Pedagogiken i tiden : Om framväxten av nya undervisningsformer under tidigt 2000-tal – exemplet Kunskapsskolan

The study concerns the new educational activities that emerge within the deregulated school system at the beginning of the 21st century. Which ideas guide the work? How is the activity formed? What does one hope to achieve? The aim of the thesis is to explore these educational practices in one of the larges independent schools in Sweden – Kunskapsskolan. The study was based upon a sociocultural perspective on learning and on twenty situated interviews with seven principals. Tools central for the activity in Kunskapsskolan were used as basis for the interviews. A qualitative analysis has been used; one of the methods for analysis applied is phenomenography. The study shows how the school, with the help of centrally developed tools, organised the teaching and the environments for learning that were implemented in all schools of the company. Individually organised teaching is the foundation for all teaching, where the students are expected to be self-regulated and self-correcting and use the tools provided for their learning. With regards to the students’ learning, the teachers’ role is mainly related to individual tutorial conversations. Thereby the tools intended to create freedom and control for the students, also create problems and obstacles. Students who do not learn to use the tools have difficulties in managing their studies. The new tools also affect the teachers’ work. In comparison with other schools, the teachers are expected to submit to the educational model and a centrally controlled planning. The teaching is centrally planned in subject specific stages or subject integrated courses. Teachers can influence the central planning by working collaboratively in teacher teams but not individually. The main commission of the teachers is to follow the educational model decided by the company. In comparison with the traditional school, both teachers and students are given new roles. When learning is individually organised for the students, the teachers are expected to develop their knowledge collectively. According to the results, both students and teachers have different approaches to the system – they can submit to the system or approach it in a more independent and reflective way.

Structural investigation of Nb-based layer sulfides

In this work we have investigated the intercalation of electron-donors between NbS2 slabs in Nb-based layer sulfides. Two series of Sr substituted Nb-based misfit sulfides belonging to the 1.5Q/1H and 1Q/1H series of misfit layer compounds have been synthesised. For large lanthanides (Ln=La, Ce), only the 1Q/1H compounds formed whereas for smaller lanthanides and yttrium, both types of phases can be obtained. The crystal structure of misfit sulfide (Pr0.55Sr0.45S)1.15NbS2 has been refined using the composite approach. In the Q-slab, Pr-atoms are partly replaced by Sr with a random distribution over one cation position. The crystal structure of misfit sulfide [(Sm1/3Sr2/3S)1.5]1.15NbS2 belonging to the 1.5Q/1H series have also been determined. The obtained results suggest a preferred occupancy of the cation positions in the slab where Sr atoms mainly occupy positions on the exterior of the slab while Sm atoms are in the center of the slab. The (La1-xSrxS)1.15NbS2 solid solution (0.1<x<0.9) has also been studied. It was found that the maximum value of Sr substitution is 40-50% and therefore, the minimal value of charge transfer to stabilize this structure type is about 0.6ē per Nb atom. An attempt to synthesize SrxNbS2 (0.1≤x≤0.5) intercalates was made but single phases were not obtained and increasing the temperature from 1000оС to 1100оС leads to the decomposition of these intercalates. Single crystals of Sr0.22Nb1.05S2 and Sr0.23NbS2 were found and their structures were determined. The structures belong to two different types of packings with statistical distribution of Sr between layers. A new superconducting sulfide, "EuNb2S5", was investigated by ED and HREM and its structure model consisting of Nb7S14 and (Eu3S4)2 slabs alternating along the c-axis is suggested. An attempt to suggest a model for the structure of "SrNb2S5" by means of X-ray single crystal diffraction was made. The proposed structure consists of two types of slabs: a Nb7S14 and a [Sr6(NbS4)2S] slab with niobium in tetrahedral coordination. It is shown that "SrNb2S5" and "EuNb2S5" are have similar structures. For the first time, single crystals of the complex sulfide BaNb0.9S3 have also been studied by means of X-ray single crystal diffraction. The single crystal refinement and EDX analysis showed the existence of cation vacancies at the niobium position. BaNb0.9S3 has also been studied by ED and no superstructure was found which implies that and the vacancies are statistically distributed. No improvement of the magnetic properties of the studied compounds was observed in comparison to NbS2.