The purpose of the study is to contribute knowledge about how 2-4-year-oldsexplore the physical phenomena of floating and sinking, and how a practicalactivity can contribute to development and learning. To respond to the study,observation was chosen as the method where a designed activity with thevariation theory as support was conducted in three groups of children, theactivity was then divided into four phases for us students to get a clearerstructure. The theory was made visible by making the phenomena the objectof learning in the exploration. The children themselves got to explore and thinkabout which aspects determined whether something floated or sank usingvariations on similar objects. The three activities were filmed and lateranalyzed using the research questions and categories that emerged using theanswers from the four phases.The result shows that it is possible to perform a float and sink activity with theyounger children in preschool. Something that connects to Jean Piaget´s stagetheory was that the youngest children stopped their exploration when theycame up with a hypothesis and they saw what was happening. Our result showsthat, when they are four years old, they start to come up with explanations forthe hypotheses they have given about how an object behaves in a certain wayin water. The most common thing that the children referred to was the weightof the object. They concluded that an object sank because it was heavy, butthey also reasoned that an object floated because it was heavy. This shows thatthey don’t have the answers fully but the thoughts and the will to understand. / Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om hur 2–4-åringar utforskar defysikaliska fenomenen flyta och sjunka samt hur en praktisk aktivitet kan bidratill utveckling och lärande. För att möta studiens syfte valdes observation sommetod där en designad aktivitet med variationsteorin som stöd genomfördes itre barngrupper, aktiviteten delades sen in i fyra faser för oss studenter för attfå en tydligare struktur. Teorin synliggjordes genom att fenomenen blevlärandeobjektet i utforskandet. Barnen fick själva utforska och fundera på vilkaaspekter som avgjorde om något flöt eller sjönk med hjälp av variationer påföremål som liknade varandra. De tre aktiviteterna filmades och analyseradessenare med hjälp av studiens frågeställningar och kategorier som uppkom medhjälp av det som resultatet visade från de fyra faserna.Resultatet visar att det är möjligt att utföra en flyta och sjunka-aktivitet med deyngre barnen i förskolan. Något som knyter an till Jean Piagets stadieteori varatt de yngsta barnen stannar sitt utforskande vid att komma med en hypotesoch ser vad det är som händer. Först när de fyllt fyra år börjar de komma medförklaringar till de hypoteser de gett om hur ett föremål beter sig på ett visstsätt i vatten. Det vanligaste som barnen refererade till var föremålets vikt, dekom fram till att ett föremål sjönk för att det var tungt men de resonerade ävenatt ett föremål flöt för att det var tungt. Detta visar på att de inte har svaren heltmen funderingarna och viljan att förstå finns.

Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka eventuella vinster med att använda anonyma digitala enkäter i filosofiundervisningen i gymnasieskolan. Utgångspunkten är vissa elever kan vara mindre benägna att delta muntligt under filosofilektioner jämfört med lektioner i andra ämnen, vilket delvis kan kopplas till att eleverna upplever att de riskerar att utsättas för epistemisk orättvisa i form av vittnesorättvisa. Undersökningen har genomförts i samband med en lektionsserie i epistemologi som genomfördes på en VFU-skola. Tre olika datainsamlingsmetoder har använts: semistrukturerade gruppintervjuer med syfte att undersöka vilka hinder elever upplever i filosofiundervisningen och huruvida anonyma digitala enkäter kan hjälpa dem att övervinna dessa, två kvantitativa flervalstest med syfte att testa elevernas epistemologikunskaper före och efter lektionsseriens genomförande samt en deltagande klassrumsobservation med fokus på metodens hjälp i den formativa bedömningen. Resultatet visar att anonyma digitala enkäter har god potential att fungera som ett stöd i filosofiundervisningen i förhållande till de olika utmaningar som diskuteras i arbetet. / The purpose of this study is to investigate potential benefits of using anonymous digital surveys in Swedish upper secondary school philosophy education. The study assumes that some students may be less inclined to participate orally during philosophy lessons compared to lessons in other subjects, which can partially be linked to students perceiving a risk of being subjected to epistemic injustice in the form of testimonial injustice. The study was conducted in conjunction with a series of lessons on epistemology, which were taught at a placement school. Three different data collection methods were used: semi-structured group interviews aimed at exploring the obstacles students experience in philosophy education and whether anonymous digital surveys can help them overcome these obstacles, two quantitative multiple-choice tests aimed at assessing students' knowledge of epistemology before and after the lesson series, and a participatory classroom observation focusing on the method's benefits for formative assessment. The results indicate that anonymous digital surveys have good potential as a benefit within philosophy education in relation to the various challenges discussed in the study.

Lärare har en bred repertoar av representationsformer att välja mellan i undervisning av tals additiva del-helhetsrelationer. Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur lärare använder dessa i undervisningen. För att få svar på detta skapades frågeställningen: Hur synliggör förskoleklasslärare identifierade kritiska aspekter från tidigare forskning med hjälp av representationsformer i undervisningen av tals del-helhetsrelation. I studien observerades och intervjuades förskoleklasslärare om hur de undervisar om tals del-helhetsrelationer med hjälp av representationsformer. Variationsteorin användes för att analysera observationsprotokoll och transkriberade intervjuer om hur lärarna iscensätter kritiska aspekter inom tals del-helhetsrelationer. Resultatets utgångspunkt är fem kritiska aspekter som har identifierats i forskning och som iscensattes av lärarna. Resultatet visar att för synliggörandet av en del kritiska aspekter kan en representationsform anses vara mer gynnsam. Lärarna synliggjorde även de olika kritiska aspekterna på liknande sätt, genom att hålla samma aspekter invarianta medan andra varierade. Trots detta kunde lärarnas tillvägagångssätt skilja sig åt. Resultatet visar att lärarnas muntliga tal spelar en betydande roll i synliggörandet av kritiska aspekter. Gester var däremot inte av samma vikt. / Teachers have a wide repertoire of representations to choose from when teaching additive numbers’ part-whole relationships. The aim of this study was to investigate how teachers use these when teaching. The question of the research was: How can identified critical aspects from earlier research be enacted by preschool class teachers with the use of representations when teaching additive numbers’ part-whole relationships? Preschool class teachers were observed and interviewed about how they teach part-whole relationships of numbers with representations. The Variation theory of learning was used to analyze the protocol from observations and transcribed interview of the enactment of critical aspects within numbers’ part-whole relationships. The result is based on five critical aspects that have been identified in research and was enacted by the teachers. The result show that one representation can be more advantageous when some critical aspects are to be enacted. The teachers enacted the critical aspects in similar ways, by keeping the same aspects as invariant while other aspects varied. Despite this, the teachers’ approach when teaching could differ. The result show that teachers’ oral speech had an impact on the enacment of critical aspects. However, the use of gestures where not that important.

Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med kunskap om hur matematikundervisning kan utformas genom att använda variationsteorin för att undersöka matematikundervisning om positionssystemet i årskurs 2. Metoden i studien delar likheter med design research genom att undervisning har planerats, genomförts och prövats i en autentisk klassrumsmiljö. Undervisning iscensattes genom två olika undervisningsdesigner: en undervisingsdesign baserad på variationsteoretiska principer och en undervisingsdesign baserad på lärarhandledning. Datainsamlingen i studien består av för- och eftertester samt transkript av genomförd undervisning. Datan analyserades med stöd av variationsteorin. Studien indikerar att variationsteorin kan fungera som ett konkret verktyg när matematikundervisning och elevernas möjliga lärande planeras, utformas och analyseras. Studien visar även att båda designerna tycks ha givit eleverna möjlighet att lära sig det som var planerat. / The aim of this study is to contribute to an understanding for how mathematical instructions can be designed. By investigating how the Variation theory of learning can be applied in mathematical education regarding the positional system in grade 2. The methodology of the study shares similarities with design research, as mathematical instructions were planned, implemented, and tested in an authentic classroom environment. Two different instructional designs were staged: one based on variation-theoretical principles and one based on the teacher’s instructional guidebook. The collected data in the study consists of pre- and posttests as well as transcriptions of the enacted lessons. The data was analyzed with the support of the Variation theory. The study demonstrates that the variation theory can serve as a guiding for teachers when planning, designing, and analyzing mathematics instruction and students’ potential learning development. Furthermore, the study also indicates that both designs seem to have given the students an opportunity to learn what was planned.

Undervisningsmodellen bianshi med ursprung i Shanghai anses vara en möjlig förklaring till kinesiska elevers goda matematikprestationer. Variationsteorin, en annan undervisningsmodell med ursprung i väst beskrivs ha flera likheter med bianshi. I forskning benämns bianshi och variationsteorin även som teoretiska ramverk. I Learning Study, en studie för undervisningsutveckling är det vanligt förekommande att variationsteorin används som teoretiskt ramverk. Antaganden om att bianshi är en framgångsrik undervisningsmodell skapade ett intresse att undersöka möjligheterna att använda bianshi som teoretiskt ramverk i en interventionsstudie som hämtat komponenter från Learning Study.Syftet med denna studie är att utforska bianshi som teoretiskt ramverk i en interventionsstudie. Det gjordes i jämförelse med variationsteorin. Tal som bråk var studiens undervisningsinnehåll. Studien grundar sig i två interventionsstudier. En med bianshi och en med variationsteorin som teoretiskt ramverk. Genomförandet av respektive modell hämtade delar av processen för en Learning Study. Urvalet bestod av två klasser i årskurs 4 som delades i fyra mindre grupper. Förtest, eftertest och lektionsobservationer stod för datainsamlingen.Studiens resultat visar en förbättring av elevgruppernas förståelse för tal som bråk, oberoende av vilken modell som var det teoretiska ramverket. Lektionsinnehållet relaterat till begreppsförståelse resulterade i större utveckling för de elever som undervisades med bianshi. Elevgrupperna med variationsteorin som undervisningsmodell visade en större förbättring kopplat till metoder. Därmed visade bianshi i jämförelse med variationsteorin både högre och lägre utveckling av bråk som tal. Resultatet i vår studie antyder att bianshi går att använda som teoretiskt ramverk i en interventionsstudie. Antagandet styrks av den positiva lärandeutvecklingen och möjligheten att implementera bianshi i samtliga steg av processen. / The teaching model bianshi, originating from Shanghai, is considered as a possible explanation for the exceptional mathematical performances by Chinese students. Variation theory of learning, another teaching model originating from the Western tradition is assumed to share several similarities with bianshi. In research, bianshi and the variation theory of learning are also referred as theoretical frameworks. In a Learning Study, an intervention study focused on educational development, variation theory of learning is common to be used as a theoretical framework. The assumption that bianshi is a successful teaching model created an interest in exploring the possibilities of using bianshi as a theoretical framework in an intervention study that incorporates components from Learning Study.The aim of the study is to explore bianshi as a theoretical framework in an intervention study. This was done in comparison with the variation theory of learning. The teaching content of the study was numbers as fractions. The study is based on two intervention studies. One using bianshi and the other using the variation theory of learning as a theoretical framework. The implementation of each model incorporated elements from the Learning Study process. The sample consisted of two fourth-grade classes, which were divided into four smaller groups. Data collection included pre-tests, post-tests and lesson observations.The results of the study present an improvement of the students’ understanding of numbers as fractions, regardless of which model was used as a theoretical framework. The lesson content related to conceptual understanding resulted in greater development for the students taught by bianshi. Student groups taught with the variation theory of learning as the teaching model showed greater improvement related to methods. Thus, compared to the variation theory of learning, bianshi showed both higher and lower development of fractions as numbers. Our study suggests that bianshi can be used as a theoretical framework in an intervention study. This is supported by the positive learning development and the opportunity of implementing bianshi in all steps of the process.

Research has shown that there are gaps in knowledge between newly hired and experienced professionals and that some of these gaps are related to concepts, such as the concepts of object orientation. This problem, and the fact that most computer science majors want to work in the software industry, leads to questions regarding why these gaps exist and how students can be better prepared for their future careers. Against this background, this thesis addresses two theme-based perspectives that focus on students' views of concepts in Computer Science. The first theme-based perspective investigated the existence of potential Threshold Concepts in Computer Science. Such concepts should be troublesome, transformative, irreversible, and integrative. Qualitative methods have been mainly used and empirical data have been collected through semi-structured interviews, concept maps, and written stories. The results identified two Threshold Concepts, suggested several more, and then described the ways in which these concepts have transformed students. The second theme-based perspective took a phenomenographic approach to find the variation in how students understand concepts related to the software profession. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. In one study the interviews were held in connection with role-playing where students took on the role of a newly hired programmer. The results show a variety of ways to experience the addressed phenomena in the student collective, ranging from superficial views that often have a practical nature to more sophisticated understandings that reflect a holistic approach, including a professional point of view. Educators can use the results to emphasize concepts that are important from students' perspectives. The phenomenographic outcome spaces can help teachers to reflect upon their own ways of seeing contrasted with student conceptions. I have indicated how variation theory can be applied to open more sophisticated ways of seeing, which in this context stresses the professional aspects to help students prepare for becoming professional software developers.

In today´s Swedish preschools, there are numbers of products in daily use that carry hazard warnings. Some of these products are more accessible than others to pupils. From a safety standpoint, it is important that children understand these hazard pictograms and what they stand for. The aim of this study is to make visible different understandings that children have of hazard pictograms based on their knowledge and individual experience. Within the framework of variation theory, the study surveys variations in five-year-olds´ perceptions and understandings of hazardous chemicals based on their understanding of hazard pictograms. An interview-activity was undertaken among five-year-olds in all the preschools of one selected Swedish municipality. In the interview-activity, four hazard pictograms were selected as the objects of learning. Interviews were conducted with the five-year-olds in order to gain insight into their perceptions and understandings of these pictograms. An analysis of the empirical data allowed for these perceptions and understandings to be distinguished, identified and categorized.  In the result, a total of 19 categories emerged. Only one category specifically emerged as common to all four hazard pictograms. The result also showed that the majority of the five-year-olds were able to relate all four hazard pictograms to warnings of various kinds. What the five-year-olds had previously experienced influenced on how they perceived the hazard pictograms in this study.  From a safety standpoint, it is vital that preschool teachers are aware that children perceive hazard pictograms in various individual ways. Teaching the actual meaning of hazard pictograms is therefore a necessary part of preschool education. / I Sveriges förskoleverksamheter finns ofta produkter märkta med farosymboler av olika slag. Några är mer lättillgängliga än andra i förskolans verksamhet. Det blir därför viktigt att barn har kunskap om faropiktogram och dess betydelse, sett ur en säkerhetssynpunkt. Det är ett problemområde som studien valt att lyfta fram och undersöka, då barns olika uppfattningar implicerar individuell kunskap utifrån vad de tidigare fått erfara. Syftet med föreliggande studie är att bidra med kunskap om olika sätt på vilka femåringar kan uppfatta kemikalier utifrån fyra hälsofarligt klassade faropiktogram. Det variationsteoretiska perspektivet har setts som ett ramverk vilket hela studien grundas utifrån. Frågeställningar har kunnat besvarats genom en intervjuaktivitet, vilket genomförts på alla förskolor i en och samma kommun någonstans i Sverige och berört endast dess femåringar. Faropiktogram är det lärandeobjekt som specifikt använts i intervjuaktiviteten som stöd för att synliggöra hur femåringen uppfattar och därmed erfar de fyra olika faropiktogrammen. Analys av empiri har möjliggjort en urskiljning och därmed en identifiering genom att kategorisera femåringars olika sätt att uppfatta kemikalier, sett utifrån de fyra hälsofarligt klassade faropiktogrammen. Totalt kunde 19 kategorier av uppfattningar genom studien synliggöras, men endast en kategori var återkommande för alla fyra faropiktogrammen. Sammantaget visar resultatet att femåringar i den här studien, övervägande relaterar alla fyra faropiktogrammen till varningar av olika slag. Vad femåringarna tidigare fått erfara påverkade hur de uppfattade symboliseringen av de fyra faropiktogrammen i studien. Barns olika uppfattningar innehåller viktig kunskap som det i förskolans verksamhet blir nödvändigt att se till. Ett faropiktogram kan bli den enda varning ett barn får för att själv kunna avvärja en eventuell fara.

This licentiate thesis explores the activity of historical reasoning in terms of primary source analysis among upper secondary school students. The thesis is a compilation of two scientific articles in history didactics. Two Learning studies, a theory-informed and interventionistic research methodology, were organised to explore historical reasoning. Three research questions are ad- dressed: (1) what does it mean to be able to analyse historical primary sources, (2) what is critical to discern when learning primary source analysis, and (3) what is characteristic for the processes of learning and meaning- making when students work with source analysis assignments? The first article uses phenomenography to explore fifteen students’ perceptions of a historical primary source and the difficulties they face when examining the source. Data was collected through a series of group interviews where stu- dents were asked to respond to a historical letter. The analysis resulted in four qualitatively different categories of perceptions of the source and three critical aspects that emerged between the categories. It is suggested that it is critical to (1) discern and separate the historical perspective, (2) to discern and separate the perspective of the historical actor and (3) to discern and separate the subtext of the source in relation to the historical context. The second article uses a form of content focused conversation analysis to ex- plore the processes of learning and attributing meaning when students work with primary sources. Data was collected through audio recordings of stu- dents’ collaborative work on two assignments. The main results are descrip- tions of the students’ learning and meaning making processes. For instance, when students discern and separate the historical perspective and historical actors’ perspectives. An interesting finding was a strategy used by students to take on the roles of hypothetical historical agents. It is suggested that cer- tain aspects of school culture might inhibit students’ learning of primary source analysis and that students’ life-world perspective is vital in creating meaning. Finally, historical reasoning is discussed in relation to the concept of historical consciousness and it is argued that historical reasoning should include the perspectives of deconstruction, subjectivity and interpretation to better comply with history teaching.

This is a phenomenographic study, of which the aim was to explore the variation of experiences, needs, views and understandings through a phenomenographic study of academics who were enrolled in the MEd in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) at Unisa during 2012-2015. The MEd in ODL is a dual university programme between University of South Africa (Unisa) and University of Maryland University College (UMUC). The research question was around issues which Unisa academic staff members experienced during the course of their enrolment for the MEd in ODL. Relevant scholarly literature on online learning, theories for online learning, and previous research on online learning, was surveyed in this regard. Variation theory which framed the study through a phenomenographic research lens was described. Interviews were conducted with seven participants from the students on the MEd in ODL programme. Postings on MyUnisa Discussion Forum which were treated as data were analysed in relation to the aspects raised in the interviews. The findings revealed students’ varied online experiences in the three main aspects namely, experience and understanding, understanding the object of learning and learning objects. Important recommendations made, were based on the findings. In conclusion, the findings exhibited students’ varied experiences about issues which they battle with in the MEd in ODL programme, of which Unisa should take into consideration as they further enrol students in the programme. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Open and Distance Learning)

In 2016, the ATLAS experiment at CERN released data from 100 trillion proton-proton collisions to the general public. In connection to this release the ATLAS Outreach group has developed several tools for visualizing and analyzing the data, one of which is a Histogram analyzer. The focus of this project is to bridge the gap between the general public's knowledge in physics and what is needed to use this Histogram analyzer. The project consists of both the development and an evaluation of a learning resource that explains experimental particle physics for a general public audience. The learning resource is a website making use of analogies and two perspectives on learning: Variation Theory and Cognitive Load Theory. The evaluation of the website was done using a survey with 10 respondents and it focused on whether analogies and the perspectives on learning helped their understanding. In general the respondents found the analogies to be helpful for their learning, and to some degree they found the explanations based on Variation Theory to be helpful. The implementations of Cognitive Load Theory were considered to be helpful by the respondents who noticed them, but the majority did not, implying that improvements of the design are needed. The results indicate that analogies and the two perspectives on learning can be helpful for explaining experimental particle physics, but there might be other learning theories more suitable for this purpose. / ATLAS-experimentet på CERN släppte år 2016 data från 100 biljoner proton-kollisioner fritt till allmänheten. I anslutning till detta har ATLAS Outreach-grupp utvecklat ett flertal verktyg för att visualisera och analysera datan, varav en är en analys med hjälp av histogram. Fokus för detta projekt är att överbrygga klyftan mellan allmänhetens kunskaper i fysik och vad som behövs for att kunna använda Histogram-analysverktyget. Projektet består både av utvecklandet och utvärderingen av ett läromedel som förklarar experimentell partikelfysik med målgruppen allmänheten. Läromedlet är en webbsida som använder sig av analogier och två perspektiv på lärande, Variationsteori och Kognitiv Belastningsteori. Utvärderingen av webbsidan gjordes med en enkät med tio respondenter, med fokus på huruvida analogier och perspektiven på lärande hjälpte deras förståelse. I allmänhet fann respondenterna analogierna hjälpsamma för deras lärande, och de fann Variationsteori hjälpsamt i viss utsträckning. Implementeringarna av Kognitiv Belastningsteori ansågs vara hjälpsamma av de respondenter som lade märke till dem, men majoriteten gjorde inte det, vilket tyder på att förbättringar av implementeringen krävs. Resultaten indikerar att analogier och de två perspektiven på lärande kan vara hjälpsamma för att förklara experimentell partikelfysik, men det kan finnas andra lärandeteorier som uppfyller syftet bättre.