As pesquisas com o objetivo de relacionar o uso de práticas do gerenciamento ágil, desempenho e sucesso do projeto apresentam limitações como baixa qualidade semântica de construtos, dados e instrumentos de coleta com escalas subjetivas e pouco confiáveis, impedindo a verificação da eficácia dessas práticas. Outro problema é a tentativa de relacioná-las diretamente com o desempenho ou sucesso do projeto. Neste trabalho discute-se a hipótese de que a adoção de práticas dessa teoria e o desempenho do projeto não possuem relacionamento direto. Propõe-se a tese de que há um elemento intermediário, denominado neste trabalho de construto agilidade, que pode ser designado como um desempenho. As práticas provenientes da teoria de gerenciamento ágil (ditas ágeis), em conjunto com outros fatores ambientais, contribuiriam para o desempenho em agilidade, e este, por sua vez contribuiria para o desempenho e sucesso do projeto. Considerando esta hipótese, são três os objetivos desta pesquisa: 1) definir agilidade em gerenciamento de projetos; 2) propor um modelo conceitual capaz de explicar a relação entre práticas de gestão de projetos, fatores críticos organizacionais e o desempenho em agilidade, verificando-o; e 3) propor uma ferramenta de diagnóstico da agilidade em gerenciamento de projetos para profissionais, fundamentada no conhecimento contido no modelo conceitual proposto. O modelo conceitual foi concebido a partir de uma definição de agilidade para gerenciamento de projetos, construída com base em revisões sistemáticas e o uso da técnica de semântica de frames. Em seguida, foi realizada uma primeira verificação em campo do modelo por meio de um levantamento (survey) em 171 projetos inovadores, selecionados a partir de grupos de profissionais da rede social LinkedIn, além de um estudo de caso considerando 4 projetos de uma empresa usuária do gerenciamento ágil. Os resultados demonstraram que o modelo conceitual de agilidade proposto é coerente, pois reproduziu a relação entre práticas, fatores ambientais e o conceito agilidade. Foram identificados os fatores ambientais mais relevantes para o desempenho em agilidade, por exemplo: disponibilidade do cliente para participar ativamente do projeto e dedicação e autonomia dos membros do time de projeto. O conhecimento adquirido na construção e teste do modelo conceitual foi utilizado no desenvolvimento de uma proposta inicial de uma ferramenta de diagnóstico da agilidade. Seu objetivo é auxiliar os profissionais na medição do nível de agilidade e a situação dos projetos, e assim, orientá-los quanto ao uso de práticas gerenciais de maneira mais objetiva e específica, de acordo com o ambiente do projeto. Um teste preliminar desta ferramenta foi conduzido em uma empresa de consultoria em T.I., por meio de levantamento em 12 projetos. Os resultados deste teste preliminar indicaram o potencial da ferramenta para identificar projetos com discrepâncias em relação ao uso de práticas gerenciais, o ambiente organizacional e o desempenho em agilidade. Esta pesquisa tem ao menos três contribuições originais com potenciais implicações para teoria e prática. São elas: 1) a proposição e verificação preliminar de um modelo conceitual, contendo a definição do conceito agilidade e as 5 dimensões; 2) a proposição de variáveis e instrumentos sobre como medir a agilidade no gerenciamento de projetos; e 3) a proposta de uma ferramenta de diagnóstico do nível de desempenho em agilidade em gerenciamento de projetos voltada para profissionais. / A group of researchers has attempted to investigate the correlation between the practices from the agile project management (APM) theory to project performance and success. This body of researches has presented limitations such as the lack of robust constructs and poor data analysis to identify precisely the effectiveness of such practices. In addition, there is a misunderstanding regarding the existence of a straightforward and causal link between APM practices and the level of success in projects and performance. In this study, we have proposed an alternative, more robust view to deal with this assumption. Our hypothesis considers the existence and the influence of a third element, an intermediate construct, called agility concept. The APM theory (so-called agile practices) along with some critical factors could be the contributor of an agility performance. Therefore, a better agility performance might affect the overall performance of the project, as well as its success. Given this new assumption, this thesis has three main goals: 1) to define agility in project management; 2) to propose and verify a theoretical framework aimed to explain the relationship between project management practices, organizational critical factors and the agility performance; and 3) to propose a self-assessment tool for professionals and companies based on the knowledge and experience acquired on this research, designed specially to measure the agility performance level of the project management. Based on systematic review and frame semantic analysis, this thesis proposes a theoretical framework containing a rigorous definition of the agility concept applied to the project management theory. The framework was empirically tested through a survey containing 171 innovative projects, selected from practice communities in the LinkedIn® social network, as well as 4 projects on an in-depth case study, carried out in a company that applies agile project management practices. The results showed that the theoretical framework is coherent and was considered useful to explain the relationship between agile practices, the agility critical factors and the variables from the agility construct. Moreover, the framework helped to identify the most relevant factors for the agility performance, e.g. customer availability (to be involved in the project development), as well autonomy and commitment of the project team members. As a result of these findings, the acquired experience and knowledge were both applied in the design of a self-assessment tool to measure the level of the agility performance in project management. This tool was submitted to a preliminary empirical test in an IT consulting firm, throughout a survey of 12 projects. This research has at least three original contributions along with potential theoretical and practical implications: 1) it provides a precise and robust definition for the agility concept in project management theory; 2) it proposes a theoretical framework along with its 5 dimensions, variables and tools describing how to measure the agility in the project management field; and 3) from the practitioners perspective it provides a practical tool for the agility measurement in project management.

This exploratory research study examines changes in food and foodways (food habits) among Arab migrant families in a small community in Tampa, Florida. It also explores how those families’ children may play a role in the process of change. Within this community, I conducted my research study at a private school, where I recruited families with children between the ages of eight and seventeen. In applying the ecological model of food and nutrition and the developmental niche theoretical framework, this research draws on qualitative methods, including structured interviews with parents; focus group discussion with parents; a food survey; and children’s focus groups that included engaging activities such as vignettes (role playing), free-listing and sorting, and one-day food menus. I used MAXQDA 18 software for qualitative data analysis, and the results show that the main factors aiding in post-migration food and foodways changes are time constraints (lifestyle), ingredients, and availability and accessibility of permissible food (halal). Parent did not mention their children as a main factor; however, they perceive influence of their children. Feeding practices such as rewarding, restriction, forcing, and family meals were emerging themes, and children express their agency around those practices. Children developed their own agency regarding food because of their social and physical environments. Older children perceived their influence on their families’ food and foodways by introducing food items to their own families.

The global spread of the neoliberal paradigm has propelled a recent worldwide trend of educational decentralization/centralization policies. Such policies constitute a contradictory ensemble that has shifted authority and accountability across national, provincial or state, municipal, and school levels. They have also been marked by contestation over the extent to which curricula are nationally standardized or locally defined. Education reform in Brazil in this regard has been shaped by a confluence of neoliberal and critical theoretical currents: enhance the nation’s economic competitiveness in the global market and redress pressing societal issues. Using Basil Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing together with critical educational scholars’ conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge in the official and enacted curriculum as conceptual and theoretical frameworks, this comparative ethnographic case study examines the nexus between curriculum, knowledge, and pedagogy in municipal schools in Brazil’s Northeast. In doing so it addresses gaps in comparative educational research on curriculum knowledge along with how educational decentralization/centralization policies are implemented in practice. The central thesis is that municipal school curricula knowledge dynamics—the classification and framing of knowledge in the official curriculum and the relation of such with what knowledge is legitimized in classrooms, how such is transmitted and analyzed, and why—in Brazil’s Northeast encompass a multilevel web of contradictions. This web spans incongruent ideologies, opposing elements of autonomy and accountability, conflicting pedagogical principles and practices, and a chasm between curriculum ideals and urban periphery municipal school realities.

The global spread of the neoliberal paradigm has propelled a recent worldwide trend of educational decentralization/centralization policies. Such policies constitute a contradictory ensemble that has shifted authority and accountability across national, provincial or state, municipal, and school levels. They have also been marked by contestation over the extent to which curricula are nationally standardized or locally defined. Education reform in Brazil in this regard has been shaped by a confluence of neoliberal and critical theoretical currents: enhance the nation’s economic competitiveness in the global market and redress pressing societal issues. Using Basil Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing together with critical educational scholars’ conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge in the official and enacted curriculum as conceptual and theoretical frameworks, this comparative ethnographic case study examines the nexus between curriculum, knowledge, and pedagogy in municipal schools in Brazil’s Northeast. In doing so it addresses gaps in comparative educational research on curriculum knowledge along with how educational decentralization/centralization policies are implemented in practice. The central thesis is that municipal school curricula knowledge dynamics—the classification and framing of knowledge in the official curriculum and the relation of such with what knowledge is legitimized in classrooms, how such is transmitted and analyzed, and why—in Brazil’s Northeast encompass a multilevel web of contradictions. This web spans incongruent ideologies, opposing elements of autonomy and accountability, conflicting pedagogical principles and practices, and a chasm between curriculum ideals and urban periphery municipal school realities.

[pt] O objetivo deste trabalho é lançar as bases teóricas para o desenvolvimento de um novo construto no campo de liderança chamado liderança polímata . Polímata pode se referir tanto a um substantivo (a pessoa polímata) como a um adjetivo (a liderança polímata). O termo tem origem no grego clássico e significa amplo conhecimento ou aprendizagem (OXFORD, 2015). A liderança polímata é aqui apresentada como um padrão de comportamentos de um líder que incentiva e inspira seguidores a avançar para níveis mais elevados de profundidade, amplitude e conectividade de ideias, conhecimentos e competências. Teoriza-se que tais comportamentos do líder assim como os comportamentos coletivos que essa abordagem defende são especialmente positivos para lidar com problemas e situações que se caracterizam por serem difíceis, complexas, voláteis, incertas e ambíguas. Devido à obscuridade do termo polimatia, o trabalho primeiro explora e analisa os significados e definições do termo para depois articular a polimatia com outros construtos bem definidos da literatura. Em seguida, é apresentada a definição e descrição da liderança polímata, além da análise de suas diferenças e similaridades com outras abordagens de liderança. Além disso, o trabalho apresenta exemplos de como essa abordagem de liderança pode ser utilizada em grupos de trabalho. O trabalho conclui destacando as possibilidades de novos estudos a partir desta nova abordagem. / [en] The objective of this work is to propose a novel theoretical approach to leadership called polymathic leadership. Polymathic originates from the noun polymath , which means a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning (OXFORD, 2015). Polymathic leadership is here presented as a pattern of leader behaviors that encourages and inspires followers to advance to higher levels of depth, breadth and connectedness of ideas, knowledge and competence. It is theorized this kind of leader behaviors and the kind of collective behavior it inspires are especially positive in dealing with problems and situations that are characterized by being difficult, complex, volatile, uncertain and ambiguous. Due to the obscurity of the term polymathy, the work first explores and reviews the meanings and definitions of the term, then articulates it with other, well-defined, constructs of the literature. After that, the definition and description of polymathic leadership is presented, along with its differentiation from other types of leadership. Moreover, the work introduces a model of polymathic leadership with examples of its relevance and usage in work groups. It concludes by highlighting the possibilities of further studies unfolded by this novel approach.

Submitted by Adriana Naomi Fukushima da Silva null (dricanaomi@gmail.com) on 2017-01-10T17:48:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertaçãocom ficha_ posdefesa.pdf: 3018378 bytes, checksum: ecc202293a914a9b24fbeff73d72395c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-01-13T17:09:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_anf_me_mar.pdf: 3018378 bytes, checksum: ecc202293a914a9b24fbeff73d72395c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-13T17:09:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_anf_me_mar.pdf: 3018378 bytes, checksum: ecc202293a914a9b24fbeff73d72395c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-09 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Este trabalho relata pesquisa que teve por objetivo geral analisar os processos de ensino dos atos de leitura por professores dos três anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, por meio do Programa Ler e Escrever, implantado pela Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo. Os objetivos específicos são: compreender as representações, metodologias utilizadas para ensinar a leitura e as práticas de ensino de atos de leitura dos professores, quando eles usam o material do Programa Ler e Escrever, especificamente nos três primeiros anos do ensino fundamental de uma escola estadual da cidade de Marília; desvelar processos de leitura em seus aspectos, e como os sujeitos se relacionam por meio de sua história e de suas experiências com essa prática cultural; e, por fim, provocar, entre os professores, a reflexão sobre suas práticas e avaliações, uma vez que essas práticas estão diretamente ligadas à formação do aluno leitor. Para isto, à luz do referencial teórico bakhtiano e através de uma pesquisa de tipo etnográfico, os dados foram levantados em duas etapas. A primeira foi o levantamento bibliográfico para orientar as observações da pesquisadora e fornecer elementos teóricos para a análise dos dados. A segunda etapa foi caracterizada pela geração de dados por meio de observações, entrevistas e análise documental com o intuito de encontrar informações mais detalhadas e subjetivas a respeito das atividades praticadas no ensino do ato de ler e compreender essas atividades no contexto da instituição de ensino e das práticas das professoras com a utilização do material do Programa Ler e Escrever. Os dados foram gerados em uma escola estadual da cidade de Marília, com três professoras das turmas do primeiro ano ao terceiro ano do ensino fundamental, nos meses de maio a setembro de 2015. Os dados foram transcritos e analisados com base em cinco núcleos temáticos: Os atos de leitura na sala de aula: entre concepções e ações, Gêneros discursivos na sala de aula, Os registros de uma forma já superada de escrita no contexto atual da sala de aula, Transmissão vocal ou vocalização de histórias, e Tarefas e avaliações de leitura na sala de aula. A análise permitiu verificar que entre as concepções de leitura disponíveis na sala de aula a predominante no ensino dos atos de leitura realizada pelas professoras é a concepção de leitura ligada à área fonológica. O material do Ler e Escrever, ainda que defenda o ensino da leitura como atribuição de sentidos, também apresenta propostas que valorizam o valor sonoro das palavras. Nessas condições, as propostas ligadas à área fonológica são as utilizadas pelos professores. Nas demais, as professoras adaptam as atividades de acordo com suas crenças e concepções. De modo geral, é possível concluir que as práticas de ensino, quando envolviam a utilização do Ler e Escrever, não seguiam as concepções defendidas nesse material, mas a do professor. / This paper describes research that aimed to analyze the educational processes of the acts of reading by teachers of the first three years of elementary school through the Read and Write Program, implemented by the São Paulo State Education. The specific objectives are: understand representations, methods used to teach reading and practices acts of reading of teachers, when they use the material Program Read and Write, specifically the first three years of elementary school a state school in the city of Marília; reveal reading processes in their aspects, and how subjects are related through their history and their experiences with this cultural practice; and, finally, induce, between teachers, reflection and reviews on their practices, as these practices are directly related to the formation of the reader student. For this, the light of Bakhtin theoretical framework and through an ethnographic research, data were collected in two stages. The first was the literature to guide the observations of the researcher and provide theoretical elements for data analysis. The second stage was characterized by the collection and generation of data through observations, interviews and document analysis in order to find more detailed and subjective information about the activities practiced in teaching reading and understand these activities in the context of the educational institution and practices of teachers using the material Read and Write Program. Data were collected at a state school in the city of Marilia/ SP, with three teachers of the classes of the first year to third year of elementary school in the months of May to September 2015. Data were transcribed and analyzed based on five themes: The acts of reading in the classroom: between ideas and actions, Discursive Genres in the classroom, The records in a way already overcome written in the current context of the classroom, Voice transmission or vocalization stories and Tasks and reading assessments in the classroom. The analysis shows that between concepts of reading available in the classroom, the prevailing teaching of the acts of reading done by the teachers is reading conception linked to phonological area. The material of Read and Write, even to defend the teaching of reading as an attribution of meaning, also makes proposals that value the sound value of words. Under these conditions, the proposals related to phonological area are used by teachers. In the other, the teachers adapt activities according to their beliefs and conceptions. Overall, we conclude that the teaching practices when involving the use of Read and Write, did not follow the ideas defended in this material, but the teacher’s. / CNPq: 131036/2015-7

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Substance abuse is recognised as one of the greatest health and social problems in South Africa (SA). There is a need to explore the problem of substance use in the South African context in terms of the Bio-ecological Systems Theoretical Framework. All of the reviewed local and international studies on instruments that are used to measure factors associated with adolescent substance use, while yielding useful information; do not adequately address the issues of an instrument that successfully includes all the levels of the Bio-ecological Systems Theoretical Framework at the dimension level. As a result, a need for an applicable instrument exists. The overall purpose of the current study was to evaluate the content validity of the dimensions of the proposed self-administered questionnaire in terms of the Bio-ecological Systems Theoretical Framework, which will assist the factors associated with youth at risk of substance abuse in low socio economic status communities in the South African context. The study was framed in psychometric test theory focusing specifically on the procedures for content validation. It is being increasingly recognized that the development of a valid test requires multiple procedures, which are employed sequentially, at different stages of test construction. Validity is thus built into the test development from the outset. Participants were selected by means of purposive sampling. The sampling method was appropriate since the participants were required to meet certain inclusive criteria. The participants comprised of two groups of community leaders within two different communities on the Cape Flats. An adapted version of the Nominal Group Technique method was employed to collect data. The data for aim one was collected using a self administered questionnaire (Content Validity Questionnaire) consisting of two sections. The first section was presented in the form of a ranking scale with all relevant factors associated with adolescent substance use. The second section of part 1 was in the form of open-ended questions. The second aim was collected in the form of focus groups. Data was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively in the relevant sections. Data collected from the Content Validity Questionnaire (CVQ) was analysed quantitatively by means of statistical analysis making use of frequencies, and the open-ended questions of the content validity and data from the focus groups was analysed qualitatively by means of thematic analysis. The study concluded that all factors presented in the CVQ are important factors associated with adolescent substance use in the two low socio-economic statuses communities that were analysed in both the quantitative and qualitative components of the study.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The purpose of the study was to gather validity evidence for a South African developed instrument designed to measure individual and contextual factors associated with adolescent substance use in low socio-economic status communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Studies report high rates of substance use in these communities. This possibly points towards the impact of typical post-apartheid contextual factors on the development of adolescent substance use. The South African Substance Use Contextual Risk Questionnaire (SASUCRQ) measures adolescents’ subjective experiences of their own psycho-social and their communities’ functioning.

Institute for Rural Development / PhDRDV

No description available.