Linnaeus University
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Assessment of Heavy Metals in Water, Sediment and Macrophytes in Old Glasswork Sites : Implications for Phytoremediation Management
No full textOur study found that sediment heavy metal content is the primary factor influencing heavy metal uptake by emergent macrophyte species. This research aimed to quantify the concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Si, and Zn) in emergent macrophytes-Lysimachia thyrsiflora, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Phragmites australis, Glyceria fluitans, Carex nigra, Equisetum fluviatile, and Juncus effusus-as well as in the corresponding water and sediment samples from Orrefors, Läen, and Emmaboda, to assess their net accumulation and translocation capacity for application in phytoremediation management. Our results revealed that the sediment As concentration at the Emmaboda site was 23 times higher than the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swe EPA) guideline value. At the Orrefors and Läen sites, the concentrations of heavy metals and the metalloid in water followed the descending order: Zn > Pb > Cu > As > Cd. Among the studied species, L. thyrsiflora was the most abundant across locations and exhibited the highest As accumulation (1,603 mg/kg) in its roots, with minimal translocation to its shoots. Si and Zn showed relatively high translocation to the shoots in most of the surveyed emergent macrophytes, regardless of location. This preliminary study indicates the substantial heavy metal accumulation in L. thyrsiflora and J. effusus. In combination with their limited translocation to the shoots, this underscores their strong potential for phytoremediation-based management of contaminated glasswork sites
Should I stay or not? : A qualitative study on unit managers' motivation to remain in an public organization during challenging organizational change
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative study is to create a deeper understanding of how first-line managers within a reorganized public administration experience and are affected by organizational changes, and how these experiences affect their work motivation and willingness to remain in the profession. This is against the background of a high rate of resignations among first-line managers nationally and the complexity of the job role. The study takes its theoretical starting point in Herzberg's two-factor theory to analyze motivational and hygiene factors in a context characterized by extensive change. Through a strategic selection, eight structured narrative interviews were conducted with first-line managers in a merged administration, which were then analyzed using a thematic analysis method. The results show that motivational factors such as “the work itself” and “interpersonal relationships” are crucial to the first-line managers' willingness to remain in their positions, as the drive to make a difference for service users weighs heavily despite challenges such as increased administrative burdens and top-down management. Hygiene factors in the form of social support from colleagues and immediate managers act as protective factors in a turbulent work environment. The study concludes that the boundary between factors can be blurred in unstable conditions, where hygiene factors can temporarily serve as motivators. Finally, the importance of effective communication and transparency from management is emphasized in order to promote continuity and well-being in the welfare sector
Reception and Inclusion of Newly Arrived Children and Their Guardians inPreschool Practice : A Qualitative Study from Preschool Teachers` Perspectives
No full textUppsatsens syfte är att bidra med kunskap om hur förskollärare kan arbeta med bemötande och inkludering av nyanlända barn och deras vårdnadshavare. Studien belyser betydelsen av ett respektfullt och medvetet förhållningssätt som en avgörande faktor för att etablera trygghet och tillitsfulla relationer. Särskilt uppmärksammas mötet med nyanlända familjer, där förståelse för individernas specifika livssituation och kulturella bakgrund utgör kärnan i arbetet för att främja delaktighet. Vidare betonas användningen av lågaffektivt bemötande och multimodal kommunikation som metoder för att hantera utmanande situationer och underlätta samverkan. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ ansats där semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex förskollärare från fyra olika verksamheter genomförts. Valet av metod möjliggjorde djupgående beskrivningar av respondenternas erfarenheter och skapade ett rikt underlag för analys. Resultatet belyser att förskollärares professionella bemötande är avgörande för att skapa inkluderande miljöer. Genom att kombinera ett lyhört och individuellt anpassat förhållningssätt med relationsskapande arbete och tydlig informationsgivning stärks förutsättningarna för nyanlända familjers integration i förskolan. Multimodala verktyg och språkliga resurser framstår som centrala pedagogiska metoder för att överbrygga språkbarriärer. Samtidigt identifieras utmaningar relaterade till språk, kultur och tidigare trauman, vilket understryker behovet av reflekterande och medvetna pedagogiska strategier i arbetet med nyanlända barn och vårdnadshavare.The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the knowledge of how preschool teachers work with the reception and inclusion of newly arrived children and their guardians. The study highlights the significance of a respectful and conscious approach as a decisive factor in establishing security and trustful relationships. Particular attention is given to the encounter with newly arrived families, where an understanding of the individuals' specific life situations and cultural backgrounds constitutes the core of the effort to promote participation. Furthermore, the use of low-arousal approaches and multimodal communication is emphasized as methods for managing challenging situations and facilitating collaboration. The study adopts a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with six preschool teachers from four different settings. The choice of method allowed for in-depth descriptions of the respondents' experiences and provided a rich foundation for analysis. The results indicate that the professional reception provided by preschool teachers is essential for creating inclusive environments. By combining a responsive and individually adapted approach with relationship-building work and clear information, the conditions for the integration of newly arrived families into preschool are strengthened. Multimodal tools and linguistic resources emerge as central pedagogical methods for bridging language barriers. Simultaneously, challenges related to language, culture, and previous trauma are identified, underlining the need for reflective and conscious pedagogical strategies in the work with newly arrived children and their guardians
EU Strategic Partnership and Rivalry: Uncovered
No full textThe study explores how the terms “systemic rival” and “strategic partner” are constructed in the EU political discourse through the examples of China and Vietnam. Through applying the theory of constructivism in this case study paired with a qualitative content analysis. It is uncovered that strategic partnership depends on the capability a state shows for reform and which promises it makes and how its aligns itself with the international rules-based order. Vietnam has shown dramatic improvements on its own human rights legislation and especially its judicial system throughout the 30 years of EU-Vietnam relations. For the EU these reforms and even merely the promise to reform itself is crucial; it's what keeps the EU deeply engaged and interested in continuing the relationship. For China it's a bit more complicated. The EU and China have an acknowledged systemic rivalry which is built on a sharp disagreement. China has a state-centric world view where matters such as human rights are internal affairs that no one but them can meddle in. Whereas the EU as a liberal supranational organisation believes that human rights stand above national legislation still both parties have signed the UN charter and have international obligations that must be met
Pay satisfaction and Job satisfaction : An examination of how different aspects of pay satisfaction influence the work experience
No full textIndividers arbetstillfredsställelse utgör en betydelsefull grund för hållbara organisationer och tidigare forskning visar att den påverkas av en rad olika faktorer, som exempelvis lönetillfredsställelse. Studien syftade till att göra en kvantitativ undersökning av sambandet mellan upplevd lönetillfredsställelse och arbetstillfredsställelse, samt att avgöra vilka av lönetillfredsställelsens fyra dimensioner (lönenivå, förmåner, löneökning och lönestruktur) som starkast predicerade arbetstillfredsställelse. Självskattningsformuläret som användes bestod av validerade mätinstrument (PSQ och SIJS), och besvarades av totalt 103 individer mellan 20 och 65 år. En enkel linjär regressionsanalys visade på ett signifikant positivt samband mellan arbetstillfredsställelse och lönetillfredsställelse. I den multipla regressionsanalysen framstod lönestruktur som den enda signifikanta prediktorn. Vid kontroll av kön och ålder blev även förmåner signifikant. Kontrollvariablerna kön och ålder uppvisade i övrigt inga stabila effekter. Resultaten pekade på att andra faktorer som rättvisa, organisatoriskt stöd eller tillgång till förmåner är viktigare för arbetstillfredsställelsen än löneökningar och lönenivån. Fynden stärktes av tidigare forskning och har praktisk betydelse för organisationers långsiktiga arbete med att främja hållbara arbetsplatser och arbetsmiljöer. Individuals' job satisfaction constitutes an important foundation for sustainable organizations and prior research indicated that it is influenced by a variety of factors, such as pay satisfaction. The study aimed to quantitatively examine the relationship between perceived pay satisfaction and job satisfaction, as well as to identify which of the four dimensions of pay satisfaction (pay level, benefits, pay raises, and pay structure) most strongly predicted job satisfaction. The self-report questionnaire used consisted of validated measurement instruments (PSQ and SIJS) and was completed by a total of 103 individuals between the ages of 20 and 65. The simple linear regression analysis showed a significant positive association between overall pay satisfaction and job satisfaction. In the multiple regression analysis, pay structure emerged as the only significant predictor. After controlling for gender and age, benefits also became a significant predictor. The control variables gender and age showed no consistent effects otherwise. The results indicated that other factors such as fairness, organizational support, or access to benefits, were more important for job satisfaction than pay raises and pay level. The findings were supported by previous research and have practical implications for organizations’ long-term efforts to promote sustainable workplaces and work environments.
"Mer än bara böcker?" : Skolbibliotekariers uppfattning om den egna kompetensen och externa förväntningar
No full textThe aim of this bachelor thesis is to examine how school librarians view their owncompetencies and how external expectations manifest in their work. I wanted toexplore how the discrepancy afflicts the general sense of school librarian’s selfimage and how it connects to the profession of school librarianship. This topic wasseen as relevant as there is an update in the Swedish law concerning staffing atschool libraries. Current research also shows that school librarians have a widerange of competencies fit for the task but that they need collaboration for it to beproperly spent. I used a method of conducting qualitative interviews as a datacollection method to discuss these issues with school librarians around Sweden. Asa theoretical framework, multiple theories have been applied such as silentknowledge, identity formation and professional identity. According to theseconcepts, this study shows how school librarians have developed different sets ofcompetencies which are best used in collaboration with other. The discrepancyconcerning which skills the school librarians have may also have been the reason fordeveloping such competencies. However, if the school librarians are to grow in theirprofessional identity further they must be supported through the learning processand be allowed to participate in the social practice of the schools.
Words That Govern : Framing of Migration in the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum
No full textIn our globalised world, migration has become increasingly prominent on decision-making agendas. Over the years, the framing of this phenomenon has been vastly alternating depending on spatial, temporal and contextual settings. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum (NPMA) is the EU’s latest attempt to tackle this matter. This thesis examines how the NPMA frames migration in its institutional discourse. The chosen theory for this study is Framing Theory along with a methodological combination of Critical Discourse Analysis and Framing Analysis. They are used in order to look at what values and principles are highlighted in NPMA official texts, and how they shape the EU’s self‑presentation as a normative actor. Humanitarian and Securitising discourses have been used in order to analyse the chosen data. The results show that the EU frames migration as a discursive duality using hybrid frames by blending humanitarian and securitising discourses. The NPMA uses moral values, such as solidarity, dignity, and the protection of human life, intertwined with frames of risk, crisis, and control. This directly shows that humanitarian and securitising frames are strategically co‑deployed rather than being presented as competing logics in order to justify restrictive measures while maintaining the EU’s normative self‑presentation
Willingness to communicate in Spanish as a foreign language : Socio-affective and contextual factors influencing the oral participation of Swedish upper secondary students
No full text El presente estudio investiga la relación entre la voluntad de comunicarse VDC y cinco factores socioafectivos y contextuales (el disfrute del aprendizaje de la lengua extranjera (FLE), la ansiedad comunicativa (FLCA), la motivación, el apoyo del docente y el clima del aula). Primero se realizó un cuestionario a 71 alumnos de español de bachillerato sueco, y luego se hizo un análisis descriptivo y correlacional entre los factores estudiados y la VDC . Los resultados muestran que los alumnos presentan una VDC moderada puesto que la mayoría habla español bajo ciertas circunstancias, pero evita participar de manera espontánea o frente a toda la clase, lo cual refleja una fuerte sensibilidad al contexto comunicativo. En los resultados de las correlaciones, el disfrute del aprendizaje y el apoyo percibido del docente se asociaron de manera fuerte y significativa con altos niveles de VDC, seguidos del clima positivo del aula. Por otro lado, la motivación y la ansiedad comunicativa mostraron las direcciones esperadas de efecto, pero no alcanzaron una significación estadística en la muestra. Los resultados señalan que las emociones positivas y un entorno seguro, conformado por el profesor y los compañeros, son fundamentales para fomentar la participación oral, mientras que la ansiedad puede representar un obstáculo, si bien su impacto depende de las condiciones situacionales. The present study investigates the relationship between willingness to communicate (WTC) and five socio-affective and contextual factors: foreign language enjoyment (FLE), foreign language communication anxiety (FLCA), motivation, teacher support, and classroom climate. First, a questionnaire was administered to 71 Swedish upper secondary students of Spanish, followed by a descriptive and correlational analysis examining the relationships between the studied factors and WTC.The results show that students display a moderate level of WTC, as most of them speak Spanish under certain conditions but avoid participating spontaneously or in front of the whole class, reflecting a strong sensitivity to the communicative context. Correlational analyses reveal that foreign language enjoyment and perceived teacher support are strongly and significantly associated with higher levels of WTC, followed by a positive classroom climate. In contrast, motivation and communication anxiety showed the expected directions of effect, but did not reach statistical significance in the sample.Overall, the findings suggest that positive emotions and a safe learning environment, shaped by both the teacher and peers, are crucial for fostering oral participation, while anxiety may constitute an obstacle, although its impact depends on situational conditions
The impact of cooperative learning on math anxiety : A systematic literature overview.
No full textMatematikångest är ett problem som blivit ett växande problem i dagens matematikundervisning, då elever känner stress, oro eller undvikande beteenden till det matematiska innehållet. Studiens tema har därför stor relevans i dagens skola då matematikångest är en betydande faktor som påverkar elevers lärande negativt och skolan behöver undervisningsstrategier som både stödjer kunskapsutveckling och psykiskt välbefinnande. Det finns dessutom en tydlig kunskapslucka kring hur kooperativt lärande påverkar just elever med matematikångest, vilket gör studien relevant för både forskning och praktik. Arbetet försöker därför kartlägga vad aktuell forskning säger om detta samband. Denna studie är en systematisk litteraturstudie som behandlar kooperativt lärandes påverkan till matematikångest och analyserar hur kooperativa undervisningsmetoder kan minska elevernas oro, stress och undvikande beteende inom matematikämnet. Denna studie bygger på tio vetenskapliga artiklar som forskat inom detta. I datainsamlingen valdes artiklar utifrån tydliga kriterier, relevans till syftet och frågeställning, aktuell forskning och granskade artiklar. Materialet analyseras sedan med tematisk analys för att hitta återkommande mönster och teman mellan de olika artiklarna. De viktigaste resultaten visar att kooperativt lärande generellt minskar elevernas matematikångest, stärker deras motivation och självtillit inom matematikämnet. Samarbete och strukturerade undervisningsmodeller skapar tryggare lärmiljöer som gör att elever vågar delta och hantera matematiska utmaningar bättre. Arbetet visar att matematiklärare kan minska elevers matematikångest genom att använda strukturerade kooperativa lärande i sin undervisningsplanering. Detta innebär att undervisningen bör bygga på tydliga roller, gemensamma mål och social interaktion. Studierna visar att en sådan miljö inte bara förbättrar elevernas känslomässiga upplevelser utan också deras matematiska förståelse och motivation.
Wildlife-adapted forestry : A survey study on private forest owners knowledge on the subject and forestry organizations offering of the methods
No full textStudiens syfte var att undersöka om privata skogsägare har hört talas om viltanpassad skogsskötsel samt studera hur stor kunskap de anser att de har inom området. Syftet var även att undersöka om privata skogsägare blir erbjudna att implementera viltanpassade metoder när de använder sig av skogsbolag eller skogsägarföreningar vid skötsel av sin skog. Resultatet baseras på en webbaserad enkät med 183 svar från privata skogsägare. Majoriteten av privata skogsägare har hört talas om viltanpassad skogsskötsel men de anser att deras kunskap inom området är låg. Majoriteten av skogsägare anser att de inte blir erbjuden att implementera viltanpassade metoder när de använder sig av skogsbolag eller skogsägarförening vid skötsel av sin skog. Respondenterna har en positiv inställning till viltanpassad skogsskötsel och angav kunskapsbrist som den största nackdelen med metoderna