Interest in research for the relationship between physical activity and cognition among children and adolescents has increased substantially in recent years. The positive effects of physical activity appear to be particularly important for students with neuropsychiatric disability. Physical activity within the classroom is an area that so far has been relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study is to investigate both students with neuropsychiatric disability and their teachers' experiences of daily physical activity during an implementation period of an exercise program inside the classroom and how it affects the study situation, The purpose is also to identify obstacles and opportunities for implementation of daily physical activity inside the classroom for student with neuropsychiatric disability.  Based on the purpose of the study, we have investigated whether daily physical activity in school can be a special educational tool in the work of students with neuropsychiatric disabilities. An intervention with daily physical activity inside classrooms was conducted over four consecutive weeks in two groups at two different schools. Teachers and their students estimated experiences of daily physical activity were collected through surveys before and after intervention as well as through logbooks during intervention. The results show that students and teachers have predominantly estimated positive experiences of daily physical activity in the classroom. The main positive change in students and teachers’ estimation is the students' completion of tasks. The transition between movement activity and other classroom teaching and the poor physical condition of some students are perceived by the teachers as an obstacle for implementation of physical activity within the classroom.  Safety and harmony in the group, as well as clear and simple instructions, are important prerequisites for implementation. This study's conclusion is that daily physical activity in the classroom is perceived positively by teachers and students and has a predominantly positive impact on the study situation for students with neuropsychiatric disability and therefore can be a special educational tool. / Intresset inom forskningen för förhållandet mellan fysisk aktivitet och kognition bland barn och ungdomar har ökat kraftigt de senaste åren. Den fysiska aktivitetens positiva effekter verkar vara särskilt betydelsefullt för elever med neuropsykiatrisk funktionsnedsättning, NPF. Fysisk aktivitet i klassrummet är ett område som ännu så länge är relativt outforskat. Studiens syfte är att undersöka såväl elever med neuropsykiatrisk funktionsnedsättning samt deras lärares upplevelser av daglig fysisk aktivitet under en implementeringsperiod av rörelseprogram i klassrummet och hur det påverkar studiesituationen. Vidare är syftet att kartlägga hinder och möjligheter för daglig fysisk aktivitet i klassrummet för elever med neuropsykiatrisk funktionsnedsättning. Utifrån studiens syfte har vi undersökt om daglig fysisk aktivitet i skolan kan vara ett specialpedagogiskt verktyg i arbetet med elever med neuropsykiatrisk funktionsnedsättning. En intervention med daglig fysisk aktivitet i klassrummet genomfördes under fyra sammanhängande veckor i två grupper på två olika skolor. Lärares och elevers skattade upplevelser av den dagliga fysiska aktiviteten samlades in genom enkäter före och efter intervention samt genom loggböcker under intervention. Resultaten visar att elever och lärare har övervägande positiva skattade upplevelser av daglig fysisk aktivitet i klassrummet. Den främsta förändringen inom elever och lärares skattning är elevernas färdigställande av uppgifter. Övergångarna mellan rörelseaktiviteten och övrig undervisning i klassrummet samt vissa elevers dåliga fysiska kondition uppfattas av lärarna som hinder. Trygghet och harmoni i gruppen, samt tydliga och enkla instruktioner är viktiga förutsättningar för genomförandet. Studiens slutsats är att daglig fysisk aktivitet i klassrummet skattas positivt av lärare och elever, samt att det i vår studie verkar ha en övervägande positiv påverkan på studiesituationen för flertalet elever. Därigenom är det möjligt att daglig fysisk aktivitet i klassrummet kan vara ett specialpedagogiskt verktyg.

It might be assumed that principals play a critical role in school organizational change processes. Evidence that both decision makers and relevant authorities share this assumption is found in the Swedish Education Act (SFS 2010:800) as well as the objectives and guidelines set down in relevant curricula (Skolverket 2011). Drawing its inspiration from phenomenological life-world research, the overarching aim of this study is to explore and describe the professional and personal experiences of school principals involved in organizational change processes in the educational system. As a consequence of this theoretical grounding in life-world phenomenology, our study has adopted the methodology of semi-structured interviews, with the aim of gaining access to regional life-worlds of principals by exploring narratives relating to their understandings and experiences of organizational change processes in the educational system. The themes brought up in the three conducted interviews provide the basis for interpretation that produces empirical evidence in the form of narratives. The results of this study highlight substantial divergences in the themes identified in the narratives of the principals: there is simply more setting the experiences related apart than that which draws them together. Furthermore, our results also indicate that the personal and professional experiences of organizational change processes in schools related by the interviewees likely constitute information of interest for other involved parties. From this we can make the assumption that an improved support for principals should involve a mutual exchange of experiences between school authorities and principles; this while at the same taking into account individual needs of principals. Based on the narratives of the interviewees in this study, there are four main conclusions to be drawn from this study: -       Change requires organization if it is to be successful and lasting -       Developmental change draws it power from a feeling of community and motivation -       Managing co-workers specifically in relation to organizational change projects constitutes a problem for solitary principals -       Studying organizational change projects as phenomena is problematic with regards quantifiable success rates and crowding out effects Keywords: experiences, change, journey of change, change processes, principals, headmaster, school development / Skolledares roll i skolors förändringsprocesser kan antas vara central. Beslutsfattare och myndigheter ser rektorsrollen som central i skolans förändringsprocesser. Detta framkommer i såväl skollagen (SFS, 2010:800) som aktuella läroplaners (Skolverket, 2011) övergripande mål och riktlinjer. Det övergripande syftet med studien är att med inspiration av ett livsvärldsfenomenologiskt perspektiv studera och beskriva skolledares upplevelser och erfarenheter av förändringsprocesser i skola.  Livsvärldsfenomenologin har använts som teoretisk utgångspunkt. De metodologiska konsekvenserna av denna ansats har varit att med hjälp av kvalitativa halvstrukturerade intervjuer få tillgång till skolledares regionala livsvärld i form av upplevelser och erfarenheter av förändringsprocesser i skola. Tre skolledare har intervjuats. I analysen har de livsberättelser som de intervjuade valt att berätta varit underlag för tolkning som skapat av empiriska teman i form av berättelser.   Resultatet visar att de teman som träder fram i respektive skolledares berättelser är till övervägande del olika. Det skiljer helt enkelt mer i de intervjuades berättelser än det binder samman. Resultaten visar också på berättade erfarenheter och upplevelser av förändringsprocesser i skola hos respektive skolledare som är av karaktären att de skulle vara av värde för andra att ta del av. Av detta kan antas att stöd till skolledare bör utgå från individuella behov samt att ett erfarenhetsdelande mellan skolledare och huvudmän skulle kunna leda till förbättrade möjligheter att stötta skolledare. Slutsatserna av studien är framför allt fyra insikter som bygger på skolledarnas berättelser: -       Förändring kräver organisation för att bli kvalitativ och varaktig. -       Förändring i form av utveckling hämtar kraft ur gemenskap och motivation. -       Att det kan var svårt som ensam skolledare att hantera relationer till medarbetare i just förändringsprojekt. -       Förändringsprojekt som fenomen är svårt att fånga sett till mätbar framgång och undanträngningseffekter.   Ämnesord: erfarenheter, förändring, förändringsresor, förändringsprocesser, rektor, skolledare, skolutveckling, upplevelser

Magister Educationis - MEd / Current debates in education and education support focus on the importance of schools needing to facilitate the holistic development of learners and also ensuring the achievement of educational objectives. This study focused on the need for counsellors to support teaching and learning in Schools of Skills and investigated challenges that emerged when school counsellors facilitate school development. The research question which framed this study was, what is the role school counsellors play in supporting teaching and learning and school development? A mixed methods approach that employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques was adopted in an attempt to construct a rich and meaningful picture of school counselling practice within School of Skills. Participants included principals, counsellors and educators at four schools of skills situated in the Western Cape. The data collection process included interviews and questionnaires. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with the four principals and the four school counsellors and questionnaires including both open-ended and closed questions were completed by educators. The findings illuminate the psycho-social barriers experienced by learners and how school counsellors can support learners. Roles of school counsellors are varied and involve the provision of support to various members of the school community in addition to teaching and administration. Challenges faced by school counsellors were highlighted as lack of human resources, lack of support and workload. The recommendations are presented as suggestions for consideration at various levels in the system, from micro (level of the individual) to macro (level of the state).

Examensarbetet syftar till att bidra med kunskap kring vilka framgångsfaktorer och hinder det kan finnas vid utvecklingsprojekt i skolor och hur resultatet av ett projekt kan upplevas av pedagogerna. Syftet är även att undersöka på vilket sätt specialpedagogerna varit delaktiga i utvecklingsprojektet. Vid utvecklingsarbete i skolan är det bland annat viktigt med ett fungerande systematiskt kvalitetsarbete som grund för utvecklandet av verksamheten. Rektors roll och ledarskap har stor betydelse liksom hur man i utvecklingsarbete tar sin utgångspunkt i den dagliga verksamheten. Annat som kan vara av vikt är till exempel kontinuitet, vilka normer och värderingar som råder på skolorna samt om specialpedagogen har en roll i arbetet. Vi har undersökt ett befintligt projekt som bedrevs i sju skolor i en svensk stad under ett läsår. På fyra av skolorna har vi gjort kvalitativa undersökningar genom intervjuer med pedagoger och specialpedagoger. Vi använde oss av chatintervjuer genom delade dokument i Google Drive. Lärande i organisationer inom organisationsteorin och den institutionella teorin användes för att analysera vårt resultat. Resultatet visar att det fanns många hinder som gjorde projektet mindre lyckat. Till exempel var målen otydliga, pedagoger kände en brist på ledarskap, rektorer slutade, dåliga organisatoriska förutsättningar och svag koppling till verksamheternas vardagsarbete. Målen för projektet nåddes ej och det arbete som sattes igång avstannade på samtliga skolor. Specialpedagogerna var inte delaktiga i arbetet med projektet. En slutsats är att skolan är en komplex verksamhet och varje skola har olika förutsättningar, både organisatoriskt och gällande värderingar och normer. Detta påverkar arbetet i skolan och måste tas hänsyn till vid utvecklingsarbeten. / The purpose of our study is to contribute with knowledge about factors that can hinder and promote developing projects in schools and how the teachers can experience results of a specific project. Our purpose is also to study the participation of special educational needs coordinator, SENCO, in this specific project. When we want to develop our schools it is important to have a systematic circle of analysis and evaluation. The role and leadership of the principal is of great importance as well as how well the developing project is founded in the daily activities of the school. Key factors can also be continuity, norms and values as well as to what degree the SENCO is involved. Our study is of an existing project that were carried out in seven schools in a Swedish city during one year. We have made qualitative studies in four of the schools through interviews with teachers and SENCOs. We used chatinterviews with a shared document in Google Drive. Learning organization in Organization theory and Institutional theory were used to analyze our results. Our results shows that the project were not very successful due to many hindrances. The objectives of the project were for example not explicit, there were lack of leadership, some of the principals ended their jobs, the organizational structures for the teachers were unsatisfying and there were weak correspondence with the daily work of the schools. The objectives for the project were not met and the work that were launched in the beginning of the year stopped after one year in all of the studied schools. The SENCOs did not participate in the project. Our conclusion is that every specific school has its own organizational foundation as well as its own set of values and norms. This has to be taken in consideration when we want to make changes and work with developing projects.

This qualitative interview study is conducted in a preschool organization. The research aim is to contribute with knowledge about pedagogical supervisors, a professional role which is beginning to take shape outside the traditional organizational form that exists in preschool. In this study a new role, the pedagogical supervisor, has been implemented as a support function in the preschool organization. The aim of the study is to increase understanding of how management, pedagogues and pedagogical supervisors are reasoning about school development processes. The specified research questions of the study are:  - How do employees in preschool organisations interpret and understand the role and the mission of pedagogical supervisors? - What structural obstacles and opportunities exists - partly in the assignment as pedagogical supervisor, partly in a preschool organization? The theoretical framework which is used to interpret and understand the empirical data is Lundquist (1987) implementation theory. To widen the perspective from the individual to the organization Ahrenfelt (2019) system theory has been supportive. The results of the study indicates that actors in a preschool organization are searching for clarity in the assignments of different professional roles in preschool. The results also indicates that the organizational positioning of a pedagogical supervisor may have an impact on how the assignment is performed. The organizational perspective shows that information platforms are important not only to create clarity in the assignments, but also to create understanding of how the image of an organization can be built up. The study includes a discussion about how the time perspective becomes an aspect of the process. Breaking cultural patterns can take time. It is also important that the actors in the process are aware that there are two parallel processes going on in a organizational transformation, the managements process and the organizationalprocess. The transparency between these processes are also implicated as an aspect in this study. In summary, the results of this study indicates that implementation of the employment can be a problem, as preschool organizational systems can be firmly rooted in traditional cultural patterns, which are difficult to change. The implication is to look beyond the traditional views of how organizations are constructed, because they can be obstacles in the process.

The thesis is a historical character, therefore it is based on the study of primary sources, i.e., school chronicles and other similar documents, in order to clarify the development of primary school in Výprachtice (Lanškroun district). The methods used will be methods of historical research including methods of oral history. In order to understand the context in which school development takes place, it is necessary to pay attention to: a) geographical and economic development of the region b) history of primary school legislation c) the development of education in the region (in Lanškroun) d) the history of the school in Výprachtice Key words: primary documents (chronicles, school documents, etc.), historical developmet, school development, school legislation, school region

This study focuses on the diverse leadership issues a Swedish primary school faces when responsibilities are not clearly defined between the management/operative organisation and the development organisation. To illustrate this, research results are analysed using Liljenberg’s model ‘Tensions in relation to the development aspects of school organisation’. The five aspects of the model are; Organisational Structure, Goals, Vision and Values, Responsibility and Decision-making, Reflection and Evaluation and Attitudes. They are used to identify to which extent the management team’s focus is operationally or developmentally oriented and how decisions are made. The information is derived from observations, document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The survey shows that the management team deals mostly with operational issues though what issues belong to the running of a school as compared to pedagogical development becomes difficult to distinguish as they can overlap. When it comes to which direction or solutions the school takes, other groups are influential without regard to the designated development group. This division shows that the school has a distributed leadership. The results indicated that without clearly defined division of labour, area of responsibility and leadership, the different groups within a school are less effective and would benefit from an overhaul. / Den här undersökningen fokuserar på en låg- och mellanstadieskolas ledningsgrupps frågor, för att se på fördelningen mellan driftsorganisationens och utvecklingsorganisationens frågor. För att belysa detta har undersökningens resultat analyserats utifrån en modell av Liljenberg över spänningsfälten mellan drifts- och utvecklingsorganisationen. Modellens fem aspekter är; organisationsstruktur, mål, vision och värden, ansvarstagande och beslutsfattande, reflektion och utvärdering samt attityder. Dessa har använts för att identifiera i vilken utsträckning ledningsgruppens fokus är drifts- eller utvecklingsorienterat. Ledningsgruppens arbete har undersökts i en fallstudie bestående av observation, dokumentanalys och semistrukturerade intervjuer. Undersökningen visar att den undersökta ledningsgruppen mest hanterar driftsfrågor, trots att det är svårt att utskilja vilka frågor som handlar om att driva skolan eller att utveckla den. När det handlar om utvecklingsfrågor visar det sig att det också finns andra grupperingar än ledningsgruppen där dessa frågor diskuteras. Det kan handla om förstelärarnas uppdrag eller vad resursteamet planerar i utbildningsväg. Denna uppdelning visar på att skolan har ett distribuerat ledarskap. Den här undersökningen visar att utan en tydlig fördelning av arbetsuppgifter, ansvarsområden och ledarskap blir skolan inte så effektiv som den skulle kunna vara, och att strukturen skulle gynnas av en översyn.

This study explored the views and experiences of School Management Teams (SMTs) when implementing Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in three primary schools in the Nkangala Region of the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was adopted and the data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and document retrieval in schools. The data were then analysed by the constant comparative method. All the participants in this study expressed the view that IQMS is a teacher appraisal system with a potential to develop educators in schools provided both evaluators and evaluatees are honest with the evaluation process and are able to identify their areas of development. However the experience of the principals and deputy principals with the implementation of IQMS in schools reveals that educators inflate their scores and do not identify areas where they need development. The Development Support Groups (DSGs) do not conduct authentic evaluation since they serve the purpose of helping educators to qualify for salary progression. Participants recommended external evaluation as a solution to subjective ratings since external evaluators have a potential to provide objective and credible evaluation because they are unfamiliar with educators and do not experience the pressure to maintain collegiality in schools. A key recommendation is that the Department of Education should conduct effective training for the stakeholders involved with the implementation of IQMS in schools. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Lärande gemenskaper i en organisation kan bidra till utveckling. Specialpedagogens uppdrag inom skolutveckling med fokus på lärande gemenskaper har identifierats som ett outforskat område nationellt. Studiens syfte är därför att bidra med kunskap om specialpedagogens roll i arbetet med lärande gemenskaper i en lärande organisation. Studiens metod är kvalitativ och undersöker specialpedagogens arbete med lärande gemenskaper på tre grundskolor genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Respondenterna i studien är fyra specialpedagoger och tre rektorer. Utifrån Ahrenfelts tolkning av systemteorin med begrepp som helhet, gränsyta och informativitet tolkas och analyseras empirin. Resultatet visar att specialpedagogen verkar genom att skapa relationer och möjliggöra samarbete i organisationen, och använder sin kunskap och förmåga inom pedagogisk handledning som ett verktyg för att främja lärande gemenskaper. Vidare visar resultatet att specialpedagogen kan vara den som identifierar nästa steg i utvecklingsarbetet genom sitt arbete såväl inom systemet som omvärlden. Hen använder även sin förmåga till analys i sovrandet av information. För att specialpedagogen ska kunna använda sin färdighet och förmåga erhållen via universitetsexamen på avancerad nivå, behöver rektorn vara den som sätter ramar och beslutar om prioritet. Rektors roll är även att hålla utvecklingsarbetets mål levande för medarbetare via exempelvis medarbetarsamtal, vilket i sin tur faciliterar specialpedagogens arbete vilken ofta är den som håller i olika fortbildnings- och utbildningsinsatser. Rektorerna i studien framhäver vikten av att ha specialpedagogen med i till exempel utvecklingsgrupper så att hen sedan kan verka på de olika nivåerna utifrån prioriterade mål. Sammantaget visar vårt resultat att om samarbetet och ramarna sätts av rektor kan specialpedagogen bidra med sin kompetens för att möjliggöra lärande gemenskaper. / Learning communities within an organization can contribute to development and growth. The role of the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), a contributor to school development through the establishment of learning communities, was identified as an area on which little research has been done nationally. Therefore, the aim of this study is to contribute further knowledge about the role of SENCOs in the development of learning communities in educational organizations. The method used is qualitative and investigates the work of SENCO and principals in three elementary schools through semi-structured interviews. The interviewees are four SENCOs and three principals. The empirical data is analyzed using Ahrenfelt’s interpretation of systems theory and terms such as the whole, interface, and informativeness. The conclusions drawn are that SENCOs operate by promoting relations and enabling cooperation within the organization, as well as by using their knowledge and competency in pedagogical guidance as a tool for establishing learning communities. Furthermore, the results show that SENCOs are capable of identifying the next step in the process of development through their work both within the system as well as the surrounding environment. SENCOs also use their analytical skills when sifting through information. For SENCOs to be able to fully utilize the skill set received through advanced university study, the conclusion is that it is the principal who is required to prioritize and establish the framework for the creation of a learning organization. The principal needs to remind the staff of the developmental process, for example through yearly staff interviews. This in turn facilitates the work of the SENCO, who is often the one responsible for administering various forms of vocational training. The principals view the participation of SENCOs in the school’s development groups as important. This enables SENCOs to act on the goals prioritized within the organization. Overall, the conclusion is that provided that principals establish the framework, SENCOs are capable of contributing with their area of competency in the development of learning communities.

The aim of this study is to investigate how heads of schools perceive multilingualism as a resource for learning and to what extent the process of writing and implementing language policies has provided a support for developing a multilingual view on languages in schools. This is done in accordance with the multilingual turn, which states that although a multilingual view on languages has spread in the global North in recent decades due to globalization and migration, a monolinguistic hegemony still persists in countries such as Sweden. Qualitative interviews were carried out with three heads of schools in Sweden and the findings of the study are discussed in relation to theories on school development and a framework for critical reflection on multilingualism. The results show that although the interviewed heads of schools express a positive understanding of and attitude towards multilingualism and language policies, traces of a deficit discourse can be found in their answers and their teachers struggle to make multilingualism a natural part of their everyday school practice. Multilingualism and multilingual children and pupils are at times seen as problems rather than resources. Furthermore, the monolingual norm is still visible in the interviews and teachers seem stuck in the assimilation stage and heads of schools unable to overbridge the gap between ostensive and performative aspects of school development. Implications of the findings are that heads of schools as well as teachers need to further develop a multilingual and diversified view on languages as a resource for learning in order to facilitate learning for multilingual children and pupils.