Publikationer från Karlstads Universitet
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Intraoperative handover, beyond checklists, towards culture and safety a scoping review
No full textObjectives: Intraoperative handovers among operating room (OR) nurses are critical high-risk transitions in which incomplete communication can compromise patient safety. Despite international safety goals and structured protocols, practice remains inconsistent. This scoping review aimed to identify and conceptually map the existing literature on OR nurses' practices and experiences of intraoperative handovers. Methods: The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Using the Population, Concept, Context (PCC) framework (Population: OR nurses; Concept: handover communication; Context: intraoperative care), we conducted systematic searches in MEDLINE, CINAHL and Web of Science, supplemented by grey literature. Eligible sources included qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies published in English or Scandinavian languages. The data were analysed using narrative conceptual mapping supported by NVivo. Results: Nineteen sources were included, predominantly qualitative studies and field reports. Three conceptual themes emerged: (1) risk management as an implicit practice-nurses safeguard patient safety through vigilance and compensatory strategies, (2) standardisation as a procedural anchor-structured tools and checklists improve clarity but may constrain adaptability and (3) relational complexity as a contextual determinant-hierarchical norms and psychological safety shape communication quality. Evidence highlights that handovers are socially negotiated processes rather than routine technical exchanges. Conclusion: Intraoperative handovers are complex high-risk transitions influenced by procedural, relational and systemic factors. While structured tools reduce omissions, rigid application risks undermining clinical judgment. Future strategies should integrate flexible standardisation with cultural and organisational reforms that foster psychological safety and shared accountability
Intelligent Distributed Energy Systems : From Predictive Modeling to Explainable Decision-Making
No full textThe growing scale and heterogeneity of distributed energy systems has increased the complexity of their operational energy management. These systems must operate reliably under limited data and exogenous uncertainty while satisfying technical, social, and economic constraints. Classical optimization provides strong theoretical guarantees but often relies on deterministic models and point forecasts. Conversely, learning-based methods offer adaptability and scalability but may lack explicit safety handling and explainability, which are critical for deployment in safety- and flexibility-critical energy infrastructures. Consequently, this thesis establishes an uncertainty-aware Energy Management System (EMS) architecture that preserves feasibility across planning and execution while enabling safety-constrained and human-centric intelligent control. Within a unified layered EMS structure, we address (i) exogenous uncertainty in generation and load, (ii) epistemic uncertainty arising from limited data, and (iii) exploration-related uncertainty during policy learning while supporting prosumer-in-the-loop operation. We first develop robust optimization methods with flexible and asymmetric uncertainty sets to obtain less conservative schedules while maintaining feasibility guarantees and improving economic performance. We further establish a safety-constrained reinforcement learning framework and benchmarking environment that enable systematic evaluation of performance–safety trade-offs. Finally, building on the EMS planning layer, we introduce an explainability and interaction layer in which schedules are complemented with solver-grounded explanations and what-if analyses, supporting human-in-the-loop flexibility decisions. By jointly advancing robustness, data-efficient forecasting, safety-constrained learning, and explainable decision support, this thesis contributes an integrated and trustworthy decision-making paradigm for decentralized energy systems.As decentralized energy resources proliferate, energy management system (EMS) design needs to handle stochastic uncertainty, hard operational constraints, and stakeholder-oriented decision support. These requirements are often addressed in isolation, resulting in a lack of integrated approaches that jointly provide constraint satisfaction, scalable operation, and transparent decision rationales.This thesis advances a unified EMS design perspective spanning three coupled dimensions: (i) robustness to multi-dimensional uncertainty, (ii) constraint-aware adaptive control, and (iii) explainable, deployable decision support for prosumer engagement. Specifically, the thesis develops an end-to-end EMS stack combining edge–cloud coordination, uncertainty-aware scheduling, safe reinforcement learning, and generative-AI explanations grounded in the underlying optimization model. Validated across microgrid, building, and energy-community case studies, the thesis establishes an empirically grounded pathway toward trustworthy, intelligent energy systems capable of accelerating the energy transition
Supportive leadership and its correlation with motivation. : Can a supportive leadership correlate with motivation?
No full textStudien undersökte sambandet mellan graden av inre respektive yttre motivation till upplevd stödjande ledare. Genom en kvantitativ datainsamlingsmetod insamlades det 47 enkätsvar genom Survey & Report av individer som alla var sysselsatta med arbete. Resultaten visade ett stöd för ett signifikant positivt samband mellan graden av inre motivation och upplevd stöttande ledare. Inget sådant samband var funnet mellan yttre motivation och stöttande ledare. Studien medverkar och stödjer förståelsen för hur ett stödjande ledarskap och inre motivation samspelar och bidrar till mer välmående på arbetsplatsen. Nyckelord: inre motivation, yttre motivation, stödjande ledarskap, arbetserfarenhet, kognitiva utvärdering teorin.The study investigated the relationship between the degree of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and perceived supportive leadership. Through a quantitative data collection method, 47 survey responses were collected through Survey & Report from individuals who were all employed. The results showed support for a significant positive relationship between the degree of intrinsic motivation and perceived supportive leadership. No such relationship was found between extrinsic motivation and supportive leaders. The study contributes to and supports the understanding of how supportive leadership and inner motivation interact and contribute to greater well-being in the workplace. Keywords: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, supportive leadership, work experience, cognitive evaluation theory
Teachers' Handlingsrom Under Cross-Pressure : Developing the CP-Well Model of Well-Being in Gifted Education
No full textThis article draws on research in a Norwegian municipality to examine the affective aspects of teaching gifted students and to explore how systemic and cultural norms surrounding gifted education in Norway may shape teachers' perceptions and practices. Teacher well-being is a concern for educational quality and sustainability, yet in gifted education, it is often overlooked. Giftedness refers to a high ability to learn faster, more complex or in greater depth than same-age peers when adequately supported. In Norway, teachers face contradictory signals concerning teaching the gifted: definitional ambiguity, limited training, strong egalitarian norms that make giftedness a contested category, and, at the same time, a strong principle of inclusive adapted education for all. Those combined may lead to ethical tensions that challenge teachers' professional integrity and well-being. Such conditions can reduce teachers' handlingsrom, meaning their space (room) for professional agency, within institutional, cultural, and policy frameworks. To investigate how such pressures shape teacher's well-being, this study synthesises findings from four interrelated sub-studies conducted within a single research project on gifted education. Using a meta-ethnographic approach, we translated and integrated insights from the sub-studies to develop higher-order constructs not visible in the individual analyses. The synthesis identified three key dynamics: conceptual ambiguity, ethical strain under cross-pressure, and buffers as recalibrators of demands and resources. Together, these insights informed the Cross-Pressure Model for Teacher Well-being (CP-Well Model) developed in this study, which positions teacher integrity at the centre of professional well-being. We argue that teacher well-being in gifted education may depend less on individual resilience and more on systemic, cultural, and policy conditions. Addressing these cross-pressures requires structural change, supportive leadership, and sustained professional development to enable teachers to work with integrity
Digitala lärverktyg vid högläsning i förskolan : En enkätstudie om pedagogers tankar kring digital högläsning
No full textExamensarbetet är en enkätstudie som undersöker hur förskolepedagoger ser på användningen av digitala lärverktyg vid högläsning, och hur dessa påverkar barns språkutveckling och flerspråkighet. Studien utgår från ett sociokulturellt perspektiv och belyser hur verktyg som e‑böcker och projektorer kan fungera som stöd i barns lärande när de används medvetet och med aktiv pedagogisk stöttning. Resultaten visar att pedagogens närvaro och scaffolding är betydelsefulla delar, samtidigt framkommer det att tekniska problem och bristande digital kompetens hos pedagoger skapar betydande utmaningar. Slutsatsen är att digitala och analoga verktyg bör ses som kompletterande resurser i en medvetet utformad pedagogisk läsmiljö.
The Photosynthesis Literacy Framework : Updating Educational Perspectives on Photosynthesis Education
No full textThe teaching of photosynthesis in secondary schools often follows a mechanistic, decontextualized approach that lacks integration with the broader implications of this biochemical process on societal and sustainability issues. Contemporary science education frequently overlooks the significance of photosynthesis for life on Earth and human society. This study aims to identify a Photosynthesis Literacy Framework—a research-based curricular framework designed to promote a more relevant and engaging photosynthesis education that fosters scientific literacy. A Delphi study was conducted to determine pertinent content themes concerning photosynthesis and its essential role in life and human society. A panel of 29 experts, including 12 science educators, nine green scientists, and eight sustainability scientists, reached consensus after three iterative rounds. The study identified four overarching themes, comprising 25 content categories with aligned learning objectives, connected to the three visions of scientific literacy. These themes are: Photosynthesis as a natural science phenomenon; Photosynthesis as a driving force in biological and geological processes and cycles; Photosynthesis and its importance to sustainability; and Photosynthesis from a societal perspective. We propose that the Photosynthesis Literacy Framework be implemented in secondary science education to promote photosynthesis literacy, which plays a vital role in developing informed and responsible citizenship.
Stronger right to self-defense in cases involving multiple attackers : The limits of the right of self-defense in relation to accomplices, co-peretrators, and article 2 of the ECHR
No full textExperiences of self-advocacy in adapted upper secondary school interpreted from a student perspective : A qualitative interview study on how students in adapted upper secondary school navigate self-advocacy
No full textSyftet med studien var att få förståelse för hur självförespråkande och möjligheter till självförespråkande upplevs av elever med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning (IF), som ett sätt att vara med och påverka sin skolgång i den anpassade gymnasieskolan. Självförespråkande kan teoretiskt förstås som ett begreppsligt ramverk där fyra komponenter (kunskapen om sig själv, kunskap om rättigheter, kommunikation och ledarskap) tillsammans beskriver den kunskap som behövs för ett gott självförespråkande. De fyra begreppsliga komponenterna av självförespråkande användes i studien som analytiskt verktyg i förståelsen och tolkningen av data. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats där empirin samlades in genom semistrukturerade enskilda intervjuer med sex gymnasieelever på en anpassad gymnasieskola. Urvalet av informanter baserades på elevernas verbala förståelse och kommunikativa förmåga. Efter intervjuerna transkriberades materialet och analyserades i sin helhet med IPA som analysmetod och en hermeneutisk ansats. Resultatet visade att elever med IF upplever olika möjligheter att självförespråka, där självkännedom, rättighetskunskap, kommunikation och förmågan att förespråka andra samverkar med skolans stöd och relationer. Trygga och lyssnande pedagogiska miljöer är avgörande för att elever ska kunna uttrycka behov och påverka sin skolvardag. Studien visar att bristande förståelse för rättigheter och begränsad erfarenhet av socialt ledarskap kan begränsa självförespråkandet, vilket pekar på behovet av strukturerade övningar och medvetet pedagogiskt stöd. Resultaten bidrar med svenska elever med IF:s perspektiv och understryker speciallärarens viktiga roll för att främja delaktighet, lärande och långsiktig självständighet.The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of how self-advocacy and opportunities for self-advocacy are experienced by students with intellectual disabilities, as a way of being involved in and influencing their schooling in the adapted upper secondary school. The four conceptual components of self-advocacy were used as an analytical framework to guide the interpretation of the data. Self-advocacy is described as a theoretical framework where four components (knowledge about oneself, knowledge of rights, communication and leadership) together describe the knowledge needed for good self-advocacy. The study used qualitative approach where the empirical data was collected through semi-structured individual interviews with six upper secondary school students at an adapted upper secondary school. The selection of informants was made based on the students' understanding and communicative ability. After the interviews, the material was transcribed and analyzed in its entirety using IPA as an analysis method and a hermeneutic approach. The results showed that students with intellectual disabilities experience different opportunities for self-advocacy, where self-awareness, knowledge of rights, communication and the ability to advocate for others interact with the school's support and relationships. Safe and listening educational environments are crucial for students to be able to express needs and influence their everyday school life. The study shows that a lack of understanding of rights and limited experience of social leadership can limit self-advocacy, which points to the need for structured exercises and conscious pedagogical support. The results provide insights into the perspectives of Swedish students with intellectual disabilities and highlight the important role of the special education teacher in promoting participation, learning, and long-term independence
Boxing and prohibition in deadly earnest : A rhetorical analysis of Sweden’s ban on professional boxing in 1969
No full textThe aim is to perform a rhetorical analysis of the debate about the ban on boxing that contributes to the understanding of why amateur boxing was allowed to continue when professional boxing was banned in Sweden in 1969. The aim is based on the discourses medical harm, a devastating effect on its audience and that boxing favoured unhealthy economic interests. The material consists of Bill 1969: 118 referral statements from government institutions and sports organizations, as well as debate articles and letters to the editor in SvD in 1969. The method consists of a qualitative inductive rhetorical analysis, where logos, ethos and pathos are used as tools to identify how different actors in the boxing debate tried to legitimize their positions. Within the three discourses, medical harm, a devistating effect on its audience, and boxing favoured unhealthy economic interests. The results show that the medical discourse was the most dominant and long-lived. In the bill, the argumentation was characterized by logos and ethos, while SvD showed a greater variety with elements of pathos. Amateur boxing was defended by fact-based arguments about safety, while professional boxing lacked corresponding defensive argumentation. The discourse on the devastating influence of the public appeared only in a limited form, and the discourse on unhealthy economic interests appeared only in the bill. Overall, the study shows that the medical discourse was crucial for the impact of the ban, while the other discourses had a limited significance.Syftet är att utföra en retorisk analys av debatten om förbud mot boxning som bidrar till att förståelsen varför amatörboxningen fick fortgå när den professionella boxningen förbjöds i Sverige år 1969. Syftet utgår från diskurserna medicinska skadeverkningar, en förråande effekt på dess publik och att boxningen gynnade osunda ekonomiska intressen. Materialet består av proposition 1969: 118 remissyttranden från statliga institutioner och idrottsorganisationer samt debattartiklar och insändare i SvD år 1969. Metoden utgörs av en kvalitativ induktiv retorisk analys, där logos, etos och patos används som verktyg för att identifiera hur olika aktörer inom boxningsdebatten försökte legitimera sina ståndpunkter. Inom de tre diskurserna medicinska skaderverkningar, en förråande effekt på dess publik och att boxningen gynnade osunda ekonomiska intressen. Resultatet visar att den medicinska diskursen var den mest dominerande och långlivade. I propositionen präglades argumentationen av logos och etos, medan SvD visade en större variation med inslag av patos. Amatörboxningen försvarades genom faktabaserade argument om säkerhet, medan proffsboxningen saknade motsvarande försvarsargumentation. Diskursen om publikens förråande förekom endast i begränsad form, och diskursen om osunda ekonomiska intressen framträdde enbart i propositionen. Sammantaget visar studien att den medicinska diskursen var avgörande för förbudets genomslag, medan de övriga diskurserna hade en begränsad betydelse.