Community forestry as an approach to forest management has gained popularity in recent decades as a response to the failures of top-down, centralized forest policies. The shift from state-controlled forests to community forestry was aimed at achieving desired environmental and socio-economic outcomes in the forest management process. Community forestry is frequently posited as a promising forest management model for achieving ecological sustainability and community well-being. Although extensive literature exists that covers various aspects of community forestry, studies on the performance of community forestry programs in the face of unpredictable events such as climate change impacts and earthquakes are limited. In Nepal, for instance, community forestry programs have been implemented since the late 1970s and flourished after the adoption of the Forest Act of 1993. However, the impacts of these programs on the resilience of communities to various drivers of change have received little attention. To address these gaps, this dissertation employed a mixed methods approach in analyzing the impact of Nepal’s community forestry program on the general resilience of forest-dependent communities, as well as their specified resilience to the 2015 earthquake. Data for the qualitative component of the study were generated through the review of documents, as well as interviews with 27 purposively sampled key informants from two rural communities in the Gorkha district of Nepal, whereas quantitative data were generated through the administration of a survey questionnaire to 237 households who were selected using the systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected from November 2019 to March 2020.The results from the community level analysis revealed that the shift towards the community forestry program in both communities was triggered by the perception of ecological crises and facilitated by the existence of enabling policy conditions as well as the role of external forest organizations. The analysis of the impacts of the community forestry program on community resilience outcomes revealed variations across different forms of capital assets, with similarities and differences between the two communities. While natural capital, social capital, human capital were reported to have increased in both communities, the effect of community forestry on physical capital was found to be moderately positive. Regarding economic capital, the implementation of the community forestry program resulted in positive and negative outcomes on both communities, but the overall effect seemed to be moderately positive. Regarding specialized resilience outcomes, the community forestry program had a positive impact on community resilience to the 2015 earthquake. The community forestry program played various roles in community earthquake resilience, including enhanced access to timber for housing construction, and enhanced linking social capital for the mobilization of external resources. The results from the household level analysis showed that ethnicity and household’s prior involvement in forest organizations were significant predictors of household participation in the community forestry program but past household assets did not predict participation. Ethnicity and participation in the community forestry program were also the most important predictors of outcomes of the program, as measured by current levels of assets. Each of the past household assets and socio-demographic variables was a significant predictor of at least one of the current assets, but prior involvement in forest organizations did not predict any of the current assets or changes in assets. Regarding household resilience to the 2015 earthquake, household participation in the community forestry program also had a significant positive effect on two of the three dimensions of earthquake resilience, whereas past bridging capital and past physical capital each had a significant positive effect on the three earthquake resilience dimensions. Consistent with the community resilience framework, the results lend some support to the hypothesis that capital assets and institutions, coupled with the role of various community attributes, are important predictors of the process and outcomes of community resilience to drivers of change. Participation in community forestry programs provides an important mechanism for building general and specified resilience in forest-dependent communities. As global climate change policy has shifted towards community-based adaptation in recent decades, this study shows the potential for community forestry to serve as an entry point for global climate change policy through its contributions to community capacity for adaptation to various drivers of change.

Yes / Transitioning to adulthood is a fundamental yet challenging phase in human development. Despite its relevance, the literature has paid little attention to the impact that transitioning to adulthood has on multiple aspects of individual well-being. This is one of the few attempts that has employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study to explore how the path to adulthood impacted on the psychological and overall well-being of Italian young adults. In the quantitative phase, we employed two-step cluster analysis to assign 45 young adults, who had completed the Italian I COPPE scale of multidimensional well-being, to three clusters based on their level of change in psychological and overall well-being. Results from mixed design ANCOVA revealed that participants belonging to the high change cluster showed the highest significant positive change over time with respect to well-being. In the qualitative phase, 17 individuals took part in focalized narrative interviews, which aimed at exploring significant events, barriers, and facilitators, which had impacted on their well-being during the transition to adulthood. The textual material was analysed through the Grounded Theory Methodology. It emerged that the state of transition was associated with some triggering events and a temporary negative impact on the interviewees' well-being. However, findings also revealed that people assigned to different clusters had put in place or learned several resources, skills, and copying strategies, which led to different transitional and well-being outcomes.

This exploratory research assesses the relationship between unintentional fatal overdoses and hospitality environments, with a special focus on the Central Florida region, due to its high annual tourism rates. Multiple methodologies are used to determine the frequency of unintentional fatal overdoses across five calendar years in hotels and motels, analyze statistical significance between location of death and other demographic factors, geographically depict locations of overdoses, and analyze the role that hospitality staff plays in preventing or responding to fatal overdoses on their properties. Upon analyzing overdose data from the District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office Medical Examiner, it was found that 8.4% of unintentional overdose deaths occurred in a hotel or motel in Orange County, and 10.7% of unintentional overdose deaths occurred in a hotel or motel in Osceola County. Geospatial analysis revealed distinct patterns in overdose locations and frequencies, which were congregated in specific geographic areas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at hotel/motel locations across Orange and Osceola Counties, where hospitality management was interviewed about their experiences, their roles, current procedures, and reservations they would have with implementing programs to reduce fatal overdose. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed five emerging themes among hospitality management: reluctance in getting involved, “see something, say something,” support for harm reduction and prevention, experiences with drug use, and role of property type. With very minimal existing literature on the topic, this study establishes hotels and motels as locations where overdoses happen and identifies different ways to approach the opioid epidemic that can be used to reduce overdose mortality in hotels and motels while considering the roles and opinions of hospitality staff.

This dissertation addresses the lived experiences of Florida college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the communication that was provided to them through their university on the subject of the pandemic. This two-stage research process first involved the collection of survey responses on a variety of pandemic communication-centered topics from 39 university students from three universities (University of Central Florida, University of Florida, and University of South Florida). Second, a subsequent interview with 7 students provided qualitative information to further explicate themes and trends seen through data analysis. Using health and technical communication alongside crisis communication analyses to understand what elements of university information transmission were most effective and recollected, the triangulation of data points and recommendations for future pandemic communication were able to be created in an effort to provide a better framework for student expectations in the future pandemics. Results of students’ opinions on their university’s communication were that overall messaging was strong and confidence in their institution was generally high, with some negative sentiments on how universities handled the struggle of clubs and universities and onboarding new students into the academic environment during the pandemic. Recommendations were made for universities to prepare frameworks for university students to maintain their abilities to organize and join clubs during significant disruptions to campus life, to retain and build on the confidence students had in their position as an authority on health information, and to resume pandemic messaging due to the ongoing risks to health from long COVID and reinfection.

Our understanding of leaders and the role they play in organizations and society is changing. Four broad discourses of leadership have been identified as occurring during the past 100 years: controller, therapist, messiah, and eco-leader. The most recent, eco-leader discourse, is characterized by collective decision-making, collaboration, shared leadership, and grassroots organization. Eco-leadership is believed to be beneficial for organizations operating in a 21st century, knowledge-driven economy. A quintessential example of an ecological organization is the Extension Service's 4-H program, the organization which this study examines. However, in 4-H, as in many organizations, a majority of leadership development efforts focus on the individual, positional leader. Further, the vast majority of the literature devoted to eco-leadership is conceptual in nature; empirical studies linking leadership approaches to organizational outcomes are rare. This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to examine: (a) the nature of the relationship between county 4-H agents' leadership discourse preferences and programmatic success; (b) county 4-H association members' levels of systemic and hierarchical thinking and programmatic success; (c) the way in which county 4-H association members' perceive their leadership within their counties; and (d) the relationship between these volunteers' perceptions of their leadership and other variables associated with programmatic success. Findings indicate that the therapist discourse was the most preferred discourse among county 4-H agents, but that agents' discourse scores were unrelated to county 4-H program success. Associations' levels of hierarchical and systemic thinking were also not related to county 4-H program success. Additionally, county 4-H association members reported that: (a) agents play a central role in decision making and communication within the association; (b) association members rarely make decisions on programmatic matters; (c) associations are often not structured in accordance with 4-H's policy for associations; and (d) members are not provided opportunities for development in their roles as association members. / Ph. D. / The one thing we know about leadership is that it changes. Who we recognize as a leader changes over time. What we recognize as leadership also changes over time. In the last 100 years, there have been four eras of leadership, which one researcher dubbed: controller, therapist, messiah, and ecoleader. The latter, eco-leader era, is a 21st century society’s response to the technological and social changes taking place. As the world and its problems become more complex, so too have our ways of addressing them — and that requires a new kind of leader and a new kind of leadership. But no one knows if this new form of leadership is more effective than any other. There is no scientific evidence, in other words. Rather, most claims are theoretical — it <i>should</i> be better, in theory. This study sought to link the eco-leader era’s approach to actual programmatic success and verify that it is effective. I studied county 4-H programs, which, it is generally believed, subscribe to the eco-leader approach. I surveyed two groups involved in 4-H, categorized the counties as high or low scoring based on their program’s success, and then followed up with small-group discussions in six counties. What I found is that one group, agents, actually preferred an older era of leadership: therapist. The other group, volunteers, had a variety of views. Regardless of either group’s views, neither seemed to be related to program success. It seems any type of leadership could lead to success or failure. When we met for small-group discussions, however, the three high-scoring counties did tend to describe a more eco-leader style organization, while the low-scoring counties tended to favor older approaches to leadership in which the person in charge makes most of the decisions and the rest carry them out. This is important to investigate because leadership is, at its root, the way in which people accomplish things in groups. Understanding how we as humans change those ways to meet the demands of our time and determining if they are effective, and, if so, how can we share those strategies with others, is important work to help people grapple with the challenges of an ever-more-complex world.

Abstract The purpose of this research was to collect information on the meaning of thesis-related peer situations for expertise development of students, and to develop the pedagogical foundations of the thesis process. The holistic concept of man and the integrated didactic pedagogic perspective provided the approach to study peer action. The objective was to describe, interpret and understand students’ experiences of thesis-related peer situations from the perspective of expertise development. In addition, the objective was to understand the meaning of peer situations to students’ learning by analysing their study orientations. The research data was provided by 96 students (N=116) in the School of Health and Sports at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences. The data on study orientations were collected using questionnaires (the response percentage 83) and the data on peer situations in the form of essays. The data on study orientations were processed through explorative factor and cluster analysis. The essay-based data were processed first through inductive-deductive content analysis. Then the themes were presented as meanings and finally, networks of meanings describing expertise development, i.e. competences. The orientation to learning was described through ten study orientation factors. Central outcomes of this research were the heterogeneity of the students’ study orientation and the differences between young and adult students. Five clusters describing the students were formulated: adaptive learner; social, deep-oriented learner; self-confident high-flyer; uncommitted yet hard working student, and conscientious burning-out student. Learning in peer situations showed that the students developed their expertise through internal understanding and awareness. First the students created a personal meaning relationship to the peer situation and to themselves, after which they experienced participation in the peer situations. The results also showed that expertise development emerged as competences of collective dialogue and trust, development of self-regulation learning processes and documentation supporting superficial learning. The students emphasized particularly the confidentiality of peer relations, the significance of empathic listening in peer situations. The students’ deep-oriented learning was supported by successful peer situations. The superficial learner enhanced his superficial learning in the end of peer situations focusing. A peer situation, at its best, evolved into a learning environment, where students felt that through a trust relation they were able to relate to the expertise that working life. This research shows that special attention must be paid to related to the pedagogical development of the thesis process: 1) Reflective development of students’ internal understanding and awareness, 2) Awareness of the complex of goals, learning and peer situations, 3) Significance of collectivity and dialogue, 4) Deep-orientation of students’ learning, and 5) Support for optimism development. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli saada tietoa opinnäytetyöprosessiin liittyvien vertaistilanteiden merkityksestä opiskelijoiden asiantuntijuuden kehittymiselle ja kehittää opinnäytetyöprosessia ammattikorkeakoulun pedagogiikan suuntaisesti. Vertaistoimintaa lähestyttiin holistisen ihmiskäsityksen sekä pedagogisen ja didaktisen suhteen integroidusta näkökulmasta. Tavoitteina oli kuvata, tulkita ja ymmärtää opiskelijoiden kokemuksia opinnäytetyöhön liittyvistä vertaistilanteista asiantuntijuuden kehittymisen näkökulmasta. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli ymmärtää vertaistilanteiden merkityksiä oppimisen osalta selvittämällä opiskelijan opiskeluorientaatiot. Tutkimusaineiston tuottivat Kajaanin ammattikorkeakoulun terveys- ja liikunta-alan 96 (N=116) opiskelijaa. Aineisto kerättiin opiskeluorientaatioiden osalta kyselylomakkeella (vastausprosentti 83) ja vertaistilanteiden osalta kirjoitelmien avulla. Opiskeluorientaatioita koskeva aineisto käsiteltiin eksploratiivisen faktori- ja klusterianalyysin avulla. Kirjoitelmilla tuotetun aineiston käsittely aloitettiin induktiivis-deduktiivisella sisällönanalyysillä. Saaduista teemoista muodostettiin merkityskokonaisuudet ja lopuksi asiantuntijuuden kehittymistä kuvaavat merkitysverkostot, kompetenssit. Oppimisen suuntautumista kuvasi kymmenen opiskeluorientaatiofaktoria. Keskeisenä tuloksena voidaan pitää opiskelijoiden opiskeluorientoitumisen heterogeenisuutta ja sen jakautumista nuorten ja aikuiskoulutuksessa opiskelevien kesken. Opiskelijoita kuvaavia klustereita muodostui viisi: sopeutettava oppija, sosiaalinen syväoppija, itseensä luottava menestyjä, omistautumaton pänttääjä ja tunnollinen pinkouupuja. Vertaistilanteissa opiskelija saavutti asiantuntijuuttaan kehittymällä oman sisäisen ymmärryksen ja tietoisuuden avulla. Opiskelija loi ensin henkilökohtaisen merkityssuhteen vertaistilanteeseen ja itseensä, minkä jälkeen hän koki vertaistilanteeseen osallisuuden. Asiantuntijuuden kehittyminen ilmeni myös yhteisöllisen dialogi- ja luottamusosaamisen, oppimisen itsesäätelyprosessien kehittymisosaamisen ja pintaoppimista tukevan dokumenttiosaamisen kompetensseina. Opiskelijat korostivat erityisesti vertaissuhteen luottamuksellisuutta ja vertaistilanteiden vuorokuuntelukohtaamisen tärkeyttä. Onnistuneet vertaistilanteet tukivat opiskelijan syväsuuntautuvaa ja yhteisöllistä oppimista. Pintaoppimiseen suuntautuneella opiskelijalla pintaoppiminen vahvistui vertaistilanteiden edetessä. Vertaistilanne kehittyi parhaimmillaan yhteisöllisyyttä tukevaksi oppimisympäristöksi, jossa opiskelijat kokivat saavansa kosketuspintaa työelämässä tarvittavaan asiantuntijuuteen. Tutkimus nosti esille tarpeen kiinnittää opinnäytetyön pedagogisessa kehittämisessä huomiota: 1) opiskelijan sisäisen ymmärryksen ja tietoisuuden reflektoivaan kehittymiseen, 2) tavoitteiden, oppimisen ja vertaistilanteen kokonaisuuden tiedostamiseen, 3) yhteisöllisyyden ja dialogisuuden merkitykseen, 4) oppimisen syväsuuntaamiseen ja 5) optimismin kehittymisen tukemiseen.

The aim of the present thesis was twofold, first to map the semantic memory decline in Alzheimer patients over time, second to take the patient’s perspective and create a multifaceted picture of the individual with Alzheimer’s disease through the study of memory, awareness, central coherence and emotions. Further issues concerned how Alzheimer individuals handled their cognitive erosion in everyday life and if they were well calibrated with their spouse in disease related matters. Two studies were performed, the first involved a longitudinal study of sematic deterioration, the second had a mixed methods design involving both quantitative and qualitative measures as in neuropsychological assessment and interviews. Through the longitudinal study it could be concluded that the nature of semantic deterioration is best described as loss of memory information rather than problems in accessing the information. It was further concluded that semantic concepts gradually lose their specific features during course of illness. The results from the second study revealed that the Alzheimer individuals were aware of their disease although they could not foresee the implications of their cognitive shortcomings in their everyday life. They evidenced weak central coherence, in that they were unable to infer details into a meaningful whole. This implies that they perceive their surrounding world in a fragmented way as consisting of separate objects rather than a comprehensible context. Concerning emotions it was found that they responded to negatively valenced words in the same way as normal ageing individuals, although being impaired in their response to positively and neutral words. Finally, the Alzheimer individuals and their spouses were not well calibrated regarding disease related issues. The findings of the present thesis have important clinical implications and gives valuable input to the understanding of the individual with Alzheimer’s disease. / Föreliggande avhandling hade två huvudsyften; dels att kartlägga försämringen av semantiskt minne hos Alzheimerpatienter över tid; dels att ta patientens perspektiv och skapa en mångfacetterad bild av individen med Alzheimers sjukdom. Fyra begrepp studerades i relation till detta, nämligen minne, medvetande, central koherens och emotioner. Ytterligare aspekter som studerades var hur Alzheimerindivider hanterar sina kognitiva tillkortakommanden i sin vardag samt hur väl kalibrerade de är med sin make/maka angående sjukdomsrelaterade frågor. Två studier genomfördes varav den första var en longitudinell studie av semantisk minnesförsämring och den andra hade en ’mixed methods’ design, inkluderande både kvantitativa (neuropsykologiska tester) och kvalitativa (intervjuer) metoder. Resultaten från den longitudinella studien avslöjade att semantiska begrepp som inte längre är välrepresenterade hos individen har gått förlorade snarare än att det skulle vara från om att individerna inte kan plocka fram informationen. Vidare kunde konstateras att semantiska begrepp gradvis tappar sina nyanser i takt med att sjukdomen fortskrider. Den andra studien visade att Alzheimerindividerna var medvetna om sin sjukdom och sina minnesproblem men att de inte kunde förutsäga vilka problem deras kognitiva tillkortakommanden skapade i deras vardag. De konstaterades ha svag central koherens vilket innebär att de ser sin omgivning på ett fragmentariskt sätt utan att kunna få ihop de olika objekten runt omkring sig till en meningsfull kontext. Vad gäller emotioner så kunde konstateras att Alzheimerindivider reagerar likadant som normalt åldrande individer på negativt laddade ord men att de är signifikant försämrade i förmågan att känna igen positiva och neutrala ord. Alzheimerindividerna och deras make/maka var inte väl kalibrerade vad gäller sjukdomsrelaterade frågor. Avhandlingens resultat har viktiga kliniska implikationer och ger ett värdefullt bidrag till förståelsen av en individ med Alzheimers sjukdom.

The purpose of the current sequential mixed-methods study is to bring further knowledge to the field of psychology of religion concerning the role of religion for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden. Guiding the current study are theories concerning enculturation, acculturation, ego-identity, ritualization and communitas. The central research question is: What role does religiosity have for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden, concerning the development of ego-identity and the practice of ritualization, within a process of enculturation and acculturation? The quantitative phase of the sequential mixed-methods study uses a sample of 244 participants that were part of a previously conducted study. Descriptive statistics, comparing means, correlations, t-tests, and ANOVA are applied to analyze the data retrieved from the questionnaires. The qualitative phase uses a sample of 12 informants collected by a purposive and snowball sampling technique. The methods of data collection are semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. The data collected are analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The results of the quantitative phase show that there is no statistically significant relationship between religiosity and self-perception of ethnicity or self- perception of being a part of the Swedish society. The results, however, show several significant correlations and differences between males and females as well as between generations. Among others, the results show a medium, positive correlation between self-perception of being Assyrian/Syrian and degrees of using the language Suryoyo with friends and family, where a greater degree of self-perception as Assyrian/Syrian is associated with a greater frequency in using the language Suryoyo with friends and family. The results show that there is a negative, medium correlation between perceived discrimination and the perception of being a part of the Swedish society as well as the perceptions concerning the degree that Swedes perceive the participants as being a part of the Swedish society where greater degrees of perceived discrimination are associated with lesser degrees of perception of being a part of the Swedish society. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between the age groups concerning Mass attendance as well as the degree of self-perception of being religious/spiritual. The results show a statistically significant difference between males and females concerning Mass attendance, frequency of fasting, and self-perception as religious/spiritual; where females have a higher mean score than males on all measures. The results of the data analysis in the qualitative phase indicate that religiosity helps the individual to create and maintain a feeling of being a unique and separate individual either by providing a context for the individual’s identity or by being an object from which the informant differentiates. Religiosity provides the individual with the means of learning his or her first culture. The analysis identifies language to be an important component of ego-identity, enculturation, and acculturation. Discrimination, whether within the group Assyrian/Syrian or from outside the group, is seen as an involuntarily differentiation where the informant experiences attempts by others to differentiate him- or herself from the Swedish population. Indications of ritual components and certain life stages are highlighted among the informants. The implications of the study are discussed. / Syftet med följande sekventiella mixed-methods studie är att bidra med ytterligare kunskap till det religionspsykologiska fältet angående religionens betydelse för assyrier/syrianer i Sverige. Studien vägleds av teorier om ackulturation, enkulturation, ego-identitet, ritualisering och communitas. Den centrala forskningsfrågan lyder: Vilken roll har religiositet för assyrier/syrianer i Sverige i en process av enkulturation och ackulturation? Den kvantitativa fasen i studien använder sig av ett urval av 244 deltagare från en tidigare genomförd studie. Deskriptiv statistik, jämförelse av medelvärde, korrelation, t-test och ANOVA används för att analysera data i den kvantitativa fasen. Den kvalitativa fasen i studien använder sig av ett urval av tolv deltagare. Deltagarna rekryteras genom ändamålsenlig insamling och snöbollsinsamling. Deltagarna intervjuas med semi-strukturerade intervjuer och en fokusgruppintervju. Insamlat material från intervjuerna analyseras med kvalitativa innehållsanalys. Resultat från den kvantitativa fasen visar att det inte fanns ett statistiskt signifikant samband mellan religiositet, självbild etnicitet och självbild av att vara en del av det svenska samhället. Den kvantitativa fasen visar statistiska signifikanta förhållanden mellan självbild etnicitet och grad av suryoyoanvändning där större grad av självbild etnicitet är associerat med större grad av suryoyoanvändning. Ett statistiskt negativt samband visar sig mellan upplevd diskriminering och självbilden av att vara en del av det svenska samhället där större grad av upplevd diskriminering är associerat med mindre grad av självbild av att vara en del av det svenska samhället. En statistiskt signifikant relation hittas mellan åldersgrupper angående grad av deltagande i gudstjänster och självbild av att vara religiös eller andlig. En statistisk signifikant relation hittas även mellan kvinnor och män angående att delta i gudstjänster, frekvens av att fasta och självbild av att vara religiös eller andlig. Kvinnor visar sig ha ett högre medelvärde än män på dessa mått. Resultat från den kvalitativa fasen indikerar att religiositet hjälper individen att skapa och bibehålla en känsla av att vara en unik och separat individ antingen genom att erbjuda en kontext för individens identitet eller genom att vara ett objekt som individen kan differentiera sig ifrån. Religiositet förser individen med medel att lära sig sin första kultur. Den kvalitativa analysen visar även att språk är en viktig komponent av ego-identitet, enkulturation och ackulturation. Diskriminering ses som en ofrivillig differentiering av individen från den svenska befolkningen. Rituella komponenter och utvecklingsstadier identifieras bland deltagarna i den kvalitativa fasen. Studiens inverkan diskuteras. Föräldrarna rekommenderas även att sträva efter en mångfaldig uppväxt som dels inkluderar assyrisk/syrianska, dels svenska traditioner. Föräldrar bör även sträva efter att introducera sitt modersmål för barnen i syfte att premiera flerspråkighet. Flerspråkighet underlättar integration i kulturer. Föräldrar bör också stödja sina barns erfarenheter som etniska minoriteter, t.ex. diskriminering, fördomar, men även barnets vilja att vistas och integreras i det svenska samhället. Institutioner, t.ex. den svenska skolan och den syrisk ortodoxa kyrkan, bör underlätta individens integration i dess etniska och svenska traditioner. Utbildningsmässigt innebär detta att erbjuda språkkurser is individens modersmål, eller första språk. Det svenska språket bör läras ut tillsammans med svenskar för att undvika en åtskillnad. Skolor måste vara öppna för möjligheten att individer kan identifiera sig utifrån etniciteter i jämförelse med nationaliteter.

Sports supplements include nutritional supplements and ergogenic aids and are widely used in the gym culture. Previous research has examined predictors for supplement use, but lacks an insight into why these patterns appear. The objective was to examine predictors for sports supplement use among people exercising at gyms and explore how sports supplements are used, perceived and viewed upon among a group of regular gym users. A mixed methods explanatory sequential design was used. In phase 1, an online cross-sectional survey was conducted. Phase 2 consisted of six semi-structured interviews exploring why sports supplements are used and not used, as well as expectations and beliefs regarding sports supplements among training individuals. 85 individuals participated in the survey. 68 percent used sports supplements regularly, but no predictors from previous research could be confirmed. The interviews showed that supplements were used for convenience and to ensure a sufficient nutrition intake, while non-users expressed a lack of knowledge and believed supplements to be inefficient and unnecessary. No predictors for use of sports supplements were confirmed, but both users and non-users highly value health responsibility in their decision of supplement use. To users, sports supplements are efficient and convenient dietary complements and replacements. Non-supplement users regard sports supplements to be unnecessary, inefficient and less enjoyable than food. Due to the small sample size, more studies are needed within the field in order to fully understand the role of sports supplements in the target group. / Träningstillskott inkluderar tillskott av enskilda näringsämnen och prestationshöjande medel och används flitigt i gymvärlden. Tidigare forskning har undersökt vilka faktorer som spelar roll för användning av tillskott, men saknar en djupare insikt om varför dessa mönster uppstår.Syftet var att undersöka avgörande faktorer för användning av träningstillskott bland individer som tränar på gym samt undersöka hur en grupp gymtränande individer använder, uppfattar och ser på träningstillskott. En mixed methods explanatory sequential design användes. Fas 1 bestod av en onlineenkät. Fas 2 utgjordes av sex semistrukturerade intervjuer som undersökte varför träningstillskott används respektive inte används samt förväntningar och uppfattningar gällande träningstillskott bland tränande individer. 85 individer deltog i enkäten. 68 procent använde träningstillskott regelbundet, men inga av de faktorer för användning som identifierats i tidigare forskning kunde bekräftas. Intervjuerna visade att tillskott användes av bekvämlighetsskäl och för att försäkra individen om ett tillräckligt näringsintag, medan icke-användare uttryckte otillräcklig kunskap och uppfattade tillskott som ineffektiva och onödiga. Inga prediktorer för användning av träningstillskott kunde bekräftas, men både användare och icke-användare värderar hälsoansvar högt i sitt beslut gällande användning av träningstillskott. Användare anser tillskott vara effektiva och bekväma komplement och ersättare i kosten. Icke-tillskottsanvändare uppfattar tillskott som onödiga, ineffektiva och mindre njutningsfulla än mat. På grund av ett litet urval behövs fler studier inom området för att få en tydligare bild av hur träningstillskott används av målgruppen.

Abstract This study explores the degree of preparedness for studying at Universities of Applied Sciences that is provided by the content of mathematics curricula in upper secondary schools from the viewpoint of engineering students. The theoretical framework is based on learning objectives and a view of mathematics. I categorized mathematical contents in upper secondary school from the point of view of engineering studies. Students defined important knowledge and skills as learning objectives and evaluated how well they were achieved in upper secondary schools from the standpoint of engineering studies. The view of mathematics is based on students’ descriptions of their experiences with mathematics and of themselves as students of mathematics in upper secondary school with respect to engineering studies. The empirical data consist of surveys (N = 222), initial mapping of attitudes (N = 65) and thematic interviews (N = 14). The research problem was approached through mixed research methods. The quantitative data were analyzed with basic statistical methods and students’ accounts of their experiences were examined using a qualitative narrative research method. The narratives were analyzed holistically and categorically focusing on content. According to the engineering students, they felt they should learn how to apply basic algebra and geometry, differential calculus and also equations - the so-called key components of upper secondary school syllabi. These learning objectives were accomplished well in compulsory mathematics courses in the advanced syllabus, but not as well in the basic syllabus. Students experienced mathematics in upper secondary school as instrumentalist and formal. The advanced mathematics syllabus demanded more work with numerous procedures, whereas the basic syllabus required a better understanding of word problems. Even a portion of advanced mathematics provided a good foundation for engineering studies. Supplementing compulsory courses in the basic syllabus with specialized or applied courses created an opportunity to succeed. By combining the advanced and basic syllabi and adding more practical problems, upper secondary school mathematics could provide an even better base for engineering studies. This study can be used for expanding the curricula, designing students’ high school learning paths and supporting teachers’ pedagogical work. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, millaista osaamista lukion matematiikan oppisisältöjen pohjalta rakentuu ammattikorkeakoulujen insinööriopiskelijoille. Teoreettinen viitekehys muodostuu oppimistavoitteista ja matematiikkakuvasta. Luokittelin lukion matematiikan oppisisältöjä ammattikorkeakoulujen tekniikan ja liikenteen alan matematiikan opetussuunnitelmien kautta. Insinööriopiskelijat määrittivät kokemustensa perusteella ammattikorkeakouluopintojen kannalta tärkeitä matematiikan tietoja ja taitoja – oppimistavoitteita – sekä arvioivat niiden toteutumista lukiossa. Insinööriopiskelijat kertoivat lukion matematiikkakokemuksistaan sekä arvioivat itseään matematiikan oppijana lukiossa ja osaajana ammattikorkeakoulussa. Näiden pohjalta rakentui insinööriopiskelijan matematiikkakuva. Empiirinen aineisto koostuu insinööriopiskelijoille suunnatusta survey-tutkimuksesta (N = 222), asenteiden alkukartoituksesta (N = 65) sekä teemahaastatteluista (N = 14). Sovelsin mixed methods -tutkimusta. Analysoin kvantitatiivisen aineiston tilastollisten perusmenetelmien avulla. Sovelsin opiskelijoiden kokemuksiin liittyvien kertomusten tarkastelussa narratiivista tutkimusmetodia. Tarkastelin narratiiveja holistisesti sekä kategorisesti keskittymällä sisältöön. Insinööriopiskelijoiden mukaan lukion matematiikassa pitäisi oppia soveltamaan avainsisältöjä (perusalgebra ja -geometria, differentiaalilaskenta sekä yhtälöoppi). Lukion matematiikassa tunnistettiin instrumentalistis-formaalin oppiaineen piirteitä. Pitkä oppimäärä koettiin työläänä proseduurien muistamisena. Lyhyessä oppimäärässä tarvittiin paljon sanallisten tehtävien ratkaisemista, mistä oli hyötyä insinööriopinnoissa. Pitkän oppimäärän osittainenkin suorittaminen näytti muodostavan hyvän pohjan insinööriopintoihin, mutta myös täydentämällä lyhyen oppimäärän pakollisia kursseja syventävillä tai soveltavilla kursseilla oli mahdollista onnistua. Käytännönläheisyyttä lisäämällä ja molempia oppimääriä yhdistämällä oppisisällöistä muodostuisi vieläkin parempi pohja insinööriopintoihin. Tutkimuksen tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää opetussuunnitelmia kehitettäessä, opiskelijan matemaattisen lukiopolun suunnittelussa sekä opettajan pedagogisen työn tukena.