Data de aprova??o retirada da vers?o impressa do trabalho. / Submitted by Jos? Henrique Henrique (jose.neves@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2018-07-25T20:54:25Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) daniela_reis_miranda_freitas.pdf: 2609061 bytes, checksum: a046e5e5ae2063cff223ade15b25e3b1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Martins Cruz (rodrigo.cruz@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2018-10-05T19:01:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) daniela_reis_miranda_freitas.pdf: 2609061 bytes, checksum: a046e5e5ae2063cff223ade15b25e3b1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-05T19:01:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) daniela_reis_miranda_freitas.pdf: 2609061 bytes, checksum: a046e5e5ae2063cff223ade15b25e3b1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / A Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri ? UFVJM surge no cen?rio educacional brasileiro com a responsabilidade, dentre outras, de atendimento a um compromisso social com a regi?o. Neste sentido, este estudo visa analisar o perfil dos ingressantes nos programas de p?s-gradua??o da UFVJM, buscou ainda identificar se a oferta de vagas dos cursos contemplou o atendimento ? demanda da popula??o local e regional. Como eixos norteadores, a coleta dos dados, elencou informa??es quanto ao sexo, naturalidade, idade e local da resid?ncia atual dos participantes dos programas. ? importante ressaltar que essa pesquisa compreende apenas os programas de doutorado, mestrado acad?mico e profissional que s?o ministrados no campus UFVJM na cidade de Diamantina. O recorte temporal da pesquisa compreende o per?odo entre 2006 a 2015; pois o mesmo equivale aos anos de consolida??o e expans?o dos programas dessa universidade. A metodologia se apropriou do enfoque quantitativo, sem deixar de destacar a nuance qualitativa. A coleta de dados se deu por meio de an?lise documental, composta por informa??es de dom?nio p?blico. Nesta perspectiva, os formul?rios de matr?cula dos ingressantes discentes do referido per?odo, solidificaram a pesquisa. N?o diferentemente, o Plano de Desenvolvimento Institucional - PDI da universidade foi um elemento propulsor e determinante para o entendimento e an?lise dos dados. O aporte te?rico est? composto por v?rios pesquisadores como SILVA (2009), NEVES (2012), GIL (2002), BOTOM? e KUBO (2002), SAVIANI (2010), SEVERINO (2009), COELHO e VASCONCELOS (2009), MAGALH?ES (2004) e BOUFLEUER (2009), visto que esses abordam temas relativos ao perfil discente, inser??o social, bem como discuss?es sobre programas de p?s-gradua??o no Brasil. Os resultados evidenciaram uma resposta significativa para a cidade, munic?pios circunvizinhos e regi?o. / Disserta??o (Mestrado Profissional) ? Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Educa??o, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 2016. / The Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys - UFVJM arises in the Brazilian educational scenario with, among others, the responsibility to accomplish a social commitment with the region. Thus, this study aims to analyze the profile of the new students in graduate programs at the UFVJM, seeking to identify if the number of admissions in the programs has met the local and regional demand of the population. As guiding principles, the data collection has listed information regarding to sex, national origin, age and the place where the current participants of the programs live. It?s important to highlight that this research applies only to doctoral, academic and professional master's programs, which are taught at the UFVJM campus in Diamantina. The time frame of the research covers the period between 2006 to 2015, because it is equivalent to the years of consolidation and expansion of the programs in the university. The methodology has appropriated the quantitative approach, although it also highlights the qualitative nuance. The data collection was carried out through documentation analysis which are public domain information. In this perspective, the students registration forms solidified the research. Not unlike, the Institutional Development Plan of the University ? PDI ? was a propeller and decisive factor for data understanding and analysis. The theoretical framework is composed of several researchers as SILVA (2009), NEVES (2012), GIL (2002), BOTOM? and KUBO (2002), SAVIANI (2010), SEVERINO (2009), COELHO and VASCONCELOS (2009), MAGALH?ES (2004), BOUFLEUER (2009), as they address issues related to student profile, social integration as well as discussions about graduate programs in Brazil. The results showed a significant response for the city, the surrounding towns and the region.

A presente pesquisa buscou \'investigar a interação das competências desenvolvidas pelos cursos de administração em seus estudantes e a demanda do mercado de trabalho\'. Para alcançar este objetivo geral, foram estabelecidos os seguintes objetivos específicos: analisar os fatores que influenciam no desenvolvimento das competências dos estudantes nos cursos de administração; determinar quais competências os formandos de administração acreditam possuir; reconhecer o grau de cada competência que os estudantes acreditam que foram desenvolvidas durante a graduação de administração; reconhecer quais competências os programas de trainee exigem dos candidatos em seus processos seletivos; verificar quais as principais diferenças, em termos de competências, dos administradores e das demais formações universitárias que competem para uma mesma vaga nos programas de trainee; e comparar as competências exigidas pelas empresas que possuem programa de trainee com as competências que os formandos acreditam possuir. Para a condução da pesquisa, adotou-se a abordagem quali-quanti. Na abordagem quantitativa ocorreu a realização de survey com 377 estudantes formandos de cursos de administração de excelência e 25 empresas detentoras de programas de trainee, por meio de aplicação de questionários, analisados por meio do software SPSS. Já na abordagem qualitativa, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com 10 coordenadores de cursos de administração de excelência e analisadas as questões abertas presentes nos questionários dos estudantes e das empresas. As entrevistas foram gravadas e o conteúdo das falas foi transcrito na íntegra e submetido à análise temático-categorial proposta por Bardin. As categorias foram transformadas em variáveis e processadas pelo software NVivo10 ®. Os fatores que os coordenadores consideram importantes no desenvolvimento destas competências são: ética, empreendedorismo, características do curso, projeto pedagógico, currículo, competência, carreira, expectativa do mercado, perfil, teoria e prática, estágio, intercâmbio, interdisciplinaridade, professores, estudantes, importância dos coordenadores e autonomia dos estudantes. Em linhas gerais, os estudantes se auto avaliaram bem em todas as competências e foram identificados 3 clusters. Dentre as competências que as empresas relataram que os administradores se destacam está a visão sistêmica e houve consenso em três competências exigidas nos processos seletivos: \'possuir iniciativa\', \'trabalhar em equipe\' e \'construir relacionamento e colaboração\'. As empresas constituíram 3 clusters distintos, com exigências diferentes de competências para ingresso em seus programas de trainee. Competências identificadas na literatura como fundamentais ao administrador figuraram entre as menos valorizadas pelas empresas, como \'pensamento crítico\' e \'criatividade\', apontando que as competências que as empresas exigem devem ser estudadas, porém não devem, apenas elas, orientar a elaboração e consecução dos PPP\'s nos cursos de administração. / The present work sought to \"investigate the interaction between the competences developed in the students by the administration courses and the need of the market\". To reach this general objective, the following specific objectives have been established: to analyze the factors that influence the competence development in business administration students; to determine which of the competences the under-graduated administration students believe to have; to recognize the level of development of each competence the students believe to achieve during the graduation; to recognize which competences the trainee programs demand form their applicants in the selection processes; to verify, in terms of competences, the main differences between undergraduated students of administration and other majors that compete for the same job opening in the trainee programs; and to compare the competences demanded by the companies that have trainee programs and the competences the administration undergraduated students believe to have. To conduct this research, it was adopted the qualiquanti approach. In the quantitative approach, a survey was realized, through questionnaire application, with 377 under-graduating students from first class administration colleges and 25 companies that have a trainee program. In the qualitative approach, 10 first class administration colleges\' coordinators have been interviewed, and the open questions from the students and companies\' questionnaires have been analyzed. The interviews were recorded and the content was transcript and submitted to the thematic-categorical analysis proposed by Bardin. The categories were transformed into variables and processed by the software NVivo10TM. The factors that the coordinators consider important in the development of the competences are: ethics, entrepreneurship, courses characteristics, pedagogic project, curriculum, competence, career, market expectation, profile, theory and practice, internship, exchange studies, interdisciplinary, professors, students, coordinators importance and students autonomy.In general, the students self-evaluated themselves well in all competences and 3 clusters have been identified. Among the competences that the companies consider that the administrators have an outstanding performance, is systemic view. In the selection processes there were 3 competences that were consensus: \'to have initiative\', \'teamwork\' and \'to build relationship and collaboration\'. The companies were grouped in 3 different clusters, demanding different competences to their trainee program. Some competences that are listed in the literature as fundamental to the administrator, such as \'critical thinking\' and \'creativity\', were among the least valuable to the companies, suggesting that the competences that companies demand should be developed, but they should not be the only to guide the administration courses.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:50:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-05-27. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:25:55Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 Publico-11766.pdf: 767715 bytes, checksum: e846bf56619abd94514d7100a34d10e3 (MD5) / A avaliação e os instrumentos avaliativos continuam sendo um grande desafio no processo ensino-aprendizagem. Partindo desse entendimento, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo conhecer a importância[Otilia Se1] do portfólio no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, a partir da perspectiva dos estudantes e mentores que vivenciaram essa experiência no período do primeiro semestre de 2005 até o primeiro semestre de 2007, no[Otilia Se2][Microsoft3] Curso de Medicina da UNIMONTES. O desenho metodológico compreendeu os seguintes procedimentos: pesquisa bibliográfica e documental (os portfólios dos estudantes e as avaliações realizadas pelos mentores acerca dos estudantes) e questionário de perguntas abertas e fechadas. Os dados foram analisados pela técnica da Análise de Conteúdo com uso da Análise Temática. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram os estudantes que iniciaram o Curso de Medicina em fevereiro de 2005 e um mentor que desenvolveu o portfólio com essa turma. Os resultados evidenciam que os estudantes estão comprometidos com o processo de ensinoaprendizagem. O portfólio possibilitou as percepções pessoais dos desempenhos dos discentes nos aspectos cognitivos, de habilidades e de atitudes e forneceu informações sobre as atividades curriculares. Os dados indicam que o portfólio atuou em vários níveis de avaliação: deu suporte ao processo de aprendizagem e autoaprendizagem; possibilitou a reflexão dos estudantes sobre seu próprio trabalho, identificando seus avanços e dificuldades; demonstrou o desempenho dos professores, das atividades pedagógicas e dos serviços de ensino, possibilitando um rico conhecimento sobre o caminhar de todo o curso. Segundo a pesquisa, o mentor tem relevante papel, ao mediar o desenvolvimento do desempenho do estudante. Assim, é evidente a necessidade de formação continuada por parte dos mentores e dos estudantes acerca dessa ferramenta avaliativa. Nesse contexto, o estudo aponta para a necessidade de reaprender conceitos e ressignificar a avaliação com a finalidade de torná-la mais efetiva e homogênea por parte dos docentes e dos discentes. Avaliar é importante para aperfeiçoar a pessoa, projetá-la, descobrir pontos positivos, que possam melhorá-la ainda mais, conhecer o que o estudante ainda não aprendeu para estimulá-lo a aprender, para mudar, transformar a sua forma de ser, pensar e agir. Palavras-chave: Portfólio, Avaliação Formativa, Autoavaliação, Perfil do Estudante, Curso de Medicina. / The evaluation process and evaluative instruments still remain a great challenge in the teaching-learning process. Based on this fact, the aim of this study was to identify the importance of the portfolio in the teaching-learning process, from the student´s and professor´s point of view who attend the Medical Course fin the first semester of 2005. The methodological design involved the following procedures: document research (students portfolio and the evaluation processes performed by tutors) and open closed format questions. Data were analyzed by means of Content Analysis with the aid of thematic analysis. The subjects of this research were students who started the Medical Course on February 2005 and a tutor who gave support during the course. The results showed that students are involved in the teaching-learning process. This instrument allowed personal perceptions of the student´s development regarding cognitive aspects, abilities, attitudes and also allowed to obtain information on curricular activities. Data showed that the portfolio operated in several levels of the evaluation process; gave support to the teaching-learning process and self-learning; allowed the students to make considerations on their own work environment, identifying improvements and difficulties; showed the professor´s performance, regarding pedagogical activities and teaching services, and brought a rich knowledge about development during the course. According to the research, the tutor had an important role when mediating the student´s development. It was obvious the need of a continuous education for tutor and students about evaluative instruments, emphasizing the necessity of reflections, readings and discussion on this issue. In this context, this study showed the importance to re-learn concepts and re-meaning the evaluation process aiming to make this process more effective and homogeneous by the professors and students. Evaluation helps the individual to develop, to project, to be able to discover positive points in order to improve oneself, also to get to know the student, stimulating him to learn, to change, to transform the way somebody thinks and acts. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

A presente pesquisa buscou \'investigar a interação das competências desenvolvidas pelos cursos de administração em seus estudantes e a demanda do mercado de trabalho\'. Para alcançar este objetivo geral, foram estabelecidos os seguintes objetivos específicos: analisar os fatores que influenciam no desenvolvimento das competências dos estudantes nos cursos de administração; determinar quais competências os formandos de administração acreditam possuir; reconhecer o grau de cada competência que os estudantes acreditam que foram desenvolvidas durante a graduação de administração; reconhecer quais competências os programas de trainee exigem dos candidatos em seus processos seletivos; verificar quais as principais diferenças, em termos de competências, dos administradores e das demais formações universitárias que competem para uma mesma vaga nos programas de trainee; e comparar as competências exigidas pelas empresas que possuem programa de trainee com as competências que os formandos acreditam possuir. Para a condução da pesquisa, adotou-se a abordagem quali-quanti. Na abordagem quantitativa ocorreu a realização de survey com 377 estudantes formandos de cursos de administração de excelência e 25 empresas detentoras de programas de trainee, por meio de aplicação de questionários, analisados por meio do software SPSS. Já na abordagem qualitativa, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com 10 coordenadores de cursos de administração de excelência e analisadas as questões abertas presentes nos questionários dos estudantes e das empresas. As entrevistas foram gravadas e o conteúdo das falas foi transcrito na íntegra e submetido à análise temático-categorial proposta por Bardin. As categorias foram transformadas em variáveis e processadas pelo software NVivo10 ®. Os fatores que os coordenadores consideram importantes no desenvolvimento destas competências são: ética, empreendedorismo, características do curso, projeto pedagógico, currículo, competência, carreira, expectativa do mercado, perfil, teoria e prática, estágio, intercâmbio, interdisciplinaridade, professores, estudantes, importância dos coordenadores e autonomia dos estudantes. Em linhas gerais, os estudantes se auto avaliaram bem em todas as competências e foram identificados 3 clusters. Dentre as competências que as empresas relataram que os administradores se destacam está a visão sistêmica e houve consenso em três competências exigidas nos processos seletivos: \'possuir iniciativa\', \'trabalhar em equipe\' e \'construir relacionamento e colaboração\'. As empresas constituíram 3 clusters distintos, com exigências diferentes de competências para ingresso em seus programas de trainee. Competências identificadas na literatura como fundamentais ao administrador figuraram entre as menos valorizadas pelas empresas, como \'pensamento crítico\' e \'criatividade\', apontando que as competências que as empresas exigem devem ser estudadas, porém não devem, apenas elas, orientar a elaboração e consecução dos PPP\'s nos cursos de administração. / The present work sought to \"investigate the interaction between the competences developed in the students by the administration courses and the need of the market\". To reach this general objective, the following specific objectives have been established: to analyze the factors that influence the competence development in business administration students; to determine which of the competences the under-graduated administration students believe to have; to recognize the level of development of each competence the students believe to achieve during the graduation; to recognize which competences the trainee programs demand form their applicants in the selection processes; to verify, in terms of competences, the main differences between undergraduated students of administration and other majors that compete for the same job opening in the trainee programs; and to compare the competences demanded by the companies that have trainee programs and the competences the administration undergraduated students believe to have. To conduct this research, it was adopted the qualiquanti approach. In the quantitative approach, a survey was realized, through questionnaire application, with 377 under-graduating students from first class administration colleges and 25 companies that have a trainee program. In the qualitative approach, 10 first class administration colleges\' coordinators have been interviewed, and the open questions from the students and companies\' questionnaires have been analyzed. The interviews were recorded and the content was transcript and submitted to the thematic-categorical analysis proposed by Bardin. The categories were transformed into variables and processed by the software NVivo10TM. The factors that the coordinators consider important in the development of the competences are: ethics, entrepreneurship, courses characteristics, pedagogic project, curriculum, competence, career, market expectation, profile, theory and practice, internship, exchange studies, interdisciplinary, professors, students, coordinators importance and students autonomy.In general, the students self-evaluated themselves well in all competences and 3 clusters have been identified. Among the competences that the companies consider that the administrators have an outstanding performance, is systemic view. In the selection processes there were 3 competences that were consensus: \'to have initiative\', \'teamwork\' and \'to build relationship and collaboration\'. The companies were grouped in 3 different clusters, demanding different competences to their trainee program. Some competences that are listed in the literature as fundamental to the administrator, such as \'critical thinking\' and \'creativity\', were among the least valuable to the companies, suggesting that the competences that companies demand should be developed, but they should not be the only to guide the administration courses.

The popularity of the Spanish language, as a modern language, has been increasing the last years in Sweden causing the number of study groups in schools to rise. This event led us to question, what motivated the students to choose this language? Perhaps it's because it is considered to be easy to learn? Or that the students are under pressure from their friends that have already chosen it? Why not choose Spanish because the students have it as their mother tongue. For this reason we have decided to realize this comparative dissertation in the three educational levels using the quantitative method by taking a poll of almost 200 students to collect the necessary information. In each poll the students have answered 30 questions or assumptions, grouped according to the type of motivation and student profile. As a result of our work we can mention that we only managed to confirm the first of the three assumptions since the second and the third one couldn’t be substantiated.       Keywords: Motivation, intrinsic instrumental motivation, integrative instrumental motivation, extrinsic instrumental motivation, student profile.   Palabras clave: Motivación, motivación intrínseca instrumental, motivación intrínseca integradora, motivación extrínseca, perfil del alumno.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2016-12-23T14:30:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Decio Tadeu Dalcin Pigato_.pdf: 2274738 bytes, checksum: 6ca31fef035d8b5824b718d1c16cde12 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:30:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Decio Tadeu Dalcin Pigato_.pdf: 2274738 bytes, checksum: 6ca31fef035d8b5824b718d1c16cde12 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-16 / Nenhuma / A partir da importância de entender quem são os sujeitos da educação, no presente trabalho, buscou-se compreender a realidade existente na Rede Municipal de educação situada no município de Viamão, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, na condução do diagnóstico da realidade dos estudantes do Ensino Fundamental. O objetivo geral desta pesquisa foi elaborar uma metodologia de diagnóstico da realidade dos estudantes como parâmetro de gestão. Como objetivos específicos, buscou-se aprofundar a temática pesquisada, visando a ampliar os conhecimentos e permitir uma melhor conexão entre os diferentes conceitos de um aluno ideal; entender a importância de reconhecer as diferenças e de construir levantamentos socioantropológicos sobre a realidade local. Para tanto, estruturou-se a pesquisa em três pilares: como o município faz hoje, o que a PENSE 2012 (Banco de dados) trouxe de importante e quais as principais tendências apontadas pela pesquisa, considerando o que a literatura recomenda. Este estudo investigativo teve como metodologia a pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa na Secretaria Municipal de Educação de Viamão (com realização de entrevistas e coleta de documentos) e pesquisa em banco de dados público (IBGE: PENSE, 2012). O trabalho gerou dois produtos para a rede educacional: a ampliação do cadastro dos alunos, com a construção de um parâmetro incluindo variáveis que contemplem melhor a diversidade presente nas escolas; e apontamentos para a elaboração de uma pesquisa socioantropológica na Rede Municipal. / Considering the importance of understanding who the subjects of education are, this study is an attempt to understand the reality of the education network in the city of Viamão, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in performing the diagnosis of elementary school students’ profiles as a parameter of educational management. The aim of this research is to formulate a methodology for diagnosis of students' reality as a management parameter. As specific objectives, the study attempts to deepen the topic, aiming at increasing the knowledge about it and enabling a better connection between the different concepts of the ideal student; to understand the importance of both acknowledging the differences and formulating social anthropological surveys of the local reality. In order to do that, the research has been grounded on three pillars: the way the city conducts the process today, important actions PENSE 2012 (database) has taken, and the main trends pointed by the research, considering what the literature has recommended. The methodology of this investigative study comprehended a bibliographical research, a research at the Municipal Secretariat of Viamão (with interviews and document collection), and research in a public database (IBGE: PENSE, 2012). The study has led to two outcomes for the educational network: widening of the students’ records with the formulation of a parameter including variables that are more suitable to the diversity seen in the schools; and notes for the formulation of a social anthropological research in the Municipal Network.

This study is a qualitative review to identify factors impacting on the management and provision of student development and support in higher education in a developing country. For the purpose of the study student development and support includes all developmental and supportive services and interventions for students within an institution of higher learning, regardless of the current structuring of the functions. The study first contextualises the scenario of a developing country in terms of the socioeconomic, political, higher education, labour and other factors that set the scene for student development and support and then continues with a systematic exposition of factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future of student development and support. A systematic investigation in the higher education sector by means of interviews with national policy makers, institutional and unit managers as well as focus groups with practitioners make it possible to identify factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future management and provision of student development and support. The result of the study is a construction of the specific factors identified on the macro/international, meso/national and micro/institutional levels as well as the intricate relationships between the various factors. This research provides a potential framework for future management and provision of strategic focus areas for student development and support functions within higher education in a developing country to ensure that it effectively positions the function within higher educ as a key component of the core business. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

This study investigated misconceptions in Algebra of students enrolled for a N2 Engineering certificate at a Further Education and Training College. The study aimed to investigate these students’ misconceptions relating to Algebra which prohibited them to successfully complete their artisanship. The purpose of the research was to determine (i) the nature of these misconceptions, and (ii) the value of screencasts as a technology-enhanced learning (TEL) tool to improve instruction. The research gap that the researcher addressed related to the Mathematics misconceptions that the N2 students had, and whether these misconceptions could be adequately addressed by screencasts. The study method used was a case study design and methodology while simultaneously collecting quantitative and qualitative data. The findings encompassed the determining of main Mathematics misconceptions, producing screencasts, and assessing the screencasts with the intended target group. The study followed a four-phase strategy of testing, interviewing and analysing, and reflection based on qualitative and quantitative research strategies. During the quantitative research the research participants completed a biographical questionnaire, as well as a customised diagnostic Algebra test. The study sample comprised two groups from different trimesters at a rural FET college in the Northern Cape in Kathu, South Africa. The total population of full-time N2 Engineering students related to 113 participants. The diagnostic test comprised twelve questions from the three main Algebra concepts relating to: (i) exponents, (ii) equations, and (iii) factorisation. The same customised diagnostic test confirmed the misconceptions within the same group. Six questions from the customised diagnostic test identified the central misconceptions. The researcher consequently designed, developed, implemented and evaluated screencasts with the intended student population according to the design principles identified during the study. The six questions formed the basis of a second diagnostic test, which was used in phase three with interviews of ten research participants as part of phase 4 of the evaluation of the screencasts. At the end of the second trimester students were ask to complete a questionnaire regarding their use and perceptions of the screencasts—23 participants completed this voluntary questionnaire. At the end of the trimester ten participants were asked to explain their method of calculations during a walk-through evaluation while answering Algebra problems. The results indicated a number of misconception categories: (i) The main reason for misconceptions relating to equations was the participants’ inadequate understandings of the basic concepts of multiply methods used in equations; (ii) Index laws seemed to be the biggest misconception where participants demonstrated insufficient understanding of the laws; and (iii) The participants did not comprehend the basic concepts of factorisation—they could not identify which method to use while factorising. The qualitative findings indicate that the participants found the screencasts valuable when they prepared for tests and examinations, as well as when they did not understanding a basic Mathematics concept. Access to technology in rural areas remains an obstacle to integrate technology learning tools on a large scale at the FET College. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This study investigated misconceptions in Algebra of students enrolled for a N2 Engineering certificate at a Further Education and Training College. The study aimed to investigate these students’ misconceptions relating to Algebra which prohibited them to successfully complete their artisanship. The purpose of the research was to determine (i) the nature of these misconceptions, and (ii) the value of screencasts as a technology-enhanced learning (TEL) tool to improve instruction. The research gap that the researcher addressed related to the Mathematics misconceptions that the N2 students had, and whether these misconceptions could be adequately addressed by screencasts. The study method used was a case study design and methodology while simultaneously collecting quantitative and qualitative data. The findings encompassed the determining of main Mathematics misconceptions, producing screencasts, and assessing the screencasts with the intended target group. The study followed a four-phase strategy of testing, interviewing and analysing, and reflection based on qualitative and quantitative research strategies. During the quantitative research the research participants completed a biographical questionnaire, as well as a customised diagnostic Algebra test. The study sample comprised two groups from different trimesters at a rural FET college in the Northern Cape in Kathu, South Africa. The total population of full-time N2 Engineering students related to 113 participants. The diagnostic test comprised twelve questions from the three main Algebra concepts relating to: (i) exponents, (ii) equations, and (iii) factorisation. The same customised diagnostic test confirmed the misconceptions within the same group. Six questions from the customised diagnostic test identified the central misconceptions. The researcher consequently designed, developed, implemented and evaluated screencasts with the intended student population according to the design principles identified during the study. The six questions formed the basis of a second diagnostic test, which was used in phase three with interviews of ten research participants as part of phase 4 of the evaluation of the screencasts. At the end of the second trimester students were ask to complete a questionnaire regarding their use and perceptions of the screencasts—23 participants completed this voluntary questionnaire. At the end of the trimester ten participants were asked to explain their method of calculations during a walk-through evaluation while answering Algebra problems. The results indicated a number of misconception categories: (i) The main reason for misconceptions relating to equations was the participants’ inadequate understandings of the basic concepts of multiply methods used in equations; (ii) Index laws seemed to be the biggest misconception where participants demonstrated insufficient understanding of the laws; and (iii) The participants did not comprehend the basic concepts of factorisation—they could not identify which method to use while factorising. The qualitative findings indicate that the participants found the screencasts valuable when they prepared for tests and examinations, as well as when they did not understanding a basic Mathematics concept. Access to technology in rural areas remains an obstacle to integrate technology learning tools on a large scale at the FET College. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Although the merits of practical work in physics are often questioned, it remains part of physics curricula world-wide. In distance education the incorporation of practical work into the curriculum is considerably complicated by the unique logistics of the setting and the high cost involved. The research reported in this thesis emanated from the need to improve the practical work module for first year physics at the University of South Africa, one of the largest distance education universities in the world. Specifically, the home-based component which, up to the commencement of the research had been entirely text-based, needed to be addressed. To this end it was necessary to identify a valid and attainable set of objectives and to determine the characteristics, abilities and needs of the students in the target group. A survey polling the viewpoints of South African physics lecturers and students about the objectives of practical work was conducted and an extensive student profile comprising a biographic, cognitive and affective component was compiled. Biographically, the target group is unique in the sense that it consists mainly of adult learners, a large percentage of whom study in a second language. The cognitive component of the profile covered aptitude, proficiency in English, mathematics and the integrated science process skills and level of cognitive development, all of which were investigated for possible influence on performance in practical work. On an affective level, students displayed a very positive attitude towards practical work, seated mainly in their need for concrete exploration of the theory. A practical work module structured around an experiential learning cycle adapted to the distance education environment was subsequently designed. The study material developed for the module comprised an interactive study guide on data processing and experimental procedure, a home experiment kit with accompanying workbook and a laboratory manual. From the pilot study forming part of the development process, it was found that students performed significantly better in an assignment based on home-experimentation than in any of the pen- and paper assignments preceding it. Based on the results of the pilot study, a full home experiment kit was designed, evaluated, refined and implemented. / Physics / D.Phil. (Physics)