Syftet med studien är att bidra med ökad kunskap och medvetenhet om förskollärarens användande av den fria leken i relation till förskolans fysiska miljö och barns lärande och utvecklingsprocesser. Detta område anser jag är av stor vikt att studera för att se förskollärarprofessionens bidragande faktor i den fria leken och den fysiska miljön på förskolan. Metoden som valdes var kvalitativa intervjuer med sex förskollärare vid skilda avdelningar på fyra olika kommunala förskolor men i samma kommun. Resultatet visar att förskollärarna till stor del använder sig utav observationer av barnen i den fria leken för att se hur leken fungerar i interaktion med den fysiska miljön, och hur barnen samspelar med varandra. Samt att de sedan förändrar den fysiska miljön på förskolan när leken behöver utvecklas och få ett uppsving. Det har även visat sig i intervjuerna att förskollärarna diskuterar den fria leken tillsammans med kollegor om hur den fysiska miljön skall förändras för att utveckla den fria leken. De yngsta barnens fria lek och undersökningsprocesser kommer mer sällan till ytan då de äldre mer verbala får mer inflytande via konversationer och intervjuer. Det resulterar i att färre diskussioner bland förskollärarna sker kring de yngsta barnens fria lek och utforskningsprocesser och dess inverkan till att förändra miljön och tillföra inspirerande lekmaterial. Men att de som ser barnen som kompetenta i sina utforskningar av den fysiska miljön oftare ser till att utforma meningsfulla aktiviteter och stimulerande miljöer för de yngsta barnen. Alla förskollärare i studien är överens om att en central del i arbetet med barnen vid alla aktiviteter på förskolan, är att se och lyssna in barnens behov och intressen. Detta för att kunna utveckla meningsfulla aktiviteter och den fysiska miljön efter den aktuella barngruppens behov. / The aim of the study is to contribute with increased knowledge and awareness of the preschool teacher's use of the free play in relation to the physical environment of the preschool and children's learning and development processes. This area I believe is of great importance to study to see the preschool teacher profession's contributing factor in the free play and the physical environment at the preschool. The method chosen was qualitative interviews with six preschool teachers at different departments at four different municipal pre-schools but in the same municipality. The result shows that preschool teachers to a great extent use observations of the children in the free play to see how the game works in interaction with the physical environment, and how the children interact with each other. And that they then change the physical environment at the preschool when the children’s playing needs to be developed and get a boost. It can also be seen in the interviews that preschool teachers discuss the free play together with colleagues about how the physical environment should be changed to develop the free play. The youngest children 's free play and exploration processes rarely come to the surface as the older more verbal children get more influence through conversations and interviews. As a result, fewer discussions among preschool teachers take place around the youngest children 's free play and exploration processes and its impact on changing the environment and adding inspirational play material. But those who see the children as competent in their exploration of the physical environment more often make sure to design meaningful activities and stimulating environments for the youngest children. All preschool teachers in the study agree that a central part of the work with the children at all activities at the preschool is to see and listen to the children's needs and interests. This in order to be able to develop meaningful activities and the physical environment according to the needs of the group of children in question.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivos investigar a forma de avaliação do ambiente domiciliar de pessoas com deficiência física, com ênfase na atuação interdisciplinar entre terapeutas ocupacionais e projetistas no ato de planejar e executar a acessibilidade desse ambiente; identificar e investigar, se os terapeutas ocupacionais gestores atuantes em reabilitação física fazem uso de algum instrumento de avaliação do ambiente; categorizar a formação de terapeutas ocupacionais gestores que atuam em centros de reabilitação para a avaliação do ambiente; verificar se os centros de reabilitação investigados têm algum procedimento para avaliação do ambiente domiciliar para pessoas com disfunções físicas; analisar as ferramentas de avaliação de desempenho do ambiente utilizadas na Terapia Ocupacional e na Arquitetura. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo e exploratório, com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa, centrados na pessoa, tendo como cenário: a) Centros de Reabilitação públicos e privados de São Paulo; b) arquitetos especialistas em acessibilidade e c) pessoas com deficiência física que modificaram suas residências. Dividiu-se o estudo em três etapas, a saber: a etapa 1, que consistiu na coleta de dados por meio de um questionário aplicado a terapeutas ocupacionais gestores nos centros de reabilitação de São Paulo; a etapa 2, de questionário aplicado a arquitetos especialistas em acessibilidade da cidade de São Paulo e a etapa 3, de entrevista com pessoas com deficiência física que adequaram sua residência. Para análise dos dados utilizou-se o software de estatística Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS versão 18) da empresa International Business Machines (IBM). Também foi utilisado o recurso Split File (dividir arquivo) para examinar, primeiramente de forma conjunta e depois separadamente, as opiniões dos diversos públicos pesquisados (arquitetos, terapeutas ocupacionais e usuários). Nas entrevistas dos usuários, após a sua transcrição utilizaram-se os aplicativos Sphinx em métodos de análise, caracterizados por análise lexical e aplicação online da IBM ManyEyes para uma visualização sintética das falas dos usuários. Resultados: os principais resultados sugeriram uma necessidade de investimento na formação para atuar na área, para ambos profissionais, arquitetos e terapeutas ocupacionais. A partir das falas dos usuários, identificou-se que, os mesmos destacaram a importância do ganho funcional, a partir da modificação de suas casas. Como conclusão, aponta-se a necessidade de atuação interdisciplinar. A presente pesquisa pretende trazer contribuições para a área de arquitetura, terapia ocupacional e reabilitação de pessoas com deficiências, enfatizando a importância da ação interdisciplinar e tendo como objetivo final, a melhora da funcionalidade e qualidade de vida da pessoa com deficiência em seu habitar. / The present study aimed to investigate: (1) how to evaluate the home environment for people with physical disabilities, with emphasis on interdisciplinary team between occupational therapists and designers in the act of planning and executing the accessibility of this environment; (2) identify and investigate if occupational therapists managers working in physical rehabilitation make use of an instrument to assess the environment; (3) verify if the rehabilitation centers have investigated some procedure to evaluate the home environment for people with physical dysfunctions; and (4) analyze the assessment tools used in the performance environment and Occupational Therapy in Architecture. Methodology: This was a descriptive study, with quantitative and qualitative approach, focusing on the person as a backdrop: a) public and private rehabilitation centers in São Paulo city b) architects, experts in accessibility and c) disabled individuals that had their residences changed ramodelled. The study was divided into three stages: step 1, which consisted of data collection through a questionnaire with managers occupational therapists in rehabilitation centers of São Paulo, step 2- questionnaire answered by architects experts in accessibility from the city of São Paulo and step 3, interviewing with people with physical disabilities who have adapted their residence. For data analysis the statistical software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS versão 18) by International Business Machines (IBM). was used Split File (file sharing) was also applied to examine, first jointly and then separately, the opinions of various stakeholders surveyed (architects, occupational therapists and users). Was used in interviews after their transcription. Results: The main findings suggested a need for further training to work in this specific field, for both architects and occupational therapists. They reported having difficulties in assessing environments with respect to their accessibility, however, the difficulty was higher among occupational therapists. From the statements of users, we found that regardless cost and time to adapt, they report and agree with the importance of the functional gain from the modification of their homes. In conclusion, we present a proposal for interdisciplinary action. This research might provide contributions to the field of architecture, occupational therapy and rehabilitation of people with disabilities, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary action on the improvement of functionality and quality of life of people with disabilities in their dwelling.

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<p>My intention with this paper was to investigate how the teachers in pre-school thinks about the physical environment in pre-school. Both the significance for the pedagogical activity and the children’s involvement in the design. I have done five interviews with pre-school teachers. The result shows that the pre-school teachers consider that the size of the premises and the availability to the material is important factors for children’s development and learning. The pre-school teachers consider that the children should have access to both large and small rooms and that the group of children is adjusted after the size of the premises. The material should also be available for the children so that they don’t have to ask the pre-school teachers for help to access. The teachers in my examination consider that you shall see to the children’s group when to do changes in the environment. They talk about children’s needs and interested as important factors. To really their needs and interests the teachers has chosen to observe the children.</p>

My intention with this paper was to investigate how the teachers in pre-school thinks about the physical environment in pre-school. Both the significance for the pedagogical activity and the children’s involvement in the design. I have done five interviews with pre-school teachers. The result shows that the pre-school teachers consider that the size of the premises and the availability to the material is important factors for children’s development and learning. The pre-school teachers consider that the children should have access to both large and small rooms and that the group of children is adjusted after the size of the premises. The material should also be available for the children so that they don’t have to ask the pre-school teachers for help to access. The teachers in my examination consider that you shall see to the children’s group when to do changes in the environment. They talk about children’s needs and interested as important factors. To really their needs and interests the teachers has chosen to observe the children.

Patient falls are the most commonly reported "adverse events" in hospitals, according to studies conducted in the U.S. and elsewhere. The rate of falls is not high (2.3 to 7 falls per 1,000 patient days), but about a third of falls result in injuries or even death, and these preventable events drive up the cost of healthcare and, clearly, are harmful outcomes for the patients involved. This study of a private hospital, Dublin Methodist Hospital, in Dublin, Ohio analyzes data about patient falls and the facility's floor plans and design features and makes direct connections between hospital design and patient falls. This particular hospital, which was relatively recently constructed, offered particular advantages in investigating unit-layout-related environmental factors because of the very uniform configuration of its rooms, which greatly narrowed down the variables under study. This thesis investigated data about patients who had suffered falls as well as patients with similar characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and diagnosis) who did not suffer falls. This case-control study design helps limit differences between patients. Then patient data was correlated to the location of the fall and environmental characteristics of the locations, analyzed in terms of their layout and floor plan. A key part of this analysis was the development of tools to measure the visibility of the patient's head and body to nurses, the relative accessibility of the patient, the distance from the patient's room to the medication area, and the location of the bathroom in patient rooms (many falls apparently occur during travel to and from these areas). From the analysis of all this data there emerged a snapshot of the specific rooms in the hospital being analyzed where there was an elevated risk of a patient falling. While this finding is useful for the administrators of that particular facility, the study also developed a number of generally applicable conclusions. The most striking conclusion was that, for a number of reasons, patients whose heads were not visible from caregivers working from their seats in nurses' stations and/or from corridors had a higher risk of falling, in part because staff were unable to intervene in situations where a fall appeared likely to occur. This was also the case with accessibility; patients less accessible within a unit had a higher risk of falling. The implications for hospital design are clear: design inpatient floors to maximize a visible access to patients (especially their heads) from seats in nurses' stations and corridors.

ABSTRACT PROSPECTIVE ENGLISH TEACHERS&rsquo / VIEWS ON THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, AND PROGRAM OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS ERET, Esra M.S., Department of Educational Sciences Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet OK June 2008, 137 Pages The purpose of the present study is to investigate the prospective English teachers&rsquo / views on the physical environment, human resources, and program of their departments. Participants of the study were 278 fourth year prospective English teachers (senior students) from three public universities in Ankara. A fifty-six-item questionnaire, developed by the researcher and subjected to factor and reliability analysis, was used for data collection. Data were collected from all fourth year prospective teachers. Statistical program, SPSS, was utilized to carry out the descriptive statistical analyses. Responses to open-ended question were qualitatively analyzed. The results of the study revealed that the prospective English teachers agreed on the views that the instructors in their departments were qualified and competent / the physical environment as regards to meeting their basic needs, such as heating and safety, was satisfying / and the program and courses were generally adequate. On the other hand, from the students&rsquo / viewpoints, the institutions had common problems on the three dimensions, especially on the physical environment and resources. The students disagreed on the presence of language laboratory, the existence of social areas, guidance provided by the instructors, and the administration&rsquo / s support and attitude to the preparation of prospective English teachers. In conclusion, the results of this study can contribute to efforts on displaying the current status of the departments and evaluating the quality of the English language teacher education.

The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of early childhood teachers in relation to the influence of the physical environment of the classroom on classroom management. More specifically, the present study examined teachers&rsquo / perceptions about the factors which influence their classroom management practices, how the physical environment of the classroom influences their instructional processes and teacher-student interactions. To collect the data for the study, a semi-structured interview schedule was developed by the researcher. The interview schedule contained 16 questions / six pertained to demographic items, while the remaining ten open-ended questions aimed to investigate the perceptions of teachers about the physical environment of the classroom and its influence on classroom management. The participants of this study consisted of 36 female early childhood education teachers who taught children from age 3 to 6. Twelve of them were employed in private schools and 24 worked in public schools. Qualitative analysis was performed at the end of the study and according to findings, 7 themes were categorized. These are were (1) factors influencing classroom management, (2) physical environment, (3) interest areas in the classroom, (4) strengths and weaknesses of the physical environment, (5) remedies for weaknesses of the environment, (6) the influence of the physical environment on instructional process and teacher-student interaction, and (7) suggestions for the improvement of the physical environment.

Many dangerous or tragic events such as airplane crashes and medical errors are often the result of human errors, and these errors are often the result of a professional worker being interrupted during a critical task. Although their impact can be serious, the ways that interruptions are affected by the physical environment have rarely been examined in the study of architecture. Therefore, this thesis investigates how the physical environment helps manage the interruptions by observing the process of medication administration by nurses in hospital units. Nurse shadowing observation data showed that the level of visibility of work areas in and around nurse stations significantly contributed to the number of interruptions initiated by others. Therefore, this thesis concludes that the physical environment affects interruption events and discusses the design implications of observation-based findings and the potential impact of the physical environment on major clinical errors. As for future directions for investigation, this thesis suggests that interruptions become a more prominent subject for consideration in architecture, and the physical environment as a subject for analyzing interruption and performance in human factors and health care.

The aim of this thesis is to get an overall view over preschool teacher’s perceptions about children's physical activity in preschool and also understand what impact the physical environment has on it. In Sweden children participate in preschool at an early age and spends the majority of their waken time there. Preschool therefore becomes an important platform to promote children’s early physical activities as it has great effect on their future lifestyle. The physical environment plays a significant role for children’s opportunity to be physically active and therefor also becomes an important part of this study. In this study I used a qualitative semi structured interview with six preschool teachers who worked in different preschools.  The theoretical background is based on Osnes, Skaug, and Kaarbys (2012) five positioning categories which are guidance, spectator, playmate, play in parallel with the child as well as initiate play. Each and one of this positioning categories have an impact on children’s play and the movements they use in those plays (2012). I also use Gitz-Johansen, Kampmann and Kirkeby theory where they describe the complex relationship between children and the pedagogical room (2001 in Eriksson 2013).   My study shows that the overall attitude toward physical activity is positive and is considered by the preschool teachers to be an essential part in children’s childhood. The preschool teachers are aware that they are the gatekeepers to physical activity and how their attitude can regulate children’s movements due to norms and values of the society they belong to. They expressed their dissatisfaction toward the preschool organization and highlighted the external factors that regulates the children’s movements which they expressed where out of their ability to impact such as large children groups, small staff density, narrow space to move in and so forth. They believe that children’s play is the gateway to physical activity and their positioning can help children to develop their physical abilities.