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The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the computer software Frizbi Mathematics 4 on 4th grade student&rsquo / s mathematics achievement, retention, attitudes toward mathematics and attitude toward computer assisted learning. Two groups (experimental and control) of primary school students from &ldquo / Sht. Osman Ahmet&rdquo / primary school in Gazimagusa, North Cyprus were used in this study. Control group was taught using a lecture-based traditional instruction and experimental group was taught using educational software, namely Frizbi Mathematics 4. The control group consisted of 26 students where the experimental group consisted of 29 students. The groups were compared on achievement of mathematics, retention, and attitude toward mathematics and computer assisted learning. The study was conducted in spring semester of 2006-2007 academic year and included three units, Multiplication of Natural Numbers, Division of Natural Numbers, and Fractions. Scores on achievement tests were collected three times / at the beginning of the study, immediately after the intervention, and 4 months later. Mathematics attitude scale and computer assisted learning attitude scale were administrated only two times / at the beginning of the study and immediately after the completion of the study. A series of ANOVAs for repeated measures revealed significant difference between the groups on the post achievement tests and attitude scales in favor of experimental group. However, statistically significant differences in favor of treatment group, on the retention tests was attained on the multiplication and division units but not on fractions. The evidence indicates that Frizbi Mathematics 4 for learning and teaching mathematics at the primary school level in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is an effective tool.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the factors affecting mathematical literacy of 15-year-old students in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) across different cultural settings. The present study was conducted across three countries. These countries are Brazil, Japan and Norway. The countries were selected on the basis of their rankings in PISA 2000 study. Japan represented a high performing country with an average score of 557, Norway represented an average performing country with an average score of 499, and Brazil represented a low performing country with an average score of 334. The study explored how mathematical literacy is stimulated by predictors related to the students, the families and the school. A separate factor analysis was carried out for each questionnaire such as student questionnaire and cross curricular competencies questionnaire within the data of each country. Since the results of factor analyses of three countries were parallel, the observed variables representing the latent variables were selected from the student questionnaire and cross curricular competencies questionnaire administered in PISA 2000 in order to be used in the structural equation modeling. The included factors affecting mathematical literacy in PISA 2000 are attitudes towards reading, student-teacher relations, climate, communication with parents, usage of technology and facilities, attitudes towards mathematics and reading literacy. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling across three different cultures with different performance levels in PISA 2000. The findings of the study show that the latent independent variable having the strongest effect on mathematical literacy is the usage of technology and facilities in Brazil, communication with parents in Japan and attitudes towards reading in Norway. Moreover, the results were as follows: (1) Reading literacy significantly and positively influences mathematical literacy in all three countries. (2) There is a reciprocal relationship between the attitudes towards mathematics and mathematical literacy. In Brazil, the influence of attitudes towards mathematics on mathematical literacy is higher. However, the influence of mathematical literacy on attitudes towards mathematics is higher in Norway. (3) The attitudes towards reading have a negative direct effect and a positive indirect effect on mathematical literacy. (4) The student-teacher relations have a positive effect on mathematical literacy in Japan and Norway. But, in Brazil, this effect is negative. (5) The student-related factors affecting school climate are significantly and positively related to mathematical literacy in Brazil. On the other hand, the effect of climate on mathematical literacy is negative in Japan and non-significant in Norway. (6) Communication with parents significantly and positively influences the mathematical literacy in all three countries. (7) The usage of technology and facilities significantly and positively affects mathematical literacy in Brazil. However, this effect is negative in Japan and non-significant in Norway.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of conceptual change text oriented instruction accompanied by demonstrations in small groups (CCTI) on ninth grade students&rsquo / achievement and understanding levels of ecology, attitudes towards biology, and attitudes towards environment. The instruments used in this study were the Test of Ecological Concepts (TEC), the Attitude Scale towards Biology (ASB), the Attitude Scale towards Environment (ASE), and the Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT). All data were collected from the public high school in Balikesir in the Spring Semester of 2001-2002. 88 students from four classes and two teachers were included in this study. Two of the classes were called control group and two of them were called experimental group. While the TEC, ASE and ASB were administered to all of the students as pre- and post-tests, the TOLT were conducted as pre-test. Data related to the TEC, ASB, and ASE were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results of the MANCOVA showed that there was significant effect of the treatment which was the conceptual change texts oriented instruction accompanied by demonstrations in small groups on the TEC, while there were no significant effect of the treatment on the attitudes towards biology and attitudes towards environment.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the differences on gifted student&rsquo / s attitudes toward science and their preferred classroom climate during science classes based on gender and grade level. Two questionnaires, the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) and the Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ), were used as survey tools in this study. A group of 163 gifted and talented students among four academic levels which are eighth grade, English prep class, ninth and eleventh grade were assigned to take part in this study. The data obtained from administration of measuring instrument were analyzed by using Two-Analyses of Variance (ANOVA). Result indicated that grade level of students had a significant effect on attitudes towards science. The study found, first, lower-grade students show more positive attitudes toward science than the students at higher-grade level. Secondly, there are significant differences were found among students in their perceptions of the science classroom environment based on their gender and grade level. Female students expected more personalization than male students, higher grade students preferred to have more independence and more differentiated classroom environment than lower grade students while they are learning.

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that are related to scientific literacy of 15-year old students in Turkey in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data. Two groups of variables were considered for the analyses. In the first group / number of books at home and attendance to preschool, attitudes towards school, student-teacher relation, feeling of loneliness, remedial study and homework and attending out-of-school courses were taken as variables that are related to scientific literacy. In the second group, basically, variables that are related to computer literacy and usage were considered. These variables are: frequency of using internet, frequency of using computer, basic computer skills, advanced computer skills and attitudes towards computer. The results indicated that quality of student-teacher relation, the number of books at home and attendance to preschool education, use of internet and basic computer skills are positively related to scientific literacy measures of the students. As expected, student feeling of loneliness has negative impact on literacy skills. Remedial classes conducted by schools and homework assignments have positive effect on school related attitude, but they cannot contribute scientific literacy skills of the students. Outside school private courses has positive relation with the scientific literacy, but this effect rather seems coming from family background characteristics. Use of internet and basic computer skills might have positive relation with both attitudes towards computer and scientific literacy, but use of software programs and advanced computer skills indicated negative relationship with the scientific literacy measures of the students.

Bakgrund: Spridningen av feministiska budskap och firandet av kvinnors mångfald har lett till att en ny kategori av marknadsföring har uppkommit, kallad Femvertising. Det finns en osäkerhet i hur reklam som använder sig av denna reklamform uppfattas av konsumenter, vilket gör det intressant att undersöka huruvida konsumenters attityder samt associationer kopplade till ett varumärke påverkas vid användning av Femvertising. Syfte: I detta examensarbete studeras relationen mellan Femvertising och varumärkesimage. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur unga konsumenters uppfattning av ett varumärkes image i termer av varumärkespersonlighet, varumärkesattityd och reklamattityd påverkas vid exponering för Femvertising. Vidare kommer en kartläggning av skillnader mellan unga manliga konsumenter och unga kvinnliga konsumenter att göras gällande ämnet. Metod: Studien är baserad på en kvantitativ metod med en deduktiv ansats, där datainsamlingen skett i form av ett experiment med en efterföljande enkät. För att besvara studiens frågeställningar bearbetades insamlad data i Excel och SPSS. Slutsats: Studien har identifierat att användning av Femvertising leder till att ett varumärkes image präglas av uppriktighet enligt unga konsumenter. Unga konsumenter har positiva attityder både gentemot reklamen och varumärket men uppfattningen om ett varumärkes image kan inte antas skilja sig åt mellan unga kvinnor och män vid användning av Femvertising. Unga kvinnor uppvisar en högre grad av positiva attityder både gentemot reklamen och varumärket i jämförelse med unga män men det bör understrykas att Femvertising även ger positiva effekter på varumärkesimage enligt unga män. / Background: The spreading of feminist messages and the celebration of women's diversity has led to the emergence of a new category of marketing called Femvertising. There is an uncertainty about how advertising that employs this category is perceived by consumers, making it interesting to investigate whether consumers' attitudes and associations connected with a brand are affected using Femvertising.  Purpose: In this master thesis the relation between Femvertising and Brand Image is examined. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the perception of a Brand Image in terms of Brand Personality, brand attitude and attitude towards the ad is affected by exposure to Femvertising according to young consumers. Furthermore, an identification will be made of the differences between young male and female consumers regarding the mentioned subject.  Method: The study is based on a quantitative method with a deductive approach, where the data collection took place in the form of an experiment with a subsequent survey. In order to answer the research questions, the collected data was processed in Excel and SPSS.  Conclusion: The study has identified that the use of Femvertising leads to a Brand Image characterized by sincerity by young consumers. Young consumers have positive attitudes both to the advertisement and the brand, but the perception of a Brand Image cannot be expected to differ between young women and men when using Femvertising. Young women present more positive attitudes both towards the advertisement and the brand in comparison with young men, but it should be emphasized that Femvertising also has positive effects on brand image according to young men.

Le terme « temporalité » définit la question de l’être comme la primauté de l'Être-vers-la-mort (le temps de l’être depuis la naissance jusqu’à sa mort) et la nécessité de l'Être-tendant-vers-le-possible (le temps d’être, de faire). Avant que la mort ne soit absence et donc sentiment de manque, de perte, qui pousse les personnages à aller au-delà des confins avec les morts, l’être est confronté à ses obsessions, ses échecs et ses rêves, ses cauchemars et ses désirs. C’est une souffrance existentielle se manifestant par l’incertitude, le regret, le remords et, surtout, des crises d’identité dues à l’impossibilité pour l’homme de se connaître soi-même. De sa fragmentation, sa division et cet immense désir d’unité qui le possède découle la forte présence de la pluralité, de la recherche du double, cet autre, peut-être vraiment autre, différent, ou frère, ou miroir, qui ne se laissera jamais rattraper. Pourtant, c’est dans ce sens qu’il lui faut chercher si l’homme veut recueillir de minuscules pièces de son puzzle intérieur. C’est la pensée douloureuse (élément pour comprendre le monde) du temps d’un être qui, après avoir constaté que le vide immense a désormais pénétré tous les domaines de l’existence humaine et du monde, trouve sa propre marche à suivre pour se sortir de sa caverne intérieure dans la constitution fondamentale de l'Être-Soi-même tabucchien, à savoir un Être-tendant-vers-le-possible au quotidien. Parce qu’il n’y a pas d'être-au-monde possible sans la préoccupation de tout ce qui est à-portée-de-la-main, notre auteur s’interroge sans cesse, intervient sur tous les fronts et à tous les niveaux de son vécu. / The term temporality defines the question of the human being as the primacy of the being-going-towards-death (the time span of the human being from birth to death) and the necessity of the-being-going-towards-the-possible (the time of being/doing). Before death becomes absence and thus a feeling of lack, of loss, which drives people to go beyond the limits with the dead, the human being is confronted with his obsessions, his failures and his dreams, his nightmares and his desires. It's an existential suffering shown through incertitude, regret, remorse and, above all, identity crises, because it is impossible for man to know himself. From its fragmentation, division, and the immense desire for unity which possesses him, results the strong presence of plurality, the search for one's double, this other, perhaps really other, different, or brother, or mirror, which can never be caught. Nevertheless it is in this direction that man must search if he is to gather the tiny pieces of his interior puzzle. It is painful reflection (element for understanding the world) on the time span of a being who after observing that the great emptiness has penetrated all areas of human existence and the world, finds his own path to follow out of his interior cave in the fundamental constitution of the Tabucchian being-oneself, that is to say a being-tending-towards-the-possible every day. Because there is no being possible in the world without concerning oneself with what is close at hand, our author questions himself from all angles and at all levels of his existence.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om hur kommunikation med och involvering av medarbetare inverkar på medarbetares inställning till en omorganisation. Metod: Forskningsansatsen är av kvalitativ karaktär. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer utförda på Polismyndigheten Region Nord som genomgår en omorganisation. Materialet tolkades med hjälp av vår egen modell som är baserad på tidigare forskning, då vi utgått ifrån de resultat vi funnit i vår litteraturstudie.  Resultat och slutsats: Bristfällig kommunikation och lågt medarbetarinvolverande inverkar till att medarbetare intar en likgiltig eller negativ inställning gentemot en omorganisering, och att en bra kommunikation och ett högt medarbetarinvolverande leder till en positiv inställning. Vi upplever att kommunikation är den starkaste faktorn eftersom bra kommunikation är en förutsättning för att medarbetare ska uppleva att de har inflytande och därmed är delaktiga i omorganisationen. Vi anser även att vår studie visar att en negativ inställning till en omorganisation innebär att medarbetare motsätter sig en omorganisering.  Studiens bidrag: Ge en ökad förståelse för vilka faktorer som inverkar till att medarbetare motsätter sig en omorganisering, samt vilken inverkan kommunikation och involvering av medarbetare har på medarbetarnas inställning till en omorganisering. Förslag på vidare forskning: Vi kom i denna studie fram till att bristfällig kommunikation innebär att medarbetare upplever att de inte involveras i förändringsprocessen, vilket i sin tur leder till ett bristande förtroende för organisationen och därmed även ett motstånd till omorganisationen i sig. Vårt förslag på vidare forskning är att testa den nya modell vi kommit fram till för att se om dessa slutsatser är överförbara även på andra organisationer som genomgår en organisationsförändring. / Aim: The aim of this study is to improve our understanding on how communication and employee involvement affect employees' attitude towards an organizational change. Method: Our research approach is qualitative. The empirical data was collected through semi structured interviews conducted at Polismyndigheten Region Nord, which is currently undergoing an organizational change. We used our own model, based on previews researched, to analyse the data.                    Conclusions: The lack of good communication and low employee involvement leads to employees’ developing a negative or indifferent attitude towards an organizational change. Communication is the strongest factor do to the fact that good communication is essential for making employees’ feel involved in the changing process. Our study also shows a connection between a negative attitude towards an organizational change, and employees’ being against change in general. Contribution of the thesis: Provide a greater understanding for which factors that influence employees’ to oppose an organizational change, as well as which impact communication and employee involvement have on employees' attitudes towards an organizational change. Suggestion for future research:           Our conclusion based on this study, is that poor communication makes employee’s feel that they are not involved in the change process, which leads to a lack of confidence for the organisation and a resistance for the organizational change. Our suggestion for future research is therefor to test our new model to see if our conclusions are transferable to other organizations undergoing a change process.

This thesis explores Joan Didion’s concern of mass media’s infiltration on the processing and communication of her personal reality and memory. Didion herself communicates an anxiety of the infiltration of mass media into her individual communication of her unique, indescribable experience. Yet, she too is unable to escape this and instead, is forced to make this an act of adaptation, not separation. Mass media pervades Didion’s own mind, taking over her processing of experience and memory through the modes of photography and film. With these forms of mass media, Didion seeks a purity of personal expression through the form of writing. Ultimately, this proves to be just as problematic and is unable to escape the influence of mass media’s depersonalized representations of individual human experience.