This work was produced in an interdisciplinary context involving the Humanities (Education), the Natural and Exact Sciences (Geoinformatics) and Social and Applied Sciences (Communication-media) and brings the teacher as the protagonist of the initial years of the elementary education and practice pedagogical. Technological advancement and the integration of media resources and geotechnologics are analyzed at light of actors involved in the educational context. The work proposes the insertion and use of resources geotechnologics in pedagogical practice in the initial years, brings elements of the reality of media resources and geotechnologics in the educational considering that they, if properly used, can improve the teaching and four learning educational activities involving remote sensing, mapping and GPS for use in the initial years of the elementary school. The research methodology focused on literature review and preparation of actions that use geotechnologics resources for the development of content in the classroom. To learn more about the school reality on the issue, also applied a questionnaire with open questions to seven teachers from a public school in Santa Maria who work in the initial years. Although the importance of the media in the educational context is consolidated and public investments, especially in encouraging the use of the media, have grown in recent years, the data show that few know or use resources in their classrooms effectively. Experiments involving the geotechnologics resources not yet incipient or nonexistent. The elaborate actions involve diferents areas (PCNs). Although not yet applied in practice, it is concluded that they can bring significant contributions to the educational process, as well as motivate and encourage more interaction between teachers and students, promotes the development and involvement of different areas and different cognitive abilities of students. / Este trabalho foi produzido em um contexto interdisciplinar envolvendo as Ciências Humanas (Educação), as Ciências Naturais e Exatas (Geomática) e as Ciências Sociais e Aplicadas (Comunicação-mídias) e traz como protagonista o professor dos anos inicias do ensino fundamental e sua prática pedagógica. O avanço tecnológico e a inserção de recursos midiáticos e geotecnológicos são analisados a luz de atores que atuam no contexto educacional. O trabalho, que tem por objetivo propor a inserção e utilização de recursos geotecnológicos na prática pedagógica nos anos iniciais, traz elementos sobre a realidade dos recursos mídiáticos e geotecnológicos no âmbito educacional tendo em vista que eles, se bem utilizados, podem melhorar o processo ensino-aprendizagem e quatro atividades pedagógicas envolvendo o sensoriamento remoto, a cartografia e o GPS para serem utilizadas nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental. A metodologia da pesquisa centrou-se em revisão bibliográfica e na elaboração de ações que utilizarão recursos geotecnológicos para o desenvolvimento dos conteúdos em sala de aula. Para conhecer melhor a realidade escolar em relação ao tema, aplicou-se também um questionário com perguntas abertas para sete professoras de uma escola municipal de Santa Maria que atuam nos anos iniciais. Embora a importância das mídias no contexto educacional esteja consolidada e os investimentos públicos, principalmente, no estímulo ao uso das mídias, têm crescido nos últimos anos, os dados mostram que poucos sabem ou utilizam os recursos em suas aulas com eficiência. As experiências envolvendo os recursos geotecnológicos ainda não incipientes ou inexistentes. As ações elaboradas envolvem as três áreas do conhecimento conforme os PCNs. Mesmo ainda não aplicadas na prática, conclui-se que eles podem trazer contribuições significativas ao processo educacional, pois além de motivar e incentivar maior envolvimento entre professores e alunos, favorece o desenvolvimento e envolvimento de diferentes áreas, bem como diferentes capacidades cognitivas dos estudantes.

This thesis is about anti-popery in early modern England, how its meanings and political uses in printed literature changed in response to the dramatic developments of the Thirty Years' War. I contend that the languages of anti-popery, though structured by binary oppositions, were being used to express complex, multifaceted views about Catholic states in the 1620s and 1630s. The new perspective that this research offers is two-fold. Firstly, it asserts that anti-popery was an active and flexible tool of English Protestant debate about foreign affairs. 'Popish' tyranny, variously embodied in the Counter-Reformation papacy or Habsburg imperialism, was a malleable concept that adapted its meanings and associations with the political circumstances. Our early modern subjects were capable of separating anti-Catholic beliefs about idolatrous worship from political questions of how to identify, and combat, the threat of papal tyranny. Thus, this thesis argues that a greater range of irenic attitudes towards relations with Catholic powers were circulating than previously thought. Secondly, this thesis argues that several different anti-papal languages were operating alongside, and in competition with, one another in early Stuart political culture. As a fluid set of tropes, associations and prejudices, anti-popery had different meanings for different authors and incorporated a range of political and religious agendas. Anti-popery, therefore, was not simply a tool of Puritan opposition to the non-interventionist policy of the Stuarts, but, I argue, was also compatible with a more moderate or conciliatory attitude to Catholic states, including Habsburg Spain. The printed debates of the 1620s and 1630s expose the tensions that existed between competing ideas about the nature of the external popish threat. By 1635 and the reversal of Protestant fortunes on the Continent, these competing anti-papal ideas were exposing the tensions within England about the nature of its Protestantism, and thus helped precipitate the Civil Wars.

Master of Science / Department of Educational Leadership / Sarah Jane Fishback / This study was influenced by the desire to better understand the factors that influence the salary County Extension Agents in Kansas who are employed by K-State Research and Extension. The purpose of the study was to determine factors or the correlation among factors that influence salary compensation. Information was retrieved regarding the 241 County Extension Agents employed in Kansas. Demographic data was compiled on the Extension Agents as well as the ten factors that could influence their salary compensation. The factors are as follows: 1. area within the state; 2. county population; 3. number of agents in the county; 4. director responsibilities; 5. gender; 6. months of Extension employment; 7. years of equivalent service outside of Kansas Extension; 8. change of county employment within Kansas Extension; 9. position type; and 10. level of education. Variable selection through backward elimination was performed identifying area, population, the number of Extension Agents in a county/district, whether the Extension Agent was a director, previous years of experience in an equivalent position outside of K-State Research and Extension, whether an Extension Agent was employed by K-State Research and Extension prior to their current position, months of experience in their current position with K-State Research and Extension, and whether an Extension Agent has a Master's degree and if that Master's degree was obtained prior to the start of their current position to be the most significant influences on salary. Multiple regressions of the data were then performed to determine the significant relationships among certain variables. The population-position-gender correlation was found to be significant as well as the correlation among position types and genders. Recommendations for further research were given including studying the affect of performance evaluations and cost of living on salary compensation. In addition, recommendations for further practices include an annual review of the salary gap among position types and gender to ensure equity of salary compensation. Furthermore, recommendations were given regarding the dispersion of the level of education and timeliness of completing a Master's degree salary compensation data.

Masters of Public Health - see Magister Public Health / Background: Malaria is the leading cause of death of Uganda's children under 5 years of age and the number-one cause of illness in adults in Uganda. The success of malaria treatment strategies is closely linked to the behavior of patients and caretakers of young children. In the case of malaria this includes accessing appropriate treatment for suspected malaria in time. In Bungokho Sub County, in spite of the efforts by district health workers and the Ministry of Health to implement the malaria control, prevention and treatment strategies, pregnant women and caretakers of children under 5 years of age continue to present late for treatment in the health units resulting in possible avoidable death or disability. Aim and objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the factors that lead to late presentation of children and pregnant women with malaria for treatment at health units. This was done by exploring the perceptions of caregivers of children under five years and pregnant women on the community knowledge and understanding of the symptoms and treatment of malaria; and describing perceptions of caregivers and pregnant women on health care provision at the health units and alternative treatment for malaria. Methods :The study was conducted in Bungokho Health sub-district, in Mbale district, Eastern Uganda over a two month period in 2009. It was a descriptive exploratory study using qualitative research methods. Four focus groups were carried out, two with caregivers of children under 5 years and two with pregnant women, with each focus group consisting of eight participants. Two caregivers and two pregnant women were identified from the focus groups for further indepth interviews. Four in-depth interviews were conducted with health unit staff from Bungokho HCVI. Notes were taken and observations made during the focus groups and interviews. The proceedings were audio-taped and recordings used to expand and clarify notes. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data and identify recurrent themes from the focus group discussions and  interviews of the reasons for late presentation for malaria treatment. Results: All caregivers were women, a significant majority of whom were peasants who had not gone beyond the primary education. Caregivers were aware of the general symptoms of malaria but associated more serious or dangerous symptoms with other causes including witchcraft. Pregnant women, on the other hand, seemed to have sound knowledge of both the general and dangerous symptoms of malaria and were likely to attend the health units timeously for reatment. Religious beliefs and practices, particularly belief in the healing ability of prayers prevented early reporting of malaria cases to health units leading to late presentation. Alternative treatment of malaria from traditional herbalists was also sought by the communities particularly when the intensity of malaria was at its peak during the rainy season. Poverty in the community seemed to play a big role in shaping community preference for treatment sources, as well as early presentation to the health units. It was found that the anticipated cost of laboratory tests and sundries at the health units deterred caregivers from taking children under five to health units. There was therefore a strong reliance (and preference for) community medicine distributor's (CMDs) because of free services and easy access. Lack of support from spouses (in particular husbands) coupled with the rude behavior of health workers towards caregivers and pregnant women discouraged visits to health units. The long waiting time and intermittent drug stock-outs also created a negative perception of service at the health units. Conclusions and recommendations: There is need for further sensitization of communities on the need to seek prompt treatment for children under five years of age at the health units (that is, within 24 hours of the onset of fever). Training and supervision of CMDs should be strengthened to ensure consistent supply of drugs, correct dosage of anti-malarial medication and improvements in the referrals to the health units. In order to improve service delivery at the health units, there is need to review and strengthen human resource management of the health units, including staffing requirements and management practices, such as support and supervision, patient care standards and client feedback mechanisms. It is also important that there are adequate stocks of anti-malarial drugs  and laboratory supplies at health units. / South Africa

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / This thesis explores the personal, social and environmental factors of caregivers from the Groblershoop community to determine whether these factors influence the caregiver’s ability to provide care to children from birth to six years. Using the Human Capabilities Approach and the Ethics of Care Perspective, this study seeks to examine the resources that are available for caring in Groblershoop. It also explores how the factors above (personal, social and environmental) play a role in how the resources are used by caregivers to increase the well-being of children under six years. The Human Capabilities Perspective purports that caregiving resources are not an end in itself. The resources are only as valuable as they are able to improve the functioning of the caregivers to provide care and assist in ensuring the well-being of the care receivers, namely the children. The Ethics of Care Perspective is used to examine the consequences of inadequate care by the State, community and caregivers themselves.This study was conducted among caregivers from the community of Groblershoop, which is 150km from the main town of Upington in the Northern Cape Province. The town is rural in nature and unemployment, poverty and social ills such as substance abuse and teenage pregnancies are rife. Work is largely seasonal in nature and is found mainly on the surrounding grape and cattle farms. This study is qualitative in nature and used a purposive sampling method. Ten caregivers were selected using the criteria that they must reside in the community of Groblershoop and must be the primary caregiver to children from birth to six years of age, to participate in the semi-structured interviews. Seven other caregivers were also selected using the same criteria above to participate in a focus group interview using participatory action learning techniques. Participant Observation was conducted in the homes of three caregivers that participated in the individual interviews. Additionally, seven individual interviews were conducted with service providers that provide services to the community of Groblershoop.The main findings of the study reflect that the personal, social and environmental factors do influence the caregiver’s ability to provide care to children from birth to six years among a small group of caregivers from the Groblershoop community. The personal factors explored in the study included the age, gender, health status, substance usage, educational level and income of the caregiver. Ill health was found to be a key factor which posed a challenge to caregivers in terms of being able to provide care to children. The World Health Organisation’s five key elements of care was used to provide a framework for assessing adequate caregiving. These factors were sustenance, stimulation, support, structure and surveillance. Factors such as educational levels were closely linked to income levels. The higher the educational level the better the income for the caregiver. The Child Support Grant was a major source of income for the majority of caregivers. Low levels of income also meant that the caregivers were unable to provide adequate nutrition to children.The social factors focused on in this study was public policies which make provision for care resources, parenting practice, support systems, and the gender practices of caregivers. The consequences of inadequate care were examined through focusing on the children and the associated developmental delays experienced by them. The study found that while good public policies exists not enough resources were available to enable these policies to increase the well-being of people at community level. The lack of resources available for caring in the Groblershoop community impacted on parenting practices of caregivers. Caregivers in this study, due to the lack of resources as well as other factors such as limited knowledge of child care, resulted in care being considered inadequate using the World Health Organisation’s five elements of care. Gender practices among the caregivers are based on the stereotypical gender roles which sanction the ideology of patriarchy. Women are the primary caregivers and the biological fathers were absent from the caring process. The environmental factors that were explored in this study were the climate, the physical home environment and the neighbourhood condition. Due to the excessive summer heat and the harsh cold of winter, physical activity and movement in the community is severely hampered. During summer, families sleep outside as the housing structures are built in a way that retains the heat and is freezing in the winter. Dwellings are small and typically compromises of a big room sub-divided by the family themselves. No ablution facilities are available inside dwellings and some homes still make use of chemical toilets and pit latrines.Crime and violence is closely linked to the alcohol usage at the local shebeens. These factors impact on caregiving as the environment with the lack of facilities and the harsh climate lends itself to fostering of illnesses amongst children.The study concludes that the personal, social and environmental factors significantly influence the caregiver’s ability to provide care to children from birth to six years in Groblershoop. To assist the development of children, it is essential that the above factors are considered as they influence the ability of the caregiver to use resources to achieve wellbeing. The findings of this study provides a good argument for an integrated coordinated approach to service delivery which takes into account the distinct challenges of rural communities, with regards to their distance from urban centres and the current lack of infrastructure within these communities. The study highlights the importance of focusing on how resources can effectively improve the quality of life of caregivers in communities as opposed to just making resources available and ensuring uptake. As this study demonstrates through the Human Capabilities lens, that resources alone do not result in people being able to live the lives they value. Ensuring that they are able to convert the resources into wellbeing should be the focus of how the State evaluates the effectiveness of programmes. November 2009

The thesis is focused on the actual problém of the Czech Republic, which is the issue of unemployment and higher participation of persons over 50 years of age on the labour market, growing mainly due to demographic developments and prolonging retirement age due to the pension reform. Persons older than 50 years are a specific group in terms of the labour market, which has special characteristics and needs the individual approach The main objective of this thesis is to analyse the labour market of older workers for the period 2000 - 2012 in terms of 4 factors, which are - gender, level of education, specialization and territorial allocations and then compare the disparities of this labour market with the employment policy in the Czech Republic. This comparison will provide the answer to the research question - whether employment policy meets the needs of the labour market of persons over 50 years of age.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur förskolebarn i en ålder av tre till fem år utforskar hur enkel teknik fungerar och hur pedagogerna kan hjälpa barnen med detta. En ökad kunskap om barns lärande inom ämnet teknik kan vara till nytta för den vardagliga verksamheten. För att få insikt i barnens utforskande användes ostrukturerade kvalitativa observationer som metod. Även användes kvalitativa semi-strukturerade intervjuer för att få kännedom om hur pedagogerna ser på teknik och hur de anser att barn upptäcker teknik. Resultatet visar att barnens utforskande påverkas hur pedagogerna ställer frågor. Dessutom visar observationerna att barn lär sig genom  att göra och att de utforskar med hela sin kropp. Det kan även konkluderas att pedagogerna känner sig okunniga inom ämnet. / The purpose of this study is to examine how preschool children at the age of three to five years explore how simple technology works and how teachers can help them with this. A better understanding of children's learning in the subject can be beneficial for daily activities. To gain insight into children's exploratorations, unstructured qualitative observation method was used. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were also used to ascertain how teachers look at technology and how they think children discover technology. The results show that children's exploration is influenced by the way the teachers ask their questions. Moreover, the observations show that children learn by doing, and that they explore with their entire body. It can even be concluded that the teachers feel ignorant on this subject.

The objective of this research was to establish what the influence of gestalt group playtherapy on the self-esteem of primary schoolgirls in a children’s home would be. The goals of the research were to build a knowledge basis by means of a literature study and consultation with experts in the field. The aim of this knowledge basis was the needs and developmental characteristics of the middle childhood years, the characteristics and problems encountered by the children’s home child, to assess by means of an empirical study what the influence of gestalt group playtherapy on the self-esteem of the child in the middle childhood years in a children’s home would be and the nature and scope of gestalt therapy. The study also had the further aim to make recommendations for the use and appropriate application of social workers working in the field of children’s welfare, especially the children’s home. For the empirical study the dominant-less-dominant model was used. The dominant data collection measure that was used, was of the quantitative kind with a small component of qualitative study to support the last mentioned quantitative investigation. Six respondents were identified and engaged in eight group playtherapeutic sessions. Applied research was used as the researcher aimed to find a solution for the problem of low self-esteem in specific children, namely the primary school child in the children’s home. The research resorted under the sub-category of intervention-knowledge-development. This type of research focuses on the practical application of research. The research design that researcher utilized, was the quasi-experimental design where one group pretest-posttest was being used. This design is useful to assess how an independent variable would influence a specific group. The data collection methods used were questionnaires, unstructured observation and the study of respondent’s case records. Empirical data results indicated the following: - the child in a children’s home has weak self-esteem; - the child in a children’s home has problems binding with the peer group; - respondents could already identify and regulate emotions in themselves and understand that emotions are not always correctly observed and interpreted in others; - respondent were very negative towards the children’s home and their committal to the home; - gestalt group playtherapy has a significant influence on the self-esteem of the above mentioned child. The research lead to specific recommendations addressed to parents, teachers, social workers and housemothers aiding them regarding the improvement of a child’s self-esteem. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the teaching that is conducted in relation to sustainable development within the community-oriented subjects for grades 1–3. Both qualitative and quantitative collection methods have been selected to provide answers to the study's purpose and research questions. The primary qualitative collection method used in this study was semi-structured interviews with both teachers and pupils. As a quantitative collection method, a web survey was chosen to strengthen the study's reliability and validity. The collected material was processed by using a qualitative content analysis where the results were categorized into different categories and then presented based on the study's research questions. The study's results show that both teachers and pupils have some difficulties regarding the interpretation of the concept of sustainable development. However, there is some knowledge that in one way or another relates to sustainable development. Teachers around the country participated in the web survey, where most of the participants showed a greater understanding of the concept. The teaching described by the teachers from the study is mainly practical, but also very comprehensive with a great focus on things that concern the environment. The result also shows that the teaching that concerns sustainable development is considered to be important for the continued interest and learning among the pupils in the study. In order to create a meaningful teaching, the participants in the study believe that the teaching must be varied and closely anchored with the pupils where participation is highly valued. / Syftet med denna studie är att belysa den undervisning som bedrivs i relation till hållbar utveckling inom de samhällsorienterade ämnena för årskurserna 1–3. Både kvalitativa samt kvantitativa insamlingsmetoder har valts ut för att ge svar åt studiens syfte och forskningsfrågor. Den primära kvalitativa insamlingsmetoden i denna studie var semistrukturerade intervjuer med lärare och elever. Som kvantitativ insamlingsmetod valdes en webbenkätsundersökning för att stärka studiens reliabilitet samt validitet. Det insamlade materialet har bearbetats genom att använda en kvalitativ innehållsanalys där resultatet kategoriserades i olika kategorier för att sedan kunna presenteras utifrån studiens forskningsfrågor. Studiens resultat visar att både lärare och elever har en del svårigheter angående tolkningen av begreppet hållbar utveckling. Däremot finns en del kunskaper som på ett eller annat sätt rör hållbar utveckling. I webbenkätundersökningen deltog lärare runt om i landet, där flertalet av deltagarna visade en större förståelse för begreppet. Den undervisning som beskrivits av lärarna från studien är främst praktisk, men också mycket övergripande med stort fokus på sådant som rör miljön. Resultatet visar också att undervisningen som berör hållbar utveckling anses enligt lärarna i studien som betydelsefull för fortsatt intresse och lärande bland eleverna. För att skapa en betydelsefull undervisning menar deltagarna i studien att undervisningen måste vara varierad samt nära förankrad med eleverna där delaktighet värderas högt.

Children in early childhood are still suffering from burdens of malaria-related morbidity and mortality. There have been insufficient studies on how family-level factors may predict the prevalence of malaria (PoM), and negatively impact the control of malaria in rural areas, especially among children. In this study, potential family factors were explored to address the challenges associated with the increase in PoM among the children in rural areas of Nsukka. Socioecological framework guided this study at the interpersonal level. The quantitative cross-sectional study used secondary data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 2015 in Nsukka rural communities. Data were analyzed using chi-square analysis and multinomial logistic regression. The result showed a statistically significant relationship (P<0.05) between the age group susceptibility among children. There were statistically significant relationships between the family’s ownership of land for agricultural use, the family’s choice of a treatment facility and socioeconomic status. The couple’s extent of effective communication and whether the children in early childhood slept under the mosquito net showed statistically significant results. Positive social change implications depicted organizational level benefit that may help UNICEF and WHO by recruiting representatives in the distribution of preventive, control and treatment of malaria to the rural areas. Empowerment of women in the household to attend to their children during an emergency and standard housing policy initiative such as Family in Children (FIC) address both individual and societal levels, respectively.