Mathematics is a central topic in today's education debate, including discussion of its educational quality and various teaching methods. Today basically two different teaching methods are used; one is the textbook based method, with the book in focus and the other one the laboratory method by which teaching is performed through practical applications. The purpose of this study was to examine four primary school teachers' view of these two teaching methods by means of four relevant inquiries. By interviewing the four teachers, advantages and disadvantages were highlighted and the purpose was achieved. In order to support the analysis, two theories applied; the socio-cultural perspective and the cognitive perspective. The results of this study together with previous research disclosed advantages and disadvantages of both methods and none turned out to be better than the other. However, two aspects were prominent in the study;   time saving and   individual adaptation.   Time saving was considered a major advantage of textbook based instruction because it facilitates the work of teachers in planning lessons. In contrast, the laboratory approach was considered time consuming.  However, individual adaptation was considered to be more beneficial by the laboratory teaching method. Thus, it is important to be aware of that implementing individualized education also is time consuming, and teachers must ask themselves whether they have time to do or not to do this. Finally, it is central that teachers are aware of the two teaching methods, with their opportunities and constraints, and that the teachers consider this when choosing teaching method. Of course it is not necessary to select either method; it is also possible to mix both of them.

During the last ten years, the adverse health effects in upper respiratory system and irritation symptoms have become increasingly evident in residents living in moisture damaged houses with dampness and mould growth. In the mid of 1995, Finnish environmental health authorities faced the problem with an increasing demand for investigations to verify the microbial growth in suspected buildings and thereby taking appropriate control measures to protect the health of occupants. As an extension of an earlier relatively onerous method for quantification of microbial growth on surfaces, the Food Laboratory in Porvoo developed an applied direct streak method (DSM) aiming at a facilitation of the method verifying the presence of mould growth. The method was established in close collaboration with health inspectors. The DSM was compared to the original culture method (CM) and repeatability and reproducibility were good or very good. The DSM is a semi-quantitative method and enables the health inspectors to take surface samples without breaking the building structures and without being restricted to stiff surfaces. The results can demonstrate that the material is damaged by active viable mould growth. The DSM provides a powerful and useful tool for health inspectors to verify mould growth in buildings and it supports them to make decisions that are needed to protect the health of occupants. The cost of DSM is about one fourth of that of the more elaborate CM. The DSM is being increasingly used in Finland. / <p>ISBN 91-7997-123-7</p>

Studien syftar till att få kunskap om hur laborativt material och arbetssätt framhålls och behandlas inom området bråk i olika läromedel. Vidare undersöker vi även hur lärare undervisar laborativt utifrån dessa läromedel. För att samla in data har vi använt oss av metodtriangulering i form av granskning av läromedel och intervjuer. De läromedel som har granskats är Favorit matematik, Eldorado och Prima matematik. För att bredda kunskapen inom området intervjuades lärare som var aktiva användare av dessa läromedlen i sin undervisning. Med hjälp av variationsteorin har vi även analyserat de laborativa inslagen i läromedlen för att se på dess relevans i relation till variationsmönstrena kontrastering och generalisering och därmed hur elevers lärande främjas genom läromedlens föreslagna arbetssätt. Resultatet visar att de tre granskade läromedlen skiljer sig åt samtidigt som de har många likheter. Samtliga läromedel har tagit i beaktning att det laborativa materialet behöver ta plats i undervisningen på ett eller annat sätt. Dessa läromedel ger eleverna möjlighet att utforska med något slags laborativt material. Studiens slutsats blir således att vi kan se att läromedlen, på ett eller annat sätt, bidrar med laborativt material och arbetssätt. Utifrån variationsteorins sätt att se på lärande passar Eldorados laborativa arbetssätt bäst in på de variationsmönster vi granskat. / The study aims to gain knowledge about how laboratory material and working methods are highlighted and treated in the field of fraction in different teaching materials, and how teachers describe that they teach based on this. In order to collect data, we have used method triangulation in the form of examination of teaching material and interviews. The teaching materials that have been examined are Favorite Mathematics, Eldorado and Prima Mathematics. To broaden the knowledge in the field, teacher 's who were active users of these teaching materials were interviewed in their teaching. Using the theory of variation, we have also analyzed the laboratory elements in the teaching materials to look at its relevance in relation to the variation patterns of contrast and generalization and thus how pupils' learning is promoted through the proposed teaching methods. The result shows that the three study materials examined differ at the same time as they have many similarities. All teaching materials have taken into account that the laboratory material needs to take place in the teaching in one way or another. These teaching materials allow students to explore with some kind of laboratory material. The study's conclusion thus becomes that we can see that the teaching aids, in one way or another, contribute with laboratory material and working methods. Based on variation theory's approach to learning, Eldorado's laboratory approach fits best with the variation patterns we examined.