This longitudinal study tracks how 5- to 7-year-olds perform with early number skills. The aim of this study is to diagnose at-risk mathematics students by distinguishing the skills that, if not mastered by the end of Kindergarten, lead to greater difficulty in mathematics in 1st grade. This study’s methodology is mixed as it follows an exploratory and inductive path in light of its use of a hypothesis, an interpretive path in light of its interest in the individual student, and a positivist path in light of its focus on developing rules from analyzed data. An oral diagnostic test based on a comprehensive collection of early number skills was used to test students as Kindergarteners and again as 1st graders. The test results created benchmarks, revealing how the majority of the students performed with early number skills. The test results also revealed that each early number skill is highly, moderately, or minimally predictive in terms of student placement by the end of 1st grade. When comparing the individual skill scores of each Kindergarten student to his/her total test results of 1st grade, the predictive power of each skill emerged. Performing poorly with skills that are minimally predictive did not seem to have an impact on how the Kindergarten student finished in 1st grade; performing poorly with moderately predictive skills had a greater impact on 1st grade placement; performing poorly with highly predictive skills in Kindergarten increased the likelihood that the student would finish in the lower attaining group in 1st grade. A third result of the test showed that certain skills serve as preconditions for other skills; success with certain skills usually meant success with other skills. These connections between skills point to a learning model called in this study “simultaneous pathways,” indicating that there are connections between certain skills, and that students can be learning on several pathways simultaneously. The impact of the predictive power of early number skills is that diagnosis becomes more effective. Early diagnosis means early remediation which may prevent at-risk students from falling further behind their peers. The benchmarks developed by this research will help teachers assess their students because they will know the general skill level of Kindergarteners and 1st graders. This oral diagnostic test informs curriculum development. If test results show that students are missing the skills that are highly predictive, teachers can address those gaps in order to insure mastery.

L’intégration des TIC a connu un essor considérable dans les dernières années et des chercheurs à travers le monde y accordent une importance sans cesse croissante ; le sujet des TIC en éducation est ainsi répandu au sein des écrits depuis maintenant plusieurs années (Istance & Kools, 2013; Storz & Hoffman, 2013). Dans un monde où les technologies sont omniprésentes dans la plupart des sphères d’activités, il ne s’agit plus de savoir si les technologies doivent être intégrées dans les activités d’enseignement et d’apprentissage, mais bien de quelle façon elles doivent l’être. Comme les TIC présentent de nombreux avantages, notamment en ce qui concerne la motivation scolaire et la réduction du fossé numérique, les différents intervenants du monde de l’éducation sont généralement conscients de l’importance de bien utiliser les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) en éducation, mais ne savent pas toujours par où commencer. La présente recherche s’intéresse à une forme particulière d’intégration des TIC en éducation, soit les projets portables. Les projets portables se différencient par le fait que l’enseignant et chaque élève disposent de leur propre ordinateur portable dans le but d’une utilisation pédagogique. Cette thèse de doctorat tente de détailler, à travers un langage clair et accessible, les défis qu’il est possible de rencontrer à l’intérieur de tels projets, de même que ce qui peut être fait pour en limiter les impacts. En vue de déterminer les conditions pouvant favoriser le succès global des projets portables au Québec, voire ailleurs, une recension des écrits exhaustive a permis de relever quatre catégories de facteurs principales dans lesquelles l’ensemble des défis identifiés semblent pouvoir être classés : les facteurs relatifs à la gestion du projet, les facteurs internes à l’enseignant, les facteurs relatifs au cadre de travail de même que les facteurs relatifs à l’infrastructure et au matériel. Ces diverses catégories de facteurs sont abordées en détails à l’intérieur du cadre théorique de cette thèse de doctorat. En vue d’atteindre les objectifs, un questionnaire a été mis au point et plus de 300 enseignants d’une commission scolaire où a lieu un projet portable à grand déploiement y ont répondu. Les données de nature mixte (données quantitatives et qualitatives) ont été analysées à l’aide de logiciels spécialisés et ceci a permis de vérifier la pertinence des éléments rencontrés dans la recension des écrits, de même que d’en découvrir de nouveaux. Il a été trouvé que de nombreux défis sont susceptibles d’être rencontrés. Les plus importants ont trait à la qualité du matériel utilisé, à l’importance de la formation des enseignants relativement aux TIC, et à l’importance de mettre au point une vision claire assurant la pleine adhésion des enseignants. Il a aussi été déterminé que l’enseignant doit pouvoir accéder à un soutien pédagogique ainsi qu’à un soutien technique facilement. Enfin, il a été découvert que la nature des projets à grand déploiement fait en sorte qu’il importe de porter une attention particulière aux besoins locaux des enseignants, qui peuvent varier selon le contexte de travail de ceux-ci. / ICT integration in education has grown considerably in the recent years, and researchers around the world have devoted it an increasing interest; the subject of ICT in education has now been prevalent within the literature for many years (Istance & Kools, 2013; Storz & Hoffman, 2013). In a world where technologies are ubiquitous in most spheres of activity, it is no longer whether technology should be integrated in education, but rather how it should be. As ICT have proven to offer many advantages, especially regarding student motivation and engagement, and also in reducing the digital divide, the various stakeholders in education are generally aware of the importance of using information and communication technologies (ICT) in education, but do not always know where to start. This thesis focuses on a particular form of integration of ICT in education, mainly referred to as “one-to-one computing projects” or “1:1 projects”. Those projects differ in that the teacher and each student have their own laptop for use in an educational context. This thesis attempts to show, through a clear and accessible language, the challenges that may be encountered in such projects, as well as what can be done to limit their negative impacts. In order to determine the conditions that promote the overall success of one-to-one computing projects in Quebec, or even elsewhere, a comprehensive literature review has identified four main categories of factors in which the identified challenges may be classified: factors related to the project management, factors that are internal to the teacher, factors related to their work environment as well as factors related to the infrastructure and equipment. Those diverse categories of factors are discussed in detail within the theoretical framework of this thesis. In order to achieve the objectives, a questionnaire was developed and more than 300 teachers of a school board currently involved in a large-scale one-to-one computing project have responded. The mixed data (quantitative as well as qualitative) that came out of the questionnaire was analyzed using specialized software and this has allowed to verify the relevance of the challenges found in the literature review, and it allowed the finding of new additional elements. It has been found that many challenges are likely to be encountered. The most significant ones are the quality of the equipment used, the importance of teacher training in relation to ICT and the importance of developing a clear vision to ensure the full support of teachers. It was also determined that the teachers should have access to pedagogical support as well as technical support easily. Finally, it was found that the nature of large-scale one-to-one computing projects is such that it is important to take into account the local needs of teachers, which may vary depending on the context in which they work.

Depuis le début des années 2000, la Chine et la RPDC (« Corée du Nord) ont tenté de mettre en œuvre des programmes de coopération économique et d’intégration transfrontalière. Ces programmes de coopération ont été facilité par des politiques réformatrices en Corée du Nord, la famine des années 1990 ayant fait prendre conscience à Pyongyang qu’un certain degré de réforme économique était nécessaire pour reprendre le contrôle et relancer une économie désorganisée et appauvrie. En conséquence, les échanges et les investissements entre la Chine et la RPDC ont connu une hausse spectaculaire. Ceci étant, les expérimentations politiques menées par Pyongyang, dont notamment les Zones Économiques Spéciales, n’ont pas réussi à attirer l‘attention des entrepreneurs et des officiels chinois.A travers l’étude empirique d’une selection de Zones Économiques Spéciales et de leurs environnements politiques et législatifs, des entretiens avec des hommes d’affaires chinois impliqués dans les relations économiques bilatérales à la frontière et des observations sur le terrain en Corée du Nord, l’auteur développe l’idée selon laquelle les stratégies d’engagement économiques chinoises et les politiques de développement économique nord-coréennes sont fondamentalement incompatibles, ce qui fait des actuellespratiques de coopération économique une source de tensions politiques. Il semblerait que la Chine a en effet essayé d’atteindre certains objectifs politiques et géopolitiques à travers des outils économiques, ce qui est vu par Pyongyang comme une ingérence dans ses affaires internes. Ces stratégies chinoises sont particulièrement intéressantes à étudier dans le contexte de l’initiative « One Belt, One Road ». Paradoxalement, l’auteur cherche à expliquer que les plus récentes générations de Zones Économiques Spéciales ne visent pas seulement à faciliter une certaine forme d’intégration économique bilatérale mais incarnent dans le même temps une forme de résistance à l’étreinte économique chinoise. / Since the beginning of the 2000’s, China and the DPRK (North Korea) have tried to implement economic cooperation and crossborder-economic integration programs. These cooperation programs have been facilitated by reformist policies in the DPRK, as the 1990 decade famine that struck North Korea convinced the Pyongyang leadership that some degree of economic reform was needed to restart and regain control over a greatly damaged economy. As a result, trade and investment ties between China and North Korea soared. However, political experimentations by the Pyongyang leadership, such as Special Economic Zones, have attracted limited attention from Chinese entrepreneurs and officials.Through an empirical analysis of a selection of North Korean Special Economic Zones and related policies, interviews with Chinese businessmen active in the borderlands as well as anecdotal evidence gathered in the DPRK, the author argues that Chinese economic engagement policies and North Korea’s economic development strategy bear structural incompatibilities which makes the current economic cooperation patterns a source of diplomatic and political friction. It seems that China has indeed been trying to achieve different political and geopolitical objectives through economic means, which largely resonates with the larger Chinese-led “One Belt, one Road” initiative” but is seen as interfering from Pyongyang. Quite paradoxically, the author argues that later generations of Special Economic Zones do not only constitute institutions designed to foster economic integration between China and the DPRK but also embody political resistance to the Chinese economic embrace. / Seit dem Beginn der 2000er Jahre haben China und die Demokratische Volksrepublik Korea (Nordkorea) versucht, eine wirtschaftliche Kooperation und grenzüberschreitende wirtschaftliche Integrationsprogramme zu implementieren. Diese Projekte wurden durch reformorientierte Politik in der DPRK ermöglicht, da die Hungersnot, welche Nordkorea in den 90er Jahren heimsuchte, die Pjöngjanger Führung überzeugte, dass ein gewisser Grad an wirtschaftlichen Reformen nötig sei, um die schwer beschädigte Wirtschaft neu zu starten und über sie Kontrolle auszuüben. Infolgedessen steigerten sich der Handel und die wirtschaftlichen Beziehungen insgesamt zwischen China und Nordkorea auf ein noch nie da gewesenes Niveau. Jedoch haben politische Experimente der Führung in Pyongyang, einschließlich eines direkten „Policytransfers“, welche chinesischen Erfahrungen nachempfunden waren, wie zum Beispiel Sonderwirtschaftszonen, eingeschränkte Aufmerksamkeit von chinesischen Unternehmern und Beamten erfahren.Auf Basis einer empirischen Analyse einer Auswahl von nordkoreanischen Sonderwirtschaftszonen und damit verbundenen „Policies“, Interviews mit im Grenzgebiet aktiven, chinesischen Unternehmern und in Nordkorea gesammelten Einzelberichten, argumentiert der Autor, dass die chinesischen wirtschaftlichen Engagement Strategien und die wirtschaftliche Entwicklungsstrategie Nord-Koreas strukturellen Unvereinbarkeiten aufweisen, welche die derzeitigen wirtschaftlichen Entwicklungsmuster zu eine Quelle diplomatischer und politischer Spannungen werden lassen. Es scheint, dass China in der Tat versucht hat, verschiedene politische und geopolitische Ziele auf wirtschaftlichem Wege zu erreichen, was größtenteils in der bedeutenden, von China angeführten, „One Belt, one Road“ Initiative seinen Nachhall findet, jedoch von Pjöngjang als Einmischung gesehen wird. Paradoxerweise sind, so die Argumentation des Autors, spätere Generationen der Sonderwirtschaftszonen nicht nur Institutionen zur Förderung der wirtschaftlichen Integration zwischen China und der Demokratischen Volksrepublik Korea, sie verkörpern auch den politischen Widerstand gegen die chinesische wirtschaftliche Umklammerung.

China has gone through a phase of rapid economic development in the last four decades. The country is the world’s biggest economy, measured in GDP purchasing power parity terms, and the largest trading nation in terms of the total sum of exports and imports of merchandise trade. With the launch of the century’s largest infrastructure project – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – by Xi Jinping in 2013, China is planning to revive the Ancient Silk Roads in order to gain geopolitical power beyond Asia. Thus far, huge flows of FDI have already made their way from China to countries along the Belt and Road, especially the ones in need of additional infrastructure provision. In this paper, the effect of Chinese outward FDI on economic growth in the BRI economies through infrastructure development is examined, thereby conducting a cross-country analysis with panel data for 34 and 27 countries, respectively, over the period 2005–2017. The direct effect of Chinese FDI on economic growth in BRI countries is ambiguous, supporting previous literature on FDI and economic growth. When adding infrastructure indicators to the regressions and accounting for the endogeneity problem, the effect of Chinese FDI on economic growth changes but remains insignificant, nevertheless. This is most likely due to the reduced sample sizes, on the one hand, and the fact that Chinese construction contracts play a bigger role than actual FDI in the BRI.

The aim of this study was to analyze how digital tools are used when teaching writing in Swedish in Primary School, years 4-6. The aim was also to analyze attitudes to the use of digital tools and digital writing. The survey showed that most schools have, or are going to, invest in one-to-one. The survey also showed that the computers or the tablets that the pupils are in use of often are in a bad condition and that the teachers would like to learn more about how to use the digital tools to teach writing in the most effective way. / Den här studien syftade till att undersöka hur digitala verktyg används vid skrivundervisning i svenska för grundskolans årskurs 4-6. Syftet var även att undersöka vilka attityder som finns till de digitala verktygen och digitalt skrivande. Undersökningen visade att de flesta skolor har satsat på, eller är på väg att satsa på, en-till-en. Det har också visat sig att datorerna eller surfplattorna som eleverna har tillgång till ofta inte håller måttet samt att lärarna skulle vilja lära sig mer om hur de digitala verktygen kan användas för att effektivisera skrivundervisningen.

Avhandlingen behandlar införande av varsin dator till elever och lärare, här kallat en-till-en. Syftet är att bidra med kunskap om hur en-till-en påverkar lärande. Särskilt fokus ligger på kunskapsproduktionens karaktär och kvalitet och på förhållanden i den svenska skolan. En ytterligare ambition är att väcka reflektioner kring och bilda kunskap om hur en-till-en, som en produkt av kunskapssamhället, påverkar såväl kunskapssynen som kunskapsbildningens kvalitet och villkor. Därtill är också ambitionen också att, mot bakgrund av kunskapssamhällets särskilda villkor, bidra till nya insikter kring kunskapsbegreppets utvecklingsmöjligheter i relation till en-till-en. Utgångspunkten tas i kunskapssamhället och villkoren för kunskapsproduktion och i hur Sverige har valt att fokusera på behovet av att ge eleverna digital kompetens. Den teoretiska ansatsen ligger i fenomenologi som ontologiskt ställningstagande och i fenomenografi gällande perspektiv på lärande. Avhandlingen bygger på fyra studier: en narrativ forskningsöversikt med fokus på vad forskning berättar om elever respektive lärare i en-till-en projekt. Vidare ingår en teoretisk artikel med fokus på att utveckla en alternativ förståelse för villkoren för kunskapsbildning på den sociala webben med utgångspunkt från Martin Heideggers fenomenologi. En intervjustudie kring elevers upplevelser av sitt lärande i en-till en ingår också samt en fenomenografisk analys av inlämnade kunskapsuppgifter med fokus på kritiska dimensioner och kunskapsdjup. Resultaten diskuterar huruvida det starka färdighetsfokus som uppstår vid kunskapsbildning i en-till-en är samstämmigt med den performativa kunskap som i kunskapssamhället antas vara av vikt och hur det påverkar kvalitet och karaktär på bildad kunskap. Avhandlingen diskuterar också hur en-till-en påverkar elevers sätt att uppleva sitt lärande i en situation som präglas av flexibilitet och ständigt nya förutsättningar för lärande. Slutligen diskuteras också ett möjligt sätt att utveckla kunskapsbegreppet mot bakgrund av de resultat som framträtt i avhandlingens fyra studier genom att formulera begreppet ”stretchad kunskap”. / The thesis deals with the introduction of computers to each student and teacher in school, called one-to-one. The aim is to contribute with knowledge about how one-to-one affects learning. Particular focus is on the quality and character of knowledge formation in the Swedish school. A further aim is to bring reflections and create knowledge about how one-to-one, as a product of the knowledge society, affect the conditions for learning. In addition, in the light of the special conditions of the knowledge society, the goal is to bring insights on the developmental possibilities for the term knowledge in relation to one-to-one. The basis for the thesis is the knowledge society and the conditions of knowledge production, and in how Sweden has chosen to focus on the need to provide students with digital skills. The theoretical approach is in phenomenology as ontological stance, and in phenomenography in terms of perspective on learning. The thesis is based on four studies: a narrative research review focusing on what research tells us about pupils respective teachers in one-to-one projects. Further included is a theoretical article with a focus on developing an alternative understanding of the conditions for the formation of knowledge on the social web, based on Martin Heideggers’ phenomenology. An interview study about the students’ perceptions of their learning in one-to-one is also included as well as a phenomenographic analysis of a knowledge task focusing on critical dimensions and knowledge depth. The results are discussing whether the strong focus on digital skills arising from the knowledge formation in one-to-one is consistent with the performative knowledge that is assumed to be of importance in the knowledge society. The thesis also discusses how one-to-one affects students’ ways of experiencing their learning in a one-to-one setting, and the effects upon quality and character of knowledge. Finally the thesis also discusses a possible way to develop the concept of knowledge in the light of the results presented in the four studies by formulating the concept of “stretched knowledge.”

International and national research has shown that the use of complementary therapies (often referred to in the scientific literature as either alternative therapies or unconventional therapies) is widespread. However, there is little in the scientific literature about the use of complementary therapies in the treatment regime of people with dementia. Specifically, there have been no published results of investigations into the use of Reiki, a holistic complementary therapy, in the treatment regime of people with dementia. Before proceeding with an in-depth examination into the use of Reiki in the care of people with dementia, a questionnaire containing both closed and open-ended questions was distributed to 162 South Australian High Care Residential Facilities (formerly called Nursing Homes) in 2002. The return rate was 58.0% (n=94) of which 50.0% of the mail out (n=81) was available for analysis. Findings from the questionnaires suggested that a wide range of complementary therapies including aromatherapy, massage, music, behaviour therapy, healing touch, Reiki and Therapeutic Touch (Krieger/Kunz method) were used regularly within South Australian High Care Residential Facilities. Complementary therapies were reportedly used to calm residents, improve behaviour management, enhance the quality of life of residents, promote 1:1 interaction, stimulate the senses, and reduce the need for medication. Due to 15 facilities reporting the use of Reiki, a series of semi-structured interviews with Reiki practitioners caring for people with dementia was conducted in 2004/2005. Interview participants (n=10) included a representative range of people providing care for people with dementia in eight Nursing Homes in Adelaide, South Australia. Data reduction methods included a quasi-statistical counting of key words and repeated re-readings of the transcripts to discover the essences, abstract the meanings and arrange them into themes and sub-themes. The results of the interviews suggested that Reiki is an easy to learn and easy to use holistic complementary therapy which has the potential to enhance the quality of life of the persons with dementia, their family members, and their carers. The interview participants reported improved physical, psychological, mental and emotional well-being as well as enhanced relationships and a reduction in negative behaviours following the use of Reiki. The receipt of the first Jack Loader Scholarship from the Rosemary Foundation for Memory Support Inc. in early 2005 enabled the researcher to transfer to full-time studies from April 2005. Key Words: aged care; alternative therapies; complementary therapies; dementia; early onset dementia; one to one interaction; quality of life; Reiki; therapeutic touch; unconventional therapies.

<p>The aim of this study has been to describe the reasoning of five immigrant parents with Swedish partners who raise their child to become bilingual. Having interviewed the informants, three central themes became apparent: bilingualism, identity and the environment. All five families reason that they raise their child with the mother tongue of the mother and the mother tongue of the father and that it is natural. Discussions about identity and culture are made in specific reference to the surrounding monolingual environment, which is often perceived as an obstacle to bilingualism.</p> / <p>Syftet med den här uppsatsen har varit att beskriva fem individers resonemang kring tvåspråkig barnuppfostran. Efter att ha intervjuat informanterna blev det tydligt att uppsatsen hade tre centrala teman: tvåspråkighet, identitet och miljön. Alla fem familjer anser att deras barn blir uppfostrad med moderns och faderns modersmål och att det är naturligt. Diskussioner om identitet och kultur är direkt knutna till den omgivande enspråkiga miljön, som ofta upplevs som ett hinder för tvåspråkighet.</p>

The classical corporation, as described by Berle and Means (1932), was characterized by ownership that is dispersed between many small shareholders, yet control was concentrated in the hands of managers. This ownership structure created the conflict of interest between managers and dispersed shareholders. More recent empirical work (see, e.g., La Porta et al. (1999) and Barca and Becht (2001)) has shown that ownership in many countries around the world is typically concentrated in the hands of a small number of large shareholders. As a result, an equally important agency conflict arises between large controlling shareholders and minority shareholders. On the one hand, large shareholders can benefit minority shareholders by monitoring managers (Shleifer and Vishny, 1986, 1997). On the other hand, large shareholders can be harmful if they pursue private goals that differ from profit maximization or if they reduce valuable managerial incentives (Shleifer and Vishny, 1997; and Burkart et al., 1997). In the presence of several large shareholders, a conflict of interest may arise between these controlling shareholders (see, e.g., Zwiebel (1995), Pagano and Röell (1998), and Bennedsen and Wolfenzon (2000)). They can compete for control, monitor each other, or form controlling coalitions to share private benefits. The question arises as to what determines the role of controlling shareholders in various firm policies and performance. Previous literature has noted that the incentives to expropriate minority shareholders are often exacerbated by the fact that the capital invested by the controlling shareholders is relatively lower than the voting control they achieve through the use of dual class shares (i.e., shares with differential voting rights) or stock pyramids (e.g., Claessens et al., 2002). Moreover, the identity of the shareholder (e.g., family vs. financial institution) is important for understanding the role of controlling shareholders (see, e.g., Holderness and Sheehan (1988), Volpin (2002), Claessens et al. (2002), and Burkart et al. (2003)). Using Swedish data, Cronqvist and Nilsson (2003) show that the agency costs of family owners are larger than the agency costs of other controlling owners. The role of controlling shareholders in transition countries is exacerbated by the fact that the legal and general institutional environment remains underdeveloped. In such an environment, strong owners may be the second best option to weak legal protection of investors (La Porta et al., 1997, 1998). The transition countries of central and eastern Europe are experiencing increasingly concentrated control structures, typically with the controlling owner actively involved in the management of the firm (Berglöf and Pajuste, 2003). Moreover, experience from transition countries suggests that foreign direct investment, where investors take controlling positions, have been critical to the successful restructuring of privatized firms. This thesis consists of four self-contained chapters that empirically examine various corporate governance issues. The common theme throughout the thesis is the focus on large shareholders, their identity, as well as to whether they deviate from the principle of one share-one vote. In particular, I examine the effect of large shareholders on firm value (in the first and third chapters), dividend policies (in the second chapter), and stock returns (in the final chapter). The first two chapters employ the data from Finland, the third looks at companies in seven European countries where deviations from one share-one vote are common, and the final one explores the evidence from transition countries. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2004

The aim of this study has been to describe the reasoning of five immigrant parents with Swedish partners who raise their child to become bilingual. Having interviewed the informants, three central themes became apparent: bilingualism, identity and the environment. All five families reason that they raise their child with the mother tongue of the mother and the mother tongue of the father and that it is natural. Discussions about identity and culture are made in specific reference to the surrounding monolingual environment, which is often perceived as an obstacle to bilingualism. / Syftet med den här uppsatsen har varit att beskriva fem individers resonemang kring tvåspråkig barnuppfostran. Efter att ha intervjuat informanterna blev det tydligt att uppsatsen hade tre centrala teman: tvåspråkighet, identitet och miljön. Alla fem familjer anser att deras barn blir uppfostrad med moderns och faderns modersmål och att det är naturligt. Diskussioner om identitet och kultur är direkt knutna till den omgivande enspråkiga miljön, som ofta upplevs som ett hinder för tvåspråkighet.