The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships among brand image, loyalty of fans, and purchase intention. It also discussed the influence of different ways of watching the baseball games on the relationship. This study was based on internet and on-site questionnaire investigation. The sample of this study consists of the CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League) fans. The valid sample was 631. The results were as follows: Team¡¦s brand image affected the loyalty of fans positively. Team¡¦s brand image had positive effects on purchase intention of fans. Fans¡¦ identification with a team had the strongest influence on purchase intention for accessory products. Besides, stadium environment also had the strongest influence on purchase intention for parent company¡¦s products. Loyalty of fans affected fans¡¦ purchase intention positively. Different ways of watching baseball games had effects on fans¡¦ purchase intentions. The purchase intention of the fans who watch the games on-the-scene more often was higher than of those who watch the games on TV or internet. According to the conclusion, this study gave some suggestions to the operators of the professional baseball teams.

Bakgrund: Det har i tidigare forskning visats att människor alltid påverkas av psykologiska fallgropar. Empiriska studier har tidigare genomförts med syfte att finna hanteringssätt att reducera psykologiska fallgropar. Vid litteraturstudien till denna uppsats påträffades dock ingen kvalitativ studie vilken berör hanteringen i praktiken varför det var av intresse att studera det genom intervjuer med svenska fondbolag. Då dessa empiriska studier till viss del utgått från praktiken vid skapandet av hypoteser gällande problematiken med psykologiska fallgropar var det även relevant att kartlägga på vilken kunskapsnivå svenska fondbolag befinner sig gällande behavioral finance som forskningsfält. Syfte: Denna uppsats syftar till att kartlägga och analysera svenska fondbolags kunskaper gällande behavioral finance som forskningsfält. Den ämnar även analysera om och i vilken mån hanteringssätt av psykologiska fallgropar, presenterade av tidigare forskning, i praktiken används av svenska fondbolag vid investeringsbeslut. Genomförande: För att uppnå uppsatsens syfte har ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt använts med utgångspunkt i åtta genomförda intervjuer med representanter från svenska fondbolag. Samtliga representanter har en övergripande insyn i hur fondförvaltningen går till på respektive fondbolag. Den insamlade empirin har dels analyserats utifrån en för denna uppsats framtagen analysmodell med syfte att kartlägga vart svenska fondbolag befinner sig kunskapsmässigt gällande behavioral finance, och dels utifrån tidigare empirisk forskning inom forskningsområdet. Slutsats: Uppsatsen lägger fram en ny hypotes vilken innebär att teoretiska förkunskaper om behavioral finance saknas i branschen samt att de hanteringssätt som används av svenska fondbolag till stor del inte reducerar psykologiska fallgropar. Det förklaras av att det till stor del inte finns stöd för svenska fondbolags hanteringssätt i tidigare forskningsresultat. / Background: Previous research has shown that people always are influenced by biases. Empirical studies have previously been conducted in order to find ways to reduce the biases. In the literature review for this thesis was however no qualitative study found which concerned the handling in practice, why it was of interest to study. Since the empirical studies, to some extent, have been based on practice when creating their hypotheses regarding the problem of biases, it was also relevant for this paper to survey the knowledge that Swedish fund companies currently have regarding behavioral finance as a research field. Aim: This paper aims to survey and analyse Swedish fund companies’ knowledge regarding behavioral finance as a research field. The paper also intends to analyse if and to what extent ways of handling biases, by previous research presented, in practice are used by Swedish fund companies when making investment decisions. Completion: To achieve the purpose of this paper, a qualitative approach has been used based on eight interviews conducted with representatives from Swedish fund companies. All representatives have an overall insight into how the fund management is done in respective fund companies. The collected empirical data has been analyzed partly on the basis of one, for this paper developed, analytical model with the aim to survey were Swedish fund companies are in terms of knowledge regarding behavioral finance, and partly on previous empirical research in the field of this research area. Conclusion: This paper table a new hypothesis which means that the industry lacks theoretical knowledge in behavioral finance and that the methods used by Swedish fund companies generally do not reduce biases. It is explained by the fact that a majority of the methods used by Swedish fund companies are not supported in precious research.

The purpose of my examination work was to show the need for support for students with another mother-tongue than Swedish, so that these students would be able to get through mathematics tuition better. To achieve this purpose, I chose to start from the perspective that presented itself at interviews with two class teachers and two mother-tongue supervisors. I also chose to use the qualitative research interview as study method, as I tried to understand those informing me in a thorough and in-depth way. In my study I have had a sociocultural perspective as starting point where the conceptions teaching, language and communication, support and individualizing are central for the development of knowledge.  The questions for my study during this process were as follows:  What difficulties, according to the teachers interviewed can occur for second language students in mathematics?  What ways and methods of working do the teachers chosen give priority to, so that   the second language students` results in mathematics will improve?  The results from my interviews show that the difficulties with mathematics for second anguage students can be perceived as being dependent on a combination of reasons, where amongst other things language plays a central part. Difficulties can even arise when the students have other mathematical abilities from their own home environment. Another result shows that even the class teachers are of the opinion that there are difficulties to individualize the teaching in schools with large classes. This can possibly be interpreted that those large classes in the schools can be seen as the reason for the inadequate study results in mathematics, where the students are unable to understand sufficiently suited lessons. These difficulties do not arise for the mother tongue teachers as they sit with each student individually. From these results we see that even the class teachers and mother tongue tutors have different ways and methods of working with mathematic tuition to be able to improve the results in mathematics for second language students. The result of the study shows that all teachers are of the opinion that language is a tool, thus enabling the student to succeed in mathematics. However, there is disagreement between the class teachers and mother tongue tutors, as to whether it is the student’s knowledge of Swedish or their mother tongue that could best help them in their understanding of mathematics. The study also shows that the class teachers believe that it is important that the students are allowed to sit in groups with other students and interact. However, the mother tongue tutors believe that the communication between student and tutor is the most important as they sit with each student individually and believe that the students will develop better in this way. The result of the study also shows that all teachers believe that support and motivation is required for the students to develop. The class teachers also believe that even laboratory material is excellent support for students with difficulties and should be used in teaching. However, the mother tongue tutors believe that laboratory material is good support but say that it is better to work abstractly with mathematics. From the results I am able to see, that the class teachers and mother tongue tutors give priority to different ways and methods of working with mathematics to strengthen second language students.

Motyvacija yra viena iš priežasčių, žadinančių mokinių poreikį mokytis, todėl siekiant palaikyti šį norą labai svarbu tinkamai juos skatinti. Motyvacijos mokytis priežasčių mastas yra labai platus ir įvairus. Darbe aptariami mokytojų, mokyklų vadovų bei tėvų naudojami būdai ir paskatos siekiant motyvuoti vaikus mokytis. Taip pat yra analizuojamas sėkmės ir gerų mokslo rezultatų poveikis motyvacijai. Pastebima, kad mokiniai yra skatinami mokytis padedant jiems planuoti ir pasirinkti mokymosi tikslus, taikant tinkamas mokymosi strategijas bei priemones, stiprinant pasitikėjimą savimi bei formuojant teigiamą požiūrį į darbą. Siekiant nustatyti mokymosi motyvų priežastis optimizuojant ugdymo procesą, darbe buvo nagrinėjamos mokyklų vadovų, mokytojų ir tėvų bendradarbiavimo tendencijos skatinant mokinių mokymosi motyvaciją. / Motivation is one of the reasons how students’ need to learn could be raised. Therefore it is very important to encourage the pupils in order to sustain their wish to study. The amount of reasons motivating learning varies and is very wide. This paper provides ways and means which headmasters, parents and teachers can use to stimulate their students to learn. The study also reveals the influence of success and academic results on motivation. The results show that students’ interest in learning could be raised by helping them to plan and choose the aims of learning, by applying proper learning strategies and means, by heightening self-confidence in students and by forming a right opinion about learning and working. The study also helped to ascertain the reasons of motivation to reinforce the process of education by analyzing the tendencies of cooperation among headmasters, parents and teachers in order to motivate students to learn.

Šiame darbe analizuojama tema „Vaikų prievartos bei smurto paplitimo problemos Šiaulių mieste“. Aptartos sąvokos: „smurtas“, „prievarta“, „vaikas“, prievartos rūšys, smurto ir prievartos pasireiškimo būdai. Pagrindinis dėmesys buvo skiriamas tam, kad visai visuomenei būtų atskleistas vaikų naudojamo smurto ir prievartos problemos aktualumas. Teorinės literatūros, Šiaulių miesto policijoje turimų duomenų ir tyrimo analizė atskleidė, jog vaikai naudoja smurtą, emocinę, seksualinę ir egzistencinę prievartas. Dažniausiai šių neteisėtų veiksmų objektais tampa moksleiviai ir kiti asmenys, su kuriais vaikai praleidžia savo laisvalaikį. Vaikai smurtą ir prievartą naudoja savo gyvenamojoje, mokyklos aplinkose, kieme ar gatvėje. Minėtų duomenų analizė parodė, jog vaikai smurtauja ar (ir) naudoja prievartą dėl socialinių ar psichologinių priežasčių. Jų tokius veiksmus įtakoja priklausymas neformalioms jaunimo grupuotėms, skatinančioms smurto ir prievartos naudojimą, girdėta muzika, matyti kino filmai, plakatai, perskaitytos knygos ir kiti šaltiniai, kuriuose demonstruojamos smurto ir prievartos scenos, alkoholio, narkotinių, psichotropinių ir kitų svaiginančiųjų medžiagų poveikis, galima teigti – tokius veiksmus išprovokuojantis aukos elgesys bei visų mūsų, t.y. visuomenės, rodomi elgesio pavyzdžiai. Autorius įsitikinęs, jog vaiko elgesį labiausiai lemia artimiausia socialinė aplinka: šeima, mokykla, formali ir neformali aplinkos, todėl jų analizei darbe buvo skirtas didžiausias dėmesys... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This work deals with the topic “Problems of the spread of children‘s violence and coercion in Šiauliai city“. It discusses the terms “violence“, “coercion“ and “child”, as well as types of coercion and ways of their manifestation. Emphasis is laid on revealing the problem of children‘s violence and coercion as a matter of great relevance to our society. The analysis of the literature on the topic and the data of the police of Šiauliai city, as well as the research performed have revealed that children use violence, emotional, sexual and existential coercion. The objects of these illegal actions are usually schoolchildren or other people, with whom children spend their leisure time. Children use violence and coercion in their living or school surroundings, in the yard or in the street. The analysis of the mentioned data has demonstrated that children‘s violence or (and) coercion is caused by social or psychological reasons. Such actions are conditioned by belonging to informal youth groups, which induce the use of violence and coercion, the music children have listened to, the movies they have watched, posters, books and other sources which demonstrate scenes of violence and coercion, the effect of alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic substances and other intoxicants, also, presumably, the provocative behaviour of the victim and the behaviour patterns of all of us, i.e. the society. It is our strong conviction that a child‘s behaviour is mostly determined by the nearest social... [to full text]

The purpose of this study was to increase the level of knowledge in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for wind power. The study includes six wind power farms in the County of Västerbotten in northern Sweden. The main questions were: What are the real dimensions of roadways and land claims for both roads and wind power turbines? How do those dimensions correlate with the dimensions stated in the EIA? Are there any differences in values of the dimensions between the wind power farms that are included in this study? The width of the roadways and the land claims for both roads and wind turbines in wind power farms were examined on site. The results from the examinations were compared with the dimensions available in the EIA for each wind power farm. When comparison was possible the outcome was that the measurements for roadways matched with the dimensions but measurements for land claims for roads and wind turbines exceeded the dimensions. The values of the measured dimensions vary within and in certain cases between the wind power farms. From the findings of this study it can be concluded that it is difficult to in advance estimate how much land roads and wind turbines in wind farms will claim. In addition the study shows that it is of great importance to specify the dimensions of roadways and land claims for roads and wind turbines in the EIA for wind power farms.

I shall argue in this thesis that Zakes Mda's novels Ways of Dying (l995a) and She Plays with the Darkness (1995b) are magic realist texts that are representative of the hybrid nature of this literary mode. Furthermore I shall demonstrate that Ways of Dying (l995a) and She Plays with the Darkness (1995b) share common elements with a variety of magic realist texts. Mda's own creative and literary consciousness has been shaped by an intellectual background stemming from tertiary education at Ph.D level, his teaching positions at various international universities, and his knowledge of African folk-culture. The seemingly contesting streams of Western education and African mysticism are not presented as sources of conflict in Mda's novels, but rather as syncretic forces of potential transformative power. Mda displays in his project as a novelist, the continuing concerns of black writers who saw the novel as a tool for socio-political change. My thesis therefore also investigates the extent to which Mda's use of magic realism in the novels mentioned above, signals a radical shift in literary representation by South African black writers who wrote in English. Mda's novels transcend Black Consciousness-inspired protest that characterised black literature in the 1970's and 1980's. His use of tropes associated with magic realism, African folk-culture, the apocalyptic and carnivalesque has enabled him to create a discursive space for South African black writers on the international stage, and foregrounds a movement towards literature that offers opposition to being classified as merely ''black writing". The death of the old order in South Africa and the birth of a new one, invites questioning and analysis of the position of the self during a period of cataclysmic change. That the apocalypse brings with it both death and renewal could be seen within the context of post modernist visions of the erosion of the self and death as the ultimate reality. Mda's novels, Ways of Dying (l995a) and She Plays with the Darkness (1995b), are the first English narratives by a South Afiican black author that can claim affinities with postcolonial writers such as Carpentier, Marquez, Okri and Rushdie. These writers reflect in their narratives, the infinite possibilities of magic realism in reclaiming the self submerged by the colonial experience. I shall attempt, in Chapter One, a survey of specific theoretical assumptions relevant to magic realism. Chapter Two will provide biographical details of Zakes Mda the playwright, poet, theatre practitioner, film producer and novelist and the importance of magic realism in his writings. Chapter Three is an analysis of Mda's published plays and points to the early uses of elements consistent with magic realism in his work. Chapters Four and Five are investigations into Mda's use of magic realism in Ways of Dying (1995) and She Plays with the Darkness (1995), respectively. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1998.

The overall aim of this thesis has been to investigate the meaning of the capability to move in order to identify and describe this capability from the perspective of the one who moves in relation to specific movements. It has been my ambition to develop ways to explicate, and thereby open up for discussion, what might form an educational goal in the context of movements and movement activities in the school subject of physical education and health (PEH). In this study I have used a practical epistemological perspective on capability to move, a perspective that challenges the traditional distinction between mental and physical skills as well as between theoretical and practical knowledge. Movement actions, or ways of moving, are seen as expressions of knowing. In order to explore an understanding of the knowing involved in specific ways of moving, observations of  actors’ ways of moving and their own experiences of moving were brought together. Informants from three different arenas took part: from PEH in upper secondary school, from athletics and from free-skiing. The results of the analyses suggest it is possible to describe practitioners’ developed knowing as a number of specific ways of knowing that are in turn related to specific ways of moving. Examples of such specific ways of moving may be discerning and modifying one’s own rotational velocity and navigating one’s (bodily) awareness. Additionally, exploring learners’ pre-knowing of a movement ‘as something’ may be fruitful when planning the teaching and learning of capability to move. I have suggested that these specific ways of knowing might be regarded as educational goals in PEH. In conducting this study, I have also had the ambition to contribute to the ongoing discussion of what ‘ability’ in the PEH context might mean. In considering specific ways of knowing in moving, the implicit and taken-for-granted meaning of ‘standards of excellence’ and ‘sports ability’can be discussed, and challenged. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: In press. Paper 4: Epub ahead of print.</p>

Since 1999, Aboriginal Education policy in British Columbia requires School Districts to collaborate with their local Aboriginal communities to establish appropriate definitions of success, set measureable goals and actions plans to enhance Aboriginal student’s educational achievement. Together these groups produce five-year Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements. This study employs Indigenous Methodology and Institutional Ethnography to learn whether and how process of working together to create these agreements contributes to relationship-building between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Key findings demonstrate that an engaged a dialogue between Indigenous peoples and education policy-makers changes the way that Aboriginal education is approached in BC school districts. Participants reported that the process changed them, touched their soul, and left them feeling humbled and renewed. The Enhancement Agreements hold promise as a process that works from within the institutional processes to address the unequal social relations of education for Aboriginal students. / Graduate

The overall aim of this thesis has been to investigate the meaning of the capability to move in order to identify and describe this capability from the perspective of the one who moves in relation to specific movements. It has been my ambition to develop ways to explicate, and thereby open up for discussion, what might form an educational goal in the context of movements and movement activities in the school subject of physical education and health (PEH). In this study I have used a practical epistemological perspective on capability to move, a perspective that challenges the traditional distinction between mental and physical skills as well as between theoretical and practical knowledge. Movement actions, or ways of moving, are seen as expressions of knowing. In order to explore an understanding of the knowing involved in specific ways of moving, observations of  actors’ ways of moving and their own experiences of moving were brought together. Informants from three different arenas took part: from PEH in upper secondary school, from athletics and from free-skiing. The results of the analyses suggest it is possible to describe practitioners’ developed knowing as a number of specific ways of knowing that are in turn related to specific ways of moving. Examples of such specific ways of moving may be discerning and modifying one’s own rotational velocity and navigating one’s (bodily) awareness. Additionally, exploring learners’ pre-knowing of a movement ‘as something’ may be fruitful when planning the teaching and learning of capability to move. I have suggested that these specific ways of knowing might be regarded as educational goals in PEH. In conducting this study, I have also had the ambition to contribute to the ongoing discussion of what ‘ability’ in the PEH context might mean. In considering specific ways of knowing in moving, the implicit and taken-for-granted meaning of ‘standards of excellence’ and ‘sports ability’can be discussed, and challenged. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: In press. Paper 4: Epub ahead of print. </p>