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<p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </p> <p align="left">People with disabilities are a minority group who has suffered disadvantage especially in the workplace. They currently enjoy Constitutional and legislative protection in a democratic South Africa.</p>

Cooperative learning (CL) research has gone through a series of phases representing different orientations of research. This inquiry uses action-research as a way of implementing cooperative learning in a pre-service science course. Cooperative learning was regarded as an innovation in the context of this inquiry. The evidence of the inquiry was in the form of texts from sources including classroom observation, student reflective notes, the research diary and interviews, among others. The qualitative analysis involved the writing of descriptive-interpretive reports which were used in a process of data reduction to formulate analytic theme reports. Propositions were developed from these reports. Some recommendations emanated from these propositions. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Durban-Westville, 1997.

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Extracellular potentials due to firing of action potentials are computed around cortical neurons and populations of cortical neurons. These extracellular potentials are calculated as a sum of contributions from ionic currents passing through the cell membrane at various locations using Maxwell's equations in the quasi-static limit. These transmembrane currents are found from simulations of anatomically reconstructed cortical neurons implemented as multi-compartmental models in the simulation tool NEURON. Extracellular signatures of action potentials of single neurons are calculated both in the immediate vicinity of the neuron somas and along vertical axes. For the neuronal populations only vertical axis distributions are considered. The vertical-axis calculations were performed to investigate the contributions of action potential firing to laminar-electrode recordings. Results for high-pass (750 - 3000 Hz) filtered potentials are also given to mimic multi-unit activity (MUA) recordings. Extracellular traces from single neurons and populations (both synchronous and asynchronous) of neurons are shown for three different neuron types: layer 3 pyramid, layer 4 stellate and layer 5 pyramid cell. The layer 3 cell shows a 'closed-field' configuration, while the layer 5 pyramid demonstrates an 'open-field' appearance for singe neuron simulations which is less apparent in population simulations. The layer 4 stellate cell seems to fall somewhere in between the open- and closed-field scenarios. Comparing single neuron and synchronous populations, the amplitudes of the extracellular traces increase as population radii increase, though the shapes are generally similar. Asynchronous populations produce small amplitudes due to a time convolution of various neuron contributions. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005

This dissertation describes a research study that investigated cooperative inquiry as a strategy for professional learning of inner-city school principals in a large urban centre in Western Canada. The study attempted to identify the central issues of concern and means of redress for school leaders in high-poverty communities, many of which focused on educational leadership, school management, the context of their schools within impoverished communities, and the challenges of personal well-being. The findings suggest that cooperative inquiry was an effective strategy in that the approach was participatory, democratic, empowering, life-enhancing, and fostered community-building among participants. The findings also suggest that the approach was effective in that it was grounded in the action research cycle of planning, action, observation, and reflection. The study further examined the use of dialogue as a means of constructing knowledge regarding these issues, and identified the ways in which such knowledge impacts upon the professional practice of these principals. Findings suggest that participants gained knowledge from each other, offered knowledge from others, constructed knowledge together as a group, and developed deeper understandings of their own perspectives. Findings also suggest that meaning is lost when dialogic interactions are transcribed into print. Thus, dialogue is a form of communication in and of itself, one that cannot simply be transformed into the written word without losing part of that dialogic essence. Further, this study posits that dialogue has unique power to be both a process for meaning making, as well as an ontological means of clarifying one’s own sense of reality.

In her philosophical writings, Simone de Beauvoir argues our existence is defined by an inability to possess an objective understanding of our being. This fundamental ambiguity turns us towards a process of having-to-be – a series of attempts to define who we wish to become and the world we wish to establish. Through a reading of Beauvoir's novel, The Mandarins, I produce an outline of the political subject and a philosophy of political- ethical action that properly navigates this ambiguity. By committing to utopian political projects that aim at universalizing the conditions for collective self-emancipation, the political subject engages in political-ethical action that is a total manifestation of having- to-be at the same time as being.

Expatriate teachers do not always have a strong connection to the place in which they are living (Richardson, von Kirchenheim &amp; Richardson, 2006). How might this lack of connection affect how they teach environmental education? Our qualitative study explored the lived experiences of how five expatriate teachers engaged in environmental education. Using action research, we participated as a team and learned more about our perceptions of environmental education and explored how these perceptions influence our teaching. We found that our previous knowledge and passion effected how we taught environmental education. After researching how different people view and implement environmental education we reflected on our research to improve our taught curriculum. Then we used a participatory action research model to reflect and re-design our current environmental education learning engagements. After the completed research we all agreed that this method of reflection worked for us and we would continue the PAR process.

Baigiamajame darbe suteikti įspūdį, kuris išreiškiamas per spalvas, dėmes, šešėlius ir judesį. Baigiamojo darbo atlikimo technika yra gana nauja, nes tokio tipo darbų nėra. Ieškant pavyzdžių, jų nebuvo rasta. Technika buvo atrasta remiantis bandomųjų darbų eskizais. Pasirinkus pastozinę tapybą, galima nutapyti įvairias temas išreiškiant jas abstrakcijomis, judesiu, spalvomis. Abstrakcija prasideda nuo tikrovės, kuri apkarpoma atsikratant pertekliaus, ir galiausiai atsiskleidžia vertinga, dažnai netikėta esmė, sukuriamas minimalus žodynas, perteikiantis kuo daugiau pojūčių ir jausmų. / To create an impression witch is expressed by colors, splashes, shadows and movements. The technique of my bachelor is quite new, because there aren’t such types of works. In searching such works it was not found. This technique was found with reference to experimental sketch of work. In selecting the postoso action painting is possible to paint various themes expressing it with abstractions, movements, colors. The abstraction starts from reality which get a rid of abundance and ultimately dehisce valuable, frequently unexpected essentiality. Is creating a minimal vocabulary witch convey more sensations and sensibilities.

Research shows that the dominant pedagogical practices of physical education are irrelevant to young people in the 21st century, and that physical education currently exists in a time of innovation without change. Subsequently, physical education as a curriculum subject is at risk of becoming extinct unless the 'talked' about pedagogical innovations that provide authentic, relevant and transferable learning experiences can become sustainable 'actioned' futures. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to explore how a pedagogical innovation, the Cooperative Learning model, could be used over an enduring period of time. Participatory action research (PAR) was used as the methodology to scaffold the inquiry and to support eight secondary school physical education teachers' learning and use of Cooperative Learning during an academic year. This thesis considers how PAR enabled teachers to break the dominant practice architectures of physical education and how PAR supported teachers‘ use of an emergent pedagogical approach within and beyond the honeymoon period of implementation. In other words, how PAR facilitated teachers' ability to work beyond the dominant pedagogical practices of physical education and the practices endorsed by the school as an institution. Furthermore, how PAR sustained teachers' engagement with, and use of, the Cooperative Learning model. Indeed, Cooperative Learning was firstly immersed within the milieu of the practice architectures. Yet through the use of PAR the teachers were motivated to move beyond the honeymoon period and began to use the model within, with and then against the mess of the practice architectures. Subsequently, Cooperative Learning was emerging as the dominant pedagogical approach. However, this only occurred for some teachers where social connectivity and an emerging community of practice were significant variables in sustaining and adapting the use of Cooperative Learning. The contribution to knowledge is therefore the methodological processes of how to move beyond dominant pedagogical practices and facilitate innovation with change. In order for a pedagogical innovation to become a sustainable 'actioned' future its use is context dependent and PAR facilitates its sustainability. Furthermore, teacher learning should be advanced and teachers should be encouraged to create communicative spaces with colleagues and researcher facilitators.