Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-05-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:11:33Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 affonso_dm_me_bauru.pdf: 775110 bytes, checksum: 297ca3ba87739159746685cd75760dcf (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar se o uso de um objeto de aprendizagem (OA) poderia auxiliar alunos do Ensino Fundamental a desenvolverem funções cognitivas sobre a digestão. A escolha do sistema digestório como conteúdo para a construção de um OA reside no fato de que é um assunto de sala de aula e que envolve questões sociais e ambientais, além dos próprios conceitos científicos inerentes ao assunto. A teoria sócio-construtivista de Vygotsky orientou essa pesquisa sobre o desenvolvimento dos conceitos científicos das alunas mediado pela interação com o OA digital. Os resultados mostraram que foi percebido a integração dos sistemas digestório, circulatório e respiratório após o trabalho das alunas com o OA. A metodologia utilizada neste trabalho foi qualitativa, sendo os dados colhidos a partir de observações durante e após as aulas ministradas a alunas da 7ª série do Ensino Fundamental de uma escola estadual de Bauru. Diante dos resultados apresentados considera-se que a tecnologia da informação, mais especificamente um OA digital, oferece um potencial a ser explorado para melhoria do ensino e aprendizagem de conceitos científicos. / A contemporary challenge is in front of science education: is it educated students able to realize the relationship between science and technology? This work will show how computer technology can be used as a tool for science teaching. The technology discussed here is a Digital Learning Object about the human digestive system. The students have your own ideas about the digestive system and these ideas are often discussed between teacher and the students. Our finding have suggested that computer technology can create new teaching possibilities. In addition the Learning Object has a significant effect on development scientific concepts.

This study aims to analyse the relationship between the design and implementation of an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) in Mathematical Literacy (ML) (reskilling) program and the development of teacher identities. This study confirms that teacher learning in an in‐service context is a social process that demands a social‐cultural perspective and therefore Wenger’s theory was used in this study. This study illustrates that teachers’ participation in an ACE ML community of practice involved the complex intersection of various components of learning: meaning (learning as experience), practice (learning as doing) and community (learning as belonging) when development of teacher identities takes place. The course was also designed in such a way as to promote a changing way of being. The emerging identities were different in each individual as identity is influenced by the past, the present and the future according to Wenger. The study reveals that when meaning of the subject ML is gained, the meaning can be translated into changed classroom practice. These result in fostering a specific identity influenced by the ACE ML course’s attempts to support the development of understanding in relation to the meaning of ML. This leads to a change in classroom practice and ultimately a change in teachers’ way of ‘being’. This resonates with Wenger’s claim that the four learning components are deeply interconnected and mutually defined. The new trajectories that teachers developed can be grouped into three categories: • Where teachers back grounded their previous identities and fore grounded their ML identities. • Where the teachers added their ML identity to their existing identity, leaving them with a dual identity, the one they had before their involvement in the ACE ML course and the ML identity. • Where those teachers whose existing identity stayed strong, and their ML identity was still developing or was less strong.

It seems popular to showcase a healthy lifestyle today. Microblogging apps like Instagram are utilized to share pictures of the gym, healthy food and results from various exercises, but what is really considered healthy in today's society? The aim of this thesis was to examine why and how individuals create representations of health in the realm of Instagram. We examined representations of health, what it means to be healthy to Instagram users, and their intentions with their picture-posting. This thesis is based on social constructivist theory, theories concerning narcissism and identity, Goffman's dramaturgical theory and Bourdieu's theory concerning social capital. We used observations and semi-structured interviews to collect data, and qualitative content analysis to categorize and analyze it. Our examination concludes that health is represented by depictions of food and selfies showing the photographer exercising, and that the most common intention with posting pictures representing health is to inspire and motivate others and oneself. / Varför är det idag så populärt att dela med sig av sitt hälsosamma liv? Mikrobloggverktyg som Instagram används för att dela med sig av bilder föreställande gymmet, grönsalladen och resultat av löparrundor, men vad är egentligen hälsa idag? Detta fick oss att vilja undersöka presentationer av hälsa inom Instagram. Undersökningens syfte var att studera hur och varför individer förmedlar bilder av hälsa genom Instagram. Vi studerade hur hälsa presenteras, vad hälsa är för Instagramanvändare samt vad olika individers intention är med bilderna. Vi utgick ifrån teorier som socialkonstruktivism, narcissism, Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv samt Bourdieus kapitalbegrepp i vår dataanalys. Som metod har vi använt observation och semistrukturerade intervjuer. Datan tematiserades genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultaten visar att hälsa till majoritet representeras av bilder föreställande mat samt självporträtt av individer i träningssammanhang. Vi kan även konstatera att den starkaste intentionen med publicering av bilder representerande hälsa är att inspirera andra och motivera sig själv.

Framed by Social Constructivist theories of learning, this project employed a descriptive case study approach to investigate the types of social and verbal interactions that occurred as four Reading Recovery teachers worked with their respective students to devise and record a brief message during the 10-12 minute writing section of a Reading Recovery lesson. Data was collected over a period of two months and each teacher was observed working with the same student on two separate occasions. The conversations that transpired were audiotaped and transcribed and the cognitive and affective dimensions of the teachers’ communications were specifically examined. Findings indicate that effective teaching interactions more often arose when the teachers continually endeavored to understand the meanings behind their students’ words and actions. When teachers considered their students’ perspectives, when they gave them cognitive space to think, speak, and act, and when they designed literacy activities that centered on children’s demonstrated understandings, they ensured their students’ continued motivation thereby fostering cognitive development.

Inclusive education within the United Arab Emirates has started to gain momentum and the roles of teachers have become more challenging. This study investigated teacher views surrounding the inclusion of SEN students into mainstream schools. A qualitative exploratory research design was employed and the social constructivist theory was used as a framework for the research. Purposive sampling was employed, and a total of seven teachers and four parents participated in the study. Thematic analysis was used and findings suggested that UAE teachers experienced various challenges due to the inclusion of SEN students into their schools. Some of the challenges included: lack of professional development, lack of managerial support, parental demands, cultural barriers and the lack of collaborative opportunities. The study recommended varied professional development workshops aimed at developing an understanding of SEN and inclusion within the UAE context. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Inclusive education within the United Arab Emirates has started to gain momentum and the roles of teachers have become more challenging. This study investigated teacher views surrounding the inclusion of SEN students into mainstream schools. A qualitative exploratory research design was employed and the social constructivist theory was used as a framework for the research. Purposive sampling was employed, and a total of seven teachers and four parents participated in the study. Thematic analysis was used and findings suggested that UAE teachers experienced various challenges due to the inclusion of SEN students into their schools. Some of the challenges included: lack of professional development, lack of managerial support, parental demands, cultural barriers and the lack of collaborative opportunities. The study recommended varied professional development workshops aimed at developing an understanding of SEN and inclusion within the UAE context. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of expatriate school leaders in the education system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study was motivated by a concern regarding the short-term entry of expatriates into the UAE education system, thereby questioning their overall impact in the UAE educational reform. The literature reviews focused on mentoring and leadership within education, and how these related to the UAE educational reform in particular. The empirical investigation used a qualitative, ethnographical case study design. The situated learning theory and the social constructivist theory were used as conceptual frameworks for the study. Purposive and convenient sampling was employed to select five indigenous and five expatriate school leaders as participants for this study. Qualitative data collection was preceded by a pilot study in which an indigenous and an expatriate school leaders were informally interviewed. Individual interviews were thereafter conducted whereby participants were interviewed over a two-week period. The interviews were followed by focus group sessions that were gender specific. Notes were kept and all observations were documented throughout the study. Findings were that, according to the participants’ views, expatriate school leaders seemed to make little impact on current UAE education reform. Their impact was inhibited by dubious motives of many expatriate school leaders working in the UAE; cultural and religious barriers between expatriate and indigenous school leaders; language as a barrier; lack of role modelling; continuous changes in the UAE education system; poor attitudes of some indigenous school leaders; resistance to change; lack of sustainability and poor communication between school leaders and policy makers. Recommendations were provided to enhance the impact of expatriate school leaders within the UAE system. Firstly, expatriate impact could be enhanced through an intensive two-week induction programme and secondly, by means of a partnership development framework to improve the mentoring relationship between expatriate and indigenous school leaders. Ways to overcome the language barrier were also recommended. Additionally, the study provided recommendations for further research. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The overarching aim of this thesis is to explore how teaching and learning in tertiary education is performed in times of change both in language policy and learning approaches. The study takes social constructivist and socio-cultural theories as its major points of departure. These theories are combined with cognitive theory of learning with multimedia. The four studies comprising this thesis are born out of a new situation demanding the mastery of a scientific language in English and new ways of teaching and learning backed with ICT. The studies set out to investigate (i) how students and teachers adapt to a change of medium of instruction (ii) what teachers and students of physics learn when constructing a multimedia vocabulary learning instrument (iii) the impact of two methods of teaching vocabulary on students’ test performance and (iv) how teachers reflect on the use of ICT in Physics teaching. To attain these targets, the study employed a blend of qualitative and quantitative designs to gather relevant data. In three studies, data were gathered from classroom practices in tertiary education. The fourth study included teacher interviews on their experiences with ICT. Findings indicate that the understanding of physics was facilitated by a variation in language use in different classroom spaces, students and teachers’ collaborative selection of technical vocabulary and a multimedia tool of technical vocabulary software constructed by two teachers and the researcher. According to the teachers, the quality of physics teaching would be enhanced further by adopting learner-centred teaching methods and the integration of more advanced ICT. The studies show that teachers and students are on their way to develop ICT tools for teaching and learning. Given adequate support, this can pave the way for transforming teaching and allowing for further quality development in innovative and creative ways of learning with ICT. / Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka hur undervisning och lärande inom högre utbildning sker i tider av förändring både inom språkpolicy och inom lärande. Studien tar socialkonstruktivistiska och socio-kulturella teorier som utgångspunkt. Dessa teorier har kombinerats med en kognitiv teori om lärande med multimedia. Studien består av fyra studier som behandlar den nya situation som uppstått när studenter och lärare behöver bemästra ett vetenskapligt språk på engelska och nya sätt att undervisa och lära med stöd av IKT. Studiernas syfte är att undersöka (i) hur studenter och lärare anpassar sig till ett förändrat undervisningsspråk (ii) vad lärare och studenter inom fysik lär när de konstruerar ett multimedia instrument (iii) utfallet av två olika metoder att lära studenter ett fackspråk inom fysik som det visar sig i olika test (iv) hur lärare reflekterar över användningen av IKT inom ämnesområdet fysik. För att uppnå dessa mål används en kombination av kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder. I tre studier samlades data från klassrumspraktiker inom högre utbildning. I den fjärde studien intervjuades lärare om sina erfarenheter med IKT. Resultaten visar att förståelse av fackspråkliga begrepp underlättades av att olika språk användes beroende på avstånd eller närhet till eleverna i klassrummet. Samarbete mellan studenter och lärare i att välja ord och begrepp som skulle användas och mellan lärarna och forskaren i att konstruera ett multimedia-instrument påverkade också lärandet positivt. Enligt de intervjuade lärarna skulle kvaliteten i fysikundervisningen kunna förbättras ytterligare genom att använda elevcentrerade undervisningsmetoder och mer avancerad IKT. Studierna visar att lärare och studenter är på väg att utveckla IKT redskap för undervisning och lärande. Med adekvat stöd kan detta bereda vägen för en transformering av undervisningen och ge utrymme för vidare kvalitetsutveckling genom uppfinningsrika och kreativa sätt att lära med stöd av IKT.

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of expatriate school leaders in the education system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study was motivated by a concern regarding the short-term entry of expatriates into the UAE education system, thereby questioning their overall impact in the UAE educational reform. The literature reviews focused on mentoring and leadership within education, and how these related to the UAE educational reform in particular. The empirical investigation used a qualitative, ethnographical case study design. The situated learning theory and the social constructivist theory were used as conceptual frameworks for the study. Purposive and convenient sampling was employed to select five indigenous and five expatriate school leaders as participants for this study. Qualitative data collection was preceded by a pilot study in which an indigenous and an expatriate school leaders were informally interviewed. Individual interviews were thereafter conducted whereby participants were interviewed over a two-week period. The interviews were followed by focus group sessions that were gender specific. Notes were kept and all observations were documented throughout the study. Findings were that, according to the participants’ views, expatriate school leaders seemed to make little impact on current UAE education reform. Their impact was inhibited by dubious motives of many expatriate school leaders working in the UAE; cultural and religious barriers between expatriate and indigenous school leaders; language as a barrier; lack of role modelling; continuous changes in the UAE education system; poor attitudes of some indigenous school leaders; resistance to change; lack of sustainability and poor communication between school leaders and policy makers. Recommendations were provided to enhance the impact of expatriate school leaders within the UAE system. Firstly, expatriate impact could be enhanced through an intensive two-week induction programme and secondly, by means of a partnership development framework to improve the mentoring relationship between expatriate and indigenous school leaders. Ways to overcome the language barrier were also recommended. Additionally, the study provided recommendations for further research. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)