This paper presents an analysis of history textbooks used in schools in Sweden and Norway. The intention of the research was to study how the history textbooks describe communism and communistic dictatorship mainly during the cold war. The result of this study is that there were no big differences between Swedish and Norwegian history textbooks, but there are, however, some differences in how communism was described between the authors and also over time. Mostly, the books that were written in the post cold war period were somewhat more critical to communism in the eastern Europe (even thought they mainly handled with Stalin´s communism. And they also set quotationmark between Stalin´s communism and the nazi terror during World War two.

Sexual harassments have since long been an issue all over the world and schools have not been an exception. Reports from Swedish secondary schools show how 47% of the female pupils state that they have, sometime during their time in school, been the victim of sexual harassment. Other studies claim that pupils exposed to sexual harassments will develop low self-esteem and a decreased sense of self. The Swedish curriculum state that all children shall have the right to a harassment free school environment, but still many pupils claim to be exposed to sexual harassment in school. Several studies have theorized about why sexual harassment is so prevalent in schools but what do the pupils think? This study aims to reveal and analyze pupil opinions about sexual harassment; what do they think it is and why do they think it occurs? This will be done from a post-structural feminist point of view with focus on the shaping of identity among the respondents.      The collected results of this study indicate that sexual harassment is mostly due to a dominant form of the heterosexual male ideal where sexual harassment against both men and women is used to secure ones position as a dominant male and to gain access to the hegemonic male group. According to the respondents, sexual harassment have little to do with the victims and in the discussion an alternative approach to handle sexual harassment in school is discussed.

Abstract This qualitative study is designed to examine how the 8 university students (from 8 different secondary schools) define their high school experiences. The study focuses on how the 8 study participants’ unique identities shape their experiences of secondary schooling. The three paradigms, students’ heterogeneity, multiple worlds, and identity conceptually framed the study. Through the focus group interactions and two sets of individual interviews, each student’s unique identity and agency were revealed; both individual-social-collective entities that were developed in relations to others. The other sources of data were school websites, relevant media reports on schools and their communities, and policy documents on academic and international baccalaureate programs; finally, field notes were also taken. In so doing, the research critically explores participants’ voices on heterogeneity, multiple worlds of family, neighbourhood, peers,cultural and multicultural identities. Finally, the 8 young people also reflect on their 8 schools, their academic programs, overall educational experience, and particularly, how young people articulate their belonging in high schools. Findings of the study suggest that participants’ identities of who they were often echoed their class, race, and ethnicity, and in turn, affected their academic engagement and identity. Despite the public invitation of all schools on their websites for students to participate in the school communities, the participants painted an altogether different picture; not all adolescents had equal access to schooling. The study makes recommendations for policy-makers, schools, and their districts which address the issues of inequity raised in this study. Specifically, schools need to be aware of the cultural,socioeconomic, and ethnic issues and the challenges that are in the way of minority adolescents’ progress so that secondary schools can extend their support to low income and immigrant students.

Numeracy is a cross-curricular priority, an intersystemic priority and, of late, a federal government priority. Yet as a priority "numeracy" is inadequately defined and the term is used to describe a wide-range of notions. Many educators are unsure of what constitutes numeracy, unaware of how it differs from mathematics, and uncertain as to how its demands may be met in their planning and teaching. Secondary schools have few models upon which to develop a whole-school numeracy plan. This study describes the journey of a secondary school staff as they developed a shared understanding of numeracy, identified the numeracy demands throughout the curriculum and planned for a whole-school approach to address these demands.

The broad aim of this research was to investigate group work in schools with friends and acquaintances. More specifically, the study sought to identify motivational factors that may underlie students' attitudes and behaviours when working in these contexts. Independent and interdependent self-construal, and self-efficacy for group work, were identified as variables that may be important for working in friendship and acquaintance groups. The participants were Year 10 and Year 11 students from secondary schools in the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. Data collection was carried out in three phases, the first two were survey-based, and the third was a mixed-methods study. In phase 1, participants (N = 188) attended two Independent schools. The main data analyses comprised exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. In phase 2, the participants (N = 583) attended nine randomly selected public schools. Data analysis was carried out using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. In phase 3, participants (N = 38), attended two randomly selected public schools. In this phase, survey, observational and interview data were collected and analysed. The observational analysis centred on how students in friendship and acquaintance groups interacted whilst working on a group problem-solving activity. The interviews focused on students' experiences in the group problem-solving activity and their general perceptions, beliefs, and feelings about group work with friends and acquaintances. Group performance in the problem-solving activity was measured. Two results seemed particularly important. First, was the suggestion that self-efficacy for being receptive to the ideas of others and- self-efficacy for group facilitation in the friendship context may "flow-on" to corresponding self-efficacy beliefs in the acquaintance context. Second, interdependent and independent self, and self-efficacy for group work, were identified as important variables with regard to students' attitudes and behaviours in friendship and acquaintance groups. From a theoretical perspective the focus in this research on self-beliefs represents a relatively new way of studying group work with friends and acquaintances. From a practical perspective, the findings from the research should provide direction for teachers when they make decisions about how to organize students into groups for the purposes of learning.

Relationships between underachievement, individual type and attributional motivation were investigated among 37 underachieving senior science students from a boys' college, a girls' college and a coeducational college in New Zealand. An adaptation of the Myers-Briggs type inventory was used to identify individual type, and attributional motivation was determined by using two questionnaires, based upon attributional constructs established by Weiner (1979). Students in the sample were also interviewed. Results show a significant difference, too great to be attributed to a sampling fluctuation, between the observed number of students and the greater than expected number of students, particularly for the ESFJ (Extrovert-Sensing- Feeling-Judging) and ISFJ (Introvert-Sensing-Feeling-Judging) individual 'types' within the sample of underachieving students. A difference also was found between the observed number of Function Pairs, derived from the Myers-Briggs descriptions, and the expected number of Pairs within the sample. These differences were also too great to be attributed to a sampling fluctuation.A general lack of motivation was found among the students, with 'lack of effort' being attributed as a major cause of underachievement. Differences in attribution trends were found between different 'types'. Most of the students indicated that they were passive learners and generally were unaware of how to use metacognitive strategies to improve their learning and motivation.Implications from this research suggest that intervention approaches should be made by educators to improve accountability and reduce underachievement by students. Recommendations for various approaches used by the author, and by others described in the thesis to reduce or overcome underachievement are suggested. These might be used for individual types who are prone to underachieve, and for ++ / underachievers generally.

Thesis (M. Min.)--Northwest Baptist Theological College and Seminary, 1992. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-67).

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1945.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan. / "A selected bibliography": p. [58]-64.