The purposes of this study were to examine (a) health promoting behaviors, (b) physical activity levels, (c) exercise stages of change levels, and (d) exercise preferences of students who had just entered the university by gender and residence. Participants were 438 students from Middle East Technical University (METU) English Preparatory school. Adolescent Health Promotion Scale (AHPS), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire (PASCQ), and Physical Activity Preferences Check-list were used for the data collection. Descriptive statistics, nonparametric statistical methods (Mann Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square test), and a one-way MANOVA were used for the data analysis. According to AHPS results, female students&amp / #8217 / health promoting behaviors were better than those of male students except exercise behavior. Students living at home had higher scores on nutrition behavior and students living in dormitory had higher scores on stress management behavior (p &lt / .05). According to the IPAQ results, male students were more physically active than female counterparts. Students who were living in dormitory had higher physical activity levels than students living at home (p &lt / .05). PASCQ findings indicated no significant differences on the exercise stages of change levels by gender and residence (p &gt / .05). In general, students were at pre-contemplation 9.2%, contemplation 39.3%, preparation 27.8%, action 14.5%, and maintenance 9.2% stages. Swimming, walking, and table tennis were the three most frequently preferred physical activities. In conclusion, female students had better health promoting behaviors than those of male students except exercise behavior. Female students and students living at home were more at risk of inactivity. Approximately 80% of the METU English Preparatory school students&amp / #8217 / physical activity levels were not satisfactory for a healthy life. University physical activity facilities, extracurricular programs and the courses should be reconsidered to support the health promoting behaviors of these students.

Friskolereformen 1992 innebar att den svenska skolan konkurrensutsattes. Expansionen av friskolor var snabb och idag går mer än 25 procent av alla gymnasieelever i en friskola. Denna studie avser att studera kunskapsutfallet av friskolereformen i den svenska gymnasieskolan. Studien baserar sig på en jämförelse mellan 19 län och studerar de förändringar som skett under åren 2004 till 2011 när andelen elever i friskola har förändrats. Som utfallsvariabler studeras gymnasiets slutbetyg, högskoleprovsresultatet samt övergången till högskola. Studien använder sig av multipel regression med länsfixa och årsfixa effekter. Resultaten visar att slutbetyget inte påverkas av andelen elever i friskola, däremot påverkas resultatet på högskoleprovet marginellt negativt. Studien finner dock samtidigt att andelen elever i friskola påverka övergången till högskolan marginellt positivt. / The number of independent schools in Sweden expanded rapidly as a result of the 1992 voucher reform. The effects were most noticeable in the upper secondary school with more than 25 percent of all Swedish students currently attending a private school. The aim of this paper is to examine the effects on upper secondary students' study-results as a result of the voucher reform. The paper compares study-results for 19 counties covering the years 2004-2011. The measured outcome variables used are grade point average, SweSAT-scores and transitions to higher education. The tool of analysis used is a multiple regression with county- and year fixed effects. The results from this paper show that grade point average is not affected by the number of students attending private schools, the SweSAT-scores drop marginally with a higher number of students in private schools. Finally the results display a weak positive link between the number of students attending private schools and transitions to higher education.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of creative improvisation in music therapy sessions of a group of 12 first-year international students. The students took part in a group music therapy process which consisted of eight sessions. Music therapy is explored as a possible approach for offering first-year international students valuable social, emotional and psychological support in light of literature findings that note the continuous struggles faced by international students in their transition to university. Data collection was in the form of a focus group interview, which was conducted after the final session, and two video excerpts from different sessions within the process. I drew on these data sources to explore how music is used as a medium for expressing and sharing first-year experiences, and how the group music therapy sessions afford students opportunities for the development of mutually supportive relationships. Data were coded, then categorised and in this process, themes emerged. The emergent themes suggest that creative improvisation in group music therapy sessions facilitates moving from disconnection to building more friendships and deeper relationships; creates a platform for increasing openness towards exploring, expressing and sharing experiences and emotions concerning being a first-year international student; and how music as an alternative medium to verbal and/or other expression for expressing and interacting, allows for this expression of emotions and experiences, and connection in the group. The findings indicate that it was in expressing and sharing their experiences with one another through musicking that students were able to develop mutually supportive relationships. Copyright / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Music / unrestricted

Denna studie undersöker huruvida studier på fristående gymnasieskola påverkar sannolikheten att påbörja vidareutbildning på högskola eller universitet. Detta studeras genom användande av paneldata över åren 2008-2021 för samtliga 290 kommuner i Sverige. För att analysera datan används metoden multipel regressionsanalys både med och utan fixa effekter för år och kommuner. De prediktorer som hålls konstanta i studien för att mäta effekten av andel elever i friskola på övergång till vidare studier är grundskolebetyg, unga i ekonomiskt utsatta hushåll, utländsk bakgrund och lågutbildade föräldrar. Resultatet visar inledningsvis, vid både enkel linjär regression och vid hänsyn till årsfixa effekter, en statistisk signifikant positiv effekt på övergång till högskola och universitet. Med det sagt försvinner både det positiva sambandet och den statistiska signifikansen när även kommunfixa effekter inkluderas. / This study examines whether the proportion of students in private upper secondary school affects the proportion of students at college or university. This is studied using panel data over the years 2008-2021 regarding all 290 municipalities in Sweden. The data is used for the multiple regression analysis method, both with and without fixed effects regarding years and municipalities. The predictors used in the study to measure the effect of the proportion of students in independent schools are primary school grades, youth in economically disadvantaged households, foreign backgrounds, and low-educated parents. The results show that the proportion of students in private upper secondary schools initially, using simple linear regression and yearly fixed effects, has a statistically significant positive effect on further studies. With that said, the positive effect fades away when the fixed effects for municipalities are added. In addition, the result is no longer statistically significant.