M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The absence of a father in family life is an occurrence which is experienced in almost every family. The absent-father refers to the father who, as a result of certain circumstances, cannot properly fulfill his role as father in the family circle. It appears that this phenomenon is gradually on the increase and it is apparent that parents increasingly feel the necessity to obtain guidance in respect of this particular problem. Several factors contribute towards the phenomenon of father-absence. The most general reason for this occurrence is the father's responsibility towards his occupation. The absent-father could also create the image of a father being physically present yet being psychologically absent. In this script an endeavour has been made to grasp the phenomenon of fatherly absence and the influence it could possibly have on a child. The purpose of this study is to determine, in the light of certain studies of literature and empirical research, the influence the fatherly absence has on a child. The purpose of this exercise is dual. Firstly it entails a literature study and secondly an empirical research. A relevant critical survey has been conducted in respect of the role the father plays in the family and in particular with special reference to the differential role of the father in the life of the son and daughter. The study of relevant literature further entails a critical study of fatherly absence and the influence it could have on the son and daughter.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Essa investigação busca evidenciar as ações e os interesses de aprendizagem das crianças bem pequenas, articulando-os à possibilidade de promover a participação infantil no planejamento e organização do cotidiano escolar. O suporte teórico que fundamenta esse trabalho é o conceito de aprendizagem pela vida cotidiana (BROUGÈRE; ULMANN, 2012) e as discussões sobre participação infantil pautadas nas interlocuções dos Estudos da Criança, especialmente no campo da Sociologia da Infância (FERNANDES, 2009). As estratégias metodológicas foram construídas principalmente a partir do referencial sobre investigações qualitativas (BOGDAN; BIKLEN, 1994) e sobre pesquisa com crianças (GRAUE; WALSH, 2003). Participaram da pesquisa treze crianças entre 17 e 27 meses de uma escola pública de Educação Infantil de Porto Alegre e sete adultos. As crianças são consideradas protagonistas desse estudo, porém as professoras e o estagiário responsáveis pela turma, através de suas práticas, constituíram-se como importantes interlocutores ao longo da pesquisa. Os interesses de aprendizagem das crianças foram organizados em três categorias de análise que sustentam a ideia de aprender na vida em comum, aprender pela vida cotidiana e, por fim, aprender fora da “sala de aula”. Esses grupos de interesse indicam que a participação infantil na organização do cotidiano da escola está atravessada pela concepção das ações das crianças, em busca de compreender, estar junto e fazer parte do mundo, como aprendizagens fundamentais na primeira infância. / This investigation aims to put in evidence the activities and learning interests of young childrenarticulating them to the possibility of promoting child participation in the planning and organization of the school daily life. The theoretical support on which this work is based is the concept of learning through daily life (BROUGÈRE e ULMANN, 2012) and the discussions about child participation based on the interlocutions of Child Studies, especially in the field of sociology of children (FERNANDES, 2009). The methodological strategies were developed mainly from the reference of qualitative investigation (BOGDAN e BIKLEN, 1994) and child research (GRAUE E WALSH, 2003). Thirteen children aged 17 to 27 months from a public day care in Porto Alegre and seven adults participated in this research. The children are considered protagonist of this study, but the teachers and trainee in charge of the group became important interlocutors along the research due to their work. The learning interests of children were divided into three categories of analysis that support the idea of learning in the shared childhood, daily life and,finally, “outside” the classroom. These groups of interests indicate that the child participation in the school life organization is related to the children’s activities seeking to understand, get together and be part of the world, which constituteessential learning in the early childhood.

Essa investigação busca evidenciar as ações e os interesses de aprendizagem das crianças bem pequenas, articulando-os à possibilidade de promover a participação infantil no planejamento e organização do cotidiano escolar. O suporte teórico que fundamenta esse trabalho é o conceito de aprendizagem pela vida cotidiana (BROUGÈRE; ULMANN, 2012) e as discussões sobre participação infantil pautadas nas interlocuções dos Estudos da Criança, especialmente no campo da Sociologia da Infância (FERNANDES, 2009). As estratégias metodológicas foram construídas principalmente a partir do referencial sobre investigações qualitativas (BOGDAN; BIKLEN, 1994) e sobre pesquisa com crianças (GRAUE; WALSH, 2003). Participaram da pesquisa treze crianças entre 17 e 27 meses de uma escola pública de Educação Infantil de Porto Alegre e sete adultos. As crianças são consideradas protagonistas desse estudo, porém as professoras e o estagiário responsáveis pela turma, através de suas práticas, constituíram-se como importantes interlocutores ao longo da pesquisa. Os interesses de aprendizagem das crianças foram organizados em três categorias de análise que sustentam a ideia de aprender na vida em comum, aprender pela vida cotidiana e, por fim, aprender fora da “sala de aula”. Esses grupos de interesse indicam que a participação infantil na organização do cotidiano da escola está atravessada pela concepção das ações das crianças, em busca de compreender, estar junto e fazer parte do mundo, como aprendizagens fundamentais na primeira infância. / This investigation aims to put in evidence the activities and learning interests of young childrenarticulating them to the possibility of promoting child participation in the planning and organization of the school daily life. The theoretical support on which this work is based is the concept of learning through daily life (BROUGÈRE e ULMANN, 2012) and the discussions about child participation based on the interlocutions of Child Studies, especially in the field of sociology of children (FERNANDES, 2009). The methodological strategies were developed mainly from the reference of qualitative investigation (BOGDAN e BIKLEN, 1994) and child research (GRAUE E WALSH, 2003). Thirteen children aged 17 to 27 months from a public day care in Porto Alegre and seven adults participated in this research. The children are considered protagonist of this study, but the teachers and trainee in charge of the group became important interlocutors along the research due to their work. The learning interests of children were divided into three categories of analysis that support the idea of learning in the shared childhood, daily life and,finally, “outside” the classroom. These groups of interests indicate that the child participation in the school life organization is related to the children’s activities seeking to understand, get together and be part of the world, which constituteessential learning in the early childhood.

Essa investigação busca evidenciar as ações e os interesses de aprendizagem das crianças bem pequenas, articulando-os à possibilidade de promover a participação infantil no planejamento e organização do cotidiano escolar. O suporte teórico que fundamenta esse trabalho é o conceito de aprendizagem pela vida cotidiana (BROUGÈRE; ULMANN, 2012) e as discussões sobre participação infantil pautadas nas interlocuções dos Estudos da Criança, especialmente no campo da Sociologia da Infância (FERNANDES, 2009). As estratégias metodológicas foram construídas principalmente a partir do referencial sobre investigações qualitativas (BOGDAN; BIKLEN, 1994) e sobre pesquisa com crianças (GRAUE; WALSH, 2003). Participaram da pesquisa treze crianças entre 17 e 27 meses de uma escola pública de Educação Infantil de Porto Alegre e sete adultos. As crianças são consideradas protagonistas desse estudo, porém as professoras e o estagiário responsáveis pela turma, através de suas práticas, constituíram-se como importantes interlocutores ao longo da pesquisa. Os interesses de aprendizagem das crianças foram organizados em três categorias de análise que sustentam a ideia de aprender na vida em comum, aprender pela vida cotidiana e, por fim, aprender fora da “sala de aula”. Esses grupos de interesse indicam que a participação infantil na organização do cotidiano da escola está atravessada pela concepção das ações das crianças, em busca de compreender, estar junto e fazer parte do mundo, como aprendizagens fundamentais na primeira infância. / This investigation aims to put in evidence the activities and learning interests of young childrenarticulating them to the possibility of promoting child participation in the planning and organization of the school daily life. The theoretical support on which this work is based is the concept of learning through daily life (BROUGÈRE e ULMANN, 2012) and the discussions about child participation based on the interlocutions of Child Studies, especially in the field of sociology of children (FERNANDES, 2009). The methodological strategies were developed mainly from the reference of qualitative investigation (BOGDAN e BIKLEN, 1994) and child research (GRAUE E WALSH, 2003). Thirteen children aged 17 to 27 months from a public day care in Porto Alegre and seven adults participated in this research. The children are considered protagonist of this study, but the teachers and trainee in charge of the group became important interlocutors along the research due to their work. The learning interests of children were divided into three categories of analysis that support the idea of learning in the shared childhood, daily life and,finally, “outside” the classroom. These groups of interests indicate that the child participation in the school life organization is related to the children’s activities seeking to understand, get together and be part of the world, which constituteessential learning in the early childhood.

M.Ed. / Nowadays more and more emphasis is placed on the importance of the so called "Emotional Intelligence" which include aspects like social skills, purposefulness, persistence, self-motivation, reliability and solid interpersonal relationships. Goleman (1996: xii) mentions qualities such as "self-control, zeal and persistence" and says that these qualities can be taught and learned irrespective of the individual's intellectual potential. The modern working force requires people who are reliable, adaptable and flexible so that they can cope with various circumstances in a multi-cultural society that is characterized by diversity. The aspects mentioned here, manifest in the different dimensions of the self-concept of the individual and it is therefore important to investigate the nature and the quality of the self-concept and endeavour to determine how this self-concept is established. For this reason the meta-theoretical and theoretical assumptions concerning self-concept were discussed and serve as a theoretical frame of reference for this study. The aim of this study is to determine if similarities exist between the selfconcept of the child and the self-concept of the parent and to investigate whether the self-concept of the parent is reflected in the self-concept of the child. The research design and methods are discussed as well as the validity and reliability of the questionnaire and the test sample. A quasi-experimental research design was employed to enable the researcher to gather measurable data. This approach was used in order to make numerous comparisons between the different groups. In this way it would be possible to identify possible differences as well as possible similarities between the self-concept of children and the self-concept of their parents. The design that was followed, included the use of an existing questionnaire which provides for the measuring of he self-concept on eight different scales. These scales correspond with the different aspects of the self-concept and include: the intellectual (academic) self-concept, the general social selfviii concept, the role of the family, the value orientation of the learner and the educator, the physical aspect, self-confidence, religion and the experience of frustration. The self-concept ,questionnaire (consisting of 46 items) was issued to 100 children. These children were identified in conjunction with the guidance teacher and they were subdivided into two groups namely those with a predominantly high self-concept and children with a predominantly low selfconcept. Children had to complete a questionnaire and see to it that the respective parents also complete questionnaires. Questionnaire items were drawn up, based on existing literature and research findings...

The Diploma thesis "Research on religious literacy of preschool children in a Christian kindergarten class: Case study" consists of two main parts. Its chief aim is to introduce a new term "religious literacy" and identify its main features on children of preschool age. In the first chapter, it is dealt with the term of literacy in general and from the religious point of view. First, the term is defined; its levels, main factors and points of judgment are specified. Further, the particular models for preschool age and the main principles of its effective stimulation and development are drawn up. In the chapter about religious literacy, the stage of faith intuitive - projective is presented, typical for preschool age. It is based on the passages from Catechism of the Catholic Church. The item of the second part is a case study as an empirical research on religious literacy of preschool children in a Christian kindergarten class. The research is directly connected to the theoretical part and its main goal is to get a real picture of the stand of religious-literacy state of preschool children and to analyze given issues. The research sample is characterized; the kindergarten is presented with the related commentary of the Educational program for preschool education. The project main aim and partial...

M.A. / ADD is a term used to describe a group of individuals who have certain common problems. Most have learning difficulties that may interfere with school and social activities. Many are hyperactive and/or easily distracted with short spans of attention. The exact causes of ADD are not known, but there is widespread acceptance that the disorder is often inherited. ADD is presently managed, but not cured. Effective management requires understanding. It is essential that all those involved develop a commonsense understanding of the associated problems. The aim of this study is to describe the behaviour of ADD children and their parents in order to establish whether similarities exist between the two. This will assist in understanding this complex disorder. The literature review served as a theoretical basis for the research. It also aided in the design of additional questionnaires which were used to gather demographic information on the children and parents involved. The objectives of the study were firstly to describe the behaviour of ADD children using the Behaviour Rating Scale for Hyper-children (BRASH). By analyzing data gathered from this instrument, high scores in the areas of intensity, persistence, sensitivity, perceptiveness, energy and extroversion, were identified. Secondly, the Assessment Scale for Hyperpersons (ASH) was administered in order to collect data concerning the behaviour of parents involved. Areas that received high scores included: intensity, perceptiveness, sensitivity, energy and extroversion. The next objective was to establish possible similarities in the behaviour of ADD children and their parents. The behaviour patterns were compared, and similarities identified. Both groups scored highest in the areas of intensity, perceptiveness, sensitivity, energy and extroversion. The results emphasize ADD as a family issue, rather than an individual one.

The subject of the thesis is a research investigation aimed at comparing the visual and verbal expression of children, which is exhibit striking differences in the achieved level of these two expressions, and evaluation criteria of kindergarten teachers in the assessment of both expressions. The aim of the thesis is based on research findings to contribute to the deepening of the professional competencies of teachers in kindergartens in solving pedagogical problems in children with a significant mismatch between the actual achieved level of visual and verbal expression. The research problem is expressed by the research questions aimed at pre-schoolers and the kindergarten school teachers . The research uses mainly qualitative research, supplemented in some parts by quantitative research. In the preliminary investigations were used content analysis of text, in the context of my research are included the methods of observation, interviews, analysis of children's drawings, narratives . The expected outcome of the thesis is the preparation of documents intended for kindergarten teachers, allowing them to deepen their knowledge of the problem. Its contents will include possible causes of a mismatch between visual and verbal expression of the preschoolers and proposals for concrete actions that belong...

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis project aims to address the following question: How do women who were planning a vaginal birth with limited medical intervention experience an unplanned c-section? Specifically, this research project involved: completing in-depth interviews with 15 women who planned a vaginal birth with limited medical intervention but instead experienced an unplanned c-section between six months and two years ago; discovering and describing the nature of the birth the mothers originally envisioned for their child; exploring the women’s experiences with, and feelings about, the birth itself and how it might differ from what they envisioned; developing a better understanding of how these experiences and feelings affected the women during the first two years following the birth; describing any challenges they faced and how, if at all, they managed such challenges; and identifying strategies that could be used to improve the experience of women recovering from an unplanned c-section who envisioned a vaginal birth with limited medical intervention.