In this investigation, I discuss how students can examine and reflect on themselves through aesthetic practice in various pedagogic situations. The field study took place over two months in the international settlement of Auroville in the south of India, where I visited schools and observed various pedagogical methods. In this study, I focus on two of these pedagogical methods: Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body. In both, the body is considered an important part of the student’s learning and development. These experiences form the background for this investigation. I investigated Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body through focussing on one lesson from each method. I describe how the methods are organised and practised in Auroville schools with observations, visual material, and interviews from my field study.  In this investigation, I use a phenomenological and aesthetic perspective together with a brief introduction to the theory of Integral Education. I believe that aesthetics can be used in many different ways in a school context. In this thesis, I use the term aesthetic practices to understand and study Awareness Through the Body and Play of Painting. I see these methods as two examples of how aesthetic practices and conditions for aesthetic learning processes with different ways of reflection can be encouraged in an educational environment.  The children in Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body learn about themselves through the experience of practising aesthetics with their whole bodies and senses. Through creating conditions for aesthetic practice as in Awareness Through the Body and Play of Painting, children can reflect on themselves together with others.  The purpose of this investigation is to research how aesthetic practices can be used in pedagogic situations through the methods Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body. I focus on how pupils can examine and reflect on themselves through aesthetic practice in these two methods.

Reflection of an obliquely incident solitary wave at a vertical wall is studied experimentally in the laboratory wave tank. Precision measurements of water-surface variations are achieved with the aid of laser-induced fluorescent (LIF) technique and detailed temporal and spatial features of the Mach reflection are captured. During the development stage of the reflection process, the stem wave is formed with the wave crest perpendicular to the wall; this stem wave is not in the form of a Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) soliton but a forced wave, trailing by a continuously broadening depression wave. Evolution of stem-wave amplification is in good agreement with the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) theory. The asymptotic characteristics and behaviors are also in agreement with the theory of Miles (1977b) except those in the neighborhood of the transition between the Mach reflection and the regular reflection. The maximum fourfold amplification of the stem wave at the transition predicted by Miles is not realized in the laboratory environment: the maximum amplification measured in the laboratory is 2.92, which is however in excellent agreement with the numerical results of Tanaka (1993). The present laboratory study is the first to sensibly analyze validation of the theory; note that substantial discrepancies exist from previous (both numerical and laboratory) experimental studies. Agreement between experiments and theory can be partially attributed to the large-distance measurements that the precision laboratory apparatus is capable of. More important, to compare the laboratory results with theory, the corrected interaction parameter is derived from proper interpretation of the theory in consideration of the finite incident wave angle. Our laboratory data indicate that the maximum stem wave can reach higher than the maximum solitary wave height. The wave breaking along the wall results in the substantial increase in wave height and slope away from the wall. Extending the foregoing study on the reflection of a single solitary wave at a vertical wall, laboratory and numerical experiments are performed on two co-propagating obliquely incident solitary waves with different amplitudes that are reflected at the wall. The larger wave catches up with the smaller wave; hence the two waves collide with the strong interaction. The resulting wave pattern near the wall is complex due to the interaction among the two incident solitons and the two reflected solitons. The numerical predictions of the KP theory are in good agreement with the experimental results. Another comparison of the KP theory with laboratory experiments is demonstrated for one of the exact soliton solutions of the KP equation by Chakravarty and Kodama (2009). This solution is called the T-type solution by Kodama. The theoretically predicted formation of the 'box'-shape wave pattern in the vicinity of two-soliton intersection is realized in the laboratory tank. The agreement between the laboratory observation and the KP theory is found better for the cases with the larger wave amplitude a and smaller oblique angle ψ (i.e. tan ψ/(√3a cos ψ) < 0.6). Subtle and unavoidable differences among the analytical KP solution, the setup of numerical calculation, and the laboratory condition are discussed. / Graduation date: 2013

Outcomes of Standards-based Portfolios for Elementary Teacher Candidates by Christie McIntyre Documentation of outcomes associated with teacher education portfolios and the quality of the reflections contained within the portfolios is sparse. This collective case study (Stake, 1995) of six teacher candidates enrolled in an elementary teacher education program at a large mid-western university explores the outcomes of developing a portfolio based on state standards. The first question of this study focuses on the outcomes of the portfolio process for the teacher candidate; the second question is an investigation of the critical events that facilitate the outcomes associated with the teacher portfolio. Zeichner and Wray’s (2001) critical dimensions of a portfolio process are used as a framework for understanding current research and the data from these portfolios. The third question addresses the nature and quality of reflections that accompany portfolios using Sparks-Langer, Simmons, Pasch, Colton, and Starko’s (1990) Framework for Pedagogical Thinking. In this qualitative study, Glasser and Strauss’(1967) constant comparative method is used to analyze data within and among the six cases. Data sources include electronic-portfolios, observations of portfolio seminars, and interviews with teacher candidates, cooperating teachers, and center coordinators. Credibility and dependability is based on prolonged engagement, triangulation, a comprehensive member check, and an auditor check. A “reflexive journal” (Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 327) is used to increase the overall trustworthiness. Historical theories of reflection by Dewey (1933) and Schön (1987) are considered during the final analysis. The study identifies four outcomes of this portfolio process for the teacher candidate: it increased their understanding of standards; supported the organization and articulation of their thoughts; encouraged them to reflect; and provided a snapshot of their professional growth. Three additional critical dimensions support the portfolio outcomes: the rationale guidelines, the assessment process, and the entire portfolio process.

Using a grounded theory approach to investigate the multidimensional reflections of two Reading Recovery teachers, this inquiry responds to calls for research on reflection and provides information for the field of education in understanding the nature of teachers’ reflections and how they inform teaching practices. Reading Recovery is a progressive intervention program which brings the lowest performing readers and writers to average levels of achievement in twelve to twenty weeks through daily, thirty minute one-on-one tutoring sessions that follow the same lesson pattern daily. Reading Recovery teachers are carefully trained to use reflection to design, implement, and observe children’s reading and writing practices to accelerate their reading and writing skills. To investigate the nature of participants’ reflections and how those reflections informed their teaching practices the data sources, collected over eight weeks, for each participant included field notes from seventeen observations, two semi-structured interview transcripts, thirty-six course documents, and two member checks transcripts. Open coding, memoing, and axial coding were used to examine all data sources. Further, each of the three dimensions of reflection, time, type, and context, were accounted for to fully explore participants’ reflections. Three interrelated major themes connected to the nature of Reading Recovery teachers’ reflectivity and practice were identified: (1) participants’ reflections are situated within the contextual framework of Reading Recovery and inform practices by serving as a roadmap to scaffold individualized instruction and examine personal philosophies of teaching and instructional assumptions; (2) Teacher identity as a reflective practitioner is a natural outcome participants and fosters the interconnectedness of practice and automaticity in their reflective practices; and (3) Systematic observations of the child during instruction focus on actions of the child and themselves as a teacher and serve as a trigger for reflection in a data-driven response sequence linking theory to practice. This study offers insight into how reflective practices of teachers of reading may be fostered through teacher education and into their own teacher development by linking their theoretical perspectives to their teaching practices.

The research and body of work collected in this document address the relationship of my memories to specific physical visual forms. These representations form the basis of how the mind structures relationships between specific objects and memories. Through reflection associations are created that activate the mind to recall these memories via mnemonic visual references. These mnemonic references are objects of familiarity that create a concrete relationship between form and memory experiences.

This study is an auto-ethnographic examination of reflections of a novice itinerant art teacher. The teacher taught at four schools within her first two years of teaching. Reflections of her first two years are recorded, then analyzed, and suggestions for other novice itinerant teachers are provided

Reflektion kan vara ett betydelsefullt redskap i omvårdnadsarbetet för att skapa en god och säker vård. Det är av stor betydelse att sjuksköterskor tar sig tid att stanna upp och ge tid för reflektion kring situationer och handlingar. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa betydelsen av reflektion inom ramen för sjuksköterskeprofessionen. Studier söktes i databaser och bearbetades. Resultatet visar att sjuksköterskor växer i sin profession genom att reflektion används som ett instrument till utveckling. Resultatet stödjer att sjuksköterskors personliga utveckling stärks och att de mognar i yrkesrollen genom användning av reflektion. Resultatet visar även att organisationen bör stödja reflektion då det i sin tur stödjer sjuksköterskor att vårda patienten på bästa sätt. Detta resulterar i slutändan i en god vårdkvalitet. Slutsatsen är att reflektion är grundläggande för kompetensutveckling inom ramen för sjuksköterskeprofessionen. Idag saknas vetenskapliga bevis för det inflytande reflektion har i det dagliga omvårdnadsarbetet. Det är av betydelse att fortsatt forskning på området sker för att skapa evidens för framtida tillämpning. Detta anses vara värdefullt för att skapa en säkrare omvårdnad och möta patienters unika behov. / Reflection can be an important tool in nursing to create a safe care. It is important that nurses pause and take time to reflect about situations and actions. The purpose of this study was to highlight the importance of reflection in the context of nursing. Studies were searched in databases and processed. The results show that nurses grow in their profession by the use of reflection as an instrument to development. The result supports that the nurses´ personal development are strengthened and that they mature in the professional role through the use of reflection. The result also shows that the organization should support reflection since it in return gives the nurses the opportunity to support the patient in the most ultimate way. This results in a good quality of care. The conclusion is that reflection is essential for skills development in the context of nursing. There is at the moment no scientific evidence for the influence of reflection in daily nursing care. It is important to continue research in this area to create evidence for future application. This is considered to be useful for creating a safer care and to meet the patients´ unique needs.

The purpose of this study is to examine the coaching interactions of two literacy coaches and four classroom teachers in order to explore how these interactions serve to support teacher learning. The analysis of the study describes how the coaches support teacher reflection and teaching for processing strategies during guided reading lessons. The literature review suggests that reflective practice (Schön, 1996) involves thoughtfully considering one’s own experiences while being coached by a professional in the discipline. I conducted observations and interviews for two cycles of teaching and coaching sessions per teacher coach dyad, for a total of eight guided reading lessons, 16 pre/post conferences, and conducted interviews with each teacher and literacy coach. The research questions for this study are: 1. How does the discourse found within the coaching interactions support teachers in their learning as described by the coaches? 2. How does the discourse found within the coaching interactions support teachers in their learning as described by the teachers? 3. What patterns of discourse are seen within coaching interactions? a. How do the interactions support teacher reflection during the dialog? b. How do the interactions support the teachers’ understanding of teaching for processing strategies within small group reading instruction? 4. What if any are the differences related to training and knowledge of the coaches? The findings of this study are presented through: (a) case studies; (b) the participants’ descriptions of coaches supporting student and teacher learning; and (c) a description of the characteristics and interaction patterns within pre-and post-conferences. My analysis showed that these coaches support reflection-on-action through their post- conferences with teachers and that the support varies with the expertise of the literacy coach. Analysis of the data revealed that these teachers believe that literacy coaches support them in the following ways: (a) by giving them feedback; (b) giving them confidence; (c) making connections to learning theory; (d) praising their teaching; (e) helping foster teacher reflection; (f) identifying professional texts; (g) providing language to use while teaching reading and writing; and (h) identifying observable evidence of how the teachers’ supported student learning.

The schools have problems with conflicts and mobbing. One way to deal with this is to focus on the importance of life skills “SET- Social emotional training”. SET is a program that encourages student’s self-awareness, that is, the understanding students have about themselves and how he or she can relate to it and to others. This study aims to examine if life skills in school contribute to student’s ability to reflect and deal with conflicts. The main research questions are: How can life skills, and specifically the SET program help students to reflect about themselves and others in the group?    In which way can the SET-program help students to reflect and deal with conflicts? How can reflection and conflict management using the SET method affect student’s action in school? What are the limitations/ difficulties? The study is a qualitative research based on observation, group interviews with four students and a teacher in 5th grade, in a school south of Stockholm. The theoretical framework emphasises Vygotskij’s description of the relationship between thoughts and feelings and how this affects our action and behavior. The results of the study show that life skills help students to improve their self-awareness by reflecting on their emotions and thoughts. By repeating concepts, students are helped to train their thought and process emotions during lesson time. The study reach the conclusion that life skills/SET help the student to learn something new about themselves and others in their environment. Life skills/SET helps the student to understand changes and manage them by focusing on how to gain new experience of these changes.

<p>Steady-state sound fields in enclosures, with specular and diffuse reflection boundaries, are modeled with a first-principle energy-intensity boundary element method using uncorrelated broadband directional sources. The specular reflection field is represented by a limited set of spherical harmonics that are orthogonal on the half-space. The amplitudes of these harmonics are determined by a Lagrange multiplier method to satisfy the energy conservation integral constraint. The computational problem is solved using an iterative relaxation method starting from the 3-D diffuse reflection solution. At each iteration, directivity harmonics are estimated by post-processing and the influence matrix is refined accordingly. For internal sources, simple first reflection images improve accuracy with virtually no penalty on computation time. Monotonic convergence occurs in relatively few relaxation steps. Extrapolating to an infinite number of boundary elements and iterations gives very accurate results. The method is very computationally efficient. Results are compared to exact benchmark solutions obtained from a frequency-by-frequency modal analysis, and a broadband image method, demonstrating high accuracy. The method of absorption scaling is verified for complicated 3-D cases, and showing that the spatial variation in rooms is largely determined by source position and the relative distribution of absorption, but not the overall absorption level.</p> / Dissertation