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Fragile Mosaics of Teacher Becoming : Kaleidoscoping Futures of Difference
No full textThis is a thesis about becoming-teacher in a Work-Integrated Teacher Education-program (WITE-program), where working as an employed teacher in a school becomes part of formal education. In the 2010s, society and (higher) education faced several challenges connected to the problem of an accumulating teacher shortage. Universities and school organizers therefore joined forces to try to find a solution to shared problems. The solution introduced was Work-Integrated Teacher Education-programs that combined education with work. However, this is not an inquiry about what the WITE-program ‘is’, but an inquiry about becoming-teacher in a WITE-program. The thesis examines what happens during a workday in the first semester of a WITE-program in 16 different school settings. The school visits that lay the foundation for this inquiry were carried out in 2019. This is an examination of how a becoming-teacher is affected by contingency, organization, and change in school assemblages that are always in a state of becoming. The subject is here not understood as an entity, but rather as a relational nexus affected by space, time and relational intensities. Reality, from this perspective, is not pre-given, but always in a state of flux, always productive. The multi-sensory observations of unfolding encounters in school-setting assemblages actualized by an ‘inquiry-machine’, thereby rely on an ontology of difference, primarily as set out by the philosopher Gilles Deleuze. ‘Affect’ in this thesis does not refer to a personal feeling or emotion, but to a pre-personal intensity and the ways in which a body affects and becomes affected in encounters. In other words, the changes in a becoming-teacher’s power to act ensuing an encounter with a child’s question, a pencil, or a teacher colleague. Instead of asking what a non/human body is, ask what it can do. In the wake of the undone subject, this inquiry offers becoming-teacher as the relational and open process under investigation, and the school assemblage as the smallest unit of analysis. The thesis does not depart from aims and research questions, but from problems. The first of the problems explored is thus ‘how the contingency of the present affects teacher becoming – and how becoming-teacher unfolds in capricious and inexorable presents’. A post qualitative inquiry (PQI) presented as a non-linear composition on a digital platform, invites visitors to engage with school events through visits to experimental maps called ‘mosaics’. The second problem this thesis explores is thus ‘how maps (mosaics) contribute to the power of posing new problems related to teacher becoming’, which is explored through a conceptual process offered as ‘kaleidoscoping’. The thesis proposes that teacher becoming, as an actualization of a WITE-program, is a complex process conditioned by singular circumstances within a particular organization and the affective resources available. The unfolding present turns into a kind of teacher’s storage cabinet that becoming-teachers rummage through. Becoming-teachers thus actualize the capacity to make alliances with available resources through ‘relational architecting’. Whilst rummaging, moreover, becoming-teachers modulate temporalities through a kind of time-forming offered as ‘chronomorphing’, where they speed things up or slow things down to better match unfolding needs. These relational and temporal modulations are fragile and courageous processes that require imagination and experimentation. Lastly, the thesis proposes that becoming-teachers, the inquiry(-machine), and the WITE-program, in their respective ways, challenge linguistic categorization through an experimental practice referred to as ‘naming enigmas’. Education as a teleological project and the traditional model of pedagogy are thus challenged
Self-confidence as a mediator in the relationship between executive functioning and depression among ICU survivors : a latent variable analysis
No full textBackground: Executive dysfunction and depression are common among ICU survivors, yet the mechanisms linking these two factors remain poorly understood. Self-confidence has been implicated as a key mediator in the relationship between cognitive impairments and mental health outcomes. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of self-confidence in the association between executive functioning and depression in ICU survivors. Method: A provisional questionnaire was used in a cross-sectional study to assess quality of life in 395 adult ICU survivors, each with a minimum 72-h stay at one of three ICUs at a Swedish university hospital, six months to three years post-discharge. Responses to questions on executive function, self-confidence, and depression were analysed. Structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to examine the mediating effect of self-confidence on the relationship between executive function and depression. Model fit was evaluated using established indicators. Reliability of the measures was assessed using McDonald’s Omega and Cronbach’s Alpha. Results: A significant positive correlation was found between depressive symptoms and both diminished self-confidence (r = 0.80, p < 0.001) and poorer executive function (r = 0.55, p < 0.001). Additionally, a correlation was observed between reduced self-confidence and compromised executive function (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). Age was negatively associated with depression, self-confidence, and executive function, while male gender was positively correlated with higher self-confidence. Mediation analysis revealed that the effect of impaired executive function on depressive symptoms was fully mediated by diminished self-confidence (B = 0.45; 95% CI 0.34–0.59). The direct effect of executive function on depression became non-significant when self-confidence was included in the model (B = 0.07, p = 0.18), suggesting complete mediation. The overall model fit was satisfactory (CFI = 0.962; RMSEA = 0.075), highlighting the robustness of the mediation pathway. Conclusions: Self-confidence mediates the relationship between executive function and depression among ICU survivors. Interventions aimed at enhancing self-confidence could mitigate depressive symptoms in the ICU survivor population. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and further explore the causal pathways involved. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Ref# NCT02767180; Registered 28 April 2016. © The Author(s) 2024.Cited by: 0; All Open Access, Gold Open Access</p
Reconciliation in palliative care : A concept analysis
No full textObjectives:The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of reconciliation as a concept in palliative care. Terminal illnesses affect almost all aspects of life and being close to death may lead to a need for reconciliation. The end of life is stressful on an existential level for both patients and relatives. It can therefore be of relevance for palliative care nurses to understand the meaning of reconciliation. Methods: This study used a design for a literature study in accordance with a hybrid model. A deductive qualitative content analysis of autobiographies about being seriously ill and in a palliative stage in life was used to test the meaning of reconciliation. Ethical aspects concerning the use of autobiographies and the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration were considered. The theoretical perspective was the caritative theory of caring. Results: The result showed that for patients in palliative care, reconciliation can be described as a strive for acceptance, to live in a truthful way, to forgive and be forgiven. People wish to create meaning in their existence and reconcile as a whole in body, spirit, and soul. By striving to unite suffering, life, and death as well as a peaceful relationship with relatives, people can achieve reconciliation at the end of life. Reconciliation is something ongoing and can be a force in what has been, what is, and what will be. Significance of results: We conclude that reconciliation is a concept of importance when caring for patients in end-of-life care. However, reconciliation can be expressed in different ways without necessarily using the concept itself. A broader and deeper understanding of the concept facilitates conversations about the meaning of reconciliation in palliative care and can enable patients who strive to achieve reconciliation to be more easily identified and supported.CC-BY 4.0</p
Participating - or Being Part of an Organizational Change : Narratives of Participation Related to School Closures to Reduce School Segregation
No full textThe mission of all primary schools includes offering all pupils educational quality and equality. Municipalities struggle with the negative consequences of school segre-gation, and some local councils decide to implement extensive changes in their school organization to offer all pupils equal opportunities. This study analyzes the experi-ences of staff and students when a local council implemented organizational changes to reduce the negative consequences of school segregation. A narrative analysis of documentation from the education authority and interviews with pupils and school staff were used to understand the perspectives of staff and pupils. There was strong support from the staff for implementing the changes but also strong criticism of how these changes were carried out. One conclusion is that municipalities implementing similar changes need to plan for the whole process and the participation of pupils and school staff in a systematic way.Open Access</p
“Game face on” when doing “good enough” teaching
No full textThis study investigates manifestations of professional agency in teacher educators’ (TEds) perceptions of being in changed work circumstances during higher education’s transition to emergency remote work. This analysis applies the subject-centered sociocultural (SCSC) approach to professional agency. In this approach, agency is understood as exercised, and the social context (the sociocultural conditions) and the individual’s agency (professional subjects) are mutually constitutive but analytically separate. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with Swedish teacher educators at five universities were analyzed using directed content analysis. The analysis shows that in an acute transition, the TEds exercised agency when trying to frame a blurred context, a connected space, and a screen identity. They exercised agency for many purposes, from retaining professional pride to transforming the teaching practice, which involved coping with the “good enough” discourse shaping their professional appearance but was foremost for the individual’s well-being. The associated actions were in a social context containing, for example, expectations of availability and feelings of being in control. The study’s results contribute to understanding university educators’ and teacher educators’ professional agency and professional development in an ever-evolving digital work environment.CC BY 4.0</p
Surface Tension Estimation of Steel above Boiling Temperature
No full textSurface tension is an important characteristic of materials. In particular at high temperatures, surface tension values are often unknown. However, for metals, these values are highly relevant in order to enable efficient industrial processing or simulation of material behavior. Plasma, electron or laser beam processes can induce such high energy inputs, which increase the metal temperatures to, and even above, boiling temperatures, e.g., during deep penetration welding or remote cutting. Unfortunately, both theoretical and experimental methods experience challenges in deriving surface tension values at high temperatures. Material models of metals have limitations in explaining complex ion interactions, and experimentally measuring temperature and surface tension at high temperatures is a challenge for methods and equipment. Therefore, surface wave analysis was conducted in this work to derive surface tension values around the boiling temperature of steel and identify trends. In addition, a simple ion interaction calculation was used to simulate the impacting parameters that define the surface tension. Since both the experimental values and simulation results indicate an increasing trend in surface tension above the boiling temperature, it is concluded that the dominating attractive forces above this temperature should increase with increasing temperature and lead to increasing surface tension forces in the surface layers of liquid metal.CC BY 4.0</p
Extended lifetime expectancy in schizophrenia, role of measurement based care
No full textLifespan in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) is up to 20 years shorter than average. Introduction of new antipsychotic pharmaceuticals has not made any major improvement. Parallel care is provided as usual standard care (USD) in out-patients settings. The study aim was to evaluate if inclusion of Measurement Based Care (MBC) may prolong patients’ lifespan. In total, 171 patients were followed with annual semi-structured examinations of psychiatric status, social situation, and somatic illnesses over 20 years, by case managers. Findings indicate that MBC contributed to prolonged lifespan in SSD from 55.6 to 69.4 years from beginning to end of the study. CC-BY 4.0This study was funded by the Regional Health Authority, VG Region,Sweden, as part of their regular funding of research and development.</p
The school nurse's tools for promoting mental health among school students : a literature study
No full textBakgrund: Skolsköterskans arbete ska fokusera på hälsofrämjande och förebyggande insatser. Flera rapporter pekar på att skolbarns trivsel i skolan minskar och stressen ökar. Skolsköterskor arbetar hälsofrämjande med hälsosamtalet där de kan kartlägga elevens mående fysiskt och psykiskt. De utför hälsofrämjande åtgärder som vaccinationer och tillväxtkontroller. Via hälsosamtalet kartlägger de det fysiska och psykiska måendet men det saknas information om hur de kan främja den psykiska hälsan. Syfte: Syftet är beskriva skolsköterskors verktyg för att främja psykisk hälsa och förebygga psykisk ohälsa hos skolelever. Metod: En litteraturstudie baserad på integrativ analys har utförts på 11 artiklar. Sju artiklar var kvalitativa, tre artiklar var kvantitativa och en artikel innehöll mixmetod. Resultatet har granskat och analyserats enligt Whittemore och Knafl och resulterade i två teman och sju subteman. Resultat: Resultatet av studien presenterar sju olika verktyg som skolsköterskan kan använda för att främja psykisk hälsa och förebygga psykisk ohälsa. Fyra av verktygen fokuserar på att skolsköterskan kan använda olika former av kommunikation för att förbättra elevernas psykiska hälsa. De återstående tre verktygen beskriver hur skolsköterskan kan förstärka skolelevers medvetna perception för att främja den psykiska hälsan. Slutsats: Studien har lyft fram verktyg som skolsköterskan kan använda i sitt hälsofrämjande arbete med skolelever. Eftersom studien inte är begränsad till ett visst land och dess skolform är förhoppningen att verktygen är användbara i flera länder. Verktygen kan användas för att främja kommunikationen mellan skolsköterskan och elever genom att skapa en trygg miljö för eleverna, men också för att minska stress och främja en god sömn. Skolsköterskorna behöver mer utbildning i det förebyggande arbetet runt psykisk hälsa och ytterligare forskning är därför nödvändigt för att kontinuerligt utveckla nya hälsofrämjande insatser. Ytterligare forskning för att sammanställa tidigare existerande hälsofrämjande verktyg behövs.Background: The school nurse´s work should focus on health promotion and preventive measures. Several reports indicate that the well-being of schoolchildren in school is decreasing, and stress is increasing. School nurses engage in health promotion through health talks, where they can assess the student´s physical and mental well-being. They carry out health-promoting measures such as vaccinations and growth monitoring. Through health talks, they assess the physical and mental condition, but there is a lack of information on how they can promote mental health.Aim: The purpose is to describe school nurse´s tools for promoting mental health and preventing mental illness among schoolchildren. Method: A literature review based on integrative analysis was conducted on 11 articles, seven of which were qualitative, three quantitative, and one mixed method. The results were reviewed and analyzed according Whittemore and Knafl, resulting in two themes and seven subthemes. Results: The study presents seven different tools that school nurses can use to promote mental health and prevent mental illness. Four of the tools focus on using various forms of communication to improve student's mental health. The remaining three tools describe how the school nurse can enhance students' conscious perception to promote mental health. Conclusion: The study has highlighted tools that school nurses can use in their health-promoting work with school children. Since the study is not limited to a specific country and its educational system, the hope is that the tools are useful in multiple countries. The tools can be used to promote communication between school nurses and students by creating a safe environment for students, but also to reduce stress and promote good sleep. School nurses need more education in preventive work around mental health, and further research is therefore necessary to continuously develop new health-promoting initiatives. Additional research to compile previously existing health-promoting tools is needed
Plug and Produce : a review and future trend
No full textThis article presents a systematic literature review on the Plug and Produce concept in advanced automated manufacturing control systems. Over recent decades, this concept has evolved significantly, with researchers focusing on enhancing its applicability and improving its conceptual, logical, and physical aspects across various sub-areas such as system design, methodologies, and supporting tools within the Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 frameworks. The review offers technical insights on the research domain of Plug and Produce accompanied by an analytical schematic outlining five key evolving research streams ranging from system design framework, and functionality features, up to the empirical application. Additionally, the article discusses important issues surrounding the evolution of Plug and Produce in alignment with emerging trends within Industry 5.0 automation. By analyzing the literature and current trends in industrial automation, the article highlights critical key development directions for shaping the future of manufacturing systems focusing on smart, circular, and human-centric solutions using Plug and Produce. © CC-BY 4.0</p
Hybrid decision-making in atmospheric plasma spraying enables human–machine teaming
No full textWith the development of human-cyber-physical-production systems in intelligent manufacturing, cyber-supported production based on artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly powerful means of controlling machines and collaborating with human users. Semi-autonomous systems with a medium degree of automation enable human-centered, flexible, and sustainable production, for instance, in hybrid decision-making. Especially in applications that do not meet the requirements for full automation and when humans are to be involved in their role as qualified decision-makers, teaming-capable systems are desirable and offer considerable advantages. This paper outlines the transdisciplinary concept of human–machine teaming and the role of human cognition in engineering tasks with multi-criteria decision-making. An illustrative real-life example from thermal spray technology is used to show how explainable artificial intelligence models offer targeted, hybrid cyber decision support. This new approach based on fuzzy pattern classifiers combines expert knowledge- and data-based modeling and enables a transparent interpretation of the results by the human user, as shown here using the example of test data from atmospheric plasma spraying. The method outlined can potentially be used to provide hybrid decision support for a variety of manufacturing processes and form the basis for advanced automation or teaming of humans and cyber-physical-production systems. CC-BY 4.0</p