This is an ethnographic study of urban education and community development in the city of New Orleans. In New Orleans, as in all American cities, the public schools are at the center of local politics and the policies that affect community life. Institutions of public education have come under fire for failing to prepare youth to compete in the global economy. This is particularly true in urban communities, where schools serve a higher proportion of students of color facing greater incidences of poverty, underemployment and economic distress. As education policymakers and business leaders look to improve education, many of the solutions put forth to reform schools focus on meeting state standards and instituting high stakes testing. A group of educators, community activists, artists, and young people in New Orleans have taken a different approach. By combining classroom learning with social action, the individual and collective empowerment of students serves as the focus of Students at the Center, a program designed by a writing teacher and his students, that operates within the public school system. Through community-based study on environmental, public health, neighborhood development issues, young people in the Students at the Center program begin to see the learning process, and the product of their education as tools for equitable social change through research, writing, youth media, and social action. This research examines the ways that taking part in community collaborations that emphasize local history, a sense of place, and the struggle for social justice affects students, teachers and residents as they strive to make education accountable to community concerns.

Public and scholarly debates on what it means to be a successful teacher are characterized by increasingly pronounced differences in how various political, legislative, and professional groups define successful teaching. In response to pressures posed by these polarized discourses, critical pedagogic research on education contrasts contested views on the nature of knowledge and critiques the standardization of knowledge in schools. There is a general consensus in the research that it is necessary for teachers to develop an understanding of a rapidly changing world, and an understanding of students coming from various social milieus who are often unwilling to accept a uniform set of knowledge and values it promotes. Thus, the body of knowledge and the values which are supposed to be passed on to new generations of students continue to be points of contention in education. It is necessary for teachers to be aware of why certain sets of knowledge, skills, and values should be promoted in increasingly diverse school settings. In this expanded view of the teachers’ role and of teacher expertise, teacher agency, the nature of knowledge, sociopolitical relations, and power relations need to be considered. In this dissertation I examine the interplay of these factors by examining the extant research and then analyzing the perceptions of a group of teacher participants in a qualitative study. I have synthesized the findings to develop a new concept of teacher agency expertise in a critical pedagogic sense. I clarify the relationship between teacher expertise and teacher agency. The concept of teacher expertise requires that teacher agency be conceived of in terms of its collective expressions and its larger influence, as well as the aim of effective teaching for equity and social justice.

Teaching journalism in tertiary institutions presents challenges, including how students learn to work in teams under the sort of pressure that characterizes workplace journalism. This thesis is a case study of how a group of students at AUT University, in Auckland, experienced taking responsibility for producing four editions of a student newspaper as part of their journalism training. Based on a series of individual student interviews, before, during and after their experience, this research suggests that the key factor in their learning was their being allowed, to a large extent, the power to make their own decisions about the appearance and content of their product, while still being charged with the responsibility of ensuring it reached a highly professional standard. The realities of life as a journalist, including recognizing the frequent need to prune, tighten or re-angle stories - even to reject them - and the vital role of co-operative teamwork, unparalleled in their other journalism studies, were driven home.The two tutors, interviewed after the last edition, put some of the student observations into context and provided insights into the discipline involved, as teachers, in maintaining training as a priority, while ensuring production to deadline of a series of reputable and legally safe newspapers.This case study suggests that while there are contrived aspects that cannot replicate a "real" newsroom - such as the students' assignment to editorial roles without the status of real editors or chief reporters - the learning experience resulted not only in advances in the students' technological skills but significant development in their critical thinking about the profession they were due to enter.

Teaching journalism in tertiary institutions presents challenges, including how students learn to work in teams under the sort of pressure that characterizes workplace journalism. This thesis is a case study of how a group of students at AUT University, in Auckland, experienced taking responsibility for producing four editions of a student newspaper as part of their journalism training. Based on a series of individual student interviews, before, during and after their experience, this research suggests that the key factor in their learning was their being allowed, to a large extent, the power to make their own decisions about the appearance and content of their product, while still being charged with the responsibility of ensuring it reached a highly professional standard. The realities of life as a journalist, including recognizing the frequent need to prune, tighten or re-angle stories - even to reject them - and the vital role of co-operative teamwork, unparalleled in their other journalism studies, were driven home.The two tutors, interviewed after the last edition, put some of the student observations into context and provided insights into the discipline involved, as teachers, in maintaining training as a priority, while ensuring production to deadline of a series of reputable and legally safe newspapers.This case study suggests that while there are contrived aspects that cannot replicate a "real" newsroom - such as the students' assignment to editorial roles without the status of real editors or chief reporters - the learning experience resulted not only in advances in the students' technological skills but significant development in their critical thinking about the profession they were due to enter.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-09-12T18:13:46Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-09-13T13:05:26Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-13T13:05:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-12-02 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este trabalho foi desenvolvido no âmbito do Mestrado Profissional em Letras (ProfLetras/UFJF). Vinculados à linha de pesquisa Teorias da Linguagem e Ensino, procuramos estabelecer um diálogo entre o conhecimento construído na área de Linguística, Linguagem e Tecnologia e nossa prática docente como professores de Português. O projeto, caracterizado metodologicamente como uma pesquisa-ação (TRIPP, 2005; ENGEL, 2000), teve como produto a elaboração de uma proposta de intervenção, aplicada em uma turma do oitavo ano do ensino fundamental, de uma escola municipal de Juiz de Fora/MG. No que diz respeito ao uso pedagógico das tecnologias digitais, baseamo-nos em Lévy (1999), Lorenzi; Pádua (2012) e Marcuschi; Xavier (2004). No decorrer do processo, foram realizadas atividades de análise linguística (MENDONÇA, 2006; BEZERRA; REINALDO, 2013; ANTUNES, 2014; entre outros), com base nas necessidades apresentadas, pelos discentes, na produção e revisão dos textos. Em linhas gerais, foi desenvolvida uma intervenção pedagógica a partir de práticas de leitura e produção de textos do gênero comentário, no contexto do blog. Com isso, objetivamos não apenas o desenvolvimento da competência linguística dos discentes, como também o seu empoderamento frente a questões do cotidiano, visto que toda a proposta se sustentou na criação coletiva do blog da turma. Os alunos participaram ativamente de todo o processo, desde a criação e organização do ambiente virtual, passando pela escolha dos temas abordados e culminando na publicação de textos, vídeos e comentários argumentativos a respeito das postagens. Os resultados mostraram-se positivos, no que tange ao desenvolvimento das habilidades de pesquisa e argumentação dos discentes envolvidos, bem como à ampliação do interesse e da participação ativa dos alunos nas atividades da disciplina Língua Portuguesa. / This work has been developed under the Professional Master of Letters (ProfLetras / UFJF). Related to the line of research Theories of Language and Education, we seek to establish a dialogue between knowledge built in Linguistics, Language and Technology areas and our teaching practice as Portuguese teachers. The project, characterized methodologically as anaction research (TRIPP, 2005; ENGEL, 2000), had as product the development of a proposal for intervention, applied to a class of eighth grade students of elementary school, at a public municipal school in Juiz de Fora / MG. With regard to the pedagogical use of digital technologies, we rely on Lévy (1999), Lorenzi; Padua (2012) and Marcuschi; Xavier (2004). In the process, linguistic analysis of activities were carried out (Mendonça, 2006; Bezerra; Reinaldo, 2013; Antunes, 2014; among others), based on the needs presented by the students in the production and revision of texts. In general, an educational intervention was developed from reading practices and production of texts on commentary gender, on the blog context. With this, we aim not only the development of language skills of the students, but also their front empowerment to everyday issues, as the whole proposal has been supported by the collective creation of the class blog. Students actively participated in the entire process, from the creation and organization of the virtual environment, through the choice of topics approached and culminating in the publication of texts, videos and argumentative comments about the posts. The results were positive, with respect to the development of research skills and reasoning of the students involved, as well as the expansion of the interest and active participation of students in the activities of the discipline Portuguese Language.

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Student writing skills are a growing concern in secondary schools given the current focus on common core standards and college readiness. This qualitative case study addressed the growing problem of high school students being unprepared for the rigor of college level-writing. The study used a series of 10 interviews with writing center directors and teachers in 2 secondary schools with writing centers. This research adds to the literature on peer-managed writing centers and contributes to the body of knowledge of writing centers as a specific conceptual framework of response to intervention (RtI). The broad research questions were focused on 3 topics: student's writing abilities, the effectiveness of the intervention of the writing center, and possible improvements to the writing center. Three directors and 7 teachers were selected for interviews through purposeful sampling. Inductive analysis was used to identify emergent themes: establishing a peer-managed writing center, function of the center, student writing, effectiveness of the writing center, and suggested improvements. The culminating project for this research was the establishment of a professional development program designed to provide a foundation for schools that are creating a peer-managed writing center at the secondary level. This study promotes the development of these centers across the school district of the study and provides evidence for RtI as a method to address the problem of secondary students being unprepared for writing at the post-secondary level. Positive social change can be achieved for the local school district by expanding the use of peer-managed writing centers with a focus on using RtI to address the problem of students being unprepared for the rigors of college writing.

Submitted by Patricia Boaventura (patboaventura@gmail.com) on 2016-03-23T17:47:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PatriciaBoaventura_Dissertacao2016_03_23.doc: 1183232 bytes, checksum: ba51193d608fbed532eb57c10e5f1cd8 (MD5) / Rejected by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br), reason: Boa tarde Patricia, Para que possamos aprovar seu trabalho é necessário alguns ajustes conforme norma ABNT/APA. * Seu titulo esta diferente da ATA, caso realmente exista essa alteração é preciso o professor orientador vir até a secretaria para fazer a alteração no verso da ATA com o titulo atual. Caso contrário não poderei aprovar. (THE CO-CREATION OF VALUE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: LEVERAGING STUDENTS`PARTICIPATION THROUGH EMPOWERMENT) * Deve fazer a postagem em arquivo PDF * No Rodapé SÃO PAULO - 2016 deve estar em letra maiúscula. * ABSTRACT E RESUMO devem estar em letra maiuscula/Centralizado e Negrito. Após os ajustes você deve submete-lo novamente para analise e aprovação. Qualquer duvida estamos a disposição. Att, Pâmela Tonsa on 2016-03-23T18:21:34Z (GMT) / Submitted by Patricia Boaventura (patboaventura@gmail.com) on 2016-03-23T20:00:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PatriciaBoaventura_Dissertacao2016Final.pdf: 973449 bytes, checksum: cece91afbfa9842682f3a11f372d7d54 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br) on 2016-03-28T09:43:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PatriciaBoaventura_Dissertacao2016Final.pdf: 973449 bytes, checksum: cece91afbfa9842682f3a11f372d7d54 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-28T11:11:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PatriciaBoaventura_Dissertacao2016Final.pdf: 973449 bytes, checksum: cece91afbfa9842682f3a11f372d7d54 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Customer participation has been studied for decades; however, it gained a postmodern perspective around the year 2000. Customers have become co-creators of personalized experiences, moving from the audience to the stage. In the educational context, students must take responsibility for their learning process and participate in the production of the service. This changing is providing opportunities and challenges for higher education institutions (HEIs) to redefine their relationship with stakeholders, especially with students. This study is based on the service dominant logic (SDL) perspective because students are assumed to take the role of co-creators of knowledge in the educational setting. The research uses adapted frameworks and concepts applied in organizational, knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and also medical studies to advance the understanding of value co-creation in the HEI context. The current study addresses a lack of research in the higher education context focusing on defining students’ participation and students’ empowerment in higher education context. An empirical investigation was developed with traditional schools in Brazil. This investigation allowed the description of the constructs in the specific context. The description of student participation in HEIs context reflects the relevance of three dimensions – information sharing, personal interaction and responsible behavior. In the Brazilian context, responsible behavior is the weakest dimension in the construct, because the responsibilities are unbalanced between students and professors. The main reasons identified for this unbalanced relation were cultural issues and local regulation. Student empowerment was described as composed by four dimensions – meaningfulness, competence, impact and choice; however, one of them – choice – was identified as the weakest dimension, facing cultural and bureaucratic barriers for implementation in the Brazilian educational context. Moreover, interviewees spontaneously cited the idea of trust in the faculty as an important antecedent of student participation that must be considered when analyzing student participation and empowerment mechanisms. An additional contribution was the proposal of a theory-based framework for understanding the service dominant logic perspective in the HEI context, in which student participation and student empowerment were explored as mechanisms leading to positive student behavior toward institution. / A participação dos clientes tem sido estudada ao longo de décadas; no entanto, ela ganhou uma perspectiva pós-moderna em torno do ano 2000. Os clientes tornaram-se cocriadores de experiências personalizadas, movendo-se da plateia para o palco. No contexto educacional, os alunos devem assumir a responsabilidade por seu processo de aprendizagem e participar da produção do serviço. Esta mudança tem gerado desafios e oportunidades para as instituições de ensino superior (IES) redefinirem suas relações com seus stakeholders, especialmente com os estudantes. Este estudo baseia-se na perspectiva da lógica dominante de serviços (SDL), porque os alunos assumem o papel de cocriadores do conhecimento no ambiente educacional. A pesquisa utiliza frameworks e conceitos adaptados de estudos de organizações de serviços intensivos em conhecimento (KIBS) e também de estudos médicos para avançar na compreensão da cocriação de valor no contexto das IES. O estudo tem objetivo de definir os conceitos de participação do aluno e de “empoderamento” no contexto do ensino superior. Uma investigação empírica foi desenvolvida com escolas tradicionais no Brasil. Esta investigação permitiu a descrição dos construtos no contexto específico. A descrição da participação dos alunos nesse contexto reflete a relevância de três dimensões - compartilhamento de informações, interação pessoal e comportamento responsável. No contexto brasileiro, comportamento responsável é a dimensão mais fraca do construto, porque as responsabilidades estão desequilibradas entre alunos e professores. Os principais motivos identificados para este desequilíbrio foram questões culturais e de regulamentação local. O “empoderamento” do estudante foi descrito como composto por quatro dimensões - significado, competência, impacto e escolha; no entanto, uma delas - escolha - foi identificada como a dimensão mais fraca, enfrentando barreiras culturais e burocráticas para uma adoção mais forte no contexto educacional brasileiro. Adicionalmente, os entrevistados espontaneamente citaram a confiança no corpo docente como importante antecedente da participação do aluno que deve ser considerada quando se analisam os mecanismos de participação e “empoderamento”. Como contribuição adicional foi proposto um framework teórico para a compreensão na perspectiva da lógica dominante serviço no contexto de IES, no qual a participação dos alunos e o “empoderamento” dos alunos foram explorados como mecanismos que podem levar a um comportamento dos alunos mais positivo em relação à instituição.

In developing countries like Ethiopia, education is considered to be a means of development and a stepping stone toward the eradication of poverty. Effective education requires effective teaching, learning and assessment strategies, which, in turn, necessitate the use of effective pedagogical and psychological approaches to meet the demands of a new generation of learners. Effective education becomes possible when learners are properly assessed and empowered via various appropriate assessment techniques. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate how instructors’ assessment practices at a university in Ethiopia influence/enhance student empowerment. In order to achieve this aim, I used a convergent parallel/triangulation mixed-method research design, which allowed me to collect both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously. Instructors and students from the six colleges of Debre Markos University were the participants of the study. I employed questionnaires and interviews as a data-collection instrument. From a total of 5944 students and 450 instructors, 600 students and 210 instructors were selected, via probability sampling techniques, to complete questionnaires. Six department heads and six instructors were chosen, via non-probability sampling techniques, for the interviews. Before collecting the main data, a pilot study was conducted. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Moreover, the qualitative data were analysed according to themes and word descriptions. The results of the study indicate significant variations between the perceptions of students and those of instructors, across different colleges, with regard to the practice of assessment. In addition, instructors’ teaching experience, training backgrounds, and levels of education were found to influence their assessment practice to some extent. The qualitative data indicate that students face various problems in the assessment process. Most instructors are very much dependent upon written assessment methods. Moreover, instructors face challenges (such as large class sizes, time shortages, high workloads, poor student-achievement levels, insufficient resources, lack of awareness of different assessment methods, lack of commitment, and negative belief) in the attempts to employ different assessment methods. Finally, the study revealed that empowering students in their study areas is simply untenable if instructors continue to utilise their current assessment practices. Therefore, this study contributes to a large body of literature that acknowledges the contribution of effective assessment in empowerment of students in a more effective and educationally responsive manner. At the end, the study presents important information to decision makers who create policies related to assessment in higher learning institutions. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics and Curriculum Studies)