Este estudo, uma investigação de natureza qualitativa, caracteriza-se como um estudo de caso etnográfico sobre a organização do currículo por projetos de trabalho em uma escola da Rede Municipal de ensino de Porto Alegre/RS. O estudo foi realizado com o coletivo docente do ano ciclo de B10, com a supervisora pedagógica, orientadora pedagógica e com o diretor da escola, de forma a compreender como a Educação Física se organiza como componente curricular dentro dessa estrutura. O trabalho de campo foi realizado no ano letivo de 2016, em que convivi com esse coletivo docente, observando suas rotinas, dinâmicas e construções pedagógicas. O produto da pesquisa foi construído através de duas categorias de análise que emergiram dos instrumentos de coleta de informações, partindo dos diálogos, das entrevistas semiestruturadas, dos registros no diário de campo, observações participantes e análise de documentos. Após o processo de descrição, análise, interpretação e compreensão do estudo foi possível inferir a potencialidade dos projetos de trabalho como organização curricular que, dentro das possibilidades demandadas pela realidade de uma escola da rede pública de ensino, (re)significa aspectos importantes da cultura escolar, como a micropolítica da escola; amplia o trabalho coletivo; potencializa a interdisciplinaridade; valoriza a educação para a diversidade e procura promover os aspectos globais e complexos do conhecimento, tudo isso partindo da realidade do aluno e dos aspectos locais, tornando-se uma opção contra hegemônica de pensar escola, currículo e função social da educação. / This study is a qualitative investigation characterized as an ethnographic case study. It is about the organization of the curriculum by work projects in a Municipal school in the city of Porto Alegre/RS. The study was performed with the teaching staff of groups in B10 cycle, with the pedagogical supervisor, the educational advisor and the school director, in order to understand how Physical Education is organized as a curricular component within this structure. Fieldwork was carried out during the school year of 2016, in which I could relate with this teaching group, observing their routines, their dynamic organization and their pedagogical constructions. The research product was constructed through two categories of analysis that emerged from the information gathering tools, through dialogues, semi-structured interviews, field diary records, participant observations and document analysis. After the process of description, analysis, interpretation and comprehension of the study, it was possible to infer the potentiality of work projects as a curricular organization which, within the possibilities demanded by the reality of a school in a public context, gives (another) meaning to important aspects of school culture, such as the micropolitics of the school; it also broadens the group work; enhances interdisciplinarity, values education for diversity and seeks to promote the global and complex aspects of knowdge, these based on the student reality and on local aspects, becoming a counter hegemonic option of thinking school, curriculum and social function of education.

abstract: This dissertation examines how young children engage with digital games at home and how parents think and talk about their children's digital gaming. This is an ethnographic case study of the digital game playing of six three-year-old children in six families. This study combines ethnographic methods and critical perspectives to construct analyses that have the potential to rethink young children's digital game play. The focus of this study is on understanding how digital gaming functions in children's everyday lives. This study shows that young children's digital game play takes place in the interstices of their everyday family life. Digital games do not entirely change or displace other practices in early childhood, but they are integrated into existing young children's everyday practices in their family life. Digital games as a source of young children's imagination enrich young children's play rather than substitute for young children's spontaneous non-digital play. Young children and their parents tactically use young children's mobile game play to cope with their modern life. Negotiating over game selections, time, and space between young children and their parents is an everyday practice of families and digital games are a site not only for family power struggles but also of shared activity. Digital games reflect the dominant culture in which they are produced. However, this study shows that young children do not passively receive the messages in the games but rather make sense of the game contents according to their everyday local experiences. Digital games are now a part of everyday practices for both adults and young children, and young children's digital game play reflects contemporary society. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Curriculum and Instruction 2015

Esta dissertação de mestrado acadêmico tem por objetivo a compreensão da cultura discente em uma escola de Educação de Jovens e Adultos da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, destinada ao atendimento de alunos em vulnerabilidade social, muitos em situação de rua. Para tanto, a questão norteadora que a pesquisa se propôs a responder ficou assim definida: Como são compartilhados os aspectos simbólicos da cultura de alunos em vulnerabilidade social nas aulas de Educação Física em uma escola da modalidade de Educação de Jovens e Adultos da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Porto Alegre? Sendo assim, neste estudo de natureza qualitativa, foi feita a eleição pelo estudo de caso etnográfico (MOLINA, 2004) por compreender que esse seria o melhor desenho de investigação para conferir profundidade à interpretação dos aspectos simbólicos compartilhados por um público muito particular. O trabalho de campo teve a duração de um ano letivo (março a dezembro de 2016) e contou com os seguintes instrumentos de coleta das informações: observação participante, diários de campo, diálogos, entrevistas semiestruturadas e análise de documentos. As observações eram realizadas quatro turnos por semana, duas no turno da manhã com as Totalidades Iniciais do Conhecimento e duas no turno da tarde com as Totalidades Finais do Conhecimento. Foram feitas observações nas aulas de Educação Física, no pátio da Escola, na entrada e saída dos estudantes da mesma, bem como no refeitório nos horários de intervalo e almoço. Para me auxiliar a responder ao problema de pesquisa, duas categorias de análise foram construídas, a primeira intitulada “Uma identidade marginal” e a segunda “‟Que Educação Física estranha‟: a cultura discente nas aulas de EFI - concepções e entendimentos da disciplina”. Essas duas categorias me auxiliaram na compreensão de que esta instituição possui aspectos simbólicos relevantes compartilhados pelos estudantes aos quais se destina. Assim, pude interpretar que o contexto macrossocial no qual os estudantes desta escola estão inseridos por vezes se reflete em suas atitudes no contexto microssocial, ou seja, nos aspectos simbólicos compartilhados na Escola e, de forma mais específica, nas aulas de Educação Física. Dois conceitos puderam ser destacados como sendo presentes durante todo o trabalho de campo, a violência e a concepção de marginalidade. No que compete às manifestações de violência, interpreto a simbólica (BOURDIEU, 1989; FREIRE 1979; 2015a) como mais representativa para as situações observadas no estudo, mas podendo destacar ainda a violência de gênero como muito presente também. Com relação à noção de marginalidade, esta localizei em Freire (1979) como sendo uma posição de dependência na estrutura social em relação às classes dominantes, na qual interpreto que tanto a Escola quanto os estudantes investigados ocupam. / This dissertation aims to understand the students' culture in a School for Youths and Adults of the Municipality of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, wich has the purpose of attending students in social vulnerability, many of them being homeless. To achieve this goal the question that this study proposes to answer is defined thereby: How the symbolic aspects of socially vulnerable students' culture are shared in Physical Education classes of a school for Youths and Adults of the Municipal Education System of Porto Alegre? In this qualitative study, an ethnographic case study was chosen (MOLINA, 2004) because it's understood that it would provide a better research picture and give a more in depth interpretation of the symbolic aspects shared by a very particular public. One academic year was dedicated for fieldwork (March to December 2016) and the following tools were applied for information collection: participant observation, field diaries, dialogues, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The observations were performed four shifts per week, two in the morning shift with the Initial Knowledge Totalities and two in the afternoon shift with the Final Knowledge Totalities. Observations were made during Physical Education classes in School's courtyard as well as during the students' entrance and exit of school and in the cafeteria during breaks and lunchtime. In order to help me answer the research problem, two categories of analysis were established: the first one entitled "A marginal identity" and the second one "What a strange physical education: the student culture in EFI classes - conceptions and understandings of the discipline". This two categories helped me to understand that this institution of education has relevant symbolic aspects that are shared by its students. Thus, I conclude that the macro social context in which this school's students are inserted are sometimes reflected in their attitudes in the micro social context, i.e., in the symbolic aspects shared at School and, more specifically, at Physical Education classes. Two concepts can be highlighted as being present throughout the fieldwork: violence and the conception of criminality. In what regards to manifestations of violence I understand that the symbolic aspects (BOURDIEU, 1989; FREIRE 1979; 2015a) are more representative of the situations observed in this study, on the other hand gender violence was present as well. According to Freire (1979) the concept of criminality is a condition that involves dependency on social structure related to dominant classes, which I observed as present in both parties: School and the students of this study.

abstract: This is a qualitative case study using ethnographic methods of how one school community has been able to negotiate Arizona's restrictive English only language policies. Drawing from classroom and school-wide observations, extensive interviews, and document collection, this case study explores three key questions in relation to this school's negotiation process: 1) What characterizes the curriculum for English learners (ELs) and bilingual students at the case study school? 2) How do key actors, processes, and cultural practices at the case study school support the negotiation of Proposition 203 and House Bill 2064? and 3) What are the perspectives of key school community stakeholders in relation to the curriculum supporting bilingualism and the policy negotiation process? Findings show that by sharing certain key beliefs and practices, the school community has been able to work together, at times through struggle and perseverance, to negotiate for what they believe to be most important in school. They do so by sharing such key beliefs as the importance of seeing the whole child and teaching in ways that are real and meaningful. They also negotiate by engaging in a set of shared practices, which include: the use of Spanish campus-wide both for instruction and for the life and operation of the school, the cultivation of relationships amongst all school community members, and key curricular practices. These practices include providing a variety of learning experiences, especially those based upon the Arts, as well as a curriculum that focuses on providing opportunities to examine real world issues in an integrated and in-depth manner, to learn by integrating students' language, families, and experiences into the curriculum, and has a final goal of creating students who are critical thinkers, self-advocates, and agents within their own lives. All of these beliefs and practices contribute to a strong sense of community. It is this sense of community and the shared beliefs and practices, along with the increased agency this interconnectedness creates for all stakeholders, which has facilitated the successful use of parent waivers. These parent waivers have enabled parents to continue choosing alternative language education programs to those mandated by the state, namely integrated content and English instruction within the mainstream K-4 classroom and the Spanish/English dual language program option at the 5-8 grade levels. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2012

No description available.

There have been numerous calls for the radical transformation of public education in the United States. Reform initiatives are fuelled by the need to prepare students to meet the challenges of the networked knowledge society. This thesis examines the shaping of school culture within two public non-charter high schools, in different regions of the United States and with different socioeconomic characteristics, that are implementing the "New Technology" (or "New Tech") model of education: Pacific Coast High, a well-established New Tech school, and Midwest High, a school that recently transitioned to the model and is still in the process of culture change. This rapidly expanding school reform network includes 168 schools in the United States and 7 international sites in Australia. The New Tech Network, the organisation that provides training and support for these schools, explicitly emphasises the goal of changing the culture of education. They describe themselves as a network of schools that promotes a culture of trust, respect, and responsibility and uses project-based learning and "smart use" of technology to redefine teaching and learning. I employed an ethnographic multisite case study design to gain an understanding of the everyday experiences and practices of teachers, students and school leaders as they work through the process of implementing and maintaining the New Tech model. Fieldwork included six and a half months of participant observation of secondary classrooms, school meetings, professional development sessions, and New Tech training conferences as well as semi-structured interviews with teachers, students, and administrators. My analysis provides an understanding of the influence of local context, including historical background (local and national) and economic and political structures. The research findings indicate that a deliberate focus on 'culture-building', with particular values like trust, respect and responsibility, underpin and shape relationships, behaviours and educational practices, including the extensive use of ICTs. A multi-faceted approach to socialisation and enculturation, which includes extensive peer-to-peer support, is involved in inculcating values and shaping behaviours and practices. The New Tech model shifts the focus of education from a primarily individualist competitive endeavour (reflecting the broad cultural orientations of modern society in the United States) to a more collectivist approach, with students working in collaborative groups supported by the use of ICTs. Schools operate as learning communities with collaborative partnerships with the wider community. Pacific Coast High is an exemplar for the model in its fully implemented form, while Midwest High's transition to the model has been fraught with tensions as they navigate numerous context-specific challenges. I argue that real reform requires an intentional effort to change the culture of education and that pedagogy and culture have to necessitate the use of ICTs to more fully integrate them into the education process. I characterise the culture I observed in New Tech schools, particularly at Pacific Coast, as an 'ICT-facilitating school culture' with (1) a collaborative project-based focus and encouragement of students to communicate and find information themselves which pushes them to use ICTs, (2) a system of cultural values that, when internalised, operates as a means of social control, keeping students on task as they work independently and collaboratively, using ICTs, including social networking sites, and (3) an ideal classroom layout and technology infrastructure that facilitates the use of ICTs. I characterise the New Tech Network of schools as a revitalization movement, addressing the needs of a changing society by changing the culture of education.

This case study research aimed to explore, understand, and compare the experiences of individuals participating in a heterogeneous adult community drama class in Central Sweden. Drawing from classical pragmatism and employing a conceptual framework rooted in sociocultural theory, the study utilized semi-structured interviews, open-questionnaire responses, and participant observations to collect data which was analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. Key findings indicated that participants generally viewed their engagement in the class positively while also recognizing the challenges and complexities of working within a mixed-language level group. As such, participants identified diverse motivations and preferences which informed their expectations and impressions of participation. As well, Swedish L2 learners of various levels and Swedish L1 speakers identified distinct challenges and opportunities in relation to learning and navigating language within the class context. Despite identified challenges, the high degree of group diversity emerged as a centrally important and beneficial feature of participation by facilitating opportunities to learn and assist one another in a supportive community environment through mediation. Subsequently this paper offers recommendations for transferable contexts to mitigate language-related challenges based on participant accounts and observations. Moreover, this study seeks to contribute to the fields of comparative education and applied drama through its focus on exploring and examining possibilities and consequences of heterogenous group learning among adults and in a community drama class. Consequently, the results of the study may be useful in adult education settings, applied drama contexts, and among policymakers interested in exploring participatory learning approaches, particularly in relation to supporting migrant individuals and migrant integration.

The abuse of power, dominance of certain shared perspectives, and reduction of personal values into so-called organizational core values are problems that plague traditional organizational direction setting. The purpose of this study was to explore how power intersects with the knowledge formation process, shared perspectives, and participatory processes within organizational direction setting. The study used an ethnographic case study approach to focus on a church that went through a yearlong direction setting process. The church had lost its senior pastor and wanted to determine its direction before hiring a new pastor. The researcher was a participant in that process. His field notes and other documentation provided one source of data. The researcher also interviewed 20 people who participated in the process. In terms of the intersection of power and knowledge formation, the study revealed that the discursive practices of the facilitator along with the voices of those in privileged groups, the outspoken, and those who had engendered trust in others carried considerable weight during the process. At the intersection of power with shared perspectives, there were two major perspectives representing subgroup cultures: a traditional perspective that resisted change and a progressive perspective that wanted change. The progressives dominated the church’s privileged groups and exerted extensive influence on the direction setting process. The organizational symbols of church staff and worship music style served to galvanize some people in the battle over which perspective would prevail. Transparency functioned as a bridge that brought some on either side of the conflict closer together. The research revealed two major types of power related to the intersection of power with participatory processes: the power of pain and intimidation. Both minimized the participation of some women, youth, and traditionalists. All three intersections featured deployments of power that influenced the construction of directional knowledge. This knowledge helped to inform the rules of “appropriate” conduct within the organization’s emerging truth regime. The study revealed that, in this case, robust directional knowledge would have accommodated personal, subgroup, and widely shared values in a state of dynamic equilibrium. The researcher concluded with a discussion of implications for organizational leaders.

The abuse of power, dominance of certain shared perspectives, and reduction of personal values into so-called organizational core values are problems that plague traditional organizational direction setting. The purpose of this study was to explore how power intersects with the knowledge formation process, shared perspectives, and participatory processes within organizational direction setting. The study used an ethnographic case study approach to focus on a church that went through a yearlong direction setting process. The church had lost its senior pastor and wanted to determine its direction before hiring a new pastor. The researcher was a participant in that process. His field notes and other documentation provided one source of data. The researcher also interviewed 20 people who participated in the process. In terms of the intersection of power and knowledge formation, the study revealed that the discursive practices of the facilitator along with the voices of those in privileged groups, the outspoken, and those who had engendered trust in others carried considerable weight during the process. At the intersection of power with shared perspectives, there were two major perspectives representing subgroup cultures: a traditional perspective that resisted change and a progressive perspective that wanted change. The progressives dominated the church’s privileged groups and exerted extensive influence on the direction setting process. The organizational symbols of church staff and worship music style served to galvanize some people in the battle over which perspective would prevail. Transparency functioned as a bridge that brought some on either side of the conflict closer together. The research revealed two major types of power related to the intersection of power with participatory processes: the power of pain and intimidation. Both minimized the participation of some women, youth, and traditionalists. All three intersections featured deployments of power that influenced the construction of directional knowledge. This knowledge helped to inform the rules of “appropriate” conduct within the organization’s emerging truth regime. The study revealed that, in this case, robust directional knowledge would have accommodated personal, subgroup, and widely shared values in a state of dynamic equilibrium. The researcher concluded with a discussion of implications for organizational leaders.

The abuse of power, dominance of certain shared perspectives, and reduction of personal values into so-called organizational core values are problems that plague traditional organizational direction setting. The purpose of this study was to explore how power intersects with the knowledge formation process, shared perspectives, and participatory processes within organizational direction setting. The study used an ethnographic case study approach to focus on a church that went through a yearlong direction setting process. The church had lost its senior pastor and wanted to determine its direction before hiring a new pastor. The researcher was a participant in that process. His field notes and other documentation provided one source of data. The researcher also interviewed 20 people who participated in the process. In terms of the intersection of power and knowledge formation, the study revealed that the discursive practices of the facilitator along with the voices of those in privileged groups, the outspoken, and those who had engendered trust in others carried considerable weight during the process. At the intersection of power with shared perspectives, there were two major perspectives representing subgroup cultures: a traditional perspective that resisted change and a progressive perspective that wanted change. The progressives dominated the church’s privileged groups and exerted extensive influence on the direction setting process. The organizational symbols of church staff and worship music style served to galvanize some people in the battle over which perspective would prevail. Transparency functioned as a bridge that brought some on either side of the conflict closer together. The research revealed two major types of power related to the intersection of power with participatory processes: the power of pain and intimidation. Both minimized the participation of some women, youth, and traditionalists. All three intersections featured deployments of power that influenced the construction of directional knowledge. This knowledge helped to inform the rules of “appropriate” conduct within the organization’s emerging truth regime. The study revealed that, in this case, robust directional knowledge would have accommodated personal, subgroup, and widely shared values in a state of dynamic equilibrium. The researcher concluded with a discussion of implications for organizational leaders. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate