This dissertation sheds new light on the Purātan Janamsākhī, the earliest available account on the founder and most important figure of the Sikh tradition – Gurū Nānak (d. 1539 CE). Scholarship on Gurū Nānak has largely dismissed the significance of this text and has overlooked the fact that, after its composition in 1588 CE, the Purātan Janamsākhī remained the most widely circulated account of Gurū Nānak’s life for two centuries. This thesis engages with the manuscripts and studies of the text to provide a life-history of the Purātan Janamsākhī, and, in arguing for a reclamation of this account, takes on a close reading of the Purātan Janamsākhī to identify how, within decades of his death, followers of Gurū Nānak remembered his life and message. This thesis situates the Purātan Janamsākhī within its historical context and compares it with some of its closest North Indian contemporaries, including other janamsākhīs composed on the life of Gurū Nānak and hagiographical writings written about religious figures from different North Indian communities. Our comparative approach allows us to identify some basic commonalities in hagiographical writing and glean aspects that distinguish the Purātan Janamsākhī from its counterparts, including Gurū Nānak’s unique interest in political critique and building a new community. This thesis, therefore, contributes significantly to our understandings of identity and community formation, to studies on hagiographical writing, and to our foundational understandings of Sikh history.

This thesis demonstrates the previously unacknowledged contribution made by early screenwriting teachers to the development of the Hollywood film industry from 1910 to 1922. Through a study of five key screenwriting teachers from the period, it shows the significant role played by such figures in the translation of playwriting theory and theatrical tradition into writing for film. Drawing on an extensive range of primary materials, including manuals and columns written for the fan and trade press, it demonstrates the role played by such teachers in the formation and codification of a set of writing techniques specific to the film medium. In doing so, this thesis fills an important gap in the historiography of screenwriting in Hollywood, giving due credit to a body of work that has previously received only passing consideration, and highlighting the role of early screenwriting teachers, which has previously been understated if not ignored. The thesis also examines some aspects of their legacy in the context of the role and function of contemporary screening gurus.

The Science Teachers' Development and Training Centre or STDTC (Pusat Pengembangan dan Penataran Guru Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam or PPPG IPA) is an official in-service science teacher training, which is in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Between 1978 and 1997, an in-service science-teacher training project, which is known as the PKG IPA Project, was developed by the Directorate of General Secondary Education. The successful PKG IPA project implemented its own in-service science teacher training system within its own training network across Indonesia, without the involvement of the PPPG IPA as the existing official teacher-training agent. The existence of the project was discontinued when the World Bank loan ended. Unfortunately, the expensive infrastructures developed by the PKG IPA project could no longer be utilized because the PKG IPA project was excluded from the official structure of organization of the Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC) which is now known as Ministry of National education (MNE). In addition, the ignorance of the staff of the PPPG IPA about the PKG IPA project is one indicator why that the PPPG IPA is facing some problems, which affect the implementation of its duties and functions.Based on this indicator, this study was implemented with two objectives, namely, to investigate and analyze current problems facing the PPPG IPA, and to make recommendations for formulating appropriate policies and strategies in order to rationalize the future roles of the PPPG IPA. The study involved seven research questions, which were grouped into three concerns, namely, the quality of the environment, a needs analysis, and analysis of the Directorate's policies. The seven research questions required different instruments to collect the data. Existing instruments, SLEQ (School Level Environment Questionnaire) and SLEI (Science Laboratory Environment Inventory), ++ / were translated into Indonesian. The researcher developed other instruments. The study involved both qualitative and quantitative research methods and types of data, included various sampling strategy classifications, such as purposeful sampling and opportunistic sampling. The data collecting strategy involved surveys, observations, interviews, and mining documents.The study concluded that the PPPG IPA is facing some current problems related to the aspects of working environment, science laboratory environment, human resources, facilities, policies, and in-service training networking. The study recommended that the Ministry of National Education (MNE) formulate appropriate policies and strategies in order to rationalize the roles of the PPPG IPA in order to strengthen the implementation, and improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the in-service training programs. A new ministerial regulation also is recommended to be released to replace the previous relevant regulations in order to accommodate the above concerns.

Abstract: This is a qualitative studie about how devotees to the Guru Mata Amritananda Mayi relate to her and how that changes through time. The material has been collected through five interviews and through participant observation in ”Ammas” ashram Amritapuri in Kerala, south of India. The result showed that the devotees relate to Amma as a mother in some aspects and as a ”teacher” in other aspects, but they all have gained hundred percent trust for her. They all related to her different in the beginning as a devotee than after some years with her which shows that Amma could work as a transitionalobject for the devotees. The question about whether the devotees progress and cultivate”selfactivity” after this process could be answered with both yes and no. The devotees whom was interviewed seemed to have cultivated a lot more ”selfactivity” than the devotees that was observed during the time in the ashram and whom hadn't been following Amma as long time as the interviewees.

The present study was a case study which aimed at exploring pre-service teachers’ perceptions of PPG-SM3T program for their professional development. PPG-SM3T program is a professional development program for pre-service teacher in Indonesia. Research design of this study was quantitative design and used convenience sampling. The sample was 60 pre-service teachers who graduated from PPG-SM3T program in a state university in central Indonesia. Instrument used to collect data for the present study was questionnaire and analysis consisted of Principal Component Analysis, Reliability test, and Exploratory Data Analysis were done in order to analyse the data. From the results of analysis, it was found that generally pre-service teachers who took PPG-SM3T program in the mentioned university response positively toward the program. It was found to be very effective for most of them as a preparation to be professional teachers. Workshop and field teaching practice were two features in the program that particularly helpful to prepare them to be professional teacher. However, it was also found that more supervision is needed for pre-service teacher during the program as well as non-teaching activities. Some specific cases also need to be considered for future improvement.

In their struggle for equality in Tamil Nadu, Dalits (ex-untouchables) often challenge prevailing caste norms by appropriating practices and conventions of locally dominant groups. This study examines how the Dalit Pallars of Tamil Nadu engage in various forms of socio-cultural and political assertions to challenge their marginality. It looks at the performative aspects of such struggles by focusing on Guru Pujas; public performances undertaken to pay homage to late social and political icons/leaders. As annual events these pujas have enabled Thevars, the local dominant caste, to showcase their community’s strength and power through the appropriation of public space. However, the same mode of public performance, which was integral to the public production and consolidation of the dominant caste as a political community, has been replicated by historically marginalised castes. This is reflected tangibly through visual aesthetics during commemorations. Following the Thevars and Nadars, a section of the Pallars are engaged in proclaiming the historical past by asserting that they too form the royal lineage and are competing with Thevar iconography to challenge the cultural dominance of Thevars. As quotidian forms of oppression and violence mark the spatial relationship between these castes, these performances provide a micro-lens to understand the dynamics of how local power is generated and made visible through a politics inscribed in space. Recent decades have witnessed increased competition over public symbols and the strategic location of caste-specific cultural signifiers – including competition over style and performance – and a heightened contest over the occupation of public space. Thus, the study maps the Pallar assertion and the challenges posed by Thevar retaliation.

This master’s thesis deals with the design of laboratory exercises for the Communication Technologies course that is included in the second year of bachelor’s degree in Teleinformatics. This course represents first introduction of students with network protocols and technologies, therefore, the thesis deals with just the basic physical technologies, routing protocols and transport layer protocols. The introductory part of the thesis is devoted to theoretical knowledge to particular tasks. For the design of laboratory exercises is used OPNET environment, concretely its unpaid version IT Guru Academic Edition 9.1. The first task is focused on the differences in two basic transport protocols Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). The second task is orientated on the differences in the transmission network parameters using wireless networks and Ethernet technologies. In the third task the routing protocols Routing Information Protocol (RIP) a Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) are compared. These are protocols of a group Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) that are characterized by the usage within a single autonomous system. The last exercise is aimed at Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Frame Relay technologies, which are technologies used mainly in networks Wide Area Network (WAN). All devised exercises are accompanied by detailed instructions for students including supplementary questions and tasks leading to individual work and reflection. The thesis includes model solutions to these four exercises and CD where are inserted all programs source codes.

This thesis called Simulation scenarios in an IT Guru enviroment for Communication Technologies deals with the design of laboratory experiments for the above-mentioned subject. The first part is a theoretical introduction to the protocols. The practical part contains the tasks itself. The work includes four laboratory tasks with a detailed description of the work and an illustrative pictures. The first two tasks are focused on the application protocols, with which the user comes into contact with every day. The other two are focused on routing protocols, precisely the internal routing protocol IS-IS and BGP external routing protocol. A free version of simulation software OPNET Modeler and IT Guru enviroment version 9.1.A were used to create the work.

The purpose of this study was to examine pedagogical practices of an Indian music professor, or guru, who teaches an Indian music ensemble in a United States institution of higher learning. The role of the world music professor has been refined and redefined over the last decade. The guru-shishya paramparā system of teaching has reached a crossroad; new conditions challenge this approach. The focus of this study was to investigate, through the lens of the guru, tensions that exist between Indian pedagogy and Western pedagogy. The research design was a single-case ethnographic study that utilized participant observation in an Indian music ensemble class. I expanded Schippers’s (2009) Twelve Continuum Transmission Framework by adding aesthetics to the continuum of the framework. I used this framework as a tool to examine Indian music transmission, through a distinct pedagogical viewpoint of a guru leading a non-Western music ensemble. In this study I noted factors that influence world music transmission in Indian music education at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. Information regarding attitudes and the reasons for certain pedagogical practices in Indian music education can provide insight to ensemble instructors and to administrators interested in building Indian music programs. This research has implications outside of Indian music education and for music department directors interested in expanding music programs.

在統計問題分析中，統計套裝軟體的應用，為相當重要的一環。一則可加速處理複雜 而龐大的資訊；另一則可提供統計分析者迅速進行多種統計方法的分析比較與評估。 是故統計套裝軟體除強化統計分析之精確性與便利性外，亦是高統計分析的時效性與 多元性。 由於各知識領域對統計科學日益重視，使得非統計專業人員大量採用統計套裝軟體以 進行統計分析。而現今一般套裝軟體皆具有易於使用及提供良好數值處理功能的優點 ，但其應用上限制，諸如無法對研究問題加以定義、資料輸出入缺乏有效管理、無法 依資料特性提供正確分析模式、缺乏輸出報表的解釋能力等，皆易使非統計專業人員 有嚴重誤用統計套裝軟體的危險與不便。 本文考慮引進專家系統（EXPERT SYSTEMS），以其統計知識庫改善現今統計套裝軟體 的缺失與限制；並援用決策支援系統（DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS）中資料庫與管理 系統，提供資訊輸出入的有效管理，及強化模式建構和系統運作功能。文中並提出一 可行之整合性觀念架構，以建構一統計專家系統，進一步協助非統計專業人員從事便 便利與正確的統計分析工作。 最後分別選擇適當之現存軟體，專家系統方面引用GURU語言，統計算系統則援用SAS 套裝軟體，進行實例合運作。除對統計模式之知識表示法與專家系統，做一具體實際 操作整合外，並對本文所提之統計專家系統架構的優缺點做一探討。 文章架構如下： 一、緒論 二、文獻回顧 三、統計專家系統之觀念架構 四、原型系統建構與實例 運作 五、結論與建議