Tediousness, fear and boredom are all part of everyday’s life for a student. How can a teacher counteract these feelings of boredom and replace them with a feeling of pleasure of learning? Students have to be motivated and want to go to school every day. By comparing student’s experiences of motivation this essays purpose is to create a theory about factors for motivation in education. However, the concept of motivation is far from easy to understand. Understanding what a student is motivated by is no less complex, and in relation to everyday’s teaching the situation is hard to grasp. A theory in this area is useful as a model of how to analyze a student’s motivation. After using focus groups the result was categorized into five categories. Strain, interest, the teacher, social and the future. By analyzing the results and the five categories a theory was formulated in which students were grouped by two criteria’s: motivation and prerequisites. Prerequisites are internal factors for motivation, motivation meaning external factors. Group 1 consists of students with less than average prerequisites and low motivation. Students in group 2 have good prerequisites but low motivation. Group 3 has bad prerequisites but are motivated. Thus group 4 students are motivated and have good prerequisites. To create motivation in education, a teacher could use this theory to better understand how a student is motivated. Thus creating a better understanding for how to motivate that student. / Leda, rädsla och långtråkighet utgör stora delar av elevens vardag. Hur kan en lärare verka för att byta dessa känslor mot mer lust att lära? Motivationen och viljan att komma till skolan varje dag måste finnas. Genom att jämföra elevers erfarenhet av motivation är syftet med denna uppsats att skapa en modell om motivationsfaktorer för undervisningen. Begreppet motivation är så komplext att det är svårt att finna dess kärna. Vad är en elev motiverad till? Motivation i undervisningen är inte mindre komplext. En modell inom detta område kan alltså användas för att analysera en elevs motivation. Genom fokusgrupper kategoriserades resultatet i fem kategorier, press, intresse, läraren, socialt och framtiden. Ur en analys av resultatet och dessa fem kategorier formulerades en modell där eleverna grupperas i fyra grupper efter två skalor: motivation och förutsättningar. Förutsättningar är interna faktorer till motivation och motivation innebär externa faktorer. I grupp 1 befinner sig elever med dåliga förutsättningar och låg motivation. Grupp 2 är elever med bra förutsättningar och låg motivation. De i grupp 3 har dåliga förutsättningar men bra motivation. Grupp 4 har både bra förutsättningar och är motiverade. För att skapa motivation i undervisningen kan en lärare använda sig av modellen för att förstå hur en elev ska motiveras. Därmed kan en lärare bättre förstå hur en elev ska motiveras.

How does the satisfaction (or the lack of satisfaction) of the innate need to have meaningful interpersonal relationships affects behavioural self-regulation? How does having/lacking interpersonal relatedness impact one’s perception of future interpersonal relationships? This doctoral dissertation aimed to answer these two fundamental questions by integrating the views of two complementary theories, need to belong theory (NBT; Baumeister & Leary, 1995) and self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000). Using a series of two laboratory experiments and one longitudinal study, this thesis examined the effects of social exclusion and inclusion on satisfaction of basic psychological needs, self-determined motivation, and self-regulation of behaviours. In Study 1 (N=72), social exclusion and inclusion were manipulated in order to examine their effects on the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs proposed by SDT, that is the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Findings from this first experiment revealed that social exclusion decreases satisfaction of the three needs, whereas social inclusion increases satisfaction of these needs when compared to the control condition. Furthermore, significant differences were found between the exclusion condition and the inclusion condition for the reported levels of satisfaction of the needs for competence and relatedness. The effects of social exclusion and inclusion on basic needs satisfaction were further investigated in Study 2 (N=70); also, the second study examined how self-determined motivation and behavioural self-regulation are affected. More specifically, it tested whether participants’ persistence at a laboratory task, as well as their intentions for a future peer interaction (intentions to compete against a peer participant and intentions to collaborate with a peer participant) are influenced by social exclusion and inclusion, through the meditating effects of basic needs satisfaction and self-determined motivation. The results suggested that social exclusion, via the effects of basic needs and motivation decreases peer collaboration, whereas social inclusion was shown to have an opposite effect on peer collaboration. The effect of condition via the mediating effects of basic needs satisfaction and motivation failed to predict persistence at the task and peer competition. Lastly, Study 3 (N=624) assessed naturally occurring social exclusion and inclusion in a population of junior high school students. This third study investigated the independent contributions of SDT and NBT in the prediction of academic motivation and high school dropout. Peer relatedness, perceived needs support from parents, and perceived needs support from teachers were examined as potential predictors of academic motivation and high school dropout. Findings suggested that peer relatedness plays an important role in the prediction of academic motivation, but, that perceived needs support from parents and perceived needs support from teachers are stronger predictors of that outcome. Results from this study also revealed that peer relatedness contributes to the prediction of high school dropout, beyond what can be explained by academic motivation, perceived needs support from parents, and perceived needs support from teachers. However, perceived needs support from parents was shown to be the most essential predictor of high school dropout. In sum, findings from this doctoral dissertation suggested that social exclusion has detrimental effects on one’s motivation and behavioural self-regulation. In contrast, social inclusion fosters social support which promotes satisfaction of the basic psychological needs, self-determined motivation, and successful self-regulation. This doctoral thesis contributed to the application of SDT and NBT by comparing elements of the two complementary frameworks. It also offered an original contribution to research on social exclusion and inclusion by examining their impacts on self-determined motivation, and basic needs satisfaction, as well as testing them in both the laboratory setting and the natural setting.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an auto-immune disease characterized by insulin-deficiency. Insulin is a metabolic hormone that is involved in lowering blood glucose (BG) levels in order to control BG level to a tight range. In T1D this glycemic control is lost, causing chronic hyperglycemia (excess glucose in blood stream). Chronic hyperglycemia damages vital tissues. Therefore, glycemic control must be restored. A common therapy for restoring glycemic control is intensive insulin therapy, where the missing insulin is replaced with regular insulin injections. When dosing this compensatory insulin many factors that affect glucose metabolism must be considered. Linkura is a company that has developed tools for monitoring the most important factors, which are meals and exercise. In the Linkura meal and exercise tools, the nutrition content in meals and the calorie consumption during exercise are estimated. Another tool designed to aid control of BG is the bolus calculator. Bolus calculators use input of BG level, carbohydrate intake, and insulin history to estimate insulin need. The accuracy of these insulin bolus calculations suffer from two problems. First, errors occur when users inaccurately estimate the carbohydrate content in meals. Second, exercise is not included in bolus calculations. To reduce these problems, it was suggested that the Linkura web tools could be utilized in combination with a bolus calculator. For this purpose, a bolus calculator was developed. The bolus calculator was based on existing models that utilize clinical parameters to relate changes in BG levels to meals, insulin, and exercise stimulations. The bolus calculator was evaluated using data collected from Linkura's web tools. The collected data showed some inconsistencies which cannot be explained by any model.  The performance of the bolus calculator in predicting BG levels using general equations to derive the clinical parameters was inadequate. Performance was increased by adopting an update-algorithm where the clinical parameters were updated daily using previous data. Still, better model performance is prefered for use in a bolus calculator.   The results show potential in developing bolus calculator tools combined with the Linkura tools. For such bolus calculator, further evaluation on modeling long-term exercise and additional safety features minimizing risk of hypoglycemia are required.

The objective of this program of research was to listen to parents voices on homework with a focus on what homework means for their children, themselves and their families. While, within this body of literature, there is consensus on a definition of homework, a multitude of studies on homework and its effect on academic achievement and the development of work habits, and an extensive body of literature on types of homework assignments, there are no known qualitative studies on homework from parents perspectives. Within schools, teachers are positioned as knowing professionals and parents are positioned as helpers, who know less about the learning process. Power and authority rest with educators who make decisions important to teaching and learning decisions about homework policies and practices, for example often with little or no parent input or participation. Because teachers ask for little input from parents, parents rarely feel they can talk to teachers about their childrens experiences with homework and the resulting impact on their family.<p> Determining what knowledge parents of elementary school children (pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8) hold about homework, how they feel about homework, how homework impacts their children, how homework impacts them as parents, and how homework impacts their families was the focus of this narrative inquiry. The parents stories highlight the non-academic benefits the parents believe exist for their children through their engagement with homework. They also bring to the fore the many reasons homework can be problematic for their children and for them as they attend to the individuality of their children and the complexity of their family lives. They raise important issues for educators to consider in relation to homework: the implications variations within families, schools, teachers, parents and students may have for homework policies and practices; the need for reciprocity in home/school communications and the development of equitable rather than hierarchical relationships between parents and educators. Possibilities for changes in teacher education, both preservice and inservice; for a rethinking of policy and practice for both parents and educators; and for the direction of future research all emerge in this work.

How does the satisfaction (or the lack of satisfaction) of the innate need to have meaningful interpersonal relationships affects behavioural self-regulation? How does having/lacking interpersonal relatedness impact one’s perception of future interpersonal relationships? This doctoral dissertation aimed to answer these two fundamental questions by integrating the views of two complementary theories, need to belong theory (NBT; Baumeister & Leary, 1995) and self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000). Using a series of two laboratory experiments and one longitudinal study, this thesis examined the effects of social exclusion and inclusion on satisfaction of basic psychological needs, self-determined motivation, and self-regulation of behaviours. In Study 1 (N=72), social exclusion and inclusion were manipulated in order to examine their effects on the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs proposed by SDT, that is the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Findings from this first experiment revealed that social exclusion decreases satisfaction of the three needs, whereas social inclusion increases satisfaction of these needs when compared to the control condition. Furthermore, significant differences were found between the exclusion condition and the inclusion condition for the reported levels of satisfaction of the needs for competence and relatedness. The effects of social exclusion and inclusion on basic needs satisfaction were further investigated in Study 2 (N=70); also, the second study examined how self-determined motivation and behavioural self-regulation are affected. More specifically, it tested whether participants’ persistence at a laboratory task, as well as their intentions for a future peer interaction (intentions to compete against a peer participant and intentions to collaborate with a peer participant) are influenced by social exclusion and inclusion, through the meditating effects of basic needs satisfaction and self-determined motivation. The results suggested that social exclusion, via the effects of basic needs and motivation decreases peer collaboration, whereas social inclusion was shown to have an opposite effect on peer collaboration. The effect of condition via the mediating effects of basic needs satisfaction and motivation failed to predict persistence at the task and peer competition. Lastly, Study 3 (N=624) assessed naturally occurring social exclusion and inclusion in a population of junior high school students. This third study investigated the independent contributions of SDT and NBT in the prediction of academic motivation and high school dropout. Peer relatedness, perceived needs support from parents, and perceived needs support from teachers were examined as potential predictors of academic motivation and high school dropout. Findings suggested that peer relatedness plays an important role in the prediction of academic motivation, but, that perceived needs support from parents and perceived needs support from teachers are stronger predictors of that outcome. Results from this study also revealed that peer relatedness contributes to the prediction of high school dropout, beyond what can be explained by academic motivation, perceived needs support from parents, and perceived needs support from teachers. However, perceived needs support from parents was shown to be the most essential predictor of high school dropout. In sum, findings from this doctoral dissertation suggested that social exclusion has detrimental effects on one’s motivation and behavioural self-regulation. In contrast, social inclusion fosters social support which promotes satisfaction of the basic psychological needs, self-determined motivation, and successful self-regulation. This doctoral thesis contributed to the application of SDT and NBT by comparing elements of the two complementary frameworks. It also offered an original contribution to research on social exclusion and inclusion by examining their impacts on self-determined motivation, and basic needs satisfaction, as well as testing them in both the laboratory setting and the natural setting.

The purpose of this study was to explore how interpersonal relationship can be affected by groing up in a New Religoius Movement such as Jehovah’s Withnesses and how it has affected them both in their youth and today. The aim was also to explore if there were people in the respondents' environment that was significant to them during their childhood and which support our respondents have received if they were in need of it.We have not found any previous research on children's social relationships within the Jehovah's Witnesses. We therefore believe that this study is of high relevance to both society and also for all the professionals who come into contact with these children. To discover a child in need, knowledge about how their social environment looks like is crucial. We chose to conduct qualitative interviews with six former Jehovah's Witnesses. The main theories we have assumed is the theory of social interactionism and cognitive dissonance. The vast majority of our respondents have grown up in a strong relationship with their faithful family and assembly. They believe that they have had a large social network but still felt alone in their concerns and thoughts. Several of the interviewees have experienced dissonance when their beliefs collided with societal values and norms. Some of our interviewees have only had contact with other witnesses (aside from the inevitable contact through school) because they have been taught that "worldly people", or non-Witnesses, are evil and their enemies. Others have had several relationships with people outside the organization and have never experienced this as wrong or strange. The genuine cohesion they experienced during childhood has had a sharp end in connection with the respondents' exclusions, when virtually all the faithful witnesses chosen to turn their back on them. Following the exclusion, several interviewees sought professional help in the form of therapy and they all allege that their upbringing has had negative consequences for them in adulthood.

The objective of this program of research was to listen to parents voices on homework with a focus on what homework means for their children, themselves and their families. While, within this body of literature, there is consensus on a definition of homework, a multitude of studies on homework and its effect on academic achievement and the development of work habits, and an extensive body of literature on types of homework assignments, there are no known qualitative studies on homework from parents perspectives. Within schools, teachers are positioned as knowing professionals and parents are positioned as helpers, who know less about the learning process. Power and authority rest with educators who make decisions important to teaching and learning decisions about homework policies and practices, for example often with little or no parent input or participation. Because teachers ask for little input from parents, parents rarely feel they can talk to teachers about their childrens experiences with homework and the resulting impact on their family.<p> Determining what knowledge parents of elementary school children (pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8) hold about homework, how they feel about homework, how homework impacts their children, how homework impacts them as parents, and how homework impacts their families was the focus of this narrative inquiry. The parents stories highlight the non-academic benefits the parents believe exist for their children through their engagement with homework. They also bring to the fore the many reasons homework can be problematic for their children and for them as they attend to the individuality of their children and the complexity of their family lives. They raise important issues for educators to consider in relation to homework: the implications variations within families, schools, teachers, parents and students may have for homework policies and practices; the need for reciprocity in home/school communications and the development of equitable rather than hierarchical relationships between parents and educators. Possibilities for changes in teacher education, both preservice and inservice; for a rethinking of policy and practice for both parents and educators; and for the direction of future research all emerge in this work.

Mitt syfte är att bidra med kunskap om pedagogers arbete med barns delaktighet i förskolan, med inriktning på barn i behov av särskilt stöd. För att undersöka detta har jag gjort intervjuer med pedagoger i förskolan. Jag valde semistrukturerade intervjuer, då jag ville ha öppna svar, med det menas att jag vill ha pedagogens egna ord, inte ett svarsalternativ de kan välja på. Resultatet visade att alla pedagoger i intervjuerna anser att delaktighet är något alla ska få och att vara en del i gruppen är en självklarhet. De kämpar varje dag för att delaktighet ska finnas genom att stötta och finnas där för de barn som har en resurs knuten till sig. Stöttningen kan bestå i exempelvis att pedagogerna finns nära för att förtydliga och utveckla barns språk. Hjälpa barnen att förstå lekens regler och stötta till delaktighet i lekar och aktiviteter med andra barn på förskolan. De använder olika former av kommunikativa hjälpmedel, den vanligaste är TAKK, tecken som alternativ kompletterande kommunikation. De personer jag intervjuat beskriver olika arbetssätt. Några hade resurs i barngruppen, andra hade resurs kopplat till ett specifikt barn. De var alla överens om att det var bra för både barn och pedagoger att variera resursperson. Ett öppet arbetslag där de kan gå in för att byta av varandra gjorde att de orkade med resursarbetet då det ibland inte bara är psykiskt tungt utan även fysiskt. För att möjliggöra delaktighet i gruppen arbetar de ofta i smågrupper. Detta för att få en nära kontakt med gruppen och det specifika barnet. Det gör det också möjligt för alla barn att få egna positiva upplevelser av lek och aktivitet med de barn som behöver extra stöd. De är alla överens om att leken är en svår situation för delaktighet. Pedagogerna i min studie och tidigare forskning (Luttorpp, 2011; Skogman, 2004) menar att barnets förmåga till initiativtagande och flexibilitet har stor påverkan för delaktighet. Som en utmaning lyfte de alla tiden, tiden för reflektion, tiden att få kunskap och tiden att bara finnas. / The purpose of my study is to bring more knowledge regarding children in need of special support and how preschool teachers work with the participation of children in need of special support. I interviewed a number of educationalists from different preschools and I have chosen a form of questions with open answers. They all believe that it is very important for all children to have the opportunity to participate by their own abilities. Children with special needs get extra support, for example help to understand the child’s own language, words or special signs.  It could also be to help the child to be included in the play and other common activities and to understand the playing rules. This can be done by alternative communication. There are different kinds of communication. Often used is TAKK, a method of using signs as supplemental communication. The interviewee’s describe different form of work processes. Some of them had resources in the children groups, while others had resources connected to a specific child. They all agreed that variation of resource persons is good for both the children and the educators. A better way of work would be a team where they could cover for each other. It is not just psychology tough but also physical. To make it easier for participation in the group they often have the children in small groups. This is to get a good contact with the group and with the specific child. It is also to create possibilities for children without disabilities to get their own positive experience from play and activities with children with special needs. They all agree that play is a difficult situation for participation where the flexibility and ability to take initiative of the child is very important. As a challenge, they all lifted time for reflection, time to get more knowledge and time just to be.

This thesis presents the contribution to research that my doctoral education led to. My starting point was a large scale qualitative research project (here after called the VR-project) which reviewed the implementation of national tests in the third grade on the subject of mathematics. The VR-project investigated how the test affected the pupils with a special focus on pupils in need of special support. An urge to look further into issues concerning the support, the pupil in need and the test was revealed in he initial VR-project. These issues therefore constitutes the problem area of this thesis. The VR-project studied a total of 22 classrooms in two different municipalities' during 2010- 2012. The methodology used for this project was inspired by ethnography and discourse analysis. The raw data consisted of test instructions, video observations of the actual test subjects, interviews from teachers and pupils about the test, the support that was given throughout the testing as well as the observations and interviews of the pupils requiring special assistance. Activated discourses and positions of the participants were demarcated. The results revealed that a traditional testing discourse, a caring discourse and a competitive discourse are activated during the tests. The testing discourse is stable and traditional. Much of what was shown and said in classrooms, routines and rules regarding the test were repeated in all the schools and in all the classrooms. The discourse on support is affected by ambiguity, which is revealed especially when issues of pupils’ equity is put against the tests equality. This is connected to the teachers restricted agency to give support due to the teacher position as a test taker. The positions in need that are available to students are not the same in pupils, teachers and steering documents. The situation is especially troublesome for pupils that do not manage Swedish good enough to take the test and for pupils in need of special support. Some of the conclusions from this thesis is that the national test format: Disciplines not only the pupil, but also the teacher, the classroom and the school at large. Results indicate that the test: Activates a focus on achievementLeads attention away from learning Activates issues of accountability Influences pupils and teachers with stakes involved Besides evaluating knowledge, the test disciplines not only the pupil, but also the teacher, the classroom and the school at large. Discussing the national test as an arena for equity might be a way towards attaining equality in education for all pupils. / Nationella prov i matematik – vad gör testandet med eleverna?

Miljonprogrammet är namnet på det politiska projektet som pågick mellan åren 1965 och 1974 då riksdagen fattat ett beslut om att en miljon nya bostäder skulle byggas i Sverige, för att råda bot på bostadsbristen. Nu är det mer än 40 år sedan byggnaderna uppfördes och renoveringsbehovet är ett faktum, vilket gör ämnet aktuellt. Huvudsyftet med studien är att kartlägga de tre största städernas hantering av renoveringsbehovet. Huvudfrågan för studien är hur miljonprogrammets bostäder hanteras idag. Samtidigt har en rad andra frågor besvarats i studien; vilka skillnader som finns i lagarna då och nu, hur miljonprogramsområdena ser ut i de olika städerna och hur de behandlas i översiktsplanerna, vilka följder som uppstår av att husen behöver renoveras samt om det finns någon ekonomi i att renovera husen.Studien har genomförts med en kombination av kvalitativ och kvantitativ metod. En kvalitativ genomgång av skrivet material med anknytning till miljonprogrammet i de tre städerna har gjorts. Därutöver har också en kvantitativ enkätundersökning skickats ut till de tre kommunerna och dess kommunala bostadsbolag.Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö har både likheter och skillnader gällande planering och visioner. Både Stockholm och Göteborg har valt att placera sina miljonprogramsområden utanför stadskärnan medan Malmös ligger i nära anslutning till centrum. De har alla visioner i sina översiktsplaner om att skapa en mer enhetlig och sammankopplad stad genom ökad integration och bättre kommunikationer mellan stadens olika delar.Det uppstod en renoveringsvåg under 80- och 90-talet i samband med ROT-avdraget och idag pågår flera projekt kring miljonprogrammet. Fasadrenovering är vanligt i alla tre städerna och även till viss del upprustning av balkonger och fönster. Göteborg har satsat mycket på energieffektiviserande åtgärder och i Stockholm har det blivit allt vanligare med energi-besparade ingrepp såsom tilläggsisolering.Lagstiftningen i Sverige har stor betydelse vid renoveringen då det idag finns krav på bl.a. energieffektivitet men även under renoveringsvågen på 80- och 90-talet då varsamhetskravet infördes i PBL 1987. Stommen i bostäderna är bra och de är funktionellt byggda vilket gör att renovering är mer kostnadseffektivt än att riva och bygga nytt. Problemet ligger alltså inte i renoveringsbehovet, då de flesta hus behöver renoveras efter så pass många år, utan antalet hus som behöver renoveras. / The million programme is a building era that took place between the years 1965 to 1974 when a politic decision was made to build a million new residences in Sweden, to correct the housing shortage. It´s now been more than 40 years since these residences were built and the need to renovate is a necessity, which makes this programme a very current subject. The purpose of this study is to map the three largest city´s handling of the need for renovation. The main question of this study is how the buildings of the million programme is being handled today. Meanwhile a series of other questions have been answered in this study; the difference between laws now and then, how the million programme areas looks in the different cities and how they are treated in the layout plans, what the need for renovation might lead to, and if there is any profit in restoring the buildings.It is a qualitative study as it is a situation in a few cities that are being studied, but through a survey this study gets a quantitative mixture as well. A survey was dispatched to the three municipalities and their communal real estate companies.Malmo, Gothenburg and Stockholm are both similar and different regarding planning and visions. Both Gothenburg and Stockholm placed their million programmes outside of the city´s core, whilst Malmo´s was located close to the centre of the city. They all have visions in their layout plans to create a more unified and connected city through increased integration and better communication between the city areas.There was a wave of renovation in the eighties and nineties because of the ROT-deduction and many projects concerning the million programme are still ongoing to this day. Facade renovation is common in all three cities and, to a certain degree, restoration of balconies and windows. Gothenburg has invested a lot in energy efficient measures and in Stockholm it has become increasingly more common with energy saving interventions like adding increased isolation. The image of the million programme´s constructions is "concrete ghettos", but the most common houses consists of three storeys with apartment size 3 rok.The Swedish legislation are of great importance during the renovation as there now are requirements on energy efficiency amongst other things, but also during the wave of renovation in the eighties and nineties when the demand of discretion was enforced in PBL 1987. The foundation in the million programme houses is satisfactory and they are functionally built which makes a renovation more cost-efficient than it would be to tear it down and build new buildings. The problem then does not reside in the need for renovation, as most houses needs restoration after so many years, but in the sheer number of buildings that would require a renovation.