Children’s literature is written by adults, who have assumed a child’s perspective to understand their world. In other words, adults have a great impact with their subjective views and perspectives about what childhood is, in their presentation of literature. The purpose of this thesis is to attempt to identify what children’s literature mediates and how the concept of the competent child presents itself within relevant books. This term is well sought after in the Swedish preschool curriculum and heavily discussed between preschool teachers. With this thesis, our goal has been to examine the Swedish curriculum referencing the competent child, utilizing current children’s literature from preschools. With the help of the Reggio Emilia pedagogy we have acquired results that indicate factors such as age and the physical size of a child, amongst others, provide a negative obstacle that hinders a child to appear sufficiently competent from the perspective of adults. Therefore, we deem it important to analyze children’s literature and determine if it portrays a modern childhood and an accurate concept of the competent child, or if it fails to do so.

Magister Educationis (Adult Learning and Global Change) - MEd(AL) / This research paper is based on an investigation of the factors that enabled final year students to persist in a four-year degree programme (Foundation Programme). This study is important given that students who generally enrol for this programme terminate their studies before completion. This is a qualitative study in which interviewing was employed to collect the data. The conceptual framework is underpinned by Tinto’s model of student persistence with specific focus on student involvement through peer group interaction in the formal structure of the classroom. It also hones in on informal engagement which goes beyond the nature of the classroom. It further explores the relevance of academic integration, which encompasses a student’s ability to become well-grounded intellectually in the sphere of the institution in order to respond in a critical and systematic way to its educational demands. In addition, it further interrogates how peer group interaction and academic integration impact students’ ability to persist with their studies. Thus, the findings confirm that relationships exist between peer group interaction, academic integration, and persistence.

INTRODUCTION: According to current census projections, by the year 2050 racial and ethnic minority groups will make up over half of the United States population. With the rise of a more multicultural and diverse population, there has been growing concern with regards to the health disparities and how healthcare professionals can increase positive healthcare outcomes. In an effort to contend with the growing population, the subsequent disparities that will be faced by a more diverse population, and the difficulties many healthcare practitioner’s will encounter while communicating and working with this population group, many healthcare educators have turned their attention to training and educating the next generation of healthcare providers on the practice of cultural competence. For many institutions, however, there is still uncertainty over the most effective means for teaching cultural competence throughout the healthcare curriculum. Data collected from a 2017-2020 study conducted at Boston University in the M.S. in Oral Health Sciences Program, a credential enhancing program for predental students with the aim of providing students with admission into an accredited dental institution, evaluates an effective mechanism for training healthcare professionals in cultural competence skills. This study hypothesizes that one effective and powerful tool for teaching the next generation of health professionals to be culturally competent providers is through role-playing, case-based, simulated exercises which emphasize the importance of the provider patient relationship, holistic approaches to healthcare, and compassion when working with patients. METHODS: A course session was created in an Evidence Based Dentistry Course within the M.S. in Oral Health Sciences Program. From 2017-2019 the course session was composed of three parts: a role-playing enactment of two patient case-based encounters, a real-time class group discussion following both patient encounters, and a PowerPoint presentation emphasizing the key take-away points from the role-playing exercise. At the conclusion of the session, students were asked to participate in a post-session survey regarding the student’s feelings about the session. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a switch in course session modality in the Evidence Based Dentistry course to an online format, prompted a change in the session format. In 2020, students were asked to read both patient encounters on their own, reflect, discuss, and comment on the learning platform Blackboard Learn discussion board on their takeaways from the case, and participate in PowerPoint presentation presented by facilitators. At the conclusion of the 2020 session, students were asked to complete a post-session survey on the effectiveness of the session. In addition to qualitative data obtained from the post-session surveys, in 2020, student discussion board posts were coded and analyzed qualitatively using the coding software NVivo 12 to determine whether students understood the important takeaways from the discussion board portion of the session. RESULTS: According to results from the course session implemented from 2017-2019, overall, the role-playing exercise significantly improved participants understanding of key components of cultural competence. From 2017-2019 students were strongly able to identify the importance of communication in patient encounters, were able to understand the strategies such as communication and compassion in patient encounters, were better able to identify the importance of building a trusting patient -physician relationship, and most importantly, students were able to recognize their own cultural biases when treating patients. Results from 2020, revealed that even with a change in course modality and format to a discussion board format, students were still able to understand the key take-aways of cultural competence from the session. DISCUSSION: This study reveals that students were able to understand cultural competence after completion of both iterations of the course session from 2017-2019 & 2020 and that this session can be an effective method for training the next generation of healthcare professionals the practice of cultural competence. While this study provides insight into the future of cultural competence training, it is important to recognize that more studies must be conducted to provide additional answers to several questions about the most effective mechanism for teaching cultural competence, what to teach in cultural competence education, and when to begin training students the practice of cultural competence.

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No / Previous attempts to involve African and African-Caribbean communities in a city in north England in identifying and assessing their health needs have been largely unsuccessful. A comprehensive literature review highlighted that research on Africans and African-Caribbeans is limited and uneven, and dominated by studies focusing on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health and blood disorders. Health information on these communities is largely based on immigrant mortality statistics derived from national datasets. This paper highlights how participatory approaches to community participation and engagement were used in the assessment of the health needs of culturally diverse minority communities as a means of reducing health disparities. The study sought to overcome the shortcomings of traditional techniques for health needs assessment by testing a novel method of rapid participatory appraisal using a triangulation approach to ensure that all perspectives were addressed. The research adopted a mixed-methods strategy comprising distinct phases: a comprehensive review of the literature, a qualitative needs assessment involving representatives of the African and African-Caribbean communities using meta-planning, and a review of health service provision. The approach used in the study was efficient, rapid and feasible for the African and African-Caribbean people to use in obtaining data from their peers. The findings showed a convergence between areas of need identified by health providers and community members in this appraisal, and between these results and other published literature. However, there was a divergence on the extent of change necessary, with institutional responses stressing alterations within existing systems, and community members recommending the establishment of targeted services for African and African-Caribbean communities run by ethnically matched staff.

I denna vetenskapliga essä kommer jag att undersöka begreppet omsorg. Uppsatsen är skriven i essäform och har en hermeneutisk ansats. Min essä inleds med tre berättelser hämtade från mitt yrkesliv där jag varit delaktig som pedagog. I dessa situationer synliggörs dilemman kring hur omsorgsbegreppet kan tolkas och omsättas i förskolans praktik. Syftet med essän är att undersöka på vilka sätt omsorgsbegreppet kan förstås inom förskolan. Uppsatsens frågeställningar är: Hur kan begreppet omsorg förstås mot bakgrund av att relationen mellan barn och pedagog i förskolan är asymmetrisk Vilka faktorer kan påverka pedagogers meningsskapande av omsorgsbegreppet? samt Hur kan pedagogers meningsskapande av omsorgsbegreppet förstås i relation till rådande diskurser i förskola och samhälle? I min reflektion använder jag litteratur för att ställa frågeställningarna och berättelsen i relation till samtida diskurser gällande barnsyn, ålder, kön och genus. Jag undersöker begreppet omsorg utifrån Nel Noddings omsorgsetik. Min slutsats är att pedagogernas meningsskapande av omsorg har ett nära samband med diskurser i samtiden och förskolan. Utifrån ett omsorgsetiskt perspektiv anser jag att pedagogernas ansvar för relationen och omsorgen i omsorgssituationer är större än det talas om i förskolesammanhang idag. / This scientific thesis is written in the form of an essay in which I will inquire into the concept of care. The thesis is written in form of an essay and has a hermeneutic onset. My essay takes a starting point in three stories taken from my professional life where I had been involved as a pedagogue. In these situations the dilemma becomes visible about how the care concept can be interpreted and translated into pre-school practice. The essay’s questions are: How can the concept of care be understood in the light of the fact that the relationship between children and pedagogue is asymmetrical? What factors can affect the perception of the pedagogues of the concept of care? and How can educators' perception of the concept of care be understood in relation to current discourses in preschool and society?  In my reflection I use literature and my stories to set the questions in relation to contemporary discourses current to childcare, age, sex and gender. I will inquire into the concept of care from using Nel Noddings’ ethics of care. My conclusion is that pedagogue’s perceptions of care are closely linked to contemporary and pre-school discourses. From an ethics of care point of view, I consider that pedagogue’s responsibility for relationship and care in care situations is larger than it is spoken of in pre-school context today.

Purpose: The purpose of thestudy is to analyzehowdifferenteducatorsworking attwo different preschools, perceiveand reflect onthe conceptofthe competent child. Questionat issue:Howis the concept of the competent child perceived bythe participating preschool teachers? What is the concept loaded with and what meaning is given to the concept by the teachers? Method:The method used for this study is a phenomenographicone where qualitative interviews were conducted with eight teachers from two different preschools. Main theories:The theoretical framework used in this text is phenomenography where focus is on the study of perceptions, and on analysis of how people perceive phenomenon as well as analysis of how people create content and meaning in the relationship between the self and the surrounding world. Summarized conclusion:The results from the eight interviews show that the concept of the competent child is a complex one. However, the analysis of the empirical data shows that the concept can be described through five different perspectives; the perspectives of the child, thepedagogical approach, knowledge, care and education. The study shows that these different perspectives are based on personal experience which forms the basis for how they perceive the child and how they relate to the child. Therefore, we believe it is important that all educators in preschools together reflect on the concept of the competent child to create an equal preschool for all.

The objective of this study is to examine how some preschool teachers working with recycling materials in Reggio Emilia inspired preschools. The study questions are "Why do educators in Reggio Emilia inspire preschools to use recycling materials in their preschools?" And "What is the purpose of educators with recycling materials?"   This research was done in the form of qualified interviews with five pre-school teachers and a studio carving. The qualified interviews were done in three kindergartens located in the same unit in a town outside Stockholm. These kindergartens are inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy and they use the recycling materials in its operations.   The study is based on theories Vygotskijs both socio-cultural perspective and internalizing and Reggio Emilia philosophy. Vygotskijs point out that children learn through interaction with others. Reggio Emilia philosophy is based on a democratic thought, a deep respect for children and a believer in the ability of children to explore the world.   Data collection for the study were analyzed and reported after dividing it into different categories. The categories are under the heading of "Educators knowledge of the Reggio Emilia philosophy," "The compelling perspectives of Reggio Emilia," "Educators awareness of recycling materials," "Educators approach to recycling materials" and "Responsive educators". Findings show that all the participating preschool teachers are aware of what the term means recycling materials. They also have a full understanding of how they should relate to recycling materials and they have an underlying purpose to reuse materials in their operations.

Univerzita Karlova Právnická fakulta "E-BUSINESS" A MEZINÁRODNÍ PRÁVO SOUKROMÉ ("E-business" and International Private Law) Abstract 2014 Daniela Davidovová ABSTRACT This work concerns selected aspects of e-business and international private law. Its goal is to determine, whether the current rules of international private law are applicable to the legal relationships resulting from e-business. The work consists of six chapters: Internet and E-business, E-business and International Private Law in the Czech Republic, Application of International Private Law rules to selected contract types, Contractual terms of selected e-business entrepreneurs, Specific rules applicable to non-contractual legal relationships and De lege ferenda. The first and second chapters provide the essentials of the problematic, including the terminology and explanation on how the internet and e-business works. Chapters three and five enable to observe theoretical problems of International Private Law rules applicable for e-business legal relationships. The main questions observed in this work are following: what is the competent court and what is the applicable law in the legal relationships arising while doing e-business? Answers are provided from the perspective of the Czech e-business entrepreneur who is selling products/providing...

The purpose of this study has been to find out the educators' perception of children's participation and influence in preschool. The study has focused on making a comparison between the teachers' perception and their way of working. The purpose has also been to find out whether the children's age has any influence on the extent to which the children are given the opportunity to participate and influence. The results of the study are analyzed and presented on the basis of the perspectives of participation and influence, power, the competent child and age. The study report also presents a comparison between the teachers' answers and their working methods. Studies results have shown that the educators work equally with their interview responses and that the children were given the opportunity to participate and influence to a very large extent. The age influence on the children’s opportunities for participation and influence has also been an aspect that has been focused on in this study. On the basis of the collected material, no difference has been observed, however, the teachers emphasized that the verbal language was an advantage and that different approaches were required depending on their age.