As Zonas de Colaboração observadas a partir do movimento MetaReciclagem, uma rede que nasceu no campo da comunicação já no âmbito de uma cultura digital brasileira, em 2002, a partir da conversação na Internet de um grupo de pessoas sobre o desenvolvimento de blogs, reaproveitamento montagem/desmontagem de computadores, na interrelação entre essas ferramentas e a constituição de projetos colaborativos. O objeto de pesquisa é a relação comunicativa entre os membros do movimento que se contitui no ambiente virtual do MetaReciclagem. O método de pesquisa é a pesquisa-ação por meio de intervenção na lista de discussão do MetaReciclagem propondo uma metareflexão sobre as ações e resultantes do movimento ao longo dos anos. Abordagens quantitativa por meio de coleta de dados no ambiente virtual do MetaReciclagem (http://rede.metareciclagem.org) e qualitativa, coleta de depoimentos e conversações on-line dos membros que esboçaram suas opiniões e trocaram idéias a respeito do problema de pesquisa apresentado. Análise de dados por meio da técnica denominada análise de conteúdo e, dentro dessa, trabalhando com a técnica análise temática categorial. Os resultados demonstram que as Zonas de Colaboração são capazes de promover agenciamentos coletivos e intervenções sociais em políticas públicas de inclusão digital por meio das características da rede e do engajamento das pessoas. Tais transformações só acontecem pelo caráter não-hierárquico e não-institucionalizado do movimento do MetaReciclagem que promove a disseminação e replicação por meio de uma metodologia que privilegia a produção de subjetividade e a apropriação da tecnologia social em diferentes contextos culturais. / The Collaborative Zones observed in the MetaReciclagem (MetaRecycling Network) that arose out of the field of on-line communication, which was already enveloping Brazilian digital culture, in 2002, from a conversation on the internet among a group of people debating the development of blogs, reuse/recycling of computer parts, the interdependence of these tools and the constitution of collaborative projects. The purpose of this study is about the communication between the members of MetaRecycling Network (MetaReciclagem) and it\'s process as constituted in Collaborative Zones, result in actions of intervention in social situations in Brazil. This study proposes a research-action methodology, through intervention in the discussion lists of MetaRecycling, thus proposing a meta-reflection on the actions and results of the movement over the years. It involves quantitative (through the collection of data in the MetaRecycling virtual environment (http://rede.metareciclagem.org) and qualitative approaches, collecting on-line statements and conversations between members that sketch out their opinions and exchanging ideas regarding the issues of the presented research. It also involves data analysis by means of a technique entitled content analysis and, within this, working with categorical thematic technical analysis. The results have shown that Collaborative Zones are capable of leading to collective brokering and social interventions, as well as public policies involving digital inclusion through the characteristics of the network and consequent engagement with people. Such transformations can only happen because of the non-hierarchical and noninstitutionalized nature of the MetaRecycling movement, which promotes the dissemination and replication of methodology that privileges the production of subjectivity and the appropriation of social technology in different cultural contexts.

This qualitative study aims to investigate the use of social media sites by university library staff to facilitate undergraduate students. Two Greek academic libraries were examined and the specific social media investigated was Facebook since it was the only common social media to both libraries. The method that was used was the interpretive method in order to gain better insight of students’ perceptions, motivations and request their suggestions regarding the use of social media by academic libraries. More specifically, twelve undergraduate students were interviewed and then the results were analyzed via Thematic Analysis. The results of this research showed that students appreciate the existence of their library’s Facebook page as an informational tool. On the other hand, improvements should be made regarding its use as a communication tool. Benefits, such as time gain, the ability to get in touch with new people, job opportunities, and reminders of important educational programs (Erasmus), were acknowledged by all students. Moreover, interesting suggestions were made, such as to increase the availability of open access books, the use of cameras for communicating with librarians via Facebook, and an increase in the number of photos of books. Other ideas were the ability to see the availability of books in the library, the ability to borrow them electronically, and the creation of a Facebook group to discuss common interests with other students.

Syftet är att undersöka vad som kännetecknar upplevelser och erfarenheter av familjehemsplaceringar med huvudsakligt fokus på relationer och familjens betydelse. Studien utgår från ett kvalitativt, hermeneutiskt förhållningssätt med tematisk analys gjord på svar från skriftliga intervjuer. Deltagarna bestod av personer med olika erfarenheter av familjehemsplaceringar, dels genom att ha varit placerad, dels tidigare arbetat som familjehemssekreterare. De teman som visade sig känneteckna upplevelser och erfarenheter av familjehemsplaceringar var familjeliv, känslor och utveckling som till stor del handlar om inställningen hos berörda parter. Detta är faktorer som påverkar dels hur pass lyckad placeringen blir, dels huruvida en relation uppstår mellan familjehemplacerad. Utifrån denna studies resultat kan slutsatsen dras att familjehemsplaceringar är komplext och innefattar många faktorer. I och med att placeringens utfall verkar påverkas av inställningen hos berörda parter är det viktigt att arbeta för att samtliga är positiva till vården, samt att den placerade får hjälp att kunna ta emot vården och känslomässigt ta till sig familjehemmet. / The aim of this study is to examine experiences of placements in foster care, with the main focus on relations and the importance of the foster family. The study is based on the qualitative, hermeneutic approach with a thematic analysis made on the answers of the participants’ written accounts. The par­ticipants consisted of persons with different experiences of foster care, either they had previously been placed in out of home care, or they worked as social workers. The themes that seemed to characterize experiences of placements in foster care was family life, emotions and development, which to a great extend also depended on the attitudes of the parties involved. These are factors which appeared to affect both how successful the placement become, and whether a relationship arises between the foster home and the person placed in foster care. Based on these results it can be concluded that placements in foster care are complex and include various factors. As the placements outcome seems influenced by the attitudes of the parties concerned, it is important to work towards ensuring that all concerned are positive and that the person who is placed receive help, in order to be able to benefit from the care offered from the foster family and emotionally embrace them.

As of autumn 2011, all schools in Sweden have adopted and applied the latest curriculum for the compulsory school system. The following is written in concern to technology: "The school is responsible for ensuring that each pupil on completing compulsory school: [...] can use modern technology as a tool in the search for knowledge, communication, creativity and learning." (Skolverket, 2011, pp.13-14) With this said, there are no guidelines or manuals on how this is to be conducted. In a report from the Swedish Schools Inspectorate it was concluded that the investment in technology is not being used for school education. The education systems keep investing in technology in the belief that schools and teachers will sooner or later adopt and benefit from the use of mobile and ubiquitous technologies. The aim of this study is to “create an understanding of the aspects that have an impact on adopting novel use of mobile and ubiquitous technologies in everyday teaching and learning practices in compulsory schools.” The empirical foundation will be based upon three projects: Geometry Mobile (GeM); Learning Ecology with Technologies from Science for Global Outcomes (LETS GO); and Collaborative Learning Using Digital Pens and Interactive Whiteboards (Collboard). All were conducted at local compulsory schools in Växjö municipality, Sweden, in collaboration with teachers, students and fellow researchers from the CeLeKT research group at Linnaeus University. Two Thematic Analyses have been conducted: the first, an inductive analysis exploring the Students’ and Teachers’ Experience of using Mobile and Ubiquitous Technologies in their learning and teaching environment. The second analysis is deductive and uses themes from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology models with the aim of understanding the Perception and Acceptance of Teachers’ use of Mobile and Ubiquitous Technologies. In the results from the two analyses there are clear indicators on the added value that mobile and ubiquitous technology brings to the classrooms: students are able to actively participate, collaborate and discuss in different learning settings, which enhances their understanding of the subject at hand. The challenges are mainly to be found in the lack of training and education in use of the technology as a supporting tool for teaching and learning. Further factors influencing the teachers and the students are ease of use and reliability of the technology and societal changes. The results of the analysis and the theoretical base of Technology Enhanced Learning have been illustrated with Soft Systems Methodologies Rich Picture, providing a holistic view of the problematic situation and making it possible to discuss the various parts as well as the situation as a whole. This study indicates that there are several factors influencing the adoption of the novel use of mobile and ubiquitous technologies in everyday teaching and learning within a complex situation on different levels.

Lagen om extra anpassningar, särskilt stöd och åtgärdsprogram trädde i kraft den 1 juli 2014. Denna lag påverkade all personal från förskola till gymnasium och till sin hjälp fick skolorna allmänna råd från Skolverket med kommentarer om hur arbetet med extra anpassningar ska utföras. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att bidra med lärdomar om gymnasielärares erfarenheter av och kunskaper om extra anpassningar. För att få reda på det har sex gymnasielärare intervjuats om sitt arbete med extra anpassningar. Deras svar har sedan tolkats utifrån tematisk analys. I denna studie framkommer det bland annat att ingen av lärarna har något dokument att följa som beskriver vad extra anpassningar är. Det framkommer en osäkerhet bland lärarna gällande vad begreppet extra anpassning innebär, likaså när det gäller hur de ska nå de omotiverade eleverna med hjälp av extra anpassningar, samt vid betygsättning av elever som fått extra anpassningar. Det verkar vara de informella samtalen och diskussionerna lärare emellan som främst ger de idéer och lösningar gällande extra anpassningar som efterfrågas av lärarna. Slutsatsen i min studie är bland annat att de lärare som jag intervjuat inte riktigt har de förutsättningar som behövs för att arbeta med de extra anpassningar som lagen föreskriver. När lärare behöver hjälp kring stödformen extra anpassning från elevhälsan är det inte alltid att de får det. Tydligt är också att information från Skolverket om vad extra anpassningar är, är bristfällig och svår att tolka för lärarna. / The Act on Additional Adjustments, Special Support and Action Programs came into force on July 1, 2014. This law affected all staff in preschool to upper secondary school and, in turn, the schools received general advice from the National Agency for Education with comments on how to work with additional adjustments. The purpose of this graduate project is to contribute lessons learned from secondary teachers' experience and knowledge of additional adjustments. To find this out, six secondary teachers have been interviewed about their work with additional adjustments. Their answers were after that interpreted based on thematic analysis. In this study, it is found that none of the teachers have any document describing what additional adjustments imply. There is an uncertainty among teachers regarding what additional adjustments means, and how to reach the unmotivated students with the help of additional adjustments, as well as in the assessment of pupils who have received additional adjustments. It seems to be the informal conversations and the discussions between teachers, that mainly gives the ideas and solutions regarding additional adaptations demanded by the teachers. The conclusion in my study is, among other things, that the teachers I interviewed do not really have the conditions needed to work on the additional adjustments required by the law. When teachers need help with the additional adjustment from pupil health, it is not always that they get it. Clearly, information from the National Agency for Education about what additional adjustment is, is insufficient and difficult to interpret for the teachers.

Masters of Art / A child friendly city (CFC) is the embodiment of the rights of the child manifested in the policies, programs, and laws of a city. A critical aspect in the creation of a CFC is the consideration of the natural environment (NE). Premised upon a child participatory perspective, this study explored the manner in which adolescents perceive and attach meaning to the NE, as there is limited research concerning this. The primary aim of the study was to investigate children’s perceptions of the NE, and within this process to elucidate the meanings that children attach to environmental issues, and how these meanings contribute toward the creation of CFC’s. This study employed the broad epistemological position of social constructionism, and the theoretical framework of the Person-environment (P-E) fit theory. Methodologically, a qualitative research design was adopted, employing focus group interviews as the method of data collection. The study was conducted in an impoverished community on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Four focus group interviews were conducted with two groups of 8 children between the ages of 13 and 14 in grade 9. Thematic Analysis was utilised to analyse and interpret the findings. The findings indicate that the participants perceive the NE through the lens of safety as natural areas in the community are characterised by crime, violence, pollution, and a haven for gangsters. The participants’ worldviews appear to be permeated with this milieu of danger which is pervasive in their community. Although the participants express the need to engage in the NE, their mobility is greatly restricted due to their own, parental, or guardians fears of threat. There is evidently incongruence between the participants’ expectations for the NE, and the reality of the unsafe nature of the NE. The participants thus fall outside the prevailing categories of the social and cultural construction of childhood, as they undergo an immense burden of adversity and suffering which breaches what childhood is supposed to signify.Along with many children in South Africa, the participants are exposed to an escalating level of crime and community violence which has a negative impact upon their sense of wellbeing,their ability to negotiate their mobility and to freely explore NE’s, and engage in childled initiatives to counteract impending safety and security concerns within their communities.It was also found that the participants consider the natural world as crucial in the creation of a CFC. Ultimately, the participants revealed that their community is not child friendly, and thereby suggest the requirement for a child and environmentally friendly city. The participants therefore proposed that environmental education (EE) be incorporated into the school curriculum to instil a greater awareness of environmental issues among their peers.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / The central aim of this study was to explore the identity formation of black African middle class young adults in the context of their educational and language experiences in ex-model C schools. The study was motivated by a need to understand how socio-historical events which play out in language in education policies and practices, affected the identity constructions of young black adults who had been through a schooling system where English was used as the language of instruction. The study adopts social constructionism as the epistemological position, given that it considers individuals’ identities to be socially, historically and culturally constructed. Postcolonial approaches to identity construction were utilised, influenced by the works of Frantz Fanon and Hussein Bulhan. The study utilised a qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews as the method of data collection. Three participants who formerly attended ex-model C schools were interviewed. One interview was conducted for each participant. Thematic analysis was then used as a method of data analysis to identify the ways these young adults make sense of their experiences relating to identity constructions. With regard to the findings of the study, three main themes were identified, namely making sense of the new school environment, identity construction, and the role of language in the participants’ lives. Overall, findings of the study revealed that identity constructions were not static, but instead reflected the historical and social processes in which the participants lived. The participants adapted to the language of the school, and considered themselves to be multilingual as they were able to communicate in the language that was required for economic success. The present hegemonic status of English was accepted by the participants, because the ability to communicate in this language meant job security and an ability to communicate beyond boundaries. The mother tongue was still used by these participants, but it was used in contexts which were deemed appropriate by the participants. Race and class as markers of difference emerged as important constructs for identity formation. In conclusion, it was found that these young adult speakers of indigenous African languages were negating their mother tongue in the school and in social and economic contexts. In some cases, this led to alienation or feelings of inferiority. Indigenous African languages need to be promoted in the educational setting, and further acknowledged in other sectors of society and the economy. If African languages are presented as having some sort of utility in the economic sector, this will hopefully result in a change of attitude amongst indigenous African language speakers towards their own languages, contributing to the construction of multilingual identities which will reflect a truly democratic society.

No description available.

The purpose of this research project was to explore the experiences of mature women students in juggling the multiplicity of roles they faced during the adulthood stage of life. The lack of literature, particularly on the African woman’s experiences of being a student while also dealing with the roles of being a mother, wife and employee, inspired this research. I explored the women’s experiences using a qualitative approach and semi-structured individual interviews, and did a thematic analysis of the textual data. The average age of the women who participated in this project was 36.8, and except for two of the 10 interviewees, all women were enrolled for a postgraduate studies. The majority of women enrolled for further studies because they wanted to increase their opportunities in the work environment, while one woman did so because of a career change. The stories of the ten mature women students that I interviewed revealed five major themes. In describing their experiences of juggling multiple roles, the mature women students mentioned that they studied while also maintaining a job because of the financial obligations and the lifestyle of their age group. They experienced role strain from the many roles that required an equal share of their time, but managed to cope because they had personal goals to achieve and would not relinquish those. Both congruent and incongruent experiences emerged between work and study, particularly when they could not attribute equal time to work and study. Although they were encouraged and supported by their partners and children, and sometimes also their families and the community, they still had to deal with the lack of support from the institutions where they were enrolled. Extreme tiredness and guilt because of conflicting role demands were found to be most common among all ten women. For the most part the women had to deal with an increase in their role responsibilities and experienced different emotions regarding the influence of studying on family life. By managing their time well they were able to cope and had thus far been successful in balancing their different roles. Above all the mature women student were able to cope with the multiplicity of roles because they had determination, were focused and committed, and wanted to achieve success in their educational goals. Perseverance and dedication to their goals emerged as mature women students’ most powerful tool for coping with multiple roles. / Dissertation (MA (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

The study is an exploratory investigation of early adolescents’ buying patterns with regards to clothing using social identity theory. Interviews were conducted with six early adolescents in Attridgeville suburb located in Tshwane (then called Pretoria) in South Africa. This research was prompted by insufficient archived studies which focus on black adolescents in South Africa. Early adolescents are conscious of the youth culture and utilities that are significant to them. The early adolescent stage construes young people as seeking an own identity both individually and within the group. Clothing apparel plays a significant role in the projection of adolescents’ identity in the peer group, and they participate in consumer behaviour that is influenced through socialization. Among others, peers and family circumstances play a central role as socialisation agents for the buying patterns of clothing during adolescence. In this study the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) was used to explore the processes involved in the buying patterns of clothing during early adolescence, particularly for black adolescents in an urban environment. Pictures, compiled in the format of a collage, were used as a projective technique to probe respondents’ constructions of their preferred buying patterns and consumer behaviour. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis as a procedure of qualitative research. Verification of transcripts and themes by an independent third party enhanced validity and reliability of findings. Themes indicate that early adolescents are quite involved in consumer behaviour and make decisions based on lifestyle, consumer socialisation, purchasing styles and filters. Both peers and family act as socialisation agents, and socio-structural factors such as birth order, financial aspects, attitudes, and retail outlets have an impact on the actual buying patterns of clothing. Further study is needed to determine the effect of media and learning styles on the consumer behaviour of black adolescents in a South African context. / Dissertation (MA (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted