Transformative tourism is investigated as a potential solution to the challenges currently facing the tourism industry. Tourism is facing a defining time as societies are attempting to manage the effect of fast path globalization and are confronted with the pressing issues of climate change that push us to implement fast and drastic changes in the way that we consume services and interact with others. Transformative tourism proposes to design travel experiences in which travelers are encouraged to self-reflect, become more tolerant of cultural differences, and are eager to become agents of change in their community by fostering social empowerment and taking concrete actions to promote a sustainable way of life. The dissertation takes on a three-manuscript approach, each investigating a facet of transformative tourism in terms of outcomes and strategies. The first article is based on in-depth interviews with tourism practitioners and investigate their use of glocalization strategies as a way to create partnerships with local community members and foster loyalty from travelers. The second article examines the development of a scale to measure the transformative process in travelers. The third article uses a multi-method approach to study the symbols and narratives present in the transformative travelers' experience with the objective of using those to develop marketing content. / Doctor of Philosophy / The dissertation focuses on transformative tourism which encourages travelers to become more tolerant of other cultures. Travelers' transformation occurs through the design of activities that push the travelers out of their comfort zone (e.g.; home stay, visit place where tragedy has occurred), encourage self-reflection and meaningful interactions between travelers and residents (e.g.; mediation, theatre, or art based activities). The dissertation is divided into three studies. The first study investigates how tour operators can design successful activities in their tour to foster transformation. The second one examines the creation of scale to measure the degree of transformation in travelers. The last study aims at understanding the symbols and images present in the transformative travelers' narrative.

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are becoming increasingly responsible for undergraduate instruction in the landscape of higher education. These experiences may serve as a pipeline for career readiness and success in faculty positions. Yet, the experiences of graduate teaching assistants are largely unexplored. This study describes the perceptons and experiences of a selected sample of GTAs, including their perceptions of available support, and the role of that support in navigating potential disorienting dilemmas. Existing literature suggests that disorienting dilemmas lead to transformative experiences through an internal process of critical self-reflection, but neglects the possibility of differential outcomes to disorienting dilemmas. Further, existing literature suggests that such challenges simply create a common, linear path toward transformation. Using qualitative data collected through participant interviews, this study offers an in-depth exploration of GTA experiences, while establishing ways in which these meet the criteria set forth in the literature for “disorienting dilemmas.” Futhers, this study examines ways that such experiences are mediated by GTA social and institutional support systems. By investigating the experiences of graduate teaching assistants, this study addresses a gap in the literature regarding the perceptions of the GTAs about their experiences in their role. Further, this study challenges an assumption in the literature about transformative experiences and offers insights into the differential outcomes may arise as a result of a disorienting dilemma.

Effective professional development is vital for improving mathematics teaching (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2007), so studying effective professional development programs is important to the field of mathematics education. This case study presents findings on one teacher, Rebecca, and her experiences in a five-semester mathematics professional development for elementary teachers. The participants in this professional development engaged in collaborative problem solving of challenging mathematical tasks over extended periods of time. I used qualitative research methods based on grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2006) to analyze Rebecca's entrance and exit surveys, video data of Rebecca's individual interviews, and video data of Rebecca and her collaborative group problem solving in the professional development. Analysis shows that through the professional development program, Rebecca had transformative experiences which led to significant changes in her perspectives and practices. This case study contributes to the field of mathematics education a better understanding of the transformations teachers can experience through professional development as well as some particular conditions for professional development programs to be successful in offering teachers opportunities for transformative experiences.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:27:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 franceli.pdf: 2020744 bytes, checksum: 28845f43dc3ae2531819c48cc99f2f31 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-25 / This work aims to understand literacy experiences able to lead children to a critical and reflexive perspective about what they experience in school literacy practices (BUNZEN, 2010; TINOCO, 2008). Considering this social context, transformations are analyzed in written reports by children of 3rd year Basic Teaching, with the realization of a Literacy Project (Projeto Vivencial de Letramento), in 2012, from a situated practice, which values the immersion in significant Literacy practices. The theoretical bases of the research are the Principles of the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies (THE NEW LONDON GROUP, 2000) and in the dialogical approach to language (BAKHTIN, 2011; SOBRAL, 2009; BRAIT, 2009; ZANDWAIS, 2009). As for methodology, the research adopts the qualitative method and is characterized as an interventional research-action, done in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. Among several instruments for data generation, we privileged as a focus for analysis written reports and oral interviews. We seek to identify enunciative marks in the reports and in words of studied pupils, which were indicating possible demonstrations of the principles of the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies (THE NEW LONDON GROUP, 2000): situated practice, explicit instruction, critical framing and transformative practice, which summarized in the context of the research the set of relationships appropriated for the processes of teaching and learning. By means of the comparison of the positions of pupils in the beginning and the end of the process with the Project, coming from the reports and the interviews, the practices evidence showed to be transformed/transformative thanks to the contextualization of the practices in real learning contexts / O presente trabalho tem como objeto de estudo compreender experiências de letramento, capazes de conduzir crianças a uma perspectiva crítica e reflexiva sobre o que elas vivenciam em práticas de letramento escolar (BUNZEN, 2010; TINOCO, 2008). Considerando esse contexto social, são analisadas transformações nos discursos escritos, de crianças de um 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental, com a realização de um Projeto Vivencial de Letramento, em 2012, a partir de uma prática situada, que valoriza a imersão em práticas significativas de letramento. A fundamentação teórica da pesquisa centra-se nos Princípios da Pedagogia dos Multiletramentos (THE NEW LONDON GROUP, 2000) e na abordagem dialógica da linguagem (BAKHTIN, 2011; SOBRAL, 2009; BRAIT, 2009; ZANDWAIS, 2009). Quanto à metodologia, essa pesquisa adota o método qualitativo e caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa-ação de intervenção, encaminhada em Pelotas, no Rio Grande do Sul. Dentre vários instrumentos de geração de dados, privilegia-se como foco de análise, neste trabalho, relatórios escritos e entrevistas orais. Buscamos identificar marcas enunciativas nos relatórios e nas falas dos alunos, as quais indicassem possíveis manifestações dos princípios da Pedagogia dos Multiletramentos (THE NEW LONDON GROUP, 2000): prática situada, instrução explícita, enquadramento crítico e prática transformadora, os quais sintetizaram no âmbito dessa pesquisa, o conjunto de relações apropriadas para os processos de ensino e aprendizagem. Através da comparação das posições dos alunos no início e no final do processo com o Projeto Vivencial de letramento, advindas dos relatos e das entrevistas, verificou-se a evidência de práticas transformadas/transformadoras, através da contextualização das práticas em contextos reais de aprendizagem