The paper presents a theoretical framework addressing three aspects of embodied pedagogical agents: visual static appearance, pedagogical role, and communicative style. The framework is then applied to a user study where 90 school children (aged 12-15) in a dummy multimedia program were presented with either an instructor or a learning companion…

A longitudinal, process-oriented study was conducted to compare the content and effects of day care attendance with care in the home. Collection of baseline data involved 120 children of 12 through 18 months of age. Sixty of these children spent their weekdays in 1 of 12 day care centers, while the other 60 were cared for in homes by their mothers…

Conducted in-depth interviews with early childhood teachers in Sweden, Russia, and United States as to their society's influence on early childhood education. Found differences in responses related to the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels of the societal system. Findings deepen understanding about multidimensional relationships between early…

The paper approaches the issue of school choice in an indirect manner by investigating the effectiveness of public, private government-dependent and private independent schools in 19 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries selected from the PISA 2000 survey for this purpose. In a multilevel approach we estimate these…

Background: On a normative level as a subject physical education and health seems to adjust rapidly to changes in society, whereas at the practical level it seems receptive to limiting factors such as time, facilities and dominating inherited practices. How can the structuring components and processes relating to the shaping, transformation and…

The labour market in Sweden today does not offer a rosy picture for young people. Among them are youth with a migrant background that have the lowest chance of becoming employed. The table below shows the unemployment rates of young people with a migrant background. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 11 notes.)

This longitudinal study investigated hereditary and environmental influences on life situation, self-reported health, and coping ability at mid-life in relation to background factors collected during adolescence. A nationally representative Swedish sample comprised of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins; a control group of singletons was…

The study's overriding objective was to map out the situation of immigrant pupils in the Rinkey School in Stockholm, Sweden. Two immigrant classes were selected: a class with 13 pupils of whom 12 were of Turkish origin and one with 7 Finnish pupils. All pupils were between 14 and 16 years of age and were formally enrolled in one of the upper…

Emerging social writing platforms offer possibilities for language learners to collaborate around joint assignments. One such environment is the wiki, generally hosting two prominent modes of usage, web pages and discussion forums. This study investigates software engineering students' use of a wiki as an integrated tool within the frames of a…

This paper examines the extent that material, social, and cultural resources and schools account for the relationship between socioeconomic background and student achievement among 15-year-olds in 30 countries. Generally, cultural factors play a more important role in most countries although in a small minority of countries, material resources…

In this article a study is presented in which teachers describe the working situation at their school. The aim of the study was to find out in what respects the school needed to be developed. The study was a case study and the method for collecting data was focus group dialogues. All teacher teams at a Swedish secondary school participated. The…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate meanings attached to physical education in the Scandinavian countries through (1) the different national syllabi; and (2) interpretations and conclusions researchers make in their studies of Scandinavian physical education and how these findings look like compared with other researchers'…

A case study focusing on learning outcomes from a web-based course and integration of new knowledge into work practices at the County Administration of Sweden is analysed. The study has a process-orientated longitudinal character combining different methodological approaches. The current work situation of the workers was studied using interviews.…

Examines differences in performance between Swedish girls and boys on achievement test results and school grades. Compares longitudinal studies conducted in 1960 and 1980 that examined the influence of age, home, and classroom environment on the academic achievement of girls and boys. (BSR)

Investigated relationship between children's behavior and the child-rearing climate (future-focused, present-focused, combined) and work climate (relaxed, strained, mixed) at day care centers. Found differences in children's prosocial and collaborative behaviors in centers with future-focused or combined rearing climates and relaxed work climates…