The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore through the lens of culturally responsive instruction (CRI) the development of teachers’ sense of efficacy, as defined by Bandura (1995), to address the literacy learning of diverse first, second, or third grade (i.e., primary grade level) students. In this process, I purposively selected the location and the participants because answering my research questions required that I conduct the investigation within learning settings where culturally and linguistically diverse students in the primary grade levels (i.e., first, second, or third grade) receive literacy instruction. My time in the field and my comprehensive focus on the participants and their teaching practices allowed me to gather rich descriptive data concerning the participants’ perspectives, experiences, and teaching practices through multiple traditional case study data collection means. Four overarching themes emerged from within, between, and across case analysis as significant in the development of teachers’ sense of efficacy to address the literacy learning of their pluralistic student populations in a culturally responsive manner. The themes include: (1) Perspectives shaping literacy instruction provision, (2) Understanding what constitutes CRI, (3) The impact of establishing a collaborative teaching community on the development of teachers’ sense of efficacy, and (4) Foundations of culturally responsive teachers’ sense of efficacy. I base my recommendations for the development of inservice teachers’ sense of efficacy to address the literacy learning of their students using CRI and my recommendations for future research on my study findings.

This paper presents part of a study of moral development conducted in a public early education school in Brasília, Brazil. A sociocultural constructivist perspective was employed to analyze the ideas of nine educators about the role of interpersonal conflict in moral development. Educators provided information about the pedagogical strategies they use to intervene in conflicts. Results show the dominance of a negative view of the conflict and the need for changes in this perspective due to the role that interpersonal conflicts play in building moral values and social skills that enable a harmonious and democratic coexistence. / Este artículo presenta parte de un estudio sobre desarrollo moral realizado en una institución pública de Educación Infantil de Brasilia desde la perspectiva sociocultural constructivista, en el que fueron analizadas las concepciones de nueve educadores sobre el papel de los conflictos interpersonales en el desarrollo moral, a través de su elaboración discursiva y de las estrategias pedagógicas usadas para intervenir en situaciones de conflicto. Los resultados mostraron el predominio de una visión negativa del conflicto por parte de los educadores, así como la necesidad de cambios en esa visión en función de la importancia de los conflictos interpersonales para la construcción de valores morales y de habilidades sociales que permitan la convivencia armónica y democrática. / O presente artigo apresenta parte de um estudo sobre desenvolvimento moral realizado numa instituição pública de Educação Infantil de Brasília-DF, Brasil. No estudo, realizado a partir da perspectiva sociocultural construtivista, foram analisadas as concepções de nove educadores sobre o papel dos conflitos interpessoais no desenvolvimento moral, através de sua elaboração discursiva e das estratégias pedagógicas usadas para intervir em situações de conflito. Os resultados mostram o predomínio de uma visão negativa do conflito por parte dos educadores, assim como a necessidade de mudanças nessa visão em função da importância dos conflitos interpessoais para a construção de valores morais e de habilidades sociaisque permitam uma convivência harmônica e democrática.

This study aims to describe the interaction of the final course in information literacy at Linköpings university library with the information practice in the environmental profession. The investigation is based on five interviews and one document that is used as educational material in the course. In the study an investigation is carried out of the information practice in the environmental science as well as of the curriculum in the course. The study use a qualitative method and the analysis is based on Annemaree Lloyd’s model of information practice in a work context. The analysis is also founded on Vygotskijs zone of proximal development.  The results shows that there is a similarity between the educational and the work practice where the alumni don’t get the opportunity to share the corporeal information. This has a negative effect on the development of the shared identity in practice and the confidence to act within the individuals. This study also discuss the need of an education in practice in the course, to make a transfer of knowledge possible for the students between an educational and a work context and shows the benefits with Problem-based learning as a method.

No description available.

This small-scale ethnographic research study investigated student perceptions of social identity and agency and the usefulness of the construct of the Community of Practice for struggling writers in the context of a pre-university EAP program. The appropriateness of socio-cultural theories in language teaching and learning today stems from social constructivist and social interactionist theories of the role of language in the discursive construction of society, knowledge and power. This study problematised these constructs in the development of writing for learners in a pre-university Higher Education context. Comparing data from focal students who were struggling with writing and from students who were more successful, the biographies of struggling students and their awareness of their futures, or imagined selves and communities, revealed not only learning histories in which they had radically different identities as learners and writers, but also a lack of clarity about their learning trajectory in the writing program. There was no apparent lack of investment in learning among the focal students, who identified themselves as weak writers, although there was frustration and anger at their predicament. The data suggest that they did not identify with the learning community at the start of the project, probably because they resisted belonging to a community which labeled them as failures. During the study a variety of means were used to elicit participants’ perceptions of their status as novice writers and to support their learning trajectory on an individual basis by elucidating the reasons for and requirements of academic writing. By the end of the study the focal students had developed more awareness of the subject positions the writing trajectory afforded them and had chosen ways in which to continue along their learning path. The Community of Practice appears to have potential as a means of supporting the roles of EAP students and teachers as members of the academic community of practice.

Studien handlar om att utifrån ett sociokulturellt studera hur Arbetsmiljöverket arbetar utefter sina föreskrifter. Syfte: Syftet var att utifrån ett sociokulturellt lärande studera hur Arbetsmiljöverket arbetar genom föreskrifterna för att förebygga ohälsa och åstadkomma hälsofrämjande arbetsmiljöer på arbetsplatser i Sverige. Metod: Genom en kvalitativ intervjustudie genomfördes sammanlagt sex stycken semi- strukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna gjordes på Arbetsmiljöverket med fem stycken arbetsmiljöinspektörer och en av föreskriftsförfattarna till föreskriften Organisatorisk och Social arbetsmiljö AFS 2015:4. Studiens resultat analyserades deduktivt genom sociokulturellt lärande. Teoretisk referensram: Studien litteratur fokuserar på pedagogiska och hälsofrämjande områden med fokus på lärande och hälsopromotion. Den pedagogiska utgångspunkten finns i sociokulturellt lärande. Studien berör hälsopromotion som begrepp och strategi, hälsoprevention hälsolitteracitet. Slutsats: Studien visar på betydelsen av dialog, kommunikation och erfarenheter för lärande genom föreskrifterna men även internt lärande på Arbetsmiljöverket. Bristen av kompetens inom hälsofrämjande arbete visar sig vara orsaken till Arbetsmiljöverkets tydliga utgångspunkt i preventivt arbete / The study involves studying based on a sociocultural learing how the Swedish Work Environment Authority is working according to their regulations. The aim: The aim of this study was to from a sociocultral learning study how the Swedish Work Environment Authority is working according to their regulations to prevent illness and to achive health promoting workplaces in Sweden. Method: Through a qualitative interview-study a total of six interviews were conducted at the Swedish Work Environment Authority with five inspectors and one with the authors of the regulation AFS 2015:4. The study’s results were analyzed deductively through a sociocultural learning. Results: The study’s results demonstratet that dialogue, open communication and experiences were important tools to create learning during supervision. Lack of competence in health promoting indicates to be why the Swedish Work Environment Authority has a clear base in preventing illnesn. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework in this essay was inspired and focused on educational and the health subject areas with a focus on learning and health promotion. The pedagogical starting point is sociocultural learning. The study also concerns health promotion as a concept and as a stategy, health prevention and healthliteracy. Conclusion: The study shows the importance of dialogue, communication and experience in order for learning by the regulations but also internally learning by the Work Environment Authority.  The lack of expertise in health promotion proves to be the cause of the Work Environment obvious starting point in preventive work.

This study was designed to investigate the question of what goes on in a reader's mind as she transacts with extended text. It was a case study with one respondent, a ten year old girl. She reported, in writing, her thoughts during teacher read aloud, subsequent silent reading of the same text, and group discussions about the text. The findings support and flesh out Rosenblatt.s transactional theory, Vygotsky.s Zone of Proximal Development theory, and Lipman.s Philosophy for Children theory. Conclusions were that there are numerous sociocultural influences on a reader's transaction with text and that these influences must be taken into account in the classroom.

This thesis studies how a non-white minority integrates into Swedish society in order to better understand the particularities of Sweden’s immigration model and to see if it is as suitable as it is made out to be in EU circles. It does so through an exhaustive review and cross-examination of existing literature on immigration in Sweden, and by collecting opinions from members of a long established immigrant community: the Eritreans in Sweden. It calls for a more nuanced approach in education and society to issues of race and ethnicity, so that the majority of the population realizes that using and discussing these categories should not be avoided, because they are useful to come to terms with diversity. By not focusing exclusively on economic insertion, but by also placing emphasis on the socio-cultural integration of minority identities, it will point out to the need for more comprehensive integration policies that equate opportunities and chances of non-white Swedes with those of natives and ensure equal access to the labor and housing markets. It contends that ‘top-down’ legislation and systemic implementation of such policies foster feelings of ‘belongingness’ among non-white Swedes, and contribute to the creation of social capital and to the overall peaceful coexistence of Swedes of different cultural backgrounds.

The primary aim of the research attempted to investigate whether ethnic differences in self-image existed amongst White and African females. It further investigated whether specific factors such as family, peer relations and psychosocial factors (specifically perceptions regarding the media) have had a positive or negative influence on weight. Additionally it explored whether black females may still perceive a fuller figure as being more acceptable or whether changes have occurred within past and/or present ideologies. The study used both qualitative and quantitative analysis. In order to establish whether ethnicity was significantly different from BMI, BSQ, SATAQ-3, t-tests (non-parametric one-way ANOVA comparisons) were performed. Ethnicity was not significantly different in relation to the dependent variables BSQ; overall SATAQ-3 scores and its dimensions; and affirmation, belonging and commitment of the MEIM. However significant differences were found between BMI, the overall MEIM and its subscale ethnic identity. Low and high scores of the MEIM revealed no differences across all measurement instruments used within the study, demonstrating no effect upon BSQ or the SATAQ-3 and its subscales. However there was a significant difference found between ethnic groups with regard to BMI. Fisher’s –z was used to conduct comparisons between the correlations established using Pearson’s Rank Coefficient Correlations. The results indicated that significant relationships did exist between the BSQ, specific subscales of the SATAQ-3, and BMI. Results obtained from Fisher’s-z revealed significant differences on the BSQ and SATAQ-3 (including its subscales) correlations. Multiple Regression was conducted to establish whether BMI, MEIM and SATAQ-3 have had an impact upon the outcome of BSQ. The comparisons revealed that BMI and sociocultural factors may have an impact upon the perceptions of body shape and size. Major themes identified within the qualitative analysis were culture, inherited concepts, media, family, friends and parental (mother) influences amongst others. The results revealed that White females may experience greater body dissatisfaction. African females had stated that their body concept is influenced by ethnicity, while White females communicated media and stereotyped images of white females as being the source of pressure to loose weight.

No description available.