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A growing body of research has emphasised the social processes by which teachers – who are curriculum policy implementing agents – are trained and supported on how to practically implement policies in the classroom. Yet, little attention has been paid to the factors that influence teachers’ interpretation of curriculum policy and how their understanding of policy implementation influences the ways in which they respond to policies. Some research has already been done on the implementation of curriculum policies in schools, with findings centred largely on the disjuncture between policy and practice. Research has also established that much of what teachers are doing in the classroom does not reflect policy. Although teachers have opportunities to enhance the implementation of policy, there are also factors that negatively influence their implementation of educational policy. This is basically because of the gap between the policy makers and the implementing agents. The lack of a shared understanding between these two stakeholders’ results in a perception of policy as a set of strict rules and procedures meant to be followed by teachers. This study aims to develop an understanding of what influences teachers in their attempts to implement the curriculum policy on environmental education in the classroom. The study further aims to gain an understanding, from the practitioners’ perspectives, of how policy implementation challenges their habitual patterns of teaching and schooling and whether, to them, this implementation seems to threaten the conventional disciplinary curricular structures of fixed timetables and depending on textbooks, and leaves little room for outdoor or hands-on activities. The focus on teachers is motivated by the fact that they are the primary curriculum implementers in schools and as such, are expected to play a significant role in implementing the curriculum according to policy. This study advocates an interdisciplinary approach to implementing environmental education policy in teaching and learning in the Natural Sciences. This entails environmental education becoming part of the curriculum, and being taught as a cross-curricula component. In this context, environmental education will form part of teaching and learning in every learning area of the curriculum for the General Education and Training band of the South African education system. What this means for teachers is that they have to integrate environmental concepts or topics within their respective learning areas, and that they have to follow a learner-centred approach that allows learners the opportunity to become active participants, responsible for their own learning. This implies that, for learners to develop knowledge, skills, and correct attitudes regarding the environment, teachers have to use available, local teaching materials or resources. As the classroom becomes free from traditional teaching styles, learners become active and take responsibility for their own learning. They discuss and share ideas with one another, and the teacher becomes the facilitator of the teaching and learning process. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Information is a necessary resource, produced by information systems and is a key building block to the management and decision-making in any organisation. The National Department of Education’s guidelines to establish Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) in provincial departments is a recognition that proper management, planning and evaluation are contingent on quality data, data that is complete, relevant, accurate, timely and accessible. The lack of quality data and the lack of integration with other information systems hamstring the effective use of EMIS. This study addresses these limitations in three basic objectives: a) developing an information systems development model, b) applying the model in a real-life context of the development of the Western Cape EMIS, and c) applying quantitative methods on integrated data sets derived from the EMIS in the Western Cape and other information systems. The study culminates in the development of a four-phase process model for developing and using EMIS in an integrative manner that would provide a more comprehensive picture for policy and decision-making. It outlines the establishment of an information systems development (ISD) model that integrates innovative emerging trends, such as improvisation, bricolage and sensemaking, in designing and implementing information systems. These approaches postulate that beyond the numbers and quantifiable world there is a complex reality that traditional approaches do not always capture. These include, amongst other things, the atmosphere, culture and structure of an organization, together with the behaviour, emotions, knowledge and experiences of all the people who in one way or another interact with the information system. The research presents an empirical application of this developed ISD model in education management information system (EMIS) and underscores the role of information systems in everyday practice. This work practice (Practice-in-Action) approach is used to describe how the day-to-day actions and practical experiences of role players contribute to the design, development, implementation, testing, maintenance and improvement of the EMIS and is used as a lens for understanding ISD. The study further uses quantitative methods, namely education production function and learner flow-through models, to illustrate how the process of knowledge discovery in large data sets in EMIS could be facilitated. The education production function aims to identify those variables that could have a significant influence on the achievement of students in the matriculation examination. The learner flow-through models attempt to measure the effect of learner dropout and repetition on internal efficiency of the education system. Data analysis was facilitated through integration of data sets from various sources, and in turn illustrates the important role of bricolage in ISD. Through this analysis, the role of information systems of this nature to make sense of reality was highlighted. Policy making then can build on the findings from such data analyses to investigate in greater depth any trends or emerging problems, going beyond only the quantitative and macro level analysis by studies at the qualitative and micro levels.

本研究試圖從Dervin提出的意義建構理論(sense-making theory)出發，瞭解報業組織企畫人員在面對不確定狀態下如何選擇資訊，彌補知識差距以完成其策略。 研究人員訪談四名企畫人員以瞭解其資訊尋求行為，結果發現影響報業組織企畫資訊尋求行為的外在情境因素包括：社會經濟、政府政策、文化創意產業、媒體多角化經營、公司資源與制度、以及合作廠商資源。報業組織企畫人員資訊尋求的過程包括：定義問題、選擇詢問對象、執行查詢、評估資訊、確認資訊等因素。此外，個人的知識經驗、社會智能、技術能力都是影響報業媒體企畫人員資訊尋求。 「新聞倫理」則是影響報業組織企畫人員蒐集資訊的特殊因素。 / The present research focuses on how professionals planners seeking information in media planning process.The sence-making theory were employed to observer the case. Four planner were interviewed in the study obtained the situation context conclusions:social economy、government policy、culture creativity industry、media multi-administration、corporate institute & resource and collaboration corporate resource. The information seeking process include: define meaning of question、choose inquire object、do inquire、assessment of information、certification unformation.Also，individual experience of knowledge、social intellectuality、skill ability could affect information seeking of press organization planner. 「News ethics」were specific fact affecting information seeking of press organization planner.

現代化組織雖然熱衷於導入資訊科技來提升組織競爭力，但研究發現近一半的科技導入最後是以失敗收場；此種不導入科技則組織將失去競爭力、但導入科技後卻達不到預期成效的兩難，是造成組織生產力困境的原因之一。此一企業面對科技採用的兩難困境，引發本論文的研究動機。 實務中許多科技導入失敗的案例已經說明決定企業是否擁有競爭力不在於組織是否導入科技或使用者如何採用新科技，愈來愈多的研究已證實如何在導入科技後，讓員工願意改變既有的工作習性，並樂於持續地使用科技，且逐漸將科技使用內化成為日常工作實踐，可能更加重要。此外，實務中也常發現組織內的科技使用者在面對相同科技時，往往並不是接受科技，或是拒絕科技的二元採用論；相反地，因為使用者會對科技進行自我詮釋與賦予個人意義，故導致許多不同且有趣的採用類型，甚至可能造成非預期的負面反應與行為。 過去許多探討個人層次的科技採用研究專注於科技採用者的認知因素對科技接受與否之影響，本論文則專注於科技採用的情感面探討，瞭解使用者對科技的心理擁有感受如何影響採用行為。綜合過往文獻的不足，本論文提出二項主要研究問題：(1) 科技採用是否存在多元化的採用類型？影響原因為何？與 (2) 科技採用者對科技的心理擁有感如何影響科技採用行為與績效？ 針對上述的研究問題，本論文回顧科技採用、科技意會、心理擁有感與在地知識等相關文獻，輔以二階段的研究策略，依序進行個案質化研究的理論建構 (研究一) 與量化假說的理論驗證 (研究二)。首先，研究一以新加坡康福計程車與台灣大車隊計程車為研究個案，藉由瞭解二地的計程車司機如何採用衛星派遣科技之紮根研究，歸納出科技採用者的科技心理擁有感將影響對科技的意會，與使用科技的在地知識類型；其次，科技心理擁有感可藉由以上二者的中介效果，進而影響科技採用型態與採用頻次。本論文由研究一推導出相關的研究假說，以供研究二進行關係驗證。最後，在研究二中，本論文藉由科技心理擁有感、在地知識、科技意會的量表發展與結構方程式統計分析，進行研究一的假說驗證與探討。 經由數百位計程車司機開車實踐的觀察、訪談與大樣本問卷調查後，本論文發現科技心理擁有感可區分為「我的科技心理擁有感」與「我們的科技心理擁有感」二類屬性；而科技心理擁有感將產生二大類的科技意會類型：「實用認同型科技意會」與「自利專屬型科技意會」，與二大類的在地知識：「近地型在地知識」與「遠地型在地知識」，最後，進而影響科技的多元採用類型與採用績效。 本論文有系統地利用質性紮根研究進行構念的歸納與分類，發現不同型式的科技心理擁有感、多元科技意會、在地知識與科技採用類型，並建構一個多構念且具完整性的科技採用分析架構與衡量方法。同時，本論文也借用組織行為理論中的心理擁有感理論於科技採用研究中，以解釋個人對科技的心理擁有感如何影響科技採用行為。整體而言，本論文力求達到研究情境真實性、研究衡量精準性與研究結論類推性的理論建構三大目標。 / For purposed of efficiency, organizations often engage in adopting or transferring new technology across national boundary to increase their competitive advantage. But researches found over half cases of IT (information technology) implementation failed in the end. This dilemma between losing competitive advantage without IT implication and failing in adoption with technology transfer is a main challenge of organization. The research objective of this dissertation is to understand the profound occasions of this dilemma. In the reality, many IT failure cases have illustrated keeping competitive advantage for organization was depends on how to transform users’ routines or habits from current IT usage on post-adoption stage rather than adopting a new technology on pre-adoption stage. In other words, the final goal of IT implementation is to internalize the technology use to become users’ daily practices. In addition, what is missing from the current discussion literature of technology management is that technology adoption is multiple patterns rather than a trade off between acceptance and rejection. Therefore, in different organizational context various users may render multiple interpretations of the same technology, leading diversified adoptive behaviors or some negative and unexpected results of IT use. The first research question of this dissertation is: How do people’s situated practices enact patterns of users’ sense-making towards technology, leading to multiple modes of technology use? Prior studies of technology adoption in individual level have developed a set of useful analysis on technology acceptance from users’ cognition perspective. However, the current literature has not yet investigated behaviors of technology adoption from affective approach. The second research question of this dissertation is: How feeling of ownership of technology individual user has influences their technology use? Through the literature review from technology adoption, technology sense-making, psychological ownership, and local knowledge, we built a two-stage research strategy to answer the above research questions. First, we formulae a conceptual framework by conducting qualitative research approach. Two cases was investigated in this stage, they were Comfort Taxi Co. in Singapore and Taiwan High Transportation Co. (THT) in Taiwan. By ethnographic data collecting from two cases in two years fieldwork, we observed how taxi drivers in Singapore and Taiwan adopt and use the same technology, G.P.S. (Global Positioning System) dispatch system, named Cablink. Second, from the findings of qualitative cases, we generalized the some hypothetical relationships among psychological ownership of technology, technology sense-making as well as patterns of local knowledge users own. The next, we test these hypotheses through questionnaire development and surveys answered by THT taxis drivers in Taiwan. The findings indicated that the taxi drivers had two types of psychological ownership of technology (Self-oriented and Collective-oriented) triggering two modes of technology sense-making (Pragmatism sense-making and Autism sense-making), and two kinds of local knowledge (Local search on knowledge and Distant search on knowledge). Consequently, the frequency of technology use will be influenced by above constructs directly and indirectly. In conclusion, this dissertation proposes to analyze technology adoption through sense-making and feelings of ownership by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings enhance the theory of technology sense-making and psychological ownership, and suggest practical implications for post technology adoption and global technology transfer.

在知識的理論中，最惹人注目的問題之一，就是概念和知識怎樣產生，以及經驗與新的組織有什麼關係，在這個問題上有兩大對立的理論：行為主義與認知主義。在認知主義□又有一個很重要的關鍵點，就是探討出「人何以得知」的疑問，而這個疑問經由許多學者的研究仍沒有一個整合性的概念。架構在學習認知的這個疑問下，本研究利用Weick「釋意」概念做為理解的工具，針對學生的複雜學習歷程進行分析，採用個案研究的方式來進行，以了解學生如何將學習環境予以結構化、理解、詮釋與分析，最後採納行動並進行預測。 資訊系統專案開發一直是資訊相關科系必要訓練之一。雖然此類資訊系統開發的規模不如業界，但是從學校教學的角度來看，透過一些實際個案的演練，學生應仍可獲得實務開發的經驗累積。而此種專題式的學習主要的重點在於學生如何運用團體的力量來獲得最佳的學習效果，因此團隊如何組成與運作，還有後續學習策略的運用對學生來說都是相當重要的。本研究個案一即以資料庫系統開發的十組學生團隊進行觀察，了解他們如何從自己的定位、組員的互動、領導角色的扮演到團隊集體共識的形成，而研究結果發現許多與實務專案團隊運作上相當不同之處，例如團隊領導與團隊情感的關係，分工型態的演變等。個案二建基於個案一的研究結果上，觀察學生的團隊狀況與他們所採行的學習策略之間的關係，研究結果亦發現學生之學習策略均建基於對團隊的認同上，對於學習環境的不同釋意也會影響所採行的學習策略。 最後本研究從團隊合作與學生學習策略的說明來補足認知理論的不足，並以多層次的分析架構，從學生個人認同、團隊認同、班級認同逐層擴展，確立在專題式學習中個人地位、團體地位與組織地位的重要性，同時共提出十二大命題說明研究結果。 / From the perspective of the theory of knowledge, the most critical question is how concept and knowledge are produced, what are the relationship between experience and the new group. There are two opposing theories of this question: the association theory and the cognitive theory. In cognitive theory, the key point is to confer the doubt of how people get knows. Based on the cognitive theory, this research explored students’ sensemaking in the team formation, operation, and learning strategies through observation and interviews. Developing an information system is a requisite training for all MIS students. The learning activities include system analysis and design, database, programming, team working, schedule planning, etc. Such a project-based leaning, a database management course, was chosen by this study. There were two cases. In the first case, this research observed ten student teams to interpret how sensemaking to be a central activity in the construction of both the learning environments and the environments it confronts. Students continuously interpreted the meaning of learning environments, adjusted their steps with other team members in order to finish an information system. The results indicate that the characteristics of student project teamwork are different from the real world. In the second case, this research explored the relationship of team working and learning strategies. The findings show that students adopt learning strategies through their organization identity. Different interpretation of environment cause distinct learning strategies that students use. Finally, this research provides complementary explanations to the cognitive theory and uses multi-level theorizing model to replenish students sensemaking process. Twelve propositions are introduced to understand the IS development process from students’ deep insides.

Cette recherche explore le sens que la « génération de l’information » (20-35 ans) donne à l’engagement. Alors que sociologues et médias ont longtemps brandi des chiffres alarmants concernant la désaffection électorale des jeunes et leur rejet des associations ou groupes de pression usuels, le développement du Web 2.0 semble donner lieu à de nouvelles formes d’action visant le changement social, qui sont particulièrement prisées par les jeunes. Analysant leur recours à des pratiques de manifestations éclairs (flash mobs), de cyberdissidence, l’utilisation du micro-blogging et des réseaux Facebook et Twitter dans le cadre de mobilisations récentes, des enquêtes suggèrent qu’elles témoignent d’une nouvelle culture de la participation sociale et politique, qui appelle à repenser les façons de concevoir et de définir l’engagement. Or, si nous assistons à une transformation profonde des répertoires et des modes d’action des jeunes, il demeure difficile de comprendre en quoi et comment l’utilisation des TIC influence leur intérêt ou motivation à « agir ». Que veut dire s’engager pour les jeunes aujourd’hui ? Comment perçoivent-ils le contexte social, politique et médiatique ? Quelle place estiment-ils pouvoir y occuper ? Soulignant l’importance du sens que les acteurs sociaux donnent à leurs pratiques, la recherche s’éloigne des perspectives technocentristes pour explorer plus en profondeur la façon dont de jeunes adultes vivent, expérimentent et interprètent l’engagement dans le contexte médiatique actuel. La réflexion s’ancre sur une observation empirique et deux séries d’entretiens en profondeur (de groupe et individuels), menés auprès de 137 jeunes entre 2009-2012. Elle analyse un ensemble de représentations, perceptions et pratiques d’individus aux horizons et aux modes d’engagement variés, soulignant les multiples facteurs qui agissent sur la façon dont ils choisissent d’agir et les raisons qui les mènent à recourir aux TIC dans le cadre de pratiques spécifiques. À la croisée d’une multiplication des modes de participation et des modes d’interaction qui marquent l’univers social et politique des jeunes, la recherche propose de nouvelles hypothèses théoriques et une métaphore conceptuelle, le « murmure des étourneaux », pour penser la façon dont les pratiques d’affichage personnel, de relais, et d’expérimentation mises en avant par les jeunes s’arriment en réseau à celles d’autrui pour produire des « dérives culturelles » : des changements importants dans les façons de percevoir, d’agir et de penser. Loin d’une génération apathique ou technophile, les propos soulevés en entretiens suggèrent un processus réflexif de construction de sens, dont l’enjeu vise avant tout à donner l’exemple, et à penser ensemble de nouveaux possibles. La recherche permet d’offrir un éclairage qualitatif et approfondi sur ce qui caractérise la façon dont les jeunes perçoivent et définissent l’engagement, en plus d’ouvrir de nouvelles avenues pour mieux comprendre comment ils choisissent d’agir à l’ère du Web. / This research explores the complex relationship between Web 2.0 technologies and how a younger “information age generation” (20-35 years old) makes sense of social and political engagement. While scholars and pundits have long underlined youth’s low electoral turnouts and its rebuff of traditional organizations, Web 2.0 tools seem to provide a younger generation with interactive platforms that have become crucial components of many social change projects. Analyzing movements supported trough e-mail lists and e-petitions, observing the orchestration of flash mobs, commenting on cyberactivism and the use of social network sites (such as Twitter and Facebook) during recent uprisings, studies suggest networked-based technologies have not only opened up opportunities and repertoires of action, they indicate a new participatory culture. One that calls into question the very meanings and definitions associated with “political engagement” and “social change”. Yet, if a large amount of studies now stress the importance of better understanding such practices, it remains difficult to grasp how and if the web is changing young people’s sense of “engagement”. Very little attention has been given to the evaluative weighting of alternatives, values, and meanings that motivate or impede young people to participate in specific actions for social change. How do young people define “engagement?” How do they perceive the general political, social and media context? How do they perceive their own situation within this context? Suggesting that the ways in which actors choose to mobilize cannot be fully understood without taking into account the meanings and activities they associate with social change, the research explores how engagement is actually experienced, how it looks and feels like for young adults in a complex media environment. Drawing on empirical fieldwork and two series of group and in-depth interviews conducted with 137 young adults (20-35 years olds) between 2009 and 2012, the analysis underlines the multiple factors that shape young people’s perception of political and social participation, how they choose to transform their own societies and how they use social media and Web 2.0 applications when striving to convey change. At the crossroad of two important factors that mark their social and political world – a multiplicity of interaction modes and a multiplicity of participatory practices – the research brings new thoughts to this growing field of study. It offers new theoretical hypotheses that help take into account the role played by virtual networks in the circulation of interpretations and meanings. It also suggests a conceptual metaphor, the “murmur of starlings”, to illustrate how practices of “posting”, “forwarding” and the relational dimensions involved in the everyday sharing of experiences, may translate into “cultural drifts ” – important shifts in collective ways of thinking, acting and perceiving. Looking beyond typical characterizations of a techno-savvy or apathetic generation, the picture emerging from the interviews reveals reflexive sense-making processes that inspire to widen new fields of possibilities. Overall, the research provides qualitative and in-depth insights into what characterizes the way young people perceive and define engagement and opens new perspective for better understanding how they choose to “act” in the Web 2.0 era.

During an incident, which is critical in nature, sense-making by the individuals involved are essential in ensuring an optimal response to the incident. The incident management systems employed to manage the allocation of resources to an incident allow for the visualisation of the incident and its constituents, and this visualisation supports sense-making by improving knowledge transfer. Knowledge visualisation contains pitfalls that can be avoided by implementing knowledge visualisation criteria. The purpose of this study is to identify the knowledge visualisation criteria that optimise the knowledge transfer by visual artifacts in incident management systems like emergency medical or fire-response systems. This study used the design science research (DSR) methodology and was conducted in the context of critical incident response management. A review of the existing literature was done to identify an initial set of knowledge visualisation criteria. The initial set was evaluated by content experts (using questionnaire driven interviews) and usability experts (using questionnaire driven interviews, usability testing with eye tracking and a survey) in the context of an emergency incident management system. The main contribution of this study is a validated set of knowledge visualisation criteria to guide knowledge transfer in incident management systems. / School of Computing / M. Sc. Computing

<p>At the centre of this study lies one of the critical questions faced by (late-)modern society, namely that of taking care of the long-lived radioactive waste from nuclear power production. The problems of nuclear waste management are pictured as embracing a complex web of essential issues for society today, in terms of both its capacities and its shortcomings – so called core issues. The principal aim of the thesis is to examine the nuclear waste discourse in Malå, Västerbotten, from a critical discourse analytical perspective, through applying the approach developed by Michel Foucault in The Order of Discourse.</p><p>During the 1990s, the municipality of Malå played a prominent role as a candidate site for the geological disposal of Sweden’s spent nuclear fuel. A five-year process culminated in a local referendum on whether detailed site investigations should be permitted within the community. Following the result no further investigations have been undertaken. The discourse analysis is carried out through a study of opinion formation in the municipality during the period October 1992 to October 1997. Two main types of empirical material have been collected: interviews with opinion leaders (politicians, activists, journalists, information professionals, etc.) and contemporaneous mass media content (the local newspaper and regional television news).</p><p>In the empirical analysis, a review is made of the workings of the external and internal control mechanisms within the discourse; that is to say, how they serve to set limits on the content and form of the sense-making process concerning nuclear waste management. Important themes in the opinion forming process in Malå include information and expertise, opposition and legitimacy, the centre/periphery relationship and the themes of mistrust, partitioning and rejection. Among other themes identified as being marginalised or absent, one example is the Samish citizens’ views on the nuclear question. Four actors play a prominent role as authors of the discourse, namely the nuclear industry, the experts, Greenpeace and the mass media. The voices of resistance groups are also significant. Representatives from authorities and civil servants were most likely to take the commentary role in the discourse, along with journalists.</p><p>In the concluding analysis of the nuclear waste discourse in Malå, two main types of desire for truth, which form the discourse’s main order, are identified. The stronger concerns the will to know, which places the expert with a scientific background as the principal truth-teller. The other is ‘ordinary’ people’s desire, which influences the content and form of the opinion formation. It is also concluded that the mass media institutions play a significant role in this context, not least as mediators. Reflections on contemporary ‘core issues’ to which the analysis bears witness, such as the crisis of democracy, are also included. In addition, the implications of applying the Foucaultian research programme to a study of the nuclear question have been considered. </p>

<p>The starting point for this study is the question of why organizational visions are often interpreted by employees as unintelligible and insignificant. The knowledge gap in this area makes the study of communication about vision and goals both urgent and interesting.</p><p>Accordingly, the purpose is to advance knowledge on communication processes in organizations through description and analysis of communication about strategy, encompassing vision, strategic objectives and common values, in a company.</p><p>A case study design was chosen and a longitudinal qualitative study was conducted in the company, from April 1998 to January 2000. A combination of methods were used, including participant observation, discourse analysis and interviews.</p><p>Communication about the strategy followed a typical top-down model, starting on group level and ending on department level. In this process, Balanced Scorecard was used as a tool to communicate the strategy.</p><p>It was concluded that visions formulated by top managers met different realities constructed by managers at lower levels in the company. Managers’ attitudes, knowledge and interpretations were important individual factors that influenced communication about the strategy. Employees did not have the same detailed knowledge of the strategy as the managers, nor were they given the same opportunities to obtain it.</p><p>The discourse analysis reveals power structures, conflicts, individual attitudes and perspectives. The study thus results in a deep understanding of communication problems in the organization.</p>