The purpose of this Master?s thesis is to describe the library development in Sandviken, during a period from 1865 to 1945. I will mainly focus this examination on the two most significant libraries of the period; on one hand the library facilitated by the ironworks company, and on the other hand the library of the Workers? Educational Association (ABF). This study is carried out within a theoretical framework consisting of the two concepts paternalism and the formative moment, as formulated by Lars Magnusson and Bo Rothstein, respectively.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the special services for immigrants which are offered by Swedish libraries on their different levels regional, local and school as well as immigrants experiences of the library services and how these services and experiences conduct themselves to the development of the harmonic multicultural society. The methods used were interpreting reflexive interviews with immigrants and librarians. The guiding theory in this study was a three-phase model by Gillis Herlitz according to which a newcomer goes through three stages in an adaptation period. Phase 1 is a positive honeymoon phase, that later is replaced by phase 2, a critical disappointment period, which then ideally should be resolved in phase 3, where the individual reaches a balancing stage of cultural adaptation. The results of my observations indicate that the performances of the different libraries seem to operate in a way that corresponds to the different phases in this model.

Swedish dairy production has during the last decades undergone considerable structural rationalisation and the number of dairy herds has decreased to less than 7000. At the same time the average herd size has increased and a large proportion of those investing in new buildings today choose automatic milking (AM). During 2008 more than ten percent of the Swedish cows will be milked with AM. The development has been faster than expected and the need for consulting has increased rapidly. This study aims to evaluate whether a check list originating from the FRISKKO (?healthy cow?) programme can be a useful tool when assessing how well the herd functions in various areas.

The aim of this paper is to elucidate and analyze history teacher's didactic choices in the conflict between unequal educational materials and the requirements of equality in the curriculum of Swedish secondary school. The empirical data consists of interviews with five secondary school history teachers, observations of their lessons as well as analysis of their tests. The starting point was to investigate teachers' didactic work in the role as a bridge between the non-equal historiography presented in textbooks in history and the curriculum?s demands for equality. Three different approaches have been observed in the teachers' didactic work when considering gender perspective into their teaching: that women become extensions in a male-dominated historiography; that another part of the story is presented when a gender perspective is considered; and that the gender perspective is included in history teaching and becomes an integral part of all the content of the subject.Several of the teachers acknowledged that gender equality is less prioritized than the courses core content and related assessment criteria.

The aim of this project was to change the way cutting techniques are being taught. I wished to try a method which I believed to enhance my students´ participation and understanding of their education. My purpose was to reduce the gap between theory and practice. After conducting a learning style test I found that most of them considered the best way for them to learn was by combining practice with dialogue and reflection of the tasks being done. That is why we tried to start working with the practical elements rather than traditionally starting with the theoretical aspects, while carefully intertwining terms and language of the trade into the education.

Traditionally risk-based measures have been used to assess animal welfare in legislation and certification schemes. With increased knowledge and research, debate today tends to focus on and advocate the use of animal-based measures. However this is not a panacea for welfare and the most sound conclusion should be that assessment of animal welfare needs both. The aim of this thesis is to identify the points that need to be taken into consideration to find the optimal balance in the use of input and outcome measures according to the aim of the assessment and how these should be applied when designing a certification scheme? To answer this, a comparison of the use of resource-based, management-based and animal-based measures in two certification schemes for dairy cow welfare, Freedom Food (UK) and Svenskt Sigill (SWE), was made.

The purpose of this study was to analyze how the key staff concept is used in residential care for children and young people and which role the key staff concept plays in the organization.The study was based on semi-structured qualitative interviews with six key staff and two managers from two different residential care facilities for children and young people. The theoretical perspective used was the neo-institutional theory and Hasenfeld´s term Human service organizations.One of the conclusions of the study was that the key staff describe that they have a central role when it comes to the treatment of the children. Another conclusion showed the variety of tasks that the key staff have, like the administrative work that they do. They also have an educational role, similar to the one that parents normally have which means that they are responsible of parenting the children. They also described themselves as a link between the children and their social network.

The purpose of this study is to discuss various approaches to group work and the importance of different approaches in relation to group work in schools. The study also looks at the results of the children working in different groups and constellations.This study is based on what previous research, literature and the tree teachers say about the subject group work and group divisions. Issues: Is there any kind of group work that always works? Does the structure of the tasks have any effect on the outcome? Is there any good reason to choose the teamwork approach that? The method I chose is a qualitative study with a phenomenological approach to the analysis. Three teachers were interviewed; result is presented in themes and concludes with a brief summary.

Problem och syfte: Medlemsländerna i Världshälsoorganisationen söker implementera WHO: s klassifikation av funktionstillstånd, funktionshinder och hälsa. Klassifikationen ICF bygger på ett helhetstänkande där människors hälsoegenskaper inom den kontext som deras personliga livssituationer och omgivning skapar beskrivs (Socialstyrelsen, 2003). Specialpedagogiska skolmyndigheten (SPSM) föreslår en mall för kartläggning av elever enligt ICF-CY (Children & Youth Version, 2007) inför upprättande av individuell utvecklingsplan eller åtgärdsprogram. Syftet med undersökningen är att utvärdera hur lärare upplever att mallen skapar förutsättningar för ett gemensamt språk.Metod: Undersökningen är kvalitativ och har en fenomenologisk ansats. Sex lärare har intervjuats enskilt genom halvstrukturerad livsvärldsintervju.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how some teachers work with above-average pupils in mathematics. I have issued three questions based on the purpose of this study:How do teachers define an above-average pupil?In what way the teachers stimulate and challenge the above-average pupils?Has the school done something special for the above-average pupils?The method used to conduct this study was a semi-structured qualitative interview with four teachers in primary school. The method consists of interviews and observations.The study shows that the teachers make an effort to give these pupils extra attention and challenging tasks. A major focus is put on problems solving and to develop the pupil's ability to be able to explain how they think and if necessary, they should be able to explain even to their fellow- pupils.

Structuring education so that students can discover connections between schoolwork and their everyday lives is a crucial task for a teacher. This is especially true in today?s school system that seeks to foster a spirit of lifelong learning, since educational motivation depends on being able to connect to the tasks at hand. In a system where these connections are not present, students will be motivated only by institutional mechanisms such as test results and grades. This leads to them using a number of techniques for ?optimizing the system? by getting maximal results for minimal effort. This essay looks at two pedagogical movements that aim to decrease the gap between schoolwork and students? reality.

De begåvade barnen har, som alla barn, behov av att bli bekräftade och bemötta utifrån sin mognads- och utvecklingsnivå. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur specialpedagoger och pedagoger i förskoleklass och grundskolans tre första år definierar begreppet begåvade barn och om och i så fall hur de beskriver att de tillvaratar barnens begåvning. Studien ger en översikt av tidigare forskning kring bland annat begreppet begåvning, de begåvade barnens sociala situation och skolsituation samt den specialpedagogiska rollen. För att uppnå vårt syfte gjorde vi en kvalitativ undersökning genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre specialpedagoger, tre pedagoger i förskoleklass samt tre pedagoger i grundskolans tre första år. Sammanfattningsvis pekar resultaten av vår undersökning på att pedagogerna upplevde att det var svårt att definiera begreppet begåvade barn och att det finns många olika sorters begåvningar.

Many political reforms are currently implemented in the Swedish schools. The trend indicate that education in Sweden follows neo-liberal restructuring policy, that highlights assessment, marketization and surveillance in different aspects. According to the new curriculum LGR 11 the school head is the school's educational leader with responsibility for the school's results and development. The reforms put new demands on the school heads tasks, their responsibility and leadership. The aim of my research study is to investigate how the school heads experience andhandle this situation.

The Swedish state and educational system are secular, so to say they do not depend on the former protestant state church anymore. Many people in Sweden are also secular. Even so, in school teachers meet students with a religious faith. The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers without a religious belonging experience the encounter with religious students. The method used was semistructured interviews with five teachers in a upper secondary school in a multicultural suburb of Stockholm.

Symbolic resources transform in to social power and material resources through the educational system. This entails that all students should have equal access to it.The essay compares Swedish didactics in ?immigrant? and ?white? schools, all situated in socio-economically underprivileged areas, analysing interviews with eight Swedish teachers about their didactics regarding restricted and elaborated language code.Understanding teacher?s work in the class room requires attention to the intersections between race and class, and of both to the distribution of symbolic resources in general.The essay finds that the practice of the? immigrant? school teachers differs from the ?white? school teachers?. The former are active, providing intellectual tools, scaffolding and driving force while the later choose a more passive attitude, letting students decide for themselves what to do and what goals to reach. Consequently ?white? schools allow the reproduction of unequal distribution of symbolic resources while practice in immigrant schools aim to compensate for disadvantages.Practice seems to win legitimacy by different sets of conceptualisations.