The purpose of this study is to investigate how power is distributed in the mathematics classroom and how students achieve agency when ICT (Information and communication technology) is used as a teaching tool. Three learning situations, structured by mathematics, are analysed: in the first situation mathematics is taught in a traditional way, in the second mathematics is taught in interdisciplinary projects, and in the third mathematics is taught using ICT as a pedagogical tool. The theoretical concepts of power and agency are used as analytical tools within a socio-political framework. The concept of power is used to assess the students’ ability to influence their learning and degree of inclusion in the three learning situations. The power aspect is assumed to influence the students’ ability to achieve agency. Based on an ecological understanding of the concept, agency is examined by assessing the quality of students’ engagement in the learning situations. Also, the degree to which the students are in control of their actions is assessed. Data was collected through participant observation, questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Linguistic text analysis was used as a tool to analyse the transcripts from the interviews. The results suggest that students can achieve agency in situations where ICT is used as a pedagogical tool to enable collaboration between students. However, ICT can also distract students, which in turn can limit their achievement of agency. Furthermore, it is suggested that the results may have implications for our understanding of the concepts of power and agency in relation to ICT in a wider social context beyond the classroom. Finally, it is proposed that the question of how the distribution of power and agency influence learning when ICT is used in the mathematics classroom should be subject to further research.

This thesis scrutinises how regular mathematics teachers are expected to deal with empowerment in mathematics classroom practice. Inspired by a socio-political perspective, the aim of the study is to problematise how to empower mathematics students in inclusive classroom practice, as implicitly understood in a nationwide professional development programme, i.e., the Boost for Mathematics, in Sweden. The aim is addressed by the following research question: What types of empowering ideas are conveyed in the Boost for Mathematics? The data of the study were collected from supporting materials for teachers, published within the Boost for Mathematics. Data processing consists of two steps. Step 1 is a thematic analysis of how to promote student empowerment as discerned in the data of the study. In a nutshell, Step 1 clarifies that the data give prominence to ways of empowering students from a cognitive point-of-view while social difference is disregarded. Step 2 undertakes a critical approach and discusses an alternative way of treating empowerment; this alternative way is restricted to the design of participatory activities in inclusive classroom practice.

In this thesis, focused attention is given to the idea of task solvers as active participants in mathematical practices. The theoretical assumptions of the study, reported in this thesis, are inspired by socio-political concerns. The aim of the study is to investigate the underlying view of participation in mathematical practices, as understood in a nationwide teacher professional development programme, the Boost for Mathematics, in Sweden. To be more precise, the study is arranged to problematise ways of encouraging students as active participants. This aim is approached by means of the following research questions: (1) What messages do mathematical tasks in the Boost for Mathematics send about people as participants in mathematical practices? and (2) What is the role of multiple representations in these messages? An empirical study is reported. The data of the study, i.e., three collections of problems, are drawn from the Boost for Mathematics. Data processing is conducted by using a modified version of a pre-existing data processing framework, focusing on mathematical practices as socio-political practices. The empirical study uncovers an implicit view of task solvers in mathematical practices and especially a detachment between students, as potential task solvers, and the social contexts where mathematical ideas and concepts are embedded. This implicit view is challenged from the assumption that it is motivating for a student to conceive him/herself as someone who is ‘qualified’ to take part in mathematical practices.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:30:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana Silvia Ariza de Souza.pdf: 2325859 bytes, checksum: 491cfa26c4a9d5995d43453d6b0604f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-08 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This study is a participatory action research (PAR) approach conducted with the Health Sector of the Movement of the Landless Rural Workers, known by its Portuguese acronym MST, from 2008 to 2011. During the process, this study aimed to transform the action developed through the PAR, according to the materialist and dialectical reference basis of the social-historical psychology, to better orient the actions in the light of the knowledge learnt from the relation and theoretical mediation toward the Movement objective for enhancing political action capability.The orienting conception of health is as proposed by Sawaia, which understands health as a whole, on the confluence of material, political, biological and ethical dimensions, when referring to the order of life power. Conditions experienced there (when living at the Irmã Alberta Commune of the Earth, where this study was conducted) were chosen as focus for this study reflecting the dialectic between life power and emancipation and ethical-political suffering, consequences and bondage power. In other words, the aim was to understand the forces, which prepare the grounds for the ethical and political health condition, or the possibility of existing in act and the assessment of what inhibits this power in the construction process of Irmã Alberta Commune. To assess the affectivity dynamics and its interconnection in the health-disease process, having as basis the social-historical perspective of Vygostky, the philosophy of Espinosa and the considerations of discussions carried out on the Nucleus on the Psychosocial Study of Social Inclusion Exclusion Dialectics (NEXIN).The study counted on forty nine individual interviews as well as reports and a field diary drawn up to find its language subtext. The meaning units found were: work, land, study/education, communitarian organization and political actions. Although living under precarious conditions, with health problems as a consequence of the nonregulation of land ownership, and the lack of governmental resources and public policies for health as well as for land reform, we could observe achievements and capabilities to face difficulties encouraging them to be and exist, in act, and promoting their own transformation as well as of the society, with political actions playing an enhancing role in this context, especially in what concerns land occupations / Esta tese é uma pesquisa ação participante (PAP) realizada com o Setor de Saúde do MST nos anos de 2008 a 2011. Durante o seu processo de realização, teve o objetivo de transformar a ação desenvolvida em PAP segundo o referencial da psicologia sócio-histórica que é de base materialista e dialética para melhor orientar as ações, à luz dos conhecimentos extraídos na relação e da mediação teórica, na direção do objetivo do Movimento de potencializar a capacidade de ação política. A concepção de saúde que orienta é a defendida por Sawaia que entende saúde como uma totalidade, na confluência entre a dimensão material, política, biológica e ética, pois é da ordem da potência de vida. Foi eleito como foco de pesquisa as afecções sofridas (experiência de viver na Comuna da Terra Irmã Alberta, local em que foi realizada a pesquisa) para refletir sobre a dialética entre potência de vida e emancipação e sofrimento ético-político, potência de padecimento e servidão. Ou seja, compreender as forças que abrem caminho para a saúde ético-política ou ainda a capacidade de existir em ato e a compreensão do que inibe essa potência no processo de construção da Comuna Irmã Alberta. Para compreender a dinâmica da afetividade e sua imbricação no processo saúde-doença, baseamo-nos na perspectiva sócio-histórica de Vygotsky, na filosofia de Espinosa e nas reflexões realizadas no Núcleo de Estudos Psicossociais da Dialética Inclusão Exclusão Social (NEXIN). Foram realizadas 49 entrevistas individuais, além de utilizados relatórios e diário de campo para encontrar o subtexto dos discursos. As unidades de significado encontradas foram: trabalho, terra, estudo/formação, organização comunitária e ações políticas, incluindo o atendimento à saúde para ampliar a compreensão. Concluímos que embora vivam precariedade e problemas de saúde decorrentes da não regularização da terra com ausência de recursos e políticas públicas de saúde bem como de reforma agrária por parte do Estado; as conquistas e capacidade de enfrentar as dificuldades os potencializa a ser e existir em ato, promovendo a transformação de si e da sociedade, tendo as ações políticas, especialmente as ocupações, papel potencializador nesse contexto

Bakgrund: Revisionsplikten var länge obligatorisk för alla aktiebolag i Sverige men avskaffades år 2010 för små aktiebolag som ett led i att förenkla för företagare. Avskaffandet skapade en debatt mellan olika aktörer. Debatten har till stor del handlat om den ekonomiska brottsligheten har ökat efter avskaffandet av revisionsplikten och om nyttan av revisionen, om den är värd vad den kostar. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att bidra med en förståelse för debatten om avskaffandet av revisionsplikten för små aktiebolag i Sverige. Varför och hur har de olika aktörerna valt att agera för att nå ut med sina budskap samt vilka aktörerna vill påverka med budskapet. Studiens bidrag är att fånga de skillnader och likheter som finns i debatten i nuläget och hur debatten har utvecklats mellan åren 2008-2023. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och genomfördes med hjälp av metoder som dokumentanalys och av semistrukturerade intervjuer. De mest relevanta dokumenten valdes ut för att de ligger till grund för en stor del av debatten. Det kompletterades med en sammansatt intervjuguide som anpassades för att uppnå studiens syfte. Slutsats: Politik är en grund till varför debatten ser ut som den gör eftersom politikerna har makten att fatta beslut och förändra. Budskapen som aktörerna förmedlar i debatten har olika syften, som visar på skillnader och likheter mellan aktörerna. Debatten har två olika sidor där den ena sidan argumenterar för ett återinförande av revisionsplikten och därmed minska den ekonomiska brottsligheten. Den andra sidan fokuserar på att höja gränsvärdena för revisionsplikt för aktiebolag så att fler företag ska kunna välja bort revision. / Background: The audit duty was for a long time mandatory for all limited companies in Sweden, but was abolished in 2010 for small limited companies as part of simplification for entrepreneurs. The abolition created a debate between different actors. The debate has largely been about whether economic crime has increased after the abolition of the audit duty and about the benefit of the audit, whether it is worth the cost. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to contribute to an understanding of the debate about the abolition of the audit duty for small limited companies in Sweden. Why and how have the various actors chosen to act in order to reach out with their messages and who the actors want to influence with the message. The study's contribution is to capture the differences and similarities that exist in the current debate and how the debate has developed between the years 2008-2023. Method: The study has a qualitative approach and was carried out using methods such as document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The most relevant documents were selected because they form the basis of a large part of the debate. It was supplemented with a composite interview guide that was adapted to achieve the purpose of the study. Conclusions: The politics is a foundation for why the debate looks the way it does because the politicians have the power to make decisions and change. The messages that the actors convey in the debate have different purposes, which show differences and similarities between the actors. The debate has two different sides, with one side arguing for a reintroduction of the audit duty and thereby reducing financial crime. The other side focuses on raising the threshold for audit obligation for limited companies so that more companies can opt out of audit.