In pursuit of an intercultural dimension in EFL-teaching : exploring cognitions among Finland-Swedish comprehensive school teachers

This thesis is about the educational purpose of foreign language teaching (FLT) in an increasingly internationalised world.The past 20-30 years have witnessed a fundamental rethinking of the aims of FLT, entailing a shift in emphasis from linguistic competence over communicative competence to intercultural competence. The growing emphasis on cultural issues, called for by research and international curricular documents, places new demandson language teachers. The overall aim of this study is to deepen the knowledge about the attitudes of teachers at the upper level of the Finland-Swedish comprehensive school towards the treatment of culture in English foreign language (EFL) teaching. The questions in focus are: 1) How do teachers interpret the concept"culture" in EFL-teaching?, 2) How do they specify the cultural objectives of their teaching? and 3) What do they do to attain these objectives? The thesis strives to reveal whether or not language teaching today can be describedas intercultural, in the sense that culture is taught with the aim of promotingintercultural understanding, tolerance and empathy. This abductive and largely exploratory study is placed within a constructivist and sociocultural framework,and is inspired by both phenomenography and hermeneutics. It takes its starting-point in language didactics, and can also be regarded as a contribution to teacher cognition research. The empirical data consists of verbatim transcribed interviews with 13 Finland-Swedish teachers of English at grades 7-9. The findings are presented according to three orientations and reviewed with reference to the 2004 Finnish National Framework Curriculum. Within the cognitive orientation, "culture" is perceived as factual knowledge, and the teaching of cultureis defined in terms of the transmission of knowledge, especially about Britain and the USA (Pedagogy of Information). Within the action-related orientation, "culture" is seen as skills of a social and socio-linguistic nature, andthe teaching aims at preparing the students for contacts with people from the target language areas (Pedagogy of Preparation). Within the affective orientation, which takes a more holistic approach, "culture" is seen as a bi-directional perspective. Students are encouraged to look at their own familiar culture from another perspective, and learn to empathise with and show respect for otherness in general, not just concerning representatives of English-speaking countries (Pedagogy of Encounter). Very few of the interviewed teachers represent the third approach, which is the one that can be characterised as truly intercultural. The study indicates that many teachers feel unsure about how to teach culture in an appropriate and up-to-date manner. This is attributed to, among other things, lack of teacher insights as well as lack of time and adequate material. The thesis ends with a set of recommendations as to how EFL could be developed ina more intercultural direction.

Under ytan, vid ytan och ovanför ytan : analys av tanken bakom tre läromedel i slöjd

This thesis is based on the personal experience gained related to the planning and production of three web-based teaching materials for the teaching subject knownas sloyd at the comprehensive school in Finland. After the teaching materials had been produced and published on the Internet at the Finnish textile teachers' website KässäBoxi, the idea for this thesis emanated from the questions: Why do the three teaching materials look the way they do and why do other textile teachers comment that they are different? In earlier sloyd educational research it has been stated that a scientific paradigm affects the individual ideology of a sloyd teacher. The aimfor my doctoral thesis is to continue on the topic. As the area of interest comprises the thought behind three teaching materials in sloyd, the aim of the thesis is to show how teaching and educational ideologies in sloyd appear in the teaching materials at hand. The research approach has parallels to research about another, tangible phenomena, namely the iceberg. In a similar way as an iceberg, a teaching material has a profound base, but the base is not always completely visible to the user of the teaching material. In this thesis I strive to show what there is under the surface, on the surface and above the surface of three teaching materials in sloyd. The research approach is defined as qualitative and phenomenologic-hermeneutic. The analysis results in knowledge about how the producer of a teaching material affects the character of a teaching material by choices concerning for example the form, structure, language and illustrations of the teaching material. The analysis also shows how the producers' individual educational and teaching ideologies within the teaching subject at hand appear by means of traces concerning the view on the pupil and the teacher, and the view on planning and conducting teaching in sloyd. The thesis also results in knowledge about how sloyd educational scientific theories and demands from society, as they are stated in the national core curriculum, appear in the three teaching materials. The application of the sloyd educational scientific theory of individual sloyd activity as a holistic educative system is also widened in the thesis. This thesis contributes to future research on producing teaching materials by information about what aspects a producer of teaching materials needs to consider and how the aspects become visible in the teaching materials. This kind of knowledge is valuable to teacher students in sloyd, to teachers in sloyd who intend to plan and produce teaching materials and to teachers who tutor the planning and production of teaching materials.

Images of imagination : an aesthetic approach to education

Visual art practice has generally been described as a lonely affair, thinking about what an artist has experienced in the outside world. This study is an inquiry into a visual art practice of another kind: the relational one. The research purpose is twofold. The first purpose is to shed light on a visual artist’s conceptions of art, education and scholarship. The second purpose is to by reasoning on imagination and a rhizomatic formation interpret the relations created between art, multimodality and literacy learning as an aesthetic approach to education. By inquiry into a specific collaborated long-term art practice, the study conveys how the meaning making elements of an arts based learning practice gradually transform an artist’s and a teacher’s concepts of art education to an aesthetic approach to education. In the art practice examined the typical Finnish rye bread and a poem have represented a cultural theme that has been elaborated through art conventions. The poem and the rye bread have in the art practice been articulated as cultural representations of as well as symbolic projections on the Swedishspeaking minority culture in Finland. The study connects art informed inquiry to a hermeneutic research rationale where the research reasoning is generated through a rhizomatic alliance between empiric data and theories. The reasoning is constructed as an interpretation pattern that expands throughout the study. The study arguments that the rhizome as an aesthetic formation can be appropriate to refer to when articulating arts based meaning making and when creating arts based educational strategies, dialogues, aesthetic learning and multimodal literacy in education. The study investigates an aesthetic approach to research in education, which means that the art practice surveyed is interpreted through articulation appropriate to poetic aspects of art, education and research.

Musikaliska möten man minns : om musikundervisningen i årskurserna sju till nio som en arena för starka musikpplevelser

Earlier research has shown that strong experiences related to music (SEM) can occur in very different contexts and take on many different forms. Experiences like these seem significant and have among other things reportedly had an affect on the individual's continuing relationship towards music, which makes them interesting from a pedagogical point of view. Formal teaching situations, though, are under-represented in studies where people have been asked to describe strong experiences that they have had in connection with music. The purpose of my thesis is to investigate what SEM may mean to pupils and teachers in lower secondary school (grades 7-9), and to inquire more deeply into the potential "space" for such experiences within school music education. On a comprehensive level my ambition is to deepen the understanding for SEM as a possible element in pedagogical situations. Three empirical perspectives are employed: pupil-, teacher- and curriculum perspectives. The pupil perspective involved an analysis of written accounts of 166 fifteen-year-olds, describing own strong experiences. The teacher perspective involved studying 28 music teachers' conceptions of the purpose of teaching music in school as well as their understanding about strong music experiences in school context. Further, the teachers' descriptions of SEM that they have had themselves were analysed. The curriculum perspective is reflected through a study of how music experience was represented in 24 local and 2 national curriculum texts for music. Grounded in a phenomenological-hermeneutical perspective the material have been analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The result points towards the fact that the music education in school has the potential to become an arena for SEM and that this can happen in relation to a multitude of activities and genres and take on many different expressions. Only one pupil referred to a musical encounter in the classroom environment; all other experiences that occurred inside the frame of school activity had taken place in other arenas (the school hall, public concert halls, and so on). However, more than 98 % of the descriptions concerned musical encounters in leisure time contexts. The significance of SEM is further clarified by narrative constructions. SEM as a conception does not occur on the curriculum level; however the analyze revealed a number of interesting "openings" which are illustrated. Even though all teachers displayed a fundamentally positive attitude towards the idea of regarding SEM as a feature of formal musical learning, it became clear that many teachers never had approached this theme from a pedagogical point of view before. Still, they proved to have an evident "familiarity" towards the phenomenon based on their own experiences of receptive and performative musical encounter. The possible space for strong musical experiences within school music education is specified through a detailed illustration of six specific themes derived from the reasoning of the teachers. Furthermore, this is described through a mapping of the potential experiencing zone, constructed from the teachers descriptions of educational aims.

Integrating environmental education in primary school education in Tanzania : teachers’ perceptions and teaching practices

The study focuses on primary school teachers’ perceptions of environmental education, its integration into primary school education and teachers’ teaching practices in Tanzania. The thesis is based on empirical research. The theoretical underpinnings of the study are based on Palmer’s (1998) model of environmental education. According to the model, meaningful environmental education should include education about, in or through and for the environment. The study is supported by national and international literature from research done on environmental education and education for sustainable development and policy statements. The study is qualitative in nature, adopting phenomenography and phenomenology as points of departure. The empirical data was collected from four primary schools in Morogoro region in Tanzania. The study sample consisted of 31 primary school teachers. Data was collected through interviews and lesson observations. According to the results of the study, primary school teachers expressed variations in their perceptions of environmental education and education for sustainable development. Most of the teachers focused on the aspect of knowledge acquisition. According to Tanzanian education and training policy, environmental education has to be integrated into all subjects. Although there is environmental education in the primary school curriculum, it is not integrated on an equal footing in all subjects. Some subjects like science, social studies and geography have more environmental content than other subjects. Teachers claim that the approach used to integrate environmental education into the school curriculum was not favoured because many claimed that what is to be taught as environmental education in the various subjects is not shown clearly. As a result, many teachers suggested that to ensure that it is taught properly it should be included in the curriculum as an independent subject or as specific topics. The study revealed that teachers’ teaching practices in integrating environmental education varied from one subject to another. Although most of the teachers said that they used participatory methods, lesson observations showed that they limited themselves to question and answer and group discussion. However, the teachers faced a number of barriers in the teaching of environmental education, some of which include lack of teaching and learning resources, time and large class size. The role of teachers in the implementation of environmental education in developing an environmentally literate citizenry is of great significance. The responsibility of the government in developing a curriculum with clear goals and content, developing teachers’ capacity in the teaching of environmental education and provision of teaching and learning materials needs to be taken seriously by the government in educational plans and programs.

Enhancement of water removal in the press section

The effectiveness of water removal on press section is very important for a paper and board machine’s functioning, efficiency and economy. Today, the most effective method for wet pressing is shoe press technology. Metso has carried out a number of studies concerning anew type of water removal method for a press section, which has also been patented. These studies include rough sketches and some test runs. These issues form the basis of this thesis. The objective of this work was to gather together information for a new and enhanced waterremoval method for a press section by studying the functioning of the device andcarrying out test runs. This method is referred to here as Hydronip. The main goal was tobuild a functional test site which fulfills all the necessary requirements and has all thenecessary information gathering devices. The design process was carried out by emphasizing the safety aspects. The goal was also to gather together information about the nip structure in running conditions, the seal function, and to carry out the nip tests with paper or board wads. This thesis consists of a theory part, the design and construction of the test site, and carrying out test runs through information gathering. The theory part consists of the principals of water removal from a press section, Hydronip construction, and the requirements for the test place. The safety aspects were taken into account especially in test runs, but also in the assembly stages. The design and construction of the test site includes the selection of equipment and surroundings that are needed for managing the test runs in the best possible way at certain premises. The test site included the equipment that was already on the premises. Some equipment could be used as it was but some equipment had to be manufactured or modified from existing equipment. A functional test site with information gathering devices was accomplished as a result of thethesis. Test runs demonstrated that the Hydronip concept is, at least on a small scale,functional. Short-term tests for seal functioning showed that the seal can be lubricatedsufficiently under different kinds of nip load situations. Wad tests demonstrated that the metal belt is durable against different sizes of external particles. The seal also endured wad tests even though the pressure impacts impaired the lubrication. MTS tests showing dry content increases, combined with a rough cost calculation and the basic function of the machine in test runs, show that with some further study Hydronip could be a promising new product for water removal from a paper or board machine’s press section.

Karneval i klassrum – kunskap på hjul : en studie av elevers möten med clown analyserade med narrativ metod och poetisk etnografi

The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge about learning in and through art related to pupils’ study processes developing clown characters in secondary school. The pre understanding of this qualitative piece of micro ethnographic research is that the elaboration of clown has openness to play, creative activity and imagination. The art form clown inspires and motivates. The clown character creates a kind and friendly atmosphere, calls upon smile, which promotes learning. It is an art form promoting deep and personal reflection and evoking questions regarding identity formation. The pre understanding finally is that existential themes are brought to articulation in the art form clown. The problem formulation for the hermeneutic phenomenological study is an exploration of the meaning potential of an arts educational work with clown from the pupils’ as well as the teacher’s perspective. The study elaborates the following research questions: 1.) How are the pupils staging themselves in the work with clown? a) How are they constructing the clown character? b) How do they reflect upon their construction? c) What are the characteristics of the working process in the elaboration of clown? 2.) What is characteristic of the teacher’s contribution to the arts educational work? 3.) What is characteristic of the meaning making in the elaboration of clown? One group of 21 pupils and their drama teacher in a Swedish secondary school in six workshops (each one 90 minutes) elaborating the clown theme is the group under study through video observation, interviews, students’ logs and drawings, teacher log and researcher’s field notes. The theoretical framework comprises three perspectives on clown: a perspective on the culture of carnival, a drama education perspective and a performance perspective. Through a content analysis of texts about clown a set of characteristics for the clown is used as analytical concepts in the subsequent analysis of the pupils’ working process when they create three clown characters: August, the white clown and the bag lady. The results are presented as fictive narratives built on the video observations and the interviews. The presentation is brought to even more condensation through poetic ethnographic writing of haiku poems by the researcher. This ethnographic writing is idiomatic to the art form under study, and can be seen as a metaphorical meta commentary to the narratives. As a main result the researcher has developed a model describing the different aspects of the clown characters and the meaning potential of the clown as learning regarding exploration of identity and elaboration of existential questions regarding life, loneliness, love, religion and death.

Future revenue models: Transformation from textbooks to digital solutions in the educational publishing industry, Case Sanoma Learning

This study was conducted in order to learn how companies’ revenue models will be transformed due to the digitalisation of its products and processes. Because there is still only a limited number of researches focusing solely on revenue models, and particularly on the revenue model change caused by the changes at the business environment, the topic was initially approached through the business model concept, which organises the different value creating operations and resources at a company in order to create profitable revenue streams. This was used as the base for constructing the theoretical framework for this study, used to collect and analyse the information. The empirical section is based on a qualitative study approach and multiple-case analysis of companies operating in learning materials publishing industry. Their operations are compared with companies operating in other industries, which have undergone comparable transformation, in order to recognise either similarities or contrasts between the cases. The sources of evidence are a literature review to find the essential dimensions researched earlier, and interviews 29 of managers and executives at 17 organisations representing six industries. Based onto the earlier literature and the empirical findings of this study, the change of the revenue model is linked with the change of the other dimen-sions of the business model. When one dimension will be altered, as well the other should be adjusted accordingly. At the case companies the transformation is observed as the utilisation of several revenue models simultaneously and the revenue creation processes becoming more complex.

Optimization of the refining and shoe press in board production

Optimointi on tavallinen toimenpide esimerkiksi prosessin muuttamisen tai uusimisen jälkeen. Optimoinnilla pyritään etsimään vaikkapa tiettyjen laatuominaisuuksien kannalta paras tapa ajaa prosessia tai erinäisiä prosessin osia. Tämän työn tarkoituksena oli investoinnin jälkeen optimoida neljä muuttujaa, erään runkoon menevän massan jauhatus ja määrä, märkäpuristus sekä spray –tärkin määrä, kolmen laatuominaisuuden, palstautumislujuuden, geometrisen taivutusjäykkyyden ja sileyden, suhteen. Työtä varten tehtiin viisi tehdasmittakaavaista koeajoa. Ensimmäisessä koeajossa oli tarkoitus lisätä vettä tai spray –tärkkiä kolmikerroskartongin toiseen kerrosten rajapintaan, toisessa koeajossa muutettiin, jo aiemmin mainitun runkoon menevän massan jauhatusta ja jauhinkombinaatioita. Ensimmäisessä koeajossa tutkittiin palstautumislujuuden, toisessa koeajossa muiden lujuusominaisuuksien kehittymistä. Kolmannessa koeajossa tutkittiin erään runkoon menevän massan jauhatuksen ja määrän sekä kenkäpuristimen viivapaineen muutoksen vaikutusta palstautumislujuuteen, geometriseen taivutusjäykkyyteen sekä sileyteen. Neljännessä koeajossa yritettiin toistaa edellisen koeajon paras piste ja parametreja hieman muuttamalla saada aikaan vieläkin paremmat laatuominaisuudet. Myös tässä kokeessa tutkittiin muuttujien vaikutusta palstautumislujuuteen, geometriseen taivutusjäykkyyteen ja sileyteen. Viimeisen kokeen tarkoituksena oli tutkia samaisen runkoon menevän massan vähentämisen vaikutusta palstautumislujuuteen. Erinäisistä vastoinkäymisistä johtuen, koeajoista saadut tulokset jäivät melko laihoiksi. Kokeista kävi kuitenkin ilmi, että lujuusominaisuudet eivät parantuneet, vaikka jauhatusta jatkettiin. Lujuusominaisuuksien kehittymisen kannalta turha jauhatus pystyttiin siis jättämään pois ja näin säästämään energiaa sekä säästymään pitkälle viedyn jauhatuksen mahdollisesti aiheuttamilta muilta ongelmilta. Vähemmällä jauhatuksella ominaissärmäkuorma saatiin myös pidettyä alle tehtaalla halutun tason. Puuttuvat lujuusominaisuudet täytyy saavuttaa muilla keinoin.

Emergence of corn according to the sowing depth of the seed and loads on press wheels

The seeding process was the operation that suffered the most changes in no-tillage system due the cover crop soil and new particle soil arrangement. The objective of this study was to verify the effects of loads applied to the wheels and adjustments of sowing depth on seedling emergence of corn in no-tillage system. The experimental design was completely randomized with a factorial arrangement 5x4, with five loads applied to the wheels and four theoretical sowing depth adjustments. The real sowing depth increased in the lower theoretical depth and decreased in the higher theoretical depth, due to the compaction loads. Regarding the time of emergence, loads applied had not influence at the greater depths. Emergence time decreased with the load increase in the lower depths. Thus, the adjustment of the compactor wheels can influence in the corn seeding process.

Static tests of constructive tires using hydraulic press on the soil

ABSTRACT The power consumption and load capacity of agricultural machines have grown and the effects of pressure on the soil by tires have been still little investigated. In concern with sustainable development, the relationship machine-tire-soil must be in balance to give more consistency on the best use of tires for a given load. This study aimed to evaluate four tires of two constructive types, the bias belted tires and radial tires, both with respective rim diameters of 22.5 and 26.5 inches with variables measuring the footprint, elastic deformation, sinkage and resistance to penetration. A hydraulic press with an attachment shaft for tire mounting and a box of soil in which the tire has been imposed on a load of 53.00 kN using nominal pressures recommended by the tire manufacturer. The radial construction tire with rim diameter of 26.5 inches obtained less sinkage and resistance to penetration; however, greater elastic deformation and footprint compared to other tires. The bias-belted tire with 22.5-inch rim presented the highest resistance to penetration and the lowest elastic deformation.

Cultural Diversity, Social Cohesion, Religion: Core Values and Educational Policies in Four European Nations

In my doctoral thesis I evaluate strategies designed to cope with the multicultural nature of four European nations: Great Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark. I also analyse and clarify the question of the place of religion in present-day Europe. The empirical material analysed in the study consists of politicians’ statements and policy documents dealing with immigration policy and religious and values education in the four countries. In addition, I analyse statements issued by the Council of Europe regarding religious education, along with all cases relevant to religious education brought before the United Nations Human Rights Committee or the European Court of Human Rights. The theoretical framework is formed by the scholarly debate – among philosophers, sociologists and scholars of religion in education – concerning the question of a just society. Special emphasis is given to philosophical theories that are in favour of granting special group rights to religious minorities in the name of equal treatment. With regard to the question of the appropriate place of religion, I apply Kim Knott’s methodological model for locating religion in secular contexts, and Émile Durkheim’s theory as to the significance of religion and collective sentiments in uniting adherents or members of a group into a single moral community. The study shows that even when the positive side of immigration, as a potential force for the enrichment of the public culture, is acknowledged, there is anxiety as to the successful integration of immigrants. The premises and goals of immigration policies have also been questioned. One central problem is the incommensurability between the values upheld by Western liberal democracies and certain religious traditions, above all those of Islam. Great Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark have tightened control over their citizens’ ethical attitudes and want to regulate these as well. In coping with cultural diversity, the significance of education, especially religious education, plays a significant role; as future citizens, pupils are expected to internalise the society’s core values as well as gaining an understanding of different cultures and ways of life. It is also worth noting that both the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights have recently expressed the view that one important goal of religious education is to enable pupils to be critical and autonomous with regard to different religions and moral positions. The study shows that religion is not seen as purely a personal matter. Religion is closely linked to individual and national identity, and religious traditions thus have a place in the public domain. It should be noted, however, that a religious tradition – more precisely, an interpretation of religious tradition – qualifies as a legitimate partner in the democratic decision-making process only if it shares similar values with Western European nations.

Perspektivmöten i skola och handledning : lärares tankar om specialpedagogisk handledning

To create a more inclusive school, an increase in multidisciplinary cooperation is needed. One possible form of collaboration could encompass the special education teacher taking on the role of a consultant for other teachers in need of support in working with heterogeneous groups of pupils. Previous research shows that special education teachers see the role as consultant as diffuse and complex. The overarching aim of the present study involves deepening the knowledge on how consultation in a special educational context can be understood and developed based on teachers’ descriptions on this particular form of activity interpreted against various perspectives on consultation. The study is qualitative in nature and rests on a hermeneutic interpretive research tradition in combination with an abductive approach. The theoretical framework consists of two different approaches to consultation: the directive and the non-directive approach. The approaches differ regarding particular emphasis on advice and reflection during the consultation and with respect to who or what should be the focus of the consultation. The two approaches are here studied through various theories such as social learning theory, Bruner's theory of scaffolding, Roger’s humanist psychology, and constructivism. Semi-structured interviews were held with eighteen special education teachers (n=9) and class teachers (n=9) working in the compulsory school. The overall interpretation of the results shows that special education consultation can be understood as three different types of consultation. Consultation as counseling which harmonizes with the directive perspective on consultation is the most prominent type. In the consultation as counseling conversation, the special educational knowledge transfer is central and the focus is placed on the pupil. Although special education knowledge transfer emerges as a unique aspect of special education consultation, there are several inherent challenges in this type of consultation that can be addressed in that teachers also describe two other types of consultation. In the reflective consultation, there is a move away from the pupil focus and toward a focus on the class teacher and the use of reflection. The reflective consultation harmonizes with the non-directive approach to consultation. This type of consultation does not as of yet have a prominent place in the Finland-Swedish school context and at this stage it is not seen as a legitimate type of consultation according to the teachers’ descriptions. Despite this, certain aspects of the reflective conversation could be given more space in the development of consultation within special educational contexts. The co-operative consultation is characterized by the teachers acting as teammates and using professional exchange as a strategy for consultation. Both teachers' knowledge is seen as central, and rather than the special education teacher acting as the expert and moderator, the teachers control the consultation together and jointly move the work along. The co-operative consultation enables the focus to move from the pupil toward the context, which can lead to the development of inclusive practices. The results indicate that this type of consultation holds potential in the development of special educational consultation that takes place between equal colleagues. The co-operative consultation opens up for a third collaborative approach to consultation, where aspects of the directive and non-directive perspective can merge and develop. The thesis concludes with the proposal that special pedagogical consultation can be understood from an integrated perspective. The characteristics of the consultation can vary depending on the type of problem or situation, while co-operative consultation can be seen as the ideal as equal colleagues meet in consultation conversations. In order to develop the co-operative consultation, both teachers are required to have knowledge of consultation as a practice, to be part of a collaborative school climate, and that teachers are provided with enough time to take part in consultations.