This study was conducted to see what cognitive and social skills and strategies were employed by pairs of students as they used a computer adventure game. The games used in the study were "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" (Broderbund) and "Dinosaur Discovery" (Jacaranda) One male and one female pair of year five students were assigned to each game. Grounded Theory was selected as the methodology as it enabled categorization of the skills and strategies to emerge from the data without locking the researcher into previously identified categories. It was found in this study, and supported in other research, that what occurs between the students during a session with the computer depends on the nature of the task, the students involved, the type and amount of training provided and the classroom conditions under which the activity is conducted. The implications from the study are: that under most circumstances it is desireable for students to work in pairs with a computer to enable interaction to occur, students may require some training in the cognitive skills necessary for the software being used, training students to work cooperatively before placing them in groups is important; and integrating the computer into the classroom environment may encourage the use of other desired skills and strategies.

The focus of this inquiry is “New Zealand small business employers’ perspectives of the important factors in return-to-work (RTW) of an employee following a musculoskeletal injury or an illness”. Whilst worldwide there is an increasing amount of attention focused on the RTW process in large organisations, there continues to be little understanding of this phenomenon in small businesses. I chose to use a social constructivist theoretical framework drawing on grounded theory methodology to construct some understanding of the employers’ perspectives of the RTW process. Eight small business employers from Auckland and Christchurch participated in this research. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews. Constant comparative analysis, theoretical sampling and thematic analysis were used to construct two themes from the data. The findings showed that small business employers prefer informal organisational approaches, rely on close working relationships with their staff, are generally wary of bureaucracy and often must run their businesses with limited staff and financial resources. Having an employee off work for a prolonged period of time creates a sizable gap in the staff resources that keep the business running. The employer has responsibility to fill this gap while maintaining a productive business. In the absence of formal injury management practices an ad hoc approach was taken to the RTW process. A number of the employers felt undervalued by key stakeholders, such as doctors, treatment providers, Accident Compensation Corporation and in some cases RTW co-ordinators. Health and safety was a risk all employers appeared to take seriously whereas injury management information and support seemed less of a focus. This research suggests there may be little focus on injury management in small businesses by employers and, that employers perceive greater government emphasis on injury prevention. The extent and associated costs of work disability in small businesses is as yet unknown, but it is likely to be significant. How to support and encourage the uptake of injury management in small businesses in the long term warrants further investigation. Understanding that employers may well lack injury management expertise, experience and resources requires stakeholders to make specific effort with the employer, at the workplace, to facilitate the RTW process.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 292-306).

<p>The proposed Grounded Theory has been derived from how experienced teachers and their pupils, in four different teaching contexts, have used ’The Witting method’ to maximize literacy development among their pupils. The theory has been grounded through repeated comparisons and analysis of the empirical data. </p><p>The specific aim of the thesis is to conceptualize and generate a theory about what four teachers and their pupils (n=40, over the period of the research), in different contexts, and over a number of years, actually do when working with The Witting method. A wider goal is to apply the implications of the derived grounded theory to general and special education theory in helping to alleviate reading and writing difficulties and prevent pupils from failing.</p><p>The results show that the teachers have systematically strived to ensure each pupil’s reading and writing development and they do this through what is labeled ‘didactic arranging’. They also show an ability to adapt to situations, materials and spaces without losing their long-term aims. They are in charge of three competencies: ’me’, ’you’, and ’we’ - expressing this competence in documentation, by reflection and always in close collaboration with pupils and their families. The observed use of The Witting method would seem to enable a diagnostic mode of teaching as it contains tools that allow a teacher to follow each pupil’s reading and writing development. Teachers, pupils and the didactic procedures are shown to be in constant interaction. It was also found to be important that teachers believe that every pupil can learn. These teachers’ collective motto could be summed up as follows: never stop giving support and never stop assessing progress. </p>

No description available.

<p>Vi har genomfört en undersökning på miljökontoret i Linköping som ansåg sig ha vissa problem med ECOS, ett databassystem som används för ärendehantering. </p><p>Syftet med vår undersökning är att presentera en teori kring användandet av ECOS på miljökontoret i Linköping samtidigt kommer vi att genomföra denna undersökning med grundad teori så som Glaser beskriver den. </p><p>Vi har valt att arbeta med grundad teori (GT) enligt Barney Glaser. Vi bestämde oss för att ha följande öppna frågeställning när vi inledde vår undersökning: </p><p>Hur använder sig de anställda på miljökontoret i Linköping av ECOS? </p><p>Det datamaterial som vi har analyserat har bestått av anteckningar över det som vi ansett vara väsentligt i intervjuer, observationer och dokument. Slutresultatet i en undersökning genomförd med GT blir en teori. En sådan teori beskriver inte data, den är grundad i data. </p><p>Beskrivningen av problemområdet och resultatet som kommit ur de data vi insamlat ligger till grund för den teori som vi anser kan fungera på området.</p>

<p>Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur föräldrar vars barn blivit medlemmar i föreningsidrott tidigt upplever att barnet utvecklats – motoriskt, psykiskt samt socialt. Studien genomfördes i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra familjer, strategiskt utvalda. Resultaten visar att föräldrarna som intervjuats i studien uppfattar att barnen utvecklats normalt till snabbt motoriskt sett. Föräldrarna upplever att barnen utvecklat sin kompetens gällande den aktuella idrotten samt att barnen generellt sett blivit mer aktiva sedan de började idrotta. Föräldrarna upplever även att detta beror på barnets personlighet, och inte att det skulle ha med idrottandet att göra. Alla barn i studien har äldre syskon som idrottar, samma eller liknande den idrott som de yngre syskonen utövar, vilket föräldrarna upplever som positivt då barnen uppfattas ha fått mycket gratis – kamrater, kompetens inom idrotten, självförtroende och godare kroppsuppfattning.</p>

<p>Syftet med denna studie är att försöka ta reda på vad ett dramapedagogiskt förhållningssätt är </p><p>samt att sprida det till andra som arbetar med drama utan att vara utbildade. Dessutom vill </p><p>författaren hitta tydliga exempel från barnlitteraturen för att konkretisera det abstrakta som ett </p><p>förhållningssätt innebär. </p><p>   Frågeställningarna är: </p><p><em>Vad är ett dramapedagogiskt förhållningssätt? </em></p><p><em>Hur kan man konkretisera det för att göra det mer gripbart och förståeligt? </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p>Det är en kvalitativ undersökning gjord enligt grounded theory och med tankar från symbolisk </p><p>interaktionism. Metoden är fokussamtal kombinerat med intervju via e-post. Informanter är </p><p>dramapedagogutbildarna på Västerbergs folkhögskola samt verksamma dramapedagoger som har </p><p>genomgått utbildningen. Det empiriska materialet har bearbetats enligt grounded theory och har </p><p>lett fram till 10 nycklar som alla representerar olika delar av det dramapedagogiska </p><p>förhållningssättet. Dessa nycklar presenteras i resultatet samt med barnboksfigurer som aktörer. </p>

<p>Denne studien har fokus på PP-rådgiverens perspektiv på arbeid med problematferd i skolen. Jeg valgte å vinkle min prosjektbeskrivelse og det videre arbeidet mot en studie av Pedagogisk - Psykologisk tjeneste (heretter PP-tjenesten). Nærmere bestemt rettes blikket mot PP-rådgiverens erfaringer med og perspektiv på arbeid med hjelpetrengende elever i skolen, deres foresatte og lærere. Å undersøke slike perspektiv kan ha interesse fordi PP-tjenesten har et særlig godt kjennskap til skolen og det som skjer der gjennom sin rolle som skolens hjelpetjeneste. Analysen bygger på intervju av 12 Pedagogisk-psykologiske rådgivere på 4 PP-kontor i Nord-Norge 1999 -2000 og på direkte observasjon i 30 møter av ulike typer som ble gjennomført på disse kontorene. ”Grounded Theory” er brukt som metodologi og metode. Jeg utviklet 5 substantive koder: 1) ”faglig usikkerhet”, 2) ”skjønn og fagkunnskap”, 3) ”å arbeide eklektisk” 4) ”respons på antatte forventninger” og 5) ”diagnosekommunikasjon”. På basis av de substantive kodene utviklet jeg følgende substantive kode: ”å jobbe eklektisk på basis av skjønn og fagkunnskap gir ulik grad av faglig usikkerhet”. I tillegg har jeg utviklet ulike ”typer” PP-rådgivere, ”eksperten”, ”brannslukkeren” og ”analytikeren”. De teoretiske hypotesene som ble utviklet i dette arbeidet har blitt relatert og drøftet i forhold til annen relevant forskning som for eksempel Bernsteins begrep ”den pedagogiske anordning”, der diskurser og makt er sentralt.</p>

<p>Within the field of microfinance, there has been an ongoing debate about whether microfinance institutions should be commercialized. One side argues that a business that very much can earn profits at the same time as it helps the poor, is not justified to receive charity, but should be run with the risks and benefits of any other profit-seeking business.</p><p>The other side argues that the outreach to the ones who most need microfinance, is severely hampered if firms are profit-seeking; arguing that they only target the individuals who allow them to make profits.</p><p> </p><p>This study is a case study based on India, one of the world’s largest nations, and home to millions of people living below the poverty line[1]. Microfinance is widespread in India, and with one of the researchers speaking Hindi, India became our choice of case study. A grounded theory methodology is applied in order for us to learn as much as possible about the context of microfinance in India. Within the context, we look for the mission and the impact of the various institutions. Analysis is done through the constant comparison method; with comparisons within and between different organizations. Each organization is individually analyzed to find recurring themes, always being open to the emergence of new themes. Then, the organizations are compared with others of the same legal form, and finally with all other forms of organizations.</p><p> </p><p>Several different kinds of institutions are identified, working directly or indirectly with providing small loans to low-income individuals. These institutions include banks, local area banks, section 25 companies, NGOs, and cooperative societies. Each one of the institutions has, by law, different areas of restriction and the study finds that the missions of the various organizations can be linked to their legal form; the mission indicating which form they currently operate under or which legal form they are striving to achieve. The major difference between the various legal forms is their methods of accumulating finances, and how they manage their revenue. Although banks actually earn profits, they have not yet been fully commercialized, as they are restricted from attracting mainstream international capital.</p><p> </p><p>The conclusions indicate that in India, microfinance has not reached the point where it has been fully commercialized, but rather the passion for their work and visions of the founders very much guide the work of the various organizations. This can be seen in the missions that guide the organizations and the services provided to fulfill the mission. Commercialization is however, far from a non-issue. If legislation regarding IPOs is changed, the level of commercialization and competitive scene for microfinance in India could change dramatically.</p><p>[1] Can be measured in different ways, but used here symbolically, indicating a very low amount; discussed in more detail in the paper.</p>