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Participatory approaches to international and community development have gained significant popularity, and are commonly held to be intrinsically empowering processes. In the context of development, both participation and empowerment were borne of radical claims and democratizing goals, but over time, both concepts have been confused and misappropriated. The popularity of the terms participation and empowerment, coupled with the ambiguity of their meanings, illustrates a symptom of their co-optation away from their radical and political roots. This ethnographic case study explored the mechanics of the participatory approach and claims of empowerment within the experience of a non-governmental organization based in Chiapas, Mexico. This study aimed to investigate the linkages between participation and empowerment, in their original radical and theoretical forms, as well as in practice—addressing questions of whether and how participation may lead to empowerment. The organization's endeavors to create space for participatory learning for critical consciousness and self-sufficiency, as understood through 30 semi-structured interviews and three months of participant observation, provided insight into these questions and their conceptual underpinnings. I analyzed data by drawing upon Freirean critical pedagogy, critical theory, and theories of participation and participatory learning. Findings examine the influence of clientelism, Catholic liberation theology, and the Zapatista uprising on the ways rural campesinos develop critical consciousness and organize to dismantle systems of oppression. Findings illustrate examples of interactive participation and self-mobilization. The study serves to demonstrate the importance of cultural and historical contexts, and of solidarity and downward accountability within the praxis of participation and empowerment. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Community-based ecosystem management (CBEM) is increasingly advocated as a way to conserve biodiversity, monitor, and maintain ecosystem functions in the context of local land use practices through an inclusive management approach. However, while CBEM is based in principles of inclusion, there is very little attention in environmental management and education literature directed to the role of youth in stewardship activities, and the environmental learning outcomes and other meanings that may result from these practices.<p>The purpose of this thesis is to describe participatory and experiential environmental learning carried out in the Frenchman River Basin, Southwestern Saskatchewan. Here, I investigated how students participation in an ecological monitoring program contributed to their understanding of their local environment and to their sense of place, and considered how the development of a learning community among students, teachers, community members, and academic researchers influenced these processes.<p>This research adopts a mixed methods approach, employing knowledge-based tests to explore student learning outcomes and using interpretations of place through student photographs and interviews to examine their sense of place. I take a phenomenological approach to defining what constitutes place for students, as well as how sense of place is formed for them, elucidating how their experiences participating in the ecological monitoring program entered the process of meaning construction.<p>This case study found that both experiential and participatory approaches to learning helped foster environmental understanding as well as place appreciation and attachment. The Frenchman River, previously described as a taken-for-granted feature of the familiar landscape and largely associated with its agricultural importance, was re-negotiated as a social space, a place of play, learning, and biological significance. Research findings also suggest that place meanings are deeply rooted in students rural identity, and that this influenced their participant experience, independent of environmental learning outcomes. <p>The creation of a learning community was a mobilizing force for school-based ecological monitoring and information sharing, while acting as a source of symbolic significance for student participants, helping students to see their place from the perspective of an outsider.

Community-based ecosystem management (CBEM) is increasingly advocated as a way to conserve biodiversity, monitor, and maintain ecosystem functions in the context of local land use practices through an inclusive management approach. However, while CBEM is based in principles of inclusion, there is very little attention in environmental management and education literature directed to the role of youth in stewardship activities, and the environmental learning outcomes and other meanings that may result from these practices.<p>The purpose of this thesis is to describe participatory and experiential environmental learning carried out in the Frenchman River Basin, Southwestern Saskatchewan. Here, I investigated how students participation in an ecological monitoring program contributed to their understanding of their local environment and to their sense of place, and considered how the development of a learning community among students, teachers, community members, and academic researchers influenced these processes.<p>This research adopts a mixed methods approach, employing knowledge-based tests to explore student learning outcomes and using interpretations of place through student photographs and interviews to examine their sense of place. I take a phenomenological approach to defining what constitutes place for students, as well as how sense of place is formed for them, elucidating how their experiences participating in the ecological monitoring program entered the process of meaning construction.<p>This case study found that both experiential and participatory approaches to learning helped foster environmental understanding as well as place appreciation and attachment. The Frenchman River, previously described as a taken-for-granted feature of the familiar landscape and largely associated with its agricultural importance, was re-negotiated as a social space, a place of play, learning, and biological significance. Research findings also suggest that place meanings are deeply rooted in students rural identity, and that this influenced their participant experience, independent of environmental learning outcomes. <p>The creation of a learning community was a mobilizing force for school-based ecological monitoring and information sharing, while acting as a source of symbolic significance for student participants, helping students to see their place from the perspective of an outsider.

Every corner of the globe has been touched by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and local communities have responded in different ways. There is widespread agreement in the international community that by learning from each locality's response we will be able to improve our education, prevention, and treatment efforts. United Nations agencies can play an important role in facilitating the sharing of information and innovative practices for local authorities. The CITY-AIDS Americas program of CIFAL Atlanta is a UN initiative that promotes exchanges of ideas and practices among HIV experts in the western hemisphere. The program is based on the principles of participatory and action learning, and knowledge management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the program's effectiveness in facilitating communication between HIV experts and the acquisition of resources following participation in the program. Data was collected through an online questionnaire completed by CITY-AIDS 2006 program participants. Secondary data such as HIV prevalence rates and census data were also used in this study. The results of this study show that certain city and participant characteristics are associated with increased program effectiveness and resource allocation. Based on these findings, recommendations will be made to CIFAL Atlanta.

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This study investigated teachers' perceptions of classroom assessment in mathematics and their current classroom assessments practices. Specifically, the study sought to gain an understanding of the extent to which teachers use different classroom assessment methods and tools to understand and to support both the learning and teaching processes. The following three questions guided the study: 1) How do primary school teachers perceive classroom assessment in mathematics? 2) What kinds of assessment methods and tools do teachers use to assess their students in mathematics? 3) What is the influence of teachers' perceptions of classroom assessment on their classroom assessment practices? The study used a questionnaire to establish the teachers' perceptions of classroom assessment in mathematics, a lesson observation protocol, and pre-lesson and post-lesson observation interview protocols as main sources of data collection. The data collected through observations and interviews helped to map out patterns between perceptions of classroom assessment and the teachers' classroom assessment practices. Document analysis was used to triangulate the information collected through observations and interviews. In addition, document analysis provided first hand information on the kind of written feedback students get and the nature of activities they do. A total of six teachers (three male and three female) were drawn from two primary schools in Malawi. The data suggest that teachers perceive classroom assessment as tests that teachers give to their students at specified time intervals. What teachers said about their teaching was not reflected during their teaching. Since teachers perceived classroom assessment as tests, they showed limited ability to use different methods and tools to assess their students while teaching. The teachers' perceptions of classroom assessment have influence on their classroom assessment practices. Five of the six teachers perceived assessment as testing, and classroom assessment practices were not clearly embedded in their teaching. Teacher experience and teacher education program did not seem to contribute much to teachers' perceptions of classroom assessment; however, teacher's academic qualification seemed to influence teachers' flexibility to accept new ideas. / Ph. D.

Social media technologies are networked technological tools that can provide opportunities for productive socialization and collaboration. While social media are being incorporated increasingly into formal classroom settings, there is very little research available providing specific evidence for the affordances and limitations of social media as educational tools. It is also unclear whether undergraduates are open to, or already using social media for educational purposes. The current study explores Facebook as a collaborative and participatory learning tool to provide information on sex-related topics to undergraduate students. Connected learning was used as the guiding framework for exploring the ways that social media blend peer culture, academics, and learner interests to promote learning through interactions with a learning community. Results of the study indicate that undergraduate students were open and willing to using social media in academic contexts. However, students did not contribute comments directly to the study page resulting in a lack of evidence confirming whether connected learning occurred. Based on student responses, instructors hoping to integrate social media into their courses would do well to focus on maintaining responsiveness to students, promoting the development of a learning community, and varying the style and format of posts. It was determined that social media sites such as Facebook would serve best as supplemental, but intentional educational technologies rather than the basis for creating entire courses. Further research should center on understanding the participation and lurking patterns of students in educational social media environments, as well as the driving factors behind these participation patterns. / Ph. D.

Most of the training programmes received by the health advisers in the Gauteng health promotion directorate, are delivered in a lecture form, whereby trainers prepare their presentations according to themes chosen by management, without the involvement of trainees. After training, the health advisers adopt the same attitude with the individuals they educate. This study describes how participatory research was carried out to investigate how health advisers in the Gauteng Province experience and utilise these training programmes. It articulates the roles of the researcher and participants in the research process. The study showed that while it is true that trainees must receive theoretical information, it is equally true that they must be able to relate that information to their practical situations. The study indicates that this can occur by introducing a form of training in which the focus is on both the trainer and trainees as co-learners in the learning situation. / Social Work / M.A. Soc. Sc. (Mental Health)

Most of the training programmes received by the health advisers in the Gauteng health promotion directorate, are delivered in a lecture form, whereby trainers prepare their presentations according to themes chosen by management, without the involvement of trainees. After training, the health advisers adopt the same attitude with the individuals they educate. This study describes how participatory research was carried out to investigate how health advisers in the Gauteng Province experience and utilise these training programmes. It articulates the roles of the researcher and participants in the research process. The study showed that while it is true that trainees must receive theoretical information, it is equally true that they must be able to relate that information to their practical situations. The study indicates that this can occur by introducing a form of training in which the focus is on both the trainer and trainees as co-learners in the learning situation. / Social Work / M.A. Soc. Sc. (Mental Health)