The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) emphasizes the word "community" for building economic development, citizen participations, and revitalization of facilities and services in urban and rural areas. Resident Councils are one way to develop and build community among residents of public housing. This is a study of a resident council's role of community building. Despite HUD stressing community building in public housing and investing money and policies around it, there are some resident councils that are not fulfilling the expectations of HUD. The purpose of this research is to describe and explain the disjunctions between HUD's expectations for the resident council as an active agent for community building and the actual practices of the resident council. This research shows seven disjunctions stand in the way of the desired relationship between the resident council and the HUD officials: (1) emphasis on children, (2) leadership of the council, (3) perception that the resident council members are "snitches," (4) responsibilities of the resident council and HUD officials, (5) manager/managerial styles, (6) meeting dynamic, and (7) HUD structure and priorities. Focusing on the Rivertown Resident Council and building on a two year ethnographic case study of the council, I use a conceptual framework that combines critical race theory with a Scholar Activist Methodology to understand how housing policies, race, class, and the lived experiences of the resident council are apart of the disjunctions between the Rivertown Resident Council and HUD officials and what task can be taken to eliminate those disjunctions. / Ph. D.

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.

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.

No description available.

The global spread of the neoliberal paradigm has propelled a recent worldwide trend of educational decentralization/centralization policies. Such policies constitute a contradictory ensemble that has shifted authority and accountability across national, provincial or state, municipal, and school levels. They have also been marked by contestation over the extent to which curricula are nationally standardized or locally defined. Education reform in Brazil in this regard has been shaped by a confluence of neoliberal and critical theoretical currents: enhance the nation’s economic competitiveness in the global market and redress pressing societal issues. Using Basil Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing together with critical educational scholars’ conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge in the official and enacted curriculum as conceptual and theoretical frameworks, this comparative ethnographic case study examines the nexus between curriculum, knowledge, and pedagogy in municipal schools in Brazil’s Northeast. In doing so it addresses gaps in comparative educational research on curriculum knowledge along with how educational decentralization/centralization policies are implemented in practice. The central thesis is that municipal school curricula knowledge dynamics—the classification and framing of knowledge in the official curriculum and the relation of such with what knowledge is legitimized in classrooms, how such is transmitted and analyzed, and why—in Brazil’s Northeast encompass a multilevel web of contradictions. This web spans incongruent ideologies, opposing elements of autonomy and accountability, conflicting pedagogical principles and practices, and a chasm between curriculum ideals and urban periphery municipal school realities.

The global spread of the neoliberal paradigm has propelled a recent worldwide trend of educational decentralization/centralization policies. Such policies constitute a contradictory ensemble that has shifted authority and accountability across national, provincial or state, municipal, and school levels. They have also been marked by contestation over the extent to which curricula are nationally standardized or locally defined. Education reform in Brazil in this regard has been shaped by a confluence of neoliberal and critical theoretical currents: enhance the nation’s economic competitiveness in the global market and redress pressing societal issues. Using Basil Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing together with critical educational scholars’ conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge in the official and enacted curriculum as conceptual and theoretical frameworks, this comparative ethnographic case study examines the nexus between curriculum, knowledge, and pedagogy in municipal schools in Brazil’s Northeast. In doing so it addresses gaps in comparative educational research on curriculum knowledge along with how educational decentralization/centralization policies are implemented in practice. The central thesis is that municipal school curricula knowledge dynamics—the classification and framing of knowledge in the official curriculum and the relation of such with what knowledge is legitimized in classrooms, how such is transmitted and analyzed, and why—in Brazil’s Northeast encompass a multilevel web of contradictions. This web spans incongruent ideologies, opposing elements of autonomy and accountability, conflicting pedagogical principles and practices, and a chasm between curriculum ideals and urban periphery municipal school realities.

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.

This study provides an account of the agendas, participation and influence of management, teachers, students and parents at a primary school in Tigray, Ethiopia. A literature review revealed gaps in the knowledge of these stakeholders’ involvement in school leadership structures in the current national policy context. A broader review of the major traditions of school research informed the design of this ethnographic case study. Fieldwork at ‘Ketema School’ took place over an eight-month period in 2014, and involved participant observation, informant-led interviews, and the collection of institutional documents. Data collection focused on the meetings of various bodies, and the activities of a single class in Grade 6 and 7. Inductive analysis of the case data was supported by Atlas.ti. The study reveals a convergence of understandings about the purposes and processes of the school consistent with the state-authorised model of schooling for national development. Structures and processes of surveillance and control incentivise and normalise compliance with government directives. These include positions of distributed leadership and mechanisms of mutual surveillance and internal accountability through which teachers and students share responsibility for supervising peers and colleagues. For example, the student leaders of the ‘one-to-five’ networks perform an academic support and behavioural control function in relation to their peers; and gim gima is a practice of public critique used for exposing misconduct. Meetings and other participative spaces enable members of the school community to share their views on conditions in school according to their interests and priorities; however, these forums are dominated by management agendas, and school-level decisions are restricted by a strong external policy context. This study extends knowledge of school leadership practices in Ethiopia and informs wider debates around community participation, accountability and school autonomy in developing countries. Recommendations are made for sharing and strengthening democratic practices and for future research.

Supaplex is a single player video-game released at the beginning of the 90's which known as a challenging puzzle game developed for MS-DOS and Amiga. Although Supaplex did not get an intense interest and did not become a "POP" icon like PacMan or Super Mario or Sonic during the 90's, it was quite popular among people who like puzzle games such as Boulder Dash. This paper aims to revive this nostalgic video-game and show if Supaplex help to improve the development of logical thinking in primary school children. This paper examines how can Supaplex effect on primary school children's way of developing problem-solving techniques. Moreover, this case study examines primary school children's playing habits at their own homes. The paper is based on an ethnographic case study in which I collaborated with a Turkish family to let their children play Supaplex at their home as a spare-time activity approximately five-month long period. During this five-month period, I went to their home and played Supaplex with the triplets.

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.