Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1998. / Running title: Focus groups. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1998. / Running title: Focus groups. Includes bibliographical references.

Studier har visat att höga bullernivåer kan vara skadliga för såväl röst, hörsel och språkliginlärning som andra kognitiva förmågor. Höga ljudnivåer kan bidra till ett hyperfunktionelltröstbeteende som kan ge kroniska besvär. Barns röstorgan kan vara särskilt sårbara då de ännuinte är fullt utvecklade. På många förskolor är bullernivån hög och ogynnsam för både barn ochpersonal och därmed utgör de båda en riskgrupp för att utveckla röstbesvär och hörselskador.Föreliggande studie består av ljudnivåmätningar av två förskolors lokaler samtfokusgruppsintervjuer av 16 femåriga barn. Syftet var att kartlägga hur barnen upplever bulleroch kommunikation på förskola samt relatera det till uppmätta ljudnivåer. Studien ingår i ettstörre nordiskt projekt.Resultatet visar att barnen förefaller ha viss kunskap om bullrets påverkan på hörseln men intealls på rösten. Barnens utsagor speglar att de har viss kunskap om att buller försvårarkommunikation och att de föredrar lägre ljudnivåer. Barnen uttrycker även egna erfarenheter avatt det ibland är svårt att kommunicera på förskolorna. Resultatet av bullermätningarna indikerarockså detta. Utifrån föreliggande studies intervjuer framkommer följande tre teman och sexunderkategorier; egna upplevelser (kroppsliga, emotionella), miljöfaktorer (rumsliga, buller)samt strategier (röst, hörsel). Bullervärden mättes i samtliga rum både med och utan barn ochpersonal närvarande. Ljudnivåer förekom från 60 till 93 dB(A) med barn och personal i rummen.Bullernivåerna låg ofta över 70 dB(A) och det högsta uppmätta värdet var 93 dB(A) i lekrummetvid en gemensam fri lek. / Studies have shown that high levels of background noise are damaging on voice, hearing andlanguage learning skills but also affects other cognitive skills. High sound pressure can lead to ahyperfunctional and faulty voice use. This can cause chronic voice disorders. The voice organs inchildren may be particularly vulnerable since they are not yet fully developed. The noise level ishigh in many preschools and therefore both children and teachers are at risk for developing voicedisorders and hearing impairment.The study consists of sound pressure level measurements and focus group interviews of 16 fiveyear-old children in two different preschools. The purpose was to find out how five-year-oldchildren experience noise and communication in preschools and relate their opinions to themeasured sound pressure levels. The study is included in a bigger Nordic project.The result showed that the children seem to have some knowledge of the effects of noise onhearing but not at all of the effects on voice. The statements reflect that they seem to have someknowledge about negative effects of noise on communication. The children also express that theyprefer lower levels of background noise rather than high. The children expressed that they hadexperiences of occasionally having difficulties to communicate in their preschool due to highbackground noise. These statements are supported by the high levels of background noisemeasured in the study. Three themes and six categories were identified from the interviews, theywere: Own Experiences (Physical, Emotional), Environmental Factors (Spatial, Noise) andStrategies (Voice, Hearing).Sound pressure levels were measured in all rooms with and without the children and teacher’sattendance. With children and teachers present noise levels were ranging from 60 to 93 dB(A).The noise levels were frequently over 70 dB(A) and the highest noise value was 93 dB(A) in the playing room when free play occurred. / “How does it Work? Voice, Speech and Communication”

As we come to the end of the decade declared as United Nations Decade for Biodiversity 2011-2020, the impact humans are having our planet is clear. The current primary school children are the future decision makers, consumers and electors; therefore, they must be exposed to approaches that can assist development that is sustainable and that will prevent further degradation of our planet. A key way to achieve this is to transform the education current and future generations of children will receive. Education must address sustainable development to support the formation of responsible citizens, eager to actively engage in decision-making processes, environmental issues and societal matters. This can be assisted through a focus on a specific approach to Education for Sustainable Development, Biodiversity Education. To add to current research about this approach to ESD, I investigated the effect biodiversity education had on the sustainability consciousness of primary school children. I chose a qualitative method of data collection and analysis through focus group, semi-structured interviews with 5th class students. The results showed that the participants' sustainability awareness, regarding two of the three dimensions of sustainable development, was highly developed; the environmental dimension and the social dimension. There was less evidence of a consciousness for the economic dimension of SD. Therefore, biodiversity education had a positive influence on the participants' sustainability consciousness, making them more aware of sustainability issues and action-oriented to address these issues. However, they lacked one dimension of sustainability; therefore, their sustainability consciousness was not fully developed. Further research is needed to analysis and interpret the rationale as to why the economic dimension was less developed in these participants who attended a school that promotes biodiversity education.