The purpose of this thesis is to examine how semantic relations in a document collection can be visualized with a Kohonen self-organizing map. It can be seen as a map of the information space which can be used to support information retrieval. The study makes a comparison of the possible differences between a map that is based on morphologically unprocessed text and a map where the text has been lemmatized. The text that is being processed is the definitions of all the existing instances in WordNet of a random selection of indexing terms from the Times-collection. The purpose is to see if morphological processing somehow can show different semantic connections between term instances based on their definitions.

The major focus in this study is structural inequalities in primary school in Sweden. UNESCO points out that in many developing countries, up to 40% of the children perform at or below the lowest proficiency level in language and mathematics. Sweden has been criticized by the UN about the large differences in educational achievements between different regions. Based on an official study Sweden considers that those differences are related to ethnically segregate residential areas. My research question is whether the Swedish government takes adequate consideration of the impact that socioeconomically aspects have on educational achievement.

The purpose of this master thesis is to use marketing theory on the library?s activities. The marketing theory used is the 4Ps; product, price, promotion and place, as it's presented by Philip Kotler. Because the library can be seen as a service oriented organization Christian Gronroos theory of marketing in the service industry also has been used. A case study of the public library in Broby was made to illustrate how the public libraries? activities can appear in the light of marketing theory.

The purpose of this thesis is to study how preschool teachers can reach the goal of the swedish educational plan to prevent traditional gender roles for children ages 3-6 through drama in education.This is answered by four hypothesis based on Judith Butler's queer theory, George Herbert Mead's social psychological theory and Gavin Bolton and Dotothy Heathcotes drama pedagogical theories. The hypotheses are tested against four teachers' examples of their work.The hypotheses areHypothesis 1: By using the expert's mantle and active observation in teacher-in-role indrama educational exercises, we can see how the children internalize the heterosexualmatrix and the outline of the internalized other.Hypothesis 2: By using the "mistakes" that occur when children repeat performativeacts that do not fit with the heterosexual matrix, these other possible behaviors can bestrengthenedHypothesis 3: Through drama exercises that are not normative teachers can widen theheterosexual matrixHypothesis 4: Through drama pedagogical methods like teacher-in-role teachers canprovide possibilities of other performative acts and the creation of a more tolerantinternalized other.The analysis show that the respondents work within all these hypotheses in different ways and thathypotheses 2 is the one with the weakest support in the interwievs. The examples are also weakregarding the use of Boltons drama pedagogical methods, but that there are a number of othermethods in use.Some of the conclusions are that more theoretical knowledge in the preschool drama pedagogics tocounteract traditional gender roles and patterns, as well as the drama of educational theory need tobe linked to queer and social psychology research. There is also no monitoring of the long term effects of the work..

This thesis is intended to respond to the extent to which South African textbooks on the subject of history is linked to the governmental policy documents and whether they are producing and reproducing national identity. The two textbooks are aimed at students in grade 10. Both books were produced in 2008 but published by different publishers.The essay is based on Norman Faircloughs critical discourse theory which has been supplemented by Michael Billings theory Banal Nationalism, which assumes that it is the national words that remind us daily of our homeland that is producing and reproducing national identity.  The survey shows that both textbooks are closely tied to the government policy document for the teaching of history. The textbooks refer to the policy, both explicitly and implicitly. The two textbooks reproduce a common national identity in South Africa based on the discussions taking place in society.

Syftet med denna studie är att utforska hur individer upplever sin prestation och själva inlärningssituationen då kunskap som ska läras in på ett språk ska återges på deras modersmål i form av tentamen eller i andra diskussionssituationer. Sex personer intervjuades om deras upplevelser att läsa kurslitteraturen på ett främmande språk och sedan återge den inlärda kunskapen på deras modersmål, i detta fall, svenska. Intervjumaterialet analyserades utifrån induktiv tematisk metod. Ur analysen framträdde tre huvudteman: förståelse av innehåll, förmågan att kunna uttrycka sig och slutligen, översättningsproblematiken. Den första två teman visade att prestation inte anses bli negativt påverkad av att den inlärda kunskapen ska återges på modersmålet.

The aim of this study is to describe how pupils in fourth grade talk about their attitude of reading fictional narratives in school and on their spare time, their motives to read and how the school promotes fictional experiences. The study is based on interviews with 18 pupils from the same class, divided in four groups. The interviews were analyzed from a literature reception theory. The result shows that some pupils are very engaged in reading fictional narratives, while others more or less, are forced in to reading, because their teacher wants them to. All the interviewed pupils would like to read exciting, interesting books, but they feel that they don?t get the right support neither from their teacher, parents nor their friends. They describes that they don?t discuss the meaning of reading or things that the reader can read between the lines.

How do gender and socioeconomic backgrounds affect students? academic performance, educational choices and attitudes towards education? Moreover, does class play the same role for girls and boys? In order to find this out, I surveyed students in a small province located in the northern inlands of Sweden. The survey was answered by nearly every student in the ninth grade of that year, a total of 160 people. The results revealed that girls in this area have less faith in their capabilities than boys, despite getting much better grades. Many more girls than boys want to go onto college or university studies.

Vårt syfte med studien var att undersöka om och i så fall hur lärare arbetar medvetet med genus i litteraturen. Vi ville undersöka vilka böcker barn i två förskolor och elever i år 2 i två skolor väljer att läsa och vilka genusstrukturer dessa böcker visar upp. För att få våra frågeställningar besvarade har vi använt oss av halvstrukturerade intervjuer med fyra lärare, gjort boklistor på böcker barn i förskolorna har tillgång till och eleverna i skolorna läser, samt gjort textanalyser ur ett genusperspektiv av åtta av de mest populära barnböckerna i vårt material. Resultatet visar att de fyra intervjuade lärarna arbetar mycket med litteratur, men inte i någon större utsträckning utifrån ett genusperspektiv. De väljer eller påverkar inte heller elevernas val utifrån genus nämnvärt.

This study indicates that research about men and masculinity does not appear to have advanced as far as research about women and femininity. Similarly to attitudes concerning women and femininity, clear norms and attitudes regarding men and masculinity pervade society. Hence, there is a clear need for further research within this field to be carried out. This study, with the support of previous research, looks at gender norms which exist in educational material and the impact it might have on students. Against this backdrop, the author has focused the analysis on one textbook as educational material at upper secondary level with particular emphasis on masculinity and its associated norms.

By studying recent literature and following current research we know that language awareness and a rich language is important to all children when learning reading and writing and that decoding and understanding of the words are the fundamental processes in reading. How do pupils with visual impairment learn how to read and write? What strategies do they use in their contacts with reading and writing? What are the advantages do pupils with visual impairment have when learning to read and write? These questions have been the starting points in a study we have done by following two pupils with visual impairment. By meeting and discussing with the children, their parents, teachers, and lowvisiontherapists we have got a deeper knowledge in how these children meet the language in reading and writing. We have also come to an understanding regarding people surrounding the children have to make reading and writing comprehensive, enjoying, and meaningful.The problem for a child with visual impairment is the decoding, to catch letters and pictures of words good enough with the sight.

Denna studie har som syfte att analysera de diskussioner som uppkommer kring en skönlitterär text som handlar om orkanen Katrinas framfart i New Orleans. Eleverna i undersökningen fick läsa en skönlitterär text och därefter ställdes en öppen fråga för att få igång gruppdiskussioner. Dessa diskussioner spelades in på band och analyserades. För att få en bild av elevernas uppfattningar om att lära genom en skönlitterär text, samt vad de ansåg om att diskutera texten tillsammans, gjordes intervjuer med fyra av eleverna. Resultaten visar att de flesta av eleverna utvecklades genom varandra i gruppdiskussionerna.

My thesis is based on a qualitative study in which I have selected six professional teachers in a school in Greater Stockholm, and their views on the phenomenon of conflict management. My questions were the following.How teachers perceive the phenomenon of conflict in the world of school?What strategies do teachers use to resolve conflicts with students?In order to analyze my informants, I have chosen different books that deal with conflict man-agement, policy documents and books on the teaching profession meaning. Through my investigation I found that some teachers used tools and strategies through expe-rience and reflections, and resolve conflicts together or individually. My informants described that there are some teachers how choose to hide and pretend not to see the problem.

A rhetorical analysis of the educational interactive film ?Riskprofilen?, produced by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Swedish: Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap). This essay uses the theories and methods of Procedural Rhetoric, as described by Professor Ian Bogost, and Visual Rhetoric, as described by Professor Brigitte Mral to analyse the interactive and visual component parts of the artefact, and compares them to the intended purposes of the artefact as stated by documents pertaining to its creation, found to be those of educating the public; marketing the agency; and driving traffic to its webpage. The artefact is through analysis found to fulfil the purposes of marketing the Agency and of likely increasing traffic to the website upon which it is hosted. Regarding the primary, educational purpose this analysis finds that the artefact does not teach a user the accident-avoidance strategies it claims to do, but is dependent upon further materials..

This is a thesis in Personal- och Arbetslivsprogrammet at Dalarna University with thepurpose of evaluating an education initiative in Borlänge kommun. The educationCoaching Leadership is an initiative for the managers in the organization to exercisegood leadership and the education also serves as an incentive for managers. Eightbusiness managers and one from the HR staff have completed the training. Out of thetotal 9 participants in the training, six of them took part in this evaluation. Based on thethesis aim and questions we wanted to explore participants' attitudes to the education,and what skills and abilities they have acquired on the basis of educational goals andcontent.