This thesis explores learning and formation of cognitive and non-cognitive skills within formal and non-formal environments, as well as the impact of migration on fertility behaviour in three separate empirical studies. In two of the papers (Chapters 2 and 4) I utilise a 13 year individual-level panel data-set from rural Tanzania, while the third one (Chapter 3) is based on cross-sectional data that I collected in urban Bombay slums in 2007. I consider skill acquisition and learning in a number of spheres. First, I adopt the conventional notion of school-based learning and examine the role of income shocks in evolution of schooling inequalities, in rural Tanzania. I find evidence of shock-induced permanent changes in the schooling of those affected by the shocks in later childhood (age 7-13), 10-13 years later. Further, I find suggestive evidence that the household short-term labour response may to be one of the mechanisms for these long-term effects. Next, I broaden the definition of learning to include acquisition of non-cognitive skills. Although there is growing recognition of the importance of these, there is no evidence, within a developing country context, on effectiveness of interventions targeting them. The second paper is an evaluation of a long-term non-formal schooling intervention in Bombay slums, which works on raising non-cognitive skills, including self-esteem, a sense of agency, and aspirations of children. It shows that, like cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills can be effectively raised through sustained intervention, offering evidence of substantial positive programme effects. The final paper turns to examining the impact of migration among young women on fertility behaviour. Econometric panel data methods are combined with an instrumenting strategy to offer evidence of a causal positive impact of migration on the age at which women start having children, which is shown to be likely to have permanent effects on total fertility. The findings are most consistent with the presence of temporary post migration disruption effects.

There are some subordinates that have a deep understanding of their supervisor’s world. More than others, they understand their supervisor’s work relationships, preferences, demands, and resources. The goal of this thesis was to predict and test how this collection of strategic and sensitive information, or follower political knowledge, develops. Using the active perspective-taking framework, I focused on a subordinate’s motivation, capacity, and opportunity to acquire follower political knowledge. In particular, I hypothesized that key individual, relational, and contextual factors would predict follower political knowledge. Two studies were conducted to test these predictions: a cross-sectional survey of 467 employees and a cross-sectional survey of 174 supervisor-subordinate dyads. Across studies, political skill, leader-member exchange, and supervisors’ trust were the strongest predictors of follower political knowledge. The implications of these findings present a case to be made for the role of follower political knowledge in effective followership. / October 2016

This study considered the effects of mentoring on protégés’ beliefs in their abilities to be leaders and on their development of interpersonal skills. This study explored, in 260 business graduate students, the relationship between (a) mentoring and leadership self-efficacy and (b) mentoring and political skill. Participants completed surveys including the Self-Efficacy for Leadership Scale, the Political Skill Inventory, and the Mentoring Functions Questionnaire. Comparisons between non-mentored and mentored individuals showed that having a mentor is associated with increased political skill (p < .05) but not increased leadership self-efficacy (p > .05). Among mentored individuals, higher quality mentoring relationships are associated with significantly higher leadership-self efficacy (p < .01) but not with significantly higher political skill (p > .05). The presence of a mentor is important for protégé development of political skill, but the quality of the mentoring relationship is important for protégé development of leadership self-efficacy.

Cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities are causing substantial financial losses for governments and organizations all over the world. Cybersecurity criminals are stealing more than one billion dollars from banks every year by exploiting vulnerabilities caused by bank users' computer misuse. Cybersecurity breaches are threatening the common welfare of citizens since more and more terrorists are using cyberterrorism to target critical infrastructures (e.g., transportation, telecommunications, power, nuclear plants, water supply, banking) to coerce the targeted government and its people to accomplish their political objectives. Cyberwar is another major concern that nations around the world are struggling to get ready to fight. It has been found that intentional and unintentional users' misuse of information systems (IS) resources represents about 50% to 75% of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities to organizations. Computer Crime and Security Survey revealed that nearly 60% of security breaches occurred from inside the organization by users. Computer users are one of the weakest links in the information systems security chain, because users seem to have very limited or no knowledge of user computer self-efficacy (CSE), cybersecurity countermeasures awareness (CCA), and cybersecurity skills (CS). Users' CSE, CCA, and CS play an important role in users' computer misuse intention (CMI). CMI can be categorized as unauthorized access, use, disruption, modification, disclosure, inspection, recording, or destruction of information system data. This dissertation used a survey to empirically assess users' CSE, CCA, CS, and computer misuse intention (CMI) at government agencies. This study used Partial Least Square (PLS) technique to measure the fit of a theoretical model that includes seven independent latent variables (CSE, UAS-P, UAS-T, UAC-M, CCS, CIS, & CAS) and their influences on the dependent variable CMI. Also, PLS was used to examine if the six control variables (age, gender, job function, education level, length of working in the organization, & military status such as veteran) had any significant impact on CMI. This study included data collected from 185 employees of a local and state transportation agency from a large metropolitan in the northeastern United States. Participants received an email invitation to take the Web-based survey. PLS was used to test the four research hypotheses. The results of the PLS model showed that UAC-M and CIS were significant contributors (p

The aim of this diploma thesis is to practice and develop basic skills in the education of younger school children. I chosed a school from a city, a district town and a small town, where do I myself teach physical education. At each school, we randomly selected 20 girls from 5th classes, where we tested their basic skills in sports games football, basketball and floorball. According to specific physical skills, I created 10 teaching units for each selected sport game and during the research I applied them in physical education lessons at BS Březové Hory. On the basis of the questionnaire I found out that it is the way in which they devoted themselves to individual sports games in schools. Finally, we evaluate and compare the input and output results of individual schools. Key words: skill, sport games, child, young school age

The core of the project lies in upcycling. From the start of the research, I wanted to find new creative ways of upcycling garments and textiles.However, upcycling is a part of a greater whole which deals with addressing the problem of fashion waste. It gives new value to the clothes and prolongs the life span of the clothes. It is a craftivism act since it plugs into an existing system and shapes it towards a more sustainable direction. Thus this project wanted to take a larger approach and include consumers into the process. The purpose of the project was to explore one of the ways to encourage consumers to upcycle their clothes. This was done through an upcycling workshop. In the upcycling workshop, the consumer visualized the way they want their clothes to be upcycled. Their garments were then upcycled using DIY methods such as stitching, patching, and painting. The process was recorded in details. The whole process was then translated into a craftivist zine. The zine demonstrates how to do your own upcycling workshop and how to upcycle three garments. The upcycling workshop and the zine want to encourage the consumer to upcycle by giving them the necessary skills to do so.

A influência de avaliações em larga escala no currículo é bem conhecida e discutida amplamente. Contudo, a influência de avaliações vestibulares no mesmo tem sido deixada de lado, bem como a discussão sobre sua influência nos próprios exames governamentais. O presente texto tenta abrir este caminho, analisando a alteração nos tipos de questões elaboradas pelo vestibular, no sentido de arcar com uma responsabilidade social que lhe foi imposta. É feita uma análise do nível cognitivo exigido pelas questões - com base na taxonomia de Bloom (1983) e nas classes de exigência cognitiva de Zoller (2002), entre outras características - bem como outros detalhes relevantes, como interdisciplinaridade, área da química abordada, habilidades e competências envolvidas e o índice de discriminação, ao longo de onze anos (2003 - 2013). Os resultados demonstram uma crescente preocupação com o modo como se mede as capacidades dos alunos avaliados por tais exames. A partir de então, discute-se brevemente sobre o uso dos exames vestibulares como base para a construção do currículo, bem como o modo com que os exames são tratados pelo meio leigo e suas consequências / The influence of large scale assessment on the curriculum is well known and widely discussed. However, a influence of pre-entrance tests on it has been put aside, as well as the discussion about is influence on governmental assessment. The present work tries to clear that pass, analysing if there is any significant change on the types of questions made by these pre-entrance exams, in a perspective of living up to the social responsibility that was imposed on them. It is made an analysis around the cognitive level required by the questions - based on Bloom\'s taxonomy (1983) and in Zollers cognitive skills requirements (2002) - amongst other relevant details, such as interdisciplinarity, chemistry field addressed, skills and competences involved and the discrimination rate, over the period of eleven years (2003 - 2013). The results show a growing worry towards the way the student\'s capability is being measured by these exams. From that, it\'s briefly discussed the use of such exams as base to building the curriculum, as well as how the exams are treated by the non-academics and its consequences.

O objetivo desta dissertação foi o de analisar a Proposta de Formação Continuada do Professor em parceria com a equipe interdisciplinar, desenvolvida pela Secretaria de Educação de São Bernardo do Campo no período de 1996-2003. Identificar com professores da rede municipal de ensino desse Município que atuam na Educação Especial e que vivenciaram esse processo: como repercutiu em suas práticas e se modificou a visão que possuíam sobre a deficiência; se conferiu-lhes instrumentos que os auxiliassem a enfrentar as situações do dia-a-dia, no atendimento à diversidade e na compreensão das situações dela decorrentes; se contribuiu para refletir sobre o seu papel profissional na mediação de um projeto pedagógico mais flexível e transformador; se levou a mudanças no âmbito do ser professor, do saber e do fazer pedagógico. Este trabalho está fundamentado nos estudos da psicologia histórico-cultural de Vygotsky e seus seguidores, nas concepções que embasam a formação do professor e nas contribuições dos pressupostos sobre a Interdisciplinaridade. A metodologia adotada foi o da modalidade qualitativa, imprescindível à análise das percepções e significados atribuídos pelos participantes a esse modelo formativo, expressos em entrevistas e com uso de questionários. A análise dos dados das entrevistas foi realizada em três etapas: 1) categorização das respostas das entrevistadas; 2) categorização definida sob o prisma das teorias que fundamentaram a investigação; 3) reflexões sobre as categorizações, estabelecendo uma convergência dos dados analisados na perspectiva dos dois grupos de categorias. Evidenciaram-se: a importância do processo formativo, valorizando o papel do professor e propiciando crescimento profissional; a contribuição da atividade partilhada e dos vários campos teóricos para apropriação de conhecimentos sobre a criança e suas condições de aprendizagem, fortalecendo o professor para a tomada de decisões mais refletidas e autônomas; as dificuldades relativas à formação dos profissionais da equipe que coordenavam o processo; a pouca clareza na definição dos papéis dos diferentes profissionais; o pouco envolvimento de alguns e excesso de demanda de outros; as dificuldades estruturais e de organização das unidades, deflagrando ausência de sintonia entre Secretaria de Educação e Escola. A análise mostrou que a proposta auxiliou os educadores entrevistados a reconhecerem a importância de um projeto pedagógico elaborado em bases teóricas que ampliem a condição de o professor intervir na aprendizagem de seus alunos com mais clareza e decisão. Por outro lado, assinalou a importância de realizar modelos de formação que ofereçam ao professor um referencial de trabalho mais voltado à análise, reflexão e reconstrução da prática. / This dissertation has as an objective the analysis of the Continuous Development Project, in partnership with an interdisciplinary group, developed by the São Bernardo Educational Department between the years of 1996-2003; to identify along with teachers who work with special education in that city and which have had such experience: how it reflected on their teaching and if it modified their point-of-view on the impairments; if it gave them tools to help with everyday occurrences such as the observation of the diversities and the comprehension of situations occurring due to them; if it helped them to ponder about their roles in the conciliation of more flexible and changing academic tasks; if it led to a transformation on their abilities of being teachers, having knowledge and academic skills. It has been based on Vygotsky (and disciples) historical-cultural psychology studies, regarding the concepts that support the development of the teacher and their contributions to interdisciplinary group formation. The implemented methodology considered quality, essential to the examination of the perceptions and meanings the participants assigned to this development standard, through interviews and surveys. The interviews analysis was carried on in three steps: 1st was the classification of the answers; the classification 2, defined under the hood of the theories that sustained the study; pondering on the classifications leading to a convergence of verified data on the points-of-view of both classified groups. The significance of the developing process valuing the role of the teacher and providing with professional growth became evident; the contribution of the shared activities and academic fields for the gathering of knowledge of kids and for the learning processes, stimulating the teacher on more pondered and independent decision making; the difficulties related to the development of the professionals on the group that coordinated the project; the lack of understanding on the definition of roles of the distinct professionals; the lack of commitment of some professionals and the excessive demand of others; the structural and organizational obstacles of the facilities showing the deficient synchronization between the School Board and the School itself. The analysis has shown that the project helped the surveyed educators to recognize the value of an academic project supported on conceptual basis, which broadens the role of the educators on a clearer and more independent teaching method. On the other hand, it has revealed the importance of the creation of a development standard which can provide the teacher with analytic, pondered, and skill remodeled work orientation.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / Government to Government (G2G) partnerships between countries in the BRICS partnerships have significantly increased and with it, the need for more effective strategic management and operational coordination but also for evidence-based decision-making. In this process, improved KM, as well as M&E of outcomes and impacts has become prominent and essential requirements for evidence-based decision-making. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) emphasise the need for a global partnership for development with a focus on a new development paradigm that emphasise results, partnership, coordination, and accountability (Picciotto, 2002:3). Subsequently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development further strengthened the importance of the global partnership in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognises that the implementation of the SDGs is a challenge for governments and therefore seeks to strengthen the global partnership by calling upon all stakeholders to take part in implementing the SDGs. In this context, the study investigated the need for knowledge management (KM) as well as Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems in G2G partnerships such as the partnership of Shandong China (PRC) and the Western Cape Government (WCG) in South Africa. This study focused on the sport management aspects of such a partnership, although such systems may also be relevant to economic, tourism and other partnerships programmes. The research investigation focused on the relevance of KM and M&E systems in sport management on G2G partnerships, as well as the possible benefits of such systems. Readiness Assessments for the establishment of KM and M&E systems were conducted with respect to the Shandong -Western Cape Government (WCG) in PRC and South Africa. The research methodology consisted of a qualitative approach and a case study was developed of the Sport Exchange Programme (SEP) as a component of the partnership between Shandong PRC and Western Cape Government (WCG) South Africa. The research included a desktop study of primary documentation including the formal agreements, Memorandum of understanding (MoU), regulations and programme annual reports, semi-structured interviews with officials and public sector managers of both governments in PRC and South Africa, as well as focus group discussion, interviews with specialists and experts were also conducted.

This dissertation explores the beliefs of students on the relevance (if at all) of addressing the Fifth skill, culture, in English education in a Pakistani context, with sub question that aims to answer what definitions of the Fifth skill (Tomalin, 2008) could be appropriate to English education in a Pakistani context? So far the research done on English language teaching in Pakistan and anything related to it is based on teachers’ beliefs alone, therefore it was important for me as an English Language teacher to find out what the students attitudes were towards the integration of 5th skill in the classroom. However, I did not limit the research to students’ beliefs alone; my research also includes the perception of the teachers. This is not only to give validity to the research, but also to realize any differences regarding the teachers’ beliefs on the issue in previous researches. To explore the role of 5th skill in teaching English languages in a Pakistani classroom, at the secondary level, this dissertation collected the responses elicited from both the students and the teacher through a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion, and a thematic analysis was carried out. The results of this study highlight a number of issues regarding cultural acceptance, language acceptance and integrating of 5th skill in language teaching. Certain interesting contradictions regarding English culture(s) and English language and their status in Pakistani society also emerged. The findings suggest that students regarded the 5th skill as an essential source for better understanding the concepts and their functional use of English language, as it presents them with real life situations. However, where the 5th skill was seen as an important tool to enhance language competence, the students also supported that both the students’ culture as well as the culture associated with English Language be incorporated in the language class. The students saw integrating 5th skill in a language class as a means to express their ideas, values and experiences, and an opportunity to make others understand them and their point of view, and not restrict the use of Fifth skill to a one way cultural awareness stream only. The dissertation also questioned the current status of English as a second language as perceived by the students and its implications on the future of English Language teaching in Pakistan.