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The purpose of this study was to describe relationships between Finnish comprehensive vocational institute teachers' sex-role attitudes and selected personal and professional variables, and to analyze to what extent these variables separately and in combination explained the variance of sex-role attitudes. The independent variables consisted of individual characteristics (sex, age, marital status, sex of children, and household income) ,and professional characteristics (occupational area, job roles, years of teaching experience, and educational attainments). The dependent variable was a 36-item sex-role attitude scale. / Ph. D.

Die Dissertation befasst sich mit der Forschungsförderung durch die britischen Research Councils AHRC und ESRC und die DFG. Sie analysiert, ob diese Förderorganisationen von ihren jeweiligen Regierungen gesteuert werden und ob dies in ihrer Arbeitspraxis und ihren Förderentscheidungen sichtbar ist. Darüber hinaus betrachtet die Dissertation die Perspektive der wissenschaftlichen Community sowohl als Empfänger von Fördermitteln als auch als Mitglieder der verschiedenen Gremien der Förder-organisationen. In der Arbeit wird ein vergleichender Ansatz angewandt, der die spezifischen Merkmale des AHRC, des ESRC und der DFG als intermediäre Organisationen untersucht. Das Konzept der Intermediäre basiert auf den Forschungsergebnissen von Braun (1993), Braun und Guston (2003) und van der Meulen (2003). Die Autorin führte Experteninterviews mit wissenschaftlichen Mitgliedern des AHRC, ESRC und der DFG und führte eine Delphi-Befragung unter Wissenschaftlern aus kunst-, geistes- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Fachbereichen an Hochschulen in GB und Deutschland durch. Aus der Analyse der Daten lässt sich schließen, dass die Teilnahme an oder die Durchführung von Programmen und Initiativen, die Ausdruck einer Regierungspriorität sind, dem Image der Fördereinrichtung in der wissenschaftlichen Community schaden kann. Im Rahmen der Prinzipal-Agent-Theorie wurde den wissenschaftlichen Mitgliedern der Förderorganisation eine starke und einflussreiche Rolle zugeschrieben. Diese Hypothese wurde durch die Datenanalyse bestätigt. Die Dissertation bestätigt auch, dass Wissenschaftler ihre Forschung an Förderformate und Erfolgsaussichten anpassen und ausrichten. In ihrer Rolle als Intermediäre unterliegen Förderorganisationen Verpflichtungen gegenüber ihrem Prinzipal und gegenüber ihren Agenten. Die formellen (satzungsgemäßen) Verpflichtungen müssen mit den informellen Verpflichtungen (Vertrauen und Loyalität) in Einklang gebracht werden. Dies ist der Schlüssel zu ihrer Vermittlungsfunktion. / The PhD thesis focusses on research funding by the British Research Councils AHRC and ESRC and the German DFG. It discusses whether these funding agencies are steered by their respective governments and whether this is visible in their working practice and their funding decisions. In addition, the PhD thesis addresses the perspective of the scientific community both as recipients of funding and as members of the different bodies of the funding agency. The thesis uses a comparative approach, examining the specific characteristics of the AHRC, ESRC and the DFG as intermediary organisations in order to uncover their differences and similarities. The concept of intermediaries is based on research by Braun (1993), Braun and Guston (2003), and van der Meulen (2003). The author conducted expert interviews with academic members of the AHRC, ESRC and the DFG and carried out a Delphi survey among scholars from arts, humanities and social science departments at HEIs in the UK and Germany. Concluding from the data, the participation in or implementation of programmes and initiatives which are expressions of a government priority, can easily lead to the impression that the funding agency is being steered by government. For the DFG as well as the AHRC and the ESRC, one challenge was similar: that of finding a balance between short- term political considerations and long-term scientific priorities. Within the framework of principal-agent theory, a strong and influential role was ascribed to the academic members of the funding agency. This hypothesis was confirmed in the data analysis. The thesis also confirmed that scholars adapt and align their research to funding formats and the prospects of success. In their role as intermediaries, funding agencies are subject to commitments towards their principal and towards their agents. Formal (by Statutes) commitments need to be brought in line with informal commitments (trust and loyalty). This is key to their mediating function.

问责已经成为教育改革与研究的关键词。无论是西方还是中国，都把建立问责机制视作提高教育质量的重要举措。从教育问责的社会基础出发，国家是公共教育的主要资助者或协调者，他们通过教育视导来保证公共教育质量。但是教育视导人员在当下教育质量保障系统中发挥何种作用，其能动性与职业承诺如何，尚未有充分的研究。中国大陆的教研室作为地方教学质量保障机制，表现出双栖性的职能：教育问责和教师发展。身处其中的教研员如何诠释角色？他们与政府的关系如何，在多大程度上能致力于教师发展？身份建构理论有助于回答上述问题。故本研究以形态衍生理论为视角，选取H市教研员为个案，探讨其在教育质量保障体系中的角色、身份与能动性。 / 本项质性研究主要通过访谈、观察和文件收集获取资料。共计访谈教研员30名，教育行政领导3名，教师9人。研究者还参与了教研员的集体会议、听评课、教研组展示等活动，观察、记录了教研员的日常工作；并收集了教研员的工作计划，工作简报，教研室内部杂志等文献资料。在转录完所有资料后，利用Nvivo8软件进行编码、解码，建立群组、抽取概念，最终形成论文。研究发现如下： / 首先，监督、管理、指导、研究是教研员角色的主要组成部分。在公共教育发展的不同阶段，他们的角色应行政之要求会进行重新排列、组合，内涵也所有发展。其中，来源于优秀教师的教学质量保障人员最先发展起来的是指导职能，因其依附在教育视导系统内部，遂产生了行政权威。1949年之后，这类人员从教育视导系统中独立出来，被称之为教研员，享有行政编制；1990年之后，教研员逐渐从行政编制中退出，教学管理职能未褪，故行政权威犹存。课改背景之下，H市教研员的“研究、“评价职能被强调。但是通过对教研员的工作节奏、角色比喻的分析，发现结构并没有为发展教研员的“教学研究能力提供支持性条件。故行政干预成为教研员角色异化的重要原因。 / 其次，在课程改革背景下，教研员的社会身份表现出问责导向的特征。因个人关注的介入，在个体层面，教研员的身份建构可进一步区分为四种类型。身份建构表现为结构关注的教研员，实践中以完成各类“课题研究和“项目研究为重任，并从中获得价值认可，对自我的判断是“做研究的人。身份建构表现为结构关注为主，个人关注为辅的教研员，认为最重要的工作应该是教材分析，但实践中花费其时间最多的却实命题工作。他对自己的比喻是“尴尬的“稻草人。身份建构表现为个人关注为辅，结构关注为主的教研员一方面能在实践中坚持自己对教师的指导，一方面明晰问责导向的工作逻辑，并达到两者的融洽。对自我的评价是“一个风风火火的闯将。身份建构表现为个人关注的教研员应付问责导向的工作，并花费额外的时间从事教师指导。从教师的认可中获得职业的成就感。对自我的判断是职场“菜鸟。 / 再次，不同学科教研员受考试、经验的影响，表现出不同程度的能动作用。高利益考试蕴含的控制性并不能直接决定教研员的能动性，但是教研员的知能水平，及其结构的支持程度，对教研员的能动性和承诺有直接的影响。教研员要致力于教师发展，需兼顾结构的需求，并从中获得个人的成长或者结构的奖励，方能形成稳定的职业承诺。 / 论文弥补了现有教育质量保障人员研究的不足。从结构与能动者互动的理论视角，分析教研员何以呈现如此的身份建构，对Archer的形态衍生理论做了本土的探索，对西方教育领导理论有所回应。并对教研员的定位与发展提出了政策建议。 / Accountability has become the key word in educational reform and educational studies. In western countries as well as China, establishing accountability mechanisms is regarded as an important strategy for the improvement of educational quality. The state, which is the main sponsor and coordinator of public education, attempts to ensure educational quality with varying degrees of supervision. However empirical studies on the role, functions and performance of those who are in charge of supervision, agency in and commitment to quality assurance system are also nebulous. Teaching-research office, a local quality assurance mechanism for teaching and learning in Mainland China, plays a dual role in education accountability and teacher development. How do teaching-research officers elaborate their prescribed roles? What is the relationship between the government and the teaching-research officers? To what extent are they committed to teacher development? Identity construction theory is helpful to addressing the above questions. Therefore, from the perspective of morphogenesis, this study chooses teaching-research officers of H city as a case of investigation by exploring their roles, identities and agency in the educational quality assurance system. / The data of this qualitative research were collected through the adoption of three research methods. First, interviews were conducted with 30 teaching-research officers, 9 teachers and 3 educational administrators. Second, with permission, teaching-research officers’ meetings, as well as class observation and demonstration conducted by teaching-research officers were observed first hand. Third, relevant documents including official newsletters and work plans, internal journals of teaching research offices were collected. Nvivo 8 was adopted to analyze the interview transcripts, field notes of observation, and relevant documents collected for research purposes. / This study has three major findings. First, teacher-research officers played four principals roles: supervisor, administrator, director and researcher. These roles, however, varied in accordance with the governmental requirements and needs in different historical periods. Before 1949, the teaching-research officers were supervisors for educational quality. They were excellent teachers that were recruited by educational supervision institutions, and thus were given with administrative authority. Between 1949 and 1990, these teacher-supervisors were classified as professional teaching-research officers who were in charge of teaching administration and teacher development. Although they were no longer conaidned educational administrators since 1990, the teaching-research officers still maintained a certain degree of administrative authority and exercised influence in educational administration. Since the launch of the 8th curriculum reform in China at the advent of the 21st century, the role teaching-research officers as researchers have been greatly emphasized. Nevertheless, an analysis of teaching-research officers’ working rhythm and role metaphor indicates that the quality assurance system has fallen short of providing support to develop the research competence of teaching-research officers. Consequently, state intervention remains the key factor in defining the role of teaching-research officers. / Second, the social identities of teaching-research officers demonstrate accountability-oriented characteristics in the context of curriculum reform. Personal concerns enable teaching-researcher officers to construct four types of identities at the individual level. Structure-concerns lead certain officer to treat project research as top priority in their practice and allow them to obtain value recognition during research. This type of officers regards themselves as researchers. For those officers who mainly focus on structural concerns, but supplemented their work with individual concerns, analysis of teaching materials one considered the most important aspect of their work while the refinement of test construction consumes most of their times. An awkward “scarecrow is used as their role metaphor. For those officers who mainly focus on individual concerns, but supplemented their work with structural concerns, insist on guiding teacher practice on the one hand, and accept the working logic of the accountability-oriented approach, on the other. Their perpetual task is to maintain harmony between the two. A pathbreaker in haste is the role metaphor adopted. Officers who are individual-concern persons attempt to deal with accountability-oriented work, and spend extra time mentoring teachers. Career fulfillment comes from appreciation of teachers. A rookie is the role metaphor adopted. / Third, the degree of agency and commitment of teaching-research officers varied with their views on public examinations, personal experience, and structural support. It is not public examinations but personal experience that had direct an impact on the agency of the teaching-research officers. Specifically, the knowledge and ability of teaching-research officers, as well as the degree of structural support that they receive, have a direct effect on their agency and commitment. Teaching-research officers who have make a steady commitment to teacher development, have to give consideration to quality structural concerns, and in addressing these concerns, gain personal growth or structural rewards. / This study contributes to filling the void in current research that neglete to the investigation into the educational quality assurance, staff who work for. The perspective of structure-agent interaction is used to analyze how teaching-research officers construct their identities in Chinese educational reform context. It is a local exploration of Margaret Archer’s morphogenesis theory. It enriches western educational leadership theory, and provides policy suggestion on the orientation and development of teaching-research officer. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 沈伟. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 367-388). / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Shen Wei. / Chapter 第一章 --- 导论 --- p.1 / Chapter 第一节 --- 研究背景 --- p.1 / Chapter 一、 --- 实践背景：新的教育质量内涵需要新的质量保障机制 --- p.1 / Chapter 二、 --- 理论背景：教育问责背景下的能动者 --- p.7 / Chapter 第二节 --- 研究目的与问题提出 --- p.12 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究目的 --- p.12 / Chapter 二、 --- 研究问题 --- p.13 / Chapter 第二章 --- 文献综述 --- p.15 / Chapter 第一节 --- 教育质量保障概念解析 --- p.15 / Chapter 一、 --- 教育质量与教育质量保障 --- p.15 / Chapter 二、 --- 教育质量控制与教育质量保障 --- p.20 / Chapter 三、 --- 教育问责与教育质量保障 --- p.23 / Chapter 第二节 --- 教育质量保障：实践模式与存在理据 --- p.25 / Chapter 一、 --- 实践模式 --- p.25 / Chapter 二、 --- 教育视导的影响：基于实证研究的发现和分析 --- p.35 / Chapter 三、 --- 存在理据 --- p.38 / Chapter 第三节 --- 教育质量保障系统中的地方教育领导 --- p.41 / Chapter 一、 --- 作为教学领导 --- p.43 / Chapter 二、 --- 作为合作领导 --- p.48 / Chapter 三、 --- 作为系统领导 --- p.52 / Chapter 第四节 --- 中国教育质量保障中的教研员 --- p.56 / Chapter 一、 --- 当代政策文本中的教研员角色 --- p.56 / Chapter 二、 --- 教育理论研究中的教研员角色 --- p.59 / Chapter 三、 --- 教研员对其角色的理解 --- p.60 / Chapter 第五节 --- 教育变革能动者的身份与能动作用 --- p.62 / Chapter 一、 --- 角色、 --- p.62 / Chapter 二、 --- 身份建构的途径 --- p.66 / Chapter （一） --- “自上而下的身份建构 --- p.67 / Chapter （二） --- “自下而上的身份建构 --- p.68 / Chapter （三） --- 融合主义的身份建构 --- p.70 / Chapter （四） --- 形态衍生理论视野的身份建构 --- p.73 / Chapter 第六节 --- 理论框架的提出 --- p.75 / Chapter 一、 --- 身份建构的理论框架 --- p.75 / Chapter 二、 --- 从形态衍生理论研究教研员身份建构的可行性 --- p.79 / Chapter 第三章 --- 研究方法与研究设计 --- p.82 / Chapter 第一节 --- 研究问题与分析路径 --- p.82 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究问题 --- p.82 / Chapter 二、 --- 分析路径 --- p.84 / Chapter 第二节 --- 研究方法 --- p.86 / Chapter 一、 --- 质的研究取向 --- p.86 / Chapter 二、 --- 个案研究为主，历史分析为辅 --- p.87 / Chapter 第三节 --- 个案研究 --- p.89 / Chapter 二、 --- 资料的收集 --- p.93 / Chapter 三、 --- 资料分析 --- p.100 / Chapter 第四节 --- 研究可靠性与研究伦理 --- p.102 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究可靠性 --- p.103 / Chapter 二、 --- 研究伦理 --- p.105 / Chapter 第四章 --- 教育质量保障系统中的教研员角色变迁 --- p.106 / Chapter 第一节 --- 中国教育质量保障系统的发展：从晚清到现在 --- p.106 / Chapter 一、 --- 晚清政府：以教育外在事项为主的质量保证体系 --- p.107 / Chapter 二、 --- 民国国民政府：以教育内部事项为主的质量保证体系 --- p.109 / Chapter 三、 --- 老解放区：资源匮乏情形下形成的教育质量保证应对之策 --- p.113 / Chapter 四、 --- 1949年后：日趋系统化的教育质量保证体系 --- p.116 / Chapter 第二节 --- 教育质量保障人员的角色变化与特征：历史的视角 --- p.119 / Chapter 一、 --- 晚清政府的视学与劝学员：监督、 --- p.119 / Chapter 二、 --- 民国国民政府的视学与辅导员：管理、 --- p.121 / Chapter 三、 --- 老解放区的教育巡视员与辅导员：报告、 --- p.126 / Chapter 四、 --- 1949年后的督导、 --- p.128 / Chapter 第三节 --- 课程改革背景下H市教研员的角色发展：结构的新期待 --- p.131 / Chapter 一、 --- 教研制度的正式确立及教研员的角色定位 --- p.131 / Chapter 二、 --- H市教研室职能的发展 --- p.136 / Chapter 三、 --- H市教研员的角色：群内分工不同 --- p.145 / Chapter 第四节 --- 本章结语 --- p.152 / Chapter 第五章 --- 教研员的社会身份建构 --- p.156 / Chapter 第一节 --- 日常工作中呈现的群体共性 --- p.156 / Chapter 一、 --- 以课为载体的教研活动 --- p.156 / Chapter 二、 --- 由调研与视导构成的多维评估 --- p.170 / Chapter 三、 --- 自上而下的课题研究与教学研究 --- p.178 / Chapter 第二节 --- 与群外人员的差别 --- p.184 / Chapter 一、 --- “我们眼中的他人 --- p.185 / Chapter 二、 --- 他人眼中的“我们 --- p.196 / Chapter 第三节 --- 从群体到个体：角色认知与事项排列 --- p.205 / Chapter 一、 --- 职能排序 --- p.205 / Chapter 二、 --- 工作节奏与事项排列 --- p.216 / Chapter 第四节 --- 本章结语 --- p.221 / Chapter 第六章 --- 实践：社会身份与个人身份的对话 --- p.224 / Chapter 第一节 --- 结构关注：“做研究的人 --- p.224 / Chapter 一、 --- 重要任务：提高区域教育质量 --- p.224 / Chapter 二、 --- “最高境界与“最重要任务的冲突 --- p.228 / Chapter 三、 --- 基于学科属性、 --- p.230 / Chapter 四、 --- 不被理解的痛苦与研究的快乐 --- p.232 / Chapter 第二节 --- 结构关注为主，个人关注为辅： --- p.236 / Chapter 一、 --- 进入市教材编写队伍 --- p.236 / Chapter 二、 --- 教师培养：“守正出新 --- p.238 / Chapter 三、 --- 职业生命何在？ --- p.243 / Chapter 四、 --- 最有压力的是考试 --- p.245 / Chapter 第三节 --- 个人关注为主，结构关注为辅： --- p.248 / Chapter 一、 --- 从实践教学开始 --- p.248 / Chapter 二、 --- 对课程、 --- p.251 / Chapter 三、 --- 教师队伍建设 --- p.255 / Chapter 四、 --- 研究真问题 --- p.260 / Chapter 第四节 --- 个人关注：职场“菜鸟 --- p.264 / Chapter 一、 --- 从专业角度来选择 --- p.264 / Chapter 二、 --- “不听课不能指导 --- p.267 / Chapter 三、 --- 不找校长，不听推门课，不申请课题研究 --- p.270 / Chapter 四、 --- “合格就是老师对你的认可 --- p.273 / Chapter 第五节 --- 本章结语 --- p.275 / Chapter 第七章 --- 承诺是否可能 --- p.280 / Chapter 第一节 --- 考试影响下的学科教研工作 --- p.280 / Chapter 一、 --- 考试之于语文、 --- p.281 / Chapter 二、 --- 考试之于科学教研员 --- p.288 / Chapter 三、 --- 考试之于音乐、 --- p.295 / Chapter 四、 --- 考试之于拓展、 --- p.303 / Chapter 第二节 --- “经验影响下的教研工作 --- p.310 / Chapter 一、 --- 为什么选择教研员 --- p.311 / Chapter 二、 --- 入职时面临的挑战及应对措施 --- p.318 / Chapter 第三节 --- 承诺：从结构能动者互动的视角 --- p.327 / Chapter 一、 --- 强控制下的能动作用与承诺 --- p.328 / Chapter 二、 --- 弱控制下的能动作用与承诺 --- p.329 / Chapter 三、 --- 能动作用的强弱：结构与个人关注的融洽度 --- p.330 / Chapter 四、 --- 承诺的“源泉：结构支持或个人收获 --- p.332 / Chapter 第四节 --- 本章结语 --- p.333 / Chapter 第八章 --- 结论：教研员的角色、 --- p.338 / Chapter 第一节 --- 研究结论 --- p.338 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究发现 --- p.339 / Chapter 二、 --- 研究结论 --- p.346 / Chapter 第二节 --- 研究贡献 --- p.352 / Chapter 一、 --- 理论贡献 --- p.352 / Chapter 二、 --- 政策实践的启示 --- p.359 / Chapter 第三节 --- 研究局限 --- p.362 / Chapter 第四节 --- 后续研究建议 --- p.364 / p.367 / p.389

In 2002, the United Nations designates 2005-2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. In China, Education for Sustainable Development [ESD] has been recognized as an important component in the new educational reform. However, there is an implementation gap between government policy and classroom practice. Teachers play a pivotal role in curriculum implementation. Therefore, knowing what teachers' think about ESD is the first step towards understanding the implementation of ESD. / Key words. sustainable development; education for sustainable development; teacher's belief; geography teacher; instrument development; values; teaching belief; China / Quantitative research methods supported by interview are used in this research. After analyzing relevant literature on ESD and interviewing 16 Beijing geography teachers, it is found that the ESD beliefs comprised two components: sustainability values [VESD] and teaching beliefs of ESD [TESD]. Based on ESD principles and some environmental beliefs instruments, a first draft of VESD instrument was developed and piloted among Yinchuan and Beijing geography teachers. A second draft was then developed and tested with over 300 Guangzhou and Changchun geography teachers. The final VESD instrument with four dimensions has been found with a stable structure and acceptable reliability and validity. These four dimensions are respect and care for the community of life; ecological integrity; social and economic justice; democracy, nonviolence and peace. / The aim of this research is to develop an effective and easy-to-use ESD instrument to reveal teacher's beliefs about ESD. In the process of developing the instrument, it is essential to study: What are teachers' ESD beliefs? Are ESD beliefs made up environmental values and teaching beliefs? What are the structure and content of the values and teaching beliefs of ESD? / The TESD instrument is found to have three factors with good reliability and validity. These three factors are namely: relevance to daily life, student's need in the future, and integrated teaching. / With these two instruments which can be used to tap teacher's ESD beliefs in China, researchers interested in ESD implementation can conduct future researches on teachers' beliefs about ESD and the potential implementation problems. / 楊光. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2006. / 參考文獻(p. 256-274). / Adviser: Chi Chung Lam. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-03, Section: A, page: 0867. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xiang gang Zhong wen da xue, 2006. / Can kao wen xian (p. 256-274). / Yang Guang.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Background: Online courses in healthcare programs like Dietetics have increased in availability and popularity. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the connections between online learning environments and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) dimensions among Nutrition Professionals. This research will add to the knowledge base of educators responsible for the design and development of online nutrition courses and will enhance Nutrition Professionals’ academic and professional outcomes. Design: Semi-experimental study design. Subjects/Setting: Thirty-one Nutrition Professionals with mean age of 29 years old. All elements of the study were done online. Statistical Analysis: MBTI dimension summaries were done for descriptive statistics. Fisher’s Exact Test was used to compare frequency of MBTI dimensions in the learning modules (LM) and to analyze learning modality preference based on MBTI dimensions. Two-Sample T-Tests compared test scores for LM groups and test scores for extraverts and introverts. Paired T-Test assessed improvement in test scores related to LM preference. Chi-Square Test compared preferences for the second learning module for both LM groups. Results: The majority of participants’ MBTIs were ESFJ at 35% or ISFJ at 19%. There were more extraverts (71%) compared to introverts (29%). Both LM groups had similar MBTI dimensions. Extraverts and introverts had similar improvements in scores and LM preferences. LM groups performed similarly and in general participants preferred the second learning module they were assigned. Preference for the second LM could be because participants enjoyed the first LM and wanted to learn more information. Both LM groups significantly improved their scores (P=<.0001) in their first and second learning modules regardless of learning module design. Participants were highly motivated to learn as evidenced by their enrollment in this study and completion of 10 hours of learning modules. Motivation to learn may have been the strongest reason performance significantly improved. Conclusion: LM groups significantly improved their LM scores and learned similar amounts. MBTI dimensions extravert and introvert and preferred learning modality had limited impact on performance for this sample of Nutrition Professionals. These results indicate that motivation may be the key to increasing performance in online nutrition courses.

<p>External representations (ERs) used in science education are multimodal ensembles consisting of design elements to convey educational meanings to the audience. As an example of a dynamic ER, an animation presenting its content features (i.e., scientific concepts) via varying the feature’s depiction over time. A production team invited the dissertation author to inspect their creation of a biochemistry animation about the role of the actin cytoskeleton in cell motility and the animation’s implication on learning. To address this, the author developed a four-step methodology entitled the Multimodal Variation Analysis of Dynamic External Representations (MVADER) that deconstructs the animation’s content and design to inspect how each content feature is conveyed via the animation’s design elements.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>This dissertation research investigated the actin animation’s educational value and the MVADER’s utility in animation evaluation. The research design was guided by descriptive case study methodology and an integrated framework consisting of the variation theory, multimodal analysis, and visual analytics. As stated above, the animation was analyzed using MVADER. The development of the actin animation and the content features the production team members intended to convey via the animation were studied by analyzing the communication records between the members, observing the team meetings, and interviewing the members individually. Furthermore, students’ learning experiences from watching the animation were examined via semi-structured interviews coupled with post- storyboarding. Moreover, the instructions of MVADER and its applications in studying the actin animation were reviewed to determine the MVADER’s usefulness as an animation evaluation tool.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>Findings of this research indicate that the three educators in the production team intended the actin animation to convey forty-three content features to the undergraduate biology students. At least 50% of the student who participated in this thesis learned thirty-five of these forty-three (> 80%) features. Evidence suggests that the animation’s effectiveness to convey its features was associated with the features’ depiction time, the number of identified design elements applied to depict the features, and the features’ variation of depiction over time.</p><p><br></p><p>Additionally, one-third of the student participants made similar mistakes regarding two content features after watching the actin animation: the F-actin elongation and the F-actin crosslink structure in lamellipodia. The analysis reveals the animation’s potential design flaws that might have contributed to these common misconceptions. Furthermore, two disruptors to the creation process and the educational value of the actin animation were identified: the vagueness of the learning goals and the designer’s placement of the animation’s beauty over its reach to the learning goals. The vagueness of the learning goals hampered the narration scripting process. On the other hand, the designer’s prioritization of the animation’s aesthetic led to the inclusion of a “beauty shot” in the animation that caused students’ confusion.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>MVADER was used to examine the content, design, and their relationships in the actin animation at multiple aspects and granularities. The result of MVADER was compared with the students’ learning outcomes from watching the animation to identify the characteristics of content’s depiction that were constructive and disruptive to learning. These findings led to several practical recommendations to teach using the actin animation and create educational ERs.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>To conclude, this dissertation discloses the connections between the creation process, the content and design, and the educational implication of a biochemistry animation. It also introduces MVADER as a novel ER analysis tool to the education research and visualization communities. MVADER can be applied in various formats of static and dynamic ERs and beyond the disciplines of biology and chemistry.</p>

Thesis (D. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009 / This research analyses the discourses of students without barriers on inclusive higher education. It is assumed that the discursive practices of students without barriers will affect their perception negatively on inclusive education. This leads to the students without barriers’ attitude. As a result the students without barriers believed that upbringing played a role in their discourses. Parental and societal stereotypes blinded them to discourses. Analysing the discourses of students without barriers indicates the need for support in order to go beyond their stereotypes. To confirm these findings, I used qualitative study to conduct my research. The literature is reviewed in Chapter Two to find out what various researchers in previous studies say with regard to the discourses of students without barriers. Six respondents were selected from two different universities, namely the Central University of Technology and the University of the Free State. This was done with the purpose of analysing the discourse of students without barriers to determine if they understood what it means to be supported. The Free Attitude Interview was used as the technique for gathering information from the respondents. The purpose was to find the discourses of students without barriers in an inclusive higher education. This research study used the textually orientated discourse analysis (TODA) as a technique for gathering data. A tape recorder was used as a supplement for information that might be forgotten. The audio recordings were transcribed, verbatim and later interpreted. The spoken word of the respondents was analysed with the aim of disclosing the ideology carried by the respondents. This study is able to conclude that students without barriers felt superior to physically disabled students, as they indicated in their dominant discourses. This implies that students without barriers are positioned with ideology and discourses in so far as their meaning construction of discourses are concerned. Based on the findings, the study recommends an inservice programme to help students without barriers to become aware of their discursive practices. The students without barriers should not allow negative stereotypes and misconception to prevent them from their discourses in inclusive higher education.

Text in Afrikaans / Private schooling is a very controversial topic. Those in favour of it focus on the fundamental rights of the individual in freedom of choice, association, religion and culture. On the other hand private schools are often regarded by the media and the man on the street as an expensive option whereby èlite is promoted. Private education, being an expensive option, is also a problem for the managers of private schools, who have to deal with the dilemma of insuffisient funds. This forms the background against which this study was undertaken. Since no official data base regarding Christian Afrikaans Private schools in Namibia existed, data had to be gathered by means of a questionnaire. This data formed the base for a second questionnaire regarding financial management and the role of the school principal in this regard. The second questionnaire was used in personal interviews with two principals from two private schools. Although the financing of private schools was looked into, the emphasis was on the principal acting as executive and financial manager. An attmept was made to suggest a financial strategy which could be used by a principal in school management. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)

This philosophical, anthropological study within a fundamental agogic perspective, employed an existential phenomenological approach to find out what adulthood is, fundamentally. Adulthood as being-ethical, is a more adequate description than chronological, biological, psychological and sociological descriptions of adulthood. Finding out what being-ethical is, required investigating what it means to be human. Only humans exist, and must participate effectively in agogic-dialogic relationships to alleviate existential yearning and experience dignifiedness. A code of effective agogy is presented. This code is the basis for a universal, fundamental code of ethics which transcends particular moral codes and professional codes of ethics. The words "ethicals", "ethicalness" and "ethicality" are employed to name, respectively, individual requirements in the code; acting according to the code; and the inescapable interrelatedness of experiencing dignifiedness and adhering to ethicals. Detailed explanations are given of what it means to respond fundamentally ethically. Adultness, humanness and ethicalness are different perceptions of the same continuum. All humans, whether aware of it or not, have an unattainable ideal of perfect humanness, to which they must perennially progress in order to experience dignifiedness, and humanness entails perennially becoming more human. Since no human can become perfectly human, the ideal of perfect humanness can be called "God". This means that the code of humanness is also the code of Godliness and the word "spiritual" is used to distinguish fundamental God from religious Gods. Spiritual responsibility is the interrelatedness of being-questioning and being-questioned. Ultimately, a person's humanness is assessed against the ideal of perfect humanness, by his or her own spiritual conscience. Humanity is the interrelatedness of the realities of existentiality, agogicality, ethicality, and spirituality and humanness is the inseparability of the continua of existentialness, ethicalness, agogicalness and spiritualness. A detailed existential-ethical description of education is given. The thesis ends with a post-scientific view of what essentially agogic orientated (educative) teaching is, and four recommendations are offered to enhance the effectiveness of agogy in teaching and learning institutions. Despite an extensive and radical study, it is acknowledged that the mystery that is humanity, can never be totally revealed. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)