Refugee adult language learners in the United States need alphabetic print literacy in English in order to successfully integrate into their adoptive societies and find meaningful employment. Accurate spelling and word recognition are important for completing forms about medical history, school paperwork, job applications, and social benefits. To aid in their integration, adult refugees are often enrolled in English courses targeted to those with low levels of education and alphabetic print literacy. However, many leave without having achieved a level of print literacy necessary for economic or social purposes. Current teaching approaches for alphabetic print literacy are either social- (Bigelow & Vinogradov, 2011) or skills-based (Burt, Peyton,& Adams, 2003; Haverson & Haynes, 1982) approaches. They are ineffective for meeting student learning needs within the six-month time frame for self-sufficiency imposed by U.S. refugee resettlement (U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, 2015). The purpose of this project was to see if using two principles of implicit learning: variability and complexity, would help low literate refugee English learners enrolled in English classes to accurately spell and perceive words in their curriculum. Specifically, the use of high variability visual input was contrasted with high and low linguistic complexity. Stimuli with high visual variability and low linguistic complexity proved the right combination for successful word learning for this population.

Thesis (M.Sc.(Physiotherapy)), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / Background Lower back pain (LBP) is a very prevalent and potentially disabling condition throughout the world not excluding South Africa. Most people in South Africa make use of Government hospitals making the results of this research applicable to the general population. Questionnaires like the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) are easy and effective research tools to assess disability from LBP but most of them are developed in English. In South Africa however, many people are often not literate in English or struggle to fill in a questionnaire correctly without some assistance. This is possibly due to the previous education system adopted by the Apartheid government, variety of different cultures and the 11 official languages. Objectives To formulate a culturally adapted English version of the ODI suitable for possible use in the Zulu speaking population. Secondly, to establish whether there is a relationship between the degree of assistance needed to fill in the questionnaire and the level of education of the subject. Thirdly, to measure the internal consistency of the modified ODI and lastly to identify inconsistencies when using a translator for data collection. Study Design Explorative cross-sectional study Methods Cultural adaptation of the ODI was done suitable for the Zulu speaking population. Recordings were made of the participants filling in the modified ODI to identify problematic questions and inconsistencies in translations offered by the research assistant. The amount of assistance needed for each participant was scored with a rating scale and relationships were shown with regards to level of education. The internal consistency of the modified ODI was determined. Results A culturally adapted English version of the ODI was produced and problematic phrases altered. Two groups were identified from the data collection process; the assisted (20) and the Independent group (36).Overall the assisted group had lower levels of education and needed up to 100% assistance with the questionnaire compared with the Independent group. The overall Internal consistency of the questionnaire was found to be 0.8183 (Chronbach alpha) which is considered as good reliability. Inconsistencies with translations were identified and reported. Conclusion A significant amount of the target population needed assistance when filling in the English ODI despite the cultural adaptation thereof. This may be due to lower levels of education and the fact that they were mostly schooled in Zulu. Making use of a translator may not be the most reliable form of data collection but keeping in mind the literacy levels in South Africa, it may be a more accurate way of collecting correct data from individuals compared with incurring massive costs in translating of documents into a target language.

This paper reports on the findings of the research in which an evaluation of the Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign was conducted at five different learning centers in Tshwane. The campaign was initiated as a result of the observation that“… South Africa’s system of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) is not reducing the number of illiterates in spite of the constitutional right of all South Africans to basic education in their own language” (Ministerial Committee on Literacy, 2007: 5). Furthermore, studies have shown that illiteracy especially among black South Africans is not going down. This is thus preventing affected people from contributing effectively and meaningfully to the social economic and political life of the new democratic SouthAfrica. The evaluation was to inter alia assess how the problem of illiteracy was being addressed in light of the campaign’s focus of using mother tongue as a way of enhancing the learning process. Data collection instruments included questionnaires that were completed by coordinators, supervisors, and volunteer educators involved in the campaign. Class observations were carried out on the learning process in order to establish the degree to which mother tongue instruction made it easier for the learners to among others participate effectively and meaningfully during the learning process and assess how different volunteer educators’ different teaching methodologies impacted on the performance of the learners. Preliminary results indicate that mother tongue teaching greatly enhances learner participation and understanding. It is therefore recommended that efforts to conscientize people about the benefits of using mother tongue when teaching be done so that all people can be able to reap its benefits.

Delirium é um estado confusional agudo caracterizado por um distúrbio de consciência, alteração na cognição e curso flutuante ao longo do dia. É a complicação mais comum observada em idosos hospitalizados. É freqüente no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca, e pode chegar a taxas tão altas quanto 73% em pacientes mais idosos. Pacientes com delirium apresentam maior risco de morte, demência e institucionalização, aumento do tempo de internação hospitalar e dos custos. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: 1) determinar a incidência do delirium no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca em idosos; 2) identificar fatores predisponentes e precipitantes neste contexto; 3) avaliar a relação entre delirium e morbimortalidade por até 18 meses de seguimento. Este estudo foi observacional, prospectivo, tipo coorte, realizado no Hospital de Messejana no período de Setembro/2011 à Dezembro/2013. Foram estudados 173 pacientes com idade > 60 anos. Antes da cirurgia, os pacientes foram avaliados quanto à função cognitiva através do MEEM e TFV, e pelo CAM, para determinar a presença de delirium pré-operatório, motivo de exclusão do estudo. Foram registradas variáveis referentes aos dados demográficos, doenças prévias, medicações utilizadas, e calculado o risco de mortalidade cirúrgica para cada paciente através do EuroSCORE II. Resultados de exames pré-operatórios como ECG, ecodopplercardiograma, cateterismo cardíaco, Doppler de carótidas e exames laboratoriais também foram registrados. Durante a cirurgia, as variáveis avaliadas foram o tempo de CEC e clampeamento de aorta, duração da cirurgia e anestesia e uso de hemoderivados. Como variáveis pós-operatórias foram analisados o TIOT, tempo de permanência na UTI, presença de disfunção renal, hipoxemia. O delirium foi avaliado pelo CAM-ICU no pós-operatório. Para o desfecho composto foram registrados óbitos por todas as causas, infecções e IAM perioperatório identificados até a alta hospitalar ou 30 dias após a cirurgia. Os pacientes foram seguidos por um período de 12 a 18 meses e registrados eventos como óbitos, reinternações e demência, através de nova avaliação com MEEM e TFV. Após análise univariada foi realizada análise multivariada por regressão logística múltipla para identificar as variáveis independentes. A idade média dos pacientes foi 69,5 + 5,8. Cerca de 75,14% eram hipertensos e 39,88% eram diabéticos. A média do EuroSCORE II foi 4,06 + 3,86. Cerca de 30,06% eram analfabetos. A média do grau de escolaridade foi 3,05 + 3,08 anos. A incidência do delirium foi 34,1%. Em 70% dos casos, o delirium foi detectado nos dois primeiros dias após a cirurgia. Foram identificados o grau de escolaridade (OR = 0,81; IC 95% 0,71 - 0,92; p=0,002), HAS (OR = 2,73; IC 95% 1,16 - 6,40; p=0,021) e a presença de valvopatia mitral ( OR = 2,93; IC 95% 1,32 - 6,50; p=0,008) como fatores predisponentes independentes para delirium. Como fator precipitante independente foi identificado o tempo de internação na UTI com OR=1,18; IC 95% 1,07 - 1,30 e p=0,001. O delirium foi fator de risco independente para o desfecho composto com OR=2,35; IC 95% 1,20 - 4,58 e p=0,012, além do TIOT > 900 minutos (OR=2,50; IC 95% 1,30 - 4,80; p=0,006) após análise multivariada. Não houve relação entre delirium e óbito após alta hospitalar, demência ou taxa de reinternação durante o seguimento / Delirium is an acute and transient syndrome with features of inattention and global cognitive dysfunction over the time. Among elderly hospitalized patients is the most common complication. The postoperative cardiac surgery delirium occurs in 73% in older patients. Delirium patients, have prominent risk factors for dementia, institutionalization, death, hospital care and increased cost of healthcare. The aims of this study were: 1) to determine the incidence of postoperative cardiac delirium, focusing particularly on elderly individuals; 2) to identify the predisposing and precipitating factors of delirium; 3) evaluate the morbi-mortality associated with delirium in a follow up of eighteen months. A prospective observational cohort study (n=173) patients, aged >= 60 years, admitted at Heart and Lung Messejana\'s Hospital between September/2011 to December/2013. Before the surgery, the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) were administered to assess patient\'s cognitive functioning. The patients were screened for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). Patients were excluded preoperatively if they met criteria for delirium. Variables related to demographic data, previous diseases, medications were recorded and EuroSCORE II calculated the risk of surgical mortality for each patient. Results of preoperative tests, like ECG, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, carotid Doppler ultrassound and laboratory tests were also recorded. During the surgery, variables were ECC (extracorporeal circulation) and aortic clamping time, duration of surgery and anesthesia, and blood products were also recorded. Postoperative variables analyzed were: the orotracheal intubation time (OIT), length of stay in the ICU, renal dysfunction and hypoxemia. The postoperative delirium was accessed by CAM-ICU. Mortality from any cause, infection and perioperative myocardial infarction, identified until hospital discharge or 30 days after surgery were predefined as the composite endpoint. During a follow up of 12 to 18 months, a new assessment using MMSE and VFT were held; events such as, deaths, readmissions and dementia were recorded. Multivariate analysis was performed by multiple logistic regressions to identify independent variables. Patients aged 69.5 ± 5.8. About 75.14% were hypertensive; 39.88% were diabetic. The mean EuroSCORE II was 4.06±3.86. About 30.06% were illiterate; an average 3.05 ± 3.08 years of school. In 70% of cases, delirium was detected at the first two days after surgery with an incidence of 34.1%. The degree of literacy (OR = 0,81; 95% CI 0,71 - 0,92; p=0,002), hypertension (OR = 2,73; 95% CI 1,16 - 6,40; p=0,021) and mitral valve disease (OR = 2,93; 95% CI 1,32 - 6,50; p=0,008) were independently associated with delirium. Longer ICU length of stay (OR=1,18; 95% CI 1,07 - 1,30; p=0,001) was also independently associated with delirium as a precipitation factor. Delirium was an independent risk factor for the composite outcome (OR = 2.35; 95% CI 1.20 - 4.58 and p = 0.012); OIT > 900 minutes (OR = 2.50; 95% CI 1.30 - 4.80; p = 0.006) after multivariate analysis. There was no relationship between delirium and mortality after hospital discharge, as well as, dementia or hospital readmission during follow up

This thesis reports on a study of the effects of a two-tiered Buddy Reading Programme on the reading skills of 12 to 14 year old middle school students in a high-poverty urban school in a Midwestern United States school. The research took place during one school year with white and African American students. The research, influenced by action research, was in the form of a Buddy Reading intervention programme using a reciprocal teaching model, within a constructivist paradigm. The key finding of the study was that the social nature of the programme allowed the middle school students to rehearse texts, engage in dialogue surrounding texts, and led to improvement in the affective aspects of reading, as well as in reading skills. This social aspect led many of the students to engage in literacy activities beyond those required either for the programme or in classroom instruction. A second finding of the study was that a comprehensive, balanced approach to literacy instruction was effective for simulating the process of reading for the struggling readers and leading them to emulate the reading processes of proficient readers. Through the programme, the students were immersed in a literacy-rich environment and interacted with texts in a positive, natural way.

O presente estudo tem como objetivo verificar a participação e a influência de Rui Barbosa na reforma eleitoral para introdução do voto direto no Brasil que, resultando na Lei Saraiva (1881), acabou por excluir os analfabetos do direito de voto. Esta pesquisa também busca: investigar qual era o liberalismo que Rui Barbosa representava e qual a posição assumida por ele no contexto da reforma eleitoral; examinar por que, para o governo e as elites, até mesmo para a grande maioria dos parlamentares liberais, especialmente no que se refere a Rui Barbosa, que se posicionou fortemente pela “exclusão” dos analfabetos do direito de voto, o voto dos analfabetos passou a ser um problema, o que não era até então; e, constatar qual o entendimento de classe social que norteava o pensamento de Rui Barbosa no momento em que ele afirmou que a reforma eleitoral, ao excluir o analfabeto do direito de voto, não estaria constituindo uma exclusão de classe. O presente estudo realiza uma interface entre a História Social e a História Política. Pois, essa pesquisa procura relacionar questões políticas com as suas correlativas questões sociais. Assim, apesar de minha atenção estar voltada continuamente para uma figura de destaque da política nacional, o então deputado Rui Barbosa, essa dissertação busca não se limitar somente às suas ações isoladas, mas sim, verificar como que posições e decisões dos políticos nacionais se refletiram e afetaram a vida das grandes massas. Mais especificamente, como que as ações tomadas por políticos brasileiros, em um dado momento da nossa história, decidiram quem poderia e quem não poderia, daí em diante, ter o direito de participar da vida política do país. / The present study aims to verify the participation and influence of Rui Barbosa in the electoral reform to introduce direct voting in Brazil that, resulting in the Saraiva Law (1881), turned out excluding the illiterate of the right to vote. This research also seeks to investigate what was the liberalism that Rui Barbosa represented and what position had been taken by him in the electoral reform; to examine why, to the Government and the elites, even for the vast majority of liberal parliamentarians, particularly in relation to Rui Barbosa, who strongly had positioned himself in favor of "excluding" the illiterate of the right to vote, the vote of the illiterate became a problem, which was not until then; and to see what had been the understanding of social class that had been Rui Barbosa’s guidance at the time when he said that the electoral reform’s disenfranchising the illiterates of voting rights, would not be an exclusion of class. The present study provides an interface between the Social History and Political History. Therefore, this research seeks to link political issues with its correlative social issues. So, despite my attention be continuously focused on a prominent figure of the national politics, the Congressman Rui Barbosa, this dissertation will not be limited only to their actions, but rather, verify how national politicians' decisions and positions reflected and affected the lives of the lower class. More specifically, how the actions taken by Brazilian politicians, at any given moment in our history, decided who could and who could not, thereafter, be entitled to participate in the political life of the country.

Nesta Dissertação de Mestrado tenho como objetivo compreender de que modo o saber estatístico se constitui em um dizer de verdadeiro e como ele opera na produção discursiva da alfabetização, do analfabetismo e do alfabetismo/letramento. Tal estudo se inscreve no referencial teórico-metodológico dos Estudos Culturais em Educação em vertente pós-estruturalista. Inspiro-me nas teorizações de Michel Foucault e utilizo os conceitos de discurso, verdade, biopolítica e governamentalidade. Com o primeiro movimento que realizei no trabalho busquei elencar alguns aspectos históricos e técnicos da constituição da estatística, pois se supõe que esses elementos (históricos e técnicos) conferem às estatísticas um status de verdade. Também trouxe as contribuições de Michel Foucault ao estudo do saber estatístico como um saber necessário ao governamento da população. O segundo movimento consistiu-se em pesquisar as maneiras pelas quais os saberes sobre a leitura e a escrita são quantificados, com quais instrumentos, a partir de quais entendimentos sobre alfabetização e alfabetismo/letramento. Assim, analisei algumas formas de produção de estatísticas sobre alfabetização, analfabetismo e alfabetismo/letramento. O material empírico da pesquisa é composto por artigos acadêmicos de revistas de Educação e de Estatística, resumos de dissertações e teses, e por matérias jornalísticas de publicações impressas e digitais. Nas análises mostrei que o saber estatístico opera na produção discursiva da alfabetização de três maneiras: como material empírico, como procedimento metodológico e fazendose referência às estatísticas ou ao saber estatístico. Além disso, mostrei que essa produção discursiva opera com dados estatísticos utilizando tanto percentuais quanto números absolutos para uma mesma informação, trazendo rankings e mostrando dados que possibilitam comparações. A partir das análises pude mostrar ainda algumas estratégias utilizadas para “fazer falar” os dados, como os comentários dos especialistas, e foi possível visibilizar a formação de professores como a causa e a solução para os baixos e para os altos índices de alfabetização e de alfabetismo/letramento. Discuti a invenção dos níveis de alfabetismo/letramento entendendo-os nesta pesquisa como gradiente de alfabetismo/letramento que operam na multiplicação das posições do sujeito alfabetizado. Em síntese, com as diferentes análises realizadas nessa dissertação, mostrei que o saber estatístico opera como um dizer verdadeiro na produção discursiva da alfabetização, do analfabetismo e do alfabetismo/letramento, na medida em que é capaz de produzir saberes que posicionam os sujeitos quando da sua relação com a leitura e a escrita. / This Master Thesis aims to understand how the statistical knowledge constitutes a discourse of truth and how it operates in the discursive production of literacy, alphabetization and illiteracy / literacy. This study falls within the theoretical and methodological framework of Cultural Studies in Education in a poststructuralist strand. Based upon theories of Michel Foucault, the concepts of discourse, truth, biopolitics and governmentality are found here. This paper has aimed primarily to list some historical and technical aspects of the constitution of statistics, because it is assumed that these elements (historical and technical) provide statistics a status of truth. As well as, it was brought the contributions of Michel Foucault to the study of statistical knowledge as a needed knowledge to govern the population. The second motion consisted in researching the ways in which knowledge about reading and writing are quantified, with which instruments, from which understandings about alphabetization and alphabetic literacy / literacy. Thus, some ways of producing statistics on alphabetic literacy, literacy and illiteracy / literacy were analyzed. The research’s empirical material consists of academic papers and magazines of Education and Statistics, besides, newspaper articles of printed and digital publications. The analyses showed that the statistical knowledge operates in the discursive production of literacy in three ways: as empirical material, methodological procedure and by making reference to statistics or statistical knowledge. Furthermore, it was shown that this discourse production operates statistical data using both percentages and absolute numbers for the same information, also bringing rankings and showing data that allow comparisons. The analyses also showed some strategies used to "talk to" the data, as the comments from experts, and allowed visualization of teacher’s educational background as a cause and solution for the low and high rates of alphabetization and alphabetic literacy / literacy. There were discussions on the invention of levels of alphabetic literacy / literacy, understanding them in this research as gradient of alphabetic literacy / literacy operating in proliferation of the literate subjects’ position. In summary, the different analyzes performed in this dissertation showed that the statistical knowledge operates as a real ‘say’ in the discursive production of alphabetization, alphabetic literacy and illiteracy / literacy, as it is capable of producing knowledge that positions the subject related to reading and writing.

<p>The research employed a qualitative research paradigm. The ethnographic approach was used to conduct the research. Data collection was done though various ethnographic techniques, classroom observation, in-depth interviews and document analysis. The population was 85 women who participated in a Adult Basic Education and Training programme in Eersterivier in the Cape Peninsula area a questionnaire was used to collect demographic information of the participants Data was analysed by thematic analysis and coded, categorised and discussed according to the aim and objectives of the study in relation to previous studies The main findings were why exploring the existing literacy practice women were depended on others for literacy assistance, which made them avoid literacy events and become vulnerable in this process to cope with the everyday life.</p>

Educators and scholars continue to lament United States citizens' geographic illiteracy and are calling on Congress to address the crisis. However, despite recent public attention, a lack of national commitment to teaching geography in all public school grade levels persists. Therefore, non-formal educational avenues need to be pursued to address this crisis. One such avenue may be Entertainment-Education (E-E). E-E interventions have been used outside of the U.S. to impact social problems and detrimental behaviors by presenting positive role models in entertainment products designed to stimulate changes in viewers' behavior. For example, soap operas promote condoms use as a HIV prevention strategy (Tanzania), model culturally-sensitive actions to stop domestic violence (South Africa), and promote infant oral-rehydration therapy (Egypt). This study posits academic learning can be facilitated in a similar fashion as behavior change through an E-E methodology. Beginning with an examination of the E-E field by indexing E-E literature found in scholarly publication databases, this study demonstrates the 30-year health message focus of the field and presents a catalogue of E-E interventions cross-referenced by name and target country. The combination of these two products illuminates how U.S. audiences and non-behaviorally based outcomes have not been targeted, leaving academic subject learning as an area into which E-E can expand. The expansion of E-E methodology into geography education (or any other subject) requires understanding of how academic concepts interact with the structure of fictional narratives. Using a grounded theory approach, this study analyzes the U.S. television series NUMB3RS, which uses math to drive the story (as opposed to simply serving as context), to develop an Academically-Based Entertainment-Education (ABEE) model. ABEE is then applied to Google Earth, exploring how to leverage non-linear and visually dependent narratives as well as develop user-driven learning experiences. The implications of research presented here and through future refinement of the ABEE model may potentially (1) develop educative entertainment products supporting formal education and (2) bring geographic knowledge into the realm of popular culture through mass media, thereby impacting geographic literacy at a societal level in the U.S. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2011-05-9128.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate eighth grade students&rsquo / environmental literacy (knowledge, attitude, sensitivity and concern) level and to assess effects of socio-demographic variables (gender, parents&rsquo / educational level, parents&rsquo / work status and source of information about environmental knowledge) on their environmental literacy level. A total of 437 (212 girls and 225 boys) eight grade public school students are administered Environmental Literacy Test which includes four parts / knowledge (20 items), attitude (10 items), sensitivity (19 items), concern (12 items). Descriptive analysis showed that students have positive attitude and high degrees of concern and sensitivity toward environment / however they have low to moderate levels of environmental knowledge. In order to evaluate the role of socio-demographic variables on students&rsquo / environmental literacy level, six separate one-way MANOVAs were conducted. The results revealed that / a) there is significant effect of gender on students&rsquo / environmental literacy regarding to concern, in favor of girls, b) there is a significant effect of parents&rsquo / educational level on students&rsquo / environmental literacy / c) there is a significant effect of mothers&rsquo / work status on students&rsquo / environmental literacy and d) there is not a significant effect of source of information about environment on students&rsquo / environmental literacy.