Studien som genomförts i denna uppsats syftar till att utifrån lärarens perspektiv undersöka på vilka olika sätt digitaliseringen av undervisningen i samhällskunskap kommer i uttryck i gymnasieskolan samt vilka eventuella för-respektive nackdelar digitaliseringen innebär för undervisningen i ämnet. Datainsamlingen inför denna studie har skett genom aktionsforskning med hjälp av observationer och informella samtal med tre olika gymnasielärare som undervisar i samhällskunskap. Därefter har resultatens analyserats efter aktörnätverk-teorin, teorin har dock sen arbetets början funnits med i hela processen och utgör en del av arbetets design. Att gymnasielärare som undervisar i samhällskunskapsämnet digitaliserar sin undervisning råder det inga tvivel om. Men hur gör dem egentligen? De olika sätten är många, det finns både likheter och skillnader mellan vilka digitala verktyg som används. Vad som påverkar vilka digitala verktyg som används av respektive lärare kan i sin tur bero på en mängd olika faktorer, bland annat inställning till digitaliseringen och de digitala verktyg som finns (finns ju oändligt många), denne kompetens vad gäller området, arbetsområde etcetera. Vidare ger dessa faktorer olika effekter som kan se annorlunda ut beroende på om och hur de olika digitala verktygen används. Exempel på olika effekter är de för-och nackdelar som studien visar på att digitaliseringen innebär för undervisningen i samhällskunskap. Studiens resultat visar på att det finns många olika sätt att digitalisera undervisningen i samhällskunskap i gymnasieskolan på. Det finns många olika digitala verktyg som lärare i ämnet idag använder sig av, bland annat smartphones, olika webbaserade spelprogram i form av Kahoot, digitala sökmotorer (exempelvis Google) samt lärplattformar för att nämna några. Fördelar som digitaliseringen innebär för undervisningen av ämnet är att den gör information mer lättillgänglig än förr –nu kan elever till exempel använda diverse lärplattformar för att kommunicera med sin lärare, lämna in uppgifter, få feedback med mera. Samtidigt visar studiens resultat på ett antal nackdelar med digitaliseringen. Att lärare och elever med hjälp av den kan kommunicera via till exempel lärplattformar, bidrar även till en ökad arbetsbelastning för lärarna vilket utgör ett exempel på en nackdel med digitaliseringen av undervisningen i ämnet.

Higher education in the UK has experienced unprecedented levels of expansion over the last 50 years. This expansion has been underpinned by political and social discourses that expound its value to the social and economic prosperity of the country and more recently, towards the delivery of social justice and the social mobility of individuals. Higher education institutions are channelling increasing amounts of resource into supporting these discourses, largely around widening participation and fair access agendas. In juxtaposition, changes to funding models, including the cessation of maintenance grants and increasing charges for tuition fees, are placing significant financial burdens on graduating students, calling into question just how achievable these agendas can be. This research seeks to understand if there is a disparity between the social value and benefits that governmental and institutional discourses claim for going to university, and how individuals perceive the value of a contemporary degree. To do so it draws on the narratives of a panel of over 100 volunteer writers submitted as a qualitative survey on their opinions of and interactions with higher education. Drawn from all over the UK, these writers are participants in the Mass Observation Project, an in-depth, qualitative survey of everyday life in Britain established in 1981. The empirical research is embedded within biographical narrative methods, and seeks to create a landscape of perceptions of the social value of a university education and how these are embedded within people's life stories. Using the depth and retrospective opportunities provided in the qualitative narratives of Mass Observation allows this research to provide a more nuanced understanding of both the long-term impacts of higher education on individuals and how perceptions of its social and economic value have changed over the decades. It suggests that the ability to derive the greatest benefit from going to university is embedded within social backgrounds and therefore ensuring equality is far more complex than simply providing an opportunity to access higher education. This thesis also illustrates how the use of longitudinal and qualitative methods of research can provide alternative viewpoints that should be considered when creating policies that will ensure the greatest benefit to providing value and equality within higher education.

Syftet med studien var att ta reda på hur pedagoger i förskolan arbetar med genus. Våra frågeställningar utgick från hur miljön är utformad, hur pedagoger tänker när de väljer barnlitteratur samt hur genus kommer till uttryck i pedagogernas arbete i förskolan. Metoderna vi använde oss av var intervjuer och observationer. Vi gjorde varsin delstudie och delade upp metoderna mellan oss. Michaela intervjuade fem förskollärare och en barnskötare, och Elin observerade miljöns utformning på fem olika förskoleavdelningar. I resultatet fick vi fram att de flesta av de deltagande förskolorna ej genomsyrades av ett tydligt genusperspektiv i sin utformning av miljön. Uttryck för genusmedvetenhet fanns hos samtliga pedagoger som intervjuades, men graden av medvetenhet varierade. Fyra av sex tillfrågade pedagoger uppgav att genusfrågor sällan diskuteras på personalmöten.

This thesis examines the effectiveness of participatory research processes as a form of agricultural extension within the Australian Dairy Industry, and specifically addresses the question : Does Action Research provide an effective methodology and method(s) for enacting farmer-driven research? The experiences of the Dairy Australian-funded Profitable Pastures Protection Project (PPP), delivered to farmers across New South Wales from 1999 to 2003, provided the context within which Action Research was assessed. Data were derived from journal records of the researcher’s personal experiences as a participant observer, a PhD candidate and project coordinator. The other main data sources were industry reports that tracked the progress, outputs and outcomes of PPP. A three-tiered research framework, consisting of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary levels was devised as a basis to direct research, and interpret results. Conclusions are drawn that contemporary extension practice can be improved by better linking the on-and off-farm domains using participatory research processes such as Action Research. Meeting this challenge appears increasingly urgent in light of a globally relevant and strengthening off-farm environmental agenda that requires democratic engagement amongst greater numbers of agricultural stakeholders. This environmental agenda also places still greater demands on farmers, their management systems and the products and effects of the on-farm domain. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This study aims to articulate a theory of teaching that accounts for both the cognitive development of the learner and the social context in which learning occurs. It contributes to discussions about a socially constructed theory of pedagogy that can inform classroom practice. It explores firstly the role of the teacher in supporting students' conceptual understanding and secondly the importance of dialogue as a means of apprenticing students into the discourse of a subject discipline. The sociocultural notion of 'scaffolding' and the way in which various 'scaffolding' strategies support students' learning are examined through the classroom data. This thesis also explores the classroom as a site of activity in which educational practice is enacted. The significance of language as a 'tool' for learning is central to this study, as is the notion of learning as a social process. Language is a mediating tool that enables a dialogic engagement that supports the development of thinking that is consistent with the goals of the teacher. Also investigated is the use of various semiotic modalities, in addition to language, to support the active co-construction of knowledge. The research is conducted in a Year 7 History class (the first year of high school) in an independent, secondary boys' high school using a case study approach. It uses observation in naturalistic settings, interviews and written documentation. A significant outcome of this research has been the identification of discourse strategies and other semiotic systems such as visual, gestural and actional cues, and examination of the ways in which they function in the discourse to support student learning in the local and immediate context. The importance of all aspects that constitute the context in which the students are learning is also affirmed in this study. Context is not merely a 'backdrop' or background to language, it is integral to the creation of meaning and field knowledge. Another major conclusion that can be drawn from this research is the distinction between scaffolding at a macro level, consisting of a planned, 'designed-in' approach to a unit of work in a subject discipline and the lessons that constitute it, and contingent scaffolding that operates at a micro level or 'at the point of need'. By applying a variety of linguistic tools drawing on Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, it has been possible to articulate the kinds of discourse and multimodal strategies that constitute the nature of scaffolding. A further finding in this research is the value of using detailed analysis of the data with different analytical tools to identify emerging patterns in the discourse and also to 'view' the same data through different 'lenses'. An additional finding is the significance of an Induction genre that provides foundational understandings about the study of History for apprentice historians. This is supported by two post-foundational lessons that form a Macrogenre. This macrogenre reinforces the application of focus questions that are fundamental to historical study and an approach to answering these questions that is consistent with the methodology of the subject. Another finding relates to the role the teacher adopts in the classroom. The classroom in this research is strongly teacher guided in terms of the development of content and ways of controlling the development of discourse. This research shows that this does not preclude the classroom from being dialogic. Even though there is a knowledge and status differential between the teacher as expert and the student as novice, the teacher provides opportunities for discussion and development of ideas about the topic. Finally, this study confirms the value of drawing on a broad range of theories to inform the research. These multiple perspectives draw from sociocultural approaches to a socially oriented theory of learning; Activity Theory, and the notion of language as a social semiotic. This range of perspectives allows for 'rich' descriptions from which to draw conclusions about effective teaching and learning practices. / This study aims to articulate a theory of teaching that accounts for both the cognitive development of the learner and the social context in which learning occurs. It contributes to discussions about a socially constructed theory of pedagogy that can inform classroom practice. It explores firstly the role of the teacher in supporting students' conceptual understanding and secondly the importance of dialogue as a means of apprenticing students into the discourse of a subject discipline. The sociocultural notion of 'scaffolding' and the way in which various 'scaffolding' strategies support students' learning are examined through the classroom data. This thesis also explores the classroom as a site of activity in which educational practice is enacted. The significance of language as a 'tool' for learning is central to this study, as is the notion of learning as a social process. Language is a mediating tool that enables a dialogic engagement that supports the development of thinking that is consistent with the goals of the teacher. Also investigated is the use of various semiotic modalities, in addition to language, to support the active co-construction of knowledge. The research is conducted in a Year 7 History class (the first year of high school) in an independent, secondary boys' high school using a case study approach. It uses observation in naturalistic settings, interviews and written documentation. A significant outcome of this research has been the identification of discourse strategies and other semiotic systems such as visual, gestural and actional cues, and examination of the ways in which they function in the discourse to support student learning in the local and immediate context. The importance of all aspects that constitute the context in which the students are learning is also affirmed in this study. Context is not merely a 'backdrop' or background to language, it is integral to the creation of meaning and field knowledge. Another major conclusion that can be drawn from this research is the distinction between scaffolding at a macro level, consisting of a planned, 'designed-in' approach to a unit of work in a subject discipline and the lessons that constitute it, and contingent scaffolding that operates at a micro level or 'at the point of need'. By applying a variety of linguistic tools drawing on Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, it has been possible to articulate the kinds of discourse and multimodal strategies that constitute the nature of scaffolding. A further finding in this research is the value of using detailed analysis of the data with different analytical tools to identify emerging patterns in the discourse and also to 'view' the same data through different 'lenses'. An additional finding is the significance of an Induction genre that provides foundational understandings about the study of History for apprentice historians. This is supported by two post-foundational lessons that form a Macrogenre. This macrogenre reinforces the application of focus questions that are fundamental to historical study and an approach to answering these questions that is consistent with the methodology of the subject. Another finding relates to the role the teacher adopts in the classroom. The classroom in this research is strongly teacher guided in terms of the development of content and ways of controlling the development of discourse. This research shows that this does not preclude the classroom from being dialogic. Even though there is a knowledge and status differential between the teacher as expert and the student as novice, the teacher provides opportunities for discussion and development of ideas about the topic. Finally, this study confirms the value of drawing on a broad range of theories to inform the research. These multiple perspectives draw from sociocultural approaches to a socially oriented theory of learning; Activity Theory, and the notion of language as a social semiotic. This range of perspectives allows for 'rich' descriptions from which to draw conclusions about effective teaching and learning practices.

This thesis has two distinct yet interrelated parts. In the first instance, it investigates child domestic work in Iringa ? a small town in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Second, it examines the participatory action research methodology that was adopted as part of that investigation. Data were collected by a team of researchers that included children and young people who had themselves been domestic workers. A questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with local leaders, employers of child domestic workers and (both current and former) child domestic workers themselves. An agenda for change - that aimed towards the redistribution of power within domestic working arrangements - was developed on the basis of those data and presented to local government authorities in Iringa. This research makes a number of contributions to understandings of both child domestic work and participatory action research methodologies. First, the thesis contends that child domestic work is a complex activity which (despite its frequently exploitative and abusive character) should not be identified as a purely harmful force in the lives of young employees. The multiplicity of ways in which that occupation is experienced can only be uncovered through the incorporation of a range of stakeholders? perspectives. Second, this research found that notions of ?family? were discursively linked to child domestic working arrangements in Iringa. This has inhibited recognition of child domestic work as ?real work?, and contributed to the exploitation of these young employees. This thesis contends that increased formalisation and regulation of child domestic work would offer an opportunity to reconstruct child domestic workers as ?employees? and thereby improve their circumstances. This research has also challenged prevalent notions of children?s incompetence and shown that young people with minimal formal education can (and should) participate as co-researchers in academic endeavours investigating their lives. However, it has also found that young people?s competencies and interests vary, and that notions of appropriate participatory processes have often failed to take such diversity into account. This thesis contends that more participatory forms of evaluation may allow greater flexibility (and relevance) to be fostered when assessing the ?success? of participatory processes. Academics need to be alert to the alienating effects that (unwittingly) ?judgemental? and (unrealistically) ?perfect? accounts of participatory and action-oriented research processes can have on young scholars.

Syftet med studien var att behandla talutrymme ur ett genusperspektiv med fokus på lärarens uppfattningar kring sin fördelning av ordet. Empirin samlades in genom att en observations- samt intervjustudie genomfördes med åtta lärare i grundskolans tidigare år. Resultatet från observationen syftade till att en jämförelse mellan lärarens utsaga och det faktiska utfallet kunde genomföras. Talutrymme, det vill säga den plats som kommunikation och interaktion tar i klassrummet och som inkluderar samtliga elever och läraren, har i denna studie fått vara en arena där vi har studerat lärarens genusmedvetenhet i sin fördelning av ordet till eleverna. Resultatet analyserades och diskuterades sedan utifrån fyra frågeställningar, med utgångspunkt i tidigare forskning inom området samt som nämnt ur ett genusperspektiv. Resultatet av studien påvisade att pojkar tar/får den största platsen i det gemensamma talutrymmet. Men hur stor pojkarnas dominans var varierade mellan klasserna. Vi kunde dock inte påvisa att det är pojkar som grupp som får det största utrymmet, utan att det var individer, då främst pojkar, som tog/fick störst plats i det gemensamma talutrymmet. Efter att ha studerat lärarens uppfattningar kring sin fördelning av det gemensamma talutrymmet kan det konstateras att ett individperspektiv styr läraren i dennes fördelning. Genus är relativt oreflekterat som fenomen och något som många lärare aktivt väljer bort i sin undervisning. Därför efterlyser vi en ökad reflektion kring genus i skolans arbete för att på så sätt bryta mot de rådande könsstereotyperna som finns i klassrummet.

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att studera sambanden mellan olika samtalsroller och samtalsdominans. Vi observerade ett arbetslagsmöte på en grundskola samt intervjuade två av lärarna som ingick i arbetslaget. Med hjälp av Dueks taxanomi över samtalsroller och Linells och Adelswärds teorier om samtalsdominans har vi sett tendenser på att det finns ett samband mellan olika samtalsroller och kvantitativ och innehållslig samtalsdominans. Resultaten visar att arbetslagsmedlemmarna sammanlagt uppfyllde sju av tretton samtalsroller samt att några av lärarna skiftade mellan olika samtalsroller under mötets gång. De samtalsroller som uppfylldes var urspårare, underlättare, framryckare, debattör, tillbakadragare, överpratare och underpratare. Resultaten visar även att den läraren som har den högsta kvantitativa samtalsdominansen inte har den högsta innehållsliga samtalsdominansen. Det sambandet som var mest tydligt och gick att utläsa i vår studie var mellan samtalsroller och den innehållsliga samtalsdominansen. Anledningen till detta kan tänkas vara att den kvantitativa samtalsdominansen endast visade det totala antalet ord lärarna yttrade under mötet medan den innehållsliga samtalsdominansen visar vem som styrde samtalet och förde diskussionerna framåt.

Syftet med denna uppsats var att belysa hur pedagoger arbetar för att skapa ett interkulturellt klassrum. Genom att undersöka hur pedagoger vid två olika grundskolor arbetade utifrån ett interkulturellt perspektiv samt även undersöka pedagogernas uppfattningar om ett interkulturellt perspektiv, uppfylldes syftet. Det teoretiska perspektiv vi använde oss av i vår uppsats var ett interkulturellt perspektiv. Utifrån det interkulturella perspektivet undersökte vi hur pedagogerna arbetade med och uppfattade begrepp som kultur, språk, mångkultur och identitet. Metoderna som användes i uppsatsen var observation och intervju.Resultatet visade att det interkulturella klassrummet skapas främst genom att pedagogerna uppmärksammar och arbetar med elevernas språk och kulturer. Resultatet visar även att pedagogerna innehar en medvetenhet om det interkulturella perspektivet och de begrepp perspektivet består av. Genom att bejaka och bekräfta elevernas kulturella bakgrunder stärks samtidigt deras identitetsutveckling och självkänsla. Ett interkulturellt perspektiv på lärande förutsätter en medvetenhet hos pedagogerna om varför och hur de skall arbeta interkulturellt. Om pedagogerna innehar en medvetenhet om vikten av det interkulturella perspektivet och dess begrepp speglas det i sin tur i deras arbetssätt.

Vi har i denna undersökning genomfört fyra observationer med efterföljande lärarintervjuer i årskurserna 1-2 med syftet att söka problematisera lärarens uppdrag att genomföra en undervisning vilken tar sin utgångspunkt i elevernas förkunskaper och tidigare erfarenheter. Det vi söker är lärarnas tankar och intentioner om läruppdraget samt hur detta visar sig i undervisningen. I vårt analysarbete har vi utgått från våra centrala begrepp vilka är förkunskaper, lärarens uppdrag och lärarens val av arbetssätt.Undersökningens resultat visar att de enskilda lärarnas syn påverkar hur undervisningen utformas. Ytterligare komponenter som påverkar är undervisningens ramar. Samtliga lärare uttrycker att de har en undervisning som är mer eller mindre läromedelstyrd och att två av lärarna väljer att komplettera för att på så vis variera arbetssätten.