The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the perception of school principals in school divisions with a student population of fewer than 2,500 as of June 2022, within the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding their school's use of online learning post-pandemic. School principals' perceptions regarding online learning can impact future implementation practices when global pandemics do not require the use of online learning. A qualitative study was conducted to analyze the perceptions and attitudes of principals. The research questions were: 1) How do principals in small school divisions perceive their school division's size as impacting decisions about online learning? 2) How have principals of small school divisions institutionalized online learning post-pandemic? 3) What perceptions do principals in small school divisions have about online learning post-pandemic? The research included building principals from elementary, middle, and high schools in small Virginia school divisions to better understand how the different age levels impact decisions regarding online learning. Interviews were conducted individually with eight interview questions. The findings suggest that online learning has not increased in the rate of use since the pandemic. Regarding principals' perceptions regarding online learning note concerns about the effects on their students. Particularly, 67% of elementary principals expressed concerns regarding the ability of younger students to gain foundation fine motor skills through online learning. Overall, principal participants agreed that there is a place for online learning to provide additional educational opportunities and access for their students when used in specific situations and circumstances. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of school principals regarding the use of online learning post-pandemic in Virginia school divisions with a student population of fewer than 2,500 as of June 2022. School principals' perceptions regarding online learning can impact the future implementation practices of online learning when global pandemics do not require the use of online learning. A qualitative study, which collects data about people's perceptions, was conducted to analyze the attitudes of principals regarding the use of online learning in public schools. The research questions were: 1) How do principals in small school divisions perceive their school division's size as impacting decisions about online learning? 2) How have principals of small school divisions institutionalized online learning post-pandemic? 3) What perceptions do principals in small school divisions have about online learning post-pandemic? The research included Building principals from elementary, middle, and high schools in school divisions to better understand the different age levels that impact online learning decisions, particularly in school divisions that may have used online learning. Interviews were conducted individually with eight interview questions. The findings suggest that online learning has not increased in the rate of use since the pandemic and the widespread use of online learning. Principals' perceptions regarding online learning note significant concerns about the effects on their students, particularly elementary principals. Although there was a consensus of concern regarding online learning, the participants agreed overall that there is a place for online learning, and it does provide additional educational opportunities for their students when used in specific situations and circumstances.

The present thesis explores the experience of international students in Sweden with blended learning and the uses of technology during the post-pandemic era. Based on a qualitative design, and semi-structured interviews with six international students, participation and experience in the transition from off-campus learning to on-campus learning has been identified. Challenges and opportunities associated with blended learning and the uses of technology were also discussed during the same period. In addition, students' attitudes towards the use of technology were studied during the same period. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Active learning theory, the findings were analysed. The results of the study show differences in international students' perspectives on blended learning and the use of technology. Furthermore, the study also shows that students' skills about using technology were developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to international students, a new academic strategy regarding curricula and teaching methods, must be developed in order to improve future learning in higher education. Which means that traditional curricula should changes to suites more online and blended learning. In addition, that teachers should use always different teaching methods than they do today.

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The purpose of this study is to understand the short- and long term implications of the Covid-19 virus on the city center and what is done to revitalize it to a more attractive and available place. This case study is done on Umeå city center, where the municipality is going through a massive transformation and plans to increase its population size from 130 000 to 200 000 by 2050. That is a 50% population increase over a 30-year period, this also entails doubling the amount of constructing on a yearly basis. With the municipality focusing on densification of its cities, with a particular focus on the city center since they want to build a dense and vibrant city where everything is within a 5 km distance radius. The case study is done with a qualitative method using semi structural interviews. The observations made from the interview are compared to previous scientific studies, documents and theories made by urban planners and culture geographers. They include Jane Jacobs, Richard Florida and previous work on the correlation between urbanization and spread of infection as well as studies on people’s preferences on where to live, either being in or outside the city perimeter.  To gather empirical information a selection of people in suitable positions were interviewed. The results from the interviews and document shows that the city center has not been affected by the Covid-19 virus on a macro level. There has however been a wide impact on the microgeographic level, where stores and restaurant have been highly affected by the restrictions imposed. People have also seen their daily lives affected which has changed their routines and behavior in consumption and movement. There has been little change in the planning process or vision for the city center expect that there has been a greater emphasis on cooperation between businesses and the municipality.

In the era of a pandemic, public spaces have been reshaped for better, but also for worse. Humans are social beings. We need interaction with others to thrive, but doing this over a screen over a long period of time has proven we must adapt in new ways. “As society begins to build the “new normal” of emergence from the pandemic, efforts to rebuild and strengthen trust and solidarity are of as much importance as the ongoing distribution of vaccines and vigilance against coronavirus variants,” (The EditorsFebruary, 2022, Unpaginated). The transitional restart for issues relating to public spaces in the post pandemic period has highlighted the challenge of making public spaces not only safe to gather, but also vibrant. There is much room for society to start exploring new systems to create safe spaces for the public that veer away from the stale solutions we have implemented. What would happen if we shy away from digital as a social distancing method and instead explore craft or nature as a way of rethinking the new normal?  The EditorsFebruary, et al. “The Key to a Post-Pandemic 'New Normal'? Solidarity.”America Magazine, 17 Feb. 2022, https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2022/02/17/covid- omicron-normal-masks-242404.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped part of the labor market, causing an increase in remote work and consequently the rise of “quiet quitting”. Quiet quitting refers to when an employee does the bare minimum at work, and the specific reasons for its rise, vary, however, there is reason to believe that remote work can be a contributing factor due to its effect on social connections and motivation.    Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between working from home and quiet quitting, and how digital leadership can affect job satisfaction. This is because employers need to recognize and address the contributing factors of quiet quitting to be able to keep job satisfaction. Method: This thesis is a qualitative study using an interpretivist method. The research has been performed though an inductive research approach. The primary data were gathered though 20 semi-structured interviews with 10 companies form various industries located in Småland Sweden. A person in a leading position and an employee were interviewed from each organization and a thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data.    Conclusion: The result from our findings showed that remote work has a significant impact on employee job satisfaction. Many employees experienced a lack of support and feedback from their managers and colleagues, as well as lower cohesion, which many perceived effected their motivation and increase the risk of quiet quitting.  That is why managers should focus on creating “digital cohesion” by reworking their digital work, improving digital communication, and improving digital feedback. This may result in employees feeling more appreciated and committed to the organization, thus mitigating the risk of quiet quitting.

The project was carried out as a master’s thesis at Royal Institute of Technology, in collaboration withthe kitchen designer Lucks by Robo in Stockholm, Sweden. The purpose of this project was to analyze new demands on office furniture due to hybrid work & homeworking, a result of the covid-19 pandemic. The project was also to apply findings in some type of furniture for the home. Using a human-centered design process the project was to answer the following research questions; (1) What may the future of homeworking look like? (2) What are some common challenges people have when integrating part of their office into their homes and what furniture related needs or desires have emerged? and (3) What are some new characteristics needed to consider when designing furniture for the home office and how can they be applied in the product design? The project carried out a literature study of the hybrid work structure and its future, an extensive userstudy and a brand identity analysis. The project resulted in four main insights where one of the most crucial was the product system needed for an optimal home working environment. Five different groups who represent different levels of needs were identified. Application of the findings were also made through the product development of a piece of furniture for the work environment in the home in a Scandinavian and contemporary style. With a product focus, a height adjustable table was designed to fulfil the identified, functional and aesthetic needs and characteristics for the home office. The product was adapted for the manufacturing and production of Lucks. This resulted in a height adjustable table made of HDF, using four gas springs for the height adjustable mechanism. / Projekt är ett master examensarbete utfört på KTH, Kungliga Teknisk Högskolan, i samarbete med köksföretaget Lucks by Robo, i Stockholm Sverige. Syftet med projektet är att analysera nya krav som ställs på möbelmarknad i samband med den hybrida arbetsstrukturen, mer specifikt den kraftiga ökningen av hemarbete som påverkats av covid-19 pandemin. Arbetet ska också applicera resultat i form av en möbel anpassat för hemarbetet. Med en människocentrerad designprocess skall projektet besvara följande forskningsfrågor; (1) Hur ser framtiden för hemarbete ut? (2) Vilka utmaningar uppstår då hemmet omvandlas till ett deltids kontor för hemarbetet och vilka möbelrelaterade behov och krav uppstår i samband med detta? och (3) Hur kan dessa krav och behov appliceras på en möbel för hemarbetet?Projektet utförde en litteraturstudie kring den hybrida arbetsstrukturen och dess framtid, en omfattande användarstudie och en analys av varumärkets identitet. Projektet resultera i fyra insikter, där en av de viktigaste var behovet av ett produktsystem för att optimera ett hemmakontor. Fem olika behovsgrupper av olika magnitud identifierades. Projektet applicerade även resultatet i ett produktutvecklingsarbete kring möbler för hemarbete. Detta resultera i ett produktfokus på ett höj och sänkbart bord designad föratt uppfylla identifierade krav som berörde både funktion och estetik för ett hemmakontor. Bordet är anpassad till Lucks by Robo’s produktion och tillverkning. Detta resultera i ett höj och sänkbartbord i HDF som använder sig av fyra gasfjädrar för dess höj och sänkbara funktion.

Förevarande studie syftar till att undersöka hur de hybrida arbetssätten som uppkommit till följd av pandemin har katalyserat gig-ekonomin inom mediebranschen. Undersökningen har med en deduktiv ansats grundat en hypotes baserat på tidigare forskning inom området. Med kvalitativa intervjuer av både frilansare inom medieindustrin och företagare som anställer dessa, har studien ämnat att analysera huruvida hypotesen kunde bekräftas eller förkastas. För att analysera det empiriska resultatet av undersökningen i förhållande till studiens frågeställning och hypotes har diskussionen anknutit till Maslows motivationsteori. Studien fastslår att delar av dess hypotes kan bekräftas eftersom hybrida arbetssätt ökar frilansarens och företagarnas digitala vana, vilket minskar behovet av fysiska möten med medarbetare och samarbetspartners. Hybrida arbetssätt möjliggör också nya arbetsmöjligheter för frilansare utanför det lokala området eftersom digital kommunikation inte längre minskar professionaliteten av arbetet. De förväntade internationella möjligheterna av hypotesen går emellertid inte att bekräfta avseende studiens otillräckliga kvantitet av respondenter som bekräftar utfallet. Studien visar också på hinder som minskar tryggheten för frilansare när de arbetar med utländska uppdragsgivare. Studiens slutledning av frågeställningen är att de hybrida arbetssätten katalyserar den nationella gig-ekonomin och bör ses som en betydande del för att förstå den postpandemiska framtiden för mediebranschen i Sverige. / This study aims to explore how the hybrid working methods that have emerged because of the pandemic have catalysed the gig economy in the media industry. Using a deductive research approach, the study formulated a hypothesis based on previous research in the field. Through qualitative interviews with both freelance workers in the media industry and organisations who employ them, the study sought to analyse whether the hypothesis could be confirmed or rejected. The discussion used Maslow’s motivation theory to analyse the empirical results of the study in relation to the research question and hypothesis. The study finds that parts of the hypothesis can be confirmed as hybrid working methods increase the digital competence of both freelancers and organisations, reducing the need for physical meetings with colleagues and partners. Hybrid work arrangements also enable new work opportunities for freelancers outside their local area, as digital communication no longer decreases the professionalism of their work. However, the expected international opportunities of the hypothesis cannot be confirmed due to the study's insufficient number of respondents confirming the outcome. The study also identifies barriers that reduce the security of freelancers when working with foreign clients. The study's conclusion regarding the research question is that hybrid working methods catalyse the national gig economy and should be viewed as a significant factor in understanding the post-pandemic future of the media industry in Sweden.

Pandemin som utlöstes av covid-19 har påverkat den psykosociala arbetsmiljön och välmående för medarbetare och personal vid särskilda boenden för äldre i Sverige. Det finns flera faktorer som kan relateras till det ökade antalet personer som upplever mental ohälsa i samband med den psykosociala arbetsmiljön, såsom arbetsbelastning, stress på arbetet, brist på återhämtning, oro och rädsla för att smittas eller för att föra smitta vidare till anhöriga och andra boende. Syftet med uppsatsen är att uppnå ökad förståelse för medarbetare inom särskilda boenden och deras upplevelse av den nuvarande psykosociala arbetsmiljön jämfört med perioden före och under pandemins utbrott. Studien använder uppsatta hypoteser och jämför samband mellan mentalt välmående och psykosocial arbetsmiljö utifrån självbestämmandeteorin. En kvantitativ forskningsansats har använts och undersökningen har skett via en digital enkät till en population av medarbetare inom särskilt boende i en västsvensk kommun. Svaren från den digitala undersökningen jämfördes med en tidigare enkät som utförts vid Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset, och resultatet stödjer inte hypoteserna om en förbättring i den psykosociala arbetsmiljön efter covid-19 pandemin. Tvärtom tycks andelen negativa svar ha ökat även om det inte bör jämföras rakt av. För ytterligare kunskap i området krävs fler och framtida studier. / The pandemic of covid-19 has affected the psychosocial work environment and well-being for workers and staff of elderly care homes across the country of Sweden. There are a various number of factors that can be related to the increased number of workers experiencing mental health problems due to changes in the psychosocial work environment such as workload, jobstrain, stress, worry or fear of being infected by the virus either spreading it to patients or family members. The purpose of this thesis is to achieve an increased understanding about eldercare in the form of home care staff and their experiences of the present psychosocial work environment compared with the peak of covid-19. The study uses assumptions in the form of hypotheses and explores connections between mental well-being and psychosocial work environment by the theory of self-determination. A quantitative research approach was used, and the study was carried out in the form of a digital survey by email to a population of workers. The data provided by the home care staff was compared to a previous survey at the University Hospital of Sahlgrenska, and the result does not support the hypothesis that the psychosocial work environment has improved as the pandemic restrictions lessen. On the contrary, the comparison between the two surveys shows that the experienced psychosocial work environment has further decreased in score, even if a straight comparison is questionable. Further research is necessary to achieve more knowledge in the subject.

The return to in-person schooling post-COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased pressure on educators to ensure academic success for students. This study examines the school climate of 40 elementary and middle schools in California's Central Valley and its impact on academic performance and attendance, comparing pre-pandemic (2018-2019) with post-pandemic (2021-2022 and 2022-2023) data. Additionally, the study explores the influence of positive student-teacher relationships on academic outcomes and chronic absenteeism. Utilizing the PLUS School Climate Survey, this research sought to identify significant differences in survey scores pre- and post-pandemic, as well as examining the predictive power of student-teacher connectedness on academic performance and chronic absenteeism. This research found statistically significant differences among 6th-8th grade students regarding perceptions of school connectedness throughout the years. There was a significant increase from the 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 school years followed by a significant decrease from 2021-2022 to the 2022-2023 school year. The 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 school year data on school connectedness was not significant. Results also indicate there was a significant positive relationship between students and teachers and their academic performance. In the 2022-2012 school year, when the students had a positive view of their relationship with teachers and staff at school, the student’s ELA and math scores increased. This analysis also examined the relationship between the student’s relationship with teachers and their chronic absenteeism. There were not statistically significant results. These findings aim to provide insights for educational stakeholders to implement targeted interventions to improve school climate and enhance student success amidst post-pandemic challenges.