The goal of the study was to explore the effect of role models on the self efficacy of the child in the middle childhood years. The focus of the study was on the middle childhood or school years, a critical developmental stage with a proliferation of socialization agents – role models. The researcher was interested in the effect that observational learning (modelling) had on the socialization of the child and more specifically on his/her developing self efficacy beliefs. The researcher identified the lack of relevant literature pertaining to children and relating to the South African context. The rapidly changing global environment and pervasive media exposure of modern living begged investigation regarding the effects on the child. A qualitative approach was used in the study in gaining subjective, experiential rich data from the child’s perspective. A phenomenological research strategy was used as the researcher sought the meaning that the children attach to role models in their lived experience. Applied research characterized the research study. The researcher hoped to enhance the existing available data by adding insight in understanding the child’s subjective experiences, insight that would be of assistance to teachers, parents and helping professionals. - Unstructured one-on-one interviews were chosen as the method of data collection. Eight respondents, four boys and four girls, were selected through purposive, non-probability sampling method with the aim at eliciting relevant and rich data. The theory of social learning proposed by Bandura (1963, 1986) formed the basis of the study. This theory underscores observational learning – both direct tuition and vicarious reinforcement – as the powerful vehicle of socialization of a child. Thus, role models are agents of observational learning; modelling attitudes, values, norms, beliefs and behaviours for ensuing emulation. Self efficacy beliefs are a self evaluation of the individual’s capabilities. These beliefs fuel action since an individual will act and achieve success in accordance with this evaluation. The findings of the study highlighted the effect of significant relationships, role models, on the efficacy beliefs of the child. Peer feedback, acknowledgment and vicarious reinforcement provided by peer relationships was seen as influential in colouring the efficacy beliefs of the respondents. Teacher efficacy was seen as an important factor influencing future learning and the child’s academic success. A relationship that was seen to hold great significance was the parent-child relationship. Parent reaction to the child’s achievement – their praise, motivation and validation – was a crucial factor impacting the efficacy beliefs of the child. The researcher found a general lack of awareness of media influences. Role models are selected, observed, evaluated and integrated by the child as an active member of his/her social world. In conclusion, role models were seen as key figures in the developing efficacy beliefs of the child. Self efficacy beliefs govern the achievement and success of the child. These beliefs are a learned self evaluation. The study highlighted that not all role models have the same significance for the child, hold the same influence. Moreover, observational learning is both direct and indirect, including negative and positive models. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

This thesis adopts a practice-based approach to understanding how power, knowledge and knowing intermingle in organizations to facilitate/constrain individual access to opportunities for knowing-in-practice (learning). It explores how organizational mechanisms and technologies of regulation (re)construct and (re)produce organizational dimensions of knowledge as power/knowledge resources by which intermingling modalities of power are enacted to continuously sanction and (re)constitute individual meanings and identities.

Esta pesquisa analisou o processo participativo para a criação da Lei Específica da Guarapiranga (Lei n.º 12.233 de 16/01/2006), nos aspectos da governança da água e da aprendizagem social. A análise foi realizada com base na experiência do Subcomitê da Bacia Hidrográfica Cotia-Guarapiranga (SCBH-CG), na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP). No processo de negociação para aprovação da referida Lei, estiveram envolvidos os representantes dos segmentos do Poder Público, Estado e prefeituras dos municípios da bacia, e da sociedade civil, no período de 1999 a 2006. Essa vivência demonstrou o quão desafiador é um processo de negociação entre os diferentes atores e diversos interesses no uso da água, que afetam a disponibilidade qualitativa e quantitativa na bacia da Guarapiranga, a qual abastece, aproximadamente, 4 milhões de pessoas na RMSP. Os resultados obtidos mostram que, embora esse processo tenha sido marcado por diversos momentos de tensão, conflitos, indefinições institucionais e morosidade, representou um significativo avanço na consolidação do sistema integrado de recursos hídricos. Cabe observar também que, apesar dos resultados poderem ainda parecer bastante modestos, face aos desafios existentes, estes representam um importante progresso em termos dos seus alcances para o fortalecimento de uma gestão democrática e compartilhada. Nesse contexto, pode-se concluir que a democracia participativa na governança das águas é um processo de aprendizagem social que vem sendo aperfeiçoado gradativamente para a sustentabilidade hídrica. / This research analyzes the participatory process that preceded the creation of the Specific Law for the Guarapiranga Basin (Law nº. 12.233 of 16/01/2006), emphasizing aspects of water governance and social learning. The analysis was based on the experience of the watershed subcommittee Cotia-Guarapiranga (SCBH-CG) in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP). In the negotiation process for the approval of this law, representatives of the segments of the Government, state and local governments of municipalities of the basin, and civil society were involved from 1999 to 2006. This experience demonstrated the challenges of a process of negotiation among different stakeholders and their interests in water use that affect the availability of water in the Guarapiranga basin, which supplies about 4 million people in the MRSP. The results show that, although the process has been characterized by many moments of tension, conflicts, uncertainties and institutional delays, it represented a significant advance in the consolidation of the integrated system of water resources management in the basin. It should be noted also that although outcomes may seem modest, considering the existing challenges, they represent an important progress in terms of its scope to strengthen democratic and shared management of water resources. In this context, the conclusion is that participatory democracy in water governance is a process of social learning that has been improved gradually to reach more sustainability.

The environmental management of watersheds presents a complex governance issue due to their large spatial scales that include overlapping jurisdictions, competing interests in resource use, and lack of coordination among stakeholders. The Rideau Canal, spanning 200 km between the cities of Ottawa and Kingston, is an interesting case study as it is a multi-watershed system over which municipal, provincial and federal governments have authority. However, these governments have been unsuccessful in addressing system-wide issues such as shoreline development, erosion and invasive species that have significantly impacted the ecological integrity of the canal. A shift toward polycentric governance, which are systems of multi-scale governance, in which well-informed publics can contribute to the Rideau Canal’s management is required. This thesis examines how co-governance can be conceptualized for the RC by (1) analyzing convergences in stakeholder perspectives about the environment and governance, and (2) comparing collaborative causal mapping exercises with various stakeholders to current government engagement efforts. A tiered co-governance framework that intentionally links existing small-scale activities to system-wide formal venues of knowledge sharing could democratize environmental governance on the Rideau Canal to improve its management. Beyond its practical contributions, this research also contributes to developing the academic literature on co-governance for multi-watershed waterways that have both constructed and natural aspects.

This study aims to research how social study teachers have experienced the fast adjustment to distance learning in upper secondary school during spring 2020 through semi-structured interviews. The study has focused on the didactics and sociocultural aspects which have been affected in a negative manner by the forced distance learning. The results from this study are consistent with earlier research regarding what kind of students’ distance learning is more or less suited for. Another example is that social interaction has been inadequate between both students and between students and teachers. A positive finding in both our results and earlier research is that distance learning creates flexibility which increases the overall attendance. A new finding from this study is that it expresses teachers’ opinions on didactic opportunities and failures in the social study classroom. Another finding is that teachers' collaborations have changed during distance learning, and this study finds out in what way. / Denna studie har genom semistrukturerade intervjuer undersökt hur samhällskunskapslärare uppfattat den snabba omställningen till distansundervisningen för gymnasieskolan under våren 2020. Studien har varit inriktad på de didaktiska och sociokulturella aspekter som förändrats när distansundervisningen har blivit påtvingad. Resultatet från denna studie bekräftar tidigare forskning när det gäller exempelvis de elevgrupper som distansundervisning fungerar bättre och sämre för. Ett annat exempel är försämrad social interaktion mellan både lärare och elever samt mellan elever. Något positivt som både vårt resultat och tidigare forskning kunnat visa är att distansundervisning bidrar till mer flexibilitet, vilket medverkar till en högre närvaro. Något nytt denna studie bidrar med är att redovisa didaktiskt vad som fungerat och inte fungerat i undervisningen enligt lärarna. En annan upptäckt är hur lärares samarbete med kollegor förändrats när de arbetat på distans.

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Social learning in animals is a frequently studied topic, including birds. Great tits belong to frequently tested passerine species in this context. For this experiment we have chosen another tit species as model birds - adult and juvenile blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and coal tits (Periparus ater). We tested an effect of social information on discrimination learning between palatable and unpalatable prey. Red and green artificial prey items resembling shieldbugs with a mealworm glued underneath were offered to birds. One variant was palatable, the other was unpalatable, soaked in bitter substance. Experimental groups were allowed to observe a pretrained tutor of the same species choosing palatable prey variant and rejecting the unpalatable one. The birds were then subjected to an individual discrimination learning task with simultaneously offered palatable and unpalatable prey items. The control group was not allowed to observe tutor and learned only individually. On the following day, all birds participated in a memory test. We tested if social information has an influence on avoidance learning in juvenile and adult birds of both species. We found that both species of tits were similarly successful in discrimination learning and there was no difference in success in performance between adult...

The goal of this project completed for the Greater Northfield Sustainability Collaborative (GNSC) was to understand how Northfield, Minnesota citizens are experiencing climate change. Thirty individuals were interviewed to find out what they know about climate change, what actions they are taking, what they think the solutions are to the problems, and what barriers they have to more fully engaging with climate change issues. The interview results are intended to promote and advance the community's discussion on climate change via social learning and community engagement activities such as town hall forums and community surveys. These activities encourage citizens in the community to have direct input into the development of the community's climate action plan (CAP). Analysis of the interviews showed that the interviewees are witnessing climate change, that most are taking at least some action such as recycling or lowering thermostats, that they can name barriers to their own inaction, that they say communication about climate change remains confusing and is not widespread in Northfield, and that they are able to provide numerous suggestions for what the local and broader leadership should be doing. The analysis also showed wide individual variation within the group. Interviewees who were less knowledgeable about climate were less likely to be taking action and do not participate in social groups where climate change is discussed. Conclusions are that the whole group would like more and better communication and education from our leaders, that they also expect our leaders to be part of creating solutions to climate change, and that the solutions the interviewees suggested provide a very thorough initial list of mitigation and adaptation strategies for the city's future CAP.

Durch Service Learning, das aktuell an deutschen Hochschulen an Bekanntheit und Verbreitung gewinnt, soll soziales Lernen und gesellschaftliches Engagement in Studium und Lehre verankert werden. Nach einem kurzen Überblick zur Idee und Entstehungsgeschichte dieses Ansatzes wird eine neue Initiative der Universität Augsburg vorgestellt, durch die das Engagement von Studierenden in sozialen Einrichtungen im Umfeld der Universität gefördert wird. Der Beitrag arbeitet im Hinblick auf dieses Projekt heraus, wie diese Initiative an zahlreiche Einzelprojekte anknüpft und diese in eine gesamtuniversitäre Strategie einbindet. Digitale Medien spielen dabei eine zentrale Rolle bei der Kommunikation der Projektidee und bei der Vernetzung der heterogenen Beteiligtengruppen.

Fathers play a major role in their son’s lives. From teaching them how to play football to having the birds and the bees talk with them. Statistics show that a son is greatly affected by whether his father is around or not. So that leaves the question of are girls just as affected as boys are by a father’s presence? For example, what did Mulan, the movie character, have in her life that some girls do not? A rare, yet healthy bond with her father could be the very factor that affected her attitude, values, and beliefs tremendously. The Social Learning Theory and nature versus nurture ideology are used to explain how this factor could be the very difference in her overall development. Briefly discussed is the Social Learning Theory, nature versus nurture ideology, Chinese culture, Mulan’s relationship with her father and how it correlates with Mulan’s overall development.