A Thesis Presented to: The Faculty of Education Cape Peninsula University of Technology by Marie-Anne Ogle in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education Cape Peninsula University of Technology December 2010 / Many students in my Communication Skills class, especially those from rural areas, who had passed their Grade 12 English examination, were unable to express themselves competently, and as a result, they lacked the self-esteem and confidence to express their abilities. It has now been recognised that students are in need of a strong foundation that will bridge the gap from school to university and will allow them to cope with any situation within the workplace. The accent has changed from memorising factual knowledge, to acquiring literacy skills needed in everyday living and the world of work. It has become necessary to find a suitable means of helping these students to cope linguistically. This study uses grounded theory to focus on whether an intervention based on a natural approach to acquiring a language, could improve students’ oral and written skills as well as their confidence. Enthusiasm and the development of a love for language and an ‘I-can-do-it’ attitude were promoted instead of the traditional language exercises. Reading for enjoyment, participation and speaking out were encouraged – all underpinned by respect. The results of an oral presentation, a written essay and an interview with each candidate were analysed at the start of the seven-month intervention programme. A post-test of the three procedures was done to gauge change. An increase in both oral presentation marks and written work was also noted at the end of the intervention period. Themes such as confidence, learning to work with different people and understanding their ideas, an introduction to other cultures, tolerance and respect emerged. All these themes are part of the ‘envisaged learner’ in the Department of Education’s National Curriculum Statement Grades R – 9. The results have guided the development of a prototype intervention, which is central to the concept of self-esteem as a path for future literacy development in school and post-school education. Bolstering this sense of self-esteem is the key to working with new learners of English in the tertiary context.

Orientador: Lea Maria Leme Strini Velho / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T09:13:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Moreira_MariaLigia_D.pdf: 1740414 bytes, checksum: df262ef3f209fd6739fc1c59d89c3eb7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Esta Tese analisa a trajetória da pós-graduação no Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). O objetivo central desta Tese é identificar as razões que levaram o INPE a criar estruturas próprias para formar pesquisadores, analisar os meios pelos quais o Instituto implementou tal tarefa, e os impactos dessas atividades. A pesquisa mostra a organização do Programa Nacional de Atividades Espaciais (PNAE) e as políticas relacionadas, e o papel desempenhado pelo INPE na formação de especialistas ao longo das últimas quatro décadas. São analisados os principais objetivos e as estratégias adotadas para a constituição do núcleo de pós-graduação no INPE, a trajetória acadêmica e o destino profissional dos egressos, e a inserção das mulheres nos programas. É apresentada uma reflexão sobre a característica estratégica das atividades espaciais para o país, e os principais objetivos da política espacial de estabelecimento de competências científicas e tecnológicas que possibilitem atuar com real autonomia, para a qual a formação e o aprimoramento de recursos humanos são imprescindíveis. Uma característica marcante na pós-graduação do Instituto é a aliança entre pesquisa, desenvolvimento e ensino, em um processo impulsionado pela interação entre pesquisa, experiência prática e ação. Também, apresenta-se uma reflexão sobre a emergência de novas concepções sobre os modos de produção do conhecimento e os novos papéis atribuídos à ciência e tecnologia, e o papel desse núcleo de ensino neste contexto. Os resultados confirmam importância da pós-graduação do INPE para a formação da massa crítica e para que o país chegasse ao nível que tem hoje de desenvolvimento na área espacial. / Abstract: This dissertation deals with the trajectory of graduate education at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The main objective was to identify the reasons that led INPE to create their own structures to train researchers, analyzing the means by which the Institute has implemented such a task, and the impacts of these activities. The research shows the running of the National Program Space Activities (PNAE) and related policies, and the role played by INPE in training specialists over the past four decades. The study identifies and analyses the main objectives and strategies for building the post-graduation core at INPE, as well as the academic trajectory and the destination of the former graduates (alumni), and the inclusion of women in the programs. It presents a strategic reflection on the characteristic of space activities for the country and the main goals of space policy for the establishment of scientific and technological skills that will enable the country to work reach autonomy, for which the training and improvement of human resources are essential. A distinguishing marc in the Institute graduate studies is the alliance between research, development and education in a process driven by the interaction between research, practical experience and action. It presents a reflection on the emergence of new ideas on ways of producing knowledge and new roles for science and technology and the role of the core of education in this context. The results confirm the importance of the role played by the graduate programs offered by INPE on the training of a critical mass of space researchers as well as on its contribution to reach the level Brazil has today in the field of space research development. / Doutorado / Politica Cientifica e Tecnologica / Doutor em Política Científica e Tecnológica

D.Ed. (Media Science) / The use of educational media in education and training is a reality. In order to use media optimally two possible sources of information and expertise come to mind, namely own cumulative experience and research. Experience can often be very shallow and unsatisfactory and could necessitate augmentation by the findings of research and a fuller grasp of the extent of the theoretical base within a particular field of study. As there are persistent indications that the theoretical bases of educational technology and media science leave much to be desired and that media research does not fulfil expectations, it was deemed prudent to investigate theory formation and explication in the field of media science (a subset of educational technology). The following aims were pursued: * Further theory formation regarding the nature and focus of educational technology and media science and the placement of both fields of study within the discipline of education. * The development of a model for media research. * The development of criteria or the redirection of existing criteria for the assessment of media research. * A discussion of the implications of the above for media utilization. In order to realize these aims, theory formation in the discipline of education was investigated and an overview of educational research (as one form of manifestation of theory formation) undertaken. As media science forms part of educational technology, tho developments in both fields were reviewed. Media research forms a substantial mechanism whereby theory formation can take place, therefore the media research (past and present) is dealt with extensively. Each of these themes are dealt with in terms of its history, current status and future prospects...

M.Ed. / A number of studies has shown that adult education is a matter of great concern in South Africa, and the Northern Province has been earmarked as one of the regions with which needs thorough redressing and restitution of equality. This is because this region is constituted of rural areas characterised by poverty, unemployment and lack of proper housing and infrastructure. Many adults, most of hem middle-aged, and teenagers are illiterate because they either missed out on school or dropped out of school. It therefore becomes important that, given the situation in the province, ABET centres and relevant programmes be established and provided in order to fight against illiteracy. The literature shows that good provision in adult education should go hand in hand with the identification and assessment of the needs of adult learners. Whatever investigation is made on the needs of adult learners, the social and cultural background of the learner should be considered because it is the context which guides and influences expression of their needs. This suggests that appropriate methods for conducting ABET needs assessment should be selected and used - methods which will adapt to the background of the adult learners. The aim of this study, therefore, is to describe the process of conducting a needs assessment for the development of a programme for adult learners using the hermeneutic-dialectic methodology, and simultaneously assessing the viability of this methodology for developing appropriate needs assessment instruments in rural areas of South Africa. This study was approached from a constructivist (interpretive) perspective. This perspective is one which asserts that there exists multiple realities which are socially constructed. Within this perspective, the hermeneutic-dialectic methodology is suggested as a way of conducting research. Using this methodology as a framework, the open interview method was used in order to elicit constructions of participants. It became evident that the hermeneutic-dialectic methodology may be one of the appropriate methodologies which can be used for conducting needs assessment in rural areas. This is because the methodology adapts to the social and cultural background of the adult learners.

This study explores and exposes the dichotomy that currently exists between educational policy and research in learning theory.

<p>Ongoing efforts seek to develop engineering students into entrepreneurially minded engineers. Often, work to achieve that goal relies on theories drawn from entrepreneurship research from business disciplines to develop interventions and ground research on engineering entrepreneurship education. However, despite repeated warnings by multiple scholars, there has been limited evaluation of whether such theories are appropriate to design interventions or understand the development of students’ entrepreneurial expertise. Theories of entrepreneurship developed in the field of entrepreneurship typically make several assumptions or research design choices pertinent to their usefulness in education. Those assumptions include assuming those studied make no errors, building expert-comparative rather than expert-novice theories, and mythicizing and reifying certain types of entrepreneurs. One such theory, the <i>Theory of Effectuation</i>, is representative of these assumptions as well as being commonly used in entrepreneurship education as a model of correct decision-making. Prior studies have used the Theory of Effectuation to compare experts and students and track students’ growth, but have presumed error free reasoning by both experts and students.</p> <p>My dissertation focuses on empirically evaluating the appropriateness of one assumption from the Theory of Effectuation when applying the theory to engineering students’ decision-making. The assumption I focus on is what errors engineering students make when working on typical early stage entrepreneurship decisions. The existence of such errors would call into question whether the Theory of Effectuation, which does not allow for such errors, can usefully describe engineering students’ decision-making. Interpreting the resulting errors can also help educators inform educators about pre-existing knowledge and beliefs that students bring to entrepreneurship classrooms. This can enable the design of more effective research studies and interventions to improve the state of the field</p> <p>To do so, I completed a verbal protocol study with engineering students at two universities. The verbal protocol used is based on one previously used to develop the Theory of Effectuation and asks participants to think aloud while making decisions typical of an early-stage entrepreneurial venture. I then coded the transcribed data from those protocols for conceptual errors related to business and management concepts. A thematic analysis of the results showed several consistent patterns of errors. Those included misinterpreting market research data as representative of their company’s financial performance, misunderstanding and using faulty analogies to analyze different outside investment options, and perceiving that they would personally receive all proceeds from a company’s sale. In general, two overarching patterns emerged – overestimating the value of their venture and overestimating their control.</p> <p>I end by interpreting the results through three existing areas of literature to provide new knowledge to engineering entrepreneurship educators. First, the patterns of errors appear similar to other misconceptions in that a potential alternative ontology that students rely on may exist in mythicization work, however more evidence is necessary to formally establish that the patterns of errors are in fact ontological miscategorizations. Second, the patterns of errors are strikingly similar to the myths about entrepreneurs that have been identified in media and research that reports on entrepreneurs. This suggests a specific source of students’ preconceptions about entrepreneurship that educators should actively engage with. Third, the findings validate existing theoretical critiques of how entrepreneurship theory is used in engineering education. Specifically, theories developed in entrepreneurship literature appear to be a poor fit for engineering education research because of their embedded assumptions.</p>

Constructing School Organization Through Metaphor: Making Sense of School Reform is an in-depth case study of a K-12 laboratory school affiliated with a major state university. The school was undergoing a series of significant changes, mainly due to mandates brought about through educational reform policy and the upcoming loss and replacement of their school facilities. The study was of a particular period in time, and spanned approximately one year. The directed, open-ended questions asked during interviews with adults in the school were related to changes the school was undergoing, how these changes were being implemented, and how these were affecting teachers in relation to their teaching. Insights about the organization were in part gained by the use of metaphor as a tool for looking at organizational structure, and for viewing and describing the meanings that educators created around their roles, professions, and organization. Qualitative research was chosen as the best method for studying these research questions: 1) What understandings about the organization and the changes exist? A) What organizational metaphors are played out in this school undergoing rapid change? B) Are multiple metaphors conflicting or complementary? 2) What are the consequences of competing metaphors on educators and the organization? During times of change, an organization's metaphors are more readily apparent as the actors respond to the pressures of change: this was true at the lab school. Metaphors helped expose how individuals constructed shared meanings about their school, the changes impacting the school, and themselves as members of the organization. The study provides insights into how metaphor and rhetoric were used by educators and others to help construct the social reality of their school, a reality played out through the school's culture. Great concerns surfaced during the interviews about the role of the teacher, the needs of students, the purposes of education, and issues about reform. At the same time, holding the culture together were certain underlying values, characteristics, and expectations—mainly a commitment to student learning and the best interests of the students. The shared metaphor of "teacher" allowed the culture of the school to survive with some strength, even while co-existing with the dissonance caused by other, competing metaphors. However, the shared metaphor of "teacher" did not reduce the school's struggle with change, and the socializing aspects of the culture did not appear to be contributing to an overall understanding or acceptance of the proposed new school and new metaphors necessary to implement the changes and mandates. The research is descriptive in nature, and data (observations, interviews, and study of artifacts inside and outside of the setting) were inductively analyzed. The narratives of the people interviewed are the primary data. Aggregated data reported in this study are excerpts from the interviews with forty-seven adults within the school setting, compiled in such a way as to represent the repeated issues and mix of "voices" of those interviewed. The thick data collected provides information on how educators within the school were making sense and meaning of themselves and their organization as the school underwent great change. The events that took place were observed, recorded, and analyzed through open coding into themes that described the changes, metaphors, negotiations, and processes taking place: these constructed the realities within the school. Metaphors were seen to effect and be affected by a series of changes within the school and by the rhetoric of school members. The researcher's intention was accomplished--i.e., to examine and consider how the institutional arguments, as reported by stakeholders in the organization, were negotiated through a complex, interactive process. The examination was fundamentally based on the metaphors used by the participants, which both revealed and helped to create their views of the reality of the organization. Metaphors were also used in the production of the study as a means of helping the reader understand what was taking place in this school. As a way of looking at people's behavior, organizations, and life constructs, metaphors serve as tools for understanding, identifying, and describing how educators within the school perceive and construct their organization and manage their work lives. Educators use metaphor to construct their realities of themselves as professionals and of their school as an organization, to share beliefs and realities with others, and to influence decisions. Some of the metaphors found and used in the lab school had to do with organizational issues, others with individual issues, including identity. Understanding the dynamics between the existence and use of metaphors, organization structure, and the people who work in the organization is important to educators and policy makers as schools re-create themselves to meet new mandates. The narratives describe and give insights into how people in the organization used metaphors to organize their structures and work, and to negotiate, manage, construct, and deal with their realities and relationships with each other. The narratives and descriptions of the research also use metaphors to facilitate readers' understanding of this study and to link the narratives of those interviewed back to the literature review. The narrative data reveals that mandated changes were affecting the identity of teachers as professionals. Educators' typifications of themselves as teachers, with the best interests of students at heart, allowed the educators to function as a school that enjoyed some measure of success, even when their was no consensus around changes in the organization. Paradoxes existed in the form of opposing beliefs and realities of what was happening in the school, and educators talked about the school and its changes in ways that were contradictory to how they behaved as members of the school. Some educators talked about the organization as a dictatorship or other type of organization, while almost all of them behaved in ways consistent with a learning organization. On occasion, educators talked about competing realities within the school. Consternation about changes in the school and individual realities caused a variety of reactions, including fight-flight, avoidance, and engagement. The use of rhetoric to inform, build, or eliminate metaphors was in evidence, and members of the school tended to group with "like minded" people who reinforced their existing beliefs. People in the school interacted with others based on each person's own stock of knowledge, which was informed, enlarged, reinforced, and changed through metaphor: realities were a constant work in progress. These sets of old assumptions and beliefs helped create paradoxes: the teachers who were interviewed focused on their stressors and distress about the changes in the school, versus the way they interacted as a learning organization with the students and each other in positive and supportive ways. This focus on the negative aspects of changes in the school appeared to be in large part due to the probe questions with which the researcher began the interviews. While the school's Director focused on organizational metaphors, the teachers were focused on person-centered metaphors. There was no metaphor being promoted by the leaders in the school that was more attractive than the metaphors and identities members of the school were losing, particularly those of "lab" school, "professor," and "families." Organizational literature mainly deals with organization-centered metaphors, whereas the person-centered ones that teachers related to most point to a gap in the organizational literature. The metaphor of democracy, which is important to site-based management such as the school had, was jeopardized by a lack of participation across stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and students. There were many valid reasons for this lack of participation, as reflected in the study and which were in agreement with findings of other researchers. School members struggled with issues unique to their school, but also those faced by other lab and site-managed schools and the U.S. workforce in general. Communications appeared to be one of the biggest barriers to effecting change, and the reasons for communication breakdowns were varied. In addition, the school was undergoing a transformation from lab school to professional development school (PDS), yet forty-five of the forty-seven people interviewed seemed unaware of this. The transformation to a PDS reflected the trend of other lab schools in the U.S. that had managed to survive by changing their organizations and identities. Change brought on other challenges as well: those who taught core or state-tested disciplines were challenged to cover all of the requirements and still keep their teaching engaging, up-to-date, and meaningful. Most of the excitement and innovation in the middle and high schools seemed to come from "elective" courses, with the exception of an integrative arts-based program that included core courses, such as math and science. Although educators focused mainly on the stressors caused by change when questioned about change during the interviews, the majority of them behaved in the sharing and interactive ways of a learning organization. At the same time that the school had most of the attributes of a learning organization, most of the educators did not appear to understand key points of this type organization, particularly that chaos is real and embraceable, that change is constant, quick, and part of an everyday process. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2004. / April 22, 2004. / Educational Reform, Mimesis, Eduactional Research, School Administration, Change Management / Includes bibliographical references. / Carolyn D. Herrington, Professor Directing Dissertation; Karen L. Laughlin, Outside Committee Member; Sande D. Milton, Committee Member; Terrence R. Russell, Committee Member; Jerome S. Osteryoung, Committee Member; Patrice M. Iatarola, Committee Member.

Thesis advisor: Ina V.S. Mullis / More than ever before, countries are relying on their experts in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields to find solutions to serious global problems, such as climate change, hunger, and disease. Unfortunately, the growing demand for these experts is outpacing supply. At each stage in the educational pipeline from the primary grades through university, there is substantial attrition in the number of students studying STEM subjects.From the early grades, students’ home environment has a powerful influence on their science achievement. However, there has been little research into the factors that have the most influence on inspiring young students to continue studying science. This dissertation extended investigations by Swedish researchers who used TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 data and structural equation modeling to show that that fourth grade students with higher achievement in science had well-educated parents who had many books at home, and spent time engaging their child in early learning activities, such that the child began school with basic skills already developed. After replicating the Swedish TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 Common Model with TIMSS 2015 data and finding good agreement, additional variables were systematically examined with a focus on the role of attitudes. Extending the explanation of the influence of parents’ education to include their educational expectations for their child and updating the model to include home digital resources elaborated on this Base Model. However, the hypothesis that parents’ attitudes toward mathematics and science would have a role in explaining science achievement was not supported. Analyzed either as a second independent variable with parents’ education or as a mediating variable, the effect was negligible. Finally, parents’ education levels had little or no relationship with the degree to which students like learning science, but a notable relationship with students’ confidence in their ability to do science. Clearly, more research into how parents’ attitudes and other home factors can influence students’ to study science throughout their academic careers is warranted. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation.

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