Hersh (1986) states, "One's conception of what mathematics is affects one's conception of how it should be presented. One's manner of presenting it is an indication of what one believes to be most essential in it." In this research study, three hundred ninety-seven urban early childhood teachers were given a survey that examined their attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics teaching, their views of mathematics, views of teaching mathematics, and views of children learning mathematics. The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes and beliefs of early childhood teachers in two urban school districts to determine if mathematics reform efforts made a difference in teachers' attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and its teaching. Questionnaires were mailed directly to teachers in one school district and principals distributed questionnaires in the other. Summary scores were calculated for parts of the instrument. The researcher performed descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and conducted frequency distributions, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlations. Findings revealed that teachers with 30 or more years of teaching experience had more positive attitudes toward mathematics than teachers with 1-3 years of experience. African American teachers had more positive attitudes toward mathematics and its teaching than other ethnic groups. Teachers who held a minor or major in mathematics had more positive attitudes toward mathematics and its teaching than teachers without a minor or major in mathematics. Teachers in District-A favored constructivist learning while teachers in District-B favored rote learning. Both school districts' teachers favored the problem-solving approach to teaching mathematics. If instruction is to be transformed, reformers need to understand teachers' beliefs about mathematics. Beliefs, which are essential for teachers' development, seldom change without significant intervention (Lappan and Theule-Lubienski, 1994). Therefore, school districts must be informed about the changes necessary for the reform of mathematics teaching and identify and implement through staff developments and other measures what they perceive mathematics to be and how it should be taught.

The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive biases in clinically anxious children compared to normal children and to determine if cognitive biases could discriminate anxious youth from non-anxious youth. Two specific cognitive biases were the focus of the present study—interpretive biases (i.e., the tendency to interpret neutral stimuli in a negative way) and judgment biases (i.e., a lowered estimate of one's ability to cope with a threatening situation). Twenty-four youth comprised the anxiety disordered sample and were each matched to two normal youth on four demographic variables (gender, age, ethnicity, and family income level), thus the matched comparison sample consisted of 48 youth (ages 7 to 17). Interpretive biases were assessed with the Children's Negative Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CNCEQ) and judgment biases were assessed with the Anxiety Control Questionnaire—child form (ACQ-C). In addition, self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms were measured. Results indicated that (1) children in the clinic sample exhibited significantly more interpretive biases and judgment biases relative to the control sample, and scored significantly higher on measures of anxiety, depression, and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms relative to the control sample, (2) the ACQ-C demonstrated incremental validity over the CNCEQ in predicting diagnostic status, (3) the ACQ-C predicted diagnostic status while controlling for Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms, but not while controlling for RCMAS (anxiety) and CDI (depression) scores, and (4) the relationship between the CNCEQ and diagnostic status was moderated by age and gender. This study adds to the research literature by demonstrating elevated CNCEQ scores among youth with anxiety disorders compared to non-anxious youth and extends findings with the ACQ-C by showing its incremental validity beyond the CNCEQ. The results also add to the understanding of the assessment of negative cognitive vi errors by highlighting developmental and sex differences in their association with anxiety disorder status in youth. Implications of the positive findings for theory and practice are noted and theoretical and methodological reasons for the negative results are discussed to highlight suggestions for future work in this area.

For teachers of freshman English composition, the most time-consuming aspect of teaching is responding to student papers (Anson, 2012; Straub, 2000b). Teachers respond in various ways, but most teachers agree that they should offer written feedback to students (Beach & Friedrich, 2006). However, little research has been conducted to determine how teachers’ written feedback practices reflect their beliefs about the purpose of such feedback. This qualitative study explores the relationship between English composition teachers’ beliefs about written feedback and their actual written feedback practices. The participants were a sample of four instructors of freshman English composition at a mid-sized metropolitan public university. Interviews, classroom observations, course documents, and samples of teachers’ written comments were analyzed to determine teachers’ written response practices and their beliefs related to the purposes of freshman writing and their roles as writing teachers. Results suggest that teachers were aware of their beliefs, and their written response practices were consistent with their beliefs. Teachers utilized different approaches to respond to student writing, but those approaches are consistent with current recommendations for responding to student writing. Three major themes emerged from the study. First, teachers must be given the opportunity to reflect about and articulate their beliefs about written response so they will know why they respond in the way they do. Second, teachers work within the boundaries of their specific writing program to organize their written responses to student writing. Third, teachers must respond to student writing from varying perspectives as readers of the text. The findings support studies which indicate that written response is a sociocultural practice and teacher beliefs are just one aspect of the complex nature of teacher written response. The study should add to the fields of response theory and the formation of teacher beliefs.

A narrative qualitative research design was used to understand the journeys of three lesbians with Oneness Pentecostal backgrounds who have reconciled their religious beliefs with their sexual orientation. Three participants were selected who met the following criteria: (a) the participant is a lesbian female who (b) grew up in a Oneness Pentecostal church and (c) has reconciled being a lesbian with her religious beliefs, and who is (d) willing to discuss her outing process. These participants were interviewed. The interview questions were submitted to participants prior to the scheduled interviews. The interviews began with an open-ended inquiry. In answer to the research question, the three participants’ stories revealed that reconciliation journeys are unique and complicated. The motivation to embark on a journey of reconciliation of religious beliefs with sexual orientation stemmed from the participants’ same-sex attractions. Further motivators for the participants to explore and reconstruct religious beliefs were feelings of shame and guilt. The participants arrived at a place where they could no longer deny their feelings. As I read the participants’ stories, I analyzed the stories by utilizing the narrative therapy term of “re-authoring.” I found that the three unifying aspects of re-authoring in the participants’ stories were re-authoring religious beliefs, re-authoring definitions of family and re-authoring self. .

This study investigated two questions: a) What is the relationship between reflection and professional development? and b) What is the role of reflection in teachers' instructional decision-making? Teachers are often conflicted by competing theories (e.g. behaviorist vs. constructivist) and principles (progressives vs. essentialists) at both national and state levels. Other sources of conflict teachers encounter stem from standards-based teaching, student assessments and teacher evaluations. For over eighty years educational theorists (e.g., Dewey, 1933; Fenstermacher, 1994; Schon, 1983) have suggested that reflection is an important key for resolving conflict and improving curriculum and instruction. Yet, top-down professional development models currently prevail rather than creative, individualized models that are designed to encourage reflective thinking and support teacher growth. Research has suggested that although reflection is necessary, reflective thinking can be challenging for teachers. For example, the Reading Instruction Study (RIS) (Richardson & Anders, 1994), which this study is patterned after, found that teachers who examine and link theory to their practice were more likely to change when their beliefs were challenged. In addition, other researchers (e. g., Wildman & Niles; 1987; Wlodarsky & Walters, 2006; Woolley & Woolley, 1999) have suggested that there are differences in reflection among more experienced teachers versus novice teachers. This study considers differences in reflective thinking. This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) examined the reflective thinking of four teachers (two 3rd grade and two 6th grade) using practical argument (Fenstermacher, 1994) as a tool for analyzing their practices. Belief statements served to bridge theory and practice encouraging teachers to be more coherent in their classroom decision-making and instructional practices. The professional development sessions offered throughout this process provided opportunities for teachers to reflect. Results revealed that participants' reflected in and on practice in different ways that seemed to bring about a change. Not only did articulating beliefs provide opportunities for teachers to examine and link theory to practice, practical arguments provided a means for examining inconsistencies between beliefs and practice, differences in reflective language, and the dimensions of reflective thinking used by teachers with varying degrees of experience. Findings further suggest that when challenged, beliefs change. The language revealed in participants' reflections varied between every day and academic depending upon their dimension of reflective thinking. Language mattered. Not only was movement between personal and public theories impeded by a lack of academic language, movement throughout the five dimensions of reflective (Griffiths & Tann,1992) thinking was likewise hindered by a lack of academic language. Implications are provided for teacher education, professional development and further research. Conclusions call for educators and policy makers to recognize the complexities of teaching, the importance of reflection in coping with conflict, and the need for change in prevailing professional development models.

<p>Neuroimaging studies of episodic memory, or memory of events from our personal past, have predominantly focused their attention on medial temporal lobe (MTL). There is growing acknowledgement however, from the cognitive neuroscience of memory literature, that regions outside the MTL can support episodic memory processes. The medial prefrontal cortex is one such region garnering increasing interest from researchers. Using behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging measures, over two studies, this thesis provides evidence of a mnemonic role of the medial PFC. In the first study, participants were scanned while judging the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the sociopolitical views of unfamiliar individuals. Behavioral tests of associative recognition revealed that participants remembered with high confidence viewpoints previously linked with judgments of strong agreement/disagreement. Neurally, the medial PFC mediated the interaction between high-confidence associative recognition memory and beliefs associated with strong agree/disagree judgments. In an effort to generalize this finding to well-established associative information, in the second study, we investigated associative recognition memory for real-world concepts. Object-scene pairs congruent or incongruent with a preexisting schema were presented to participants in a cued-recall paradigm. Behavioral tests of conceptual and perceptual recognition revealed memory enhancements arising from strong resonance between presented pairs and preexisting schemas. Neurally, the medial PFC tracked increases in visual recall of schema-congruent pairs whereas the MTL tracked increases in visual recall of schema-incongruent pairs. Additionally, ventral areas of the medial PFC tracked conceptual components of visual recall specifically for schema-congruent pairs. These findings are consistent with a recent theoretical proposal of medial PFC contributions to memory for schema-related content. Collectively, these studies provide evidence of a role for the medial PFC in associative recognition memory persisting for associative information deployed in our daily social interactions and for those associations formed over multiple learning episodes. Additionally, this set of findings advance our understanding of the cognitive contributions of the medial PFC beyond its canonical role in processes underlying social cognition.</p> / Dissertation

L’objectif de cette thèse est de mettre en avant le rôle de la psychologie dans les fluctuations de la production, de la redistribution et des inégalités. Notre travail s’articule autour de deux axes : i) l’importance de la psychologie à l’égard des inégalités dans la détermination des croyances des agents concernant le rôle de l’effort ii) l’impact de ces croyances sur les dynamiques des grandeurs économiques. L’objectif du premier chapitre est de présenter une revue de littérature sur la relation entre croyances et faits économiques. Au second chapitre, nous développons un modèle théorique, dans lequel nous introduisons une composante psychologique immuable dans les croyances des agents. Nous aboutissons à une explication d’ordre psychologique des disparités entre pays de la volatilité de la TFP, de la production, de la redistribution et des inégalités. Dans le troisième chapitre, nous vérifions, économétriquement, les implications du modèle. / The objective of this doctoral thesis is to put forth the role of psychology in the fluctuations of production, redistribution and inequalities. Our work is centered on two axes : i) the importance of psychology with regards to inequalities in determining individual beliefs about the role of effort ii) the impact of beliefs on the dynamics of economic aggregates. The objective of the first chapter is to provide a literature review on the relationship between beliefs and economic events. In the second chapter, we develop a theoretical model, in which we introduce an unchanging psychological component in individual beliefs. We end at an explanation, of a psychological nature, for cross-country disparities in TFP, production, redistribution and inequalities volatilities. In the third chapter, we provide an empirical verification of the model implications.

[pt] A crescente expansão da atividade tradutória no mundo, bem como o surgimento de novas modalidades de tradução, tem gerado um aumento na oferta de cursos de formação de tradutores, nos mais diversos níveis. No entanto, apenas nos últimos anos os estudos voltados especificamente para a pedagogia da tradução se intensificaram. Esta pesquisa qualitativa investiga as crenças sobre ensino e aprendizagem de Tradução de dois pequenos grupos de informantes: alunos iniciantes do Bacharelado em Letras - habilitação em Tradução da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), todos sem experiência anterior na atividade, e tradutores novatos, egressos ou graduandos desse mesmo curso, que já começaram a atuar profissionalmente. A análise das entrevistas realizadas com os informantes se apoia na literatura acadêmica dos Estudos da Tradução, além das pesquisas sobre a sala de aula de língua estrangeira advindas da Linguística Aplicada. As conclusões indicam crenças que mostram a importância da teoria aplicada à prática, do professor, e da aproximação entre a prática pedagógica empregada no curso e a realidade do mercado de trabalho. / [en] The amount of existing translator-training courses has increased dramatically over the years due to the rising number of translation commissions and new translation modalities. However, not until the last few years have the number of studies specifically dedicated to Translation pedagogy risen as well. This qualitative research investigates the beliefs about translation teaching and learning from two small groups of interviewees: beginner students of Translation, with no professional experience in the area, and recently graduated students, who have already started translating professionally. All of them have taken the Translation graduation programme at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC-Rio). The analysis is based on the academic literature from the Translation Studies field, in addition to the research about the foreign language classroom coming from the Applied Linguistics field. Conclusions highlight beliefs that show how important translation theory apllied to practice is, how important the professor is and how important it is to have a pedagogical practice that reflects the job market.

[pt] O objetivo desta tese é apresentar e discutir os indícios de ressignificação da ansiedade na aprendizagem/uso de línguas estrangeiras ao longo do percurso reflexivo desenvolvido durante doze sessões exploratórias realizadas entre os meses de abril e setembro de 2010, das quais participamos Lea, Mila e eu. Durante os encontros, buscamos a (co)construção de entendimentos acerca dos porquês envolvidos na ansiedade sentida pelas participantes em situações envolvendo línguas estrangeiras. Conhecemos as crenças atuais das aprendizes para relacioná-las aos construtos da ansiedade. Tendo como base filosófica a Prática Exploratória (ALLWRIGHT, 1991, 2009), a arquitetura teórica da pesquisa ilustra seu caráter multifacetado e baseia-se nos estudos acerca da ansiedade, apresentando suas bases neurais (DAMASIO, 2004; LEDOUX, 2004; BISHOP, 2007) e seu viés social, relacionado à aprendizagem e uso das línguas estrangeiras (BROWN, 1973; GUIORA, 1983; HORWITZ et al. 1986; MACINTYRE, 1999; YOUNG, 1999; GREGERSEN, 2003, 2005; HORWITZ, 2008, MARK, 2011, dentre outros ); nos estudos sobre as emoções (LUPTON, 1994; DAMASIO, 2004), crenças (BARCELOS, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010); construções identitárias (BUCHOLTZ e HALL, 2005).O Sistema de Avaliatividade (MARTIN 2001, 2006; MARTIN e WHITE, 2005) foi utilizado como instrumento de análise das avaliações que emergiram durante o processo reflexivo. Fragmentos de doze sessões exploratórias, assim como as mensagens escritas pela participante focal, Mila, foram selecionados como instanciações de reflexões sobre vivências de ansiedade na aprendizagem e uso das línguas estrangeiras. A análise microdiscursiva dos fragmentos foi conduzida de modo a focar no léxico avaliativo referente aos subsistemas AFETO, APRECIAÇÃO e JULGAMENTO, permeados pela GRADAÇÃO e localizados em um continuum de polaridades positiva e negativa. A configuração discursiva das sessões exploratórias ensejou o surgimento e discussões de nossas crenças, momentos de (re)construção identitária, dentre outras questões, na medida em que buscávamos fazer sentido de nossas práticas. O movimento de refletir sobre essas crenças e questioná-las contribuiu para o desenvolvimento de entendimentos e ressignificação da ansiedade sentida pela participante focal. / [en] The objective of this thesis is to present and discuss the reframing of foreign language anxiety which was observed to happen during a reflective journey developed throughout twelve exploratory sessions that were held between April and September in 2010. During the meetings, in which Lea, Mila and I participated, we sought to (re)construct our understandings of the puzzles that involved the participants’ anxiety in situations of learning and using the foreign languages. We became aware of the participants’ current beliefs in order to relate them to the anxiety construct. Taking Exploratory Practice (ALLWRIGHT, 1991, 2009) as the philosophical basis, the theoretical architecture of the research illustrates its multifaceted feature, as it is based on the studies regarding anxiety, presenting its neural bases (DAMASIO, 2004; LEDOUX, 2004; BISHOP, 2007), as well as its social bias related to foreign language learning and use (BROWN, 1973; KLEINMANN, 1977; GUIORA, 1983; HORWITZ et al. 1986; EHRMAN, 1996; MACINTYRE, 1999; YOUNG, 1999; GREGERSEN, 2003, 2005; KONDO e YING-LING, 2004; MILLS ET AL. 2006; HORWITZ, 2008, MARK, 2011) The study is also based on the studies of emotions (LUPTON, 1994; DAMASIO, 2004), beliefs (BARCELOS, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010), of identity construction (BUCHOLTZ e HALL, 2005) referring to foreign language learning and use, and of Appraisal Theory (MARTIN 2001, 2006; MARTIN e WHITE, 2005) as the analytical tool for the evaluations which have emerged during the reflective process. Fragments from the twelve exploratory sessions, as well as messages written by the focal participant, Mila, have been selected as reflective instances of perceived anxiety experienced in relation to foreign language learning and use. The micro-discursive analysis of the fragments have focused on the evaluative lexicon that relates to the subsystems of AFFECT, APPRECIATION, and JUDGEMENT, permeated by GRADUATION, all located on a continuum of positive and negative polarities. The discursive configuration of the exploratory sessions has emerged from the discussions of our beliefs, moments of identity (re)construction, among other issues, while we sought to make sense of our practices. The movement of reflecting and questioning these beliefs has contributed to the development of understandings and reframing the anxiety as perceived by the focal participant.

Student Number : 9603059A - MA research report - School of Speech Pathology - Faculty of Humanities / Rationale: Infant feeding practices are cur rently under the spotlight due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the awareness that the virus may be transmitted through breast milk . Aim: This study examined the beliefs and practices of mothers living with HIV/AIDS regarding infant feeding. Method: An exploratory-descriptive cross -sectional survey research design was employed which incorporated both qualitative and quantitative dimensions, and involved the use of individual interviews . Participants: Forty-two mothers living with HIV who had infants under 6 months of age and attended Coronation Hospital were interviewed . Results: The majority of mothers living with HIV, reported that they fed their infants formula milk. However, they felt that breastfeeding was still best for their babies. Most of the mothers fed their infants formula milk out of fear of them contracting HIV/AIDS. They appeared to be influenced in their infant feeding decisions by their community, culture and family members . Conclusions: The findings have implications for enhancing theoretical knowledge and understanding of infant feeding practices and cultural beliefs ; early intervention and the clinical practice of speech-language pathologists; the formulation of feeding policies of provincial hospitals ; and future research.