Thesis advisor: M. Brinton Lykes / During the last two decades of the 20th century the Peruvian internal armed conflict affected thousands of Quechua-speaking campesinos [peasants], including those in the community of Huancasancos. The pre-existing socioeconomic conditions strongly informed the conflict’s origins and help us to understand how its legacies have unfolded. This feminist participatory action research (PAR) dissertation was conducted with Andean women knitters from Huancasancos. Through this process the participants and I explored how organizing through a women’s knitting association could be one way to identify and face challenges in their community, including the social and emotional legacies of the armed conflict as well as ongoing structural gender and racial violence. Through participatory workshops we collectively analyzed topics related to the research focus, and the knowledge that we co-constructed was the primary dissertation data. These collective reflections were subsequently analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2014) and were complemented by 16 individual interviews and field notes. The major findings of this dissertation reflect the urgency that Andean women feel about confronting material poverty. Also prevalent were Andean women’s experiences of gender racialized violence, experiences that limit their capacity to face their material poverty and improve their living conditions. Finally, these findings also confirm that the concept of “organizing-as-women” has been introduced into rural Andean towns by outsiders. As ideas from outside of the community, they typically fail to incorporate ways of organizing that already exist in these communities. Similarly, transitional justice and its mechanisms are experienced as having been introduced from outside the community and as disconnected from Andean people’s lived experiences of the armed conflict and its wake. The findings of this study yield important implications for professionals interested in working in transitional justice settings, particularly those working in cultural contexts different from one’s own. The study has additional implications for those who work with Andean and other indigenous women who have experienced the violence of armed conflict and continue to experience ongoing gender and racial marginalization. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar as contribuições das tecnologias baseadas em projetos para uma aprendizagem significativa no Ensino Fundamental I, de forma a propor mudanças metodológicas para a aplicação do conteúdo curricular por meio de projetos que integrem as tecnologias na educação, focando como objetivo principal a autonomia, possibilitando que o aluno adquira senso crítico, autoestima, interesse pelas aulas e o aprender a fazer, fazendo. A metodologia utilizada para a pesquisa foi composta por diferentes estratégias sob uma abordagem qualitativa de pesquisa-ação, a fim de promover e analisar o desenvolvimento de habilidades e competências nos alunos, por meio da resolução de problemas, projeto interdisciplinar e o trabalho colaborativo, na busca de uma Aprendizagem Significativa segundo a teoria de David Ausubel, tendo como recurso integrador as tecnologias. Para coleta e análise de dados foram desenvolvidas atividades experimentais em duas turmas de 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental I, em uma escola municipal no Vale do Paraíba-SP. Com o auxílio das professoras das turmas, foram desenvolvidas atividades baseadas em projetos que integram o conteúdo sobre Meio Ambiente, na disciplina de Ciências, aos recursos tecnológicos disponíveis na escola para confecção de um produto final. Durante o procedimento foram coletados dados por meio de sondagens, entrevistas, observações e relatórios com o objetivo de repensar um novo perfil no ambiente educacional, por meio de um ensino inovador, utilizando as tecnologias como meio motivador no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, integrando mídias, professores, alunos e sociedade, na busca de soluções para os principais problemas de aprendizagem nas escolas. Os resultados encontrados demonstram que o uso das tecnologias em projetos educacionais apresentam características que permitem conceber um processo de ensino aprendizagem mais dinâmico, colaborativo e voltado à realidade dos alunos, visando uma aprendizagem significativa e a tomada de consciência. / The present research aims to analyze the contributions of project-based technologies for meaningful learning in Elementary School I, in order to propose methodological changes for the application of curricular content through projects that integrate technologies in education, focusing as main objective the autonomy, allowing the student to acquire critical sense, self-esteem, interest in classes and learning how to do, doing. The methodology used for the research was composed of different strategies under a qualitative approach of action research, in order to promote and analyze the development of skills and competences in students, through problem solving, interdisciplinary project and collaborative work, in the search for a meaningful learning according to the theory of David Ausubel, having as an integrating resource the technologies. For data collection and analysis, experimental activities were developed in two classes of 5th grade Primary School I, in a municipal school in the Vale do Paraíba region, State of São Paulo. With the help of class teachers, activities were developed based on projects that integrate the contente on Environment, in the discipline of Sciences, to the technological resources available in the school to make a final product. During the procedure, data were collected by means of surveys, interviews, observations and reports with the objective of rethinking a new profile in the educational environment, through innovative teaching using technologies as a motivator in the teaching-learning process, integrating media, teachers, students and society in the search for solutions to the main problems of learning in fundamental schools. The results show that the use of the technologies in educational projects have characteristics that allow to conceive a process of teaching learning more dynamic, collaborative and directed to the reality of the students, aiming at meaningful learning and the self-awareness promotion.

Since the 1990s, the evolution to more environmentally sustainable business operations has gained increased recognition incorporations and the Academia, with sustainability becoming a key competitive priority for companies. In spite of a large amount of research on ecodesign,or the integration of environmental aspects into product design and development, recent surveys state that thorough ecodesign implementation is still a challenge for most firms.To overcome gaps found in prior studies (such as a distance between theory and practice, and over-technical and fragmented recommendations), this research aimed to identify and experiment how to incorporate environmental sustainability more effectively into product innovation and related activities of a company, and to propose a framework summarising the associated learning. This thesis is based on a set of five articles, applying a multi-methods approach. The framework was built with a methodology combining systematic reviews of previous literature and action research through a five-year long experiment. Inside a leading Brazilian cosmetics company, two implementation cycles were conducted, including customisation of ecodesign tools and their application in eight product development projects, and wide capacity building involving different stakeholders. The research led to three contributions. As a first methodological contribution, action research methodology and application guidelines were developed, for an effective collaboration mode between the Academia and companies, especially adapted to sustainable open innovation. Secondly, this study has deepened and experimented in real company context a broad view of ecodesign related activities, expanding the recognised approach centred on individual projects and validating the concept of formal insertion of customised ecodesign tools into of the Product Development Process. Such principle was further extended to include other managerial aspects, such as project and portfolio management, and linking them with strategic planning. To complement such technical and process related aspects, new \"soft\" side approaches were also experienced, building on the Transition Management theory. The third and major contribution, deriving from a synthesis of more than fifty models found in the literature and the action research, is the proposition of an \"Ecodesign Transition Framework\". The so-called \"15Ps ETF\"comprehends a \"pattern\" with eight main constructs (Purpose, Portfolio, Process, Platform, Pipeline, Practices & tools, Procedures and Project management) for a mature ecodesign and a \"pathway\" component, with five constructs (Planet, Public, Programme, Pilot, and People), for conducting the necessary transition addressing soft issues. The central \"Aztec pyramid\" shape of the framework represents the systemic three-level structure, combining the strategic, tactical and operational product related processes and activities. The ETF intends to support a far-reaching approach to better plan, implement and monitor the integration of environmental considerations in the whole innovation process of a company, through a systemic action learning process. The overall increased ecodesign maturity observed in the company showed congruence with the framework, with substantial challenges also observed. For further validation, the ETF could be applied in different contexts, and explored through qualitative and quantitative studies of associated limiting or success factors, to better address corporate specificities and complexity (e.g., culture, resistance to change, organisational entropy, etc.). / Desde os anos 1990, a evolução em direção de operações mais ambientalmente sustentáveis ganhou maior reconhecimento em empresas e na Academia, com a sustentabilidade se tornando uma prioridade competitiva. Apesar de uma grande quantidade de pesquisas sobre ecodesign, ou a integração dos aspectos ambientais no desenvolvimento de produtos, estudos recentes indicam que uma implementação completa do ecodesign ainda é um desafio para a maioria das empresas. Para superar as lacunas encontradas em estudos anteriores (como a distância entre teoria e prática, e recomendações excessivamente técnicas e fragmentadas), esta pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar como incorporar a sustentabilidade ambiental de forma mais efetiva na inovação de produtos de uma empresa, e propor um modelo que sintetiza os resultados. Esta tese, baseada em cinco artigos, aplicou uma abordagem multimétodos. O modelo foi construído combinando revisões sistemáticas de literatura e uma pesquisa-ação de cinco anos. Dentro de uma empresa brasileira líder do setor cosmético, dois ciclos de implementação foram conduzidos, incluindo customização de ferramentas de ecodesign e sua aplicação em oito projetos de desenvolvimento de produtos, com ampla capacitação de diferentes partes interessadas. A pesquisa levou a três contribuições. Como primeira contribuição metodológica, diretrizes de aplicação da pesquisa-ação promovem um modo de colaboração efetivo entre a Academia e as empresas, especialmente adaptado para a inovação aberta e sustentável. Em segundo lugar, o presente estudo desenvolveu uma visão larga das atividades relacionadas ao ecodesign, ampliando a abordagem tradicional centrada em projetos individuais, e validando o conceito de inserção formal de ferramentas de ecodesign customizadas no Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos. Além desse princípio, outros aspectos gerenciais, tais como gestão de projetos e de portfolio foram considerados, ligando-os com o planejamento estratégico. Adicionalmente, novas abordagens de gestão de mudanças foram experimentadas, com base na teoria de Gestão de Transição. A terceira e maior contribuição, decorrente de uma síntese de mais de cinquenta modelos encontrados na literatura, associada à pesquisaação, é a proposição do \"Ecodesign Transition Framework\". O chamado \"15Ps ETF\" compreende um \"Padrão\" com oito construtos (Propósito, Portfolio, Processo, Plataforma, Pipeline, Práticas e ferramentas, Procedimentos e Projetos) para um ecodesign maduro, e um componente chamado \"Percurso\", com cinco construtos (Planeta, Público, Programa, Piloto, e Pessoas), para a realização da necessária transição endereçando aspectos não técnicos. A parte central do modelo, com formato de \"pirâmide azteca\", representa uma estrutura sistêmica com três níveis - estratégico, tático e operacional - combinando os processos e atividades ligados à inovação de produto. O modelo ETF almeja apoiar uma abordagem ampliada para planejar, implementar e monitorar a integração das considerações ambientais em todaa inovação de produto de uma empresa, através de uma dinâmica de aprendizagem sistêmica. O aumento global da maturidade em ecodesign observado na empresa mostrou congruência com o modelo, com desafios significativos também observados. Para maior validação, o ETF poderia ser aplicado em diferentes contextos, e aprofundado através de estudos qualitativos e quantitativos de fatores de sucesso associados, a fim de considerar as especificidades das empresas e complexidade associada (como: cultura, resistência a mudanças, entropia organizacional, etc.).

Este estudo trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, mediada pela metodologia da pesquisa-ação, fundamentada em referencial teórico-metodológico de Paulo Freire. Esse visa a levantar problemas vivenciados por uma população específica de nove surdos, adultos jovens, alunos de uma Classe de Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA) frente à sexualidade e as IST/aids, através da comunicação pela Língua de Sinais Brasileira (LIBRAS); criar junto deles possibilidades de construção, implementação e avaliação de ações educativas, frente a situações problematizadas, criando subsídios à reflexão para uma mudança de atitude frente às dificuldades identificadas, com vistas ao desenvolvimento da autonomia, da escolha responsável e cidadã relativa à vida sexual, à negociação do sexo seguro e à prevenção das IST/aids. Discute-se a necessidade de um trabalho voltado especificamente a esta população que é peculiar, dada a exclusão existente e pela própria dificuldade da comunicação. Analisa-se a construção de um referencial que possa dar conta da implementação de um processo educativo, ao mesmo tempo dando respaldo para a abordagem crítica e científica do mesmo. Isto suscitou instrumentalização para lidar com esta questão exigindo da pesquisadora freqüentar e concluir curso de LIBRAS para favorecer a interação horizontal. A entrevista foi aplicada de acordo com os preceitos éticos e o rigor cientifico. Foi verificada uma dificuldade no que diz respeito aos conteúdos curriculares de Educação Básica, em 7 relação ao corpo humano, bem como a gravidez e parto. Relativamente à sexualidade, esta palavra não era de conhecimento dos surdos pesquisados. Quanto à prática do sexo uma grande parte já havia tido experiências neste sentido e como método de proteção para o sexo, a camisinha, o casamento, a fidelidade e a pílula anticoncepcional eram os conhecidos por eles. Com respeito as IST/aids e as outras questões depreendeu-se a necessidade de informações complementares para o exercício de uma sexualidade segura e responsável. Foram efetuadas, descritas e avaliadas as ações educativas implementadas, concluindo-se que os surdos são uma população que demanda de uma educação preventiva para as temáticas estudadas de forma dinâmica, contextualizada e voltada para sua peculiaridade, ou seja, sua língua, sua cultura, sua experiência visual acurada e sua facilidade de comunicação com seus pares, indo de encontro com a proposta de formação de agentes multiplicadores. / This study is about a qualitative research, measured by action-research methodology, based in Paulo Freire’s theoretical method. This paper is to raise problems lived by a specific young deaf adults population facing sexuality and STD/AIDS, through language communication by signs, using LIBRAS( Brazilian Sign Language) ; creating among them construction possibilities, implementation and assessment of teaching actions, facing problematic situations, creating subsidy to reflexion for a change in attitude facing identified problems leading to a self development and a responsible choice related to sexual life, safe sex and STD/AIDS prevention. The need of a job is discussed specifically turned to this peculiar population since exclusion is always present and by their own difficulty in communication. The build of a referential is also discussed, that can implement the educative process and at the same time giving support to a critical and scientific approach. This brought about instrumental to deal with questions, demanding the researcher to conclude a LIBRAS course to favor the horizontal interaction. The interview was done according to ethical rules and scientific accuracy. A great dificulty was found regarding the current curriculum content in relation to the human body, pregnancy and childbirth. Sexuality is a word not known by the group in this study; regarding sex practice, only one has never had sex before and all of them 9 have known about sex protection methods, condom, marriage, fidelity and anti conceptional pills. Regarding STD/AIDS and other matters related, we could see the need of complementary information for a safe and responsible sexuality practice. The implemented educational actions were done, described and assessed. It may be concluded that the deaf population is calling for a preventive education in the areas mentioned above in a dynamical form, contextualized and turned to their language, culture, sharp visual experience and the facility for partner communication, heading toward the proposal of multiplier agent formation.

Em resposta às exigências da sociedade atual, o ensino deve superar a visão fragmentadora da realidade, desenvolvendo ações educativas e contextualizadas, de tal forma que a construção do conhecimento possa ser estabelecida a partir da integração e articulação entre os diferentes saberes, implantando o pensamento complexo no ensino das ciências. Diante do desafio de desenvolver esse pensamento, a ideia de interdisciplinaridade vem ganhando forca em práticas de ensino e de aprendizagem. Contudo, para vivenciar uma pratica interdisciplinar ainda encontramos muitos desafios a serem superados no sistema educacional brasileiro. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho objetivou desenvolver uma proposta em conjunto com o corpo docente de uma escola pública de ensino médio, abordando o tema álcool em sua complexidade. Durante o processo, foram realizadas reuniões nos horários de Aula de Trabalho Pedagógico Coletivo (ATPC) para a construção de um referencial teórico e, posteriormente, momentos de discussão para elaboração da proposta, abrangendo diferentes disciplinas do currículo oficial do Estado de São Paulo para o ensino médio. O produto final, que consiste numa proposta interdisciplinar, poderá inspirar outras instituições atendendo as solicitações que se fazem para a escola e do processo de formação do cidadão crítico e participativo, capaz de contribuir e intervir na sociedade tomando decisões para ações socialmente responsáveis. / In response to the demands of today\'s society, the teaching must overcome the fragmenting view of reality, developing educational and contextualized actions, in a way that the construction of knowledge can be established from the integration and articulation between the different knowledge by deploying complex thinking in science teaching. Faced with the challenge of developing this thought, interdisciplinary idea has been gaining strength in teaching and learning practices. However, in order to experience an interdisciplinary practice, we still found many challenges to be overcome in the Brazilian educational system. In this sense, the present study aimed to develop a proposal together with the teachers of a public high school, addressing the theme alcohol in its complexity. During the process, meetings were performed at the times of Collective Pedagogical Work Class for the construction of a theoretical reference, and after discussing times for preparation of the proposal, covering different disciplines of the State of Sao Paulo official curriculum for high school. The final product, which is an interdisciplinary proposal, can inspire other institutions attending to requests that are made to the school in relation to the formation process of critical and participative citizens, wich are able to contribute and intervene in society making decisions to socially responsible actions.

O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar a possibilidade de articular, na prática pedagógica da educação infantil, elementos teóricos e procedimentos didáticos que viabilizem o movimento, a simultaneidade sígnica (linguagens) e as relações comunicativas. A compreensão do movimento como significativo deriva da teoria do Se-Movimentar, de base fenomenológica, para a qual o movimento é ação expressiva e significativa dos sujeitos na relação com o mundo e com os outros, e por isso é o fio condutor da prática pedagógica com crianças e coexiste com outras linguagens. Para tal, recorre-se à Semiótica ou Lógica Geral dos Signos, desenvolvida por Charles S. Peirce, a qual propõe um método geral de produção do conhecimento, ao considerar que investigar é condição própria de todas as inteligências capazes de aprender com base na experiência. Entende-se, então, método como modo de pensar e agir na prática pedagógica em coerência com o modo específico de ser-criança: corpo-movimento. As estratégias de intervenção em campo, realizada em uma instituição de educação infantil, seguiram princípios da pesquisa-ação, e privilegiaram os jogos, brincadeiras e atividades rítmicas. No processo investigativo, observou-se, especialmente, se os apelos expressivos e significativos das crianças afetavam a percepção das professoras, de sorte a confrontar suas crenças, instaurar-lhes dúvidas e admitir a necessidade de rever suas futuras condutas docentes em direção às crianças e seus processos de significação. Ou seja, ao possibilitar experiências sensíveis/significativas às crianças, buscou-se criar para as professoras oportunidades de reflexão sobre a qualidade (princípios e concepções) das práticas pedagógicas, de modo a efetivamente incluir as crianças como partícipes de um processo pedagógico entendido como relações comunicativas. As quatro professoras participantes revelaram diferentes graus de engajamento na pesquisa-ação, e apenas uma delas envolveu-se intensamente até o final do processo. A conclusão é que essa professora incorporou à sua vida o hábito da investigação, de tal sorte que é possível afirmar que a observação de si mesma e de seus alunos foi o principal instrumento para o seu aprendizado como professora-pesquisadora, na medida que somente o hábito da reflexão voluntária, insistente e sistemática é capaz de levar um sujeito a dominar e superar crenças e hábitos rumo à criação de novos conhecimentos e, portanto, à transformação das condutas docentes. Assim, a atitude investigativa da professora levou à generalização dos conhecimentos que ela produziu a partir de sua própria prática. Pode-se perceber, no caso dessa professora, a concretização de dois princípios necessários para uma prática comunicativa: (i) a capacidade de perceber e interpretar as expressividades significativas das crianças; e (ii) a disposição para o compartilhamento das experiências pedagógicas. Conclui-se que o processo de mediação sígnica (quer dizer, relações e produções sígnicas) é o nutriente da ação pedagógica. Nessa medida, a ação pedagógica é configurada em uma estrutura semiótica, de permanência contínua, que alcança todas as dimensões e níveis de um sistema educativo concebido como processo dialógico-comunicativo. / The aim of this thesis is to investigate the possibilities of articulating theoretical elements and didactic procedures, in Child Education pedagogical practice, to promote movement, simultaneity of signs/languages and communicative relationships. Understanding movement as meaningful in itself comes from the Self-Movement theory, based on Phenomenology, which sees movement as a significant and expressive action of Subjects in their relationship with the world/others: the main basis in childrens pedagogical practice, coexisting with other languages/signs. Thereupon, we have recurred to Semiotic, the Logical Theory of Signs developed by Charles Sanders Peirce, which proposes a general method of knowledge production based on the principle that inquiring is the particular condition of all minds able to learn from experience. We then consider method as the way of thinking and acting in pedagogical practice in coherence to the specific way of child-being: body-movement. The intervention strategies realized in the field of a childrens education institution followed the principles of action-research and privileged games, plays and rhythmic activities. It has been observed, during the process of investigation, if teachers perception was affected by the expressive and significant childrens appeals, confronting their beliefs, casting doubts and admitting the need to reconsider the future teaching attitude towards children and their processes of signification. By enabling sensitive/significant experiences to children, teachers have also been given the opportunity to reflect upon the quality of educational practices (principles and conceptions), in order to effectively include the children as participants in an educational process seen as communicative relations. The four participant teachers showed different levels of commitment in the action-research, whereas only one was involved until the end of the process. In conclusion, the latter teacher applied the habit of investigation in her life, making it possible to state that the main tool for her learning process as a researcher/teacher was the observation of herself and her students. Only the voluntary, persistent and systematic habit of reflection can make someone master and overcome habits and beliefs, with the aim of acquiring new knowledge and transforming educational behaviors. Therefore, the teachers investigative attitude led to the generalization of the knowledge she acquired from her own practice, that is, the achievement of two necessary principles for a communicative practice: (i) the ability of noticing and interpreting childrens significant expressiveness, and (ii) the willingness to share educational experiences. Hence, the process of sign mediation (relations and sign productions) is the nutrition for the pedagogical action. Based on that, educational action is represented in a permanent semiotic structure, which reaches all dimensions and levels of an educational system designed as a dialogic-communicative process.

This qualitative research study explored the influence of collaborative analysis of student work (CASW) as professional development on teacher practice, specifically during lessons and on written teacher feedback on student work. Additionally, teachers' perceptions about the influence of CASW sessions and three 2-week instructional cycles on student writing, including the professional development sessions, lessons, and teacher written feedback, were investigated. Qualitative data were collected including teacher interviews, CASW observations, classroom observations, and document analysis. Findings indicated that teachers felt that CASW influenced their increased awareness of teaching and student learning, and implications for future teaching for the whole group as well as ideas for next steps for individual students emerged. Teachers supported CASW being job-embedded and practical to daily work; they voiced concerns over the time and scheduling facilitating the professional development required. Teachers responded that they felt that CASW helped them question their assessment of student writing, consistency within and across grade levels and subjects, and the appropriate level of difficulty of their curriculum. Teachers expressed their desire to be able to meet with students more regularly to go over their teacher written feedback and felt that CASW may possibly influence student work over time. Two teachers felt that the CASW professional development could have influenced their written feedback; four teachers felt that it did not. Implications for professional development, public policy, and further research are given. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The current qualitative study focused on understanding the process of learning to teach. Using interviews of teacher educators, the study explored the importance of a set of teaching activities developed as part of the Teacher Self Efficacy Survey (Tschannen- Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) as well as the inclusion of instructional and assessment strategies for the teaching activities and the quality of beginning teacher performance of the activities. Data were collected from interviews of 15 teacher educators. A process of open, axial, and substantive coding was applied to the data to inductively identify and categorize data relevant to the purpose of the study and to allow comparisons among and between categories. Findings suggested that teaching activities are critically important to and a comprehensive description of effective teaching, and that beginning teachers struggle with differentiation and applying their learning to their practice. Further, findings suggested that the source of beginning teacher struggles was found within the teacher education program, within school contexts, and between the two institutions. In addition, findings suggested that beginning teachers perform the student engagement activities and those related to instructional strategies more proficiently than classroom management activities, and that all three teaching activity categories were included in the curriculum, but to different degrees and not all as part of curriculum design. A variety of pedagogies were used to prepare preservice teachers; however, there was no reported knowledge of assessment instruments used to measure preservice teachers’ readiness for teaching and to obtain data on the performance of their graduates. Lastly, this study revealed that teacher education program leaders were reluctant to participate in a study that sought to draw direct connections between the skills taught in the program and how well beginning teachers perform them. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends further studies to determine the viability of the teaching activities as a comprehensive and accurate definition of effective teaching. Further the researcher recommends that teacher education programs and school districts adopt the teaching activities as a consistent framework for providing preservice education, for setting school district expectations, and for conducting teacher evaluations. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study problematizes teacher education, and its accreditation guidelines as set forth by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The analysis herein conceptualizes teacher education as contextually contingent on sociocultural metanarratives, as functioning paradigmatically through consensus and gatekeeping mechanisms, and as a structure existing within a matrix of discipline and surveillance that is designed to perpetuate status quo power dynamics. This conceptualization grounds dominant teacher education modalities within a specific meta-theory orientation. Through this analysis, the author also explores an alternative conceptualization of teacher education that appeals to the educative power of contextual awareness, ontological sensitivity, and democratically recursive pedagogical and relational processes. Such a conceptualization reflects an alternative meta-theory orientation. For the purposes of this analysis, the author employed textual analysis of sampled website literature from Teacher Education Programs in six geographic regions within the United States. This textual analysis was grounded in the aforementioned conceptualizations and was intended to reveal meta-theory orientations as expressed in a program’s official text. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This quantitative, non-experimental study was conducted to determine whether there is a link between the principal’s behavioral agility, the organization’s culture, and school performance as defined by the state’s Value Added Measure (VAM). Additionally, this study examined if there was a moderator influence of contextual factors to behavioral agility and school culture and school culture and school performance. Data collection was obtained through the use of two validated scales, the Strategic Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). Multiple regression was conducted to determine the extent each independent variable predicts school performance. Hayes’s (2012) PROCESS macro for SPSS was completed to determine if school culture mediated the relationship between behavioral agility and school performance and school culture and school performance. Significant correlations were found between and within the two instruments measured unidimensionally and multidimensionally. The OCAI findings included significant, high effect correlations with the four culture types, although market was not correlated with clan or adhocracy. All subscales of the SLQ had positive significant correlations within the instrument. School size was significantly negatively correlated with clan and adhocracy culture types. School performance was found to be significantly correlated with hierarchy culture type and school level. The contribution this study makes is both theoretical and practical. Theoretically, this study offers insights into school level and its moderation of culture and school performances as well as the influence culture types have on school performance. Practically, the study could identify a new culture type valuable to principals for improving school performance. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection