Swedish schools have during the last few years started to providing pupils in high school with tablet-computers. By doing interviews I examine how pupils in high school use tablet-computers in different ways and how that affect their studies. From a sociocultural perspective and with the concept of artefacts I analyze how suitable tablet-computers are for studies on this level of education. My results show that the tablet-computers are used as the pupils primary study tool. They are available to all pupils and can be used in most parts of their studies and this creates new opportonities in how to interact with collective knowledge and with other people. The pupils in this study do not think that the tablet computers, at this pint are suitable when it comes to using them for examinations, advanced visual design and creating more extensive texts. My conclusion is that tabet-computers have qualities that could contribute to high school pupils studies in a meaningful way. However the strategies through which they are implemented are critical to whether tablets-computers actually will improve pupils studies or not.

The current study was conducted to examine the underrepresentation of African American Faculty in Illinois institutions of higher education. The researcher used the critical race theory and cultural proficiency theory to frame the study. The following research questions guided the study: (1) What challenges and barriers have African Americans experienced in receiving a quality education? (2) In what ways does family structure affect the success of African American professors toward the completion of a graduate degree? (3) What positive experiences have African Americans had throughout their educational career to encourage their pursuit of the professoriate? and (4) How can faculty diversity be obtained among institutions of higher education? The study employed a mixed-methods research design to examine the experiences of African American faculty members employed in Illinois higher education institutions. The quantitative portion of the study consisted of an online survey distributed to African American faculty members. The qualitative portion included both focus groups and interviews. Open-ended questions were designed to elicit information concerning the experiences of African Americans in their educational pursuit. An email survey was sent to 242 African American faculty members from throughout the state of Illinois. Of the 242 surveys, 216 were actually received by the intended participants. The study yielded a 43% return rate. The survey provided demographic information about Illinois higher education faculty members. It presented a synopsis of the population and the factors that affected a student's educational pursuit. In addition, the survey provided information on the family background and experiences from the faculty member's childhood throughout their college career and into their professional career. Focus groups were conducted to obtain the personal stories of African American faculty members regarding the experiences they have had in their pursuit of the professoriate. Three focus group sessions were held resulting in a total of 12 individuals participating. The challenges facing African Americans in obtaining a quality education were discussed along with discussion of their familial and educational history. This method provided a rich opportunity for discussion and insight into the lives of African American faculty members. Post-hoc interviews were conducted with six African American faculty members at a mid-western four-year research institution. These interviews provided additional information in order to connect the results of this study. The interviews presented interesting conversation and brought out different perspectives than the survey and focus groups had provided. Interview participants were asked about the positive aspects in their lives that encouraged them to pursue the professoriate. Familial and educational history was briefly discussed. The main topic of discussion for the interview sessions was the employment and tenure process for higher education faculty members and how faculty diversity can be achieved. It is recommended that students be encouraged from an early age to pursue academia as a career. College preparatory courses need to be included in the high school curriculum in order to prepare students for the collegiate environment. In addition, high school counselors should prepare all students for a college career of their choosing. New programs and procedures need to be developed and implemented. Funding programs and forgivable loans should be developed to ease the burden of educational expenses of minority students. Mentorship programs should be developed so students will have a person to go to if they need assistance or advice. Internships and teaching assistantships need to be a requirement in all disciplines. These opportunities provide valuable experience and make the students more employable upon graduation. Institutions should seriously consider hiring minority individuals prior to degree completion. There are many candidates in the pipeline and these people need to be approached and groomed for jobs in academia. Over and above all, faculty diversity needs to be included in the overall strategic plan of the institution. Central leadership and accountability for the diversification of faculty must start with the college president and be filtered down to the hiring bodies. Diversity policies and procedures must be developed and implemented in order to increase the presence of minorities in higher education institutions.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of earthquake instruction on students' earthquake content and preparedness for earthquakes. This study used an innovative direct instruction on earthquake science content and concepts with an inquiry-based group activity on earthquake safety followed by an earthquake simulation and preparedness video to help middle school students understand and prepare for the regional seismic threat. A convenience sample of 384 sixth and seventh grade students at two small middle schools in southern Illinois was used in this study. Qualitative information was gathered using open-ended survey questions, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were collected using a 21 item content questionnaire administered to test students' General Earthquake Knowledge, Local Earthquake Knowledge, and Earthquake Preparedness Knowledge before and after instruction. A pre-test and post-test survey Likert scale with 21 items was used to collect students' perceptions and attitudes. Qualitative data analysis included quantification of student responses to the open-ended questions and thematic analysis of observation notes and interview transcripts. Quantitative datasets were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including t tests to evaluate the differences in means scores between paired groups before and after interventions and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to test for differences between mean scores of the comparison groups. Significant mean differences between groups were further examined using a Dunnett's C post hoc statistical analysis. Integration and interpretation of the qualitative and quantitative results of the study revealed a significant increase in general, local and preparedness earthquake knowledge among middle school students after the interventions. The findings specifically indicated that these students felt most aware and prepared for an earthquake after an intervention that consisted of an inquiry-based group discussion on safety, earthquake content presentation and earthquake simulation video presentation on preparedness. Variations of the intervention, including no intervention, were not as effective in significantly increasing students' conceptual learning of earthquake knowledge.

Cardiovascular fitness levels in physical education have decreased for males and females in an inner-city high school, with female cardiovascular fitness decreasing the most. Cardiovascular fitness is important because participating in cardio exercises decreases health issues such as obesity and cardio problems. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the views of teachers regarding low cardiovascular fitness among adolescent females in physical education and how a professional development could help teachers to address the problem. Bandura’s social learning theory was used as the study’s conceptual framework. Semistructured and open-ended interview questions were used to collect data from 6 veteran PE teachers to address the research questions regarding teachers’ experiences in promoting cardiovascular exercises, levels of participation in cardiovascular exercises, and perceptions of professional development to help ameliorate the problem. Participant responses to the open-ended interview questions were analyzed by coding common words to create categories to develop themes. Qualitative findings revealed that participants started to notice low cardiovascular endurance in 9th grade, that professional development was not geared towards improving female adolescent activities nor assisting PE teachers in how to model these. A professional development, via the proposed project, was developed that will provide activities that can be used by both new and seasoned physical education teachers. Social change will occur in that implementation of the ideas shared in project may lead to a healthier and physically active lifestyle when students reach adulthood.