School performance of international adoptees better than expected from cognitive test results

Objective: To investigate school performance of international adoptees in relation to their cognitive competence. Method: From the population of all male Swedish residents born 1973–1976, registered in the census 1985 and with complete test scores from military conscription, the following study groups were identified: Korean adoptees (n = 320), non-Korean adoptees (n = 1,125), siblings (children born by adoptive parents, n = 190) and Swedish majority comparisons (n = 142,024). Global scores from intelligence tests at conscription were compared with grade points from the last compulsory school year (year 9). Linear and logistic regression was applied in statistical analyses. Results: The mean grade points in theoretical subjects were lower in non-Korean adoptees than in the majority population, but when global test scores from military conscription were adjusted for, outcomes were significantly better, equal for physics, than in the majority population. The grade points of Korean adoptees were higher than in the majority population and the same held true after adjusting for global test scores. When SES was taken into account, the risk of poor school performance (only completed lower subject levels) increased in non-Korean adoptees compared to models only adjusted for age and sex. Conclusion: Male international adoptees generally perform better in school than expected by their cognitive competence. A cognitive evaluation is important in the assessment of adoptees with learning difficulties

Skilda verkligheter – gemensamma dilemman : Intervjuundersökning med fokus på belastningsfaktorer och stödbehov för par i samband med internationell militär insats

Det finns relativt omfattande internationell (främst amerikansk) litteratur som visat att militär internationell insats påverkar den anställde och dennes familj/nätverk, men få svenska studier. Syftet med denna studie var att fördjupa kunskapen om psykologiska belastningsfaktorer och stödbehov i samband med militär insats i utlandet med fokus på familjesituationen. Aktuella frågeställningar var: Hur upplevde veteranen/partnern ökad belastning, stressreaktioner eller annan påverkan på måendet? Hur upplevde veteranen/partnern/paret behov av stöd? Hur upplevde veteranen/partnern att PREP, ett pedagogiskt förebyggande program för par, varit till hjälp vid insats? Undersökningsgruppen bestod av fyra par som genomgått PREP där en i paret deltagit i en militär internationell insats i Afghanistan. Inför intervjuerna gjordes en intervjuguide på basis av inläst material. Det insamlade intervjumaterialet bearbetades utifrån tematisk analys. Resultat som framkom var ökad belastning på hemmavarande, (övergående) påverkan på måendet hos paret, betydelsen av mentala och praktiska förberedelse och en fungerande kommunikation liksom svårigheter att ta varandras perspektiv. Positiva effekter framkom som yrkesmässig utveckling, kamratskap under missionen och att paret klarat utmaningen. Specifika förutsättningar för anhörig till civilrekryterad personal beskrevs. Behov av stöd i olika former framkom liksom att PREP varit till hjälp. Slutsatser som drogs var betydelsen av delaktighet, vikten av att följa upp mental hälsa, att ett ”nätverkstänk” bör genomsyra hela (utbildnings)insatsen samt att bygga upp ”förstärkt PREP” eller andra anpassade former för par i behov av professionell behandling

Conditions for Successful Export : An Analysis of Bolivian Wooden Door Producers

Bolivia, as the poorest country in South America, can gain a lot from international trade. It is an important factor for a country to build prosperity and gain economic growth and thereby reach a higher standard of living. But for a company to succeed in the international market is a demanding task. Both internal and external factors that influence a company’s competence need to be taken into consideration. This Master Thesis deals with two Bolivian wooden door producers’ possibilities to export to the Swedish market. The demand of tropical wood products is expected to increase and the Bolivian wood industry has been identified as an export industry of the future. Another thing in favor for the Bolivian export is the fact that the country is number one in the world when it comes to sustainable management of forest resources. This gives the companies the possibility to offer an environmentally friendly and unique product and thereby create competitive advantages. There are though areas that need improvement. One of the most important improvement areas for both of the companies is marketing and understanding what the customers needs. They need to keep the costumer in focus in all of their activities and learn how to promote their products advantages. The facts that both the studied companies have earlier experience in export and a high level of motivation support the possibility to succeed in this matter. But, these factors are not enough for the studied companies to succeed in export. The result of this study also shows that the instable situation in the country results in financial problems and lack of trust. Therefore the companies must focus on building trust to attract new customers and investors. This should be done by keeping an even level of quality, fulfilling promises and finding ways to reduce the risk for potential investors. The trend towards more individual and exclusive doors in the Swedish market results in the recommendation to focus on offering a niche product in the middle-price segment. It is also recommended for the Bolivian companies to use some kind of representative to reach the market. A good alternative is to work as a supplier to a door producing partner and help them widen their assortment and in turn get someone present in the market that can work close to the customers

Gender Differences in Achievement

The relative school achievement of female and male students varies over time and domains. During the last decades, female participation in primary schooling has increased in countries at the low end of the income scale. At the same time, in countries at the high end of the same scale, male underachievement has gained much attention. Gender differences in school achievement cannot be understood purely as a result of classroom activities or of schools as social systems. Factors in society have to play an important role as well, since countries vary drastically in the same assessments of student gender gaps. How men and women are positioned in power structures, in the labor market, and in the family are considered important. Cultural traditions affecting social relations, the understanding of the self, and different attitudes toward schooling are always present. However, school achievement is important for individual life opportunities and achievement differences between females and males are markers of a society’s gender structure. In this chapter, we systematically review research on gender differences across several domains, including mathematics, science, reading, civics, and computer and information literacy. The focus on International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) data allows to compare gender gaps across countries or regions, across domains, and over time. In a first step, we systematically reviewed the primary reports of main ILSA studies with respect to gender gaps in achievement. Second, we systematically reviewed 42 secondary analyses of ILSA data that investigated correlates of gender differences in achievement and therefore add a more explanatory perspective to the chapter