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Esta pesquisa fundamentou-se nos pressupostos teóricos da epistemologia genética de Piaget e teve por objetivo principal investigar as relações entre a compreensão do modelo científico sobre célula por alunos de ensino médio e a transformação de seus modelos e operações mentais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa experimental de cunho qualitativo, na qual a metodologia de coleta de dados inspirou-se no método clínico e na metodologia de resolução de situações-problema. Esta foi aplicada por intermédio de um jogo construído especificamente para os propósitos desta pesquisa e denominado \"dominó do ciclo celular\". O experimento foi conduzido em oficinas de jogos oferecidas a alunos de primeiro e terceiro anos de ensino médio. Os dados coletados foram transformados em narrativas que possibilitaram inferir as estruturas do pensamento dos alunos que se ajustavam aos dados empíricos. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a compreensão do modelo científico sobre célula, e talvez de outros conceitos referentes a objetos que não possuem atributos observáveis diretamente, depende diretamente da produção de inferências pelos procedimentos de indução, abdução e dialética. Estes procedimentos permitem aos alunos agir cognitivamente sobre objetos que não poderiam atuar diretamente. Constatou-se também que os modelos mentais dos alunos sobre célula se transformam em função do nível de operações mentais empregadas, e assim os modelos mentais podem ser bons indicadores para a avaliação da aprendizagem do modelo científico e do desenvolvimento das operações mentais. Os resultados indicam também a importância da integração entre a ação e a linguagem na compreensão de conceitos dessa natureza. A linguagem esteve presente tanto no diálogo, essencial para acessar as operações mentais, como na criação das metáforas que constituem os modelos mentais e científicos. Esta pesquisa propõe que a integração e evolução das operações mentais por meio das inferências, associadas à linguagem metafórica, possibilitem a construção da noção de um tipo de objeto permanente pertinente ao estádio das operações formais: a noção do objeto \"invisível\". / This research evaluated the relationship between the comprehension of cell\'s scientific models by secondary level school students and the changes on their mental models and skills. It was based on Piaget\'s theoretical frameworks, Genetic Epistemology, and it deals with an experimental qualitative study. Data was obtained by a procedure based on clinic method and on the principles of problem solving. A game, specifically constructed for the purposes of this investigation and named \"Domino of cellular cycle\" was used to conduct the experiment. First and third class students of secondary level school played this game and the dialogues, occurred at each match, were recorded and transcripted in the style of narratives. Afterwards, the narrative allowed us to infer the students thought structures suitable to the empirical data. The results of the research draw to the conclusions that the comprehension of cell\'s scientific models, and maybe of other concepts relative to objects that do not present observable characters depend on the use of inferences. These were created by procedures of induction, abduction and dialectic, therefore these allow the contact with this type of object because the students could not act directly upon them. We also verify that students\' mental models change accordingly to their level\'s skills. In this way, mental models can be good indicators to evaluate the concept learned and the skills developed. The results also draw to the important role of inference to connect action and language in the process of this type of concept comprehension. Language, in this way, was essential to access mental skills and to create the metaphors, and also constitute mental and scientific models. We propose that the use of inferences associated to the creation of metaphors allow the construction of a type of knowledge related to the formal operatory stage, a type of \"permanent object notion\": the \"invisible\" object notion.

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Wirkung von Lernsoftware durch eine Kausalkette vom verstehenden Lernen (Edelmann, 1996) über generative Aktivitäten (Wittrock, 1990) hin zu computergestützten kognitiven Lernwerkzeugen (Jonassen, 1992)in seiner Gesamtheit empirisch nachzuweisen. Dazu wurde eine digitale Lern- und Testumgebung geschaffen, in deren Mittelpunkt ein Beschriftungswerkzeug, ein Operatorentool sowie eine Simulation standen. Mit ihrer Hilfe sollten Aufbau, Funktionsweise und Bedienung einer einfachen technischen Anlage erlernt werden. Erhoben wurden Maße des Lernprozesses (Zeit, Eingaben) und des Lernerfolges (Wissenstest, Handlungsaufgaben). Im Rahmen eines klassischen Lernexperiments im Labor wurde in einer ersten Testreihe kein oder eins der 3 Tools zum freiwilligen Gebrauch angeboten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass ein jedes Lernwerkzeug seine Nutzer in zusätzliche generative Aktivitäten verwickelt. Darüber hinaus bewirken sie auf Grund der Interaktionsmöglichkeiten, der repräsentierbaren Inhalte sowie der Visualisierungsform eine Aufmerksamkeitsfokussierung auf einzelne Lerninhalte. Demzufolge verbessert sich die Güte des mentalen Modells toolbedingt vor allem in entsprechenden Teilfacetten. Der statistische Vergleich dieser Ergebnisse mit älteren Daten einer parallelen Testreihe (Wipper, 2004) ergab keine bedeutenden Unterschiede, was auf eine Allgemeingültigkeit dieses Effekts hinweist. Im Rahmen einer zweiten Studie wurden die 3 Werkzeuge in einer Lernumgebung kombiniert angeboten. Im Resultat ergänzten sich die fokussierenden Wirkungen der Einzelapplikationen additiv zu einem ausgeglichenen mentalen Modell. Darüber hinaus war das Leistungsniveau jener Nutzer in allen Maßen des Lernprozesses und -erfolgs konstant höher als das aller anderen Probanden. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen die bereits existierenden Hinweise auf die eingangs erwähnte Kausalkette bzgl. des verstehenden Lernens mit Hilfe eines Computers. / In the light of instructional psychology the outcome of computer based learning aids can be described as a chain of causation consisting of constructivist forms of knowledge acquisition (Edelmann, 1996), generative processes (Wittrock, 1990) and digital mind tools (Jonassen, 1992). Aim of the present work is to proof this causal assumption empirically. Therefore, a computer based learning and testing environment was set up. It based on 3 single digital mind tools, which are supposed to help learning the construction, functionality and handling of a simple deterministic plant for soap production. Additionally, paper & pencil were provided. The measured variables cover the learning process (e.g. time, inputs) and the learning outcome (multiple-choice test, operating test). In a first series of 4 laboratory experiments 109 students were given no or one of the digital mind tools. In result, all 3 means initiate new generative processes. But the mental models of their users are not more sophisticated in whole. There was improvement in special areas, depending on characteristics of the tools (interaction modes, representable content, and visualisation). The findings were statistically compared to older data of a parallel test series (Wipper, 2004) but only marginal differences occurred. In a further laboratory experiment 98 students were given a combination of the 3 digital mind tools mentioned above. This hybrid learning environment initiates new generative processes as well. Because of an additional combination of the focussing effects caused by the tools, the mental model of its users is comprehensively more sophisticated now. Moreover, those people reach constantly much higher scores in all measures than the other subjects. The findings confirm the causal chain mentioned at the beginning.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:31:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Josefa Sonia P Fonseca.pdf: 2438601 bytes, checksum: 14a0dc47a09514f6418a9f49ccf0bae0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In this research, the interference of the managerial process in the pedagogical model of a college was studied so that to check the contribution it gives to the construction of Administration students attitudes. The purpose of this investigation is to answer the following question: How does the managerial process interfere in the pedagogical project of a college and how does it reflect in the construction of students attitudes and professional activity? Based on this questioning, the History of Brazilian Public regulations that interfere in the management of colleges between 1956 and 2002 was revisited. Administration theories were studied, and they were framed in four perspectives: Structuralist, Humanist, Integrative and Organization Learnship model. From this point onwards, a model to help in the management of a college was developed in which the managerial system has as a foundation the development of people s knowledge and the change of the mental model in order to obtain the group satisfaction and increase the organization results. In order that the studied theories and above all the managerial model suggested are tested, a research was done with a private college so that the intersection points between what the studied theories define and the current practice adopted in the pedagogical and administrative management which finally interferes in the construcion of students attitudes could be identified. The research methodology adopted was the descriptive ethnographic and bibliographical study with a qualitative approach in which the case study was adopted. In it, individuals from the college were questioned (present students, former students, professors and staff) through questionnaires, interviews and in loco observation from which some conclusions were drawn. Among them, we can mention: the importance of the organization policies as a tool to obtain competitive advantage; the necessity to practise the systemic, competitive, innovative, creative and challenging management.; interest to develop the management based on a systemic thought, personal control, mental models, shared views and team learnship / Nesta pesquisa estudou-se a interferência do processo de gestão no modelo pedagógico de uma IES, de forma a contribuir para formação de atitudes dos alunos do curso de Administração. A investigação propôs-se a responder à seguinte questão: QUAL A INTERFERÊNCIA DO MODELO DE GESTÃO SOBRE O PROJETO PEDAGÓGICO DE UMA INSTITUIÇÃO DE ENSINO SUPERIOR E QUAL O REFLEXO DESSA INTERFERÊNCIA NAS ATITUDES DE FORMAÇÃO DO ALUNO E EM SUA ATIVIDADE PROFISSIONAL? Com este próposito, revisitou-se a história das políticas públicas brasileiras que interferiram no modelo de gestão das Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) nos períodos compreendidos entre 1956 a 2002. Foram estudadas as teorias da Administração, enquadrando-as dentro de quatro perspectivas (Estruturalista, Humanista, Integrativa e o modelo de Aprendizagem Organizacional). A partir daí, buscou-se desenvolver um modelo para auxiliar na gestão de IES, cuja abordagem gerencial tem como fundamento o desenvolvimento da cultura organizacional que ressalte as qualidades das pessoas e, conseqüentemente provoque mudanças em seus modelos mental, de forma a convergir para a satisfação do grupo e otimização dos resultados da organização. No sentido de testar as teorias estudadas, e, sobretudo, o modelo Gerencial proposto, pesquisou-se uma IES com vistas a identificar os pontos de intersecção entre o que definem as teorias estudadas e as práticas adotadas na gestão pedagógica e administrativa que interferem na formação de atitudes dos alunos dessa IES. Adotou-se como metodologia de pesquisa o estudo etnográfico descritivo e bibliográfico, com abordagem qualitativa, em que foi utilizada a estratégia de Estudo de Caso. Nele, foram inqueridos os sujeitos da Instituição (alunos atuais, egressos, docentes e colaboradores), utilizando-se para tanto questionários, entrevistas e observação in loco, de onde puderam ser extraídas algumas conclusões como: a importância da cultura organizacional como instrumento para a vantagem competitiva; a necessidade de se praticar a gestão sistêmica, competitiva, inovadora, criativa e desafiante; interesse em desenvolver a gestão fundamentada no pensamento sistêmico, domínio pessoal, modelos mentais, visão compartilhada e aprendizagem em equipe

Despite significant research output in recent decades on international new ventures (INVs),little attention has been paid to understanding the processes and conditions under whichthe entrepreneur identifies and exploits an opportunity and subsequently creates valuewithin the firm. As a result, the dynamics involved in the role of the entrepreneur during theestablishment and internationalization of INVs remain in a black box. In order to understandthe context, interaction among players and other dynamics involved before, during, and afterthe establishment of the INV’s creation and development, a different approach is needed. Theaim of this dissertation is to describe and understand the role of entrepreneurs in the processof establishment and internationalization of international new ventures. Three longitudinal case studies were conducted between 1999 and 2008 with a total of 108interviews using snowball sampling. In addition, comprehensive secondary data have beencollected to enrich the empirical cases with thick descriptions, and to enhance content validityas well as the reliability of the research. This study offers a more nuanced picture of how entrepreneurs’ characteristics influencethe international development of their firms. For example, it appears that it was neitherthe previous foreign experience, the education, nor the previously developed internationalnetwork (as suggested by previous literature) that can be credited for the rapid and vastinternationalization of the case firms. Instead, it is suggested that an entrepreneur’schildhood and prior life story directly influences their behaviour in the INV. We proposethat different types of entrepreneurs are important factors to understanding firms’ differentinternationalization patterns. Depending on the backgrounds of the entrepreneurs, theydeveloped preferences, skills, and especially desires that would come to affect the totalbehaviour of their future organizations. This study also develops the notion of psychicdistance into three separate spaces - the physical, the mental and the social space. Forexample, the context and experience during childhood creates the foundations for theentrepreneurs’ mental and social space, which can separately, but also in relation toeach other, offer a more accurate and deeper understanding of the actions taken by theentrepreneurs in the INV. Furthermore, this study has shown that the role and characteristicsof the entrepreneur do change over time, which also determines the individual’s sensitivity toopportunities and the international behaviour of the company.

This exploratory case study was undertaken to obtain a greater understanding of the difficulties that physics students face when solving image-object projections in optics problems. This was carried out by studying the students’ reasoning when facing new kinds of problem settings using the refraction of light and the position of the virtual image and the real object as the frame for the research. The results show that there is more than one reasoning possibility that is feasible for students to use when dealing with the same problem. The results also illustrate how several different ways of reasoning may be simultaneously needed to solve a refraction problem. The different kinds of reasoning have been referred to as reasoning categories in this study. The analysis illustrates how the categories complement each other, and the use of many reasoning categories is shown to be fruitful. However, the vast majority of the participants made contradicting answer selections when solving similar problems by using contradicting reasoning approaches. This lack of consistency in the participants’ reasoning could indicate that they have a fragmentary understanding of optics in general. Both the capability to link reasoning approaches together, as well as the affordances that different modes of representations offer, are needed for the construction of a better conceptual understanding. Only mastering a few ways of reasoning and a few modes of representation could lead to fragmented knowledge, which, in turn leads to making problem solving really challenging. One purpose of this study was to find out if reasoning categories and modes of representations are essentially linked. If so, then the reasoning categories would be determined by the representation of the problem. The analysis shows that there is a connection, but that there are also other factors at play.

This thesis presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of an agroforestry extension program to smallholder farmers on Leyte Island, the Philippines. The imperative for reforestation is well recognised in the Philippines and was the impetus for this program which provided farmers with assistance to establish and silviculturally manage timber trees on their land. Because the cost-effectiveness of agroforestry extension is increased if farmers develop self-efficacy without extensive training, the extension program was offered in two regimes to test the necessity for extended assistance. In the extended assistance regime, farmers were offered on-site assistance to collect seed, grow seedlings, prepare sites and establish trees, whereas in the limited assistance regime, farmers were only offered assistance to collect seed and grow seedlings. Descriptive statistics were collected of farmers’ acceptance of technology and the manner in which technology was adapted to suit their personal circumstances. Translated conversations between farmers and extension staff also provided a rich source of data which provided insights into farmers’ motivation. Extension activities were reviewed at a mid-program workshop, a final on-site inspection and an end-of-program workshop. Farmers responded positively to the extended assistance program which helped them to grow and out-plant seedlings. The limited assistance program was relatively unsuccessful. Overall, the extension program was successful in shifting the initiative for further planting from extension staff to participating farmers. However, farmers showed little interest in applying silvicultural thinning or pruning to existing plantations of trees because extension advice was not congruent with their existing mental models of these procedures. Systems modelling of socio-economic variables which had been found to affect program outcomes was used to predict critical success factors. A key constraint to program recruitment was found to be farmers’ perception of harvest security, even when their needs for technology and planting materials are met. Modelling also cast doubt on the usefulness of written extension materials and emphasised the necessity for extended face-to-face technical assistance. Although conducted in Leyte, the findings of this research provide guidance for issues which affect the adoption of agroforestry both in the Philippines and in other countries. The research found that it was possible to recruit and motivate farmers without providing material incentives. If farmers experienced unexpected problems, providing extended face-to-face contact and assistance was critical if catastrophic losses of participating farmers were to be avoided. The failure of attempts to introduce advanced-age silviculture also indicated a need to elicit farmers’ mental models as a precursor or parallel enquiry to extension activities. In a situation where little was initially known about farmers’ understanding of agroforestry technology or the variables which affect their acceptance or rejection of extension assistance, the results of this research have shown that it is possible to build the capacity of farmers to establish timber trees. This result is in contrast to the acknowledged failure of the logging concession system in the Philippines and the difficulties faced by some industrial plantations and community-based programs. This investigation has shown that an opportunity exists to lift the level of tree planting in Leyte, provided that system variables which are either critical success factors or impediments are addressed.

This thesis presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of an agroforestry extension program to smallholder farmers on Leyte Island, the Philippines. The imperative for reforestation is well recognised in the Philippines and was the impetus for this program which provided farmers with assistance to establish and silviculturally manage timber trees on their land. Because the cost-effectiveness of agroforestry extension is increased if farmers develop self-efficacy without extensive training, the extension program was offered in two regimes to test the necessity for extended assistance. In the extended assistance regime, farmers were offered on-site assistance to collect seed, grow seedlings, prepare sites and establish trees, whereas in the limited assistance regime, farmers were only offered assistance to collect seed and grow seedlings. Descriptive statistics were collected of farmers’ acceptance of technology and the manner in which technology was adapted to suit their personal circumstances. Translated conversations between farmers and extension staff also provided a rich source of data which provided insights into farmers’ motivation. Extension activities were reviewed at a mid-program workshop, a final on-site inspection and an end-of-program workshop. Farmers responded positively to the extended assistance program which helped them to grow and out-plant seedlings. The limited assistance program was relatively unsuccessful. Overall, the extension program was successful in shifting the initiative for further planting from extension staff to participating farmers. However, farmers showed little interest in applying silvicultural thinning or pruning to existing plantations of trees because extension advice was not congruent with their existing mental models of these procedures. Systems modelling of socio-economic variables which had been found to affect program outcomes was used to predict critical success factors. A key constraint to program recruitment was found to be farmers’ perception of harvest security, even when their needs for technology and planting materials are met. Modelling also cast doubt on the usefulness of written extension materials and emphasised the necessity for extended face-to-face technical assistance. Although conducted in Leyte, the findings of this research provide guidance for issues which affect the adoption of agroforestry both in the Philippines and in other countries. The research found that it was possible to recruit and motivate farmers without providing material incentives. If farmers experienced unexpected problems, providing extended face-to-face contact and assistance was critical if catastrophic losses of participating farmers were to be avoided. The failure of attempts to introduce advanced-age silviculture also indicated a need to elicit farmers’ mental models as a precursor or parallel enquiry to extension activities. In a situation where little was initially known about farmers’ understanding of agroforestry technology or the variables which affect their acceptance or rejection of extension assistance, the results of this research have shown that it is possible to build the capacity of farmers to establish timber trees. This result is in contrast to the acknowledged failure of the logging concession system in the Philippines and the difficulties faced by some industrial plantations and community-based programs. This investigation has shown that an opportunity exists to lift the level of tree planting in Leyte, provided that system variables which are either critical success factors or impediments are addressed.

Στόχος της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η ανάπτυξη ενός διαδικτυακού συστήματος το οποίο παρέχει την δυνατότητα εκτέλεσης πειραμάτων Ταξινόμησης Καρτών καθώς και ανάλυσης των αποτελεσμάτων που προκύπτουν. Αφότου έγινε συστηματική μελέτη της θεωρίας προσδιορίστηκαν οι κύριες αρχές, πάνω στις οποίες βασίστηκε η σχεδίαση και ανάπτυξη του συστήματος. Δόθηκε έμφαση στην ευχρηστία και στον διαδικτυακό χαρακτήρα του συστήματος καθώς και στην δημιουργία περιβάλλοντος υψηλής διαδραστικότητας. Για την επίτευξη του στόχου αξιοποιήθηκαν τεχνολογίες βάσεων δεδομένων και διαδικτύου. Η ευχρηστία του συστήματος είναι απόρροια διαδοχικών αξιολογήσεων από ειδικούς ευχρηστίας αλλά και δοκιμής του σε πραγματικές συνθήκες χρήσης. Το σύστημα αποτελεί ένα χρήσιμο εργαλείο στα χέρια ενός ερευνητή, αποκαλύπτοντας τις εννοιολογικές δομές ή κατηγοριοποιήσεις των ατόμων που εκτελούν το πείραμα, αλλά και ενός σχεδιαστή πληροφοριακών συστημάτων, ώστε να κατανοήσει καλύτερα τους χρήστες στους οποίους απευθύνεται και να βελτιώσει με αυτό τον τρόπο την ευχρηστία και την εμπειρία χρήστη. Τέλος, η λογική της μεταφοράς μιας μεθόδου όπως η Ταξινόμηση Καρτών σε ένα διαδικτυακό σύστημα μπορεί να επεκταθεί και σε άλλες ερευνητικές μεθόδους, απολαμβάνοντας αντίστοιχα οφέλη. / The aim of this thesis is to develop an online system that provides the ability to perform Card Sorting experiments and analysis of Card Sorting results. After a systematic study of theory, the main principles were identified upon which the design and development of the system was based on. Emphasis was placed on achieving a high level of usability and to create an online and highly interactive environment using RIA (Rich Internet Applications). To achieve this goal, database technologies and internet technologies as well as RIA were used. The usability of the system is the result of successive evaluations by experts and usability test in real conditions. The system is a useful tool for a researcher to reveal the conceptual structure or classifications(user mental model) of people participating in a Card Sorting experiment, but also for a designer of information systems to better understand the users to whom the design refers to and thereby to improve the usability and user experience. Finally, the logic of transferring a method such as Card Sorting from the "real world" in an online system can be extended to other research methods, enjoying the benefits of modern computer and internet technologies .

Esta pesquisa fundamentou-se nos pressupostos teóricos da epistemologia genética de Piaget e teve por objetivo principal investigar as relações entre a compreensão do modelo científico sobre célula por alunos de ensino médio e a transformação de seus modelos e operações mentais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa experimental de cunho qualitativo, na qual a metodologia de coleta de dados inspirou-se no método clínico e na metodologia de resolução de situações-problema. Esta foi aplicada por intermédio de um jogo construído especificamente para os propósitos desta pesquisa e denominado \"dominó do ciclo celular\". O experimento foi conduzido em oficinas de jogos oferecidas a alunos de primeiro e terceiro anos de ensino médio. Os dados coletados foram transformados em narrativas que possibilitaram inferir as estruturas do pensamento dos alunos que se ajustavam aos dados empíricos. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a compreensão do modelo científico sobre célula, e talvez de outros conceitos referentes a objetos que não possuem atributos observáveis diretamente, depende diretamente da produção de inferências pelos procedimentos de indução, abdução e dialética. Estes procedimentos permitem aos alunos agir cognitivamente sobre objetos que não poderiam atuar diretamente. Constatou-se também que os modelos mentais dos alunos sobre célula se transformam em função do nível de operações mentais empregadas, e assim os modelos mentais podem ser bons indicadores para a avaliação da aprendizagem do modelo científico e do desenvolvimento das operações mentais. Os resultados indicam também a importância da integração entre a ação e a linguagem na compreensão de conceitos dessa natureza. A linguagem esteve presente tanto no diálogo, essencial para acessar as operações mentais, como na criação das metáforas que constituem os modelos mentais e científicos. Esta pesquisa propõe que a integração e evolução das operações mentais por meio das inferências, associadas à linguagem metafórica, possibilitem a construção da noção de um tipo de objeto permanente pertinente ao estádio das operações formais: a noção do objeto \"invisível\". / This research evaluated the relationship between the comprehension of cell\'s scientific models by secondary level school students and the changes on their mental models and skills. It was based on Piaget\'s theoretical frameworks, Genetic Epistemology, and it deals with an experimental qualitative study. Data was obtained by a procedure based on clinic method and on the principles of problem solving. A game, specifically constructed for the purposes of this investigation and named \"Domino of cellular cycle\" was used to conduct the experiment. First and third class students of secondary level school played this game and the dialogues, occurred at each match, were recorded and transcripted in the style of narratives. Afterwards, the narrative allowed us to infer the students thought structures suitable to the empirical data. The results of the research draw to the conclusions that the comprehension of cell\'s scientific models, and maybe of other concepts relative to objects that do not present observable characters depend on the use of inferences. These were created by procedures of induction, abduction and dialectic, therefore these allow the contact with this type of object because the students could not act directly upon them. We also verify that students\' mental models change accordingly to their level\'s skills. In this way, mental models can be good indicators to evaluate the concept learned and the skills developed. The results also draw to the important role of inference to connect action and language in the process of this type of concept comprehension. Language, in this way, was essential to access mental skills and to create the metaphors, and also constitute mental and scientific models. We propose that the use of inferences associated to the creation of metaphors allow the construction of a type of knowledge related to the formal operatory stage, a type of \"permanent object notion\": the \"invisible\" object notion.