Essa tese tem como objetivo verificar se um programa de formação continuada de curta duração, para professores, melhora o desempenho dos alunos do 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental, em relações numéricas, quanto à composição aditiva, ao raciocínio aditivo e ao raciocínio multiplicativo, e se esse desempenho é significativo a ponto de se manter por seis meses. A fundamentação teórica revisou o processo de desenvolvimento das habilidades e dos conceitos matemáticos iniciais, e a discussão a respeito dos saberes docentes. O método compreendeu um estudo teórico e correlacional de caráter quali-quantitativo. Foi realizada, também, análise documental da Avaliação em Larga Escala e da legislação relacionada. A parte de campo envolveu dois grupos experimentais A e B, e um grupo controle, constituídos por alunos do 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental, e um programa de formação continuada para os professores regentes dos grupos experimentais. A amostra correspondeu a 248 alunos e 16 professores. No grupo experimental A, foram 93 alunos e seis professores, que participaram da formação por convocação obrigatória. Já no grupo experimental B, o estudo envolveu 121 alunos, com oito professores que buscavam aperfeiçoamento profissional. No grupo controle, foram envolvidos 34 alunos, sendo que os dois professores não participaram da formação. Partimos da coleta de informações sobre o nível conceitual dos alunos e, em função de tal nível, foi planejado o programa de formação continuada. Um bloco com dez questões foi aplicado aos alunos, em três momentos distintos: como pré-teste, antes da formação; como pós-teste 1, logo após o término da formação; e como pós-teste 2, seis meses depois. Para os professores dos grupos experimentais, foram aplicados dois questionários e uma ficha de autoavaliação. No programa de formação continuada, foram realizadas duas palestras e oito oficinas. Os resultados da ANOVA indicam diferença significativa do desempenho dos alunos. O grupo experimental B registrou maior impacto no desempenho dos alunos e maior percentual de utilização das estratégias econômicas, com uso de cálculos numéricos, na resolução das situações-problema. Os alunos do grupo controle utilizaram estratégias iniciais/simples em todos os blocos aplicados. A aprendizagem manteve-se, por seis meses, em ambos os grupos. Nas considerações finais, analisamos a formação continuada como uma oportunidade para os professores construírem saberes sobre os conceitos matemáticos iniciais, mas a eficácia depende diretamente da concepção dos professores sobre a formação continuada, do seu comprometimento com a aprendizagem e do trabalho a partir do nível conceitual dos alunos. / The primary aim of this thesis is to analyse whether a short-term continued education programme designed to qualify teachers helps to improve third graders’ performance regarding number relations: additive composition and reasoning, and multiplicative reasoning and if any such improvement is maintained after six months. The theoretical review includes the development of the early mathematical skills and concepts, the strategies used to solve problems, the concept of early evidence-based teaching, the project “Ensinar é Construir” (Teaching is Building – NUNES et al., 2009), the Brazilian legislation concerning the guidelines for continued education and teacher qualification. Based on the concept of evidence-based teaching, information regarding the conceptual level of learners was gathered and, from this starting point, the continued education programme was planned. The method contemplated a correlational study of a quantitative scope for both the experimental groups (A and B) and the control group, which were comprised of third graders, and a continued education programme for the teachers of the experimental groups. Pre- and post-tests were applied to the students. The participating teachers were interviewed and completed a selfassessment form. The test applied to the students comprised ten questions, one per page, as follows: two additive composition questions; six additive reasoning problems, two simple problems regarding the relationship between the parts and the whole, two inverted problems regarding the relationship part-whole, and two problems of comparison; and two multiplicative reasoning questions. The results in the pre-test, applied in the first quarter of 2011, were used as a guideline for the organization of the continued education programme. The same test was reapplied as a post-test 1 after the continued education programme, and as post-test 2 six months later. The 14 teachers who participated in the continued education programme were divided into two groups A and B. Group A was made up of teachers obliged to participate and group B by teachers seeking professional development. The sample consisted of 248 students allocated into three groups according to the status of the teacher, obliged or voluntary participation: 93 students in experimental group A and 121 in experimental group B. The control group consisted of 34 students whose teachers did not participate in the continued education programme. Most of the students improved the process of learning the early Mathematical concepts. During the meetings of the continued education programme, theoretical and practical activities were undertaken. ANOVA showed there was a significant improvement in the results achieved by the students in experimental group B who also showed the highest percentage of economic strategy use in the post-test. The control group used uneconomic strategies, such as counting, to solve both pre- and post-test problems. Learning remained the same in both the control and experimental groups for six months. The study concludes that the continued education programme had a statistically significant influence on the performance and in the progress of the strategies used in problemsolving situations with additive composition, additive and multiplicative reasoning in the experimental group B, whose teachers participated of the continued education programme in search of professional development.

Essa tese tem como objetivo verificar se um programa de formação continuada de curta duração, para professores, melhora o desempenho dos alunos do 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental, em relações numéricas, quanto à composição aditiva, ao raciocínio aditivo e ao raciocínio multiplicativo, e se esse desempenho é significativo a ponto de se manter por seis meses. A fundamentação teórica revisou o processo de desenvolvimento das habilidades e dos conceitos matemáticos iniciais, e a discussão a respeito dos saberes docentes. O método compreendeu um estudo teórico e correlacional de caráter quali-quantitativo. Foi realizada, também, análise documental da Avaliação em Larga Escala e da legislação relacionada. A parte de campo envolveu dois grupos experimentais A e B, e um grupo controle, constituídos por alunos do 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental, e um programa de formação continuada para os professores regentes dos grupos experimentais. A amostra correspondeu a 248 alunos e 16 professores. No grupo experimental A, foram 93 alunos e seis professores, que participaram da formação por convocação obrigatória. Já no grupo experimental B, o estudo envolveu 121 alunos, com oito professores que buscavam aperfeiçoamento profissional. No grupo controle, foram envolvidos 34 alunos, sendo que os dois professores não participaram da formação. Partimos da coleta de informações sobre o nível conceitual dos alunos e, em função de tal nível, foi planejado o programa de formação continuada. Um bloco com dez questões foi aplicado aos alunos, em três momentos distintos: como pré-teste, antes da formação; como pós-teste 1, logo após o término da formação; e como pós-teste 2, seis meses depois. Para os professores dos grupos experimentais, foram aplicados dois questionários e uma ficha de autoavaliação. No programa de formação continuada, foram realizadas duas palestras e oito oficinas. Os resultados da ANOVA indicam diferença significativa do desempenho dos alunos. O grupo experimental B registrou maior impacto no desempenho dos alunos e maior percentual de utilização das estratégias econômicas, com uso de cálculos numéricos, na resolução das situações-problema. Os alunos do grupo controle utilizaram estratégias iniciais/simples em todos os blocos aplicados. A aprendizagem manteve-se, por seis meses, em ambos os grupos. Nas considerações finais, analisamos a formação continuada como uma oportunidade para os professores construírem saberes sobre os conceitos matemáticos iniciais, mas a eficácia depende diretamente da concepção dos professores sobre a formação continuada, do seu comprometimento com a aprendizagem e do trabalho a partir do nível conceitual dos alunos. / The primary aim of this thesis is to analyse whether a short-term continued education programme designed to qualify teachers helps to improve third graders’ performance regarding number relations: additive composition and reasoning, and multiplicative reasoning and if any such improvement is maintained after six months. The theoretical review includes the development of the early mathematical skills and concepts, the strategies used to solve problems, the concept of early evidence-based teaching, the project “Ensinar é Construir” (Teaching is Building – NUNES et al., 2009), the Brazilian legislation concerning the guidelines for continued education and teacher qualification. Based on the concept of evidence-based teaching, information regarding the conceptual level of learners was gathered and, from this starting point, the continued education programme was planned. The method contemplated a correlational study of a quantitative scope for both the experimental groups (A and B) and the control group, which were comprised of third graders, and a continued education programme for the teachers of the experimental groups. Pre- and post-tests were applied to the students. The participating teachers were interviewed and completed a selfassessment form. The test applied to the students comprised ten questions, one per page, as follows: two additive composition questions; six additive reasoning problems, two simple problems regarding the relationship between the parts and the whole, two inverted problems regarding the relationship part-whole, and two problems of comparison; and two multiplicative reasoning questions. The results in the pre-test, applied in the first quarter of 2011, were used as a guideline for the organization of the continued education programme. The same test was reapplied as a post-test 1 after the continued education programme, and as post-test 2 six months later. The 14 teachers who participated in the continued education programme were divided into two groups A and B. Group A was made up of teachers obliged to participate and group B by teachers seeking professional development. The sample consisted of 248 students allocated into three groups according to the status of the teacher, obliged or voluntary participation: 93 students in experimental group A and 121 in experimental group B. The control group consisted of 34 students whose teachers did not participate in the continued education programme. Most of the students improved the process of learning the early Mathematical concepts. During the meetings of the continued education programme, theoretical and practical activities were undertaken. ANOVA showed there was a significant improvement in the results achieved by the students in experimental group B who also showed the highest percentage of economic strategy use in the post-test. The control group used uneconomic strategies, such as counting, to solve both pre- and post-test problems. Learning remained the same in both the control and experimental groups for six months. The study concludes that the continued education programme had a statistically significant influence on the performance and in the progress of the strategies used in problemsolving situations with additive composition, additive and multiplicative reasoning in the experimental group B, whose teachers participated of the continued education programme in search of professional development.

Didactic Methods used in Botany Teaching at Elementary Schools Diploma thesis concerns the topic of utilizing didactic methods in the education of botanic at the grammar schools. The thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, there are described chosen didactic methods and current classification of botanic in the "General education programme of the basic education system". Furthermore, there is described past classification of the botanic in the "Education programme of Grammar school, General school and National school". Second part contains questionnaire results - pupils and teachers of botanic in the 7. grade of grammar school. The goal of the questionnaire was to find out, which teaching methods are used during the education of botanic, which methods are popular and unpopular with teachers as well as students and which methods are, according to the opinions of the teachers, effective and ineffective. Other goal of the questionnaire was to find out, if the teachers are using education programmes during lessons. In the third part of the thesis, there is listed my own proposal of a lesson of a chosen topic in botanic, which I have based on the results of the questionnaires. To be specific, it's teaching about family of legumes plants (Fabaceae) utilizing many didactic methods without...

Magister Educationis - MEd / The impact of global migration on local contexts has spawned new issues and a range of social responses. These include the emergence of ‘xenophobia’ in the terrain of discrimination and the subsequent development of popular educational responses to this. As part of popular educational responses, adult education programmes have assumed an important role in changing people’s attitudes. This long research paper presents a critical analysis of how a human rights and counter-xenophobia peer educators’ programme enables young adults to develop a critical consciousness about human rights and ‘xenophobia’. The research focused on learning materials, course content, training methodology and processes of a three-day human rights and counter- xenophobia workshop held by Umoja wa Afrika, a local non-governmental organization, in March/April 2007 at Goedgedacht, just outside Cape Town. The research was based on qualitative methodology which included an exploration of relevant literature, interviews with participants and facilitators, as well as the researcher’s critical reflections. The research was located within a critical theory framework in the field of adult learning, and drew from the work of Paulo Freire (1970) and Stephen Brookfield(2005). The key finding of the study is that the experience of the workshop enabled participants to develop a critical awareness - but not necessarily a critical understanding of human rights and ‘xenophobia’. The participants identified specific factors that contributed to such awareness. These included the diverse composition of participants, the ‘accompanying’ facilitation style, and the interactive training methodology. This study makes a contribution to understanding human rights peer education in the South African context and the extent to which such provision could enable participants to develop a critical understanding of human rights and xenophobia. This study is an attempt to make an original contribution in this area. As such it adds to literature in applied critical methodology. / South Africa

D. Tech. (Food Service Management, Department of Hospitality, Tourism and PR Management, Faculty of Human Sciences)|, Vaal University of Technology| / Background South Africa is one of the developing countries faced with the co-existence of undernutrition and overnutrition, often experienced within the same household. On the one hand, hunger, undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are linked to poverty and household food insecurity. Simultaneously, South Africans are exposed to ‘nutrition in transition’, where overweight and chronic diseases of lifestyle, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are on the rise as part of the overnutrition profile. Sound nutrition is important throughout the lifecycle to combat under- and overnutrition and nutrition-related diseases. In urban areas, the grandmother or another senior female family member is often responsible for caring for the children in the household during the day. This includes physical, emotional and nutritional care. It is therefore essential for the caregiver to have good nutrition knowledge, to provide not only in her own needs, but also in those of the children. A nutrition education programme is one strategy for improving the nutrition knowledge of caregivers of children. Objective The primary objective in this study was to develop, tailor, implement and evaluate a nutrition education programme (NEP) for Sesotho-speaking females and caregivers of children in the Boipatong Township in the Vaal Region of South Africa and to test its impact in the short and longer term. Nutrition knowledge regarding four South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) was empirically tested before and after the intervention and then compared to a control group. In addition, dietary intake was assessed to detect any changes after the intervention in the medium term. Methodology In this both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were applied. Two frameworks, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Framework of Malnutrition (2004) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Framework for Nutrition Education (1997), gave structure to the planning, implementation and evaluation of the research project. This study’s nutrition education programme was based on a socio-ecological model to guide behavioural change in terms of healthy food choices. In the preparation phase, a situational analysis was performed by means of a cross-sectional analytical design using descriptive statistics. Socio-demographic and self-reported health information was obtained. Nutrition knowledge, based on the South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs), was measured, and dietary intake was assessed and compared with the estimated average requirements (EARs) for their age categories. Phase two, the formulation phase, used an experimental design. The acceptability and understanding of the existing national nutrition education (NE) material for individuals with low living standards (LSM) was investigated in this phase of the nutrition education programme (NEP). A culturally tailored booklet was developed in English, translated into Sesotho, pilot tested and implemented as part of the nutrition education programme. Lesson plans were developed and pilot tested. A non-randomised control trial was used in the implementation and evaluation phases. The effect of the nutrition education programme on nutrition knowledge was quantitatively measured in a pre- and post-test design at each discussion session in the short term, using paired t-tests in the experimental group of caregivers. The evaluation phase tested the impact of the nutrition education in the longer term. Nutrition knowledge was measured quantitatively in a before-after intervention test design by means of a self-completed structured questionnaire, based on the four South African FDBGs included in the programme. A control group who was not subjected to any intervention was used to complete the same questionnaire before and after the intervention in the same time period as the experimental group. In the experimental group, dietary intake was assessed before and after the intervention to detect changes in dietary intake. No dietary intake was measured in the control group, as changes could be attributed to influences beyond the control of this study. Two randomly selected focus groups of the experimental group were run to provide deeper insight into their perceptions regarding the acceptability and understanding of the NEP and NE material. Results The situational analysis of the preparation phase revealed a poor community that displayed typical patterns of nutrition in transition, at risk of malnutrition. The median age of the sample of caregivers was 44 years (IQR 32-62). Income and consumption poverty was confirmed by 80.5 percent of households spending R300 or less on food, with 75 percent of households having between four and seven people living in the dwelling. Dietary results were indicative of food poverty and poor food choices, possibly due to monetary constraints. A low energy intake (median 5323 kJ/day; IQR 3369-7949), was observed. Only 13.9 percent reached the estimated energy requirement (EER) of 7855 kJ per day for their age category. The overall mean average requirements of the diet was 0.7 but the possiblity of micronutrient deficiencies could not be excluded with a MAR of 0.6 for vitamins and minerals respectively. The median nutrition knowledge was 50 percent (IQR 42-54%) The lowest score was obtained for the FBDG ‘Enjoy a variety of food’ (33.4%; 95% CI 1.1), followed by the FBDG on animal protein (40.3%; 95% CI 1.0). It was decided to augment these two FBDGs with the plant protein FBDG (54.3%; 95% CI 1.8). Despited a relatively good knowledge measured in the caregivers, none of the plant protein food items appeared in the top 20 food items most frequently consumed. The formulation phase included the testing of existing nutrition education material. Messages were well understood (60.5%). However, caregivers found the images contained in the pamphlets and the design of the pamphlets confusing. A definite need was identified for new, culturally acceptable NE material in the caregivers’ home language, Sesotho (74%). During the implementation phase the lectures were presented and the change in the short-term nutrition knowledge of the FBDGs was measured at every session by means of a pre-post-test design. The median age of the caregivers was 63 years (52-78). A significant change in nutrition knowledge was found for each FBDG in terms of the mean number of questions answered correctly by the participants between the results of each pre- and post-test. In the evaluation phase, the impact of the NEP was measured in the Boipatong experimental group and compared, regarding nutrition knowledge, to a control group in the longer term (three months after completion of the intervention). Median nutrition knowledge before the intervention was 49 percent (IQR 46-57) compared to 70 percent (IQR 68-73) after the intervention – an increase of 21 percent. In contrast, the control group showed an increase of only five percent. The results showed that the eating habits of many of the caregivers still fell substantially short of internationally recognised standards (estimated energy requirement (EER) and estimated average requirement (EAR)), and this could contribute to undernutrition as well as to an increased risk of diet-related chronic disease. A median kilojoule intake of 4788 kJ (IQR 3415-6596) per day before and 4651 kJ (IQR 3369-6664) per day after the intervention was registered. Carbohydrate foods remained an important source of energy. Calcium presented a major concern, as none of the participants reached the EAR despite a slight increase in the intake of milk (volume and frequency) after the intervention, as validated by the top 20 food lists and as measured by a nutrient average requirement (NAR) of 0.1 to 0.7 before and after the intervention respectively. The mean average requirements (MAR) remained relatively stable, at 0.7 (median) before the intervention and 0.6 after the intervention. The NEP thus had an insignificant positive effect on dietary intake, except for calcium, iodine and vitamin C intake, which showed significant increases. No relationships could be found between the MAR as an indicator of dietary quality and nutrition knowledge. However, this does not mean that an NEP is not a suitable strategy. Changes in food choices and dietary intake should be measured in the longer term, since lifestyle changes are challenging to adopt when people, especially those in deprived communities, do not have the financial means to make healthy food choices. Conclusion When planning nutrition education strategies to improve the health status of communities in deprived areas, one is faced with the difficulty of households with a low socio-economic status and poor dietary intake, which increases the risk of food and nutrition insecurity. The nutrition education programme, developed, tailored and implemented as an intervention strategy to address an identified need of caregivers, was effective in improving nutrition knowledge. Four of the South African dietary guidelines were used in the nutrition education programme tailored to the specific profile that emerged from the situational analysis and the development of supportive nutrition education material. Lesson plans and the Sesotho and English booklets are available for use in other nutrition education programmes. The study contributed to the understanding of food choices of the urban community of Boipatong as well as of the nutrient inadequacies observed. Nutrition knowledge alone is not enough to bring about changes in food choices when the means to do so are lacking. Poverty and nutrition are closely linked and thus difficult to separate.

This graduation thesis covers the concept of free time and transformation of its understanding in history. It evaluates possibilities of school, and society in general, in support of welfare of primary school children with the use of free time activities. The practical part of the thesis maps opportunities available in this respect in the Prague 6 - Dejvice district. It contains research of opinions of parents and children on free time activities. In the thesis' conclusion a project is being proposed with a goal of introduction of various options of free time activities to children.

The thesis focuses on eating habits of adolescents and their knowledge of nutrition. In the theoretical part, the bio-psycho-social development of growing up individuals is characterized. From the nutritional behaviour's point of view, factors are mentioned that may influence eating habits of individuals along with nutritional recommendations for adolescent individuals. Data from research focused on nutritional behaviour of adolescents conducted in Czech republic and the consequences of insufficient and excessive nutrition is included into the theoretical part. The last part clarifies the implementation of nutritional themes into the Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education and education programmes and projects focusing on supporting healthy eating habits intended for schools. Goal of the practical part is to map the eating habits and knowledge of eight and ninth grade second stage students of three primary schools in Prague and third and fourth grade students of two grammar schools. To test this goal, the quantitative approach of questionnaire survey and qualitative methods of analysis of school curricula were used. The research result says that the knowledge of the selected research sample of students does not have a significant impact on their eating habits. KEYWORDS: adolescence,...

This master thesis deals with some elements of information literacy throught the term netiquette. The netiquette's relation with etics and etiquette is described in the theoretical part. This part's interest lies in the organisations engaged in netiquette, cyberspace, language and chosen elements of information literacy in connection with the computer literacy. The empirical part of the research handles the knowledge of netiquette at 4th and 5th grade students of elementary schools. Using an anonymous questionnary, the research's objective was to discover the acquaintance of the term netiquette and to realise the differences of the acquirement according to the size of the location of their elementary school, to the sex of subject and to the socioeconomic status of students. The research detects the relation of the information literacy with more facts, as having computer at home, knowing how to use computer and internet, managing the basic manipulation, being familiar with the safety rules. According to the investigation, all the asken students have modern technologies at home with ratio of 27% of the students on the countryside and 59% of the students living in a town, overal 43% of asked subjects are familiar with the netiquette. Even instructed students happen to break the safety rules. The...

This thesis deals with the topic of teaching religious topics at secondary schools according to Framework Education Programme for Secondary General Education. Also, the aspect of education towards tolerance and preventing religious xenophobia in multicultural society is involved. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first part is focused on the theoretical background and includes interpretation of formal documents that the teacher must take into consideration when teaching this topic, (such as textbooks, national curricular documents and recommendations). The approach in other countries is mentioned as well. The theoretical part involves a minimal amount of knowledge that the teacher should know and be able to implement while teaching the topic this work is focused on. The second part contains a qualitative research concentrating on finding students' preconceptions towards the topic of the thesis. The research method was a profound dialogue with five students of secondary schools. The students were of different age, sex, religious opinion, nationality and socio- economical background. The data were analysed regarding the areas of knowledge, abilities and opinions. The last part of this work deals with solving particular methodological situation when discussing the topic of this thesis. There...

Diploma Thesis "Dance education and personality development" covers educational field of dance and motoric training characterization. It includes integration of the field into the Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education, defines educational objectives, goals and field content and points at its contribution to upbringing, education and personal social development of pupils. Theoretical part of the thesis takes in incorporation of dance and motoric upbringing in terms of art education and it contains the dance and motoric upbringing referring to framing educational programme for basic education. It also points out the influence of dance and motion on pupils' personal and social developments. In the empirical part of the thesis, possibilities of personal development of pupils are shown in relation to dance and motoric trainings from qualified dance lecturers' perspective.