While Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) has been the focus of numerous studies on the impacts of subsidies on farm-household income, yields, fertilizer use and adoption, there still has not been much empirical work quantifying the program’s effects on maize supply and demand. In this study, we use the econometric framework proposed by Roberts and Schlenker (2013) to identify the effect of FISP on maize production as well as supply and demand price elasticities in Malawi. We use national aggregate data and find that the program has increased aggregate maize supply. Our results show that FISP has had an aggregate effect across years of about 3,746,870 metric tons from 2006-2013. We also find that the program has increased farmers’ responsiveness to changes in fertilizer prices. However, our estimates suggest that higher prices lead to higher quantities of fertilizer demanded, a relationship that is not consistent with economic theory.

This thesis deals with comparison of rapid and conventional methods used in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). There is a description of imaging methods such as EPI (Echo Planar Imaging), Ultra-fast GRE, FSE (Fast spin echo) as well as a snapshot-FLASH and FISP (Fast Imaging with Steady Precession). Experimental part of this thesis deals with the rapid FSE (Fast Spin Echo) method. Especially is explained and assembled an algorithm for proper compilation of data from the FSE method. This algorithm allows us to evaluate the images from the FSE method. This method is examined in detail (in terms of impact parameters) and compared with traditional conventional methods. Finally, the individual images are evaluated, and the best parameters for FSE method are identified.

Agriculture is the single most important sector in Malawi due to its contribution to the economy ranging from employment creation, contribution to GDP growth to source of foreign exchange earnings. These significant contributions have necessitated the Government of Malawi to develop strategies and policies such as the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), whose main aim is to increase household incomes and reduce food insecurity and ultimately reduce poverty. It is nine years since the introduction of FISP but its results remain mixed. Using the 2009/10 Integrated Household Survey Phase 3 (IHS3) dataset, a logistic regression in a multivariate data analysis approach was used to investigate the impact of FISP on income levels and food security of rural smallholder farmers in Malawi. The analysis showed that about 82 percent of smallholder farmers live in rural areas, about 75 percent of them were males, 71 percent were married, 70 percent did not go to school and 69 percent benefited from FISP. In farming, 68 percent of these smallholder farmers had less than 1 hectare of farms, 70 percent of them had labour force of less than 5 people, 51 percent of them harvest less than 5 bags of 50kgs of maize of which 92 percent sell most of their harvested maize and 89 percent of them receive less than MK5, 000 from sales. In addition, about 99 percent of these smallholder farmers were food insecure as they save less than 1 bag of 50kgs after harvest. Only 1 percent of these smallholder farmers receive remittances and 21 percent had other income generating activities (IGAs). Demographic and socio-economic factors have no impact on these farmers capability to increase income levels and enhance their food security. There is also no statistically significant difference between FISP beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in terms of capabilities of increasing incomes and enhancing food security. It is, therefore, concluded that FISP had no significant impact on the abilities of these smallholder farmers to increase their incomes and enhancing their food security. Hence, FISP did not prove to be the best food security and poverty alleviation tool in Malawi.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:39:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6219.pdf: 3798654 bytes, checksum: 3a762ed1e132474e8423d41ebedd09ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-21 / The flow of information and quick and easy access that you have to them due to the spread of digital information and communication technologies (DICT) is a hallmark of contemporaneity. This scenario originated from the productive and organizational restructuring from capitalism and soon expanded to other social spheres, including education. The insertion of DICT in educational processes enhances the Distance Education (DE) as a way of teaching and learning and redefines the roles of both learner and the teachers. New knowledge and techniques are required from this professional to act as mediator and motivator of educational relationships established in this modality. Such knowledge and expertise, in most cases, are not constructed during initial training and, thus, teaching the way from the experiences they experience in their daily lives. Then, it is understood that the virtual teacher, through their teaching, while that formed and enhances professionally, maturing as a teacher, can also transform their practice in relation to classroom education. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the changes that occur in teaching from the everyday pedagogical practice in distance education, having as subject the teachers who work in virtual courses in Management, Computer for Internet and Profuncionário offered by the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo (FISP) through e-Tec Network Brazil. To do so, four specific objectives were elaborated, namely: to identify and analyze possible discrepancies between the prescribed profile and the established profile of virtual teachers of e-Tec Network Brazil/FISP; to map the knowledge built by the teachers throughout the educational experience in DE, identifying their nature; to analyze the perception of teachers in relation to virtual transformations that their practice has suffered through the experience in distance education; to identify and list the key elements that during their practice in distance education, contribute to the maturation/redefinition of the concept of virtual teaching from e-Tec Network Brazil/FISP. Given the research objectives, we used methodological triangulation, in other words, have combined procedures and quantitative and qualitative analysis throughout the investigation. The analyzes show that the pedagogical practice in distance education transforms teaching, because the teachers has the opportunity to review the knowledge basis required for their profession, including expanding it with the construction of new knowledge; through this construction, the teachers have the opportunity to reflect on their role in society, maturing/redefining their identity and conception about the profession; it can constitute an opportunity for professional development for the teachers when understood as a re-professionalization of teaching. / A fluidez de informações e o rápido e fácil acesso que se tem a elas em decorrência da generalização das tecnologias digitais de informação e comunicação (TDIC) é uma característica marcante da contemporaneidade. Tal cenário originou-se da reestruturação organizacional e produtiva do capitalismo e logo se expandiu para os demais âmbitos sociais, inclusive o educacional. A inserção das TDIC nos processos educacionais potencializa a Educação a Distância (EaD) como modalidade de ensino-aprendizagem e redefine os papéis tanto do aluno quanto do docente. Deste profissional, passam a ser exigidos novos conhecimentos e saberes para atuar como mediador e motivador das relações educacionais que se estabelecem nessa modalidade. Tais saberes e conhecimentos, na maior parte das vezes, não são construídos durante a formação inicial, e, dessa maneira, o docente os forma a partir das experiências que vivencia em seu cotidiano. Sendo assim, compreende-se que o docente virtual, por meio de sua prática pedagógica, ao mesmo tempo em que se forma e se aprimora profissionalmente, amadurecendo-se como docente, também pode transformar sua prática pedagógica em relação à educação presencial. Diante disso, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar as transformações que ocorrem na docência a partir da prática pedagógica cotidiana na EaD, tendo como sujeitos os docentes virtuais que atuam nos cursos de Administração, Informática para a Internet e Profuncionário oferecidos pelo Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP) por meio da Rede e-Tec Brasil. Para tanto, formularam-se quatro objetivos específicos, a saber: identificar e analisar possíveis discrepâncias existentes entre o perfil prescrito e o perfil efetivado dos docentes virtuais da Rede e-Tec Brasil/IFSP; mapear os saberes construídos pelo docente ao longo da experiência pedagógica na EaD, identificando a sua natureza; analisar a percepção dos docentes virtuais em relação às transformações que a sua prática pedagógica sofreu ao longo da experiência na EaD; identificar e relacionar os principais elementos que, durante a sua prática pedagógica na EaD, contribuem para o amadurecimento/ressignificação da concepção de docência dos docentes virtuais da Rede e-Tec Brasil/IFSP. Tendo em vista os objetivos da pesquisa, utilizou-se a triangulação metodológica, isto é, combinaram-se procedimentos e análises quantitativas e qualitativas ao longo da investigação. As análises realizadas demonstram que a prática pedagógica na EaD transforma a docência, pois possibilita ao docente rever a base de conhecimento necessária à sua profissão, inclusive ampliando-a com a construção de novos saberes; por meio dela, o docente tem a possibilidade de refletir sobre seu papel na sociedade, amadurecendo/ressignificando sua concepção sobre a profissão; ela pode constituir-se numa oportunidade para o desenvolvimento profissional docente quando compreendida como uma reprofissionalização da docência.