This thesis is about special needs educational competence of educators working in collaborating teams within child and youth habilitation centres. The pedagogy of the moment stands for the decisions made by educators, based on their observations made when meeting the child in its different environments. These decisions build on educational theoretical and practical knowledge and experience developed through collaboration within interprofessional teams. The study was carried out through the use of focus groups consisting of professionals within different child and youth habilitation centres. The data consists of taped and transcribed focus groups discussions. Participants provided additional information concerning, estimations of the focus group session, their education and use of special needs educational assignments through additional questionnaires. The analysis focuses on how the educators conceptualise their competence and the dialogue in the group conversation. To facilitate the interactional analysis, a constructional key for the conversation was developed. The educators within child and youth habilitation centers have not developed specific professional strategies, but instead, appear to have adapted a mission through structural means. Their competence appears contextually adapted and devel-oped within three spheres of activities. Their basic education is in the area of pre-school with theoretical focus on children’s normal development, pedagogical experience of working with groups of children, play and learning. On the basis of this background, together with experiences with toy library activities for children with disabilities, they have become one of the corner stone of child and youth habilitation centres of the 1980’s. In these centers, by tradition a mainly medical sphere of activity, they work in teams with family orientated habilitation, and have developed compe-tence for special needs educational intervention for children with disabilities. Special needs education is a supplementary field, which includes educators who are being trained for municipal operation. The educators use professional speech genres with colloquial language terminology, which is adjusted to its communicative context. The educators and their colleagues in the teams emphasize the importance of the educator bridging the medical, treatment and pedagogical contexts, together with a focus on child, parents and staff, at home and in preschool/school. A communicational genre has developed within the occupational group, where the educators reinforce rather than question each other when taking turns during interprofessional conversations. The competence of the educator is based on knowledge and experience when it comes to children, their development, play and learning. The thesis demonstrates that the main focus of the supplementary education increasingly lies on the pedagogical meeting with adults, mostly parents, around specific child. The practical pedagogical work for the child, playing as intervention as well as the specific special needs educational intervention is less conceptualised by the educators. They are requesting relevant research and theories to support their field of knowledge.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges and opportunities in the communication between software developers and their stakeholders, as well as the impact that the product owners have on the communication. The research was conducted using a case study approach, and data was mainly collected through observations andinterviews with product owners and software developers at the case company Kry. The findings show that the challenges in communication are the technical language of software developers, difficulty for stakeholders to understand the software development process and difficulty for developers to understand the underlying context of a feature request. The opportunities in their communication are that the developers can better understand the reasons of a request and thus feel more engaged in the product and more satisfied towards the company; Good communication can cut development time and cost. The product owner is shown to be almost irreplaceable due to the large impact that they have. They become translators between the developers and stakeholders, enabling them to communicate better. Furthermore, they are the main point of contact for the stakeholders, thus allowing the developers to focus more on doing development work. However, this might sometimes result in that the developers get involved too late in the process, making changes costly when they discover something faulty. As a conclusion, the communication between stakeholders and developers powered by product owners greatly enhance the possibility to build good, maintainable software and lead to a more sustainable work environment for all involved. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka utmaningar och möjligheter i kommunikationen mellan mjukvaruutvecklare och stakeholders, samt den påverkan som produktägare har på kommunikationen. Detta gjordes genom en fallstudie och data är i huvudsak insamlad genom observationer och intervjuer med produktägare och utvecklare på företaget Kry. Resultatet visar att utmaningar i kommunikationen är mjukvaruutvecklarnas tekniska språk, svårigheter för stakeholders att förstå mjukvaruutvecklingsprocessen och för utvecklarna att förstå de bakomliggande anledningarna för en kravändring. Möjligheter i kommunikationen är att utvecklarna bättre kan förstå de här anledningarna och därför bli mer engagerade i produkten och känna sig mer nöjda med företaget; bra kommunikation kan minska utvecklingskostnader och tid. Produktägare visar sig vara nästan oersättliga på grund av den stora påverkan de har. De blir översättare mellan utvecklare och stakeholders, och hjälper dem att kommunicera bättre. De blir också den huvudsakliga kontaktpersonen för stakeholders, vilket ger utvecklarna mer möjligheter att fokusera på deras utvecklingsarbete. Dock kan det resultera i att utvecklarna ibland blir inblandade för sent i processen, vilket gör potentiella behov av förändringar dyra när de upptäcker något som är fel. Sammanfattningsvis, när kommunikationen mellan stakeholder och utvecklare är faciliterad av produktägare så ökar möjligheterna för att bygga bra mjukvaraoch det leder till en mer hållbar arbetsmiljö för alla inblandade.

<p>Predmet ove disertacije je analiza potreba kao neophodni &ndash; prvi korak, pre izrade kursa engleskog jezika za oblast tehnolo&scaron;ke i inţenjerske struke. Kako je sa razvojem nastave jezika struke do&scaron;lo do objedinjavanja vi&scaron;e faktora u samom procesu analize potreba &ndash; analize jezika struke, analize ciljne situacije, analize trenutnog nivoa znanja polaznika kao i analize nastavnog konteksta, analiza potreba je u ovoj disertaciji sagledana sa svih pomenutih aspekata, a istraţivanje je obavljeno u dve faze. U prvoj fazi je ispitana analiza trenutnog stanja u vezi sa upotrebom i nastavom engleskog jezika sa aspekta studenata i predavaĉa engleskog jezika na tehnolo&scaron;kim fakultetima u Srbiji. S druge strane, sprovedena je i analiza potreba u vezi sa upotrebom engleskog jezika zaposlenih inţenjera tehnologije. Rezultati, koji su obraĊeni kvantitativnom metodom su pokazali nedovoljnu zastupljenost engleskog jezika struke i sa aspekta studenata i sa aspekta predavaĉa. Kada je u pitanju upotreba engleskog jezika zaposlenih inţenjera, rezultati su ukazali na potrebu za ĉestim kori&scaron;ćenjem engleskog jezika za potrebe svog posla, kao i na vaţnost znanja engleskog jezika radi veće uspe&scaron;nosti u poslu, posebno istiĉući jeziĉke ve&scaron;tine ĉitanja i usmene i pismene komunikacije.<br />Uzimajući u obzir dobijene rezultate analize potreba, pristupilo se izradi kursa engleskog jezika za potrebe studenata tehnologije, koji je trebalo da bude usklaĊeniji sa ispitanim potrebama budućih tehnologa i koji je bio ponuĊen eksperimentalnoj grupi studenata. Provera efikasnosti i svrsishodnosti<br />novog kursa izvr&scaron;ena je u drugom delu istraţivanja, sa jedne strane kvantitativnom metodom, poreĊenjem rezultata testa postignuća izmeĊu studenata iz eksperimentalne i kontrolne grupe, a sa druge strane kvalitativnom metodom iz intervjua sa studentima. Rezultati testa postignuća su pokazali znaĉajno veću uspe&scaron;nost kumulativnog broja poena studenata iz eksperimentalne grupe (ukupna ocena 8,8) u odnosu na kontrolnu grupu studenata (6,77), &scaron;to je potvrĊeno i poreĊenjem pojedinaĉnih kriterijuma gde je u svim sluĉajevima ustanovljena statistiĉki znaĉajna razlika (p&lt;0,0001). Rezultati, dobijeni kvalitativnom metodom, su potvrdili vaţnost jezika struke u nastavi na fakultetu, posebno ukazujući na faktor motivacije, koji je u direktnoj vezi sa zastupljenosti jezika struke. &Scaron;to se tiĉe efikasnosti novog kursa, studenti su ukazali na vaţnost nastavnog materijala koji je neophodno da bude usmeren ka njihovoj budućoj struci, veću uĉestalost provere napretka studenata kao i na vaţnost afektivnih faktora (nastavnik, rad u grupama, atmosfera na ĉasu). Studenti su istakli ulogu nastavnika kao nekoga ko ih vodi kroz gradivo, a da pri tome nema dominantnu ulogu; rad u malim grupama im je omogućio veću slobodu da iznesu svoje mi&scaron;ljenje i uĉestvuju na ĉasu, a poţeljnu atmosferu na ĉasu su opisali kao opu&scaron;tenu a pri tome ipak radnu. Rezultati istraţivanja su pokazali da kursevi koji su bazirani na sprovedenoj analizi potreba daju bolje rezultate na testu i pokazuju veću motivaciju i veće jeziĉke kompetencije kod studenata, &scaron;to je jo&scaron; jedna potvrda teze o neophodnosti analize potreba kao koraka koji prethodi izradi EJS kursa.</p> / <p>This dissertation deals with needs analysis as a<br />necessary, first step before EST course design. Since<br />ESP teaching development covers numerous factors<br />in needs analysis &ndash; target situation analysis, discourse<br />analysis, present situation analysis and teaching<br />context analysis, needs analysis in this dissertation is<br />viewed from all of the mentioned aspects while the<br />research is conducted in two phases.<br />In the first phase, present situation analysis is<br />performed regarding use and teaching process from<br />the point of view of technology students and English<br />teachers. In parallel, needs analysis concerning the<br />English language use is also performed from the<br />employed technology engineers. The results obtained<br />and processed by quantitative methods showed poor<br />frequency of English for specific purposes in the<br />teaching process from the aspect of students and<br />English language teachers. Concerning English<br />language use by the employed technology engineers,<br />the results showed frequent English language use for<br />professional purposes as well as the importance of<br />English language competence for better performance<br />at work, especially emphasizing reading,<br />communicative and writing skills.<br />By taking into account the obtained needs<br />analysis results, a new course is designed for<br />technology students&rsquo; purposes more adapted to the<br />needs of future technologists, which was<br />subsequently offered to experimental group of<br />students. The assessment of the efficiency and<br />purposefulness of a new course is performed in the<br />second phase of the research, first by the quantitative<br />method, comparing the achievement test results of<br />experimental and control group of students, and then<br />by qualitative method from student interviews.<br />The results of the achievement tests showed<br />significant success in cumulative points of students<br />in experimental group (total grade 8,8) in relation to<br />control group (6,77), which was also confirmed by<br />the comparison of individual criteria in which<br />statistical significant difference is obtained<br />(p&lt;0,0001).<br />The results obtained by the qualitative method<br />confirmed the importance of English for specific<br />purposes in the teaching process at the faculty,<br />pointing out a motivation factor in direct relation to<br />frequency of English for specific purposes.<br />Regarding the efficacy of the new course, the<br />students emphasized the importance of teaching<br />material that should necessarily be focused on their<br />future profession, more frequent student achievement<br />tests as well as the importance of affective factors<br />(teacher, group work, class atmosphere). The<br />students also emphasized the teacher&rsquo;s non-dominant<br />role as a facilitator; as well as group work that<br />provides them more freedom to express their opinion,<br />and the preferred class atmosphere relaxed yet also<br />hard-working.<br />The research results showed that the courses<br />based on performed needs analysis give better results<br />at the achievement test, better motivation and higher<br />language competences of students that confirm the<br />thesis of necessary needs analysis as a pre-course<br />procedure.</p>

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:17:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rodrigo Jose Teixeira.pdf: 444416 bytes, checksum: 6ff01769498743da3b964ada452eb5ae (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-19 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The main objective of this essay is to understand the construction of the professional language of social workers and their relationships with conscience, culture and experience. Working with this theme enables understanding of the conceptions of men and of professional world, built through their experiences, of determinant cultural aspects that are part of their choices and their daily professional actions in socialinstitutional places, through the used language. The language understood in this research as the materiality of conscience, product of social relationships and personal, and professional, experiences. Experiences understood from its historicity and as a result of professional relationships. The methodology of Oral History was a key part in this research, once it looks for historicity and for experience, bringing the subject of this matter to the investigation's center. Working with testimonials related to life's history of subjects, their professional and personal experiences, allowed me to understand how social workers build language in professional exercise. Using Oral History's methodology it was possible to search for the meaning that social works assign to their social practices bound with language that is daily built. When raising the memory, through oral history, I understood the construction of professional language as a historic process filled with movement and transformations. One important aspect regarded in this essay was the relation of professional language and the ethical-political project of Social Service, the professional language reveals this project, as it shows evidence that these projects are in dispute, amongst each other and in institutional spaces, once, when hiring a social workers, the employer prescribes its duties, in this sense, many times, it may, confront the professional project with the institutional project. So the language, fruit of experience, of historical, social and cultural determinations, builds its own place, as a form of existence and resistance, a strategy. This autonomous place where experience is in a special place, as a knowledge producer / A presente dissertação tem como objetivo principal compreender a construção da linguagem profissional dos assistentes sociais e sua relação com a consciência, cultura e experiência. Trabalhar com esta temática possibilita compreender as concepções de homem e de mundo dos profissionais, construídas através de suas experiências, dos determinantes culturais que compõem suas escolhas e da sua ação profissional efetivada no cotidiano dos espaços sócio-institucionais, por meio da linguagem utilizada. Linguagem compreendida nesta pesquisa como materialidade da consciência, produto das relações sociais e das experiências profissionais e pessoais. Experiências compreendidas a partir de sua historicidade e como resultado das relações sociais profissionais. A metodologia de História Oral foi fundamental nesta pesquisa, uma vez que, busca pela historicidade e pela experiência trazendo o sujeito ao centro da investigação. Trabalhar com depoimentos relacionados à história de vida dos sujeitos, suas experiências profissionais e pessoais, permitiu-me compreender como os assistentes sociais constroem a linguagem no exercício profissional. Por meio da metodologia de História Oral foi possível buscar os significados que os assistentes sociais atribuem as suas práticas profissionais vinculadas às linguagens construídas no cotidiano. Ao suscitar a memória, por meio da História oral, compreendi a construção da linguagem profissional como processo histórico repleto de movimentos e transformações. Um aspecto importante abordado nesta dissertação foi a relação da linguagem profissional e o projeto ético-político do Serviço Social, a linguagem profissional revela este projeto, assim como evidencia que estes projetos estão em disputa, entre si e nos espaços institucionais, uma vez, que ao contratar o assistente social o empregador prescreve suas atribuições; neste sentido pode, muitas vezes confrontarem-se os projetos profissionais e os projetos institucionais. Portanto a linguagem, fruto das experiências, das determinações históricas, sociais e culturais constrói um lugar próprio, como forma de existir e resistir, uma estratégia. Lugar este autônomo onde a experiência ocupa um lugar especial, como produtora de saberes

Content-based language instruction has gained widespread acceptance as an effective approach in a range of educational settings for adults and children. It is premised on the belief that language and content are inextricably linked and that learning is enhanced through an integrated approach. Yet the nature of the relationship between content and language, and how integration can be achieved in the content-based language classroom, continue to be points of divergence for both researchers and practitioners. One approach to this question draws on research in form-focused instruction (FFI), which describes various instructional options that draw learners’ attention to form in primarily meaning and content-based classrooms. While widely accepted that FFI has a positive impact on language learning outcomes in a variety of contexts, FFI research in content-based language programs for adults has been limited. This study investigated the effect and effectiveness of FFI in a content-based language program designed to prepare adult newcomers to Canada for employment in a specific workplace sector. Two groups of adult learners participated in the study. One group of 16 adults received content-based instruction integrated with FFI while the other group of 20 adults received the same content-based instruction with a focus on meaning only. A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test/delayed post-test design was adopted for this comparative study in order to measure language and content outcomes. Language measures included an error correction task, a cloze task, and oral production tasks. Content outcomes were measured via content tests. In addition, a retrospective awareness protocol was designed to assess learners’ awareness of language and content in their instruction and to explore the relationship between this awareness and language development. ANOVA and ANCOVA results indicated that there was no advantage for the participants receiving form-focused instruction on language outcomes but a significant benefit on the content knowledge tests. Analysis of the retrospective report data indicated that the participants were able to identify the focus of the instruction they received. However, no relationship between awareness of language and language development was found. These findings are discussed in light of previous research and in terms of their implications for content-based language instruction.

Content-based language instruction has gained widespread acceptance as an effective approach in a range of educational settings for adults and children. It is premised on the belief that language and content are inextricably linked and that learning is enhanced through an integrated approach. Yet the nature of the relationship between content and language, and how integration can be achieved in the content-based language classroom, continue to be points of divergence for both researchers and practitioners. One approach to this question draws on research in form-focused instruction (FFI), which describes various instructional options that draw learners’ attention to form in primarily meaning and content-based classrooms. While widely accepted that FFI has a positive impact on language learning outcomes in a variety of contexts, FFI research in content-based language programs for adults has been limited. This study investigated the effect and effectiveness of FFI in a content-based language program designed to prepare adult newcomers to Canada for employment in a specific workplace sector. Two groups of adult learners participated in the study. One group of 16 adults received content-based instruction integrated with FFI while the other group of 20 adults received the same content-based instruction with a focus on meaning only. A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test/delayed post-test design was adopted for this comparative study in order to measure language and content outcomes. Language measures included an error correction task, a cloze task, and oral production tasks. Content outcomes were measured via content tests. In addition, a retrospective awareness protocol was designed to assess learners’ awareness of language and content in their instruction and to explore the relationship between this awareness and language development. ANOVA and ANCOVA results indicated that there was no advantage for the participants receiving form-focused instruction on language outcomes but a significant benefit on the content knowledge tests. Analysis of the retrospective report data indicated that the participants were able to identify the focus of the instruction they received. However, no relationship between awareness of language and language development was found. These findings are discussed in light of previous research and in terms of their implications for content-based language instruction.