<p>The thesis studies one method, focus group discussions, for public participation in the starting of implementing the European Community Water Framework Directive at a catchment level. Focus group discussions can be used as a method for bringing relevant stakeholder-groups into the discussion and evaluation of different possible solutions to problems of managing local waters in order to lower nutrient emissions and stop eutrophication. Of special interest in the study is the participants’ development of collaboration and collaborative learning in the focus groups. Also of interest is their change in attitudes during the focus group process and their will to participate in similar settings. The thesis assesses the results of three questionnaires responded by focus group participants in a study carried out by the Swedish Water Management Research Programme, VASTRA. The participants represent stakeholders in Rönne å catchment in Skåne, and also the results from ten focus group discussions with the same participants.</p>

Since studies points out declining interest in science among students in Swedish schools, I have in this paper chosen to examine how some students at the Social Science Programme are experiencing the lessons in Natural Science and how to make lessons more interesting according to these students. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of how teachers would develop new perspectives and tools to make lessons in Natural Science more interesting. I also wanted to investigate whether an intercultural perspective could be a possible tool to increase students’ interest and motivation. As a theoretical framework, I have assumed Vygotskij's sociocultural perspective, Habermas's theory of deliberative conversations and an intercultural perspective. Through a qualitative approach, I conducted interviews with students and teachers. The main results showed that students felt that natural Science lessons were too theoretical and undemocratic and that they wanted to have more student interactions, such as discussions and group works. One problem highlighted was the fear of saying the incorrect thing or for the teacher to reveal incompetence. The conclusion is that the students wanted to have more practical aspects of teaching, which can be relatively simple and that an intercultural education would benefit the school's democratic mandate, encourage more students' preferences of learning strategies and enable more students through more secure environment where everyone feels included.

La présente étude vise à décrire les représentations sociales que des jeunes francophones en santé au Nouveau-Brunswick ont à l’égard du diabète. Cette étude découle d’un partenariat, initié entre l’Université de Moncton et divers organismes et collèges communautaires du Nouveau-Brunswick, qui ont identifié l’importance d’intervenir auprès des jeunes francophones en milieu scolaire pour prévenir le diabète. La théorie des représentations sociales est le cadre théorique utilisé pour décrire la vision que les jeunes ont du diabète, de son origine et des facteurs associés à sa prévention. À notre connaissance, cette étude est la première à examiner le concept du diabète chez des adolescents non atteints de diabète. Hypothèse principale: étant donné que l’expérience que les adolescents ont du diabète est limitée à leur environnement social et qu’ils ont de la difficulté à définir les concepts de santé et de maladie, ils ne seront pas capables de décrire le diabète en profondeur. Pour ce faire, des groupes de discussion, incluant une technique d’association libre, ont été réalisés, entre novembre et décembre 2005, auprès d’adolescents de 5e, 8e et 10e année recrutés dans quatre écoles francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick (Districts 1 et 11). Les réponses des élèves aux groupes de discussion et à l’association libre ont été classées dans des catégories et sous-catégories (analyse de contenu), et des tests de Khi-deux et de «Fisher» ont permis de déterminer les différences entre les sexes et les niveaux scolaires. Cent-trente adolescents (70 filles et 60 garçons) de 5e (n=44), 8e (n=46) et 10e année (n=40) ont participé à 19 groupes de discussion. Lors de l’activité d’association libre, les catégories les plus fréquemment mentionnées étaient : sucre (cité par 66% des participants), traitement (48%), nature du diabète (45%), nutrition (41%), sang (38%), complications (18%), manifestations physiologiques (11%), obésité (6%) et activité physique (6%). Aucune différence significative n’a été observée entre les sexes mais les élèves de 10e année ont cité plus fréquemment les catégories «traitement», «sang» et «obésité». Lors des groupes de discussion, les adolescents ont décrit le diabète comme une maladie (13/19 groupes) reliée au sucre (15/19 groupes) et au sang (13/19 groupes). Cependant, seulement quelques groupes ont discuté en profondeur de la nature du diabète (ex.: rôle de l’insuline et pancréas), des types de diabète (types 1 et 2) et des symptômes et des complications. Ils ont aussi cité ce que les gens atteints de diabète devaient faire pour traiter leur diabète (ex.: manger bien: 18 groupes; se piquer: 17 groupes; prendre des pilules: 5 groupes; et faire de l’activité physique: 5 groupes), mais ils n’ont pas discuté des stratégies à entreprendre pour y arriver. Les représentations de l’origine du diabète incluaient l’hérédité et l’âge (13/19 groupes), l’obésité et l’alimentation (12/19 groupes) et l’activité physique (13/19 groupes). Dans la moitié des groupes, les adolescents ont mentionné se sentir à risque de diabète; les filles plus que les garçons. Treize groupes ont fait référence aux comportements observés chez des diabétiques connus, ce qui démontre l’importance de l’environnement social sur les représentations. Les résultats de cette étude appuient l’hypothèse que les adolescents sont limités dans leur description du diabète en matière de définitions, origines et prévention du diabète. Ces résultats fournissent des pistes de réflexion aux professionnels de la santé pour identifier le contenu et les stratégies que devraient contenir les programmes éducatifs en matière de prévention du diabète chez les jeunes. / The purpose of this study is to describe healthy francophone adolescents’ social representations of diabetes. This study stems from a partnership, initiated between the University of Moncton and various college and community organizations in New Brunswick, which identified the importance of intervening among young francophone students to prevent diabetes. The theory of social representations is the conceptual framework used to describe adolescents’ vision about diabetes, its origin and factors associated with its prevention. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the concept of diabetes among adolescents without diabetes. Principal hypothesis: given that the experience adolescents have with diabetes is limited to their social environment and given that they have difficulty in defining the concepts of health and disease, they will not be able to describe diabetes in an in depth fashion. Focus groups, which included an activity using the Free Association technique, were conducted, between November and December 2005, with adolescents in grade 5, 8 and 10, recruited in four francophone schools in New Brunswick (Districts 1 and 11). Students’ responses, obtained during the focus groups and the Free Association activity, were classified into categories and sub-categories (content analysis); Chi-square and Fisher Exact tests were used to determine differences between sex and grade levels. One hundred and thirty adolescents (70 girls and 60 boys) in grade 5 (n=44), 8 (n=46) and 10 (n=40) participated in 19 focus group discussions. During the Free Association activity, the categories most frequently mentioned were: sugar (cited by 66% of participants), treatment (48%), nature of diabetes (45%), nutrition (41%), blood (38%), complications (18%), physiological manifestations (11%), obesity (6%), and physical activity (6%). No significant differences were observed between boys and girls but students in grade 10 were more likely to cite the categories of ‘treatment’, ‘blood’ and ‘obesity’. During the focus group discussions, adolescents described diabetes as a disease (13/19 groups) related to sugar (15/19 groups) and blood (13/19 groups). However, only a few groups discussed, in detail, the nature of diabetes (e.g.: role of insulin and pancreas), the types of diabetes (type 1 and 2), and the symptoms and complications of diabetes. They also cited what individuals with diabetes should do to treat their disease (e.g.: eat well: 18 groups; have injections: 17 groups; take pills: 5 groups; and be physically active: 5 groups), but they did not discuss the strategies to manage these behaviours. Representations of diabetes related to the origin of the disease included heredity and age (13/19 groups), obesity and nutrition (12/19 groups) and physical activity (13/19 groups). In half of the groups, adolescents mentioned feeling at risk for diabetes; girls more likely than boys. Thirteen groups referred to behaviours which they had observed among diabetics they knew, demonstrating the importance of the social environment in their representations. The results of this study support the hypothesis that adolescents are limited in their description of diabetes with respect to its definition, origins and prevention. These results provide direction for health professionals in identifying the content and strategies that should be included in diabetes prevention programs for youth.

Il est bien établi dans la recherche que le goût de lire est associé au succès scolaire de l’élève. Lorsque les élèves développent le goût de lire, ils démontrent un engagement envers cette activité. Or, les cercles lecture semblent justement être un moyen de parvenir à créer un tel engagement. C’est pourquoi nous avons choisi d’étudier cette activité afin de chercher à comprendre comment les expériences personnelles des élèves sont mises à profit dans la construction de sens en lecture. Pour y arriver, nous avons observé six groupes d’élèves de 6e année pendant cinq semaines consécutives lors des cercles de lecture. Nos analyses ont porté sur les relations que les élèves établissent entre le texte lu et leurs expériences passées, présentes et futures. Ces observations ont été mises en lien avec leur intérêt pour la lecture, lequel a été mesuré avant le début des cercles de lecture. Pour obtenir un portrait plus complet, une entrevue d’un des groupes de discussion a été réalisée. Au total, les références les plus fréquentes ont été faites aux expériences passées des élèves. Cela pourrait confirmer l’importance du rôle du « réservoir expérientiel » défini par Rosenblatt. En ce qui concerne la relation entre l’intérêt pour la lecture et les références aux expériences personnelles des élèves, nous avons relevé que le groupe de discussion qui est intervenu le plus grand nombre de fois au sujet d'expériences personnelles était formé de trois élèves dont les résultats au questionnaire étaient supérieurs à la moyenne de la classe.

The purpose of this study is to analyze commonly read children’s literature from a gender perspective. The study also contains a discussion about what these books can convey to students and how they can be used in a didactic perspective. The selection of books has been made based on a research that showed which ten books teachers mostly use for reading aloud across the country. The books have been placed in relation to the current stereotypes found in our society. The study shows that there are a large variety of gender structures in the books, with some characters who follows the norm and some who breaks it. Despite that, generalizations have been made and each book has been divided into category breaks the norm or follows the norm. The result has shown that most of the books breaks the norm, but most books also requires a discussion about gender afterwards in order not to be misinterpreted and spread wrong values. The study therefore reveals that children’s literature can be used in the teaching to highlight and discuss value-based issues, through reading aloud and book discussions. / Syftet med undersökningen är att analysera vanligt förekommande skönlitterära högläsningsböcker ur ett genusperspektiv. I undersökningen förs en diskussion om vad dessa böcker kan förmedla till elever och hur de kan användas i ett didaktiskt perspektiv. Urvalet av böcker har gjorts av en förundersökning som visat vilka tio skönlitterära böcker lärare mest använder till högläsning runt om i landet. Böckerna har sedan ställts i relation till de rådande stereotyperna som finns i vårt samhälle. Undersökningen visar att det finns en stor variation i genusstrukturerna i respektive bok, med några karaktärer som följer normen och några som bryter den. Däremot har generaliseringar kunnat göras och respektive bok har blivit indelat i kategorin bryter normen eller följer normen. Resultatet har visat att majoriteten av böckerna bryter mot normen, men att de flesta böckerna kräver en efterföljande diskussion om genus för att inte misstolkas och sprida felaktiga värden. Av undersökningen har man därmed kunnat konstatera att det går att använda skönlitterära böcker i undervisningen för att belysa och diskutera värdegrundsfrågor, genom högläsning och boksamtal.

Abstract This thesis attempts to contribute to both intermedial studies and F. Scott Fitzgerald scholarship by studying the text-illustration interplay in two versions of “The Rich Boy”. Intermediality, which pays close attention to media interactions, is a natural method to explore the word-image relations in these texts: the first version, published in Red Book Magazine in 1926, and an illustrated Spanish translation from 2012.             Lars Elleström’s definition of media as a combination of modes and modalities, plays a central role in the analysis, where I study how these interact in each text: For instance, in terms of the material and sensorial modalities, both illustrators try to simulate depth and convey the senses in a flat interface. In terms of the spatiotemporal modality, the anachronies in the time placement of Gruger’s images intensify the nostalgic mood in the text, while Ágreda’s adherence to the text’s time relays a certain autonomy. Both their treatments of space are often symbolic; thus, regarding the semiotic modality, the images are symbolic besides iconic. Each text is colored by the reading of the illustrator, who is also a reader and interpreter.             The theoretical framework also comprises of an approach to nostalgia: While Fitzgerald’s story is nostalgic per se, the illustrators display variations of nostalgia: Gruger’s work mirrors and enhances the nostalgic mood of the text, and while to a certain extent, Ágreda’s also does this, his nostalgia is most manifest in how he attempts to recreate a particular picture of the Jazz Age.

The thesis studies one method, focus group discussions, for public participation in the starting of implementing the European Community Water Framework Directive at a catchment level. Focus group discussions can be used as a method for bringing relevant stakeholder-groups into the discussion and evaluation of different possible solutions to problems of managing local waters in order to lower nutrient emissions and stop eutrophication. Of special interest in the study is the participants’ development of collaboration and collaborative learning in the focus groups. Also of interest is their change in attitudes during the focus group process and their will to participate in similar settings. The thesis assesses the results of three questionnaires responded by focus group participants in a study carried out by the Swedish Water Management Research Programme, VASTRA. The participants represent stakeholders in Rönne å catchment in Skåne, and also the results from ten focus group discussions with the same participants.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-10-11T11:08:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 thennerfreitasdacunha.pdf: 960488 bytes, checksum: 478646ef862fdb82516281b83b54a6ee (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-10-11T15:56:08Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 thennerfreitasdacunha.pdf: 960488 bytes, checksum: 478646ef862fdb82516281b83b54a6ee (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-11T15:56:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 thennerfreitasdacunha.pdf: 960488 bytes, checksum: 478646ef862fdb82516281b83b54a6ee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-09-22 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo identificar como ocorrem as reclamações em audiências de conciliação realizadas no PROCON através das descrições feitas pelas partes envolvidas, uma vez que ao descrever as pessoas fazem atribuições oferecendo versões que tornam a acusação (reclamação) relevante e digna de crédito. Uma asserção sobre os fatos só é feita quando as pessoas têm diferentes versões e/ou diferentes interesses, desta forma vamos ver como diferentes versões são contrastadas para a construção do fato, observando as formulações extremas utilizadas pelas partes em seus relatos. Em uma interação, estamos sempre argumentando, ou seja, tentando convencer o outro a chegar a certas conclusões que sejam de nosso interesse. O corpus analisado corresponde a algumas audiências de conciliação realizadas no PROCON de uma cidade de Minas Gerais. / This study aims to identify the claims as they occur in conciliation hearings held in PROCON through the descriptions made by the involved parties, as when describing people do assignments offering versions that make the complaint (complaint) relevant and credible. An assertion about the facts is only done when people have different versions and / or different interests, thus we see how different versions are contrasted to the construction of the fact, are the extreme formulations used by the parties in their reports. In an interaction, we are always arguing, or trying to convince the other to reach certain conclusions that are of our interest. The corpus analyzed corresponds to some conciliation hearings held in PROCON in a city located in Minas Gerais.

Trolling can affect a web forum and the social sustainability of a forum thread through an activity that leads to negative consequences for participants and participation. Trolling means posts with insults and attacks that are intended to provoke and irritate. By studying the consequences of interaction in web forums on programming, a better understanding of social sustainability is created. Social sustainability aspects concern human well-being but also basic needs for survival. A qualitative approach, inspired by netnography, provided the opportunity to interpret the contexts that arise in a forum conversation and how participation is influenced by the contributions of different participants. The approach created the basis for answering the research question: How does the interaction between participants affect social sustainability and what are the consequences of meetings in both national and international web forum for programming discussions? The analysis of data was conducted through interpretation of text and a process adapted to the netnography, which meant abstraction and comparison, control and refinement, generalization and theorizing. The results show that international forum threads, with English as the communication language, are less socially sustainable, than the national ones. Almost half of the forum threads in the study, 8 out of 17, can be assessed socially sustainable. Kudos trolling with interference in the interaction is recorded the most times but is only found in 3 of 17 forum threads. All forum threads that addressed school assignments were influenced by misunderstandings and a lack of understanding regarding the description of the question or answers. / Trollning kan påverka ett webbforum och en forumstråds sociala hållbarhet genom en aktivitet som leder till negativa konsekvenser för deltagarna och deltagandet. Trollning innebär inlägg med förolämpningar och påhopp som är avsedda att provocera och irritera. Genom undersökning av konsekvenser av interaktion i webbforum gällande programmering skapas en bättre förståelse för den sociala hållbarheten. Sociala hållbarhetsaspekter berör mänskligt välbefinnande, men även grundläggande behov för överlevnad. En kvalitativ ansats, inspirerad av netnografi, gav möjligheter att tolka de sammanhang som uppstår i en forumskonversation, och hur deltagandet påverkas av olika deltagares inlägg. Ansatsen skapade grunder för att besvara forskningsfrågan: Hur påverkar interaktionen mellan deltagare den sociala hållbarheten, och vilka är konsekvenserna av möten i, både nationella och internationella, webbforum för programmeringsdiskussioner? Analysen av data genomfördes genom tolkning av text, och en process anpassad till netnografin som innebar abstraktion och komparation, kontroll och förfining, generalisering samt teoretiserande. Resultatet visar att internationella forumstrådar, med engelska som kommunikationsspråk, är mindre socialt hållbara än de nationella. Nästan hälften av forumstrådarna i studien, 8 av 17, kan bedömas socialt hållbara. Kudostrollning med störning i interaktionen registreras flest gånger, men återfinns endas i 3 av 17 forumstrådar. Alla forumstrådar som behandlade skoluppgifter påverkades av missförstånd, och en oförståelse rörande beskrivning av frågan eller svaren.

Tertiary institutions in South Africa are currently faced with several challenges: Student numbers are increasing, funding is not necessarily sufficient and the type of student who enters Higher Education is part of a generation which grew up with technology (Prensky, 2001). Expectations are that tertiary education institutions need to keep up with the changing environment, whilst still maintaining high standards. Interaction within the learning environment is essential, both from an academic, as well as a social point of view. Students who leave the institution need to be able to function in a working environment, with all the challenges that accompany it, as well as be academically qualified for their careers. Universities, and specifically Economics departments, are often accused of being ivory towers with no regard for the real world (Fullbrook, 2003). The design for this study is a case-study within a qualitative research design. The study focuses on the use of an LMS to aid the learning process in a blended learning environment at the department of Economics, at the University of the Free State. In this study, several tools were used to support students and add another dimension to learning economics. Data-collection instruments include a literature review, focus group meetings, semi-structured questionnaires and observations. The value of this study is that it forms a basis for lecturers in other disciplines to include aspects of blended learning in their courses. The findings of the research include the usability of the different LMS tools, students’ experiences of these tools and the effect that these tools have on their understanding and integration of economics. The rationale of this study is based on the fact that students who attend university come from a generation identified as Digital Natives (Prensy, 2001) and have certain methods of data integration. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to focus and analyse students’ experiences of using WebCT tools as an additional aid to the course. The target group for the study was the Economics firstyear, second semester, English medium of instruction students. The course runs over a full semester, with two traditional facetoface classes, as well as tutor groups. In addition to two semester tests and an examination, students had to participate in a biweekly discussion forum, based on economic events and four online, multiple choice quizzes. They also had access to class notes, additional readings, informal discussions and a forum for questions. This research makes use of a qualitative approach and a casestudy, because it studies a “…human activity embedded in the real world which can only be studied or understood in context … which exists in the here and now that merges in with its context so that precise boundaries are difficult to draw” Gillham (2000). This study falls within the Interpretivist paradigm (Burrel and Morgan). Data were collected by means of focus group meetings, informal discussions, openended questionnaires, observations and a course evaluation. In this way, students’ attitudes towards the LMS could be gauged. Three categories were identified during the data analysis and coding process. The first category relates to interaction between students and lecturers (or tutors), the second to peerinteraction and the last category refers to contentstudent interaction. The findings of this study concludes that students need interaction with lecturers, peers and content in order to make sense of what they are learning, to link the theory with realworld issues and to enhance generic skills. Lecturers should consider making use of a hybrid learning system, but must consider their specific course content before deciding which of the available tools to use. / Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted