This thesis seeks to explain social participation in pre-schools for children with and without Down’s syndrome. The explanation is achieved by use of an explanatory model of social participation, designed on the basis of critical realism, which has been used in an empirical study of how social participation emerges in practice. Mechanisms have been abstracted. It is assumed that recognition mechanism produces social participation and reification mechanism social exclusion. The results show that the agency of the personnel affects the possibilities for the recognition mechanism to produce social participation. Within the agency of the personnel, the internal relationship between the child perspective, i.e. how children's place in society is understood, and the relationship to the child's perspective, i.e. how children's participation is regarded, either prevents or makes possible activation of the mechanism. The child perspective has, through the empirical study, been seen to take two different forms: either that children are similar, with similar needs, or that they are different, with different needs. If children are defined as similar, the structures will accommodate all children, enabling them to be socially involved in the same activities. If children are defined as different, different structures are created for different groups of children. Groups are segregated from each other, preventing the children from being socially involved in joint activities. The relationship to the child's perspective has emerged in relation to the roles of the child as an agent, as a collective subject, and as an individual subject. The role definition affects the degree of constraint imposed on the possibilities for action that are offered, and thus affects the opportunity costs and degrees of freedom of the children. These determine the activation of recognition mechanism and social participation in the situation.

The overall aim of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of different occupational groups´ views on work with children in need of special support. This is explored in four separate studies. The first study investigates the views of occupational groups in preschools and schools in one municipality. A questionnaire was handed out to all personnel (N=1297) in the municipality in 2008 (72.5 % response rate). The second study explores the views of educational leaders (N=45) in the same municipality. Questionnaire # 2 was distributed in 2009. All the educational leaders responded to the questionnaire. The third study describes the views of different occupational groups concerning special educational needs coordinators´ (SENCOs) role and work. This was highlighted by comparing responses from questionnaire #1 and # 2. Responses concerning SENCOs´ work were also added using a third questionnaire. This questionnaire was handed out in 2006 to chief education officers (N=290) in all municipalities in Sweden. The response rate was 90.3%. Finally, the fourth study presents five head teachers´ descriptions of their work with special needs issues. Study four was a follow-up study of questionnaire # 2. These head teachers were selected because of their inclusive values and because they seemed to be effective according to certain criteria. They were interviewed in January 2012. The results reveal a number of interesting findings. For example, there are both similar and different views among the occupational groups concerning work with children in need of special support. A majority of the respondents in all groups state that children´s individual deficiencies is one common reason why children need special support in preschools/schools. Differences between the occupational groups become especially visible regarding their views of SENCOs‟ work. Critical pragmatism (Cherryholmes, 1988) is applied as a theoretical point of departure. Skrtic´s (1991) critical reading and analysis of special education relative to general education is specifically used to interpret and discuss the outcome of the studies. Additionally, Abbott´s (1988) reasoning concerning the “division of expert labor” is used to discuss the occupational groups´ replies concerning “who should do what to whom”. The findings in the studies are contextualized and theoretically interpreted in the separate articles. However in the first part of this thesis (in Swedish: Kappa), the theoretical interpretations of the empirical outcome are discussed in more detail and the results are further contextualized and synthesised. Inclusion and premises for inclusive education are also discussed in more depth in the first part of the present thesis.

The overall aim of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of different occupational groups´ views on work with children in need of special support. This is explored in four separate studies. The first study investigates the views of occupational groups in preschools and schools in one municipality. A questionnaire was handed out to all personnel (N=1297) in the municipality in 2008 (72.5 % response rate). The second study explores the views of educational leaders (N=45) in the same municipality. Questionnaire # 2 was distributed in 2009. All the educational leaders responded to the questionnaire. The third study describes the views of different occupational groups concerning special educational needs coordinators´ (SENCOs) role and work. This was highlighted by comparing responses from questionnaire #1 and # 2. Responses concerning SENCOs´ work were also added using a third questionnaire. This questionnaire was handed out in 2006 to chief education officers (N=290) in all municipalities in Sweden. The response rate was 90.3%. Finally, the fourth study presents five head teachers´ descriptions of their work with special needs issues. Study four was a follow-up study of questionnaire # 2. These head teachers were selected because of their inclusive values and because they seemed to be effective according to certain criteria. They were interviewed in January 2012. The results reveal a number of interesting findings. For example, there are both similar and different views among the occupational groups concerning work with children in need of special support. A majority of the respondents in all groups state that children´s individual deficiencies is one common reason why children need special support in preschools/schools. Differences between the occupational groups become especially visible regarding their views of SENCOs‟ work. Critical pragmatism (Cherryholmes, 1988) is applied as a theoretical point of departure. Skrtic´s (1991) critical reading and analysis of special education relative to general education is specifically used to interpret and discuss the outcome of the studies. Additionally, Abbott´s (1988) reasoning concerning the “division of expert labor” is used to discuss the occupational groups´ replies concerning “who should do what to whom”. The findings in the studies are contextualized and theoretically interpreted in the separate articles. However in the first part of this thesis (in Swedish: Kappa), the theoretical interpretations of the empirical outcome are discussed in more detail and the results are further contextualized and synthesised. Inclusion and premises for inclusive education are also discussed in more depth in the first part of the present thesis.

Sammanfattning Studien syftade till att undersöka hur pedagoger i förskolan bemöter och förhåller sig till ämnet mänsklig fortplantning. Totalt tre olika förskolor och tio pedagoger var med och deltog i studien. För att kunna ta del av pedagogers förhållningssätt och hur de arbetade så användes kvalitativa semistruktuerade intervjuer som metod och för att jämföra pedagogernas svar med vad som står skrivet i barnböcker, så användes även textanalys som metod. Undersökningen tar upp vilka förklaringsmodeller och begrepp som pedagogerna använder samt vilka material som de använder sig utav för att ge barnen en förståelse om mänsklig fortplantning. Det visade sig att pedagoger inte upplever att mänsklig reproduktion är ett obekvämt eller genant ämne att samtala med barnen om, dock visade resultatet att det fanns olika hinder med att jobba med den mänskliga fortplantningen i förskolan. Pedagogerna menade att det kan finnas olika svårigheter med att ta upp detta ämne med barnen då det kan finnas föräldrar som kan ha starka åsikter huruvida deras barn ska få denna kunskap eller inte. Andra svårigheter som pedagogerna nämnde var om det eventuellt fanns barn med samkönade föräldrar eller om det fanns barn från annan kultur som försvårar arbetet med detta ämne. I resultatet framkommer det också att pedagogerna tycker att det finns bra böcker som behandlar ämnet och som blir en hjälp och ett verktyg att förklara för barnen hur fortplantning går till. / Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate how preschool teachers deal with and relate to the topic of human reproduction. In total, there was three different preschools and ten preschool teachers who participated in this study. To be able to take part of the preschool teachers approach and how they are working, semi-structured interviews was used as a method. To compare the preschool teachers answers with what was written in children’s book, a text analysis was also used as a method. The survey addresses the explanatory models and concepts that the preschool teachers use and what materials they use to give the children an understanding of human reproduction. It turned out that preschool teachers do not perceive that human reproduction is an inconvenient or embarrassing subject to talk with the children about. However, the result showed that they experienced various obstacles to working with human reproduction in preschool. The preschool teachers stated that there may be different difficulties in addressing this topic with the children as there may be parents who can have strong opinions about whether or not their children should have this knowledge. Other difficulties mentioned by the pedagogues were if there were any children with same-sex parents or if there were children from another culture that complicates the work on this subject. In the result, it also appears that the pedagogues think that there are good books that deal with the subject, which will be a help and a tool to explain to the children how reproduction works.

It is of major importance with proper waste management to reduce the risk for toxic substances to affect environment and reducing the need for natural resources. Umeå municipality has developed a waste plan to reduce the impact on environment and human health. One of the goals was to fraction all garbage disposals until 2016 at the different administration in the municipality including the preschools. This study investigated pre-conditions and the personals attitude for separate waste, awareness of the waste plane content and if either of these parameters may affect the amount of separated materials at nine selected pre-schools. Web-based surveys were distributed to the personal and observational studies were done at all included preschools. There were significant differences between preschools according to combustible waste, food waste and source-sorted material. It was no significant association between the amount of sorted garbage disposal and the attitude to fractionate, practical conditions and knowledge about the waste plan. Although, the study does not provide a general picture of all preschools in the municipality, the results indicate that better knowledge and information about the importance of separating waste and the waste plan are needed. It´s also necessary to clarify the responsibility between the various actors in order to improve the results over time.

No description available.

Times of transition can provoke informal learning that is both potentially transformative and often unacknowledged. New mothers living in a new country are in effect undergoing a double transition, and thus are in a position to possibly undertake a great deal of informal learning. This research focuses on migrant mothers living in Sweden and aims to understand their perceptions of their own learning at open preschools (öppna förskolor), or drop-in centers for young children and their caretakers. Through a small-scale qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, eight migrant mothers living in Solna municipality shared their memories and opinions about open preschools. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis and examined in light of Wenger’s (1998) social theory of learning and community of practice framework. The mothers overwhelmingly identified open preschools as places of support, with some also perceiving them as places of learning. Nonetheless, the findings show a great deal of informal learning related to mothering and mothering in a new country. There was a complicated relationship between supports and barriers to learning, reflecting the nuanced nature of communities of practice. In short, open preschools gave the participants a place to engage on their own terms with the intellectual work involved with forming their identities as migrant mothers. They also, however, encouraged the development of mothering identities that are in line with dominant Swedish discourses about gender and childrearing. This study proposes nevertheless that open preschools play a vital role in supporting parental learning and easing the transition to life in Sweden for migrant mothers.

The aim of this thesis is to examine how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is incorporated in theplans for equal treatment in Swedish preschools. The four main principles in the convention, including articles2, 3, 6 and 12 make the lens through which the analysis is conducted. Article 2 is about each child’s right toenjoy the rights of the convention without discrimination of any kind, whilst article 3 states that the best interestof the child shall always be the primary consideration. Article 6 ensures every child the right to life, survival anddevelopment whilst article 12 is about every child's right to be heard and the views of the child being given dueweight in accordance with the age and maturity.43 different plans for equal treatment make up the studies' empirical data and they are analysed through ahermeneutic approach. The result shows a clear overrepresentation of articles 2 and 12 in the data, which isconsistent with the contents of the regulatory documents for Swedish preschool. Article 3 is nearly absent fromthe plans, while article 6 is featured only in regard to the right to development.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain knowledge about the attitude of preschool teachers and to understand its role in linguistic development of multilingual children.  In this study, we interview eight teachers who work in multicultural preschools. Qualitative assessment of the interviews demonstrates the use of multiple knowledge sources and working methods, which help in developing the linguistic capabilities of a multilingual child. The results also make it clear that one knowledge source is similar among all preschools teachers. Most preschool teachers bear a positive attitude towards collegiate learning as the concept of knowledge source. Experience and knowledge of colleagues have the best available and essential skills in this context. Their working methods vary due to the nature and backgrounds of children. In addition, the results highlight the need for further education of preschool teachers and support on issues related to children's language and culture.

The purpose of this study was to identify materials and products in preschools that may contain harmful chemicals and to suggest possible areas of improvement. Another purpose was to examine if a supervisory project focused on chemicals leads to reduced incidence of harmful chemicals and improved routines in preschools. Inspection reports from 46 preschools in Lidingö were examined to see what routines, materials and products that currently existed. The results were compared with inventories of preschools in two other municipalities and a national inventory project. Follow-up questionnaires were sent to 41 of the preschools in Lidingö to examine if the preschools continued to work for a non-toxic environment after the supervision period ended. Preschools at Lidingö showed similar results as the rest of the country, except that the prevalence of old electronics was much lower. Vinyl gloves, soft plastic toys and other plastic objects appeared in more than half of the preschools, and the presence of inappropriate material showed that there is a need for initiatives that promote a non-toxic preschool. The follow-up survey showed that inspections focused on chemicals generally leads to improvements in many areas and can therefore be a good method. The respondents in this study consider the inspectors to be an important support in the process of eliminating harmful substances. Proper cleaning and good purchasing procedures are important to avoid exposure to harmful substances and the removal of phthalates and plastic kitchenware should be a priority for future inspections.