The study developed and designed a pedagogical content knowledge framework to guide and support the professional development of pedagogical content knowledge to about 130 statistics teachers. It captured the experiences of teachers during the development of pedagogical content knowledge, to come up with the main themes that describe pedagogical content knowledge as the relevant knowledge for teaching Grade 11 and 12 statistics. The study was overall qualitative in nature and supported by some quantitative data. Questionnaires, in-class facilitated tasks/activities, in-class facilitated discussions and observations were used as the main data collection instruments. This process revealed some significant themes, described as “missed opportunities”, which were defined as incidents in which pedagogical content knowledge was needed but not used. The thesis contributes to the theoretical and knowledge base of secondary school statistics teachers in the education system by providing measures that can be used to determine professional development needs of teachers. / Mathematics Education / D. Ed. (Mathematics Education)

The study explores the meaning of knowing how to reason about justice in civics in upper secondary school. This is examined through the analysis of students’ conceptions of justice, and of their conceptions of civic reasoning about justice. It is also examined through the analysis of civic education practise. In the study, teaching was designed using Variation Theory and the theory of intersubjectivity in Activity Theory, and examined and evaluated in three Learning Studies. The empirical material consists of filmed and transcribed research lessons and interviews, as well as of written pre- and post-tests. The material was first analysed using phenomenography, and then analysed using content-oriented conversation analysis. Students’ conceptions of justice were found to move between the conception of justice as (A) a universal value, (B) a personal value or (C) a value of principle. Students’ conceptions of civic reasoning about justice were found to move between three conceptions: (a) reporting about justice, (b) analysing causes of different perspectives on justice or (c) critical reasoning about principles of justice. The critical aspects of knowing how to reason about justice in civics that students needed to discern were the relativity of justice, the basis for arguments for principles of justice and the analysing as well as the criticizing aspects of reasoning. The subject-knowledge that the teachers expressed in their teaching was one condition of the practise of civics that was found to be of importance for the students’ learning. Others were the assumed purpose of the practise of civics and a genuine need for the intended knowledge in the practice. Communicative actions that seem to facilitate these conditions are real learning tasks and a subject-specific language and variation of critical aspects as mediating tools. The findings are discussed in relation to theories of justice in political science and to the practise of civics education.

The study developed and designed a pedagogical content knowledge framework to guide and support the professional development of pedagogical content knowledge to about 130 statistics teachers. It captured the experiences of teachers during the development of pedagogical content knowledge, to come up with the main themes that describe pedagogical content knowledge as the relevant knowledge for teaching Grade 11 and 12 statistics. The study was overall qualitative in nature and supported by some quantitative data. Questionnaires, in-class facilitated tasks/activities, in-class facilitated discussions and observations were used as the main data collection instruments. This process revealed some significant themes, described as “missed opportunities”, which were defined as incidents in which pedagogical content knowledge was needed but not used. The thesis contributes to the theoretical and knowledge base of secondary school statistics teachers in the education system by providing measures that can be used to determine professional development needs of teachers. / Mathematics Education / D. Ed. (Mathematics Education)

Studiens syfte var att beskriva hur Alternativ och Kompletterande Kommunikation (AKK) används av lärare i den anpassade skolan för att främja elevers arbete med ämnesinnehåll, språkutveckling och kognition. Studien utgick från det sociokulturella perspektivet. En kvalitativ intervjustudie genomfördes och data analyserades i en tematisk analys. Urvalet bestod av åtta lärare i den anpassade skolan. Resultatet visade att lärare använder AKK i stor utsträckning för att möjliggöra arbete med ämnesinnehåll. Användandet av AKK gynnade elevernas språkutveckling och kognition, då lärarna möjliggjorde arbete i den proximala utvecklingszonen. Både empirisk och teoretisk generalisering låg till grund för arbetet med ämnesinnehåll, och vi fann exempel på lärare som arbetade liknade en learning activity. Lärarna önskade utveckla arbetet med att tolka elevernas deltagande i ämnesarbetet, samt att få mer stöd i form av färdigutvecklade lektionsstrukturer. Eleverna utmanades att fördjupa sitt kunnande vilket också kan gynna dem i ett samhällsperspektiv på lång sikt. Resultatet av studien kan användas av lärare i det didaktiska planeringsarbetet. / The aim of the study was to describe how Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) is used by teachers in special schools to promote students' work with subject content, language development and cognition. The study was based on the sociocultural perspective. A qualitative interview study was conducted and the data was analyzed in a thematic analysis. The sample consisted of eight teachers in special schools. The results showed that teachers use AAC to a large extent to enable work with subject content. The use of AAC benefited the students' language development and cognition, as the teachers enabled work in the zone of proximal development. Both empirical and theoretical generalization was the basis for the work with subject content, and we found examples of teachers whose work was similar to a learning activity. The teachers also wanted to develop the interpretation of the students' participation in the subject work, as well as to receive more support in the form of fully developed lesson structures. The students were challenged to deepen their knowledge, which can also have long term societal benefits for students. The results of the study can be used by teachers in didactic planning work.

The object of the research was the employees of the "Linkom" branch of the city of Yekaterinburg. The subject of the study was the individual psychological characteristics of the staff (the type of personality corresponds to the organizational environment, the level of stress-resistance of the staff, the level of communication skills, the level of personality conflict, the psychological climate in the organization). The master's thesis consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, a list of literature (58 sources) and 11 applications, including summary tables of research data and forms of methodologies. The volume of the master's thesis is 86 pages. In the introduction, the urgency of the research problem is revealed, the goal and objectives of the research are set, the object and the subject of the research are determined, the basic and additional hypotheses are formulated, the methods and the empirical basis are specified, as well as the stages of the research, the scientific novelty, the theoretical and practical significance of the work. The first chapter includes a review of foreign and domestic literature on the topic of the study, a description of the factors of staff turnover. Socio-psychological aspects of staff turnover are separately examined. Conclusions on the first chapter are the results of the study of theoretical material. The second chapter is devoted to the empirical part of the study. It contains a description of the sample, organization, methods and results of the study, obtained from the seven methods used: 1) the questionnaire of professional self-determination by J. Holland; 2) questionnaire "Determining the type of future profession" E.A. Klimova; 3) questionnaire "Assessment of the level of conflictual personality" Rogova V..I; 4) questionnaire "Assessment of the psychological climate in the organization" Lutoshkina L.N.; 5) questionnaire "Professional stress" Golovatskoy S.L; 6) questionnaire "Communicative propensities" Sinyakovskiy V.V. and Fedorishina B.A.; 7) questionnaire to determine the degree of satisfaction with their profession and work for N. Zhirin and E. Ilyin. Statistical analysis used the analysis of means. The conclusions of Chapter 2 include the main results of the empirical study. In conclusion, the results of the theoretical and empirical parts of the work, as well as conclusions on the hypotheses put forward, are presented in a generalized form, the practical significance of the study is substantiated and possible prospects for further development of this problem are described. / Объектом исследования сотрудники подразделения ООО «Линком» г. Екатеринбурга. Предметом исследования стали индивидуально-психологические особенности персонала (соответствие типа личности организационной среде, уровень стрессоустойчивости сотрудников, уровень сформированности коммуникативных навыков, уровень конфликтности личности, психологический климат в организации). Магистерская диссертация состоит из введения, двух глав, заключения, списка литературы (58 источника) и 11-ти приложений, включающих в себя сводные таблицы данных исследования и бланки методик. Объем магистерской диссертации 86 страниц. Во введении раскрывается актуальность проблемы исследования, ставятся цель и задачи исследования, определяются объект и предмет исследования, формулируются основная и дополнительная гипотезы, указываются методы и эмпирическая база, а также этапы проведения исследования, научная новизна, теоретическая и практическая значимость работы. Первая глава включает в себя обзор иностранной и отечественной литературы по теме исследования, описание факторов текучести кадров. Отдельно рассматриваются социально-психологические аспекты текучести кадров. Выводы по первой главе представляют собой итоги по изучению теоретического материала. Вторая глава посвящена эмпирической части исследования. В ней представлено описание выборки, организации, методов и результатов исследования, полученных по семи использованным методикам:1) опросник профессионального самоопределения Дж. Голланда; 2) опросник «Определение типа будущей профессии» Е.А. Климова; 3) опросник «Оценка уровня конфликтности личности» Рогова В.И.; 4) опросник «Оценка психологического климата в организации» Лутошкина Л.Н.; 5) опросник «Профессиональный стресс» Головацкой С.Л.; 6) опросник «Коммуникативные склонности» Синяковского В.В. и Федоришина Б.А.; 7) опросник на выявление степени удовлетворенности своей профессией и работой по Н. Жирину и Е. Ильину. При статистической обработке использовался анализ средних. Выводы по главе 2 включают в себя основные результаты эмпирического исследования. В заключении в обобщенном виде изложены результаты теоретической и эмпирической частей работы, а также выводы по выдвинутым гипотезам, обоснована практическая значимость исследования и описаны возможные перспективы дальнейшей разработки данной проблематики.

This study aimed at exploring the Life Orientation (LO) teachers’ knowledge and teaching of study skills in high schools, Ekudibeng cluster, Gauteng East. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is the most recent curriculum policy (Department of Basic Education [DBE], 2012) and serves as an action plan to 2030 for the South African education system in order to address some of the origins of underperformance in South African schools (Nicolson, 2013). Life Orientation (LO) can be described as a learning area within the educational context that promotes the holistic development of a child. The educational context refers to all processes at school level involved in training children’s minds and abilities so that they can acquire knowledge and develop skills to succeed in life. Life Orientation integrates subjects, such as life skills, career guidance, health education, physical education, human rights studies and religious education (Pillay, 2012). According to the Life Orientation 2011 CAPS document, Life Orientation teachers are expected to teach study skills to learners starting from grade 10 – 12 (Further Education and Training (FET) Phase (DBE, 2011). Learning or study skills carry over into other areas of life and beyond school. Study skills are therefore critical tools that ensure that learner achievement leads to success. Furthermore, effective study skills need effective interaction between teachers and learners (Gettinger, & Seibert, 2002). The teacher is a social agent and should make study skills accessible through the process of teaching in the classroom. This implies that the teacher is a central tool for equipping the learners with the necessary study skills which can aid in the unlocking of their future potential (Sasikala, 2012). As such, it was considered important to explore the knowledge and skills for teaching LO as well as the challenges faced and their needs for further development. Three schools in Ekudibeng cluster, Gauteng East were purposefully selected for this purpose on the basis of their results in the previous year’ matric exit examinations. Qualitative case studies of the Further Education and Training LO teachers’ experiences at each of these schools were undertaken utilising semi-structured interviews as a data collection tool. The data were analysed via qualitative content analysis techniques. The findings of this study emphasise the need for a focus on study skills teaching and teacher proficiency in the high school education system. The South African Education System role-players need to take LO seriously and have teachers qualified to teach LO, and to meet their needs through study skills training workshops. Comprehensive continuous improvement in learner performance requires a constant determination of trained LO teachers, qualified for the subject and properly equipped with relevant knowledge to cascade it to learners and cooperative community members, where parents are involved/hands on in shaping their children’s’ future. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This study aimed at exploring the Life Orientation (LO) teachers’ knowledge and teaching of study skills in high schools, Ekudibeng cluster, Gauteng East. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is the most recent curriculum policy (Department of Basic Education [DBE], 2012) and serves as an action plan to 2030 for the South African education system in order to address some of the origins of underperformance in South African schools (Nicolson, 2013). Life Orientation (LO) can be described as a learning area within the educational context that promotes the holistic development of a child. The educational context refers to all processes at school level involved in training children’s minds and abilities so that they can acquire knowledge and develop skills to succeed in life. Life Orientation integrates subjects, such as life skills, career guidance, health education, physical education, human rights studies and religious education (Pillay, 2012). According to the Life Orientation 2011 CAPS document, Life Orientation teachers are expected to teach study skills to learners starting from grade 10 – 12 (Further Education and Training (FET) Phase (DBE, 2011). Learning or study skills carry over into other areas of life and beyond school. Study skills are therefore critical tools that ensure that learner achievement leads to success. Furthermore, effective study skills need effective interaction between teachers and learners (Gettinger, & Seibert, 2002). The teacher is a social agent and should make study skills accessible through the process of teaching in the classroom. This implies that the teacher is a central tool for equipping the learners with the necessary study skills which can aid in the unlocking of their future potential (Sasikala, 2012). As such, it was considered important to explore the knowledge and skills for teaching LO as well as the challenges faced and their needs for further development. Three schools in Ekudibeng cluster, Gauteng East were purposefully selected for this purpose on the basis of their results in the previous year’ matric exit examinations. Qualitative case studies of the Further Education and Training LO teachers’ experiences at each of these schools were undertaken utilising semi-structured interviews as a data collection tool. The data were analysed via qualitative content analysis techniques. The findings of this study emphasise the need for a focus on study skills teaching and teacher proficiency in the high school education system. The South African Education System role-players need to take LO seriously and have teachers qualified to teach LO, and to meet their needs through study skills training workshops. Comprehensive continuous improvement in learner performance requires a constant determination of trained LO teachers, qualified for the subject and properly equipped with relevant knowledge to cascade it to learners and cooperative community members, where parents are involved/hands on in shaping their children’s’ future. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The thesis deals with educational methods as a central element of the educational process as well as one of the original concepts of work in the Salesian youth centres from the standpoint of leisure studies. It is based on a qualitative research conceived as a content analysis of project documents of eight chosen youth centres. In the introduction, the concepts used are delimited, the problematics of Salesian youth centres in the Czech Republic and of educational methods practised there is theoretically presented. In the second part, the object, methods, process and results of the research are described. The other three parts are a synthesis of the knowledge gained in the analysis of the texts, complemented with information from other documents. These three parts describe thoroughly the concepts of education in Salesian youth centres (subjects, objectives, means, organisation forms and methods of education). In the crucial fifth part, treating educational methods, the lack of due attention to the educational methods in the examined documents is noticed.