This thesis studies teachers’ and students’ conceptions of history and history teaching and aims to explain the importance of an interest in history among teachers and students of the subject. Research on teachers’ conceptions (e.g. Martin 2005) shows that the didactical question “Why?” influences the “How?” and “Why?” questions and that teachers’ thinking about their own practice is mainly influenced by their background and their experiences from teaching. Research on students’ opinions (e.g. Youth and History, 1997) shows that they enjoy history shown in films, that they appreciate museums, and that the preferred topic is 20th century history. In this thesis learning is envisaged as something individual but it is the learners’ social context that defines what is important, meaningful and interesting to learn. The research methods consist of a survey study concerning the pupils’ attitudes towards history and history education, and an interview study with their teachers about their teaching and their opinions about history in general. Nine teachers and their 217 pupils participated. It is mainly topics from 20th century that are described as interesting by both students and teachers. The teachers had different views on the didactical whyquestion, which they described either as student oriented or subject oriented. Their views on why history is important influenced their teaching methods. The student oriented teachers stated that their pupils’ needs and wishes affect their methods while the subject oriented teachers said that they give varying lessons, and have a more student active teaching, but decide for themselves what teaching methods are to be used. The subject matter is influenced by the teachers’ personal interest in history, in most cases a Eurocentric political history. This choice of content, and the teachers own interest, are explained by the historical culture of Swedish society rather than the curriculum. The teachers state that exciting stories and dramatic events related in books or films were, and still are, important to their interest in history. Their individual interpretation of what is important and meaningful in their historical culture influences teachers’ personal interest, their knowledge, and the content of their history teaching. The students’ attitudes to history are also influenced by various factors, of which history education at school is merely one.

In Sweden, there are students who live in small student apartments. These apartments can be called compact living as a student apartment can be as small as 16 square meters. To take advantage of the place that is in small homes, it would be good if larger furniture could be combined into a piece of furniture. On behalf of Husmuttern AB, this work has been aimed at exploring furniture concepts with sleeping and their functions in a compact living environment for students. The issues being examined are: -          What functions are desirable in a multifunctional seating and sleeping furniture for students and people living in compact living environments? -          How can a multifunctional seating and sleeping furniture be designed, that is applied to students living in a compact-living environment? Human Centered Design was used as a method and thus a qualitative data collection was carried out in the form of observations. The respondents were in the primary target group and were observed in their everyday lives in their homes. A focus group was involved in generating ideas and concepts. Functional prototypes were built, and 3D models were created in SolidWorks. Digital testing of the concepts was carried out and the development of the Generation Sofa Bed was realized. There is a discussion about how reliable this study is, when the results became situational. However, the respondents were from a limited audience and had different views on what they wanted from a sofa bed, which provided rewarding information for the development of the furniture. The conclusion is that while the Generation Sofa Bed needs to be further developed through testing and evaluation of storage facilities, it has great potential to become a finished product. / I Sverige bor det studenter i små studentlägenheter. De lägenheterna kan kallas för compact living då en studentlägenhet kan vara så liten som 16 kvadratmeter. För att ta vara på den plats som finns i små hem vore det bra om större möbler kunde kombineras till en möbel. På uppdrag av Husmuttern AB har detta arbete haft som syfte att utforska möbelkoncept med sov- och sittfunktioner i en compact living miljö för studenter. De frågor som undersöks är: 1.      Vilka funktioner är önskvärda i en multifunktionell sitt- och sovmöbel för studenter och personer som bor i compact living miljö? 2.      Hur kan en multifunktionell sitt- och sovmöbel konstrueras, som är tillämpad för studenter som bor i compact-living miljö?  Human Centered Design användes som metod och därmed genomfördes en kvalitativ datainsamling i form av observationer. Respondenterna var med i den primära målgruppen och observerades i sin vardag i sina hem. En fokusgrupp var med och genererade idéer och koncept. Funktionsprototyper byggdes och 3D modeller skapades i SolidWorks. Digital testning av koncepten genomfördes och utvecklingen av Bäddsoffan Generations blev förverkligad. Det finns en diskussion om hur pålitlig denna studie är, då resultaten blev situationsbaserade. Dock var respondenterna från en begränsad målgrupp och hade olika syn på vad de ville ha av en bäddsoffa, vilket gav givande information till utvecklingen av möbeln. Slutsatsen är att medan Bäddsoffan Generations behöver vidareutvecklas genom testning och utvärdering om förvaringsmöjligheter, så har den stor potential att bli en färdig produkt.

Idag finns det begränsad kunskap om studenters välmående under en pandemi. Covid-19 har påverkat dagens skolundervisning på så sätt att Folkhälsomyndighetens rekommendationer uppmanat att universitet och högskolor skall övergå till distansstudier. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur universitets/högskolestudenter vidmakthållit sin hälsa efter att ha börjat studera hemifrån på grund av covid-19. En kvalitativ metod tillämpades där sex svenska universitets/högskolestudenter intervjuades individuellt med hjälp av en intervjuguide. En kvalitativ manifest innehållsanalys av data resulterade i en huvudkategori: “Vägar till välmående under hemmastudier” samt tre underkategorier: (1) Socialt stöd genom digitala medel, (2) Aktiviteter för kropp och själ och (3) Rutiner skapar en strukturerad vardag. Resultatet visar att deltagarna använt sig av olika vägar för att främja sitt välmående under hemmastudier. Detta genom att hålla kontakten via digitala medel, fysisk aktivitet vilket även gör gott för den psykiska hälsan och att rutiner leder till struktur i ens vardag. Slutsatsen indikerar på att deltagarnas upplevelser, erfarenheteter, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet har gjort att de klarat av att upprätthålla välmående under covid-19. Detta bidrar med ökad kunskap till hälsovägledare och andra professioner som arbetar hälsopromotivt för att främja och vidmakthålla individers hälsa. / Today there is limited research on students well-being during a pandemic. Covid-19 has affected schools in which the Public Health Agency has given recommendations for universities to transfer to distance learning. The aim of this study was to examine how university-students maintain their health after they have started to study from home due to covid-19. The study was conducted using a qualitative method where six Swedish university-students was interviewed using an interview guide. Analysis of the data meant that the results produced a main category “Roads to well-being during distance learning” and three subcategories: (1) Social support through digital means, (2) Activities for mind and body, and (3) Routines makes for everyday structure. Results showed that participants used different paths to promote their well-being by keeping contact through digital means, physical activity which also benefits mental health and routines makes for a structured everyday life. Conclusion indicates that the participants experiences and manageability have served them to maintain well-being during covid-19. This will provide added knowledge to health counselors and other professions who work towards promoting and maintain individual health.

Tidigare forskning har visat att exponering för grön miljö tillhandahåller hälsofördelar. Dessa fördelar indikerar bland annat återhämtningseffekt av stress, trötthet och uppmärksamhetsutmattning, vilket är särskilt viktigt för universitetsstudenter. Därför syftade denna studie att undersöka om det finns en koppling mellan universitetsstudenters kontakt med grönstruktur i/nära studiemiljö och studenternas upplevelse av sin studiemiljö under covid-19 restriktionerna. Detta med hjälp av en dagbokundersökning som förstudie och telefonintervjuer. Analysverktyget bestod av teoretiska ramverk, Attention Restoration Theory (ART) och Stress Reduktion Theory (SRT). Resultat och analys har bekräftat Attention Restoration Theory (ART), där det uppges att gröna naturliga miljöer ger återhämtningseffekt och väcker uppmärksamhet efter en mental trötthet. Därtill bekräftade den även Stress Recovery Theory (SRT), där det uppges att gröna naturliga miljöer ger positiva effekt på stressminskning, -bearbetning och -återhämtning. Slutsatsen till denna undersökning är att grönstruktur har en stor betydelse för universitetsstudenterna, detta då alla väljer att vistas eller komma i kontakt med gröna naturen på ett eller annat sätt, till exempel gå en promenad i naturen eller åka till en stuga i skogen. Att naturen är en del av studenternas vardag verkar vara framför allt en omedveten upplevelse för de flesta och sker utan erkännande eller bearbetning av miljön. Dock framkommer det att processen kan vara medveten för vissa studenter. / Previous research has shown that exposure to the green environment provides health benefits. These benefits indicate among other things, recovery effect of stress, fatigue and attention-exhaustion, which is especially important for university students. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether there is a connection between university students' contact with the green structure in / near the study-environment and the students' experience of their study environment during the covid-19 restrictions. This with the help of a diary-survey as a pilot-study and telephone interviews. The analysis tool consisted of theoretical frameworks, Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Reduction Theory (SRT). Results and analysis have confirmed Attention Restoration Theory (ART), where it states that green natural environments have a recovery effect and attracts attention after a mental fatigue. In addition, it also confirmed the Stress Recovery Theory (SRT), which states that green natural environments have a positive effect on stress reduction, processing and recovery. The conclusion of this study is that green structure is of great importance to university students, as everyone chooses to reside or get in touch with green nature in one way or another, for example going for a walk in a green environment or staying in a cottage in the forest. That nature is a part of the students' everyday life seems to be above all an unconscious experience for most and takes place without recognition or processing of the environment. However, it appears that the process may be conscious for some students.