27 research outputs found

    “Then it is crucial to get some external person with respectability to the meetings”: Mothering practices and collaboration with teachers and professionals to secure their autistic children’s schooling and professional services – Bourdieusian class analysis

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    Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að skoða reynslu mæðra af samskiptum við kennara og annað fagfólk á menntavettvangi í ljósi ólíkrar stéttarstöðu. Meginefniviður rannsóknarinnar er sex hálfopin einstaklingsviðtöl við mæður grunnskólabarna á einhverfurófi og tvö upplýsingaviðtöl við sérfræðinga á vettvangi stjórnsýslu. Kenningarammi Bourdieu var nýttur til að greina hvernig bakgrunnur mæðranna, með áherslu á efnahags-, menningar- og félagsauð, markaði stöðu þeirra, samskipti og væntingar á vettvangi menntunar. Kerfisbundið aðgengi mæðranna að ráðgjöf og stuðningi varð minna, að eigin mati, eftir því sem barnið varð eldra, en þá fór auður þeirra og óformlegt aðgengi að skipta meira máli, og ljóst varð að mæður í millistétt stóðu þá betur að vígi. Félagsauður skipti sköpum og umbreytti stöðu móður í lægri stétt. Félagsauður barst í gegnum sterk fjölskyldutengsl, vinatengsl, tengsl við vinnufélaga og kunningja, og/eða tengsl við aðra foreldra með börn á einhverfurófi. Ólíkur menningarauður birtist í mismiklu a) sjálfsöryggi í samskiptum, b) þekkingu á leikreglum menntavettvangsins og c) virkni í samskiptum við kennara og sérfræðinga. Það er mat höfunda að nauðsynlegt sé að samhæfa betur kerfið milli skólastiga og tryggja að þar sé þekking á stéttamun og tekið sé tillit til hans. Víkka þarf út skilgreiningar á stéttarhugtakinu þannig að það nái einnig til félags- og menningarauðs og beita eigindlegri nálgun til að ná betur að greina ferli, bjargráð og aðgerðir sem ýta undir eða minnka stéttamun og birtingarmyndir hans í íslensku menntakerfi.In Iceland, social class is an understudied field of research in terms of social justice in education. The theoretical purpose of the research was to explore class disposition of mothers of children with learning disabilities in relation to their experience of schooling by using Pierre Bourdieu‘s theoretical framework. Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field and capital are used to explore how mothering practices and resources are shaped by their class position, as well as how the education field of compulsory schooling opens up possibilities to some while closing them to others. The practical purposes of this research were to explore parental experience of the school and professional services concerning the education of their autistic child, as well as communication with their child’s teachers and other professionals at school. This research is a pilot study in preparation for a more extensive research project on Parental practices, choices and responsibilities within the Icelandic education field, designed and led by the first author, financed by The University of Iceland Research Fund and the Icelandic Equality Fund. In this paper the theoretical and methodological framework of the project is introduced and used to analyse a small dataset, collected for the MA-thesis of the second author, comprising a total of eight semi-structured interviews. The main interviewees were six mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, and supplementary interviews were taken with a project manager of inclusive education at the Reykjavík Municipality educational office and a worker from a grassroots consultancy centre (Icel. Sjónarhóll) for parents of children with special needs. This research is a pilot study in preparation for a more extensive research project on Parental practices, choices and responsibilities within the Icelandic education field, designed and led by the first author, financed by The University of Iceland Research Fund and the Icelandic Equality Fund. In this paper the theoretical and methodological framework of the project is introduced and used to analyse a small dataset, collected for the MA-thesis of the second author, comprising a total of eight semi-structured interviews. The main interviewees were six mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, and supplementary interviews were taken with a project manager of inclusive education at the Reykjavík Municipality educational office and a worker from a grassroots consultancy centre (Icel. Sjónarhóll) for parents of children with special needs. The mothers who participated in the research belonged to two distinctive class groups in terms of education and occupation. Three counted as middle-class. They had tertiary education degrees, worked as professionals and were married to their children’s fathers who had a similar class position. The lower-class mothers had GCSE or A level equivalent education; two of them struggled with health issues and were not participating in the labour market. None of the three lived with the child´s father and he took no part in the upbringing of the child. Two of them were single mothers and one was co-habiting with a new partner. In a Bourdieusian class analysis the data indicated a clear division between the mothers in terms of economic, cultural and social capital. The SEN-industry in Iceland has intensified and in the compulsory schools access to resources is not guaranteed, resulting in growing insecurity among the mothers with regard to obtaining the services of a paraprofessional to conduct a personalized special-ed programme for their child. This was especially the case after they joined secondary school. Subsequently, parental class resources and capital turned out to be more important. Overall, the middle-class mothers exhibited more confidence in their communication with the school. However, the culture of intensive parenting is rather young in Icelandic education, so all of the mothers were quite afraid of being seen as too pushy and demanding for their children. One of the main contributions of this research is exhibited in the title of this paper. The title is a quote from a middle-class mother, who felt strongly about the importance of having someone with respectability alongside her in the school- and at professional-meetings, in order to obtain needed services and interventions for her child. The middle-class mothers perceived that acquaintance with people who had high enough symbolic capital was helpful in moving things forward for their child. One of the lower-class mothers boosted her social capital by starting to work in her children’s school which gave her invaluable insight into the rules of the game in the field of education and had ground-breaking effects for her child. However, such knowledge and overview was easily accessible to the middle class mothers as they enjoyed more valuable connections through relatives, friends, acquaintances and parent associations.Peer Reviewe

    Perceptions of Ghanaian Student Teachers on Benefits and Challenges of the Flipped Classroom : A Case Study

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    Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by authors.The views of student teachers on using the flipped classroom approach were investigated in three Ghanaian colleges of education during the 2020/2021 academic year. A questionnaire with open-ended questions was used to collect data from 143 student teachers. Responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. In addition, a focus group interview was taken to examine some of the issues in more depth The flipped classroom approach allowed the students to feel that they were in control of their own learning by using self-paced and collaborative learning. The approach also deepened their conceptual understanding as well as their learning skills. The student teachers also experienced three interconnected challenges, including inadequate ICT infrastructures, such as poor internet connectivity, lack of skills to use ICT, and increased workload. The flipped classroom approach can positively impact students’ learning, but educators planning to use the approach should consider the adequacy of the ICT infrastructure available.Peer reviewe

    Burn injuries in children: admissions at Landspitali University Hospital in Iceland 2000-2008

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    Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn Skoða/Opna(view/open)BACKGROUND: Causes of burn injuries in children are universally associated with social and environmental factors. Epidemiological studies are therefore important in identifying risk factors and for planning preventive interventions. METHODS: Children younger than 18 years with skin burns who were treated as inpatients at Landspitali University Hospital over a 9-year period, 2000 and 2008, were included in this retrospective descriptive study. Data was collected from medical records. RESULTS: Of 149 children included in the study 41.6% were four years old or younger. The average annual incidence of hospital admissions was 21/100,000. Cold water as first aid was applied in 78% of cases. Half of the accidents occurred in the home where a close family member was the caretaker. Risk factors were identified in 11.4% of the accidents and abuse or neglect was suspected in 3.4% of cases. Scalds were the most common type of burn injury (50.3%) followed by burns caused by fire (20.4%) including gas or petrol (14.9%) and fireworks (17.6%). The most common source of scalds was exposure to hot water from hot water mains (12,9%) and heated water (12,9%). The mean time from emergency room admission to the paediatric ward was two hours and 22 minutes. The mean length of stay was 13 days; median 9 days (range 1-97). CONCLUSION: Incidence of hospital admissions for burn injury has decreased when compared with earlier Icelandic studies. Children four years and younger and boys between 13-16 years old are most at risk for burn injuries. Stronger preventive measures as well as better documentation of burn accidents are imperative.Tilgangur: Að afla upplýsinga um brunaslys barna sem lögðust inn á Landspítala á níu ára tímabili, meta hvort efla þurfi forvarnir og endurskoða ákveðna þætti í meðferð. Aðferðir: Í þessari afturskyggnu lýsandi rannsókn var upplýsingum safnað úr sjúkraskrám um börn yngri en átján ára sem dvöldu lengur en≥ sólarhring á Landspítala vegna brunaáverka á húð á árunum 2000-2008. Niðurstöður: Af 149 börnum voru 108 drengir og 41 stúlka. Meðalfjöldi innlagna á ári var 16,5 eða 21/100 000. Brunaslys voru algengust hjá fjögurra ára og yngri (41,6%) og í aldurshópnum 13-16 ára (45,7%). Hjá meirihlutanum (81%) var útbreiðsla áverka £10% af líkamsyfirborði. Helmingur slysa varð inni á heimili. Sár voru kæld á vettvangi í 78% tilvika. Áhættuþættir voru til staðar hjá 11,4% barna og hjá 3,4% barna var grunur um vanrækslu eða ofbeldi. Helstu brunavaldar voru heitt vatn og aðrir heitir vökvar (50,3%), þar af neysluvatn í 12,9% tilvika, eldur í 20,4% tilvika, þar af gas eða bensín hjá 14,9% barna, og skoteldar (17,6%). Meðaltími frá komu á bráðamóttöku að innlögn á barnadeild var 142 mínútur, (25-333). Meðallegutími var 13 dagar, miðgildið níu dagar (1-97) að meðtöldum sex dögum á gjörgæsludeild, miðgildið tveir dagar (1- 48) . Ályktun:Innlögnum vegna brunaáverka hefur fækkað. Algengustu brunavaldar eru heitt vatn, heitir vökvar, eldur og skoteldar. Flest eru slysin hjá börnum ≤yngri en fjögurra ára og hjá drengjum 13-16 ára. Mikilvægt er að auka öryggi barna á heimilum og beina forvörnum að áhættuhópum. Vanda þarf fyrsta mat á útbreiðslu sára og greina þætti sem hafa áhrif á dvalartíma á bráðamóttöku og legudeild. Bæta þarf skráningu í sjúkraskrá

    Stable cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin and β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 levels differentiate predementia Alzheimer's disease patients

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    Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), neurogranin and the neurogranin/BACE1 ratio are proposed markers for Alzheimer’s disease. BACE1 is also a drug target. However, CSF levels may differ between early-stage amyloid plaque formation (A) and later stage downstream tau-tangle pathology (T) and neurodegeneration (N) and may be expressed as an A/T/N stage (e.g. A+/T−/N or A+/T+/N+). Whether BACE1 and neurogranin levels are persistent traits or change with disease progression is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CSF neurogranin and BACE1 concentrations differ between A/T/N stages, whether these change over time and correlate with memory decline. This may have implications for patient selection in future trials. We used CSF markers to determine A/T/N stage using amyloid beta42/40 ratio, p-tau181 and total-tau respectively in predementia Alzheimer’s disease cases (n = 176) [including cases that progressed to dementia (n = 10)] and controls (n = 74) from the Norwegian Dementia Disease Initiation cohort. We selected cases at the presumed early (A+/T−/N−, n = 86) and late stages (A+/T+/N+, n = 90) of the Alzheimer’s disease continuum and controlled with normal markers (A−/T−/N−, n = 74). A subset of subjects in all A/T/N groups underwent repeat CSF sampling at approximately 2-year intervals up to 6 years from baseline. Using linear mixed models, longitudinal measurements of CSF BACE1 and neurogranin levels in A+/T−/N− and A+/T+/N+ as compared to A−/T−/N− healthy controls were performed. Next, we measured changes in CSF BACE1 and neurogranin levels in cases that progressed from A−/T−/N− to A+/T−/N− (n = 12), from A+/T−/N− to A+/T or N+ (n = 12), remained stable A+/T−/N− (n = 26), remained stable A+/T+/N+ (n = 28) compared with controls remaining stable A−/T−/N− (n = 33). Lastly, associations between these markers and memory decline were assessed. Compared with A−/T−/N− healthy controls, neurogranin was unaltered in A+/T−/N− (n.s.) but higher in A+/T+/N+ (P < 0.0001). In contrast, BACE1 was lower in A+/T−/N− (P < 0.05) and higher in A+/T+/N+ (P < 0.0001). The neurogranin/BACE1 ratio was increased in both A+/T−/N− (P < 0.05) and A+/T+/N+ (P < 0.0001) groups as compared to A-/T-/N- healthy controls and was more strongly associated with memory decline (b = −0.29, P = 0.0006) than neurogranin (b = −0.20, P = 0.002) and BACE1 (b = −0.13, P = 0.046). Neurogranin and BACE1 level differences remained stable over time not only within A/T/N groups but also in patients progressing to more pathological A/T/N stages (e.g. progressing from A+/T−/N− to A + T or N+) and in cases progressing to dementia. Our results suggest that neurogranin and BACE1 levels may differentiate pathomechanistic Alzheimer’s disease subgroups, putatively with different options for treatment

    Takmarkanir eignarráða skv. 55. gr. fjöleignarhúsalaga vegna grenndarhagsmuna

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    Megin umfjöllunarefni ritgerðarinnar er 55. gr. fjöleignarhúsalaga en um er að ræða íþyngjandi úrræði sem heimilar að banna eiganda fasteignar dvöl eða búsetu í eigninni. Einnig er heimild þess efnis að knýja eigandandann til þess að selja eignina að tilteknum skilyrðum uppfylltum. Fjallað er um hver þessi skilyrði eru og greinin er mátuð við eignarréttarákvæði stjórnarskrárinnar

    Rammaáætlun. Setja lög um verndar- og orkunýtingaráætlun nr. 48/2011 faghópum nægilega skýr mörk í störfum sínum?

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    Ísland er þekkt fyrir ósnortna náttúru og mikið magn af endurnýjanlegum auðlindum. Til þess að nýta auðlindir til orkuframleiðslu með virkjunarframkvæmdum af tiltekinni stærðargráðu þarf að fara í gegnum ferli sem kallast rammaáætlun. Faghópar sjá um stærstan hluta þeirrar sérfræðivinnu sem ákvarðar hvort fyrirhugaðar virkjanir hafi möguleika á að verða að veruleika. Rannsóknarefni ritgerðarinnar er að kanna hvort gildandi löggjöf setji faghópum nægilega skýr mörk í störfum sínum. Lögð var áhersla á að skoða fyrirkomulag rammaáætlunar, þá löggjöf og regluverk sem um ferlið gilda og þá gagnrýni sem ferlið hefur fengið. Helstu niðurstöður eru að löggjöf og gildandi regluverk setja faghópum ekki nægilega skýr mörk. Ekki er þó hægt að kenna því um alla þá vankanta sem á rammaáætlun hafa verið

    Minna er meira: Mantran að vel heppnuðum vefmiðli

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    Þessi ritgerð fjallar um ferlið þegar ég bjó til vefmiðil útgáfunnar ibodinatturunnar.is frá upphafi til enda. Í ferlinu tókst mér einnig að búa mér til starf, starf vefritstjóra og móta það eftir bestu getu. Hlutverk vefritstjórans er víðfeðmt og er þessi ritgerð sérstaklega ætluð þeim sem eru að byggja upp vefmiðil á eigin spýtur, þó einnig sé hægt að nýta hana til hliðsjónar við gerð ýmissa annarra vefverkefna

    Student teachers attitude towards mathematics and its relation with achievement

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    Erlendar rannsóknir hafa sýnt að algengt er að kennaranemar um allan heim hafi neikvæðar tilfinningar gagnvart stærðfræði og neikvæða mynd af sjálfum sér sem stærðfræðiiðkendum Í þessari rannsókn er sjónum beint að viðhorfum íslenskra kennaranema til stærðfræði og hvernig þau viðhorf mótast og þróast yfir tíma. 76 nemendur á öðru ári í kennaranámi skrifuðu um tilfinningar sínar og reynslu sem nemendur í stærðfræði allt frá grunnskóla til háskóla. Nemendur voru meðal annars beðnir að segja frá bæði bestu og verstu minningum úr stærðfræðinámi sínu og setja fram graf sem lýsti tilfinningum þeirra til fagsins gegnum lífið. Reynslan sem sögurnar lýstu var margvísleg, allt frá því að aldrei hafði sést til sólar í stærðfræðináminu til þess, sem sjaldgæfara var, að stærðfræðinámið hafði gengið vel frá upphafi. Allmennt sýndu niðurstöður þó að það sem einkenndi viðhorf margra kennaranema til stærðfræði var neikvæð tilfinningaleg afstaða, festuhugarfar og tækniskilningurStudent teachers, as well as in-service teachers, tend to have a negative attitude towards mathematics (Maloney & Beilock, 2012; Geist, 2015; Jackson & Leffingwell, 1999; Novak & Tassell, 2017). Some have argued that these negative feelings are related to their own experience as mathematics learners in school. In this study we ask how student teachers’ attitude towards mathematics evolve through their experience as students in mathematics classrooms from an early age, and how that experience has shaped their attitude and how they see their mathematical abilities. Students’ attitude towards mathematics has been widely studied in mathematics education even though little consensus has been among researchers regarding the definition of the attitude construct. In early research the definition of attitude was often guided by the instrument used to measure it (Daskalogianni & Simpson, 2000; Fennema & Sherman, 1976; Haladyna et al., 1983; Hart, 1989), usually statements on a questionnaire where participants indicated on a Likert scale to what degree they either agreed or disagreed. In the past decades, there has been increased emphasis on the theoretical construct of attitude and research has shifted towards interpretative narrative approaches to assess students’ attitude towards mathematics (Di Martino & Zan, 2010). The main advantage of using a narrative approach is that the respondents can freely bring out what they consider most important in their experience, giving a clearer picture of how their attitude towards mathematics has evolved. In this study, we use a tripartite model for attitude, (1) emotional disposition, (2) mindset and, (3) view of mathematics. Emotional disposition refers to whether mathematics is viewed positively or negatively. Mindset refers to the idea that mathematical ability is either fixed, meaning that people are either mathematically talented or not, or that ability is mostly the result of effort and that people can improve their mathematical abilities. Lastly, the view of mathematics refers to whether mathematics is seen as instrumental/procedural, as a set of rules and procedures to be followed without reason, or whether mathematics is seen as relational where the rules have meaning, and it is understood how and why the rules and procedures work. These three components that constitute attitude towards mathematics are interconnected and fundamental in the development of a relationship with mathematics. As part of a university course in mathematics and mathematics teaching, second-year student teachers wrote a short autobiographical essay (N=76) on their memories as mathematics learners and on their feelings toward mathematics, focusing on their best and worst memories connected with mathematics. They were also asked to draw a sketch describing their feelings toward the subject over time. The data were analyzed using the principles of qualitative content analysis (Kuckartz, 2014; Mayring, 2015). The coding was guided by a theoretical framework and research questions, which provided the themes of interest. Qualitative interpretative coding was performed to create categories under the themes. The frequencies of occurrences of these categories were then counted and their frequencies compared. Finally, a contingency analysis drew out connections between categories and between themes, based on whether certain categories occur frequently together, in the same autobiography. Six categories emerged from the description of students’ experience as mathematics learners: (1) the bad chapter, (2) keeps getting worse, (3) getting better, (4) never a positive moment, (5) always positive, and (6) the good chapter. Only a few autobiographical essays can be characterized as having a genuinely positive disposition towards mathematics and the majority of the narratives described math as hard, boring, or stressful. In general, the findings indicate that a majority of the student teachers have a negative disposition towards mathematics and a rather fixed mindset as mathematics learners, along with an instrumental understanding of mathematics.Peer reviewe

    Þvottadagar. Stuttir prósatextar og ljóð

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    Lokaverkefni í ritlist. Stuttir prósatextar og ljó
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