This qualitative study focused on four secondary school physics teachers in Bangladesh using semi-structured interviews and observations to explore their understanding about the relationship between practical work and developing students’ conceptual knowledge of physics. Recent studies indicate that practical work helps secondary science students easily and effectively learn the concepts and theories of physics. However, the secondary school physics teachers in Bangladesh in this study did not provide students with practical work during classroom teaching. Rather, they provided practical work in separate practical classes. Although the teachers believed that practical work made their teaching and also students’ learning easier and effective, they did not offer frequent practical demonstrations in teaching the contents of physics. The major findings of the study include that teachers used mostly transmissive pedagogy to assist students to understand physics concepts and theories. Even though there are clear and specific instructions for the teachers to do demonstrations in the secondary physics curriculum, there were constraints on teachers and on students trying to conduct practical work. Constraints included: a lack of sufficient equipment. Teachers and students in non-government schools faced comparatively more difficulties than those in government schools. Low teacher/student ratios and no positions for laboratory assistants were reasons given for teachers’ intense workloads. This study implies a need to provide government and non-government schools with necessary equipment for doing practical work; to appoint sufficient teachers with higher studies and training that includes practical work in physics; to create positions for laboratory assistants; to set up classrooms with a smaller number of students; and to develop awareness of the value of practical work among school administration and among physics teachers.

The purpose of this mixed-methods research is to determine the effectiveness of the Kingdom Marketing (KM) intervention for improving Israeli SME marketing knowledge among managers and employees of Israeli small and medium-sized business. The secondary objective of the study was to portray the process of change in participating organisations. The newly developed KM intervention programme was designed to enhance Israeli SMEs’ marketing knowledge and marketing strategy, imparting new marketing skills and allowing SMEs to operate with better marketing knowledge. The intervention uses a metaphoric story-line approach to teach participants in mediator-led sessions to understand and use important marketing concepts, such as the difference between sales and marketing. Although the intervention has been used in business settings, it has not yet been empirically validated using rigorous methods. This study was conducted using a mixed methods paradigm with an embedded experimental design. Five Israeli based SMEs were recruited to take part in the training programme. The research consisted of three phases. In Phase 1, I administered a preintervention evaluation to measure five variables: awareness of marketing processes, mistaken marketing attitudes, incorrect marketing process beliefs, organisational marketing skills, and marketing need awareness. Participants were also interviewed during Phase 1. In Phase 2, I administered the KM intervention and collected qualitative data in the form of daily open-ended feedback and a researcher diary. In Phase 3, I administered a postintervention evaluation to assess change in the five quantitative variables, and I conducted a second round of interviews. The findings indicated that the KM intervention programme (a) increased awareness of marketing processes, (b) reduced mistaken marketing attitudes, (c) reduced incorrect marketing process believes, and (d) increased marketing need awareness. However, the intervention had no significant effect on organisational marketing skills. Qualitative analysis confirmed that, although the KM intervention empowered participants with marketing knowledge and skills, it did not result in broad organisational changes. I conclude that the KM intervention programme is valid and worthy of wider use for promoting the survival of SME businesses through marketing knowledge and skill improvement. However, the intervention should be used in conjunction with internal efforts to translate increased knowledge into lasting organisational change.

Actualmente, los sectores empresariales optimizan sus costos sin perder eficiencia productiva en Data Center Móviles tercer izando el servicio y adquiriendo esta tecnología ya que la infraestructura montada es de utilidad para todo ámbito empresarial. El presente proyecto trata sobre el servicio de implementación de un nuevo Data Center Contingente tipo Container, en adelante CPD, como consecuencia de las necesidades de mejora centro de los procesos de negocio. El diseño y dimensionamiento de los diferentes componentes cumplen los estándares requeridos en el mercado. Los Outdoor Enclosure Electric Shelter Prefabricados en sí y todos los equipamientos eléctricos utilizados en sus sistemas para la protección, control y supervisión, están construidos de acuerdo a las Normas vigentes de ANSI, NEMA, ASTM, IEEE, ISA, OSHA, los cuales además cuentan con Aprobaciones y Certificación de Calidad de Laboratorios como UL, CSA, SEC o Laboratorios de Control de Producción y de Certificación de Calidad equivalentes. Actualmente las empresas vienen usando enlaces propios y dedicados para manejar su información y conexión con su data center principal y de contingencia. En muchos casos desaprovechando la comunicación entre ellos por lo que se requiere la necesidad de ser más efectivos en el uso de sus recursos de comunicación, por lo cual se debe considerar los siguientes aspectos: • Modelamiento de Tráfico. • Seguridad. • Conmutación de enlaces. Currently, the business sectors optimize their costs without losing production efficiency in Mobile Data Center outsourcing service and acquiring this technology because the infrastructure is mounted useful for all business field. This project deals with the service of implementing a new quota type Data Center Container, hereinafter CPD, following needs improvement center business processes. The design and dimensioning of the different components meet the required standards in the market. The Outdoor Enclosure Electric Shelter Prefabricated itself and all electrical equipment used in systems for the protection, control and monitoring are built according to current standards of ANSI, NEMA, ASTM, IEEE, ISA, OSHA, which also have with Approvals and Quality Certification Laboratories as UL, CSA, SEC or Control Laboratories Production and Quality Certification equivalents. Currently companies are using own links and dedicated to manage their information and connection with your main data center and contingency. In many cases missing the communication between them so the need to be more effective in their use of communication resources is required, so you should consider the following: • Traffic Modeling. • Security. • Switching links.

Syfte: Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka vilken uppfattning ekonomistudenter och nyexaminerade ekonomer har om hållbarhetsredovisning. Vidare kommer studien att belysa de kunskaper och kompetenser som ekonomistudenterna och nyexaminerade ekonomer har gällande hållbarhetsrapportering. Utöver det ska studien belysa vilka attityder studerande samt nyexaminerade ekonomer har gentemot hållbarhetsredovisning. Studien kommer att begränsas till studenter som läser och nyligen läst redovisning inom universitet samt högskolor. Metod: Denna studie utgår från en kvantitativ forskningsmetod där 50 respondenter har besvarat en rad enkätfrågor för att mäta deras kunskapsnivå och attityder gentemot hållbarhetsredovisning. Slutsats: Utifrån studiens resultat kan det konstanternas att majoriteten av studenter och nyexaminerade har en positiv attityd till en förändring i läroplanen där hållbarhetsredovisning bör belysas i en högre grad. Dessutom är det uppenbart att studenter saknar kunskaper i ämnet på grund av bristande utbildning i hållbarhetsredovisning. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine what view business and economics students and recently graduated business economists have of sustainability reporting. Furthermore, this study also aims to examine the knowledge and competences that the business and economics students and recent graduated business economists have regarding sustainability reporting. In addition to that, the study will highlight the attitudes of business and economics students and recently graduated business economists towards sustainability reporting. The study will be limited to students who study and have recently studied accounting at university. Method: This study has a quantitative approach in which 50 respondents have answered a series of questions to measure their level of knowledge and attitudes, aiming to demonstrate the purpose of the study. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the majority of students and recent graduates have a positive attitude towards a change in the curriculum that highlights sustainability reporting to a higher degree. Additionally, it is evident that students lack knowledge in the subject due to lack of education in sustainability reporting.

Gasification is a process used to convert any carbonaceous species through heterogeneous reaction to obtain the desired gaseous products of H2 and CO which are used to make chemicals, liquid transportation fuels, and power. Both pyrolysis and heterogeneous gasification occur in commercial entrained-flow gasifiers at pressures from 4 to 65 atm with local gas temperatures as high as 2000 °C. Many gasification studies have been performed at moderate temperatures, heating rates, and pressures. In this work, both pyrolysis and char gasification experiments were performed on coal, petroleum coke, and biomass at conditions pertinent to commercial entrained-flow gasifiers. Rapid biomass pyrolysis experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure in an entrained-flow reactor for sawdust, switchgrass, corn stover, and straw mostly using a peak gas temperature of 1163 K at particle residence times ranging from 34 to 113 ms. Biomass pyrolysis was modeled using the Chemical Percolation Devolatilization model assuming that biomass pyrolysis occurs as a weighted average of its individual components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin). Thermal cracking of biomass tar into light gas was included using a first-order model with kinetic parameters regressed in the current study. Char gasification rates were measured for biomass, petroleum coke, and coal in a pressurized entrained-flow reactor at high heating-rate conditions at total pressures between 10 and 15 atm. Peak centerline gas temperatures were between 1611 and 1879 K. The range of particle residence times used in the gasification experiments was 42 to 275 ms. The CO2 gasification rates of biomass and petroleum coke chars were measured at conditions where the reaction environment consisted of approximately 40 and 90 mol% CO2. Steam gasification rates of coal char were measured at conditions where the maximum H2O concentration was 8.6 mol%. Measured data was used to regress apparent kinetic parameters for a first-order model that describes char conversion. The measured char gasification rates were far from the film-diffusion limit, and are pertinent for pulverized particles where no internal particle temperature gradients are important. The modeling and measured data of char gasification rates in this research will aid in the design and efficient operation of commercial entrained-flow gasifiers, as well as provide validation for both existing and future models at a wide range of temperatures and pressures at high heating-rate conditions.

Changes in society are reflected in librarians' daily work which means they have to continue to develop their competencies after their education in library and information science. Continuing professional development (CPD) via digital resources is a contemporary form of CPD that comes with both opportunities and limitations. The aim of the study is to deepen the knowledge about public librarians' experience with CPD with focus on CPD via digital resources. The study has a focus on Digiteket, which is a digital learning platform that is relatively unexplored. The theoretical framework of the study consists of the concepts of CPD and professional learning experience from which the theoretical tools have been drawn. The theoretical tools consist of a table of CPD methods and activities and also personas, which are used in the analysis. The empirical material of the study consists of semi structured interviews with five public librarians. The result shows that Digiteket is used in a variety of ways and to varying extent and that there are limitations with the plattform. Other digital resources are common for CPD and time and resources are two adversities for CPD opportunities. Self-directed and informal methods and activities were the most common, and the curious ad hoc learner persona corresponded the most with the respondents, which was shown in the analysis and conclusions. Another conclusion was that Digiteket was not the most used resource for CPD among the respondents.

Title Centers for Pre- school Children - Descriptions of the Intentions of the Municipality of the Capital City Prague 2009 - 2010 Author Petra Martinovská Department The Department on Primary Education of Charles University of Prague Supervisor doc. PhDr. Eva Opravilová CSc. Abstract The thesis deals with a new form of pre- school education. Centers for pre- school children (further only CPD) have started their operation in the year 2009 - 2010 on the initiative of the founder of Prague's Houses for Children and Youth (further only DDM) the Municipality of the Capital City Prague (MHMP). There is described the intention of MHMP in the thesis, the creation of CPD and the first school year of its existence, the perspective and other possibilities of its development in the future. In the theoretical part of the thesis there are formulated areas that create the basis of the description and evaluation of the project from the pre-school education point of view where is the main source Framework Program of Education for Pre-school Education (further RVP PV). Through the SWOT analysis from the possible implementer point of view there are formulated opportunities and strengths, possible risks, weaknesses of the intention of the project itself, or critical moments. The practical part of the thesis deals with the...

Dissertation is focused on the continuing education of teachers in terms of the current legisla-tion of the European Union and the Czech Republic as one of the key adaptive mechanisms that ensure the ability of the education system to adequately respond to the ever changing so-cial conditions in today's globalized world. The theoretical part through the analysis of different theoretical approaches to further education, defines and describes the issue of further education of teachers, the system - specific conditions, areas and its financing. It deals with the areas of the teacher's profession, their competences, career structure and professional standards. The empirical part of this dissertation, based on empirical research, describes the system of further education of teachers both in terms of school managment, and from the perspective of teachers and it maps specific factors affecting the quality of the current further education of teachers. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Text in English / The contribution of general diagnostic imaging in the diagnosis and clinical management of patients in rural hospitals of South Africa is enormous. To provide high quality diagnostic imaging services for specific contexts requires radiographers who have up-to-date skills and expertise. Thus, rural radiographers require, over and above traditional radiographic expertise, additional competencies which are unique to rural practice. To date, however, little is known about additional core competencies and skills needed by radiographers working in rural areas. Previous studies have focused more attention primarily on other rural health professionals such as doctors and nurses. The aim of this mixed methods study was to investigate and identify additional core competencies required by radiographers working in rural district hospitals of KZN in order to propose a CPD strategy aimed at rural radiographers. An exploratory sequential design was utilised. There were seven participants in the qualitative phase of the study. In the quantitative phase a convenient sample of 109 respondents was surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Three major themes and seven categories emerged from Phase I of the study. These themes and categories were then used to develop a data collection instrument for Phase II of the study. Collectively, the findings of this mixed methods research revealed that there were a number of additional core competencies such as, but not limited to, teamwork, ability to do basic obstetric ultrasound scans, leadership, management, attitude and behaviours, and reporting on plain x-ray films, all of which are required by rural radiographers. Supporting evidence from the study indicated that the majority of these competencies were either partially or not at all covered in the audited curriculum. The study further revealed that the audited curriculum and the scope of radiography in its current form appear to focus attention on minimum competencies that do not promote the expansion and extension of the role of radiographers in rural areas. The study results also revealed a number of challenges faced by rural radiographers. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

In Based upon disciplinary foundation... – A study on teachers’ prerequisite for continuing pro- fessional development (CPD) I have examined the prerequisites that teachers in Nacka have for CPD, due to the new school law that states that all teaching must be based upon disciplinary foundation and proven experience. According to a recently published governmental report, as well as international research, not only structural aspects like time and financial compensation are crucial to whether teachers continue their development. Encouragement from the principal and colleagues are also a contributing factor; and not to mention those factors combined. There is a world wide shared consensus among educational researchers claiming that one very important piece in creating a successful school is having a well-educated and updated staff. By embracing that idea, in our new school law, there must also exist a platform where that idea can be implemented. The aim of this study is to find out to what extent teachers in Nacka are given prerequisites for continuing professional development, in other words carry out their assignment according to the law. This study is based upon two questionnaires sent to all primary school teachers in Nacka and their principals. What are the structural prerequisites that teachers in Nacka are given for CPD? Does principals encourage their staff to further CPD? Are their any local or regional plans regarding CPD? Do the teachers’ and the principals’ respective views regarding prerequisites for CPD correlate? The study showed that even though teachers and principals had similar views of the different prerequisites, principals did rate their strategies more positive than teachers valued them. It turned out that only one principal had a plan for how to make his or her teachers to continue their development. Maybe the teachers were not aware of their prerequisites; perhaps the principals overrated their offers. But what was clearly shown is that there is a lack of communication between the teachers and principals.