Numerous research on the development of knowledge and skills within health and social care has been undertaken; however, it can be argued that there is a need to understand the connection between inclusion and the development in knowledge and experience.  The purpose of this dissertation is to explore students’ experiences of the health and social care adult- education program, and participation and learning processes it represents.  The program is considered the formal route to acquire a position as a nursing assistant or health care assistant. Furthermore, the program can be seen as a combination of vocational training, and a measure to reduce unemployment. This empirical study is based on 15 in- depth interviews with students in the health and social care adult-education. These interviews are using a hermeneutic interpretation method, and draw on Lave and Wenger`s theory of learning. In addition to sociocultural theory according to Säljö. Findings indicate that the adult-education program in health and social care is not only a training process, but also a participation process. For the students, it is about gaining participation in the professional community, in Swedish society, and also about an existential safety in a social context. In order to gain participation, intellectual and physical artifacts, as well as personal qualities, are a prerequisite. Despite these requirements, and the challenges students face, the findings reveal that most students continue their studies. This finding leads to the idea that health and social care can be understood a discipline of inclusion. These findings assist the health and social care field in understanding the connection between said artifacts for inclusion in working life and society; in addition, that such programs should be understood from a wider perspective and viewed in relation to the tension between three educational projects: the students` individual project, the program organizer’s project and the national, societal education project.

The diploma thesis "A parent as a party to educational policy: Preschool education from the point of view of parents" deals with parents as participants of educational policy who, first of all, use various options when ensuring education for their preschool age children. In separate chapters three areas of life-long education are presented - formal, non-formal and informal which a parent chooses for his/her child. The educational policy is influenced by a parent's decisions, attitudes and strategies. What are his/her approaches with respect to individual areas, his/her expectations, whether the quality and offer corresponds to their conception, that is what results from this thesis.

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För att kunna hitta och åtgärda signalfel på Roslagsbanan i Stockholm är det viktigt att de tekniker som arbetar med signalsystemet har rätt kunskaper och känner sig trygga i hur systemet fungerar. En del av säkerhetssystemet på Roslagsbanan kallas ATC (automatic train control) och ger tågföraren information om var tåget framför befinner sig, vilket besked nästa signal ger och hur växlar och vägbommar står. ATC ingriper även genom att bromsa tåget automatiskt om föraren inte stannar vid en stoppsignal. För att effektivisera felsökning i ATC-systemet vill företaget som sköter drift och underhåll av signalsystemet, banan och elförsörjningen på Roslagsbanan, Strukton Rail AB, genomföra utbildningar för sina signaltekniker. De vill ha en mall för hur utbildningar i felsökning kan se ut som kan användas med övningsutrustning, och som kan appliceras på andra tekniska system. För att skapa den här mallen var mina frågeställningar ”Hur kan en pedagogisk modell för utbildning inom felsökning i säkerhetssystemet ATC på Roslagsbanan se ut? Hur påverkar modellen deltagarnas aktivitet jämfört med andra utbildningar inom järnvägsbranschen?”. Det var viktigt från Struktons sida att deltagarna skulle vara aktiva och samarbeta med varandra under utbildningen. Efter att ha läst om det sociokulturella perspektivet på lärande, accelererat lärande och lärande på arbetsplatsen och även hållit intervjuer med två tekniker på Strukton och två utbildare i andra sammanhang i järnvägsbranschen för att höra vad de tycker är bra utbildning har jag skapat en utbildningsmodell för internutbildning i signalsystemet ATC, döpt till Kunimodellen. Modellen baseras på att deltagarna tillsammans löser olika felsökningsfall. Utbildningen börjar med en genomgång av systemet som kan vara olika djupgående beroende på deltagarnas förkunskaper. Sedan löser deltagarna fall genom att sitta i grupper och diskutera fram en plan för hur de ska felsöka och sedan testa sin plan praktiskt i testutrustningen där felet är planterat. Beroende på utbildningsbehov och tillgänglig tid kan de få lösa olika många och olika svåra fall, men fallen bör täcka in så många komponenter i systemet som möjligt. I slutet av utbildningen finns ett reflektionsmoment där deltagarna får berätta för varandra vad de har lärt sig under dagen. För att få en mätbar indikation på om deltagarna har lärt sig något under utbildningen får de fylla i en enkät precis innan och precis efter utbildningen med frågor om hur trygga de känner sig på en femgradig skala att felsöka i de olika komponenterna. Det genomfördes två utbildningar med Kunimodellen, där vardera innehöll två fall att lösa, för sammanlagt sju deltagare. För att mäta deltagaraktiviteten under utbildningarna fyllde jag i ett observationsschema under 20 minuter per timme där jag registrerade om varje deltagare hade talat eller inte under 40 intervall om 30 sekunder var, vilket jag även gjorde på två andra utbildningar som signaltekniker går för att få en kontrollgrupp. Dessutom hölls gruppintervjuer med deltagarna efter utbildningarna för att få höra vad de tyckte om modellen och vad som kan förbättras. Resultaten visar att deltagarna har varit nöjda i intervjuerna och tyckt att det varit en bra modell att arbeta efter, men att det saknades viss teknisk information kring testutrustningen som finns i verkligheten. De ville även ha mer djupgående information i genomgången i början av utbildningen med fokus på bland annat varför ATC-systemet finns. Deltagarnas upplevda trygghet i felsökning ökade i enkäten efter utbildningen, men de var inte entydigt mer aktiva i utbildningar med Kunimodellen än i de utbildningar som jämförts med. Kunimodellen förändrades inte särskilt mycket mellan utbildningarna. Resultaten ska dock bara ses som indikationer på grund av det lilla antalet deltagare, att deltagarna inte nödvändigtvis var representativa för hela gruppen och att alla personer som blev intervjuade kände mig som intervjuade. / To be able to find and solve signal failures in Roslagsbanan in Stockholm, it is important that the maintenance technicians working with the signalling system has the right knowledge and feel confident with how the system works. One part of the safety system at Roslagsbanan is called ATC (automatic train control) which sends information to the train driver about where adjacent trains are located and how upcoming signals, switches and road crossing barriers are set. The ATC also interferes by applying brakes if the driver does not stop at a stop signal. To make troubleshooting of the ATC system more efficient, the company maintaining the signalling system, tracks and power supply at Roslagsbanan, Strukton Rail AB, would like to further educate their maintenance technicians. They want a model for training sessions in troubleshooting that can be used with training equipment and can be applied to other technical systems. To create this model my research questions were ”What could a pedagogical model for troubleshooting education on the safety system ATC at Roslagsbanan look like? How does the model affect the participants’ activity compared to other education sessions in the railway business?”. It was important to Strukton that participants should be active and cooperate with each other during the session. After reading about the sociocultural perspective on learning, accelerated learning and workplace learning and also conducting interviews with two technicians at Strukton and two teachers in other parts of the railway business to hear what they value as good education, I created an educational model for in-service training of the signalling system ATC, named the Kuni model. The model is based on participants solving troubleshooting cases together. An education session starts with an overview of the system that can vary in detail depending on the participants’ previous knowledge. Then the participants solve cases by discussing in groups and agreeing on a plan on how they should troubleshoot, and then try their plan on the test equipment where the error is planted. Depending on their need for education and the available time, they can get a different number of cases on different levels, but the cases should try to cover as many of the system’s components as possible. At the end of the session there is time for reflection where the participants tell each other what they have learnt. To get a measurable indication of if the participants have learned anything, they fill out a questionnaire just before and just after the education with questions on how confident they feel troubleshooting the different components. Two such sessions were held with the Kuni model, each with two cases to solve, for a total of seven participants. To measure participant activity, I filled out an observation form for 20 minutes per hour where I registered whether each participant had spoken or not for 40 intervals of 30 seconds each, which I also did at two other training sessions that signalling technicians attend to get a control group. Additionally, I conducted group interviews with the participants after the sessions to see what they thought of the model and what could be improved. The results from the interviews show that the participants were content and thought it was a good model to work with, but that some technical information about the test equipment that exists in the real world was missing. They also wanted more detailed information in the initial overview with focus on, among other things, why the ATC system exists. The participants’ self-estimated confidence in troubleshooting increased after the session, but they were not significantly more active during training with the Kuni model than the control groups. The Kuni model itself did not change very much between sessions. The results should however only be seen as indications due to the small number of participants, the participants not necessarily being representative for the whole group and since all people interviewed knew me when I interviewed them.

Det finns ett stort intresse i samhället kring AI och dess användningsområden, men hur ser det ut i organisationer idag och vilka initiativ tas för att kompetensutveckla personalen med hjälp av AI? Det är just vad denna studie ska försöka besvara. Dataunderlaget för studien baseras på semi-strukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer med tio personer som framförallt arbetar inom HR, men även inom försäljning och affärsutveckling, fördelat över olika branscher. Analysen av det tematiserade underlaget visar på resultatet att integrering och användning av AI-verktyg för kompetensutveckling är ytterst varierande i de organisationer vi har varit i kontakt med, och att nyttjandet av AI-verktygen i stort inte är medvetet och planerat gällande kompetensutveckling. / There is considerable societal interest in AI and its applications; however, the current state within organizations and the initiatives undertaken to develop staff competencies using AI remain unclear. This study seeks to address these questions. The data for this study is derived from semi-structured qualitative interviews with ten individuals primarily working in HR, as well as in sales and business development, across various industries. The analysis of the thematic data reveals that the integration and utilization of AI tools for competency development vary significantly among the organizations surveyed. Moreover, the use of AI tools for competency development is largely unintentional and unplanned.

Abstract Examining the efficacy of literacy improvement, general education development (GED) completion, and GED completers’ perceptions of college readiness and social capital was the purpose of this study. The participant sample (n=321), derived from the target population (N=1050), consisted of former participants of Adult Literacy Education (ALE)/GED programs in the Greater New Orleans area (GNO), who have earned the GED credential, and, are currently enrolled in entry-level courses at two community colleges in Southeast Louisiana; specifically, in Orleans and St. Bernard parishes. The study was framed by the social capital theoretical perspective. The study used quantitative methodology, with a descriptive, cross-sectional research design. Specific quantitative analyses were employed including; descriptive statistics which were used to characterize the sample and to describe the features of the data; preliminary analysis using principal axis factoring (PAF), to determine survey items that cluster together and to identify relevant factors that influence perceptions of college readiness and social capital; Cronbach’s alpha, to test internal consistency and reliability of the survey instrument; regression analysis, to investigate the relationships between GED completers’ perceptions of college readiness and social capital and their literacy level; and finally, a one-way ANOVA, to compare the means of groups within literacy levels. Using a researcher-created survey instrument with a Likert scale rating of 1-4, perceptions of college readiness and social capital of GED completers were assessed. A field test of 10 participants and an expert panel review ensured validity and reliability of the instrument. The results of this study could serve as a framework for strategic planning of ALE/GED programs, ALE/GED curriculum alignment with high school content and entry-level introductory or developmental college courses, and post-secondary (community college) recruitment endeavors.

This project outlines the design proposal for an alternative public high school in Toronto, Ontario. For this project the school is re-imagined as a Community Learning Centre. The goal of the Community Centre model is to foster life-long learning in young people which can occur when space emphasizes social interaction, citizenship, and life long learning. The design of the Community Learning Centre is an attempt to align educational priorities with design, to create learning environments that best suit the needs of the users. The focus of the project, is on places between the classrooms where there is opportunity for informal learning to take place. The term schoolscapes is use to describe these spaces. They include all of the places between classrooms and are a way of reimaging the corridors as active, lively and engaging spaces. To support and expand on the idea of schoolscapes, how the environment impacts people and learning, the shifting values in education, and how public space can be related to school interiors, have been investigated. The work of Prakash Nair, Annalise Gehling and Herman Hertzberger, on school design and its correlation to public space have been extremely influential for this project, as has the work of Jan Ghel on lively city spaces. Jan Ghel identifies key features of good public space that can provide the foundation for the design of informal learning spaces. The writing of Nair, Gehling and Hertzberger will be used to support how these characteristics can be applied to the learning environment. The design of the Community Learning Centre explores how the ideals imbedded in public space can be carried over to the interior of a learning environment.

This project outlines the design proposal for an alternative public high school in Toronto, Ontario. For this project the school is re-imagined as a Community Learning Centre. The goal of the Community Centre model is to foster life-long learning in young people which can occur when space emphasizes social interaction, citizenship, and life long learning. The design of the Community Learning Centre is an attempt to align educational priorities with design, to create learning environments that best suit the needs of the users. The focus of the project, is on places between the classrooms where there is opportunity for informal learning to take place. The term schoolscapes is use to describe these spaces. They include all of the places between classrooms and are a way of reimaging the corridors as active, lively and engaging spaces. To support and expand on the idea of schoolscapes, how the environment impacts people and learning, the shifting values in education, and how public space can be related to school interiors, have been investigated. The work of Prakash Nair, Annalise Gehling and Herman Hertzberger, on school design and its correlation to public space have been extremely influential for this project, as has the work of Jan Ghel on lively city spaces. Jan Ghel identifies key features of good public space that can provide the foundation for the design of informal learning spaces. The writing of Nair, Gehling and Hertzberger will be used to support how these characteristics can be applied to the learning environment. The design of the Community Learning Centre explores how the ideals imbedded in public space can be carried over to the interior of a learning environment.

This study focused on independent EFL reading among Grade 11 students across public and non-public schools in Ethiopia. Students who practice independent reading develop a love for reading and ultimately become life-long self-initiated readers. Therefore, independent reading should be considered as a vital goal of instruction and research. The issues of focus in this study were students’ reading comprehension ability levels, attitude towards learning English as a school subject and reading its literature, reading motivation, reading strategy use, persistence in independent reading and access to reading resources along with inclusion of independent reading in classroom instruction and in English textbooks. To this end, the study used quantitative data (collected through reading comprehension test, structured questionnaire and independent reading follow-up checklist) and qualitative data (gathered via classroom observation and content analysis).The findings revealed lower predisposition towards and practice of independent EFL reading among public school students (n = 375). A statistically significant difference, in favour of non-public schools (n = 181), was also found between the two groups of students in scores pertaining to most of the variables investigated. Enhanced scaffolding of independent reading through improved instruction and resource provision, regular short refresher courses for teachers of English and further studies have been recommended to improve public school students’ involvement in independent EFL reading. / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English Studies)

Att det finns problem i sammanhanget med livslångt lärande för mogna studenter på universitets-nivå utomlands finns dokumenterat i många tidigare studier där mogna studenter utsätts för marginalisering och försummelse m.m. Man kan i sammanhanget exempelvis tala om vardaglig ålderism eller strukturerad ålderism eller inbyggd ålderism eller institutionell ålderism. Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka hur student-guppen 55 år och äldre (55+) på universitet/högskola i Sverige uppfattar sin egen ålder i relation till ålderism, Sociokulturellt lärande, Andragogik och livslångt lärande. Metodansatsen Hermeneutik och en 7-stegsmodell från Fenomenografi är den metodansats som använts och som teorianvänds Sociokulturell teori och Andragogik samt tidigare forskning. Fem universitets-studeranden 55+ har intervjuats i individuella face-to-face-intervjuer. Informanterna uppger först att de inte explicit uppfattat någon ålderism i sammanhanget med sina studier men implicit framkommer att det kan finnas en känsla av ålderism som man inte riktigt kan ta på utan som mer är en känsla. De pratar exempelvis om en grupp i sammanhanget som de kallar för 25-åringarna och som de relaterar till (men inte vice versa). Vissa använder stereotyper såsom”äldre”, ”gammal gubbe”, ”gammal som gatan” etc när de talar om sig själva. Detta kan leda till att man själv implicit pekar ut sin egen ålder i studiesammanhanget när man interagerar med med studenter och lärare vilket blir en kategorisering som kan ligga till grund för ojämlikhet. Man kan här använda sig av exempelvis ”kritisk språkmedvetenhet” för att mota ”Olle i grind”. Den akademiska miljön är en speciell miljö som det gäller att förstå sig på både för studenter och för lärare när det exempelvis gäller inkludering. Själva utlärningstekniken har förändrats till det bättre över tid och 55-plussarna använder sig av nya strategier i sin in-lärnings-teknik. De pekar också på att klasskillnaderna utjämnas mer bl.a. via att studier på universitet/högskola i Sverige är avgiftsfria. På det stora hela är 55-plussarna mycket positiva till att studera på universitet/högskola som 55+ och rekommenderar andra 55-plussare att också göra det. Det är roligt och intressant och det höjer deras livskvalitet och därmed förstärks deras hälsa. Riksdag och regering uttrycker i offentliga texter att det är önskvärt med ett livslångt lärande i Sverige. Informanterna här anser att de via att studera på universitet/högskola som 55+ bidrar i samhället och därmed stärks också, via den sociala inkluderingen, demokratin i Sverige.