Grammar is an important aspect of language learning and is thus of concern in language teaching as well. This study sets out to investigate the kinds of grammatical mistakes Swedish secondary school pupils make in their written production of English and the possible causes behind these different mistakes. Forty essays from pupils in year nine have been used to study the phenomenon of frequently occurring mistakes and their causes, and the salient mistakes have been quantatively and qualitatively accounted for in the study.      Common mistakes found in the material were subject-verb concord mistakes, mistakes involving plural nouns, incorrect article usage as well as problems using prepositions correctly. Interlingual transfer, i.e. negative transfer from the pupils’ L1, proved to be one significant factor causing mistakes in the material. However, other causes could be traced as well, such as intralingual transfer for example.      Consequently, the findings of this study point in the direction of areas which need specific attention in English L2 learning in Swedish classrooms. Thus, the study contributes with valuable insights for English teacher and teacher trainees to consider in their future practice.

This diploma thesis deals with the topic negative numbers, especially with strategies and difficulties of 7th and 8th grade primary school pupils when solving selected tasks with negative numbers. This thesis is divided into theoretical and experimental parts. The theoretical part deals with negative numbers, their development, didactic difficulty and work with them. The thesis deals with selected international comparative and foreign researches with the focus on negative numbers. The most extensive part of the thesis contains an analysis of mathematics textbooks used in schools in the Czech Republic with the focus on negative numbers. The experimental part, which aim is the identification of pupils' difficulties and the analysis of mistakes they make when working with negative numbers, is the key part of the thesis. 185 pupils of 7th and 8th grade from three different schools took part in the research. The methodology consisted of the preparation of a didactic test on negative numbers and assigning it to the pupils. After completing the test, selected pupils were asked to explain their written solutions. The didactic test was prepared on the basis of mentioned research results and the analysis of mathematics textbooks. The data were analysed in terms of pupils' strategies and mistakes. The thesis...

This thesis aims at observing the swimming technique of adult amateur swimmers and revealing their most common mistakes. Based on statistical analysis, a training plan was composed in order to eliminate the observed swimming technique errors. Furthermore, it was examined whether better swimming technique results in faster performance by the target group.

The aim of the thesis was through a new analysis of interviews with teachers of mathematics, to describe didactic practices used by teachers while teaching selected topics (namely, proportions, linear equations, divisibility, percent, symmetry, Pythagorean theorem ) and compare them with the practices reported in textbooks and other literature. First, teaching methods, teaching forms and the mechanism of concept development by M. Hejný are given. Based on the analysis of more than thirty interview, it was found that teachers use the usual didactic practices but also create their own methods and procedures. These methods and techniques are provided for each critical issue separately in the fourth chapter of the thesis. Furthermore, the content analysis of selected textbooks is given for each topic. Identified practices of teachers which they use in their teaching practice, form the result of my work.

The thesis is focused on the teaching of variable expressions at the eighth grade of elementary school and is divided into the theoretical, preparatory and experimental part. The theoretical part contains a short description of the objectives of the teaching of variable expressions. This section is complemented by the selected results of international comparative research and the classification of mistakes which pupils make in connection with the topic. An important part is the analysis of selected textbooks according them the teaching of variable expressions at the primary schools takes place. In the preparatory part there are presented the selected tasks of generalization which are recommended by the curriculum materials, but are not included in the textbooks. Component of the preparatory part is the presentation of algebra tiles environment. The core of the thesis is the experimental part aiming to compare the results of teaching of variable expressions in two differently taught groups. The first group was taught according to the textbook. In the second group the teaching was based on patterns of algebra tiles. The research of teaching results is focused on pupils' difficulties and the most frequent mistakes. The results indicated that the environment of algebra tiles helps to reduce number of...

This study focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of a research-based legally defensible forensic interview protocol for social workers in South Africa in order to improve the social worker's knowledge, understanding and skills regarding forensic assessment interviews in the field of child sexual abuse. The motivation for the study has its origin in the fact that current legislation in South Africa requires that all cases of alleged sexual abuse have to be reported to either social workers or the South African Police Service. Social workers often find themselves having to deal with allegations of sexual abuse, and are faced with the challenging task of conducting assessment interviews, where the result of such interview will be a determining factor in the final outcome of the legal proceedings. The research problem is that there is currently no national research-based forensic interview protocol for social workers in South Africa. A quantitative research approach was followed. Applied research was used to address immediate problems that are encountered by professionals in practice. Intervention research was used as research methodology. The quasi-experimental design was applied where a comparison of two groups were done. The hypothesis formulated for this study is: If this interview protocol will be applied in cases of alleged sexual abuse against children of the middle childhood, it would facilitate the disclosure in a more legally acceptable and defensible manner. An interview protocol with seven definite phases was developed. A self-developed checklist consisting of 119 fundamentals compiled from comprehensive literature study, consultations with experts and extensive experience of the researcher, was used as a measuring instrument. The researcher applied the newly developed interview protocol with ten girls (experimental group) in the middle childhood who have allegedly been sexually abused. The interviews were audio-recorded and evaluated by means of the self-developed checklist. An independent social worker also interviewed ten allegedly sexually abused children (comparison group) of the same age and gender as the experimental group. This social worker, however, made use of her own interview protocol. She represents the social workers in South Africa. The interviews were also audio-recorded and evaluated by means of the self-developed checklist. An independent professional person coded a sample of 50% of all interviews. All data were submitted to the Department Statistics of University of Pretoria who has done the statistical analysis. In chapter two the phenomenon of child sexual abuse is discussed and aspects that interviewers need to take in consideration were highlighted. In chapter three all aspects of child development are discussed. Developmental issues which need to be accommodated during forensic interviews are explored. Chapter four focuses on interview techniques in the forensic context, and international guidelines on forensic interviews were explored. This information was used to develop the proposed forensic interview protocol. In chapter five the proposed seven-phase forensic interview protocol was discussed. In chapter six all the data that was collected was quantified, analysed and interpreted with the assistance of the Department of Statistics of the University of Pretoria. The statistical analysis showed that in five of the seven phases a statistically significant difference was found between the experimental and comparison groups. The results suggest that the seven-phase forensic interview protocol was successfully implemented, and could be considered a new development and thus a contribution to the social work profession. However further research with a larger sample of children is needed. Conclusions and recommendations (chapter 7) of this study are put forward in accordance with the process that was followed in developing and implementing the interview protocol which would assist social workers when dealing with alleged victims of child sexual abuse. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Utgångspunkten för studien var att undersöka om organisationer som arbetar med ständiga förbättringar också arbetar med att skapa och främja psykologisk trygghet för medarbetarna. Psykologisk trygghet innebär bland annat att medarbetarna känner sig trygga att komma med förslag på idéer som kan förbättra arbetssätt och bidra till organisationens utveckling. Forskning visar att organisationen går miste om utvecklingspotential om man inte tar tillvara på sina medarbetares idéer. Syftet med studien var att bidra med kunskap om hur organisationer som idag är erkänt ledande inom kvalitetsarbete ser på psykologisk trygghet kopplat till ständiga förbättringar.Tre organisationer valdes ut för studien, alla har under de senaste åren mottagit en utmärkelse för en hög kvalitet inom arbetet med ständiga förbättringar, Utmärkelsen Svensk Kvalitet. En person per organisation, med djup kunskap om organisationens förbättringsarbete och hur det bedrivs, valdes sedan ut. Nyckelaspekter i teorin kopplat till ständiga förbättringar samt psykologisk trygghet identifierades, nyckelaspekterna från teorin om psykologisk trygghet användes som underlag för skapandet av intervjufrågor. Kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer gjordes med de utvalda respondenterna.Analysen visade att de studerade organisationerna arbetade med att skapa psykologisk trygghet genom att framför allt främja delaktighet bland medarbetarna och uppmuntra dem att våga lyfta misstag och säga sin åsikt. Begreppet psykologisk trygghet som sådant är dock inte allmänt vedertaget inom organisationerna. Slutsatserna från studien var att då flera nyckelaspekter inom arbetet med ständiga förbättringar och psykologisk trygghet berör varandra så arbetar organisationerna relativt omedvetet med att skapa psykologisk trygghet i syfte att främja ett effektivt arbete med ständiga förbättringar. / The outset for this study was to look into whether organizations that work with continuous improvements also work with creating psychological safety for their employees. Psychological safety enables employees to feel confident to come up with ideas that can improve working methods and contribute to the development of the organization. Research shows that organizations miss out on development potential by not capturing the ideas of their employees. The purpose of this study was to contribute with knowledge to how organizations that are known as leading within the area of quality work considers the connection between psychological safety and continuous improvements.Three organizations that were the last to receive an award for their high quality with their work with continuous improvements, Utmärkelsen Svensk Kvalitet, were chosen for the study. One person within each organization, with deep knowledge of the organization's work with continuous improvements, were then chosen for an interview. Key aspects within the theory of continuous improvement and psychological safety were identified and the key aspects from the theory of psychological safety were used as a base for interview questions. Qualitative semi structured interviews were done with the chosen respondents.The analysis showed that the organizations in the study work with creating psychological safety mainly by fostering participation and the courage to talk about mistakes and to voice your opinion. The term psychological safety isn't well known within the organizations but the conclusion from the study is that since several areas within the work with continuous improvement and psychological safety are closely related, the organizations work relatively unconsciously with fostering an efficient work with continuous improvement by enabling participation and learning from mistakes. / <p>2020-06-26</p>

The thesis focuses on problems from the mathematical didactic test, which represents an exam in mathematics in the common part of the school leaving examination. The aim of the work is to identify problems that were solved with low success, explain possible difficulties and propose recommendations, the implementation of which in teaching or training pupils could contribute to their better readiness for similar types of problems in the leaving exam. An analysis of the success in solving the problems of didactic tests is performed based on available anonymized data and the problems with the lowest success rates in solving the spring terms of the leaving exam in 2017-2020 are identified. Several problems are selected for research in this work. First, based on didactic analysis the possible reasons for low success in solving the selected problems are presented. Furthermore, research is carried out. A test is compiled from selected problems and it is presented for solution and optional commenting to respondents from high school. Their solutions are then evaluated and analyzed in detail and discussed with respect to previously formulated expectations. There were errors of a milder nature in the pupils' solutions, as well as errors indicating serious shortcomings in the understanding. Some of the errors...

This thesis rest upon a distinction between the artistic creative process on the one hand and the architectural creative process on the other. This distinction rest upon the writers own experiences of both fields. The thesis aim to discuss similarities and discrepancies between the two and ground this reasoning in theoretical texts.  Starting out by analyzing the introduction of photography into the realm of architecture, this thesis makes the claim that our processes has since this introduction been increasingly ruled by the point of view of the camera and decreasingly ruled by our experiences as physical bodies in space.  Arguing that this has a negative impact on both the spaces we create and on the quality and joy of our creative processes the thesis connects this to the never ending aim for efficiency, an aim facilitated by computer software. The thesis proceeds by stating that this negative impact ought to be more analysed, and that architects might have things to gain by welcoming in parts that might seem evident for an artist in their processes i.e. time for reflection, a valuing of mistakes as holders of potential and knowledge, the notion of play, and the possibility to fail and perhaps even perceive those failures as treasures rather then perceive them as failed perfectionism.  In a fragment of my case study, accounted for in the appendix to this written report, the thesis dives in to one of the mistakes created during the architectural project of the thesis. Aiming to prove the point that no mistake is without potential, I let this case study illustrate how this specific mistake came to be a founding part of the whole project. The thesis argues that when one person sees and/or experiences what another might deem as a mistake, their interpretation might lead to new ideas and possibilities. Hence, in order for a project or an art piece to reach its full potential, the thesis concludes that no one should perform processes of architecture, nor art, completely alone.

<p>The main aim of this paper was to find out if and how teachers in upper secondary school use oral feedback when they correct their students' oral mistakes. I also wanted to find out which approach the teachers find most useful and if they use different approaches depending on the error made by the student.</p><p>I have found that the majority of the teachers find oral feedback as an important tool to help students achieve a higher proficiency in a second and foreign language. My results also show that feedback is most often used when the student makes errors regarding content and pronunciation. Most of my respondents are aware of the necessity of applying different feedback approaches to different errors made by the students. My investigation shows that teachers chose to give feedback on different occasions, both directly, but more commonly, indirectly, to a single student or later on to a full class. Most teachers also prefer a mix of feedback approaches depending on the specific student and situation.</p><p>My intention with this study has also been to determine what factors influence the students' uptake. My respondents have, among several factors, stressed the importance of comfortable learning situations, students' personal interest and size of group.</p>