The purpose of this study was to research Swedish primary school teachers' experiences and attitudes towards the English language in general as well as the school subject. To answer the research purpose, four research questions were constructed: What is the teachers’ view on the English language? What is the best way to learn English according to the teachers? How do the teachers think that the teaching in English should look like? Do the teachers feel that they are affected by their own attitude towards English? To answer the study's research questions, a qualitative research method was used in the form of interviews. The sample consisted of six Swedish primary school teachers from the mid-Sweden. All teachers were qualified primary school teachers and all taught in the subject English. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded. To analyze the result, theories and research on linguistic insecurity, self-efficacy and social learning were used. The result showed that teachers felt that English was very important and teaching on the subject should be based on communication. Furthermore, the teachers presented a subjective picture of English where they examined their previous experiences, relationships and knowledge in English. The study may be of interest to the Swedish school system as the study provides insight into the Swedish primary school teachers' feelings and experiences. / Föreliggande arbetes syfte var att undersöka svenska grundskollärares upplevelse av och inställning till det engelska språket generellt såväl som till skolämnet. För att besvara syftet konstruerades fyra forskningsfrågor: Hur ser lärarna på det engelska språket? Hur upplever lärarna att man bäst lär sig engelska? Hur tycker lärarna att undervisningen i engelska ska se ut? Upplever lärarna att de blir påverkade av sin egen inställning till engelska? För att besvara studiens forskningsfrågor användes kvalitativ forskningsmetod i form av intervjuer. Stickprovet bestod av sex stycken svenska grundskollärare från den mellersta delen av Sverige. Samtliga lärare var utbildade grundskollärare och alla undervisade i ämnet engelska. Alla intervjuer spelades in, transkriberades och kodades. För att analysera resultatet användes teorier och forskning om lingvistisk osäkerhet, self-efficacy och socialt lärande. Resultatet visade att lärare tyckte att engelska var väldigt viktigt och undervisningen i ämnet bör baseras på kommunikation. Vidare redogjorde lärarna för en subjektiv bild av engelska där de granskade sina tidigare erfarenheter, relationer och kunskaper inom engelska. Studien kan vara av intresse för det svenska skolsystemet då studien ger insyn i svenska grundskollärares känslor och upplevelser.

Föreliggande studie syftar till att bilda kunskap kring hur examinerade studenter från Linnéuniversitetets grundlärarprogram med inriktning mot arbete i fritidshem år 2018, upplever utbildningsmomentet att skriva ett självständigt arbete. Intentionen med studien är att, utifrån en induktiv grundteoretiskt metod, bidra till en utvecklad teoribildning kring sambandet mellan studenters upplevelser och orsaker. Totalt deltar fyra examinerade studenter, med grundlärarexamen med inriktning mot arbete i fritidshem, i studien. Resultatet baseras på studenternas livsberättelser med fokus på upplevelser av uppsatsprocessen samt utbildningsmomentets innehåll.   Resultatet redogör för hur kontrollfokus utgör en central aspekt i studiens teoriutvecklande syfte av att beskriva sambandet mellan informanternas upplevelser och orsaker. Detta genom tillämpning av termen self-serving bias.  Informanternas beskrivningar av subjektiva upplevelser och dess orsaker tyder på intern och extern nivå av kontrollfokus, vilka omfattar dels av en intern fokusering på upplevelsen av tilliten till den egna förmågan (self-efficacy) och en extern fokusering på stödet från handledaren. Resultatet tyder på olika upplevelser av self-efficacy medför skillnader i upplevd emotionell påfrestning. Samtliga informanter uttrycker upplevelsen av orättvisa. Orsaken till orättvisan beskrivs av informanterna vara lokaliserad till handledarna, där vissa handledare till andra handledningsgrupper av studenter, upplevs bistå med mer stöd och fler handledningstillfällen. Detta upplevs medföra kvalitetsskillnader i studenternas självständiga arbeten vilket väcker känslor av avundsjuka och ilska.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in total scores on the Mathematical Self-Efficacy Scale, the mathematics task self-efficacy portion of the scale, and the math-related school subjects self-efficacy portion of the scale for middle school students between students assigned to a homogeneously grouped accelerated math class and students assigned to a heterogeneously grouped math class. The instrument used to gather information for thus study on student self-efficacy was the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES). The MSES measures 2 domains of mathematics-related behaviors and capabilities. The Mathematics Task Self-Efficacy scale is designed to measure the level of confidence the student would have when successfully completing the given task. The Math-Related School Subjects Self-Efficacy scale is designed to measure the level of confidence the student would have when successfully completing a college level course with a final grade of an A or B. The 2 parts of the MSES may be individually scored or holistically scored to obtain a total score representing overall mathematical self-efficacy. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data for the 9 research questions. Participants in the study were randomly assigned to the heterogeneous or homogeneous groups by their schools and were not controlled by the researcher. Students within the groups were chosen as participants based on their math ability and scores on the seventh grade TCAP test. At the time of the survey these students attended either a K-8 elementary school or a middle school in Northeast Tennessee. The population consisted of 357 gifted or talented eighth grade math students in 6 school districts in Northeast Tennessee. The results of this study does not support or discourage the practice of acceleration by retaining 7 of the 9 null hypotheses that there are no significant difference in self-efficacy scores between homogeneous grouped eighth grade math students who were placed in accelerated coursework by taking Algebra I and those students who were heterogeneously grouped in a regular eighth grade math class.

Self-efficacy, or a belief in one’s ability to complete a task, has been shown to predict student success and persistence. Rural students have a history of lower college enrollment and degree attainment than urban students. However, no studies have compared self-efficacy or its sources across rural and urban groups. The purpose of this study is to examine differences in how rural and urban middle school students develop self-efficacy and self-efficacy for self-regulated learning in the domain of math. Data were collected from 174 rural students and 1743 urban students in grades 6-8 in the southeastern United States. Measurement invariance analyses determined that rural and urban students respond to measures of self-efficacy and its sources similarly, but not identically. Comparison of latent means revealed that rural students reported more vicarious experiences than urban students. However, structural equation modeling showed that rural students relied solely on mastery experience when evaluating their self-efficacy. This differed from urban students who relied on mastery experience, vicarious experience, and negative physiological state when judging their self-efficacy. This study is the first to compare self-efficacy across rural and urban groups and extends research examining self-efficacy and its sources in understudied populations.

Traditionally, research involving single African American mothers (SAAMs) has been conducted using problem-focused or cultural deficit models with the emphases on the disadvantages. Consequently, little is known about how these women view their experiences as single mothers concerning their resilience and maternal self-efficacy. Using a snowball sampling method, 15 SAAMs were recruited to participate in this phenomenological study. This study employed a subject-intensive theoretical framework. Face-to-face interviews (using a questionnaire), participant observation, and a focus group were the methods used to capture the essence of the SAAMs' abilities to thrive despite the challenges associated with single parenting. All encounters were audiotaped and the data were manually transcribed. Theming was used to analyze the data of the study. Twelve themes emerged, along with a set of sub-themes. The findings provided narratives from the SAAMs regarding the unique challenges of culture, parenting styles and skills, and social supports that enabled them to navigate their children through adversities. All of the participants identified God and faith as the heart of successful parenting. This study contributes to the cultivation of positive social change by offering sound literature that dispels the myths and stereotypes traditionally associated with these mothers and their children. The study also reaffirms the necessity of culturally-relevant models of study and qualitative methods of research, as they tend to provide a more positive and holistic perspective of the phenomenon. Moreover, these findings give a voice and encouragement to SAAMs to become stakeholders in the underpinning of support groups for younger SAAMs and their children in the use of resilience and maternal self-efficacy.

<p>Det nya arbetslivet har blivit alltmer komplicerat och kravfyllt. Nya kunskapskrav har växt fram i takt med arbetsmarknadens strukturomvandling och samhällets individualisering (Allvin, 2006). Individer förväntas bli ’sin egen agent’ och ständigt sträva efter att hålla sig anställningsbara och ’anställningsbarhet’ har således blivit ett policybegrepp som används flitigt inom den politiska debatten kring utbildning och arbete (Berglund & Fejes, 2009). Som blivande karriärvägledare är det relevant att förstå vad det innebär att vara anställningsbar för att på bästa sätt se till individens behov. Utifrån detta resonemang är syftet med studien att få<em> en ökad förståelse för fenomenet anställningsbarhet utifrån unga vuxnas upplevelser av att vara anställningsbar</em>. Med en kvalitativ ansats och semistrukturerade intervjuer intervjuades fem unga yrkesverksamma kvinnor mellan 25 och 29 år. Resultatet visar på att anställningsbarhet förutom utbildning, också handlar om individens sociala och kognitiva förmågor. Slutsatsen är att individer idag är medvetna om arbetslivets nya kunskapskrav och att de har utvecklat förmågor, färdigheter och egenskaper som står i relation till arbetsmarknadens krav.</p> / <p>The new working life has become increasingly complex and demands filled. New proficiency has grown in pace with social change and social individuation (Allvin, 2006). Individuals are expected to be ‘their own agents’ and constantly strive to remain employable and 'employability' has become a policy concept that is widely used in the political debate about education and work (Berglund & Fejes, 2009). As a future career counselor, it is pertinent to understand what it means to be employable in order to best ensure the individual's needs. Based on this reasoning, the purpose of the study is to get a better understanding of the phenomenon on the basis of employability of young adults' experiences of being employable. With a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews, we interviewed five young working women between 25 and 29. The result shows that employability, beyond education, is also about the individual's social and cognitive abilities. The conclusion is that individuals today are aware of the new knowledge requirements of working life and that they have developed abilities, skills and characteristics that are related to social demands.</p>

<p>Fysisk aktivitet kan förebygga och minska åldersrelaterade fysiologiska och psykologiska förändringar. Effekterna av funktionell träning för äldre är dåligt studerat. I Sörmland pågår ett fallpreventionsprojekt som syftar till att halvera antalet höftfrakturer till år 2012. Studiens syfte var att undersöka om äldres balans, benstyrka och self-efficacy, en persons grad av självtillit att utföra en specifik aktivitet framgångsrikt, påverkades av att göra fem uppresningar från sittande till stående två gånger om dagen under fyra veckor. En intervention genomfördes med 23 deltagare på ett servicehus/äldreboende. Test genomfördes innan och efter interventionen. Mätinstrumenten var Timed Up and Go (TUG) för balans, Falls Efficacy Scale Swedish version (FES(s)) för self-efficacy och 30- seconds chair stand för benstyrka. Komparativ statistik med parametriskt test användes för att analysera skillnader inom gruppen. Resultatet av interventionen visade en signifikant ökad balans och benstyrka, men oförändrad self-efficacy. Författarna rekommenderar att servicehuset/äldreboendet bibehåller rutinen med fem uppresningar två gånger om dagen, men ytterligare studier med större deltagarantal, längre interventionstid, en kontrollgrupp och uppföljning behövs för att styrka och generalisera resultatet till fler verksamheter.</p> / <p>Physical activity can prevent and reduce age-related physiological and psychological changes. The effects of functional training on older people are poorly studied. A prevention programme in the county of Sörmland is underway, which aims to halve the number of hip fractures by 2012. The aim of this study was to examine whether the balance, leg strength and self-efficacy, a person's degree of self-confidence to perform a specific task successfully, of elderly persons was affected by performing five sitting-to-standing exercises twice a day during a four weeks period. An intervention was received by 23 participants in a service/residential home. Testing was conducted before and after the intervention. The measuring tools used were Timed Up and Go (TUG) for balance, Falls Efficacy Scale Swedish version (FES(s)) for self-efficacy and 30- seconds chair stand for leg strength. Comparative statistics with parametric test were used to analyze differences within the group. The results showed significant increased balance and leg strength, however self-efficacy was unchanged. The authors recommend that the service/residential home maintain the routine of five sitting-to-standing exercises twice a day, although further studies with a more participants, longer intervention time, a control group and follow up are needed to verify and generalize the results to other areas.</p>

Det nya arbetslivet har blivit alltmer komplicerat och kravfyllt. Nya kunskapskrav har växt fram i takt med arbetsmarknadens strukturomvandling och samhällets individualisering (Allvin, 2006). Individer förväntas bli ’sin egen agent’ och ständigt sträva efter att hålla sig anställningsbara och ’anställningsbarhet’ har således blivit ett policybegrepp som används flitigt inom den politiska debatten kring utbildning och arbete (Berglund &amp; Fejes, 2009). Som blivande karriärvägledare är det relevant att förstå vad det innebär att vara anställningsbar för att på bästa sätt se till individens behov. Utifrån detta resonemang är syftet med studien att få en ökad förståelse för fenomenet anställningsbarhet utifrån unga vuxnas upplevelser av att vara anställningsbar. Med en kvalitativ ansats och semistrukturerade intervjuer intervjuades fem unga yrkesverksamma kvinnor mellan 25 och 29 år. Resultatet visar på att anställningsbarhet förutom utbildning, också handlar om individens sociala och kognitiva förmågor. Slutsatsen är att individer idag är medvetna om arbetslivets nya kunskapskrav och att de har utvecklat förmågor, färdigheter och egenskaper som står i relation till arbetsmarknadens krav. / The new working life has become increasingly complex and demands filled. New proficiency has grown in pace with social change and social individuation (Allvin, 2006). Individuals are expected to be ‘their own agents’ and constantly strive to remain employable and 'employability' has become a policy concept that is widely used in the political debate about education and work (Berglund &amp; Fejes, 2009). As a future career counselor, it is pertinent to understand what it means to be employable in order to best ensure the individual's needs. Based on this reasoning, the purpose of the study is to get a better understanding of the phenomenon on the basis of employability of young adults' experiences of being employable. With a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews, we interviewed five young working women between 25 and 29. The result shows that employability, beyond education, is also about the individual's social and cognitive abilities. The conclusion is that individuals today are aware of the new knowledge requirements of working life and that they have developed abilities, skills and characteristics that are related to social demands.

Undoubtedly, there are many factors influencing IT-usage at work; some of them are psychological. The thesis provides new knowledge about the connections between three phenomena: IT-usage, self-efficacy and creativity among Swedish news journalists. The dissertation also contributes new knowledge about the mechanisms of self-efficacy in IT-related work. The first objective was to explore psychological factors’ influence on how, when and why IT is used at work. In particular, the investigation aimed to study the role of self-efficacy in IT-usage. The second objective was to examine the relationship between IT-usage and creativity. Of specific interest was whether journalists perceive IT-technologies as a support or an obstacle. The empirical findings of four studies show a complex picture. Variation in IT-usage and communication at work is explained by factors as attitudes, experience of IT-usage, interest in traditional journalistic work, and IT-specific self-efficacy. Furthermore, the results reveal that both generalized work self-efficacy and IT-usage at work are related to perceived creativity among news journalists. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk., 2004

Fysisk aktivitet kan förebygga och minska åldersrelaterade fysiologiska och psykologiska förändringar. Effekterna av funktionell träning för äldre är dåligt studerat. I Sörmland pågår ett fallpreventionsprojekt som syftar till att halvera antalet höftfrakturer till år 2012. Studiens syfte var att undersöka om äldres balans, benstyrka och self-efficacy, en persons grad av självtillit att utföra en specifik aktivitet framgångsrikt, påverkades av att göra fem uppresningar från sittande till stående två gånger om dagen under fyra veckor. En intervention genomfördes med 23 deltagare på ett servicehus/äldreboende. Test genomfördes innan och efter interventionen. Mätinstrumenten var Timed Up and Go (TUG) för balans, Falls Efficacy Scale Swedish version (FES(s)) för self-efficacy och 30- seconds chair stand för benstyrka. Komparativ statistik med parametriskt test användes för att analysera skillnader inom gruppen. Resultatet av interventionen visade en signifikant ökad balans och benstyrka, men oförändrad self-efficacy. Författarna rekommenderar att servicehuset/äldreboendet bibehåller rutinen med fem uppresningar två gånger om dagen, men ytterligare studier med större deltagarantal, längre interventionstid, en kontrollgrupp och uppföljning behövs för att styrka och generalisera resultatet till fler verksamheter. / Physical activity can prevent and reduce age-related physiological and psychological changes. The effects of functional training on older people are poorly studied. A prevention programme in the county of Sörmland is underway, which aims to halve the number of hip fractures by 2012. The aim of this study was to examine whether the balance, leg strength and self-efficacy, a person's degree of self-confidence to perform a specific task successfully, of elderly persons was affected by performing five sitting-to-standing exercises twice a day during a four weeks period. An intervention was received by 23 participants in a service/residential home. Testing was conducted before and after the intervention. The measuring tools used were Timed Up and Go (TUG) for balance, Falls Efficacy Scale Swedish version (FES(s)) for self-efficacy and 30- seconds chair stand for leg strength. Comparative statistics with parametric test were used to analyze differences within the group. The results showed significant increased balance and leg strength, however self-efficacy was unchanged. The authors recommend that the service/residential home maintain the routine of five sitting-to-standing exercises twice a day, although further studies with a more participants, longer intervention time, a control group and follow up are needed to verify and generalize the results to other areas.