In this project I investigate university students orientations to learning statistics. The students who participated in my research were studying statistics as a compulsory component of their psychology course. My central thesis is that learning develops in the relationship between the thinking, feeling and acting person and the social, institutional and cultural contexts surrounding him or her. How students orient themselves or position themselves to learn statistics is reflected in their engagement with the learning task and their activities. These activities determine the quality of their learning and emerging knowledge. To understand student learning I draw on the powerful theories of Vygotsky (1962, 1978) and Leontev (1978, 1981). In particular, I extend and apply Leontev's construct of activity (Leontev, 1981). This suggests that individuals act in accordance with their purposes and needs which are shaped by and reflect histories and resources, both personal and cultural. My investigation consists of two studies. Study One is a qualitative exploration of the orientations to learning statistics of five older students. These students sought help with statistics at the Mathematics Learning Centre where I work. My case studies of these students are inseparable from my efforts to help them learn statistics. Study Two is grounded in Study One. The main source of data for this broader study is a survey which was completed by 279 psychology students studying statistics. In keeping with the theoretical framework, my methodology involves a holistic analysis of students and the milieu in which they act. My findings suggest relationships among students affective appraisals; their conceptions of statistics; their approaches to learning it; their evaluations and the outcomes of their actions. In Study One the relationships emerged from the students' descriptions. In Study Two I quantified the ways in which variables related to each other. Structure for the data was provided by means of correlations, factor analysis and cluster analysis. For this study I also interviewed students and teachers of statistics. My data support the systemic view of teaching and learning in context afforded by my theoretical perspective. Learning statistics involves the whole person (Semenov, 1978) and is inseparable from the arena of his or her actions. The goal of statistics education is surely to enable students to develop useful, meaningful knowledge. My findings suggest that for many of the participants in my project this goal was not being met. Most of these students reported their reluctance to learn statistics and described adopting primarily surface approaches to learning it. A range of conceptions of the subject was expressed, but for many of the students statistical meaning was evidently reduced to performance on assessment tasks. Such orientations to learning statistics may lead to it becoming irrelevant and inert information. For a few students, however, the experience of learning statistics led to self development and enhanced perspectives on the world in which we live. My project indicates the diversity of students' experiences. It raises issues as to why we teach statistics today and how the teaching and learning of statistics is being supported at university. //REFERENCES Leontev, A. N. (1978). Activity, Consciousness, and Personality. (M. J. Hall, Trans.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Leontev, A. N. (1981). The problem of activity in psychology. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), The Concept of Activity in Soviet Psychology, (pp. 37-71). New York: M. E. Sharpe. Semenov, N. (1978). An empirical psychological study of thought processes in creative problem-solving from the perspective of the theory of activity. Soviet Psychology, 16(1), 3-46. Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The M.I.T. Press. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

In this project I investigate university students orientations to learning statistics. The students who participated in my research were studying statistics as a compulsory component of their psychology course. My central thesis is that learning develops in the relationship between the thinking, feeling and acting person and the social, institutional and cultural contexts surrounding him or her. How students orient themselves or position themselves to learn statistics is reflected in their engagement with the learning task and their activities. These activities determine the quality of their learning and emerging knowledge. To understand student learning I draw on the powerful theories of Vygotsky (1962, 1978) and Leontev (1978, 1981). In particular, I extend and apply Leontev's construct of activity (Leontev, 1981). This suggests that individuals act in accordance with their purposes and needs which are shaped by and reflect histories and resources, both personal and cultural. My investigation consists of two studies. Study One is a qualitative exploration of the orientations to learning statistics of five older students. These students sought help with statistics at the Mathematics Learning Centre where I work. My case studies of these students are inseparable from my efforts to help them learn statistics. Study Two is grounded in Study One. The main source of data for this broader study is a survey which was completed by 279 psychology students studying statistics. In keeping with the theoretical framework, my methodology involves a holistic analysis of students and the milieu in which they act. My findings suggest relationships among students affective appraisals; their conceptions of statistics; their approaches to learning it; their evaluations and the outcomes of their actions. In Study One the relationships emerged from the students' descriptions. In Study Two I quantified the ways in which variables related to each other. Structure for the data was provided by means of correlations, factor analysis and cluster analysis. For this study I also interviewed students and teachers of statistics. My data support the systemic view of teaching and learning in context afforded by my theoretical perspective. Learning statistics involves the whole person (Semenov, 1978) and is inseparable from the arena of his or her actions. The goal of statistics education is surely to enable students to develop useful, meaningful knowledge. My findings suggest that for many of the participants in my project this goal was not being met. Most of these students reported their reluctance to learn statistics and described adopting primarily surface approaches to learning it. A range of conceptions of the subject was expressed, but for many of the students statistical meaning was evidently reduced to performance on assessment tasks. Such orientations to learning statistics may lead to it becoming irrelevant and inert information. For a few students, however, the experience of learning statistics led to self development and enhanced perspectives on the world in which we live. My project indicates the diversity of students' experiences. It raises issues as to why we teach statistics today and how the teaching and learning of statistics is being supported at university. //REFERENCES Leontev, A. N. (1978). Activity, Consciousness, and Personality. (M. J. Hall, Trans.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Leontev, A. N. (1981). The problem of activity in psychology. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), The Concept of Activity in Soviet Psychology, (pp. 37-71). New York: M. E. Sharpe. Semenov, N. (1978). An empirical psychological study of thought processes in creative problem-solving from the perspective of the theory of activity. Soviet Psychology, 16(1), 3-46. Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The M.I.T. Press. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

<p> There are three steps in planned learning: motivation, activity, and reinforcement. This project details the problems encountered by t eachers when they attempt to motivate and reinforce student learning. These problems in turn result in an emphasis on the selection of an activity. </p> <p> Of all the factors in motivation, it is proposed that an increase in one of them the willingness to learn will have a greater effect on learning than the choice of an activity, and that this increase can be accomplished by showing the students how the content to be learned can be immediately useful to them. </p> <p> The genetics unit from the grade thirteen biology course is amended in order to illustrate just how a teacher can alter a course to make it more useful to the students and yet still meet any future academic requirements. By having students apply theoretical knowledge to resolve life problems, it is suggested that student willingness to study is enhanced and the overall motivation to learn is significantly increased. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

A partir d’une problématique de compréhension des mécanismes d’acquisition et d’exploitation des connaissances pour innover, nous avons initié des travaux de recherche ciblés sur les PME. Des entretiens semi-directifs auprès de consultants nous ont mené à considérer le rôle de l’apprentissage individuel dans la gestion des connaissances et à identifier six pratiques spécifiques soutenant les apprentissages organisationnels dans un contexte d’innovation. A partir d’un questionnaire en ligne, nous avons questionné les dispositifs de gestion des connaissances mis en œuvre sur chacune des six pratiques. Les analyses nous ont permis d’identifier cinq classes parmi les répondants et d’orienter la suite de notre recueil vers l’identification des liens entre dispositifs mis en œuvre et types d’activités innovatives réalisées. Nous avons investigué cette question à travers des entretiens semi-directifs auprès de chefs d’entreprises. Les résultats nous permettent de définir un nouveau cadre d’analyse des pratiques de gestion des connaissances pour innover. Notre proposition finale met en lien les activités de Création, de Développement et de Recherche avec des pratiques spécifiques des gestions des connaissances et les mécanismes d’expression des compétences, en appui sur les théories de l’activité mobilisées dans la didactique professionnelle / Aiming to understand knowledge collecting and using processes to support innovation, we initiated a research work focused on SME’s. Semi-structured interviews with consultants lead us to consider the role of individual learning in knowledge management and to identify six different and specific practices to support organizational learning in an innovation context. Based on an online survey, we investigated knowledge management devices implemented to complete each of the six practices. The analysis allowed us to discriminated five different categories among survey participants and guided further collecting with the aim to describe links between knowledge management devices and sorts of innovative activities. We questioned this point through semi-structured interviews nearby SME’s entrepreneurs. Results allow to define a new analytical framework for knowledge management practices to innovate. This final proposal links Creation, Development and Research activities with specific knowledge management practices and competencies mechanisms, supported by activity theory mobilized in professional learning

Submitted by SUZANA MARIA PEREIRA DOS SANTOS null (suzanasantos@bauru.sp.gov.br) on 2016-03-15T16:02:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 versão final.pdf: 4842702 bytes, checksum: 84871314bf0dc9cef2d192a1c565f7cf (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-03-16T17:37:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_smp_me_bauru.pdf: 4837022 bytes, checksum: 8e94de0795156a29d38b828375046086 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-16T17:37:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_smp_me_bauru.pdf: 4837022 bytes, checksum: 8e94de0795156a29d38b828375046086 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-12 / O presente estudo partiu de reflexões acerca de minha prática enquanto professora e coordenadora da área de matemática, quanto às dificuldades dos estudantes em relação à aprendizagem da divisão. Define-se como objetivo geral, compreender os sentidos e os significados do conceito de divisão que podem ser formados a partir de uma Atividade Orientadora de Ensino, por estudantes do 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental, de uma escola municipal do interior do estado de São Paulo, especificamente explorando algoritmos da divisão. Tem-se como referência teórica a Perspectiva Histórico-Cultural e teórico-metodológica a Atividade Orientadora de Ensino, esta conduzida por uma história virtual, uma situação emergente e um jogo, elaborados a partir de uma análise dos objetivos curriculares. Adota-se uma abordagem qualitativa de pesquisa, na qual a análise dos dados recorreu-se a episódios que evidenciam o movimento dos sentidos e significados do conceito de divisão por meio dos relatos gravados e filmados dos sujeitos em diferentes momentos, além de produções escritas. Dentre os sentidos e significados manifestos encontram-se a relação da divisão com a distribuição de objetos discretos, repartição de grandeza contínua, algoritmos de divisão de números no campo dos naturais: método das subtrações sucessivas, método da repartição usando ábaco, método da chave e a relação com o resto da divisão. / This study set out to reflect on my practice as a teacher and coordinator in mathematics, about the difficulties of students in relation to learning division. It is defined as a general objective, understanding the sense and the meanings of the division concept that can be formed from a Learning Orientation Activity for the 5th year of primary school students , in a public school in the state of São Paulo specifically exploring division algorithms. It has been as a theoretical reference to Historical-Cultural Perspective and theoretical and methodological Learning Orientation Activity, it is led by a virtual history, an emerging situation and a game, drawn from an analysis of the curricular objectives. It adopts a qualitative research approach, in which the data analysis appealed to episodes, recorded and filmed, that show the movement of the senses and meanings of the concept of division through the reports of the subjects at different times, as well as written productions. Among the senses and manifest meanings are the correlation among the division with the distribution of discrete objects, division of continuous quantity, numbers of division algorithms in the natural course: method of successive subtractions, method of allocation using abacus, key method and the relationship with the rest of the division.

Research on learning and education is increasingly influenced by theories of embodied cognition. Several embodiment-based interventions have been empirically investigated, including gesturing, interactive digital media, and bodily activity in general. This review aims to present the most important theoretical foundations of embodied cognition and their application to educational research. Furthermore, we critically review recent research concerning the effectiveness of embodiment interventions and develop a taxonomy to more properly characterize research on embodied cognition. The main dimensions of this taxonomy are bodily engagement (i.e. how much bodily activity is involved) and task integration (i.e. whether bodily activities are related to a learning task in a meaningful way or not). By locating studies on the 2 × 2 grid resulting from this taxonomy and assessing the corresponding learning outcomes, we identify opportunities, problems, and challenges of research on embodied learning.

Physical inactivity is well known for its effects on increasing health risks contributing to mortality and morbidity. Restrictions imposed due to covid 19 pandemic have immobilized communities worldwide, resulting in remote working and distance learning. Literature evidence directs towards Covid-19 pandemic related physical inactivity and increased sedentary behavior (SB) in the general population, and very little research is carried out on the remote workers in communities that shifted from workplaces to homes. The aim of the study is to examine if working from home before and during Covid 19 - pandemic is associated with changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior among adults. The data was acquired from a cross-sectional Swedish population-based study (n= 1035). Physical Activity (PA) was reported in METs/w (metabolic equivalent minutes per week), and intensity was grouped as Vigorous, Moderate and Light PA. The amount of Work or Studied from home (WSFH) was reported in percentages. Light PA level was higher among the group &gt;50% WSFH than the ≤ 50% group during pandemic and SB was higher among ≤ 50% WSFH group during pandemic. Demographical variations among the WSFH groups showed significant associations in the occupation and education level. In conclusion, the study showed that those who worked or studied more from homes have been physically active in walking (Light PA) and had a lower sedentary time than others. There were no significant difference in physical activity levels  due to the changes in the amount of pandemic-based work or study from home, during the pandemic.