This study aims to explore the attitudes and practices of Swedish parents regarding the use of digital tablets for their toddlers' English language acquisition. The study focuses on the perceptions of parents regarding the role of tablets in supporting or hindering the development of English language skills in English language learners during early childhood. A qualitative research design was adopted, employing a thematic analysis approach to analyze the data collected from semi-structured interviews with six participating parents. The interviews aimed to investigate the ways in which parents perceive the impact of tablet usage on their children's English language learning. The study revealed that parents generally viewed the use of digital tablets as a positive tool for supporting their children's English language learning. The tablets facilitated early exposure to a foreign language and sparked their child's interest in language learning. However, concerns about potential drawbacks such as excessive screen time were also expressed. Parents reported various strategies and techniques to support their children's language learning, including parental controls, child-friendly language learning apps, and active participation in tablet-based activities. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of research on technology use in early childhood education and provides valuable insights into the experiences and perceptions of Swedish parents regarding their toddlers' English language learning through digital tablets.

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TITLE: Curriculum of Lichens and the Problem of Its Integration into Biology Teaching at the Second Level of Elementary School AUTHOR: Pavla Češíková DEPARTMENT: Department of Biology and Environmental Studies SUPERVISOR: RNDr. Jana Skýbová, Ph.D. ABSTRACT This diploma thesis deals with the issue of integrating the topic of lichens into the teaching of natural science at the 2nd level of elementary schools. It contains informations about the representation of this topic in curricular documents, as well as a partial analysis and comparison of selected school educational programs and textbooks. In the practical part of this work there is a short interviews with the teachers, who the question of the difficulty integration this topicit into the teaching describe directly from the practice. Based on these findings, the work also includes a proposal for a possible concept of teaching this topic (Lichens), which was applied in practice and whose advantages and disadvantages are also part of the results of research. KEY WORDS: Lichens, curricular documents, textbooks, analysis, semi-structured interviews, natural science

Same-sex divorce is on the horizon in light of the 2015 legalization of same-sex marriage. Since most divorce case law is based on heteronormative presumptions, the authors were curious to understand how local district judges would adjudicate a same-sex divorce case involving a child born prior to the legal marriage. A qualitative study was implemented and a convenient sample of four local district judges in Upper East Tennessee were interviewed for this study. Interview questions were submitted to the judges prior to the interview and themes were identified following data collection. None of the judges had adjudicated a same-sex divorce. All of the judges admitted that they were unfamiliar with case law on same-sex divorce and acknowledged that they would most likely default to heteronormative case law. The judges indicated that they have not had any training on the changing case law as it relates to same-sex divorce and custody issues. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.

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Misinformation poses a significant threat to democracy, as it undermines informed decision-making, creates distrust among citizens, and exacerbates social and political polarization. Public libraries can in theory mitigate this threat by serving as trustworthy sources of information and promoting critical thinking, but must contend with issues such as the politicization of library services, which have the potential to erode public trust in libraries. This paper explores the critical role of public libraries as democratic institutions in countering the growing problem of misinformation and disinformation. Six librarians and library managers from Sweden's largest public libraries were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative data on this topic. Thematic content analysis was conducted on the data, which resulted in several key themes that demonstrate issues involved in public libraries’ approaches to addressing misinformation. The results reveal that public libraries grapple with whether an open, unrestricted acquisitions policy is better, or whether a more selective policy is more effective in combatting misinformation-related problems. The results also indicate public libraries’ uncertainty in deciding how active and outspoken of a role they should take in combatting the issue of misinformation at large. The study highlights the importance of public libraries in addressing this societal challenge and provides insights into the tensions surrounding the library’s preservation of public trust and the protection of its democratic values when challenged by misinformation.

This thesis aims to explore the potential of virtual reality (VR) to promote sustainable behaviours. The literature review draws from various fields that discuss the advantages and limitations of VR in design experiences (Scurati, et al., 2021)and how VR can provide an overview on training and transfer, education, and procedural, cognitive and maintenance training (Psotka, 1995) In virtual reality and education and training paper Joseph Psotka provides a brief overview of existing VR research on. Contributing to this literature in VR and education for designing behaviour change with a sustainability focus, by utilizing VR technology, this research focuses on transforming a carbon calculator into an immersive VR environment with the goal of increasing users’ awareness of carbon emissions. Hence, this research allows individuals with little to no experience to create and be part of immersive experiences that effectively convey information and increase users’ awareness of carbon emissions. Adopting semi-structured interviews and digital material exploration as its research methodology, this study involves participants from different backgrounds and levels of knowledge about carbon emissions aiming to create an immersive experience that could effectively educate and engage users in understanding and addressing sustainability issues. Through the development of a hi-fi prototype, participants who tested the VR experience expressed an increased interest in learning about carbon emissions, indicating the potential of immersive VR in raising awareness and fostering behaviour change. The study was conducted in collaboration with Nordic Waves Group, a Denmark-based organization that focuses on UN’s 17 New World Goals, demonstrates the practical application of the research in a real-world context, aligning with their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. The findings of this study emphasize the potential of VR in promoting sustainable behaviours and highlight the importance of incorporating immersive experiences in sustainability education and awareness campaigns. Overall, this research provides insights into the use of VR as a tool for promoting sustainability and offers practical solutions for designing behaviour change interventions with a focus on carbon emissions. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>

The thesis aims to highlight successful stories of female ex-offender reentry into the community. Success, rather than failure, seems to be a current research gap in reentry literature. To gain an insight on the matter, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with seven female ex-offenders. These women had previously taken part of the program, Exodus Ministries in Dallas, Texas. Systematic Text Condensation (STC) was utilized to analyze the qualitative data from the interviews. The results were then discussed in a theoretical framework in regard to previous research. Two theories were utilized; namely, the theory of “making good” by Maruna (2001) and the theory of cognitive transformation by Giordano, Cernkovich and Rudolph (2002). In conclusion, the results of the thesis point to reentry programs, such as Exodus Ministries; motherhood; religion; fundamental life changes; identity transformation and utilizing resources as essential factors needed for successful reentry into the community upon release from institutionalization.

This dissertation examines the association between transformational leadership and public organizational performance using different data and methods. Each of the three articles collected in this dissertation contributes to the scholarship exploring the interplay of transformational leadership and organizational performance using distinct data and interpretive methods, examining the interplay of its elements and a widely used outcome measure – organizational performance as a dependent variable. The first article presents evidence of the empirical studies analyzing the association between transformational leadership and public organizational performance. Based on a formal, replicable search method informed by current practices for the systematic evaluation of published evidence, this review collects and analyzes empirical research articles examining the association between transformational leadership and public organizational performance. A total of seven journal articles were identified that met the study criteria. The measures of the transformational leadership construct in these studies are different but show a common pattern of survey questionnaires with multiple-level responses. Moreover, transformational leadership is found to be positively associated with public organizational performance. Organizational performance is operationalized using several factors such as development, growth, creativity, and effectiveness in the included studies. Acknowledging the gap in the included studies, this review offers two research questions for further exploration to address the gaps in the existing studies. The second article explores the association between the elements of transformational leadership and federal organizational performance in very large and large federal agencies using Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR) on quantitative survey data drawn from results of the OPM Federal Employment Viewpoint Survey. Statistical findings of this study show a positive relationship between the elements of transformational leadership and organizational performance. This study contributes to the transformational leadership and public management literature by adding the scholarship exploring the association between the elements of transformational leadership and public organizational performance. The third article explores the association between transformational leadership and organizational performance from the experiences and perspectives of U.S. federal agency employees. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with federal leaders from very large and large agencies, as per the Office of Personnel Management's classification. The perceptions of federal employees reflect the interplay between transformational leadership behaviors and perceptions of organizational performance. The informants' interviews enhance the understanding of transformational leadership-organizational performance association from the employee perspective. A process of thematic coding and interpretation is employed to analyze the interview data. The study findings contribute to the management and leadership literature by exploring the lived experiences of federal employees and their perceptions of the influence of transformational leadership on organizational performance. Moreover, the replicable qualitative interview process and analysis methodology create a pathway for future qualitative research. / Doctor of Philosophy / The influence of leadership is widely studied in terms of organizational performance. Among the leadership theories thought to influence organizational performance, transformational leadership is the most widely studied theory. The theory has gained much attention in the past 40 years for its contribution to many positive organizational outcomes, including meaningful work, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational performance. Despite a rich history of research in positive organizational outcomes, scholars still argue that there are scopes further to advance the empirical research on transformational leadership theory. Hence, the purpose of this dissertation is to address this claim and analyze the interplay between transformational leadership and public organizational performance. Study findings will contribute to the literature on transformational leadership by empirically examining the interplay of its elements and federal organizational performance. Moreover, the application of three distinct methods and interpretative data analysis will add new evidence to the research of public management and leadership.

Aim: According to Swedish and Danish law interventions must be based on evidence, and evidence related to rest orthoses in contracture management is limited and inconclusive, making justification of using rest orthoses difficult. The aim is to understand the clinicians’ perceptions of the benefit of rest orthoses when managing wrist and hand contractures, to shape a basis for clinical evidence.Method: A qualitative interview study was made and a total of 13 participants with 2 to 40 years of experience was included. Interviews were transcribed and translated into English. A thematic analysis was undertaken by two researchers. Three themes and seven subthemes were identified and discussed. Results: There was congruence among the participants that rest orthoses can maintain RoM when used but they need to be used at least 6 to 8 hours every day. Combination of botox and rest orthoses has a good effect in many patients with spasticity for maintaining RoM and some function. Many patients gain a benefit in maintaining hygiene, a reduction in pain and easier for patients getting dressed. Conclusion: The interviewed clinicians perceived that rest orthoses can impact pain and prevent contracture formation however evidence was inconclusive, but it merits further research. / Syfte: Enligt svensk och dansk lag måste insatser baseras på evidens, och evidensen relaterad till viloortoser i kontrakturhantering är begränsad och motsägelsefull, vilket gör det svårt att motivera användningen av viloortoser. Syftet är att förstå klinikernas uppfattningar om fördelarna med viloortoser vid hantering av hand- och handledskontrakturer, för att skapa en grund för klinisk evidens. Metod: En kvalitativ intervjustudie genomfördes och totalt 13 deltagare med 2 till 40 års erfarenhet inkluderades. Intervjuerna transkriberades och översattes till engelska varpå en tematisk analys utfördes av två forskare. Tre teman och sju underteman identifierades och diskuterades. Resultat: Det fanns samstämmighet bland deltagarna att viloortoser kan bibehålla rörelseomfång när de används, men de måste användas minst 6 till 8 timmar varje dag. Kombinationen av botox och viloortoser har god effekt hos många patienter med spasticitet för att bibehålla rörelseomfång och viss funktion. Många patienter får fördelar i form av bibehållen hygien, minskad smärta och det blir lättare för patienter att klä på sig.Slutsats: De intervjuade klinikerna ansåg att viloortoser kan påverka smärta och förhindra kontrakturbildning, men evidensen är ofullständiga och kräver ytterligare forskning.