This study was conducted to determine the perception of the chief audit executive as head of the internal audit function, on the internal audit activities that should be performed (current and future) within South African companies after which the findings were compared with the international perception in this regard. Data was also obtained on whether internal audit activities were performed inhouse or were outsourced; the importance of the internal audit activities, senior management’s rating of the value added, the internal audit approach followed, and whether the internal audit standards were being complied with. A statistical analysis was performed on data that was obtained from questionnaires and interviews. This study targeted 30 chief audit executives, and to a lesser extent 30 Chief Executive Officers/Chief Financial Officers/Chief Operating Officers, of large South African listed companies. The results prove that chief audit executives perceive themselves as performing their internal audit activities according to the internal audit Standards and that they satisfy the needs and expectations of their companies. The internal audit profession, its clients and internal audit educators may benefit from the study in the planning of future internal audit activities and educational programmes respectively.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T16:57:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Antonio Fernando Silveira Alves.pdf: 493544 bytes, checksum: fb40742524c7dd003d66a2130298b4b2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-12 / Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo / This study had as objective to verify if the activities proposed for the subject Differential and Integral Calculus of a Bachelor Mathematics Degree in a Distance Education Course render the use of different learning strategies, such as investigation, problems solving and exercises. We also aimed at verifying which are the questions and doubts sent by the students to the teachers, as well as the reference these teachers give to these questions. To do so, we analyzed the activities proposed to the future teachers during Differential and Integral Calculus subject. We also used as analysis documents the virtual interactions originated from the use of Discussion Forum tool. To handle the analysis, we used Ponte (2003) theoretical model, which defines 4 kinds of tasks: i) exercises; ii) problems; iii) exploration; iv) investigations. We used qualitative research as methodology, carried out through the case study of a São Paulo s private Superior Education Institution. Data analyses revealed the prevalence of exercises activities in relation to solving problems and exploration activities. Investigative activities were not found. We concluded that virtual interactions were focused in doubts which were categorized as technical doubts . Among the mathematical doubts we noticed that they were concentrated in polynomial, modular, rational and greatest integer functions and the study of trigonometric functions, especially on sine and cosine values for angles higher than 90º. In relation to the doubts sent to the professors, we found that there was a balance between the direct answers sent to the students doubts and the ones which led to an investigative process. At the end of the performed study it was possible to create a "guide" containing examples of Differential and Integral Calculus activities exploring the exercises situations, problems, exploration and investigations / Este trabalho teve como objetivo de pesquisa verificar se as atividades propostas na disciplina de Cálculo Diferencial e Integral de um curso de Licenciatura em Matemática na modalidade EaD propiciam a utilização de diferentes estratégias de ensino, tais como: investigação, resolução de problemas e exercícios; e verificar quais são os questionamentos, dúvidas propostas pelos alunos e qual o encaminhamento dado a esses questionamentos pelo professor da disciplina. Para a realização deste estudo, analisamos as atividades propostas aos futuros professores, durante o desenvolvimento da disciplina Cálculo Diferencial e Integral. Também utilizamos como documentos para análise, as interações virtuais originadas a partir da utilização da ferramenta Fórum de Discussões . Para realizar as análises, utilizamos o quadro teórico proposto por Ponte (2003) que define quatro tipos de tarefas: i) exercícios; ii) problemas; iii) exploração; iv) investigação. Utilizamos como metodologia a pesquisa qualitativa realizada por meio de estudo de caso de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior da rede privada da cidade de São Paulo. A análise dos dados revelou uma predominância das atividades do tipo exercícios em relação às atividades de resolução de problemas e explorações. Não foram verificadas atividades de caráter investigativo. As interações virtuais concentraram-se em dúvidas que foram categorizadas como dúvidas tecnológicas. As dúvidas matemáticas concentraram-se em temas relacionados ao estudo das funções polinomiais, modulares, racionais e maior inteiro e ao estudo das funções trigonométricas, principalmente na determinação de valores do seno e cosseno de ângulos superiores a 90º. Quanto aos encaminhamentos dado às dúvidas pelo professor, verificamos que ocorreu um equilíbrio entre encaminhamentos com respostas diretas e encaminhamentos com respostas que levam ao processo investigativo. Ao final da pesquisa realizada, foi possível elaborar um "guia" com exemplos de atividades de Cálculo Diferencial e Integral explorando as situações de exercícios, problemas, exploração e investigações