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From Paper to Algorithm : A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Perspectives on AI in English Literature Education
No full textThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has transformed various teaching methodologies, yet its role in English literature instruction remains underexplored. This study investigates the perspectives of upper-secondary English teachers regarding AI’s potential applications, benefits, and challenges in literature education. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, the research examines AI’s influence on lesson planning, student engagement, and critical thinking development. The results were analyzed using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and through a thematic analysis. Findings indicate that while AI facilitates efficiency in generating discussion questions, providing textual analysis, and assisting with administrative tasks, its application in fostering literary interpretation and analytical depth is met with skepticism. Teachers highlight concerns regarding academic integrity, AI-generated misinformation, and students’ over-reliance on algorithmic responses rather than independent analysis. Additionally, disparities in institutional policies and access to AI tools raise equity concerns. The study underscores the need for structured AI literacy training, ethical guidelines, and a balanced approach to integrating AI in literature education to ensure it enhances rather than diminishes critical engagement with literary texts
Nurses' experiences of providing digital and in-person healthcare support to children living with complex chronic conditions
No full textOBJECTIVES: To demonstrate how nurses in pediatric care provide information and maintain access to health care for children with complex chronic conditions utilizing e-health or in-person support methods. METHODS: The study involved 12 nurses/specialist nurses from the medical departments at Queen Silvia Children's Hospital in Gothenburg. A qualitative method was employed, using individual interviews with a semi-structured guide and analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis method. RESULTS: The analysis yielded two main themes and six subthemes. The nurses employed various information methods, used alone or in combination of oral communication, written materials, digital tools, visual aids, and demonstrations. Supportive conversations were provided for the child and the whole family. Nurses ensured contact with the entire care team, tailoring support to the child's individual needs based on age, maturity, developmental level, beliefs, culture, and language barriers. CONCLUSION: Involving children in their own care through single or mixed methods, via e-health or in-person support, protects and strengthens their right to understand their health situation and health preparedness. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Effective, customized support from healthcare staff can ensure that children with complex chronic conditions with families are actively involved, improving children's control over their care, adherence to treatment plans, self-esteem and health outcomes.CC-BY 4.0This research was partly funded by a regional ALF agreement (ALFGBG-965009, ALFGBG-1005130).</p
Effect of powder morphology on tribological performance of HVAF-sprayed WC-CoCr coatings
No full textThis study investigates the tribological behavior of WC-CoCr coatings deposited using High-Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) thermal spraying. Three distinct types of feedstock powders were employed to examine the influence of powder morphology on coating performance: a dense, angular fused-and-crushed powder; a spherical, porous agglomerated-and-sintered powder, and a newly developed powder with intermediate features. All powders had analogous particle size distribution approximately in the range of 7–20 μm. Two coating thicknesses were deposited with each powder (50 μm and 150 μm), additionally aiming to verify the possibility of depositing thin hardmetal coatings. The coatings microstructure was characterized, their hardness and porosity were measured and their tribological properties were evaluated by means of ball-on-disk sliding tests and dry jet erosion tests at various impact angles. The results demonstrated that powder morphology significantly affects deposition efficiency. The newly developed powder offers notable advantages, such as higher deposition efficiency, which accelerates the spraying process and boosts production productivity, along with reduced sensitivity to parameter variations. In fact, the newly developed powder exhibited more consistent deposition rates across varying process conditions. Coatings derived from the new manufacturing route powder also showed improved cohesion and hardness due to stronger interparticle bonding and peening effects. On the other hand, surface roughness was unaffected by the powder type, and the coatings produced from the three powders had comparable wear resistance under erosion and sliding conditions. Coating thickness, rather than powder morphology, appeared to play a greater role in determining wear performance. The thicker coatings demonstrated superior resistance under both test conditions, due to reduced substrate influence.CC BY 4.0</p
Examining the Methods Adolescents Use in Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury : A Multi‐Wave Latent Profile Analysis
No full textIntroduction Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents is a health concern. Little is known about the patterns of methods adolescents use, in terms of how many and how often different methods are used. Methods We used three annual waves of data from 630 Swedish adolescents (T1: age 12–18 years; 56% girls), who reported NSSI use at least once. Latent profile analysis was used to examine profile differences, with supplementary analyses focused on differences and change predicted by gender, internalizing, emotion dysregulation, interpersonal stressors, and severity of NSSI. Results Three profiles consistently emerged over time: one very low in NSSI, another with higher frequencies of cutting/scraping skin, and one reporting multiple methods of NSSI, ranging from moderate (T1) to high (T3) frequency. Profile subgroups differed: low subgroups consisted of the fewest girls and reported the lowest levels of intra- and interpersonal issues. Additionally, subgroups differed in severity of NSSI, suggesting damage to the skin may not be the only reason medical attention is needed. Significant change in subgroup membership was also observed. Conclusions Although most adolescents engaged in NSSI at very low rates, many used multiple forms, differing in both frequency and versatility. Few differences were found between subgroups characterized by higher frequencies, suggesting that it might be possible to identify adolescents most in need of treatment by attending to the methods most frequently used. Results also suggested that measuring the severity of each method may yield more accurate information than a priori groupings.CC BY 4.0</p
Caught in the Feed : An Analysis of Factors Influencing Recurrent Use of Instagram
No full textThe purpose of this study is to explore why users return to Instagram and stay longer than intended. The focus is on the app’s design features, user needs, and the social and psychological factors involved. The study combines quantitative (a web survey with 146 participants) and qualitative methods (10 semi-structured interviews). The results show that many users are aware that Instagram is designed to keep them engaged, particularly through features like infinite scroll and reels. Many feel they use the platform more than they want to, and some report experiencing signs of addiction. Notifications, likes, and comments also play a role in how users engage with the app. Respondents expressed mixed feelings: Instagram is seen as both inspiring and addictive. The role of design, along with psychological needs such as connection and validation, appear to be key factors influencing user behavior. The conclusion is that Instagram, through its design and social features, encourages frequent and extended use.. The study highlights the need for mindful design that balances engagement with user well-being. The findings can inform developers and marketers in creating more sustainable digital experiencesSyftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka varför användare återvänder till Instagram och stannar längre än de tänkt. Fokus ligger på applikationens designfunktioner, användarnas behov samt sociala och psykologiska faktorer. Studien använder både kvantitativa (webbenkät med 146 deltagare) och kvalitativa metoder (10 semistrukturerade intervjuer). Resultaten visar att många användare är medvetna om att Instagram är designat för att hålla dem kvar, särskilt genom funktioner som oändlig scroll och reels. Många känner att de använder plattformen mer än de vill, och vissa upplever beroende. Notiser, likes och kommentarer har också betydelse för hur användare engagerar sig. Respondenterna beskriver blandade känslor: Instagram upplevs som både inspirerande och beroendeframkallande. Designens roll, tillsammans med psykologiska behov som gemenskap och bekräftelse, framstår som centrala faktorer för användarbeteendet. Slutsatsen är att Instagram, genom sin design och sociala funktioner, uppmuntrar till återkommande och långvarigt användande. Studien pekar på behovet av användarvänlig design som balanserar engagemang och användarhälsa. Resultaten kan användas av utvecklare och marknadsförare för att skapa mer hållbara digitala upplevelser
Language usage in The Sims 4-community
No full textThis bachelor’s thesis examines how platform vernacular and participatory culture is expressed in the comment sections of male and female YouTubers playing The Sims 4. While gaming culture is often described as male-dominated The Sims 4 community is known for its inclusive and female-majority player base. This study aims to analyse how platform vernacular and participatory culture is expressed in a specific gaming community. The aim is also to analyse how language use differs in comment sections depending on the creator’s gender, and to relate the findings to previous research on treatment in gaming culture. Grounded theory and a thematic content analysis was conducted on comments from four English-speaking YouTubers, two male and two female, supported by theories of participatory culture and platform vernaculars. The results reveal similar thematic patterns across both genders, though with some variation in tone and content. The study offers insight into how language variations are expressed in digital interactions and highlights the role of community-specific language use on platforms like YouTube.Denna kandidatuppsats undersöker hur plattformsdialekt och deltagarkultur kommer till uttryck i kommentarsfälten hos manliga och kvinnliga YouTubers som spelar The Sims 4. Bakgrunden är att spelkulturen ofta beskrivs som mansdominerad, medan The Sims 4-gemenskapen kännetecknas av en hög andel kvinnliga spelare och beskrivs som inkluderande. Syftet är dels att analysera hur plattformsdialekt och deltagarkultur kommer till uttryck inom en avgränsad spelkultur, dels att undersöka om språkbruket skiljer sig i kommentarsfältet hos manliga och kvinnliga kreatörer inom gemenskapen. Studien syftar även till att undersöka hur detta förhåller sig till tidigare forskning om bemötande i spelkulturen. Studien bygger på grundad teori samt en tematisk innehållsanalys av kommentarer från fyra engelskspråkiga YouTubers, två män och två kvinnor, med stöd av teorier om deltagarkultur och plattformsdialekter.Resultatet visar att språkbruket präglas av liknande teman hos båda könen, men med vissa skillnader i innehåll. Studien bidrar till en ökad förståelse för språkvariationer i digitala gemenskaper och hur dessa kommer till uttryck i plattformsspecifik kommunikation
"In the end, it's the algorithm that decides."
No full textAs algorithms increasingly control content visibility on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, microinfluencers, meaning content creators with 10 000 to 100 000 followers, find themselves in a particularly vulnerable position. This bachelor’s thesis examines how such algorithms affect the visibility, strategies, and work experiences of microinfluencers in a media environment governed by algorithmic logic. The study is based on seven semi-structured interviews with Swedish microinfluencers. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted, drawing on theories of algorithmicontrol, visibility economy, and parasocial relationships. The findings show that microinfluencers have limited understanding of how algorithms work but develop their own strategies to increase reach. They navigate a constant tension between algorithmic optimization and authenticity, where the relationship with their audience, through parasocial bonds, functions as both a strategic and emotional resource. The study also shows that algorithms act not only as technical systems but as cultural agents that influence content, visibility, and professional identity. In conclusion, algorithms constitute a structural condition of labor that shapes the working conditions of microinfluencers. Success requires continuous adaptation, technical insight, and emotional resilience.Allt eftersom algoritmerna på plattformar som TikTok och Instagram i högre grad avgör vilket innehåll som exponeras har mikroinfluenser, alltså innehållsskapare med mellan 10000 och 100 000 följare, hamnat i en särskilt utmanande position. Denna kandidatuppsats undersöker hur dessa algoritmer påverkar mikroinfluensernas synlighet, arbetsstrategier och upplevelser av att verka i ett medielandskap styrt av algoritmer. Studien bygger på sju semistrukturerade intervjuer med svenska mikroinfluenser. Analysen är kvalitativ och tematiskt organiserad utifrån teorier om algoritmisk styrning, synlighetsekonomi och parasociala relationer. Resultaten visar att mikroinfluenser har begränsad förståelse för hur algoritmer fungerarmen utvecklar egna strategier för att öka sin synlighet. Samtidigt tvingas de balansera mellan algoritmisk optimering och autenticitet, där relationen till publiken genom parasociala band ofta fungerar som ett strategiskt och emotionellt kapital. Studien visar även att algoritmer fungerar både som tekniska system och kulturella aktörer som påverkar mikroinfluensernas innehåll, synlighet och yrkesroll. Slutsatsen är att algoritmer utgör ett strukturellt arbetsvillkor som formar mikroinfluensernas handlingsutrymme, där framgång kräver ständig anpassning, teknisk förståelse och emotionell uthållighet
Att leda med hjärtat : En studie om emotionell intelligens och olika kommunikationssätts effekt på ledarskap
No full textThis study examines how leaders' emotional intelligence, as defined by the trait model, impacts followers' perceptions of leadership according to the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, and whether these perceptions vary depending on communication being digital or face-to-face. The study was conducted using a quantitative approach, with data collected through surveys. A total of 120 followers and 55 leaders participated, the majority of whom were employed in the public or private sector. To analyze how leaders' emotional intelligence influences followers' perceptions of leadership, Spearman's rank correlation was applied (N = 110: followers: n = 55, leaders: n = 55). For the analysis of whether followers' perceptions of leadership vary depending on communication methods, an independent t-test combined with the Mann Whitney U-test was employed (N = 72: face-to-face: n = 36, digital: n = 36). The results indicate that leaders with high emotionality exhibited a statistically significant positive correlation with the quality of LMX relationships (r = 0.296, p = 0.028), suggesting that leaders who are adept at perceiving and expressing their own emotions establish higher-quality relationships with their followers, characterized by trust, loyalty, respect, and mutual influence. However, no significant correlations were found between global emotional intelligence, well-being, sociability, and self-control in relation to followers' perception of leadership, which may be due to limited data variation and high average emotional intelligence scores within the sample. From another perspective, this may indicate that emotional intelligence plays a less influential role in leadership dynamics than certain theoretical models suggest. Furthermore, face-to-face communication was associated with higher-quality LMX relationships compared to digital communication, with observed differences within the spectrum of high to medium quality. This suggests that digital communication does not necessarily lead to low-quality relationships but may impose constraints on achieving optimal relational quality in work-related contexts. Nonetheless, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations, underscoring the importance of further exploration of these aspects in future research, particularly through studies with larger sample sizes and longitudinal approaches
Ledarskapets roll i att bygga förtroende hos fastighetsköpare och säljare
No full textDenna studie undersöker hur fastighetsmäklare uppfattar att ledarskap – i såväl formella chefsroller som informella inflytande positioner – påverkar kunders förtroende i yrkesutövandet. Syftet är dels att belysa samspelet mellan ledarskap och förtroendeskapande, dels att identifiera vilka ledarskapsstilar som upplevs som mest gynnsamma för att bygga långsiktiga kundrelationer. Förtroende har en central roll i mäklaryrket – inte bara som en mellanmänsklig komponent, utan som en strukturell förutsättning för branschens legitimitet. Mäklarens roll som opartisk mellanhand präglas av juridiska och etiska krav, samtidigt som kundrelationer ofta är emotionellt och kommersiellt laddade. I denna kontext blir det angeläget att förstå hur ledarskap inom organisationen formar mäklarens förhållningssätt och bemötande. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ forskningsansats där semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med sex fastighetsmäklare från olika typer av organisationer. Urvalet var strategiskt för att fånga variation i upplevelser och organisatoriska kontexter. Det empiriska materialet analyserades genom tematisk analys med inspiration från fenomenografisk metod. Den teoretiska referensramen inkluderar flera ledarskapsteorier – bl.a. transformativt, autentiskt, tjänsteorienterat, situationsanpassat och emotionellt intelligent ledarskap – samt teorier om psykologiskt kapital och förtroende. Resultatet visar att ledarskap uppfattas som avgörande för hur förtroende etableras – inte bara i kundinteraktion utan också genom den kultur och de normer som råder inom organisationen. Respondenterna betonar vikten av ett ledarskap som är närvarande, värderingsdrivet och relationsinriktat. Ingen enskild stil upplevs som tillräcklig; en situationsanpassad kombination där empati, lyhördhet och autenticitet ingår beskrivs som mest framgångsrik. Särskilt lyfts emotionellt intelligenta ledare fram som avgörande för att skapa trygghet och tillit. Studien visar att kundförtroende inte enbart skapas i det enskilda mötet, utan formas i ett organisatoriskt sammanhang där ledarskapet är en länk mellan värdegrund, kultur och yrkesutövning. Genom att analysera hur mäklare uppfattar ledarskapets roll i denna process bidrar studien med insikter om hur fastighetsförmedling kan utveckla ledarskap som främjar professionalism och hållbara kundrelationer
Att tänka nytt i det offentliga : Tillämpning av begreppet innovation i kommunal verksamhet
No full textStudien undersöker innovation inom offentlig sektor, med fokus på kommunal verksamhet. Ledarskapsutveckling och New Public Management (NPM) diskuteras som viktiga faktorer för att främja effektivitet och engagemang i offentlig sektor. Syftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om innovationsarbete i offentlig sektor, särskilt inom kommunal verksamhet, och att förstå hur begreppet innovation tillämpas. Den teoretiska referensramen i denna studie omfattar områdena ledarskapsutveckling, offentlig sektor och innovation. Här ingår en genomgång av centrala teorier och begrepp, såsom New Public Management (NPM), samt olika typer av innovation och principer för ledarskapsutveckling. Innovation definieras och problematiseras som begrepp, med fokus på dess tillämpning inom offentlig sektor. Studien använder en kvalitativ, induktiv forskningsdesign med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Respondenterna valdes ut enligt specifika kriterier och data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och analyserades sedan tematiskt. Empirin baseras på fjorton intervjuer med både chefer och medarbetare inom kommunal verksamhet. Respondenterna diskuterar innovation som begrepp, ledarskap och utmaningar samt direkta effekter av innovationsarbete. Analysen genomförs utifrån tre teman: innovation som begrepp, innovation i praktiken och effekt av innovation. Det framkommer att det saknas en gemensam förståelse för begreppet innovation, att det saknas systematiska strategier och metoder för innovationsarbete och att ledarskapet är avgörande för att främja innovation. Slutligen visar studien att innovation inom offentlig sektor tillämpas för att förbättra tjänster och processer. Det behövs en gemensam förståelse för begreppet innovation och tydliga strategier för att främja innovationsarbete. Ledarskapet spelar en central roll i att skapa en kultur som främjar innovation