The field of bereavement research is currently lacking empirical studies examining grief in adolescent and young adult populations. Furthermore, the roles of religion (Hays, & Hendrix, 2008), meaning-making (Park, 2005) and post-bereavement personal growth (Davis, 2008), all of which are critical to understanding the loss experiences of people in these age groups (Balk, & Corr, 1996), have yet to be enumerated in a reliable way in the literature. Stroebe (2004) has emphasized the need to improve methods and measurement tools by including more thorough measures of religious coping and bereavement experience. The current study aimed to clarify the process of meaning-making following the loss of a loved one by testing a mediational model in which the use of positive religious coping methods influence the maintenance or development of adaptive core beliefs, which in turn produce favorable outcomes. Data were collected in a survey format from 222 college students, and analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the data against Baron and Kenny’s (1986) criteria for mediation. The data do not support a mediational model of meaning-making for the current sample, but an acceptable model of the effects of world assumptions on outcome variables was developed. The data suggest that while all core beliefs are important to the process of personal growth following a loss, beliefs regarding self-worth are the strongest predictors of positive outcomes and stronger beliefs in the randomness of events are problematic.

Abstract The aim of this study is to find out how preschool teachers interpret their role in supporting speech development for children with Swedish as their second language. The curriculum indicates that the preschool should support children who speaks other languages than Swedish to develop both Swedish and their mother tongue. This can become difficult since it means that a teacher often is commissioned to support a language that he or she does not speak. The objective of this study is to find out how preschool teachers interpret and describe their role when they don ́t speak the languages that is represented in the class. The purpose is to find out how the environment can be meaningful without verbal understanding between the child and teacher, as well as between the children. The data is collected with qualitative interviews that has been analysed with a social- constructionist perspective and theories of multilingual development for young children. The results show that the preschool teachers prioritize the support of the Swedish language to achieve multilingualism. They want the children to develop their mother tongue as well, but for this they often rely on parents. The teachers describe that a meaningful environment can be created by letting the children show what subjects is the most interesting, and plan for the basis of playfulness. The mother tongue is considered as meaningful to the child ́s identity and it is important that the child is permitted to be proud of his or hers language.

O trabalho propõe uma análise de relações possíveis entre videogames e construção de sentidos, buscando discutir diferentes abordagens e perspectivas teóricas que possam contribuir no entendimento do videogame enquanto objeto de estudo acadêmico. Indo além de uma perspectiva que possa restringi-lo a um exemplar contemporâneo de uma noção mais abstrata de jogo, abordo-o enquanto um objeto epistêmico (KNORR CETINA 2001) participante de constelações de saberes (SANTOS ET AL 2005) que podem entrar em conflito entre si. Isso, em uma sociedade em que a primazia do prestígio de práticas e conhecimentos científicos é marcante. Para tanto, busco enfatizar mais especificamente ao menos duas outras dimensões do videogame: sua materialidade enquanto mídia contemporânea e sua potencialidade, enquanto artefato cultural, em gerar efeitos sociais e discursivos específicos. Dentro disso, pontuo elementos que ajudam a problematizar como a especificidade técnica, cultural e de linguagem presente no que se entende atualmente como videogame pode dar formas a saberes e sentidos construídos na contingência do uso de tal artefato por seus jogadores. Essa questão mais ampla se efetivou em estudos exploratórios por meio de duas formas de análise: a observação de registros escritos em um fórum de fãs de futebol a respeito, basicamente, de um simulador do esporte (o Football Manager); entrevistas com quatro participantes desse fórum que tinham ou tiveram no uso do videogame em questão uma prática corrente. Isso, tendo como norte, principalmente, os seguintes pontos: i) de que modo a experiência situada e específica com o videogame pode se tornar pública ou manifesta em outros contextos; ii) que relações o jogador pode perceber, defender ou estabelecer contrapondo saberes e sentidos surgidos de uma interação com o videogame com saberes mais canônicos e esperados em contextos públicos e comunitários do qual participa iii) qual a função ou efeito essas experiências com videogames quando compartilhadas em situações concretas, socialmente inseridas, mas que não a de sua prática podem vir a exercer em comunidades mais amplas (ou seja, que envolvam sujeitos que não são jogadores de videogame). Tais estudos indicam que o videogame é percebido e utilizado por seus jogadores como um espaço diferenciado do futebol profissional, que seu uso enquanto fonte de saber na comunidade analisada é concreto embora não seja consensualmente validado e que essa falta de consenso não o impede de ser uma forma de conhecimento defendida e utilizada por diversos membros do grupo, influenciando as opiniões e perspectivas em debate no espaço em questão. Assim, deve-se considerar que videogames podem ter papel na construção das realidades que envolvem o sujeito, o que não resulta em confusão entre a prática de interagir com videogames e a prática social em outros contextos / The aim of this research is to analyze potential connections between videogames and meaningmaking through the discussion of different approaches and theoretical perspectives that might contribute to the understanding of the videogame as an object of academic study. Rather than considering a perspective that restricts the videogame as a contemporary sample of a more abstract notion of a game, I approach it as an epistemic object (KNORR CETINA 2001) participant of constellations of knowledge (SANTOS ET AL 2005) that may conflict with each other; especially in a society where the primacy of scientific practices and knowledge is remarkable. Therefore, I emphasize two dimensions of the videogame: its materiality as contemporary media and its potentiality as a cultural artifact that generates specific social and discursive effects. Within this framework, I point out elements that help to problematize how the specificity of technical, cultural, and linguistic issues regarding the current understanding of videogames can frame knowledges and meanings constructed in the contingency of interaction among players. Exploratory studies were carried out on two forms of analysis: the observation of written records in a forum of football fans mainly regarding a simulator called Football Manager; and interviews with four participants of this forum who used the simulator in a common practice. This research focused mainly on the following points: i) how the situated and specific experience with the videogame can be transformed and presented as a public or manifest knowledge in other contexts; ii) what kind of links a player may recognize, stand up for, or establish among knowledges and meanings when interacting with the videogame, and on the other hand, with those knowledges understood as canonical or expected in this second context; iii) what role (or effect) these experiences play when they are shared in socially embedded concrete situations by people who are not videogame players. The research results showed that: although players and non-players participants of this community share a common sense of separation between experiences from the professional football world and the interaction with Football Manager, and also the practice with the simulator is not consensual, regarding it as a valid source of knowledge, it does not exclude this experience as a form of knowledge held and used by different group members, which influenced opinions and perspectives under discussion in the forum. As a result, it must be considered that videogames play a significant role in the construction of realities that surround players. However, this construction does not represent confusion to the players\' perception between the practice of interacting with videogames and the different social practices in other contexts

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:37:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Isabela Garcia Rosa Hispagnol.pdf: 5496172 bytes, checksum: 12feabe99b0733f1fb73d3d1f2ecaa2e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-10 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The present qualitative study aimed to investigate the family meaning-making of the grief and its relation with the child grief process. One case study was carried out with a family, whicj had a six year old child, bereaved due to the death of a loved one, four months before the study. The research data was generated by: genogram construction, semi-directed interviews and Film Script technique. The central family meanings found here was: unexpected death; the death does not make sense; the death could be prevented; the death could not be prevented; someone is responsible for the death; the deceased is responsible for the death; I was responsible for the death; God was responsible for the death; the deceased was strong; he doesn t want to die; he did not take care of himself; I can deal the suffering; I cannot deal with the suffering; i have to be strong; we have to move on; I cannot count on others; I don t feel safe; I can count on others; God helps me; He stopped suffering; He is better there; the deceased is going to be always with us; I occupy the deceased place; I don t know who I am anymore; Who i don t want to be; I feel calm; I am stronger than before. The meaning construction was related to: family dynamics, circumstances of death, relationship with the deceased, relationship with others (especially with the surviving parent) and self-perception. Among these factors, those related to the child grief were discussed / A presente pesquisa qualitativa teve como objetivo compreender o processo de luto da criança pela morte do genitor e a relação com a construção de significados familiares frente à perda. Foi realizado um estudo de caso com uma família que perdeu um dos membros por morte quatro meses antes da participação na pesquisa, e da qual fazia parte uma criança de seis anos de idade. Os instrumentos utilizados para a investigação foram: construção do genograma, entrevistas semidirigidas e o Film Script. Os significados centrais familiares encontrados foram: a morte foi inesperada; a morte não faz sentido; a morte poderia ter sido evitada; a morte não poderia ter sido evitada; o outro foi culpado pela morte; o falecido foi culpado por sua morte; eu fui culpado pela morte; Deus foi responsável pela morte; ele era muito forte; ele não queria morrer; ele não se cuidava; posso lidar com o sofrimento; não posso lidar com o sofrimento; tenho que ser forte; temos que continuar; não posso contar com o outro; não me sinto protegido; posso contar com os outros; Deus me ajuda; ele parou de sofrer; ele está melhor lá; o falecido vai estar sempre presente; ocupo o lugar do genitor falecido; não sei mais que sou; quem eu não quero ser; estou mais tranqüila; estou mais forte. A construção de significados relacionava-se à: dinâmica familiar, circunstâncias da perda, relação com o falecido, relação com os membros da família, (em especial ao genitor sobrevivente), e à autopercepção. Entre esses fatores discutiu-se a relação com o processo de luto da criança

Muitos pesquisadores têm discutido os impactos da globalização (HALL 2006, SUÁREZ-OROZCO E QIN-HILLIARD 2004; MANSILLA E GARDNER 2007; SÜSSMUTH 2007; HUGONNIER 2007) e das novas tecnologias da informação e da comunicação (LANKSHEAR, KNOBEL 2003; SNYDER 2002; KELLNER 2002; CASTELLS 1999) nos diferentes aspectos das sociedades político, econômico, social, cultural e educacional. Segundo esses autores, a globalização reflete no jeito de pensar, de se comportar, e de viver das pessoas. No entanto, é importante destacar também que essas interferências acontecem, mas não provocam uma homogeneização, já que cada grupo assimilará as informações de acordo com suas características histórico-político-ideológicoculturais locais (BHABHA 1994, 1998, 2007; CANAGARAJAH 2005; PENNYCOOK 2007, 2010). Diante dessas questões, o objetivo desta tese é investigar a organização e a proposta dos cursos de Letras-Inglês de duas Instituições Particulares de Ensino Superior para identificar a adequação desses cursos à formação de professores que possam atuar nessas novas sociedades globalizadas, multiculturais, influenciadas pelas novas tecnologias da informação. Ao mesmo tempo, tive como proposta reconhecer nessas instituições as realidades locais, culturais, ideológicas das comunidades desses professores em formação. Esta pesquisa envolveu a professora-pesquisadora e os professores em formação que frequentam o Curso de Letras de duas Instituições Particulares de Ensino Superior localizadas em cidades próximas a São Paulo. Os procedimentos de coleta de dados incluíram a análise de documentos Diretrizes Curriculares para os Cursos de Letras; Planos de Curso e Planos de Ensino de Língua Inglesa de ambas as instituições ; observação-participante; atividades reflexivas. A partir da análise dos dados constatei que a estrutura dos cursos de Letras e das disciplinas de Língua Inglesa de ambas as instituições está organizada com base em pressupostos parecidos com os dos professores em formação participantes desta pesquisa. Tal proposta pode não criar oportunidades para que os professores em formação ampliem e/ou (re)construam os sentidos relacionados às questões globais e locais; à cultura; à língua; à formação de professores; ao papel da escola, do aluno, do professor. / Some researchers have been discussing the impacts of globalization (HALL 2006, SUÁREZ-OROZCO E QIN-HILLIARD 2004; MANSILLA E GARDNER 2007; SÜSSMUTH 2007; HUGONNIER 2007) and the new information and communication technologies (LANKSHEAR, KNOBEL 2003; SNYDER 2002; KELLNER 2002; CASTELLS 1999) in different aspects of societies political, economical, social, cultural and educational. According to these authors, globalization reflects the way people think, behave and live. However, it is also important to emphasize that such impacts affect groups, but do not cause homogenization, since each group assimilates the information according to its local historical-political-ideological-cultural characteristics (BHABHA 1994, 1998, 2007; CANAGARAJAH 2005; PENNYCOOK 2007, 2010). Considering these discussions, the aim of this research is to investigate two Private Institutions of Higher Education in São Paulo to investigate if the Undergraduation course there can prepare the future teachers to act in these new globalized, multicultural societies, influenced by the new information technologies. Besides that, my proposal is to recognize the local, cultural and ideological realities of the communities of the future teachers in the investigated institutions. This research involved the teacher-researcher and the investigated future teachers. The procedures for data collection included document analysis Curriculum Guidelines for Language Courses; the Course Plans and Teaching Plans of English of both colleges ; participant-observation; reflective activities. Considering these analysis, I got to the conclusion that the structure of the Language Courses and of the English disciplines of both colleges is organized based on some assumptions that are similar to the future teachers assumptions who took part in this investigation. Such a proposal might not create opportunities for the future teachers to extend and/or (re)build the meanings related to global and local aspects; culture; language; teacher education; the role of school, student and teacher.

The attrition rate among special education teachers is ranked among the highest in the education profession. Retaining teachers early in their careers continues to be a concern due to increased job responsibilities, larger caseloads, challenging student behaviors, minimal support from colleagues, increased paperwork, and diminishing resources. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the meaning of satisfaction special education teachers made of their careers. The transactional model developed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) can help to explain how the occurrence of stressful events can impact an individual. A purposive sample of 9 tenured, certified special education teachers currently working in the field for at least 10 years were interviewed using individual, in-person, semistructured questions. Emergent themes and patterns were identified following the 6-step data analysis process for interpretive phenomenological analysis. The findings revealed two superordinate themes (a) effective practices and (b) making a difference. The participants in the study described strategies to minimize stress that included exercising, having quiet times, making time for leisure activities, being able to vent to coworkers, laughing and using humor, and spending time with pets. All of the participants in the study indicated a sense of commitment to the field of special education and their students. Participants articulated the importance of student success and acting as a helper for students to achieve their goals. The data from this study may be used to highlight career sustaining behaviors and job satisfaction from veteran teachers contributing to the longevity for teachers in the special education profession and improving retention rates of teachers early in their careers.

While fraternity and sorority life continues to make headlines and is called upon regularly to validate the purpose it holds to remain on college campuses today, many still believe that when fraternity and sorority are done right, it is one of the best opportunities on college campuses today outside of the classroom. Much of their success is due to the efforts and support of the fraternity and sorority life professionals. This dissertation will offer the first Scholarly Personal Narrative of a mid-level, seasoned, fraternity and sorority life professional working in higher education. Current research shows the average age of a fraternity and sorority life professional is twenty-seven and over half the professionals have been at their place of employment for two years or less. I will explore my own personal journey over the last twelve years with hopes of finding meaning in this uncommon career path and explore where resilience and passion resulted in professional longevity.

In this thesis I share stories of my journey to make meaning in my life, and explore how my relationship with dogs has helped me to overcome personal challenges. I break these experiences down into what I call my five Fs: family, faith, food, fear, and fido. After giving a history of the human-dog relationship, I extrapolate from my experiences ways in which I believe students and teachers could benefit from interactions with therapy dogs and other comfort animals within the public school day. Specifically, I examine the role dogs can play in helping students and teachers reduce stress and increase self-efficacy. I include the sample animal procedure I drafted for the school at which I teach. I also include some data from my time working with students and my dog. Written in Scholarly Personal Narrative format, I look to weave together my own realizations about anxiety, choice, and identity, with a call for others to find what self-efficacy strategies work for them to make meaning and purpose in their own lives.

Childhood sexual abuse is a prevalent but taboo topic in society. Conservatively 80,000 new cases are reported each year with many more either unreported or unsubstantiated within the legal system. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse often times seek counseling assistance to manage the variety of short- and long-term emotional issues that may arise as a result of their abuse. Professional counselors listen to the stories of the survivors and attempt to assist survivors in making sense of this horrific act of personal violence. This study examines the meaning-making experience of master's level professional mental health counselors who work with childhood sexual abuse survivors. A phenomenological qualitative research design was utilized to better understand the process that these counselors use to make sense of their work. Fifty participants were selected from a national data-base of professional mental health counselors who work with survivors. Telephone interviews were conducted with 10 participants. The study revealed that the stories of abuse had a profound impact on the counselors and that there was a significant evolution in how they felt about their work and the survivors they helped. The participants shared that a strong belief system and their theoretical orientation as counselors were essential in their meaning-making process. Other issues such as supervision and mentoring and the development of increased empathy proved to be important to the counselor's meaning-making process.

<p>The overall aim of this thesis is to contribute to the debate about Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and provide a practical tool for teachers with which they can relate to ethical and moral learning in the ESD context. This aim is based on the ambition to develop an approach that takes its starting point from our practical experience of ethics and morals, inspired by the later works of Ludwig Wittgenstein and the transactional perspective developed by John Dewey. This implies that ethics and morals are regarded as a human tendency that is observable in action. The central method used to clarify ethical and moral meaning-making is, by the use of examples, to remind of common experiences of how this meaning-making appears in everyday situations. These clarifications are made in order to dissolve (rather than solve) philosophical problems, as well as to create new knowledge. The approach has been applied to four different studies. The first study focuses on the differences between three selective traditions in environmental education: <i>fact-based, normative and pluralistic,</i> with regard to the relationship between facts and values. It is argued that a pluralistic approach can be seen as way of relating facts and values in practice, and consequently that the democratic process neither precedes nor succeeds education but is an integral part of it, and that students therefore are constituted as citizens participating in the progress of sustainable development. The purpose of the second study is to suggest an approach that allows <i>in situ</i> analysis of how individuals’ prior experiences are included in the processes of moral meaning-making. A concrete example shows how individuals can transform the moral discourse in different situations. In the third study, it is suggested that the ethical tendency can be recognised as a communication in which certain values and actions are treated as if they were universally good and right. Three different kinds of situations in which this communication appears are highlighted: <i>personal moral reactions, norms for correct behaviour and ethical reflections.</i>The diverse conditions for learning in these situations are discussed, and specific notice is taken of the risk of indoctrination in ESD. The fourth study addresses the question of how to understand and deal with criticism in a pluralistic educational approach. Through reminders of how criticism appears in everyday practice, it is argued that criticism does not necessarily have to be understood theoretically. Criticism can also be seen as the diverse ways in which human beings morally react, encounter different norms and ethically reflect.</p>