The purpose of this qualitative case study is to determine the extent to which an Afrikaans language textbook series acted as a change agent in terms of racial representation on the eve of democracy in South Africa. Data sources for the content analysis are press reports, parliamentary records and interviews with the publisher, the authors and leading academics. The contextualisation includes an explanation of how the authors of the Ruimland series were the first to intentionally break away from the apartheid perspective. The literature study comprises an explication of the master symbol model which serves as theoretical framework for this study. Influential issues in the literature on textbooks, representation, language and identity are also described. The main focus is on the three master symbols relevant to the study, which are presented as indicators of racial stereotyping, viz. the exclusivity and isolation of the in-group, appropriation and generalising and simplifying. These indicators are utilised as measurable norms in the analysis of racial representation. Counter-indicators obtained from the data are used to increase the reliability of the analysis. Traces of stereotyping regarding all the indicators and counter-indicators were found in the data. The findings show that master symbols are evident in the data, but that the series also incorporates counter-symbols directed toward a post-apartheid society. The concluding chapters suggests that the series could have been an early signal of a paradigm shift in Afrikaner ranks toward democracy in South Africa. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

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Despite the large body of research in Psychology concerning human planning and problem-solving both by adults and children, the study of planning and problem-solving in the field of Artificial Intelligence has proceeded along its own development with very little concurrent exploration of the methods people use to plan and solve problems. Some of the classic planning programs are unable to solve problems which are trivial for children, and it may be that by exploration of the methods children use we will discover certain heuristics which can be incorporated into AI planning paradigms. This thesis explores this possibility. Children aged 3 to 5 years were recorded performing a block-stacking task which simulates the type of problem given to planners to test their efficiency. The data were analyzed in order to determine those heuristics which are common to planners and children as well as those which are unique to the children. Based on this analysis, the psychological validity of the planning programs are evaluated. / Master of Arts

It is believed that one of the overriding factors that has contributed to the resistance to curriculum change on the part of teachers is that some of the new curricula seem to require a major change in teaching methodology and style. This change amounts to a conflict between paradigms. If this belief is correct, then one can argue that there will have to be a shift in teachers' functional paradigms in order for these curriculum innovations to be implemented. The study focuses on the goals, problems, exemplars, and routines, which constitute the "functional paradigms" of teachers. The term "functional paradigm" is meant to convey the idea that the characteristics which unite a community of practitioners are likely to be centered on practical matters: Why do teachers function in particular ways? Do teachers attach "common meanings" to particular situations or entitles? The following specific research questions were examined: 1. What are some of the factors which influence the formulation of teachers' functional paradigms? 2. What is the nature of teachers' functional paradigms? 3. a) What are the perceptions of teachers with regard to curriculum change? b) What is the relationship between teachers' functional paradigms and their perceptions of curriculum change? c) To what extent do teachers' functional paradigms become idiosyncratic when they are faced with a curriculum change? The methodology involved interviews with teachers. A pilot study was conducted prior to the main study. The interviews in the main study were analyzed in terms of six main categories. The results seem to indicate: 1. There are common categories and sub-categories that contribute to the formation, development, and maintenance of teachers/ functional paradigms. They include: o past educational experiences. o background in general. o practicum experiences. o past and present teaching experiences. o curriculum materials. o constraints on teaching. o school, students, and other workers in the school. 2. There seems to be a "core" of common categories among teachers. The intersection of elements within these categories composes the functional paradigms of teachers in general. Although the paradigms are functional in an active sense, they are relatively stable within the "culture", and over the long term. This stability must be considered if innovators in education ever contemplate a change which would require a shift in teachers'" functional paradigms. This commonality of beliefs, routines, problems, and exemplars is probably greater among teachers within the same small segment of the organization than within the entire profession. 3. Evidently, teachers select, interpret, and utilize learning materials in different ways dependent on the nature of their personal functional paradigms. A number of differing elements in teachers'' functional paradigms have been identified. These elements determine how teachers teach in terms of their use of curriculum materials. Curriculum change agents must consider the functional paradigms of individuals and determine how common these paradigms are before attempting a major pedagogical change. This study has shown that if these factors are not considered, then the curriculum change that is contemplated will be reduced to a mere change in content. The teachers will utilize the curriculum materials according to their own functional paradigms. 4. The inertia against curriculum change is most difficult to overcome with more experienced teachers, and more easily overcome with beginning teachers. This suggests that the focus of curriculum implementation needs to be aimed at certain segments of the profession. Somehow the change agents must assist educators to change their functional paradigms to meet the desired ends of the new curriculum prior to implementation. The alternative is the disparity that seems to exist between the curriculum that is intended by the policy makers, the curriculum that is implemented by the teachers, and the curriculum that is ultimately attained by the students. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Orientador: Jose Joaquim Lunazzi / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T03:37:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Azevedo_PaolaCristineAlmeida_D.pdf: 3042587 bytes, checksum: 6e2407a885f75cbe4b90031a1cadd1f1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Esta pesquisa objetivou criar e refletir sobre o alargamento de linguagens usadas na arte e a tecnologia como parâmetros de criação de um trabalho em poéticas visuais. Para estruturar esses conceitos, foram levantadas leituras referentes à mudança paradigmática da segunda metade do século XX relativa ao campo da física quântica, assim como a retomada de uma postura unificadora das áreas do conhecimento proposta pela visão holística. Dessa maneira, no tratamento empírico realizaram-se os trabalhos poéticos considerados ? as hologravuras ? com objetivo de aproximar o observador de um estado de percepção maior ao vivido cotidianamente, com ênfase na fenomenologia da percepção, descrita e recorrente na produção de artistas nas últimas cinco décadas. O trabalho tem quatro partes. A primeira é dedicada às questões teóricas; a segunda ao histórico dos meios técnicos calcogravura e holografia; no terceiro a recorrência da fenomenologia e a utilização da linha como elementos pertinentes na ambientação do trabalho artístico, como método comparativo, nas duas últimas partes, uso das obras de artistas consolidados na área que fazem aproximações com esta pesquisa; na quarta e última parte, relato a produção empírica desta pesquisa envolvendo questões de imaterialidade do trabalho e sua relação frente à arte contemporânea. Esta pesquisa tem aplicações pertinentes a um estado de reflexão e sistematização em termos científicos na produção de trabalhos em poéticas visuais; as hipóteses aqui levantadas são compatíveis com os resultados alcançados no que se refere a um alargamento das linguagens artísticas usando como recurso a arte e a tecnologia, pois os trabalhos desenvolvidos a partir daí incluem informação científica e tecnológica, mas é atualizada dentro de moldes poéticos próprios, tornando-se exemplo do que é possível fazer: unir dois campos do conhecimento.Nesse sentido, buscando uma conscientização de dentro para fora, a fenomenologia pode ser tomada como modelo pelas artes que lidam com a tecnologia / Abstract: The present research project entitled Light Etchings; a Holistic Possibility of Calcogravure and Holography has as it?s main objective to reflect upon the widening of languages through the fusion of art and technology emphasizing these two quite different approaches as parameters for the creation of a visual poetics. In order to mount these concepts, readings regarding the paradigmatic changes in the area of Quantum Physics during the second half of the twentieth century became instrumental especially when placed in context to the vision proposed by Holistic Theory. In this way, in what regards empirical treatment, a number of Holoetchings (Hologravura) were elaborated with the objective of bringing the observer to a higher state of observation than that normally experienced and thus emphasizing methods recurrent in the production of artists during the past five decades regarding the phenomenology of perception. The work is organized in four parts. The first, dedicated to theoretical questions, the second to the technical aspects of metal engraving and holography, the third to the recurrence of phenomenology and the use of linearity as pertinent elements in the environment of the artistic work, as a comparative method in the last two parts I use the works of established artists whose work border this research, and in the fourth part, a description of the empirical work of this research involving questions of the immateriality of the work and it?s relation to contemporary art. This research has pertinent applications in relation to the reflection and systematization in scientific terms in relation to works in visual poetics, to the hypotheses here proposed which are compatible to the results obtained pertinent to the widening of artistic languages using as resources art and technology since works effected from that point contain information which is both scientific and technological, but brought up-to date within definite poetic molds, becoming thus, an example of what it is possible to achieve by blending two fields of knowledge. In this sense, searching for concicousness from inside out, phenomenology can be taken as a model by arts that deal with technology / Doutorado / Artes Visuais / Mestre em Artes

D.Litt. et Phil. / The aim of this investigation is to provide support to the growing evidence that people's paradigms directly influence the way differences are managed. Adherence to the old or Newtonian model has seemingly led to a restricted ability to deal with differences. Adherence to the new or quantum model, on the other hand, appears to facilitate not only the understanding of why there are so many differences and why they should be "celebrated" (topic of the American Counselling Association's 1995 Conference, Denver), but also encourages people to freely and nonjudgementally acknowledge, explore and integrate these differences. As a first step toward achieving this aim, a review of the literature regarding the existence of differences, the perceived causes of differences, and the perceived ways of managing differences in interpersonal relationship up to the present time will be provided. Secondly, the importance of paradigms in general, and of the natural scientific paradigms in particular, will be illustrated. Concepts of Newtonian and quantum physics that are considered relevant to the investigation will be described under this heading. Thirdly, the rationale of the exploratory, or qualitative study will be outlined. Fourthly, a chapter linking the natural scientific paradigms . to the discipline of psychology will be presented. Psychological analogies of Newtonian and quantum concepts will be put forward as well as examples of Newtonian and quantum psychology. Finally, implications of the described and discussed findings of Newtonian and quantum physics on the management of psychological differences will be explored, so that the 'celebration' and integration of differences can, indeed, be promoted.

This dissertation demonstrates and illustrates the challenges involved in the construction of new realities when Duhl's (1983) idea of using metaphor to apply the ecosystems concept of wholeness of systems, was exercised in two ways. Firstly, the study was written in the form of an imaginary conversation between the author in the role of researcher and an imaginary peer consultant, about making sense of ways of thinking. Through presenting her observations to other observers, who are actually herself, a new reality was constructed for the author. Secondly, new individual and group realities were constructed by a group of social workers in the SANDF, who encountered their own ways of thinking through metaphorical means such as sculpting. Recommendations, co-constructed by the author, the imaginary peer consultant and two more imaginary colleagues, suggest possible uses of the ecosystems perspective in social work including in settings such as the SANDF. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Numerous management scholars argue that management theory is anthropocentric and considers humans as being separate from the environment. Further anthropocentrism does not enable theory and organisations to contribute to sustainable development. To counter this it is argued theory and organisations should embrace an environmental paradigm that does not separate humans and the environment. This exploratory research attempts to identify whether any organisations operate with an environmental paradigm. The research questions focus on paradigms and some of the tensions surrounding the human-environment debate, such as; sufficiency versus profit maximisation and quoted status, money as a means or an end and notions of boundaries between the organisation and the environment. The questions are explored with individuals from 23 environmentally focused, primarily for profit, organisations. The results indicate that the organisations operate with an environmental paradigm, do not perceive of boundaries between the organisation and the environment, do not pursue profit maximisation, can demonstrate sufficiency, view money as a means rather than an end and do not have a favourable view of quoted status. Furthermore, the interviewees do not separate their world into two realms, one social and one natural. Narratives that arise include the organisations operating to a mode of mission and money and that an aphorism of “altruistically selfish and selfishly altruistic” (Maturana & Varela, 1998:197) can be applied. In short, the results indicate some challenges to conventional management theory, in particular strategy and competitive advantage, and that the organisations interviewed could help to, some extent, enable sustainable development. To close, the hope of this study it that its narratives and the conceptual tool it has prompted, provide succour to students and managers who want to develop a ‘future normal’ of theories and organisations that better enable sustainability.

This dissertation demonstrates and illustrates the challenges involved in the construction of new realities when Duhl's (1983) idea of using metaphor to apply the ecosystems concept of wholeness of systems, was exercised in two ways. Firstly, the study was written in the form of an imaginary conversation between the author in the role of researcher and an imaginary peer consultant, about making sense of ways of thinking. Through presenting her observations to other observers, who are actually herself, a new reality was constructed for the author. Secondly, new individual and group realities were constructed by a group of social workers in the SANDF, who encountered their own ways of thinking through metaphorical means such as sculpting. Recommendations, co-constructed by the author, the imaginary peer consultant and two more imaginary colleagues, suggest possible uses of the ecosystems perspective in social work including in settings such as the SANDF. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))