published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur gymnasieelever översätter mellan tre matematiska språkformer (symbolspråk, matematiskt språk och vardags-språk). Studien använde ett slags test, en kunskapsdiagnos, för att undersöka detta. Gymnasieelever från samma program i tre olika årskurser fick möjlighet att delta i studien. Diagnosen var uppdelad i tre översättningsområden: från matematiskt språk till symbolspråk, från symbolspråk till matematiskt språk och till sist från symbolspråk till vardagsspråk. Resultatet visar att gymnasieeleverna, oavsett årskurs, har problem med översättningarna. Bland annat använde eleverna fel operationstecken, missade att sätta ut väsentliga parenteser och blandade i vissa fall de olika språkformerna i samma mening. Eleverna lyckades bäst med översättningen från symbolspråk till matematiskt språk, och de allra flesta kände till symbolen för ”mindre än”. / The purpose of this study was to investigate how upper secondary school students translate between three mathematical language forms (symbolic language, mathematical language and everyday language). The study used a test (a diagnosis), to investigate this. Upper secondary school students belonging to the same program in three different grades were given the opportunity to take part in the study. The diagnosis was divided into three translation areas: from mathematical language to symbolic language, from symbolic language to mathematical language and finally from symbolic language to everyday language. The result shows that upper secondary school students, regardless of grade, have problems with the translations. Among other things, the students used the wrong operation signs, missed writing crucial parentheses and in some cases, they mixed the various language forms in the same sentence. The students were most successful with the translation from symbolic language to mathematical language, and the vast majority had knowledge of the "less than" - symbol.

This case study was based on a programme that followed the Nurture Group concept in a Secondary School in New Zealand. The Success at School (SAS) programme was based within the school complex and consisted of a home classroom where students were provided with both an academic and social/ life skills programme. The nine selected students were all failing academically and socially within the Year 9 cohort. Academically, all students made some small gains in their literacy and numeracy skills and also on task behaviour. Socially, small gains were made by most students in their positive interactions with others and in decreasing their absences, suspensions, referrals from class and lateness to school. Eight of the nine students indicated an attachment/ trust relationship with their teacher and/ or teacher aide. However it is not clear if the small gains that were made by most of the students can be directly attributed to the Nurture Group concept. The small group size, 1:1 teaching, individualised learning programmes and the introduction of a social skills programme may also have contributed to the small academic and social gains the students made. This case study provides an insight into the adaptation of a United Kingdom (UK) primary school Nurture Group model to a New Zealand secondary school setting.

The cognitive models that research on conceptual change has generated have been the subject of criticism, suggesting that these reflect an unrealistic view of learning as an overly “cold” and isolated process. Accordingly, representatives of this criticism suggest that research on conceptual change should investigate to what extent the cold cognition relates to “warm” affective constructs. In the present thesis, the warmth is not considered as prior to conceptual change, but is inferred from the very process of conceptual change itself. The aim is to investigate and describe how this warmth – in terms of normativity – is expressed in conceptual change and how individuals, in these processes, emerge as subjects in their interchange with the environment. This is done by exploring what students do when they make meaning of gender and nation in interviews and exam papers. The results show that the students mainly relate to two different norm-systems, including six normative aspects of conceptual change. The first system includes the goal to challenge or emancipate, the means to problematize, and engagement in the interviews or exams. Furthermore, it includes critical theory as an ideal, social structures and power as values, and me as a social being and actions as part of a tradition as what to make meaning of. The second system includes the goal to preserve, the means to claim how it “is”, and engagement in the interviews or exams. Furthermore, it includes psychological/biological reductionism as an ideal, essences and a natural order as values, and me as an individual and actions as an outcome of intentions as what to make meaning of. By understanding what the students do as interfering with these normative aspects, it becomes possible to understand them as negotiating norms that are brought to the fore. With this, “coldness” appears to be a misleading epithet of conceptual change. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Submitted. Paper 2: Accepted. Paper 3: Submitted.</p>

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-54).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-173).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-141).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 74).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 115-120).