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Drög að kortlagningu spænsku á Íslandi
No full textIn this article the preliminary results on Spanish language competence in Iceland are presented, as part of an ongoing interdisciplinary research project called Spanish in Europe (s. El español en Europa), directed by scholars at the Heidelburg Center for Iberic-American Studies and the University of Zurich. The project brings together over 30 scholars from across Europe, where the Icelandic participants join forces and collaborate with colleagues from Denmark, Finland,Norway and Sweden. The aim of the project is to map proficiency levels and the use of Spanish in Europe by focusing on the dynamics of migration, demography and education. The Cervantes Institute in Madrid is responsible for the publication of the results in a series of reports, initiated in 2020 with a volume on Spanish language in Germany. The volumes on Switzerland and Portugal are scheduled to be published later this year. The results from the Nordic countries will be published together in a special volume the following year. The project falls within the field of demolinguistics, an approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative data, applying methods used in sociolinguistics and demography. The article describes a methodology (Moreno Fernandez & Otero Roth 1998, 2006, 2007; Moreno Fernandez 2014) by which speakers are counted and categorized according to their level of competence into three groups: thefirst includes native speakers of the subject language, the second comprises those individuals with limited competence due to several factors (e.g., second- or third-generation heritage language speakers) and the third group is composed by learners of Spanish in different educational stages. Examples and data from those specific groups in Iceland are provided. Such methodology shared by all research teams enable the comparison of results between the Nordic countries and the rest of the European continent.Keywords: Demolinguistics, Spanish in Europe, Spanish in IcelandÍ greininni er sagt frá samevrópsku rannsóknarverkefni sem hverfist um kortlagningu spænsku í Evrópu. Markmið verkefnisins er að grafast fyrir um stöðu spænskrar tungu í álfunni og freista þess að draga upp heildstæða mynd af notkun hennar utan hins spænskumælandi heims. Forgöngumenn rannsóknarverkefnisins eru fræðimenn frá háskólum á Spáni, Þýskalandi og Sviss. Einnig tekur Cervantes-stofnunin þátt í verkefninu. Að verkefninu koma um 30 sérfræðingar og fræðimenn frá ýmsum löndum í Evrópu. Hver verkefnishópur hefur á sinni könnu eitt eða fleiri lönd. Íslensku þátttakendurnireru í hópi með fræðimönnum frá öðrum Norðurlöndum en í hópnum eru sérfræðingar frá Árósum, Kaupmannahöfn, Osló, Reykjavík, Stokkhólmi og Tampere. Niðurstöður rannsóknarverkefnisins í hinum ýmsu löndum verða gefnar út á bók í ritröðinni Kortlagning spænsku í Evrópu. Fyrsta heftið í ritröðinni kom út árið 2020 og fjallar um kortlagningu spænsku í Þýskalandi. Á næstunnier von á niðurstöðum rannsóknarhópa í Sviss og Portúgal. Verkefnishóparnir fylgja sama verklagi og aðferð í öflun og greiningu gagna sem gerir kleift að bera saman niðurstöðu á milli Norðurlanda annars vegar og einstakra landa Evrópu hins vegar. Í rannsóknarverkefninu er aðferðum Moreno Fernández og OteroRoth fylgt en þeir hafa um langt árabil haft forystu um rannsóknir á þessu sviði í spænskumælandi löndum heims, einkum Spáni. Í rannsókninni er byggt á lýðfræðilegum upplýsingum og fellur nálgunin undir það sem kallast lýðfræðimálvísindi, nálgun sem beitir einnig aðferðum félagsmálvísinda. Málhafar eru taldir og flokkaðir eftir færnistigum. Þar ber fyrst að nefna móðurmálshafa, í annan stað málhafa með takmarkaða málfærni og í þriðja lagi þá einstaklinga sem hafa tileinkað sér spænsku sem annað mál og búa yfir mismunandi ogjafnvel takmarkaðri málfærni.Lykilorð: lýðfræðimálvísindi, spænska í Evrópu, spænska á Íslan
Um Ísaak Babel, Riddaraliðið og „Pan Apolek“
No full textÍsaak Babel, 1894–1940, var gyðingur og fæddist inn í sæmilega stæða kaupmannsfjölskyldu í borginni Odessu. Babel lauk grunnskólagöngu í heimaborg sinni en sótti framhaldsskóla í Kænugarði. Að því loknu fór hann til Pétursborgar að reyna sig sem rithöfundur.Ísaak Babel, 1894–1940, var gyðingur og fæddist inn í sæmilega stæða kaupmannsfjölskyldu í borginni Odessu. Babel lauk grunnskólagöngu í heimaborg sinni en sótti framhaldsskóla í Kænugarði. Að því loknu fór hann til Pétursborgar að reyna sig sem rithöfundur
Að læra íslensku sem annað mál: Markviss orðaforðakennsla í útinámi
No full textThe number of immigrants in Iceland has increased significantly in recent years. A few years ago, almost all children in Icelandic preschools were monolingual Icelandic children, while now in 2021 about 15% of preschool children are immigrant children learning Icelandic as a second language. Studies on Icelandic vocabulary knowledge of immigrant children in Iceland have shown that their vocabulary is considerably smaller than that of their monolingual Icelandic peers. Studies also indicate that Icelandic preschool teachers need more support and teaching materials to teach Icelandic as a second language. Specialists at Centre of School Development at the University of Akureyri have, in the past three years, developed dedicated teaching material called Orðaleikur which is intended to support the teaching of Icelandic as a second language in preschool. Orðaleikurconsists of a gallery of pictures showing things relating to preschool and the daily life of young children, and a collection of assignments and ideas that can be used with children to work with the words in the gallery.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vocabulary teaching with the teaching material Orðaleikur in outdoor teaching. The research questions were: 1) Is the teaching material Orðaleikur suitable for strengthening children’s vocabulary? And 2) What effect does the teaching have on the children’s vocabulary?Five 4–5 year old children who were learning Icelandic as their second language, received targeted vocabulary teaching for seven weeks. In each week the children had two or three 45–60 min long lessons with their teacher, focusing on teaching a special vocabulary. Three word-groups from Orðaleikur were chosen to work with, words about weather, outdoor environment, and outdoor play areas. The teaching took place outdoor as the words taught related to things and phenomena in the outdoor environment. Conversations and games were then used to help the children to learn and remember the new words. The children’s progress was assessed by measuring receptive and productive vocabulary, before intervention, at the end of the intervention period and two months after the intervention ended. Their teacher also kept a research journal to record their participation and progress. Results showed progress in both receptive and productive vocabulary during the intervention period and the children maintained that vocabulary two months later. Some words were learned more easily than others. Not surprisingly the children learned words standing for things and ideas in their daily environment (e.g., jungle gym, playground) more easily than words indicating things or ideas less closely related to their daily life (e.g., pier, fjord). Although all the children showed progress in vocabulary knowledge, significant individual differences were found in vocabulary knowledge and progress over the intervention period. From data in the research journal, it can be concluded that the children’s level of activity in lessons affects their vocabulary progress. The children who were enthusiastic and active in conversations with other children and adults in the vocabulary lessons showed better progress than those who took less interest in the project or were too shy to take part in conversations.The results confirm that using the teaching material in Orðaleikur to work with a specially selected vocabulary in context in the preschool is an effective way to strengthen young children’s vocabulary. However, teachers should bear in mind that the participation of the whole class is important for their learning and ensure that all children are active in lessons. Special attention should be paid to those children who show little interest or are shy, encouraging them to take part in conversations with adults and other children in the preschool.Börnum af erlendum uppruna hefur fjölgað mikið í íslenskum leikskólum á undanförnum árum. Rannsóknir sýna að staða þessara barna í íslensku er fremur slök og meiri þekkingu og úrræði vantar innan leikskólanna til að geta sem best stutt við máltöku íslenskunnar hjá þeim. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar var að leita leiða til að vinna á markvissan hátt með íslenskan orðaforða leikskólabarna sem læra íslensku sem annað mál. Fimm tvítyngd börn fengu markvissa orðaforðakennslu með námsefninu Orðaleik í sjö vikur. Kennslan fór fram í útikennslu og var lögð áhersla á að kenna orð sem tengjast útiveru og umhverfi. Orðaforði barnanna var metinn fyrir íhlutun, strax að lokinni íhlutun og tveimur mánuðum eftir að henni lauk. Niðurstöður voru þær að öll börnin bættu við orðaforða sinn meðan á íhlutuninni stóð og viðhéldu þeim orðaforða tveimur mánuðum síðar. Framfarir einstakra barna voru þó mismiklar og draga má þá ályktun af gögnum rannsóknarinnar að virkni barnanna í málörvunarstundunum og samskiptum innan leikskólans hafi áhrif á hve miklum framförum þau ná. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýna að orðaforðakennsla sem er fléttuð inn í daglegt leikskólastarf getur skilað góðum árangri en huga þurfi að virkni einstakra barna í slíkum stundum og samskiptum innan leikskólans almennt
Kynni unglinga af vinsælum ferðamannastöðum: Frístundir, ferðalög og menntun
No full textIn recent decades, tourism and leisure have become a central aspect in the daily life of Icelanders. Increased leisure time and disposable income, along with changes on the job market, have contributed to a growing emphasis on recreation and leisure, making these activities one of the cornerstones of modern society. Accessibility to tourism and leisure activities varies and depends on the individual’s socioeconomic situation, among other things. In Iceland, little is known about the relationship between socioeconomic factors and tourism and leisure opportunities. Many nations have a long history of social tourism, which refers to subsidized tourism and leisure activities in order to facilitate more equal access to travel for different social groups. The aim of this paper is to shed light on young people’s participation in tourism, with respect to socioeconomic factors. The paper will then address these factors in the context of Icelanders’ domestic travel behaviour, social tourism, and education. The analysis builds on survey data from a 2017–2018 study, titled Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children, in which 6717 children and adolescents responded to a questionnaire regarding their outdoor activities. The paper will focus on the part of the study that looked at travel habits of children aged between 12 and 15 to popular destinations in Iceland.On the whole, the findings show considerable variation in children’s travel habits with regard to age and residence. These differences are manifested in various ways, but in general a higher number of children in the Southwest (metropolitan areas and vicinity of the capital region) have visited selected destinations and the older the children are the more destinations they will have visited. It is worth keeping in mind that most of these destinations are located in the Southern part of the country. The trajectory is similar for each place, but on average the number of children aged 12 to 15 who claim to have never visited the selected destination ranges from 10–20%. A similar proportion of 12–15-yearolds from the Southwest and from rural areas say they have visited Gullfoss, Geysir and Mývatn, or 70–90%. A much greater difference appears among children in this age group who claim they have been to Þingvellir (30%) and to Þórsmörk (28%). The parents’ socioeconomic situation plays a role in their children’s travel habits. For example, 34% (N=43) of those children who rate their family’s economic position as bad or very bad have never visited Þingvellir, compared to the 21% who rated their family’s economic position as very good or good. The findings also strongly suggest that children whose parents are both immigrants, are much less likely to have visited Þingvellir, Mývatn, Þórsmörk and Jökulsárlón, than children whose parents were both born in Iceland. The findings give rise to questions regarding the different opportunities children have to enjoy tourism and leisure activities and the need to further bolster social tourism in Iceland, as well as its connection to education and the role of the education system. A promising way to surmount the obstacles preventing children from enjoying equal access to tourism and leisure would be for the state to directly support social tourism and to encourage comprehensive collaboration between specialists in the tourism industry and in the schools and leisure centres. In this way, it would be possible to foster empowering and educative experiences, especially since there is a vast reservoir of experience and knowledge within the tourism industry which could be harnessed and utilized to create opportunities for children to learn and develop.The central findings of the study are that location, economic factors and parents’ background play a role in determining whether children aged between 12 and 15 have visited selected travel destinations in Iceland. These findings correspond to data concerning the travel habits of Icelanders, which show that low-income groups and people who live in rural areas are less likely to travel. The findings point toward needed research and innovation projects in the field of tourism studies, leisure studies and education, such as the following: (1) children’s experiences and views of travel and recreation (2) Icelanders’ travel habits with respect to socioeconomic situation, (3) people’s experience of the importance of tourism for leisure purposes, (4) mapping of social tourism in Iceland and (5) innovation in social tourism in collaboration with the education system.Ferðamennska og tómstundir hafa fengið æ meira vægi í daglegu lífi fólks síðustu áratugi í kjölfar vaxandi velmegunar og breytinga á vinnumarkaði. Aðgengi að ferðamennsku og margs konar tómstundum er ólíkt og fer meðal annars eftir efnahagslegri stöðu fólks. Hérlendis er lítið vitað um samspil félagslegrar stöðu, ferðamennsku og tómstundaiðkunar. Markmið þessarar greinar er að varpa ljósi á þátttöku unglinga í ferðamennsku m.t.t. félagslegra og efnahagslegra þátta og ræða í samhengi við ferðahegðun Íslendinga innanlands, félagslega ferðamennsku og menntun. Notuð eru gögn úr HBSC-rannsókninni Heilsa og lífskjör skólabarna frá árinu 2017–2018 þar sem 6717 börn og unglingar svöruðu spurningum varðandi útiveru. Hér er gerð grein fyrir niðurstöðum spurninga um heimsóknir 12–15 ára barna og unglinga á þekkta áfangastaði á Íslandi. Niðurstöður benda til þess að eftir því sem börn eldast hafi þau komið á fleiri áfangastaði. Algengast er að svarendur segist hafa komið að Gullfossi, Geysi, á Þingvelli, í Heiðmörk og til Mývatns. Efnahagsleg staða, uppruni foreldra og búseta tengist heimsóknum á suma áfangastaði en þau áhrif eru ekki einhlít. Niðurstöður vekja upp spurningar um ólíka stöðu unglinga til að njóta ferðamennsku og tómstunda, um grundvöll fyrir frekari uppbyggingu félagslegrar ferðamennsku hérlendis og tengsl hennar við menntun og hlutverk skólakerfisins í því sambandi. Reifuð eru álitamál þessu tengd og vörðuð verðug rannsóknarefni á þessu sviði
Viðhorf leikskólastarfsmanna til málörvunar barna sem hafa íslensku sem annað mál
No full textAdequate Icelandic language skills are crucial for children’s development and overall success in Icelandic schools. Research has shown that children in Icelandic preschools, whose home language is other than Icelandic (referred to as ísl2 children), lack Icelandic language proficiency, and are far behind age peers whose Icelandic is their first language (referred to as ísl1 children) (Aneta Figlarska et al., 2017; Hjördís Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2022; Kriselle Lou Suson Jónsdóttir et al,, 2018). In this study, preschool staff’s knowledge, and attitudes towards language stimulation for ísl2 children were studied as well as their experiences and professional confidence. An online questionnaire was sent to all preschool staff in Árborg municipality who worked in early childhood education. The questionnaire was sent to 160 email addresses and 70 responses were received, giving a response rate of 44%. Participants had varying educational background and qualifications: 33.3% had a university degree in early childhood education, 24.6% had different university degrees related to education, 13.0% had another type of university degree, and 34.8% had no formal education.Results revealed that participants without formal education spent more time with ísl2 children than those with a university degree in early childhood education. In the former group 54.4% claimed they spent more than 30 minutes each day with each ísl2 child, compared to 30.8% of the latter group. Almost half of the university educated preschool teachers (46.2%) said that they spent only 0–10 minutes daily with each ísl2 child. Roughly half of responding preschool teachers believed that ísl2 children were in general acquiring good language stimulation in Icelandic preschools. All participants believed that oral communication, songs and reading were important aspects of ísl2 children’s language stimulation, as well as working explicitly with vocabulary. In addition, more than a third of the respondents (41.7%) claimed that it was important that the staff were able to give ísl2 children language stimulation in their home languages. Roughly half of the participants (53.9%) had good professional confidence relating to language stimulation for ísl2 children, but a fifth believed they did not have enough knowledge to give ísl2 children language stimulation. Over half of the participants (60%) claimed they were able to give the children the language input needed, but only a fifth of those with a university degree in early childhood education. The main hindrances were too many children and too few staff members in each classroom, limited time available to focus on this issue, and lack of professional support. Almost half of the participants with early childhood university degrees (45.5%) believed they were not adequately prepared by their studies to support ísl2 children’s language development. Judging from these results, there is a sense of insecurity amongst preschool staff relating to their language communication and stimulation with ísl2 children. The results also show that preschool staff need to be better informed about what school activities are important in ísl2 children’s language stimulation (Aukrust, 2007; Aukrust et al., 2011; Bowers & Vasilyeva, 2011; Dickinson & Porche, 2011; Kim & Yun, 2019; Leseman et al., 2019; Romeo et al., 2018; Snow, 2016; Sólveig Reynisdóttir & Sigríður Ólafsdóttir, 2022). Preschool staff need to be aware that first language stimulation should not, according to research, be the main focus of ísl2 children’s early years’ education in Icelandic preschools. This is especially important given that only half of the participants believed they were able to support these children well enough in acquiring Icelandic language skills. Findings indicate that preschool staff, both those with a university degree and those without qualifications, need better professional support and more favorable working conditions so they will be able to give the ísl2 children the effective interactive language communication the children need and deserve (Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytið, 2011). Solid Icelandic language skills are a prerequisite for their educational wellbeing in Icelandic schools (Jóhanna T. Einarsdóttir et al., 2016; Sigríður Ólafsdóttir et al., 2016).Niðurstöður íslenskra rannsókna benda til að leikskólabörn með annað heimamál en íslensku, ísl2 börn, nái almennt ekki góðum tökum á íslensku þrátt fyrir langan dvalartíma í leikskólum. Því er mikilvægt að kanna hvert viðhorf leikskólastarfsmanna er til þess hlutverks þeirra að gefa ísl2 börnum tækifæri til að læra íslensku með fjölbreytilegum leiðum. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að kanna þekkingu, reynslu og faglegt sjálfstraust leikskólastarfsmanna til málörvunar ísl2 barna. Spurningalisti var sendur til 160 leikskólastarfsmanna í Sveitarfélaginu Árborg og var svarhlutfall 44%. Niðurstöður sýndu að ófaglært starfsfólk taldi sig verja meiri tíma með ísl2 börnum en leikskólakennarar. Þátttakendur töldu öll að samræður, söngur og lestur væru mikilvægir þættir málörvunar, ásamt vinnu með orðaforða. Tæplega helmingur svarenda fullyrti að mikilvægt væri að starfsfólk hefði færni til að veita börnunum markvissa málörvun í heimamálum þeirra. Rúmlega helmingur hafði gott faglegt sjálfstraust en fimmtungur taldi sig ekki hafa næga þekkingu til að sinna málörvun ísl2 barna. Meira en helmingur svarenda taldi sig vel geta stutt börnin við að efla íslenskufærni sína eins og þau helst vildu, en aðeins fimmtungur háskólamenntaðra leikskólakennara. Hindranir voru of mörg börn og of fáir starfsmenn, of lítill tími og skortur á faglegum stuðningi. Næstum helmingur svarenda með leikskólakennaramenntun á háskólastigi taldi sig ekki hafa fengið nægan undirbúning í leikskólakennaranáminu til að veita ísl2 börnum málörvun. Niðurstöður benda til að bæta þurfi fræðslu til starfsfólks leikskóla um mikilvæga þætti sem skipta sköpum í starfsháttum með ísl2 börnum, og því séu jafnframt skapaðar aðstæður og faglegur stuðningur til að mæta þörfum þessa barnahóps. Hætta er á að tilfinning um að geta ekki sinnt málörvun ísl2 barna nægilega vel hafi neikvæð áhrif á starfshætti með börnunum. Málfærni barna eykst í gagnvirkum mállegum samskiptum við starfsfólk og jafnaldra og við virka þátttöku í innihaldsríku leikskólastarfi. Góð íslenskufærni er síðan undirstaða farsællar námsframvindu í íslenskum skólum
Lýðræðishlutverk háskóla og áskoranir samtímans
No full textEducation has always been crucial for the protection and cultivation of democracy, for example by developing the skills and transmitting the knowledge needed for political decision-making and deliberation. In this article, it is asked how universities can best serve democracy in contemporary society, which is under new type of threats: fake news and information chaos, illiberal ideas about democracy and marketization of ever more sectors of society. To reflect on this question, arguments based on three different models of democracy are selected: the liberal, participatory and discourse democratic models. In each case, key notions are teased out, and the implications they have for the democratic role of the university are considered. In the case of liberal democracy, the key ideas are scientific neutrality, impartiality, objectivity, and academic freedom. The meaning and relevance of these ideas in the context of the university are discussed. It is argued that while in a liberal democracy the emphasis is on freedom from social engagement, it is possible to argue in liberal terms for academic resistance to forces opposing the constitutive values of the university, which provide conditions for honest and responsible search for knowledge. From a liberal viewpoint, such resistance would primarily be in the form of developing intellectual virtues and regulatory procedures, such as scientific integrity and policies to prevent conflict of interests and to protect academic freedom. On the other hand, it is argued that liberalism is not sensitive to threats rooted in the marketization of governance and education, which increasingly characterizes the university and may thwart its democratic role. This clash of the market, which breeds acquisitive and consumerist ideas about education, and the vision of the citizen who is politically conscious and actively engaged, motivates the participatory view on the democratic role of the university. From this perspective, both university teachers and students should be concerned about social matters and fight against injustices. It is argued that while this approach can foster important democratic skills it can be difficult to channel this engagement in such a way that it is consistent with the constitutive values of the university which should be the guiding ideal. It is also argued that participatory ideas about civic engagement do not provide a useful guidance in the effort to resist the marketization of university practices which poses the main threat to the democratic culture and democratic role of the university. For that, a deeper theoretical analysis of the causes and dynamics of this development are needed. It is argued that such analysis can be found in discourse democratic theory which implies both ideas about civic competencies and the social processes at work. From a discourse theoretical perspective, the most important civic skills that need to be developed in a democratic society are critical thinking, communicative competencies and deliberative reasoning. These competencies need to be transferred into the social institutions and practices that sustain the democratic culture. This culture and these practices are undermined by the increased dominance of instrumental rationality, which is gradually colonizing all domains of society, including the universities. It is argued that the discourse theoretical view provides sound guidance as to the democratic role of the university, preserving the strengths of the other two views while avoiding their flaws. The discourse democratic view defends the liberal values of the university and recognizes the threats of the instrumental rationalization and marketization of university practices that the liberal view tends to ignore. The discourse democratic view also emphasizes the fostering of capacities for democratic participation but regards them more in terms of thoughtful reasoning than civic engagement. This aims at strengthening the domains of communicative rationality in general, but in particular the public sphere and democratic institutions which provide a more realistic and permanent resistance to the contemporary threats to democracy than civic activism.Í greininni er leitað svara við spurningunni hvernig háskólar geti best þjónað lýðræði í samtímanum sem einkennist af upplýsingaóreiðu, ófrjálslyndum hugmyndum og viðskiptavæðingu á flestum sviðum. Reifaðar eru þrenns konar ólíkar röksemdir um tengsl lýðræðis og háskóla; rök í anda frjálslyndis, þátttökulýðræðis og rökræðulýðræðis. Ræddar eru lykilhugmyndir í hverjum þessara röksemda og spurt um þýðingu þeirra fyrir lýðræðishlutverk háskóla. Því er haldið fram að allar feli þær í sér mikilvæg atriði, en að rökræðulýðræðisrökin hafi mest vægi andspænis þeim þáttum sem standa lýðræðislegu hlutverki háskóla fyrir þrifum. Í frjálslyndisrökunum er megináhersla lögð á gildi á borð við akademískt frelsi, fræðilegt hlutleysi og hlutlægni. Með frjálslyndisrökum má renna stoðum undir tiltekið viðnám gegn öflum sem grafa undan þessum gildum, en þau fela ekki í sér vitund um áhrif markaðsvæðingar á háskólastarf. Sú meðvitund er meginhvati þátttökulýðræðisrakanna fyrir lýðræðishlutverki háskóla. Þar er höfuðáherslan á borgaravirkni í þágu samfélagslegra markmiða og þjóðfélagsumræðu. Rök eru færð fyrir að vandasamt geti verið að finna þeirri borgaravirkni farveg sem samrýmist grundvallargildum háskóla. Einnig er dregið í efa að þátttökulýðræðishugmyndir myndi góðan grunn fyrir gagnrýni á markaðsvæðingu háskóla sem er aðalógnin við lýðræðislegt hlutverk hans. Úr þessu bæta rökræðulýðræðisrökin. Þar er bæði horft til þeirrar lýðræðislegu færni borgaranna sem háskólamenntun þarf að byggja upp og til þeirra afla í háskólum og samfélagi sem standa lýðræði fyrir þrifum. Færni háskólaborgara er einkum lýst út frá gagnrýninni hugsun og málefnalegri rökræðuhæfni sem skili sér inn í stofnanir og starfsemi samfélagsins. Þannig er þroskuð skynsemi boðskipta til mótvægis við tæknilega rökvísi og neytendaviðmið sem orðið hafa ráðandi í hugmyndum um háskólastarf og háskólamenntun. Röksemdir rökræðulýðræðis vernda þannig frjálslynd gildi háskólastarfs, en leggja jafnframt áherslu á ábyrga þátttöku háskólaborgara í að verjast þeim öflum sem ógna þeim og setja fram fræðilegan skilning á rótum þeirra afla og gangverki
Þættir sem hafa áhrif á möguleika grunnskólakennara til að styðja við börn með námserfiðleika og fjölþættan vanda
No full textIt is important for every society that teachers be equipped to adapt education to the diverse needs of students. Today, elementary schools in Iceland operate from the policy of inclusive schools where it is stated that students have the right to education that meets their diverse needs, irrespective of special needs and learning ability. The Icelandic law states that municipalities should provide special services in schools, on the one hand with support to students and their families and, on the other hand, support elementary school operations and their staff. The national curriculum for elementary schools entails a democratic approach to school operations, where the educational philosophy calls for skilled and adaptable teaching practices that can meet the needs and circumstances of all students, thus increasing the likelihood of achievement. Students with learning difficulties and diverse needs have been defined at a greater risk of dropping out of school. Additionally, research shows that individuals who drop out of school often experience worse health and personal circumstances later in life.This article analyses the results from a survey sent to elementary school teachers in the school year 2018-2019. The aim of the survey was to reveal which positive or negative aspects impact the possibility for teachers to attend to the needs of students with learning difficulties and diverse requirements, who have, among other things, been assessed with ADHD, autism (ASD), general and specific learning difficulties, emotional and social challenges, and Tourette syndrome. Altogether 1,444 surveys were sent to professional elementary school staff, all over the country, with a 45% response rate. In this article, we refer exclusively to the responses from the teachers (N=478) who participated in the research, or 74% of the total number of respondents.The results show that only about half of the teachers felt they were able to meet the educational needs of their students. The teachers who felt they were not adequately meeting the needs of their students reported the main reasons as lack of time for preparing lessons, too many students with behavioural and learning challenges in the class and insufficient teaching material suitable for the diverse needs of the students. Seven out of ten teachers also reported they had not received enough training in their teaching studies to prepare them for meeting diverse needs in the classroom. The results suggest a need for considerable improvements in the teachers’ professional environment, such as more targeted preparation in their education to provide them with necessary skills to meet the needs of a diverse group of students in conjunction with the policy for inclusive schools.Based on the knowledge gained in the field of research in Iceland in recent years, it is clear that an adequate number of professionals within schools, together with systematic cooperation relating to children in trouble and their families, are prerequisites for the school to better perform its role. From the overall results of this research, it can be concluded, on the one hand, that more emphasis is needed in the teacher education program to meet the diverse needs of children; on the other hand, that the inclusive school policy actually calls for an increased number of professionals within the schools, such as developmental therapists, occupational therapists, social workers and psychologists, to name but a few. By increasing the number of professionals alongside teachers, the overall workload teachers face could be reduced, thus making them better equipped to meet the diverse needs of students. The results of the study are expected to lead to a greater understanding of the status of teachers in elementary schools. Thus, they will constitute an important input to the discussion on changes that need to be made to the schools’ work environment in order to better comply with the provisions of the Elementary School Act than is currently the case as regards the existence of a school for everyone.Kennarar þurfa að hafa velferð og menntun nemenda að leiðarljósi og koma fram við þá af virðingu og fagmennsku. Því er það hverju samfélagi mikilvægt að kennurum sé gert kleift að laga kennslu að fjölbreytilegum þörfum nemenda. Í þessari grein er sagt frá niðurstöðum spurningalistakönnunar sem send var kennurum á grunnskólastigi (N=478) námsveturinn 2018–2019 með það að markmiði að kanna viðhorf þeirra og reynslu af stuðningi við börn með námserfiðleika og fjölþættan vanda í grunnskólum. Þá er átt við börn sem hafa verið greind með ADHD, einhverfu, almenna og sértæka námserfiðleika, tilfinningalega og félagslega erfiðleika og Tourettesheilkenni. Leitað var svara við rannsóknarspurningunni „Hver eru viðhorf og reynsla kennara af stuðningi við börn með námserfiðleika og fjölþættan vanda í grunnskólum?“ Niðurstöður sýna að um helmingur kennara taldi að sér gengi vel að laga námið að þörfum nemenda. Helstu ástæður voru mikil starfsreynsla, góður stuðningur frá samstarfsfólki og hæfilegur fjöldi nemenda í bekk. Þeir kennarar sem töldu að sér gengi illa að aðlaga námið sögðu að helstu ástæðurnar væru of lítill tími til undirbúnings, of margir nemendur með hegðunar- og námserfiðleika í bekkjum og of lítið framboð af aðlöguðu námsefni þar sem tekið væri mið af fjölbreytilegum þörfum nemenda. Einnig kom fram að um sjö af hverjum tíu kennurum töldu sig ekki hafa fengið næga þjálfun í kennaranáminu til að takast á við fjölbreytilegar þarfir nemenda. Niðurstöður gefa til kynna að breytinga sé þörf í starfsumhverfi kennara til að þeir geti sinnt fjölbreyttum hópi nemenda í samræmi við stefnu um skóla án aðgreiningar
Eigendastefna opinbers fyrirtækis og ábyrgt eignarhald
No full textOwnership strategies of companies and public institutions were established as a significant governance mechanism following the global financial crisis in 2008. The Icelandic government was the first to establish an ownership strategy for its companies in 2009. The goal is that their holding companies are run professionally and transparently. That will establish trust in the management and operations held responsible. The basis of the ownership role is general guidelines on good corporate governance as well as general guidelines on the role and responsibilities of the owners. There has been a growing discussion in recent years about good governance, despite this, there are few sources, in Iceland and elsewhere, about the origin and purpose of an ownership strategy. This article reviews the theoretical foundations of ownership strategy, active and responsible ownership, and the alignment of owners. Based on an empirical study it is explored whether, and how, ownership strategy is theoretically positioned, for a definition of the concept. The results are based on a qualitative study of active ownership, shareholder activity, and responsible ownership. The case study explores the ownership strategy of a specific company, Orkuveita Reykjavíkur, which is owned by three municipalities. The results of the study support the theoretical foundations of ownership strategy and clarify the concept. It is also argued that stakeholders view the restriction on the mandate of the board in a positive way. The study also reveals the positive impact of ownership strategy on board decision-making, as responsible ownership leads to owners placing emphasis on more than mere financial performance, demonstrating ambition towards sustainability and social responsibility.Eigendastefna fyrirtækja og stofnana hefur fengið aukið vægi í kjölfar hrunsins árið 2008. Íslensk stjórnvöld settu fyrst fram eigendastefnu fyrir félög í eigu ríkisins árið 2009. Tilgangurinn var sá að stuðla að því að félög í þeirra eigu væru starfrækt með faglegum og gagnsæjum hætti. Þannig gæti almennt traust ríkt á stjórnun og starfsemi þeirra. Grundvöllur eigendahlutverksins byggist á almennum leiðbeiningum um góða stjórnarhætti fyrirtækja auk almennra viðmiða um hlutverk og skyldur eigenda. Vaxandi umfjöllun hefur verið síðastliðin ár um góða stjórnarhætti. Samt sem áður er lítið um heimildir, hér á landi og víðar, um tilgang eigendastefnu. Í þessari grein er farið yfir fræðilegar undirstöður eigendastefnu sem felur í sér virkt og ábyrgt eignarhald og samstillingu eigendahlutverks. Skoðað er hvort og þá hvernig eigendastefna fellur að stjórnarháttum sem fræðigrein. Niðurstöður byggjast á eigindlegri rannsókn um virkt eignarhald, hluthafavirkni og ábyrgt eignarhald. Raundæmisrannsókn var gerð á eigendastefnu tiltekins fyrirtækis, Orkuveitu Reykjavíkur, sem er í eigu þriggja sveitarfélaga. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar styðja við fræðilega undirstöðu eigendastefnu og varpa ljósi á hugtakið. Færð eru rök fyrir því að takmörkun á ákvarðanatöku stjórna geti verið litin jákvæðum augum af hagaðilum enda sé verkaskiptingin skýr milli eigenda og stjórnar. Rannsóknin leiðir í ljós jákvæð áhrif eigendastefnu á ákvarðanatöku stjórna. Eigendastefna styrkir ábyrgt eignarhald sem stuðlar að því að eigendur leggja aukna áherslu á meira en fjárhagslegan árangur í átt að aukinni sjálfbærni og samfélagslegrar ábyrgðar
Rannsókn á tengslum kynferðis og aldurs dómara og lögmanna við úrslit dómsmála í héraði
Get PDFA research on whether there is a link between gender and age on the one hand, and judicial outcomes on the other, has never before been conducted in an Icelandic setting. This paper communicates research findings, following an interdisciplinary investigation (within the fields of law and sociology) which involved the collection of data on gender and age of judges and attorneys (litigators) in court findings at the first instance (héraðsdómur) in civil cases over a period of ten years, that were appealed to the Icelandic Supreme Court (Hæstiréttur) and the Icelandic Court of Appeals (Landsréttur). The research examined if these factors could be linked with the outcome of the court cases at first instance. The research findings indicate that the gender of attorneys matters, regardless of the gender of judges, and that a female litigant for the plaintiff and the defendant increases the likelihood that the case outcome is in the interest of the litigant’s respective client. The age of judges is apparently also relevant for case outcomes, to the effect that older judges (50 years and older) are more likely to find in favor of the defendant, independent of other factors. Alternatively, no significant interaction effect could be detected in the collected data, with regard to the gender of judges and attorneys. It is our hope that the results will benefit the debate on equality within the courts and encourage further research in this area.Hér á landi hefur ekki verið rannsakað hvort og þá hvaða tengsl séu á milli kynferðis og aldurs dómara og málflytjenda annars vegar og niðurstaðna dómsúrlausna hins vegar. Rannsóknin, sem er þverfræðileg á sviði félagsfræði og lögfræði, laut að því að greina upplýsingar um kynferði og aldur dómara og málflytjenda í þeim dómsúrlausnum í einkamálum, sem kærðar hafa verið eða áfrýjað til Hæstaréttar og Landsréttar, á tíu ára tímabili. Rannsakað var hvort tengsl væru á milli þessara þátta og úrslita dómsmálanna. Rannsóknin gefur til kynna að kyn lögmanna hafi þýðingu, óháð kyni dómara, og að kvenkyns málflytjendur til sóknar og varnar auki líkur á að mál falli umbjóðendum þeirra í vil. Aldur dómara virðist jafnframt hafa þýðingu fyrir úrslit mála þannig að eldri dómarar (50 ára og eldri) séu líklegri til að dæma varnaraðila í vil, óháð öðrum þáttum. Enga samvirkni á milli kyns dómara og lögmanna má á hinn bóginn finna í gögnunum sem rannsökuð voru. Það er von okkar að rannsóknarniðurstöðurnar gagnist umræðunni um starfsemi dómstóla og jafnrétti og hvetji til frekari rannsókna á því sviði
Oft veltir lítil þúfa þungu hlassi: Sjálfræðisréttur skjólstæðinga, vanlíðan vegna frávika og traust innan heilbrigðisþjónustu
Get PDFPatients’ trust in healthcare workers and institutions is the bedrock of quality healthcare services. Trust implies that the patient believes that his interests will be cared for, and his vulnerability will not be exploited. Generally, patients‘ expect their autonomy to be respected, assuming they are empowered to make decisions regarding their treatment. However, studies have shown that nonadherence to patients’ autonomy rights are quite common within healthcare service. The purpose of the study was to shed light on trust towards healthcare service by exploring whether nonadherence to patients’ autonomy rights is likely to diminish patients’ trust. To demarcate the study, the focus was on female patients’ experiences whilst under the care of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the National University Hospital of Iceland. Prerequisite for participation in the online convenience sample was experience with the service of the Department. The results show that patients with experiences involving incidents of staff ’s nonadherence to patients’ autonomy rights have less trust towards healthcare staff and more distrust towards the hospital than patients who have not experienced such incidents. Moreover, the results show that experiencing emotional distress following an incidence of nonadherence to patient autonomy rights increases distrust towards the hospital. However, the trust that patients have towards doctors, nurses and midwives can curb the development of distrust following an incident. In general, these results underscore the merits of good communication and information exchange with patients, which fosters a feeling that one’s best interests and rights are being upheld. Such communication is likely to promote quality services in healthcare, as well as reduce costs.Traust skjólstæðinga gagnvart heilbrigðisstéttum og heilbrigðisstofnunum er forsenda gæða innan heilbrigðisþjónustu. Traust snýr að tiltrú sjúklings um að hagsmunir hans séu hafðir að leiðarljósi og vanmáttur hans sé ekki misnotaður. Almennt vænta sjúklingar þess að sjálfræði þeirra sé virt, en í því felst að sjúklingi sé gert kleift að taka sjálfstæðar ákvarðanir varðandi meðferðir og inngrip. Erlendar rannsóknir hafa hins vegar sýnt að frávik frá rétti sjúklinga til sjálfræðis eru nokkuð algeng innan heilbrigðisþjónustu. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að varpa ljósi á hvað ákvarði traust til heilbrigðisþjónustu. Í því skyni var kannað hvort upplifun af atvikum sem snúa að frávikum frá rétti til sjálfræðis sé líkleg til að draga úr trausti skjólstæðinga innan heilbrigðisþjónustu. Í rannsókninni var sjónum sérstaklega beint að skjólstæðingum Kvennadeildar Landspítalans. Notast var við rafrænt hentugleikaúrtak þar sem skilyrði fyrir þátttöku var reynsla af þjónustu Kvennadeildar. Niðurstöðurnar sýndu að þeir skjólstæðingar sem hafa upplifað frávik frá rétti til sjálfræðis bera minna traust til heilbrigðisstarfsfólks og hafa meira vantraust gagnvart Landspítalanum heldur en þeir sem ekki hafa upplifað slík atvik. Jafnframt sýndu niðurstöðurnar að vanlíðan vegna fráviks frá rétti til sjálfræðis ýti undir vantraust gagnvart Landspítalanum en að það traust sem skjólstæðingar bera til lækna, hjúkrunarfræðinga og ljósmæðra geti spornað við myndun slíks vantrausts. Niðurstöðurnar gefa því tilefni til að ætla að góð samskipti og upplýsingagjöf til sjúklinga, þannig að þeir skynji að hagsmuna þeirra sé gætt og réttur þeirra virtur, sé líkleg til að ýta undir traust til heilbrigðisþjónustu. Aukið traust er líklegt til að stuðla að auknum gæðum, draga úr kostnaði og auka virði heilbrigðisþjónustu