The central concern of this thesis is to discuss interpretations of learning in educational research. A point of departure is taken in core epistemological and ontological assumptions informing three major approaches to learning: behaviourism, cognitive constructivism and socioculturalism. It is argued that all three perspectives provide important insights into research on learning, but each alone runs the risk of reducing learning and interpretations of learning to single aspects. Specific attention is therefore given to Intentional Analysis, as it has been developed to account for sociocultural aspects that influence learning and individual cognition. It is argued that interpretations of learning processes face challenges, different kinds of holism, underdetermination and the complexity of intentionality, that need to be accounted for in order to make valid interpretations. Interpretation is therefore also discussed in light of philosopher Donald Davidson’s theories of knowledge and interpretation. It is suggested that his theories may provide aspects of an ontological and epistemological stance that can form the basis for interpretations of learning in educational research. A first brief sketch, referred to as ‘epistemic holism’, is thus drawn. The thesis also exemplifies how such a stance can inform empirical research. It provides a first formulation of research strategies – a so-called ‘interpretative holism’. The thesis discusses what such a stance may imply with regard to the nature and location of knowledge and the status of the learning situation. Ascribing meaning to observed behaviour, as it is described in this thesis, implies that an action is always an action under a specific description. Different descriptions may not be contradictory, but if we do not know the learner’s language use, we cannot know whether there is a difference in language or in beliefs. It is argued that the principle of charity and reference to saliency, that is, what appears as the figure for the learner, may help us decide. However, saliency does not only appear as a phenomenon in relation to physical objects and events, but also in the symbolic world, thus requires that the analysis extend beyond the mere transcription of an interview or the description of an observation. Hence, a conclusion to be drawn from this thesis is that the very question of what counts as data in the interpretation of complex learning processes is up for discussion. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

I am inspired by the mundane activities engaged in, in daily life. Every morning, I check the temperature of outside. At that time I think about the day ahead. Do I need an umbrella? What color am I enamored of today? This is a small but important part of my day. In this moment of my thought paths can be very intuitively chosen. When I water the plants or pour milk into a coffee, I get a similar feeling, something that might be categorized as a sensation of "time apart."I came to The United States to begin to gain an understanding of conceptual art. I could not make it myself and it always fascinated me. I had believed that conceptual art always concerned itself with larger global or political issues, was restrained, and unemotional. I have since change my mind. My new work is about sharing how beautiful the energy is when people join in laughter, how sad people appear to always drive so fast, how interesting it is that pigeons always stay in a specific place. I am interested in not just objects, but their sounds, their history, their physical properties, their potential for change, and the life surrounding them. That which "surrounds" the making is as important as that which is made... so to check the temperature of outside is (in the end) as integral as any aspect.

John Baldessari’s Blasted Allegories (1977-1978) represent a concerted reconsideration of the most active and critical pursuits of the 1960s and ‘70s, including structuralism, post-structuralism, systems-based art, constraint-based approaches to composition, chance, and allegory. Thirty-five of the sixty-some Blasted Allegories are designated here as “later” works in the series because they share formal and structural characteristics; they present arrangements of colored photographs on neutral matte board. Although the later Blasted Allegories initially appear as colorful sentences, the close readings undertaken in this dissertation reveal that these pieces have been generated by the imposition of individual sets of constraints on a combinatorial system. In addition, many of these works appropriate structural models from cultural anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, narratologist A. J. Greimas, and grammarian Noam Chomsky; even though they subsume the rules implied by these structural models, they undergo a post-structural critique wherein fixed relationships are destabilized by word play, homophones, rhyme, and the imposition of such additional operations as algorithms. This dissertation demonstrates how Baldessari solicits art as an experience of cognitive construction, pleasure, and protracted play with the possibilities of meaning. His crypto-narratives take readers along the cognitive spiral theorized by psychologist Jean Piaget that begin with sensory perceptions, expand into operational understandings of these works as products of a combinatory system, and can be built into logical and mathematical apprehensions of the resultant texts. Like many of the embedded models, Piaget’s spiral is counterbalanced in this series by the conflation of vying cultural models into a cacophony of signification. Baldessari’s texts play with readers’ proclivities to search for meaning. The artist solicits protracted interactions from viewer/readers, who are able to discern multiple, simultaneous readings and thus relinquish an ensconced approach toward art as a synthesis of embedded cultural models. Baldessari’s series engages conceptions of allegory as a procedure, a condition of the text, and a hedge against reductive, overarching interpretations. Working in a Duchampian vein, Baldessari posits the components of new syntaxes for art that return readers to these pieces, where variable interactions between readers and these heteroglossic texts ressemble open systems that can unsettle artist-imposed significations.

The Canadian artist IAIN BAXTER&, known before 2005 as Iain Baxter, created an innovative Conceptual Art practice in the mid-60s that continues to make important contributions even today. He has maintained a strong collaborative element in his art, as witnessed by his role in the short-lived group IT (1965) and N.E. THING CO. (1966-1978)--an actual incorporated company consisting of BAXTER& and his first wife, Ingrid Baxter as chief officers--and by the addition of an ampersand to his legal name in 2005 to signify the open-ended quality of his work that relies on viewers‘ contributions to help determine its meaning. This dissertation introduces the term "Pop-inflected Conceptual Art" to describe how BAXTER& merges his use of information technologies, modern and ubiquitous materials, and pedestrian activities with a desire to question the received role and purpose of art through an epistemological approach. By presenting BAXTER&‘s key influences—Zen Buddhism, as described by D.T. Suzuki and Alan Watts, and the communications theory of Marshall McLuhan—this study describes five underlying principles that inform BAXTER&‘s work individually and in unison. These principles are: his preference for foregrounding the banal; creation of the "infoscape" that merges the natural world and the constant stream of information within North American culture; proclivity for experimenting with such unlikely media as plastics and telecommunication media; understanding of art‘s kinship with language; and usage of pseudonyms. This study describes the core terms of McLuhan‘s theory in order to analyze this thinker‘s significance for BAXTER&‘s work; moreover, it presents how the above five principles are evident throughout the three main divisions in BAXTER&‘s artistic career: before, during, and after his tenure with N.E. THING CO. Through an analysis of key examples of many of this artist‘s works, this study also determines affinities to both established Pop artists and his Conceptual Art peers, while distinguishing how his Zen and McLuhanesque hybrid approach, which includes a consistent reliance on humor to communicate definitively his ideas, sets him apart from these groups of artists and foregrounds his role as the precursor to such younger Vancouver photoconceptual artists as Ian Wallace, Jeff Wall, Rodney Graham, and Stan Douglas.

This dissertation examines the video-installations created by American artist Dan Graham in the 1970s. It investigates the artist's relationship to Minimalism by analyzing themes Graham highlights in his own writings and in interviews. In particular, I explore how the artist's understanding of Herbert Marcuse, Walter Benjamin, and R.D. Laing informed his post-Minimalist work and how concepts gleaned from these sources are manifest in his video-installations. Also undertaken are discussions of the artist's interest in aestheticized play, the just-past present, the debate between Behaviourism and phenomenology, surveillance, and Modern architecture. In addition, I investigate Graham's position in Conceptual art, use of site-specificity, and the practice of institutional critique. At the outset, I provide an in-depth analysis of two of Graham's magazine pieces, Schema (March 1966) and Homes For America, that ties together the artist's reading of Marcuse and his rejection of Minimalist phenomenology. Next, I give an account of the artist's connection to early video art and his use of time-delay in works such as Present Continuous Past(s) and Two Viewing Rooms as a means to highlight the just-past present. Finally, I examine Graham's architectural video-installations Yesterday/Today, Video Piece for Showcase Windows in a Shopping Arcade, and Video Piece for Two Glass Office Buildings as instances of site-specific art and as part of the artist's practice of institutional critique. I also explore his references to the notions of art-as-window and art-as-mirror as an expansion of his engagement with Minimalism. Throughout, my discussion includes comparisons between Graham's work and that of other artists like Vito Acconci, Bruce Nauman, and Hans Haacke. In sum, this study offers an expanded understanding of how Graham employed video and installation in his art as a means to move beyond Minimalism and to interrogate contemporary American society.

The thesis titled A Conceptual Integrated Approach to Teaching about the Cold War at the Upper-secondary School presents the topic of the Cold War as a subject matter for an educational project implemented into History lessons at a selected Prague upper-secondary school. The thesis consists of a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part is a summary of the information available in scholarly literature. It contains a detailed presentation of integrated thematic teaching which is based on understanding of the human brain operation (brain- compatible teaching). Furthermore, theoretical starting point is introduced as well as the method used to present the topic. The practical part explores how background material was collected (description of situation, problem, conditions, and development of project). It also presents the analysis and interpreting of background material. Next, the results of the project are stated, together with its problems and imperfections. The practical part is supplemented with the application of the project. It outlines other ways integrated thematic teaching can be used in education.

Background: Nowadays, organizations deal with many challenges in their external environment due to globalization, rapid technological advancement and increasing demand expectations. One way to face these challenges is by collaborating with other organizations. In this new globalized business world interorganizational relations are present everywhere. Nevertheless, from a theoretical perspective the field of interorganizational relations is saturated with terms and concepts. Nearly all aspects of interorganizational relations have been studied, having created a veritable conceptual swamp, idea abundance and vast fragmentation and this situation is a key rationale for the design of this study. Purpose: The purpose of these thesis is to develop a concept of collaboration in interorganizational relations, meaning that there is a need for a synthesized typology model in which collaboration forms can be classified. The purpose of the thesis is fulfilled by researching and answering beforehand defined research questions, namely (1) what are the motives and risks of interorganizational relations and how can they be clustered, (2) which themes/dimensions are used to differentiate between collaborations forms, and finally, (3) can our proposed model be used to classify those collaboration forms? Method: A qualitative directed content analysis was conducted. In the thesis, text from existing research from academic journals and books in the field of business administration were used as data. Conclusion: The result of this thesis is a tentative synthesized typology model of collaboration in the context of interorganizational relations. It incorporates motives and risks of collaboration and finally seven dimensions/themes of how collaboration forms can be classified.

The study presented in this thesis investigates Offshore Information Technology Outsourcing (IT offshoring) relationships from clients’ perspective. With more client companies outsourcing their IT operations offshore, issues associated with the establishment and management of IT offshoring relationships have become very important. With the growing volume of offshore outsourcing, the numbers of failures are also increasing. Therefore, both clients (service receivers) and suppliers (service providers) face increasing pressure to meet with the objectives of IT offshoring initiatives. Improving the quality of the relationship between client and supplier has frequently been suggested in the literature as probable solution area, however not much literature and empirical evidence is available in this respect. The aim of the study is to make a theoretical and practical contribution by studying the interplay between the critical factors influencing the relationship intensity level of the exchange partners and suggest measures that can potentially increase the success rate in IT offshoring engagements. The objectives of this study are: 1. To identify the relevant critical factors and explore its causes and effects (antecedents and consequences) on the relationship intensity significance level. 2. To develop an integrated conceptual framework combining the hypothetical relationship among these identified critical factors. 3. To empirically validate the conceptual framework. To accomplish the first objective and building the theoretical platform for the second objective, three research questions are identified and answered through empirical study backed by literature evidence. The second objective is addressed through an integrative conceptual framework by analysing the related studies across other disciplines, gaps in the existing theories and models in the outsourcing literature. Coupled with literature gap analysis, the researcher adopted some of the relevant features from across various disciplines of management and social sciences that are relevant to this study. After that, the third objective, the research hypotheses are validated with empirical examination conducted in Europe. Seven research hypotheses are developed based on literature analysis on the relationship of the key constructs in the conceptual framework. This study is explanatory and deductive in nature. It is underpinned mainly by a quantitative research design with structured questionnaire surveys conducted with stratified sampling of 136 client organisations in Europe. Individual client firm is the unit of analysis for this study. Data analysis was conducted using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling techniques. In this research, empirical support was found for most of the research hypotheses and conclusions of the study is derived. An investigation into trust as a concept is used to denote relationship intensity, as the central construct of the framework. The validated conceptual framework and tested hypothesis results are the main contributions of this study. The results of this study will also be useful in terms of adopting the conceptual framework linked with hypotheses as a point of reference to begin with, in order to accomplish a healthy exchange relationship. However, a further deep dive and fine tuning the sub-units/composition characteristics of each critical factor may be needed for individual outsourcing initiative(s). This study is particularly relevant to the client-supplier firms already engaged in a relationship but can also be useful to those clients who are planning to begin their journey in IT offshoring in the near future, as a preparatory platform.

L'écrit en sciences favorise les apprentissages des élèves. Ce constat est largement partagé dans la communauté scientifique. A partir de cette idée et de celle de genèse instrumentale proposée par Pierre Rabardel, cette recherche s'est donné comme objet de savoir à quelles conditions les ingénieries pédagogiques qui intègrent l'usage d'un cahier de sciences sont efficientes pour que le jeune enfant s'approprie les instruments de la culture scientifique et écrite spécifiques au Cours Préparatoire.Dans la perspective de la conceptualisation dans l'action de Gérard Vergnaud, l'étude théorique et pratique a été menée sous différentes formes complémentaires : analyse structurale des cahiers issus des classes et des différentes sortes d'écrits utilisés pour représenter le réel, tests de connaissances et entretiens-feuilletages avec les élèves, observations de classes, questionnaires par Q-sort et entretiens avec les enseignants.L'étude met en lumière plusieurs faits. Le cahier de sciences est un système de langages et de classification conceptuelle matérialisée (expression empruntée à Anne Marie Chartier). L'usage du cahier de sciences nécessite, exerce et développe chez les enseignants et chez les élèves, de nombreux schèmes d'utilisation dont un schème de référencement qui permet aux élèves d'indexer leurs travaux à leur cahier et à la discipline de référence. Le cahier joue aussi un rôle dans la communauté de la classe, dans la communication avec la famille et dans la construction de l'enfant comme sujet. Autour des usages du cahier, se lient les apprentissages des sciences, les apprentissages de l'écrit et les apprentissages du cahier et de ses fonctions comme instrument. / Writing about sciences promotes pupils’learning. This idea is widely shared in the scientific community. Based upon this idea and that of an instrumental genesis proposed by Pierre Rabardel, this research studies in what conditions the engineering education integrating the use of a sciences notebook will help a young child to take over the tools of scientific and writing knowledges which are specific to the Preparatory Course.Following Gérard Vergnaud’s assertion that acting helps to conceptualizing, a theoretical and practical study was carried out in various complementary forms: structural analysis of notebooks from different classes and kinds of writing which are used to represent reality, tests of knowledge, and interviews with children, class observations, questionnaires, and Q-sort interviews with teachers. This study clarifies several facts. A science notebook is a system of language and conceptual classification which has been materialized (a term borrowed from Anne Marie Chartier). The use of a science notebook trains and develops among teachers and pupils many patterns of use, including a referral scheme which allows pupils to index their work to their specifications and the discipline of reference. A science notebook also plays a role in the community of the classroom, it is a link with the family, and it helps children to structure themselves as subjects. With the use of the science notebook, sciences and learning to write are connected to learning with a notebook and how to use it as a tool.