Many high school students are unable to consider engineering as an undergraduate program of study because they have not taken the prerequisite courses required for university entrance. In order to provide the opportunity for capable students to pursue an engineering degree and subsequently enter the engineering profession, they should be more aware of the profession of engineering prior to entering high school to enable them to select appropriate courses from the very start of their post elementary education. The focus of this study is to understand how students in grade 7 perceive the profession of engineering in two example regions across Canada. Recent literature suggests that action is underway in some areas of the United States in order to create awareness and encourage students to pursue an engineering program. These initiatives range from integrating engineering concepts into the K-12 curriculum to providing outreach and design challenge opportunities outside of school. In Canada, such initiatives are only present in isolated cases, with limited reach and impact. To better understand the perspectives on engineering of pre-high school students in Canada, grade 7 students were provided with surveys incorporating a variety of questions pertaining to the engineering profession. All questions were open ended in order to promote individualized answers from the students. Survey questions were analyzed with NVIVO software to determine common themes in the understanding and perception of engineering from the perspective of the students. After the completion of the survey, select students in each location were interviewed in order to further explore their perception of the engineering profession. The questions asked during these interviews built on the themes of the written survey. In general, it was found that participants had varied and mostly inaccurate perception of what engineers do, and lacked a clear understanding of the profession. After analyzing the data, the subsequent suggested recommendations are to develop a better public perception of the engineering profession, develop programs to help teachers better relate math and science to engineering in school, and to consider further investigation of best practices from the United States and how they might be implemented in Canada. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-09-28 18:12:53.158

Teachers employ traditional readability measurements to estimate text difficulty when assigning textbooks to meet the students’ current proficiency level. The purpose of this study was to see if modern textbooks published by five major publishing companies in Sweden were more difficult to read according to traditional readability formula compared to textbooks published in the 90’s. This study also aims to investigate whether readability in textbooks was similar among the five publishers. The readability formula Flesch Reading Ease in Coh-Metrix was utilized to calculate text difficulty in textbooks intended for Swedish grade 7. The primary material used for this study consisted of 70 texts selected from textbooks from three different time periods and five different publishers. The results from the formula indicated that the modern textbooks, published in between 2012-2016, were more difficult to read compared with the older ones. In addition, the results indicated that readability was similar among the different publishers. However, the study showed that modern textbooks published by Liber were easier to read in comparison with the older ones of this particular publisher. That modern textbooks have longer sentence structures and more complex syntax suggests increased expectations of 7th graders’ reading abilities.

The research study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the instructional methods, particularly the lecture-discussion instructional method as a teaching and learning method at grade 7 level, in Shurugwi district, Zimbabwe. The subject taught being English language. The experimental method (quasi-experimental) used at the twenty chosen schools was the pre-test and post test group method. It was found that the lecture-discussion instructional method produced better results in more cases than the discussion method alone. It was also found that work produced by the lecture-discussion instructional method was more refined than work produced by the discussion method alone. Guided learners were more work focused than learners discussing alone without a teacher. Average and below average learners did not enjoy learning without the presence of the teacher talk. The learners, during teacher absence, seemed hesitant and confused at times. The lecture-discussion method seems to cater for all the learners and their learning styles. The importance of the teacher in the class was clearly demonstrated by the work and results produced by the learners at the twenty selected primary schools in Shurugwi district, Midlands province, Zimbabwe. All the learners that received treatment from the experiment produced better results than their control groups that did not receive the treatment. However, conclusions and generalisations can not be made because the samples used and the areas covered were too small in size. The learners studied were too few to make meaningful generalisations and conclusions for the country. Further researches should be carried out in future. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

The research study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the instructional methods, particularly the lecture-discussion instructional method as a teaching and learning method at grade 7 level, in Shurugwi district, Zimbabwe. The subject taught being English language. The experimental method (quasi-experimental) used at the twenty chosen schools was the pre-test and post test group method. It was found that the lecture-discussion instructional method produced better results in more cases than the discussion method alone. It was also found that work produced by the lecture-discussion instructional method was more refined than work produced by the discussion method alone. Guided learners were more work focused than learners discussing alone without a teacher. Average and below average learners did not enjoy learning without the presence of the teacher talk. The learners, during teacher absence, seemed hesitant and confused at times. The lecture-discussion method seems to cater for all the learners and their learning styles. The importance of the teacher in the class was clearly demonstrated by the work and results produced by the learners at the twenty selected primary schools in Shurugwi district, Midlands province, Zimbabwe. All the learners that received treatment from the experiment produced better results than their control groups that did not receive the treatment. However, conclusions and generalisations can not be made because the samples used and the areas covered were too small in size. The learners studied were too few to make meaningful generalisations and conclusions for the country. Further researches should be carried out in future. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

What do the Honda Civic, the Mazda 626, and the Boeing 747 have in common? What about Weird Al's song Bob, the first name of Miley Cyrus' alter ego, and the 70s sensation Abba? What do all these things have in common? They all contain palindromes. While some people recognise a palindrome when they see one, fewer realise that a palindrome is a special case of a pattern and that these patterns are all around. Palindromes frequently occur in names, both of vehicles and people, and in music.

Denna studie undersöker hur lärare arbetar med kartor i skolan och hur elever uppfattar användandet av kartor, både i skolan och i vardagslivet. Hur lärare uppfattar förändringen i mötet med kartan genom bytet från Lpo 94 och Lgr 11 kommer också att belysas. För att få svar på dessa frågor har åtta stycken intervjuer av lärare på högstadiet samt fyra fokusgrupper innehållande fyra elever styck genomförts. I intervjuerna uppger lärarna att det idag finns en bristfällig helhetssyn gällande kartan hos eleverna, fokus ligger ofta på ett litet område. Lärarna anser att denna utveckling inom ungdomars kartuppfattning påverkas av dagens teknik, som till exempel GPS där fokus ligger på start- och slutpunkten. Både papperskartor och digitala kartor är nödvändiga för att skapa en strukturerad världsbild där fokus ligger både på det lilla och på det stora menar lärarna. Fem av de intervjuade lärarna anser att de behöver mer kompetens gällande IT för att kunna använda sig mer av digitala kartor. I fokusgrupperna ansåg först de flesta eleverna att de inte mötte kartan överhuvudtaget i vardagslivet, men efter diskussion framgick det att de möter någon form av karta varje dag, som till exempel i dator/Tv-spel, checkar in på ett ställe med Facebook eller söker reda på en adress med hjälp av Google Maps. Bland de 16 elever som var med i fokusgrupperna ansåg 12 stycken att både papperskartan och den digitala kartan behövdes i undervisningen. De ansåg att den digitala kartan, då framförallt Google Earth, var ett roligare verktyg och gjorde lektionstillfällena mer intressanta, men de menade på att en papperskarta ger en bättre helhetsbild av området man skulle undersöka. / This study examines how teachers use the map as an educational aid in school and how students perceive the use of maps, both in school and their every-day life. How do the teachers perceive that the use of maps have changed with the update of the curriculum, from Lpo 94 to Lgr 11 is also going to be elucidated. To answer these questions, eight interviews with junior high school teachers and four focus groups consisting of four students each were done. During the interviews, the teachers stated that students today have a flawed/inadequate/deficient comprehensive view of the map, where focus often lies on a small area. The teachers regard this development of students’ perception of the map as a product of today’s technology, for example GPS where focus lies on finding the starting and ending points. Both paper and digital maps are essential when creating a structured view of the world where focus is both on the small and the big, according to the teachers. Five of the interviewed teachers stated that they need more knowledge about the technology to be able to use digital maps more. In the focus groups, most of the students primarily stated that they did not meet the map at all in their every-day life, but after discussion it was made clear that they meet some kind of map every day, for example in computer/video games, checking in somewhere on Facebook or finding an address with the help of Google Maps. Among the 16 students that participated in the focus groups, 12 stated that both the paper map and the digital map were needed in the education. They think that the digital map, especially Google Earth, is a funnier tool and make the lessons more interesting, but they stated that a paper map provides a better comprehensive picture of the designated area.

Aim and research questions The purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers in physical education (PE) in grades 7-9 use ball games in education in relation to the curriculum. The study also aims to investigate teachers' description of how their assessment of students in connection with ball games relates to the knowledge requirements. Below we present our specific question formulation. In what way do PE teachers work with ball games in relation the curriculum for grades 7-9? How do PE teachers motivate the use of ball games in education connected to the curriculum? How do PE teachers describe their assessment of students’ ability in relation to ball games as content and the curriculums’ knowledge requirements? Method The data collection was done through semi-structured interviews. Six legitimate PE teachers in grades 7-9 were interviewed. All the interviewed teachers worked in different suburbs to Stockholm. The selection was made through a structured selection with the help of the Facebook groups “Idrottslärare” and “Sveriges idrottslärare” but also through snowball selection. The theories that have been helpful in understanding and interpreting the results are curriculum theory and frame factor theory. Results All interviewed teachers work with ball games as a tool to develop students’ complex movements and cooperative ability. A couple of teachers said that ball games can also be applied to parts of the curriculum such as health, sports injuries and more. The PE teachers motivate ball games as a method for developing student’s complex movements. Most of the teachers describe that it is difficult to know where the boundary between different grades when it comes to assessment and that it is also difficult to justify why the students has received a specific grade. Conclusion The study shows that the curriculum in PE for grades 7-9 is perceived as relatively interpretable on the transformation and realisation arena. This gives teachers choices when it comes to the choice of teaching content and implementation. Based on the curriculum theory it is possible to ascertain that all interviewed teachers interpret ball games in the curriculum and think that ball games are an important part of teaching. The reason why the PE teachers think that ball games are considered to have a place in PE may be because they are influenced by society and sports culture. Based on the pedagogical framework system, the teachers must have a great knowledge about how the assessment should be realized in reality and to avoid different interpretations of the grading steps, teachers work and discuss together to make the assessment fair. / Syfte och frågeställningar Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur lärare i idrott och hälsa i årskurs 7–9 använder bollspel i undervisningen i förhållande till ämnets kursplan. Studien syftar också till att undersöka lärares beskrivning av hur deras bedömning av eleverna i samband med bollspel relaterar till kunskapskraven. Nedan presenteras studiens specifika frågeställningar. På vilket sätt arbetar lärare i idrott och hälsa med bollspel i relation till kursplanen för årskurs 7–9? Hur motiverar lärare i idrott och hälsa användandet av bollspel i undervisningen kopplat till kursplanen? Hur beskriver lärare i idrott och hälsa att deras bedömning av elevernas förmåga går till i relation till bollspel som innehåll och kursplanens kunskapskrav? Metod Datainsamlingen gjordes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sex lärare i idrott och hälsa i årskurs 7–9 intervjuades. Alla intervjuade lärare arbetade i olika förorter till Stockholm. Urvalet skedde genom ett strukturerat urval med hjälp av Facebookgrupperna ”Idrottslärare” och ”Sveriges idrottslärare” men även genom snöbollsurval. Teorierna som funnits till hjälp för att förstå och tolka resultatet är läroplansteori och ramfaktorteori. Resultat Samtliga intervjuade lärare arbetar med bollspel som ett verktyg för att utveckla elevernas komplexa rörelser och samarbetsförmåga. Ett par lärare menade att bollspel går att applicera även på delar i kursplanen såsom hälsa, idrottsskador med mera. Lärarna i idrott och hälsa motiverar bollspel som en metod för att utveckla elevernas komplexa rörelser. En majoritet av lärarna menar att det är svårt att veta var gränsen mellan olika betygssteg går, och att det även är svårt att motivera varför eleven har fått ett specifikt betyg. Slutsats Studien visar att kursplanen i idrott och hälsa för årskurs 7–9 uppfattas relativt tolkningsbar på transformerings- och realiseringsarenan. Detta ger lärare valmöjligheter när det kommer till val av undervisningsinnehåll och genomförande. Med utgångspunkt i läroplansteorin går det att konstatera att alla intervjuade lärare tolkar in bollspel i kursplanen och anser att bollspel är en viktig del i undervisningen. Anledningen till att bollspel anses ha en plats i undervisningen kan bero på att de är influerade av samhället och idrottskulturen. Kopplat till det pedagogiska ramsystemet krävs en stor kunskap gällande hur bedömning ska gå till och för att undvika olika tolkningar av betygsstegen arbetar och diskuterar kollegor tillsammans för att bedömningen ska bli rättvis.

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Mycket forskning har ägnats åt att kartlägga skolelevers (ofta negativa) attityder till matematik. Denna studie undersöker attityder till matematik hos nio deltagare och tidigare deltagare i Matteklubben för högstadiet i Stockholm. Matteklubben är en frivillig efter skolan-aktivitet för unga som gillar problemlösning, där fler med positiv attityd kan tänkas finnas. Studien har utgått från TMA-modellen - en tredimensionell modell för attityd till matematik, med de tre dimensionerna Syn på matematik - Känslomässig inställning till matematik - Upplevd egen förmåga, där varje dimension kan ha en positiv respektive negativ pol. Datainsamling skedde genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Därefter analyserades data med hjälp av tematisk analys. Sammantaget framträder en positiv attityd till matematik hos deltagarna. Deltagarnas syn på matematik framträder i hög grad som relationell, där de betonar matematikens strukturella och logiska uppbyggnad i sina beskrivningar av vad man uppfattar att matematik är. Alla respondenter uttrycker en positiv känslomässig inställning till matematik, även om de gör tydliga distinktioner mellan vad de gillar i matematik och vad de ogillar. Den matematiska aktivitet man tycker om handlar om ”problemlösning på riktigt”, där man vill möta utmanande problem av en passande svårighetsgrad, få tänka kreativt och gärna kunna finna lösningar med flera olika metoder. Ett undertema handlar om matematiska sammanhang och gemenskaper. Här framkommer flera erfarenheter av skolans matematik som ett mer ensamt sammanhang, där deltagarna ofta utövar matematik på egen hand, med liten lärarinteraktion och där man ger snarare än får hjälp. Vissa deltagare har dock kunnat samarbeta med klass- eller skolkamrater i sitt matematikutforskande, vilket har bidragit till en mer positiv upplevelse och inställning till ämnet. I Matteklubben beskriver deltagarna att man är mer en del av ett sammanhang, där man arbetar med samma matematiska problem och kan diskutera lösningar med andra deltagare och ledare i något högre utsträckning. Särskilt Matteklubbens tävlingar ses som sociala tillfällen, då man får diskutera problem och lösningar även med personer man inte kände innan. Vad gäller den egna upplevda förmågan så uttrycker deltagarna i stort en god tilltro till att kunna klara av skolans matematik, även om gymnasiestarten upplevts som mer utmanande. Att få yttre bekräftelse på sitt kunnande var inte oviktigt, även om flera betonade vikten av förståelse, snarare än ha många korrekt lösta uppgifter. Många deltagare har haft en stabil matematikbana, med tidigt intresse för och framgång i matematik, med uppmuntran och intresse i familjen. Några respondenter återger dock vändpunkter eller särskilda händelser, som har ändrat eller påverkat deras syn på matematik, på den egna förmågan och den känslomässiga inställningen till matematik. / A lot of research attention has been directed towards school pupils (often negative) attitudes towards mathematics. This study explores the attitude towards mathematics among nine participants and former participants in the Math club for grade 7-9 in Stockholm. The Math club is an after school activity for young people who enjoy mathematical problem solving, where possibly more positive attitudes can be found. The theoretical framework for the study is TMA - the three-dimensional model for attitude towards mathematics, with the three dimensions; Vision of mathematics – Percieved competence – Emotional disposition. Data was collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed by using thematic analysis. Overall the participants expressed positive attitudes towards mathematics. The participants express a mostly relational vision of mathematics, where they notice and appreciate the logical structure of the subject. Although all participants express their liking of mathematics, they make distinctions about what they like and dislike in mathematics, both regarding content, tasks and social context. In general there is an appreciation of creative problem solving. Many participants experienced mathematics in school as a mostly separate activity with limited help from teachers, although some have had friends with whom they shared the interest. The Math Club seemed to have offered a context in which participants worked on the same problems and could get help and discuss solutions among each other, especially during competitions. The participants were confident about their own mathematical competence, at least until the start of secondary school. Confirmation of competence were appreciated, but many participants stressed that understanding of concepts were more important than getting many right answers. Though most participants described a stable trajectory in their appreciation of math, with early interest, success and encouragement from families as common features, some incidents of turning points or special events, that led to a sudden change of vision of mathematics, the own perceived competence and liking of mathematics were described.

This qualitative, phenomenological case study investigated the influence of character education, taught in addition to the Life Skills curriculum, on challenging behaviour in a primary school in Gauteng. Through a filtering process the researcher identified the Youth Citizens’ Action Programme (YCAP) as a suitable additional programme, one which currently includes democratic citizenship and service learning approaches. These are attuned to the study’s theoretical framework, which vests in social and experiential learning, modelling and observation. Although the YCAP at this particular Gauteng school is each year implemented by a team of Grade 7 learners, the implementation of the YCAP involved all the learners across grades. Hence, the empirical study focused on the contribution of the Grade 7 learners to addressing bullying, which learners themselves identified as the most prevalent form of challenging behaviour. The findings showed that the YCAP decreased bullying as challenging behaviour in this particular school. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)