and can be an opportunity to engage with their community. Dataset available: https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/CA77BB / Graduate

This diploma thesis, titled "Pythagorean Theorem in CLIL lessons", deals with one of the possible strategies in bilingual education - CLIL method which links teaching of a non- linguistic subject and a foreign language, mathematics and English, in this case. For the realization of CLIL method I have chosen the topic of the introduction to Pythagorean Theorem. The aim of this thesis was to check whether the chosen topic is suitable for CLIL lessons, then the influence of a foreign language on the active involvement of pupils in the lesson and on understanding of the subject matter. At the beginning, I focus on general integration of the content subject and a foreign language and then I describe the preparation of the experiment. The core of this thesis is the project of the CLIL lesson. The project was realized in the experimental groups, the gained data have been processed on the base of observation and analysis of the final individual work and the questionnaire. The results show the potential of the CLIL method as a new possibility for bilingual teaching of content subjects.

Title: The diagnostics of students' difficulties in CLIL Author: Ing. Alena Šteflíčková Department: Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Education Supervisor: Prof. RNDr. Jarmila Novotná, CSc. Abstract: The topic of this diploma thesis is the diagnostics of students' difficulties in CLIL. The aim of my thesis was to create and analyze the test, which would integrate both a language (English) and a non-linguistic subject (Mathematics). There are six parts of my thesis. The first one deals with basic facts about CLIL, the second one is aimed at assessment and assessment at schools, the third one deals with tests and their creation. An assessment of CLIL students is the topic of the fourth part. Other two parts contain three tests, analysis of one of the tests and analysis of pupils' solutions of this test. Keywords: CLIL, integrated learning, assessment, diagnostics, testing, tests

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to ascertain using multiple tools and methods, the impact of teachers' interaction with primary students on mathematics performance using the Successmaker Integrated Learning System to determine effective teacher practices. The sample of nineteen primary teachers from an elementary school in southwest Florida included five first grade teachers, seven second grade teachers, and seven third grade teachers. Data analysis included total years of teaching experience, years of experience in Florida schools, and years of experience at each grade. Both the total years of teaching and the years of teaching at the research site were correlated to the Student Gains Reports in mathematics provided by the Successmaker Management System. A Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient was computed to determine whether and to what degree a statistical relationship existed between the variables of years of teaching experience and student gains. Total years of teaching experience and total years at the research site revealed a significant correlation of 0.77 (p < 0.001). The correlation between total years of teaching experience and average student gains was not significant (r = -0.10, p = 0.674). The third correlation between years of teaching experience at the research site and student gains also was not significant (r = 0.03, p = 0.897). Therefore, years of teaching experience did not predict total gains. The qualitative analysis of data collected through interviews with the ITF and teachers who had the highest and the lowest student gains in mathematics at each grade, informal observations, and focus groups, revealed factors that appeared to contribute to teachers’ styles and methods which affected student gains. Several factors influenced the styles and methods of the implementation of the Successmaker program. They included: (a) time in the Successmaker lab, (b) use of Successmaker Management System reports, (c) integration of Successmaker into the curriculum, (d) motivational strategies, (e) newness to the Successmaker program, (f) influence of administration, (g) specific barriers that inhibit maximum effectiveness, and (g) professional development. Furthermore, these factors can be categorized into four general themes: (a) teachers’ role, (b) teachers’ expertise, (c) teachers’ collaboration, and (d) teachers’ attitude.