We have by Statistics Sweden (SCB) been given the task of using different dynamic regression models in order to forecast service price index for sea transport. The aim is to see whether these models provide better forecasts than those previously used. This essay aim to identify, estimate and evaluate the selected prediction models. Through our data material we were given access to 28 sightings of sea transport index during the period of 2004 q1 to 2010 q4. We have chosen to evaluate three different transfer function models, one ARIMA model and one naive forecasting model. The input variables we decided to test in our transfer function models were the price of petroleum products, the port activity in Swedish ports and the lending rate of Swedish Central bank. The results of our study suggest that transfer function models generally provide better models than the ARIMA model and the naive forecast model.

Children of today are surrounded by many different kinds of media. Books have to compete with new media like computers, video games, many TV-channels etc. The aim of this study has been to investigate the reading habits of 9-12-year old boys in their spare time, and their reasons for reading related to their use of other media. Our interest has been to shed light on the boys reading habits, their preferences and motives for reading and their reading functions. Even though our focus has been on their reading, we also have examined their use of other media and the function of this use.

The aim of this Master?s thesis is to examine how nuns regard reading. The reading of the Bible is a regular element in their everyday life. This study however, focuses mainly on the nuns? self-chosen reading beyond the reading of the Bible.

 AbstractMy curiosity of students' use of images for reading led me to seek knowledge of the students view on the text illustrations in the literature and through interviews. This study is about how pupils in the school year 2 experience reading, especially with images. The purpose is to investigate the significance of illustrations in reading for students in school year 2. I also want to find out how students see themselves as readers and how the survey material believes that the students comprehend reading. Eight children, both girls and boys have participated in the interview.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the relation between different kinds ofremedial teaching models, not specifically addressed to pupils with physicaldisabilities, in the Swedish school context, and to describe and analyze theobjectives related to each model. Research focus was held on professionaldescriptions of school related problems and arguments for different kind of models,but also on objectives formulated in Swedish school policy. As theoretical toolswere used discourse analysis and interpretive policy analysis. The concept ofalienation as it appears throughout Foucault?s work was also used to understand howdifferent knowledge fields as education, special education, psychology and medicinedivide themselves from each other.

The aim of the study is to investigate what pupils in grade 1 think about reading aloud, reading alone, the selection of books, and the significance of reading. A subsidiary aimwas to examine the relation between the pupils? experiences of reading in the home andtheir ability to discuss a text they have read. A sidetrack in the study aimed to see whether the pupils? experiences of reading in the home affected their outlook on readingin general.

The aim of this thesis was to examine the ways in which librarianswork to stimulate the joy of reading in boys. Four children- andschool librarians were chosen for interviews in which they wereasked questions about boys' reading and the approaches they usedto help boys. The librarians were asked if they perceived boys'reading as problematic, what methods they used to stimulate thejoy of reading and if they thought it would be helpful to work withboys and girls in different ways. They were asked what theythought was the biggest challenges in changing the boys? attitudestowards reading and what they would do if they could choosefreely without any constraints in time or money.Aidan Chambers' "The circle of reading" was used to compare atheory about reading to the ways in wich the librarians worked andtheir thoughts about how to initiate reading.

The aim of the study is to investigate pupils? attitudes to and experiences of reading aloud by the teacher in grade 1. The study answers questions about how the pupils perceive the reading aloud, what they think they learn from it, and what books they prefer the teacher to read from. The study was conducted with the aid of semi-structured interviews with eleven pupils, six girls and five boys. The study shows that the pupils have a great deal to say about reading aloud.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether intensive teaching of reading strategies at an individual level can affect reading comprehension for students in second grade. A quantitative method with quasi-experimental design is used. All students in the experimental class trained on reading comprehension strategies at their particular level five times each. Before and after training a reading comprehension test was made. The reference class did the same test.

The aim of this Masters thesis is to investigate the factors that contribute to childrens feelings of enjoyment and wellbeing while reading pleasure reading. The research is founded on qualitative interviews with eight children aged between 9 and 12 years. In the review of the literature different theories of reading experiences are examined and the theory of flow is used to analyse and interpret childrens statements of reading experiences. The theory of flow has not been developed to investigate reading but aims to describe and explain when and how people experience happiness and joy. The results of this study reveal that many different factors influence childrens reading.

In this study, six teachers have been interviewed about their vision and teaching of reading comprehension, both for pupils who has cleared the reading code and those who have not. The aim is to illustrate if teachers in middle school spend time to exercise reading comprehension, or if this is left to the Swedish teachers. Thus only according to the subject Swedish, the students are entitled to be given the opportunity to develop reading strategies.The interviews are semi-structured based on qualitative research. The informants are three teachers of Swedish and three teachers of other subjects. Two different interview guides were used containing three questions.

Our aim with this Master thesis is to show how some selected actors react on the decrease in reading amongst people within the LO group the Swedish Trade Union Confederation. The methods used are interviews and literary studies. The theoretical background of our discussion is based on the theories and definitions of Bourdieu. The actors we investigate are the public libraries, some various trade unions, the adult education Organization ABF, the cultural affairs committee. We discuss from what view on their own role/obligations respective the society they act and what barriers that prevents reading, the actors consider exists within the group of adults less familiar with reading.

The aim of this thesis is to describe the thoughts and attitudes that parents have regarding reading aloud. In today?s society the positive effects of reading aloud are often pointed at and in the perspective of the new learning theories I found the issue even more interesting.The two main questions posed are: How do the parents describe the practice of reading aloud?Is the parents? life situation and background visible in their descriptions and in that case how does it show in their thoughts about reading aloud?The theoretical perspective of the thesis is sociocultural and can be divided into two themes. The first theme concerns the learning process that can be the result of reading aloud and the second theme focuses on social aspects. The results of the study show that parents think that reading aloud is valuable and positive.

The purpose with this essay is to study how children in the fifth grade experience reading in three different reading cultures; library, home and in school. The children?s experiences from reading are compared to expectations from library and school.Data, to this study, is collected through qualitative interviews in two focus groups and analyzed by using an idea analysis. The INSU-model, Information Needs, Seeking and Use, and Aidan Chambers reading circle in combination with a triangle of the three reading cultures are used as a theoretical framework. The analysis shows that children are using reading for different purposes in different reading cultures.

The field of work and employment is constantly undergoing changes. In order to help organizations to adjust to new conditions, different models for organizing have been developed. Many of these models are spread worldwide, due to the need for organizations to meet demands of flexibility and efficiency. In this study, a small number of models, which contains solutions of how to organize work in Human Resources, have been selected. The author and scientist Dave Ulrich, who has had a large influence on the development of the work in Human Resources, originally founded these models.The aim of this study was to examine how these models were functioning, in reference to the different departments of Human Resources labor within the township of Uppsala.