Marketization in Bullerbü. The current debate about the “school crisis” in Sweden

Seit einigen Jahren hat sich in der schwedischen Öffentlichkeit der Eindruck verfestigt, das schwedische Schulsystem sei in der Krise. Dies hat zu einer lebhaften Bildungsdebatte geführt. Im vorliegenden Artikel geben wir einen Einblick in diese Debatte und einige der dieser Debatte zugrunde liegenden Entwicklungen. Insbesondere konzentrieren wir uns auf die Auswirkungen von Bildungsmärkten bzw. der Dezentralisierung und auf die Profession der Lehrkräfte. (DIPF/Orig.)Currently, large parts of the Swedish public perceive Sweden\u27s school system to be in a state of crisis. This has led to a lively debate on educational matters in Sweden. The article discusses some particularly prominent aspects of this debate as well as some of its underlying developments in the Swedish school system. It focuses on the effects of educational markets and decentralization on the one hand and the situation of the teaching profession on the other. (DIPF/Orig.

Transcription factors relevant to auxin signalling coordinate broad-spectrum metabolic shifts including sulphur metabolism

A systems approach has previously been used to follow the response behaviour of Arabidopsis thaliana plants upon sulphur limitation. A response network was reconstructed from a time series of transcript and metabolite profiles, integrating complex metabolic and transcript data in order to investigate a potential causal relationship. The resulting scale-free network allowed potential transcriptional regulators of sulphur metabolism to be identified. Here, three sulphur-starvation responsive transcription factors, IAA13, IAA28, and ARF-2 (ARF1-Binding Protein), all of which are related to auxin signalling, were selected for further investigation. IAA28 overexpressing and knock-down lines showed no major morphological changes, whereas IAA13- and ARF1-BP-overexpressing plants grew more slowly than the wild type. Steady-state metabolite levels and expression of pathway-relevant genes were monitored under normal and sulphate-depleted conditions. For all lines, changes in transcript and metabolite levels were observed, yet none of these changes could exclusively be linked to sulphur stress. Instead, up- or down-regulation of the transcription factors caused metabolic changes which in turn affected sulphur metabolism. Auxin-relevant transcription factors are thus part of a complex response pattern to nutrient starvation that serve as coordinators of the metabolic shifts driving sulphur homeostasis rather then as direct effectors of the sulphate assimilation pathway. This study provides the first evidence ever presented that correlates auxin-related transcriptional regulators with primary plant metabolism

Constant examination or continuos support? Assessment practices in Sweden between formative aspiration and summative necessity

An die Stelle punktueller Überprüfungen in Form von (Abschluss-)Prüfungen tritt im schwedischen Bildungssystem die fortlaufende schulische Leistungsbeurteilung während des Schuljahres (formative Beurteilung). Schüler_innen erhalten erst mit den Zeugniszensuren - beginnend ab Klasse 6 - eine summative Beurteilung in Form einer Note. Das Abschlusszeugnis der neunjährigen Grundschule ist relevant für den Übergang an die weiterführende Schule, das Abschlusszeugnis der weiterführenden Schule wiederum für den Hochschulzugang bzw. den Übergang in den Arbeitsmarkt. Der Beitrag beleuchtet, wie sich die formative und summative Leistungsbeurteilung in Schweden in den Regularien darstellt und kontrastiert dies mit den Beurteilungspraxen von Lehrkräften und den Beurteilungserfahrungen der Schüler_innen bezüglich der beiden Funktionen der Leistungsbeurteilung und ihrer Wechselwirkungen. Es zeigt sich, dass in der Beurteilungspraxis die formativ gedachten Rückmeldungen zum Lernstand teilweise durch die summativen Beurteilungselemente überlagert werden, wodurch sich widersprüchliche Anforderungen für die Lehrkräfte ergeben, die diese versuchen auszubalancieren. Bei den Schüler_innen scheint die kontinuierliche Rückmeldung ebenfalls andere Effekte zu haben als die primär intendierten, u. a. die Erzeugung eines Gefühls des ständigen Geprüftwerdens. (DIPF/Orig.)In the Swedish school system, there are no final exams at the end of lower and upper secondary school. Rather, there is continuous formative assessment during the school year. Pupils only receive summative assessments (starting with year 6) at the end of each term. School leaving certificates play a role for access to the different branches of higher secondary schooling, to higher education and to working life. The article discusses the rules and regulations of formative and summative assessment. It then juxtaposes these rules with the assessment practices of teachers on the one hand and the way in which pupils experience assessment on the other. As a result, the authors find that teachers\u27 formative assessment practices during the school year are partially superimposed by summative elements, which results in conflicting demands on teachers that they then seek to bring back into balance. Among pupils, the continuous formative feedback seems to lead to effects that differ from the intended ones, among them a feeling of constantly being in an examination situation. (DIPF/Orig.

A new ultrafast superionic Li-conductor: ion dynamics in Li11Si2PS12 and comparison with other tetragonal LGPS-type electrolytes

We report on a new ultrafast solid electrolyte of the composition Li11Si2PS12, which exhibits a higher room-temperature Li ion diffusivity than the present record holder Li10GeP2S12. We discuss the high-pressure synthesis and ion dynamics of tetragonal Li11Si2PS12, and comparison is made with our investigations of related members of the LMePS family, i.e. electrolytes of the general formula Li11-xMe2-xP1+xS12 with Me = Ge, Sn : Li10GeP2S12, Li7GePS8, Li10SnP2S12. The structure and dynamics were studied with multiple complementary techniques and the macroscopic diffusion could be traced back to fast Li ion hopping in the crystalline lattice. A clear correlation between the diffusivity and the unit cell volume of the LGPS-type electrolytes was observed

EU FP7 project 'CAMbrella' to build European research network for complementary and alternative medicine

Background: The status of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the EU needs clarification. The definition and terminology of CAM is heterogeneous. The therapies, legal status, regulations and approaches used vary from country to country but there is widespread use by EU citizens. A coordination project funded by the EU has been launched to improve the knowledge about CAM in Europe. Objectives and Methods: The project aims to evaluate the conditions surrounding CAM use and provision in Europe and to develop a roadmap for European CAM research. Specific objectives are to establish an EU network involving centres of research excellence for collaborative projects, to develop consensus-based terminology to describe CAM interventions, to create a knowledge base that facilitates the understanding of patient demand for CAM and its prevalence, to review the current legal status and policies governing CAM provision, and to explore the needs and attitudes of EU citizens with respect to CAM. Based on this information a roadmap will be created that will enable sustainable and prioritised future European research in CAM. CAMbrella encompasses 16 academic research groups from 12 European countries and will run for 36 months starting from January 2010. The project will be delivered in 9 work packages coordinated by a Management Board and directed by a Scientific Steering Committee with support of an Advisory Board. Output: The outcomes generated will be disseminated through the project’s website, peer review open access publications and a final conference, with emphasis on current and future EU policies, addressing different target audiences