The focus group meeting is an approach to identifying potential learning needs and developing awareness for organizational change. Currently, the literature recommends that focus groups be composed of both laterally and vertically homogeneous group members to enhance trust among participants and facilitate positive group dynamics. Two research questions explored the relationship between heterogeneity and the quality of focus groups for organizational change and training needs assessment at a multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm: 1) In what way does lateral (disciplinary) heterogeneity affect the quality of focus group discussion? and 2) In what way does vertical (hierarchical) heterogeneity affect the quality of focus group discussion? Meetings of four focus groups of four participants each were tape-recorded, transcribed, and compared according to the following parameters: trust, group development, conformity, participation, awareness of the need for change, and idea generation. Each group represented a different combination of lateral and vertical homogeneity or heterogeneity. The highest quality group discussion and greatest diversity of ideas were found in the group which was laterally heterogeneous and vertically homogeneous. Vertical heterogeneity was found to adversely affect group dynamics. The findings suggest that moderators who lead focus groups for identifying learner needs and developing an awareness of the need for change in organizations might consider composing small, laterally heterogeneous, but vertically homogeneous, groups in order to enhance group development, encourage a holistic understanding of the organization, and provide diverse ideas and high-quality results. / Master of Science

The individualization and medicalization of the emotional distress of those given psychiatric diagnoses deny the social, political, and economic context in which the presenting behaviours arose and leads away from making changes to society. Some people who are psychiatrically labelled join in groups for solidarity in the face of being stigmatized. In these groups the members can resist the disempowerment and helplessness learned in the psychiatric system. With co-researchers from a self-help group this study gives expression to the usually silenced voices of psychiatrized people. Feminist and standpoint theories, co-cultural and living systems theories form a framework for this narrative study. A structural narrative method is used to analyze the stories, found in the transcripts of six individual interviews, told by the co-researchers about their experiences in psychiatric services and in the recovery process. The stories reveal how the ideology and practices of psychiatry use stigma, oppression and the creation of the identity of psychiatric patient for control and management. The stories also reveal the reality of hope for recovery through the support of peers and from the role models of those who have significantly recovered their mental health. Two focus group interviews were conducted with members of the self-help group where suggestions for programs were developed to address issues raised within the groups and in the individual interviews. The findings of the research will be reported to the self-help group who will use the study to back proposals for the funding of recovery-oriented programs. When social workers and other mental health professsionals recognize the importance of supporting the process of recovery, consumer/survivor-run programs will be acknowledged as effective and integral parts of any mental health system

The individualization and medicalization of the emotional distress of those given psychiatric diagnoses deny the social, political, and economic context in which the presenting behaviours arose and leads away from making changes to society. Some people who are psychiatrically labelled join in groups for solidarity in the face of being stigmatized. In these groups the members can resist the disempowerment and helplessness learned in the psychiatric system. With co-researchers from a self-help group this study gives expression to the usually silenced voices of psychiatrized people. Feminist and standpoint theories, co-cultural and living systems theories form a framework for this narrative study. A structural narrative method is used to analyze the stories, found in the transcripts of six individual interviews, told by the co-researchers about their experiences in psychiatric services and in the recovery process. The stories reveal how the ideology and practices of psychiatry use stigma, oppression and the creation of the identity of psychiatric patient for control and management. The stories also reveal the reality of hope for recovery through the support of peers and from the role models of those who have significantly recovered their mental health. Two focus group interviews were conducted with members of the self-help group where suggestions for programs were developed to address issues raised within the groups and in the individual interviews. The findings of the research will be reported to the self-help group who will use the study to back proposals for the funding of recovery-oriented programs. When social workers and other mental health professsionals recognize the importance of supporting the process of recovery, consumer/survivor-run programs will be acknowledged as effective and integral parts of any mental health system / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-26T18:49:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Maria Deis.pdf: 429421 bytes, checksum: d559e6ec0f6dd106bc1e357711146415 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-12-05 / It was searched, by means of this study, to inquire and to argue on the significance of the continued formation as a tool for overcoming the difficulties caused by the school routine as well as by imbalance in the initial formation and the requirements of contemporary society. The inquiry was oriented by bibliographical research and analysis of the testimonies of Re-Signifying the School Pedagogical Work Group of Studies, which has been active since 2003 under the supervision of this researcher. Two questionnaires were applied: the first one, consisting of closed questions, aimed to elucidate the profile of the participants; the second, with open questions, intended to present the dynamics of the Group of Studies, and the most explored themes. The following reflections, therefore, are structured in the theoretical support, as well as in the practical experience of the researcher, and of the interviewed professionals, from a fundamental question: does the participation in Groups of Studies promote a differentiated practice to the education professionals to the point of intervening in the organization and functioning of the school? Such reflections led to the following conclusion: a triple investment is needed for an educational practice improvement and re-significance: personal, since it is necessary to be aware of what concerns each one in this complex context; collective, because on gathering committed professionals, they are capable of overcoming all sorts of problems, and structural, when educational supporters are called to their responsibility. / Buscamos, através deste estudo, debater a importância da formação continuada como instrumento para a superação de dificuldades do cotidiano escolar, bem como aquelas relativas às defasagens obtidas na formação inicial ou oriunda das novas exigências da atual sociedade. Nossa investigação orientou-se pela pesquisa bibliográfica e pela análise das considerações dos participantes (por amostragem) do Grupo de Estudos: Re-significando o Trabalho Pedagógico na Escola , que estuda coletivamente desde 2003, sob a coordenação desta pesquisadora. Aplicamos dois questionários: o primeiro para explicitar o perfil dos participantes; o segundo com questões abertas sobre a própria dinâmica do Grupo de Estudos e temas constantemente trabalhados. As reflexões aqui realizadas, portanto, estruturam-se na fundamentação teórica e na atenção à prática experenciada pela pesquisadora e profissionais entrevistados, além da necessidade de debater a questão: os profissionais da educação que participam de Grupos de Estudos, apresentam um trabalho diferenciado a ponto de intervir na organização e funcionamento da escola? O conjunto destas reflexões conduziu à pertinência do estudo e à sua abrangência, quando impõe, como condição para re-significação da prática educacional, um investimento triplo: pessoal, porque é preciso haver uma consciência sobre o que compete a cada um dentro deste complexo contexto; coletivo, pois profissionais comprometidos quando se unem são capazes de superar problemas de toda ordem e, estrutural, quando chama à responsabilidade, os órgãos mantenedores dos sistemas educacionais.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T17:54:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Maria Deis.pdf: 429421 bytes, checksum: d559e6ec0f6dd106bc1e357711146415 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-12-05 / It was searched, by means of this study, to inquire and to argue on the significance of the continued formation as a tool for overcoming the difficulties caused by the school routine as well as by imbalance in the initial formation and the requirements of contemporary society. The inquiry was oriented by bibliographical research and analysis of the testimonies of Re-Signifying the School Pedagogical Work Group of Studies, which has been active since 2003 under the supervision of this researcher. Two questionnaires were applied: the first one, consisting of closed questions, aimed to elucidate the profile of the participants; the second, with open questions, intended to present the dynamics of the Group of Studies, and the most explored themes. The following reflections, therefore, are structured in the theoretical support, as well as in the practical experience of the researcher, and of the interviewed professionals, from a fundamental question: does the participation in Groups of Studies promote a differentiated practice to the education professionals to the point of intervening in the organization and functioning of the school? Such reflections led to the following conclusion: a triple investment is needed for an educational practice improvement and re-significance: personal, since it is necessary to be aware of what concerns each one in this complex context; collective, because on gathering committed professionals, they are capable of overcoming all sorts of problems, and structural, when educational supporters are called to their responsibility. / Buscamos, através deste estudo, debater a importância da formação continuada como instrumento para a superação de dificuldades do cotidiano escolar, bem como aquelas relativas às defasagens obtidas na formação inicial ou oriunda das novas exigências da atual sociedade. Nossa investigação orientou-se pela pesquisa bibliográfica e pela análise das considerações dos participantes (por amostragem) do Grupo de Estudos: Re-significando o Trabalho Pedagógico na Escola , que estuda coletivamente desde 2003, sob a coordenação desta pesquisadora. Aplicamos dois questionários: o primeiro para explicitar o perfil dos participantes; o segundo com questões abertas sobre a própria dinâmica do Grupo de Estudos e temas constantemente trabalhados. As reflexões aqui realizadas, portanto, estruturam-se na fundamentação teórica e na atenção à prática experenciada pela pesquisadora e profissionais entrevistados, além da necessidade de debater a questão: os profissionais da educação que participam de Grupos de Estudos, apresentam um trabalho diferenciado a ponto de intervir na organização e funcionamento da escola? O conjunto destas reflexões conduziu à pertinência do estudo e à sua abrangência, quando impõe, como condição para re-significação da prática educacional, um investimento triplo: pessoal, porque é preciso haver uma consciência sobre o que compete a cada um dentro deste complexo contexto; coletivo, pois profissionais comprometidos quando se unem são capazes de superar problemas de toda ordem e, estrutural, quando chama à responsabilidade, os órgãos mantenedores dos sistemas educacionais.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

彭志泉. / 手稿本(c. 2-3複印本). / Thesis (M.A.)--香港中文大學硏究院敎育學部. / Shou gao ben (c. 2-3 fu yin ben). / Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-114). / Peng Zhiquan. / Thesis (M.A.)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue yan jiu yuan jiao yu xue bu. / 表次 --- p.vi / 摘要 --- p.viii / Chapter 第一章 --- 前言 --- p.1 / 問題背景 --- p.1 / 研究目的 --- p.4 / 研究意義 --- p.5 / Chapter 第二章 --- 文獻評述 --- p.8 / 青少年成長與群性發展 --- p.8 / 影響學生群性結構的因素 --- p.18 / 改進班內社交關係的方法 --- p.30 / Chapter 第三章 --- 方法 --- p.37 / 概述 --- p.37 / 對象 --- p.38 / 工具與測量 --- p.39 / 過程 --- p.45 / 假設 --- p.50 / 分析 --- p.54 / 局限性 --- p.56 / Chapter 第四章 --- 結果 --- p.58 / 工具與測良的可信性　 --- p.58 / 影響學生受納程度的主要因素 --- p.62 / 學生小組群的共同性和小組群成因 --- p.69 / 影響學生群性結構的一些轉變因素 --- p.77 / Chapter 第五章 --- 結論 --- p.96 / 討論 --- p.97 / 含義 --- p.100 / 建議 --- p.105 / 參考文獻 --- p.109 / Chapter 一 --- 附錄、社交關係測驗（第一至第三次） --- p.115 / Chapter 二 --- 簡化計量表 --- p.118 / Chapter 三 --- 社交關係圖解（第一次測驗，德班） --- p.119 / Chapter 四 --- Proctor與Loomis群性指數計算法 --- p.120 / Chapter 五 --- 自傳的學習（學習文章和問題） --- p.121 / Chapter 六 --- 自傳的認識 --- p.125 / Chapter 七 --- 社交　納方案問卷 --- p.127 / Chapter 八 --- 學生家中表現調查 --- p.128 / Chapter 九 --- 學生個人背景資料 --- p.129