The purpose of the present study is to investigate what research show about the use of manipulative materials in the mathematics education and what factors have an impact on this approach. A definition of the problem<img src="https://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /> was formed when considering the decrease of Swedish pupils mathematical abilities presented in PISA. The intention with the present study was to assemble further knowledge in whether or not the use of manipulative materials could be a teaching method that could help improve this. The method used in this study was a systematic review based on an analysis of 8 studies. The results of the studies were thoroughly examined and presented in a result chapter. When comparing the results categories were found. These categories structured the result chapter as following: the beliefs of pre- and in- service teachers, the situations in which manipulative materials are used / not used, the use of manipulative materials in relation to grades and duration and pupils’ beliefs and achievements. Results show a positive meaning to the use of manipulatives, however it is the question of how they are used that is discussed.

<p>The objective of this literature study was to describe how the school nurse can adopt the salutogenic perspective in her health promoting work. The articles were examined in order to identify what was written about the school nurse’s work from the salutogenic perspective. In parallel, Eriksson’s, Orem’s, and Newman’s nursing theories were examined from the same perspective. Health promotion enables people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. Aaron Antonovsky coined the term salutogenesis to describe why certain people can stay healthy despite stressful situations, and even grow and develop. The concept “sense of coherence” (SOC) is an important factor in this context. The Salutogenic model was a new way to develop knowledge in nursing. As caregivers capable of structuring life experiences and providing health information and services, nurses can foster and strengthen SOC. Salutogenesis promoted the understanding and the identification of factors relevant to child protection. It was also found that many factors, e.g., gender, lifestyle, habits and school climate correlated with SOC. The study showed a strong support for adopting the Salutogenic model in school health work, and that nursing theories can be used as analytical tools in the application of this model in practice.</p>

Introduction A broad understanding of adolescent sexual behaviour is crucial: sexual experience and risky sexual behaviour are prevalent among adolescents. Many studies have been done and opinions have been given about adolescent behaviour regarding contraception and safe sexual practices. There seems to be sufficient knowledge, but passing it on to adolescents is inadequate. The aim of this study was to identify the factors that influence the use of contraceptive methods amongst 16 year old adolescents attending high schools in George, South Africa. Method This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Consent from parents/guardians and assent from study participants were obtained. Three high schools in George were randomly selected. All 16 year old learners attending these 3 schools, which assented and consented, were invited to voluntarily complete a self-administered questionnaire, specifically developed for this study. Results One hundred and eighty four 16-year old adolescents voluntarily took part. The male: female ratio was fairly equal. The average age of sexual debut was 15 years, with 42% using contraception at the time of the study. 33% of the sexually active respondents were not using contraception. Knowledge about contraception was reasonably good, with school, home and friends playing pivotal roles. Condoms were perceived to be to easiest available by the sexually active and non-active respondents, whereas injectable contraception was perceived easily available by the sexually active participants, but not by the sexually inactive participants. Contraception is being used mostly by instruction from parents, but peer pressure plays a role here too, as indicated by 20% of the respondents. The most popular reasons for not using contraception whilst being sexually active include: Sensation loss with condoms and partner pressure. Conclusion 16 year old adolescents attending high schools in George do not differ much from their peers nationally and internationally. Their sexual debut is slightly earlier; therefore their contraception use debut is also earlier. Their knowledge regarding contraceptive methods is acceptable, showing that previous educational programmes are bearing fruit and still need to continue. Friend/peer factors play an important role in the decision making of the respondents. This has been shown in their knowledge gain, access to and reasoning behind the use or non-use of contraception. These should be considered in new strategies aiming to improve the educational programmes.

This study focus is on pupils historical understanding of the Holocaust. The main purpose and question in this study is to answer what types of work methods and materials pupils used in Holocaust education in historical class. The method used is an survey on 136 high school’s pupils in Sweden for receiving a better understanding of what historical use of Holocaust pupils meet in historical class. The analyze of the material from the survey focused on four out of seven historical uses based on the historian Klas-Göran Karlsson’s typology on the uses of history, those are ideological, moral, political-educational and scientific use. The theory is used for analysing how pupils encounter the holocaust in the historical classroom. Results from the survey show that pupils meet a variation of historical information and facts is used throw how and what pupils work with the Holocaust. All four of the historical use of history could be seen in the results, but above all the scientific use and the ideological use. The scientific use of the Holocaust focuses on factors and relationship between causal factor and outcome. The ideological use of the Holocaust focuses on the understanding of democratic and human values. The study reveals that no historical use is dominant in the different classes, that means the individual meeting whit information about the Holocaust and pupil has an important value in what type of understanding and historical use the pupil have of the Holocaust.

The subject of this diploma thesis titled "Evaluation of textbooks by pupils and teachers" is to evaluate a textbook in terms of its functions. The main aim was to find out the pupils and teachers views to a textbook, which is used in their Czech lessons. In the theoretical part of this thesis I´ve been working with the textbook in general and I mentioned its history and then added several classifications of its functions. In the next chapters of this thesis is the most important the functions´ classification by Dmitrij Dmitrijevič Zujev. Then I have included researches of textbook made abroad and in Czech Republic and their selected results. The practical part is based on a survey carried out in the Year Seven at one primary school in České Budějovice. The questionnaire was handed to pupils and they marked their textbooks in terms of selected features from the classification mentioned above. Teachers´ task was the same as theirs pupils and on top of that react to the pupils answers.

No description available.

Annotation In my dissertation I deal with whole numbers and how to teach them using a computer and the interactive whiteboard. The dissertation is divided into three parts: a theoretical one, a questionnaire quest an a practical part. In the first part, which is devoted to theory, I examine teaching principles and the way of testing students´ knowledge, skills and learnig habits. In addition, I also examine possibilities for using a computer in the lessons focused on work with the interactive whiteboard. Part 2 provides my own questionnaire guest which I carried out in selected elementary schools. Its objective was to find out about the presence and use of interactive whiteboards as well as teachers´experience when using this teaching aid. Part 3 {--} a practical one {--} comprises worksheets prepared by me for the interactive board and shows their usage in teaching lessons in the seventh form of elementary school. Futher I present the findings which I gained when teaching my own lessons.

As alterações posturais da coluna vertebral, em especial a escoliose por ser um problema ortopédico funcional ou estrutural encontrado na infância e na adolescência, trazem riscos de evolução e devem ser diagnosticados e tratados o mais precocemente possível. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar a prevalência de postura escoliótica em escolares de uma escola pública e uma privada do ensino fundamental do município de Guarapuava-PR, bem como identificar a altura e o lado da convexidade das curvaturas escolióticas e a presença de gibosidade em relação à faixa etária e ao sexo dos sujeitos envolvidos. Esta pesquisa é de cunho quantitativo e trata-se de um estudo transversal não experimental. A coleta de dados foi realizada em duas escolas do município de Guarapuava, sendo uma privada e outra pública, em agosto de 2005. Envolveu 964 escolares de ambos os sexos, respeitando-se os princípios éticos estabelecidos na Resolução nº196 do CNS/MS, sendo previamente aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto-USP. A avaliação postural utilizada no presente trabalho foi elaborada considerando-se o alinhamento vertebral descrito Loudon, Bell Johnston (1999) e a partir de observações clínicas propostas por Santos (2001) e também a pesquisa de gibosidade, preconizada por Cailliet (1977). Quando foi detectada uma alteração postural, os pais ou responsáveis do escolar avaliado receberam uma carta de comunicação, na qual sugerimos a investigação diagnóstica através de exames complementares em consulta a um especialista de sua preferência. Os dados coletados foram descritos através da utilização do Software Statistical Package for Social Siences (SPSS, 1999). Entre os 655 escolares avaliados, detectamos, em ambos os sexos, 26% de posturas escolióticas, sendo 53% de curvaturas torácicas à esquerda e 20% à direita, 13% de toracolombares à esquerda e 6% à direita e 2% de lombares à esquerda. Não detectamos curvaturas lombares à direita como curvas únicas, somente em associações de duplas curvas, que correspondem a 6%. Nossos resultados foram semelhantes aos de outras pesquisas sobre posturas escolióticas e discutidos em relação à literatura referente sobre prevalência de escoliose estruturada ou não. Com base nestes resultados reforçamos a necessidade de programas preventivos como o rastreamento de posturas escolióticas durante a fase escolar, considerando-se que as alterações de postura podem ser uma das causas de agravamento de distúrbios da coluna vertebral na fase adulta, os quais apresentam, no Brasil, um alto índice de afastamento ao trabalho ou aposentadoria por invalidez. Faz-se necessário o estabelecimento de parcerias com outros profissionais da área da saúde para a implantação de ações preventivas e de diretrizes que promovam a saúde do escolar, principalmente sistematizando pesquisas periódicas para detecção de distúrbios vertebrais. / The posture alterations in the vertebral column, especially when there is scoliosis, which may be a functional or structural orthopedic problem found in childhood or adolescence, need to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible, since there is a chance for scoliosis to develop and get worse. Our aim with the present work was to study the prevalence of scoliosis posture in pupils from a public and a private primary/junior high school in Guarapuava-PR, as well as identify the size of the scoliosis curvatures, the side of their convexity, and if there was gibbosity concerning the participants age and gender. The present research has a quantitative purpose, and it is a transversal and not experimental study. The data were collected in two different schools in Guarapuava-PR (one school is private and the other is public) in August 2005. We studied 964 male/female pupils, respecting the ethical principles of the CNS/MS 196 Resolution, and all the search procedures had the approval of the Ethic Committee of the Nursing School of Ribeirão Preto-USP. The postural evaluation we used in the present work was elaborated from the vertebral alignment described by Loudon and Bell Johnston (1999), from clinical observations suggested by Santos (2001), and from the gibbosity research recommended by Cailliet (1977). If we found a postural alteration in the participant pupil, we sent their parents or the relative in charge of them a letter, advising them to seek a professional of their preference in order to diagnose the problem with complementary examinations. The collected data were described with the help of the Software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, 1999). From the 655 female/male participant pupils, we found that 26% of them had scoliosis postures: 53% with thoracic curvatures on the left and 20% on the right, 13% with thoracolumbar on the left and 6% on the right, and 2% with lumber on the left. We didn t find any lumbar curvatures on the right as single curves, but only in association with double curves, which correspond to 6% of the participant female/male pupils having posture problems. Our results were similar to those of other pieces of work related to scoliosis posture, and their discussion was based on the literature about the prevalence of structured or not structured scoliosis. From the results of the present study, we reinforce the necessity of prevention programs such as the diagnosis of scoliosis posture during the primary/junior high school period. We need to consider that the posture alterations may be one of the causes that lead to vertebral column disorders in adulthood. In Brazil, there is a high level of people who stop working or retire due to their disability caused by column disorders. It is necessary to establish partnerships with other health professionals in other to consolidate prevention programs and plans which improve the pupils health, especially by carrying out frequent research that seeks to find vertebral disorders in them.

A technique for decomposing the Optical Transfer Function (OTF) into a novel set of basis functions has been developed. The decomposition provides insight into the performance of optical systems containing both wavefront error and apodization, as well as the interactions between the various components of the pupil function. Previously, this technique has been applied to systems with circular pupils with both uniform illumination and Gaussian apodization. Here, systems with annular pupils are explored. In cases of annular pupil with simple defocus, analytic expressions for the OTF decomposition coefficients can be calculated. The annular case is not only applicable to optical systems with central obscurations, but the technique can be extended to systems with multiple ring structures. The ring structures can have constant area as is often found in zone plates and diffractive lenses or the rings can have arbitrary areas. Analytic expressions for the OTF decomposition coefficients again can be determined for ring structures with constant and quadratic phase variations. The OTF decomposition provides a general tool to analyze and compare a diverse set of optical systems.

Permanent exclusion is a serious disciplinary measure and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF, 2008) advises that in most cases it is to be the last resort after a range of measures have been tried to improve a pupil’s behaviour. Following permanent exclusion the local authority (LA) takes responsibility for a pupil’s education and for most cases seeks to reintegrate the pupil into a new school. However the process of reintegration of permanently excluded pupils into mainstream school is regarded as difficult and research has shown that second permanent exclusions frequently occur fairly soon after entering a new school. In the last four years a ‘Hard To Place Pupil Protocol’ (HTPPP) has been published in all LAs as a statutory document. This seeks to encourage all schools to admit a fair share of excluded pupils in a timely manner. There has been no published research on this protocol to date. This study adopts a qualitative case study methodology, influenced by a social constructionist epistemological stance. The participants and methods utilised include interviews with reintegrating pupils, their parents and school staff supporting them, LA reintegration officers and headteachers. Additional methods included a focus group with members of the educational psychology team, a survey to secondary school staff, documentary evidence from pupil files and LA documents, educational psychologist (EP) case work evaluation and a reflexive research diary. This study includes analysis of the findings and presents pertinent themes emerging from the data. The results section indicates that the HTPPP has been effective in increasing the number of pupils being reintegrated. However there are some areas identified as being problematic. These include: decision making, perceived fairness of the protocol, the role of parents and the relationship between the protocol and permanent exclusion. The findings indicate that there are a number of factors that can facilitate or hinder a reintegration. These include: school support, communication, individual pupil attributes, sense of belonging, familial and societal factors and the impact of previous events including the original exclusion. The research findings indicate that EPs recognise their role in supporting the reintegration process through the application of psychological theory and knowledge, supporting complex cases, helping to change perspectives of the ‘problem’, working school staff and obtaining and championing the voice of the child. School staff consider the role of the EP as providing consultation around advice and strategies, it is also about providing a current assessment of a pupil’s educational needs, offering individual therapeutic work with the pupil, supporting home-school relations and enabling a third party perspective. The discussion relates the themes to previous literature and identifies some variation in terms of the factors that facilitate or hinder reintegration, and concluded by questioning the feasibility of establishing such factors. The evidence collected to determine effectiveness of the HTPPP is helpful to establish the way in which it might be adapted to operate in the future. By considering the role of an EP in supporting the process, it is anticipated that the research will contribute to evidence based practice in this area.