How do gender and socioeconomic backgrounds affect students’ academic performance, educational choices and attitudes towards education? Moreover, does class play the same role for girls and boys? In order to find this out, I surveyed students in a small province located in the northern inlands of Sweden. The survey was answered by nearly every student in the ninth grade of that year, a total of 160 people. The results revealed that girls in this area have less faith in their capabilities than boys, despite getting much better grades. Many more girls than boys want to go onto college or university studies. In the end, I also found that girls like school much more than boys do. Socioeconomic background played a large role in all areas, except for attitudes towards education. Class was also found to have a much greater impact on boys than on girls, sometimes -as in regards to future studies - up to four times

Higher education systems are imperative to social and economic upliftment in any society, the ability of the national labour force and income disparity differentials between members of the populous are directly associated to academic achievement and associated pass rates in higher education. The apparent utility of higher education is however overshadowed by poor student retention, academic performance and consequent pass rates and is an issue of concern at both an international and local level. The identification of factors that could potentially improve student academic performance and consequent attainment of a tertiary qualification is becoming an increasingly important field of research. Research into such factors would have wide reaching implications in South Africa, where high unemployment rates and talent migration plague efforts to build a strong national economy. The primary imperatives of this research undertaking were to investigate the relationship between hope, social support, fluid intelligence and academic achievement in the form of grade point average (GPA), as well as determine the extent to which hope and social support moderate the relationship between fluid intelligence and GPA. The research method is comprised of a literature review and empirical study. Data collection was conducted via a cross-sectional survey design, with an availability sample (N = 308) being taken from first year students at a higher educational institution. The Hope Scale (HS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Abstract Reasoning Test (ART) and biographical questionnaire were administered. Statistical analysis was carried out with the SPSS 20.0 programme. Principle component factor analysis provided confirmation of a four factor structure for the MSPSS, with the resultant factors being labelled Friend Support, Significant Other Support, Family Support and Lecturer Support. In this study the original 3 factor structure of the MSPSS was supplemented by adding the fourth dimension of lecturer support. A two factor structure for the HS was confirmed, with the resultant factors being labelled Agency Hope and Pathways Hope. All utilised scales indicated acceptable levels of reliability, with the resultant Cronbach alpha statistics ranging from 0,75 to 0,89. Pearson correlation coefficient correlations gave indication of a statistically and practically significant correlation of positive medium effect between fluid intelligence and grade point average. Social support from lecturers showed statistically and practically significant correlations of medium effect with social support from friends. Pathways hope was statistically and practically related to agency hope with a positive medium effect. No practically significant relations in this sample could be established between hope and grade point average and social support and grade point average. Statistically significant relations were established between lecturer social support and fluid intelligence and between agency hope and social support from significant other sources. The ability of fluid intelligence to predict grade point average was proven via regression analysis in which fluid intelligence was found to be a statistically significant predictor of grade point average. Proposed moderating effects of hope and social support on the relation between fluid intelligence and grade point average were tested via multiple regression analysis. Results indicated that within the parameters of the research sample in this study, no statistically significant moderating effects could be established for hope or social support. Based on these findings, a hypothesised cause for such relations was established based on the characteristics of the current research sample and research literature. Recommendations for future research were made, as well as organisational recommendations for the participating higher educational facility. / MA, Industrial Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

One of the great challenges for positive psychology is that academics, researchers and authors are yet to reach agreement on the terminology, constructs and methodology of the various positive psychological concepts and interventions. One such concept that has been ambiguously and often inconsistently conceptualised is happiness. Interventions that are structured around these conceptualisations have produced mixed results, which are attributable to various aspects such as the unidimensional conceptualisation of the concept, inconsistent measurement, psychometric measuring instruments that have not been validated for the population in question, and fragmented intervention methodologies. Research was, therefore, needed regarding happiness and the development of interventions aimed at increasing happiness. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the concept, manifestation, measurement and development of happiness and positive psychological interventions (PPIs) within a tertiary educational environment. A mixed method research approach was followed to reach the research objectives. The first study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of positive psychological assessment measures, and to determine the relationship between flourishing and academic performance within a tertiary educational institution. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used to address this objective. The Mental Health Continuum Long Form, Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered and indicated acceptable levels of internal consistency. The MHC-LF would need to be adapted for future studies within the tertiary educational environment. No significant correlations could be established between academic performance and flourishing. However, cross-tabulation indicated some evidence of the impact that flourishing/languishing had on academic performance. Individuals with moderate levels of flourishing typically performed in the „above average‟ to „excelling academically‟ range. Languishing individuals performed at the lower levels of the academic performance spectrum. The results indicated that a large number of individuals within this tertiary educational environment were languishing. Flourishing students experienced higher levels of positive affect and satisfaction with life, as well as lower levels of negative affect than their languishing and moderately flourishing counterparts. The second study aimed to investigate the main streams of research on happiness, the approaches/models flowing from these philosophies and the methodology of happiness interventions. A quantitative meta-analysis of the literature was used to address the aforementioned research objective. Seeing that the literature presents with such incongruent findings regarding the effectiveness of PPIs, research was needed to establish how happiness should be conceptualised, which moderating factors should be addressed in this conceptualisation, and what the content of PPIs should be. A qualitative meta-analysis of the literature indicated that happiness is approached from either a hedonic, eudaimonic or integrated approach. These philosophies gave birth to a stream of scientific literature regarding happiness and its various conceptualisations, namely (a) Subjective well-being; (b) Hedonic well-being; (c) Eudaimonic well-being; (d) Psychological well-being; (e) Flourishing, and (f) Authentic happiness. Furthermore, the results highlighted three causes for failing interventions: (a) unidimensional models/approaches towards happiness, (b) targeting the concept of happiness instead of the mediating factors; and (c) fragmented methodological interventions. The study suggested a multidimensional model for happiness and happiness interventions. Furthermore, the study proposed a multifaceted methodology for happiness interventions, comprising self-administered intentional activities, group-administered interventions and individual coaching. The third study aimed to evaluate a PPI aimed at increasing happiness of students in a tertiary educational institution. A longitudinal pre-experimental research design was used to address the aforementioned research objective. Qualitative data were used to explore the findings further. The results indicated that the overall happiness of a student may be increased through developing individuals on both an emotional and psychological level. The results showed some scientific merit to a multifaceted approach towards PPIs. The PPI affected all the aspects conceptualised in this study except for two components of authenticity, namely authentic behaviour and relational orientations. / PhD, Industrial Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

The learning style theories, specifically the styles of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic, can have a significant influence on boosting the overall academic performance of students across the globe. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the qualities and implications of each style, whether positive or negative, on the individual achievement of each learner. Although much evidence has pointed to the importance of its application in the classroom, there has been research on the significance of other factors, such as neurological aspects, external influences, and controllable disciplinary actions. There is still much research to be done in regards to educational development, but one important takeaway for practice is the ability of an individual to realize their learning style in the classroom, ultimately allowing for the successful translation into various actions on daily life.

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2006. / Thesis advisor: Carol Carter-Lowery. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-75). Also available via the World Wide Web.

abstract: Research on the impact of stress on the academic performance of Hispanic undergraduate students is limited, leaving institutions of higher education without needed information about how to better support this growing population of students. The purpose of this study was to identify stressors that have a negative impact on academic performance of Hispanic undergraduate students. Themes were derived from focus groups and interviews regarding stress, stressors and related academic performance impacts of Hispanic undergraduate students attending a large multi-campus urban university and incorporated into a survey addressing common stressors, their impact on academic performance, stress impact on other areas of life, stress management ability, and demographic characteristics. The survey was administered to a random sample of Hispanic undergraduate students using an online format (n = 169). Descriptive statistics were used to examine frequencies. Stressors were placed into themes and tested for reliability of fit using Cronbach's Alpha. Pearson's Chi-Square and Cramer's V were used to measure association. Significance was set at ¡Ü .05. Overall stress of respondents resulted in serious performance effects among 32.5% of respondents and moderate performance effects among 43.8% of respondents. Stress impeded academic performance at least weekly among 36.1% of respondents. Stressors resulting in the most serious stress and academic performance effects included family, time factors, finances, and academics. Moderate stress and academic performance effects were evident in stressors related to mental health, technology, commuting, personal concerns, physical health and legal problems. The majority of respondents indicated doing a fair (n = 84, 49.7%) or good (n = 52, 30.8%) job managing stress. The remaining 20.0% (n = 33) of respondents did a poor job managing stress. Students with lower grade-point averages managed stress poorly compared to students with higher grade-point averages, X2 (6, N = 163) = 15.222, p = .019, Cramer's V = .019. These findings provide evidence that stressors related to family, time factors, finances, and academics, and overall stress have considerable negative effects on the academic performance of Hispanic undergraduate students. Institutions of higher education can improve academic outcomes among this student population by addressing and reducing the impact of common stressors affecting these students. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Higher and Postsecondary Education 2012

This study reports on an investigation of the effects of busing on the academic performance and selected school-related attitudes of white fourth- and fifth-grade students in urban elementary schools. The 900 subjects of this study included 169 fourth-grade bused white students, 298 fourth-grade non-bused white students, 189 fifth-grade bused white students, and 264 fifth-grade non-bused white students, all assigned to desegregated schools. Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn. 1) When middle-class, white fourth-grade students are bused to desegregated schools similar to their neighborhood schools, they can be expected to sustain positive attitudes about school and self. 2) The achievement made by fourth-grade bused white students in desegregated schools can be anticipated to be equivalent to the achievement of non-bused white students in desegregated neighborhood schools. 3) When middle-class, white fifth-grade students are bused to desegregated schools similar to their neighborhood schools, they can be expected to sustain positive attitudes about school and self. 4) The achievement made by fifth-grade bused white students in desegregated schools can be anticipated to be equivalent to the achievement of non-bused white students in desegregated neighborhood schools. 5) The effects of busing on middle-class, white fourth- and fifth-grade students transported to environments similar to their former schools appear unrelated to school achievement and attitudinal factors toward school.

Introdução: a situação de risco ou vulnerabilidade social pode afetar importantes aspectos do desenvolvimento de crianças e programas de intervenção são imporantes para promover o desenvolvimento de crianças nessa situação. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: investigar o desempenho em habilidades motoras fundamentais (HMF), o estado nutricional, a auto percepção de competência (PC) e o desempenho escolar (DE) de crianças em vulnerabilidade social de acordo com: (1) sexo (2) com a idade; (3) verificar o impacto de uma intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria nesssas variáveis e (4) verificar como as associações entre o desempenho motor e escolar, o estado nutricional, a auto percepção de competência, o sexo e a idade nessas crianças se estabelecem a priori e como um programa de intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria pode promover alterações nas relações entre essas variáveis. Método: participaram deste estudo 211 crianças em situação de vulnerabilidade social, de ambos os sexos (87 meninas, 41%), com idade entre sete e 10 anos (M=8.3, DP=0.9) provenientes de escolas públicas do Ceará, Brasil. O Test of Gross Motor Development – 2 foi empregado para verificar o desempenho em HMF das crianças. O estado nutricional foi analisado por meio do índice de massa corporal (IMC) para idade. A “Self-Perception Profile for Children" foi utilizada para avaliar a PC. O desempenho de leitura, escrita e aritmética foi avaliado por meio do Teste de Desempenho Escolar. No estudo interventivo, 117 crianças compuseram o grupo de intervenção (IG), 45 meninas, 38,5%) e 94 o grupo de comparação (CG), 65 meninas, 55,6%). A intervenção foi realizada em 36 sessões / 140 minutos cada sessão (60 minutos de atividades acadêmicas, 20 minutos de descanso e lanche e 60 minutos de práticas motoras), três vezes por semana durante 12 semanas A intervenção foi implementada o clima de motivação para a maestria. Resultados: análises multivariadas de covariância (MANCOVA) ajustadas pela idade não mostraram efeito significativo do sexo nas habilidades locomotoras (=0.945 F(6,203)=1.963 p=0.073 ²=0.055). Houve efeito do sexo nas habilidades de controle de objetos (=0.848 F(6,203)=6.052 p<0.001 ²=0.152); sendo observado desempenho superior dos meninos no rebater, no chutar, no arremesso por cima e no rolar. Análises de coraviância não paramétrica de Quade não mostraram diferenças no IMC bruto entre os sexos. A maioria das crianças apresentou peso saúdável (90.8%, meninas e 91.9% meninos). A MANCOVA não mostrou efeito do sexo sobre as dimensões da PC (=0.991 F(6,203)=2.508 p=0.931 ²=0.009). A maioria das crianças reportou percepção moderada. Não houve efeito do sexo no DE (=0.980 F(4,203)=1.058 p=0.378 ²=0.020). Em ambos os sexos, os resultados indicaram desempenho categorizado como inferior (entre 65.3% e 93.5% das crianças). A análise multivariada de variância (MANOVA) mostrou efeito da idade no salto horizontal (entre 9 e 10 anos), na corrida lateral (7 em relação as outras idades), no receber (7 e 10 anos) e no rolar (7 anos em relação a 8 e 10 anos). A maioria das crianças mostrou proficiência pobre. Houve diferenças significativas no IMC na maioria das idades. A MANOVA mostrou efeito da idade no desempenho escolar (DE) com as crianças de 7 demonstrando menor desempenho na escrita comparadas as de 9 e 10 anos. Na aritmética, na leitura e no desempenho escolar geral as crianças de sete anos mostraram menor desempenho em relação as outras idades. Não houve diferenças entre as idades de 8, 9 e 10 anos no DE. A MANOVA não mostrou efeito da idade na PC As crianças reportaram auto percepção moderada. Um percentual elevado de crianças mais jovens mostrou baixo peso para idade. Em todas as idades, a maioria das crianças mostrou desempenho inferior. Sobre o programa de intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria, houve impacto significativo no desempenho motor e escolar das crianças. Os resultados não mostram impacto do programa sobre a percepção de conduta comportamental nas crianças mais velha e sobre a autopercepção de aparência física das crianças em geral. Houve aumento significativo e com moderados a altos tamanhos de efeito nas outras dimensões da autopercepção de competência e no autovalor global das crianças. A estrutura das relações entre a maioria das variáveis mostrou similaridade entre o pré e pós intervenção. Mudanças no papel que algumas variáveis exerciam na estrutura das relações também foram observadas. Após o programa de intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria. As crianças aumentaram suas competências e as suas percepções e ao final da intervenção, dentre todas as variáveis, as percepções sobre a própria aparência física, sobre a aceitação social e sobre a conduta comportamental passaram a ter um papel mais central na rede. Conclusão: meninos e meninas em vulnerabilidade social mostraram desempenho pobre na maioria das habilidades motoras, auto percepção de competências moderada e desempenho escolar pobre. Os resultados ainda sugerem uma estabilização no desempenho de HMF, na PC, atrasos no DE além de alta prevalência de baixo peso nas crianças mais jovens em situação de vulnerabilidade social A intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria repercuteu positivamente no desempenho motor e acadêmico e nas auto percepções da competência das crianças que vivem a vulnerabilidade socioeconômica, reforçando o papel das intervenções que ajudam as crianças a se tornarem mais precisas e a percepção das próprias competências nos diferentes domínios do comportamento humano. o clima de motivação para a maestria causou impacto positivo sobre a maioria das variáveis investigadas reforçando a implementação de estratégias motivacionais efetivas e práticas apropriadas que permitem à criança experiências que respeitem seus recursos e restrições físicas e gerem satisfação, autonomia e motivação para realização. Ainda, no presente estudo, uma vez que as crianças aumentaram suas habilidades e suas percepções de competência talvez elas passaram a ter mais necessidade de utilizar as informações oriundas de parâmetros externos para manterem reforçando positivamente os julgamentos sobre a própria competência. / Introduction: The risk situation or social vulnerability can affect important aspects of child development and intervention programs are important to promote the development of children in this situation. The objectives of this study were: to investigate the performance in fundamental motor skills (HMF), nutritional status, self-perception of competence (CP) and school performance (SD) of children in social vulnerability according to: 1) gender; 2) with age; (3) to verify the impact of an intervention with the climate of motivation for mastery of these variables, and (4) to verify how the associations between motor performance and schooling, nutritional status, self-perception of competence, sex and age in these Children are established a priori and as an intervention program with the mood of mastery motivation can promote changes in the relationships between these variables. Method: 211 children in socially vulnerable situations (87 girls, 41%), aged seven to 10 years old (M = 8.3, SD = 0.9) from public schools in Ceará, Brazil participated in this study. The Test of Gross Motor Development - 2 was used to verify the performance in HMF of the children. The nutritional status was analyzed by means of the body mass index (BMI) for age. The performance of reading, writing and arithmetic was assessed by means of the School Performance Test. In the intervention study, 117 children comprised the intervention group (GI), 45 Girls, 38.5%) and 94 the comparison group (CG), 65 girls, 55.6%) The intervention was performed in 36 sessions / 140 minutes each session (60 minutes of academic activities, 20 minutes of rest and Snack and 60 minutes of motor skills), three times a week for 12 weeks, and the motivation climate for mastery was implemented. Results: multivariate analyzes of covariance (MANCOVA) adjusted for age did not show significant effect of gender on locomotor skills ( = 0.945 F (6.203) = 1.963 p = 0.073 ² = 0.055). There was gender effect on the control abilities of objects ( = 0.848 F (6.203) = 6.052 p <0.001 ² = 0.152); Being observed superior performance of the boys in the rebater, in the kick, in the throw over and in the roll. Quade's non-parametric analysis showed no difference in gross BMI between the sexes. The majority of the children presented healthy weight (90.8%, girls and 91.9% boys). MANCOVA did not show sex effect on PC dimensions ( = 0.991 F (6.203) = 2.508 p = 0.931 ² = 0.009). Most children reported moderate perception. There was no effect of sex on ED ( = 0.980 F (4.203) = 1.058 p = 0.378 ² = 0.020). In both sexes, the results indicated performance categorized as inferior (between 65.3% and 93.5% of the children) The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed the effect of age on the horizontal jump (between 9 and 10 years), on lateral running (7 in relation to other ages), on receiving (7 and 10 years) and on rolling (7 years in To 8 and 10 years). Most children showed poor proficiency. There were significant differences in BMI at most ages. MANOVA showed an effect of age on school performance (SD) with the children of 7 demonstrating a lower performance in writing compared to 9 and 10 years. In arithmetic, reading, and overall school performance, seven-year-olds showed lower performance than other ages. There were no differences between the ages of 8, 9 and 10 years in ED. MANOVA showed no effect of age on CP. The children reported moderate self-perception. A high percentage of younger children showed low weight for age. In all ages, most children showed inferior performance. Regarding the intervention program with the climate of motivation for mastery, there was a significant impact on children's motor and school performance. The results do not show the program's impact on the perception of behavioral behavior in older children and on the self-perception of the physical appearance of the children in general. There was a significant increase and with moderate to high effect sizes in the other dimensions of self-rated competence and the overall self-worth of children The structure of the relationships between the majority of the variables showed similarity between the pre and post intervention. Changes in the role played by some variables in the structure of relationships were also observed. After the intervention program with the mood of motivation for mastery. Children increased their skills and perceptions and at the end of the intervention, among all variables, perceptions about one's physical appearance, social acceptance and behavioral behavior began to play a more central role in the network. Conclusion: boys and girls in social vulnerability showed poor performance in most motor skills, self-perception of moderate skills and poor school performance. The results also suggest a stabilization in the performance of HMF, PC, delays in ED in addition to high prevalence of underweight in younger children in situations of social vulnerability. Intervention with the motivation climate for mastery had a positive impact on motor and academic performance and self-perceptions of the competence of children living with socioeconomic vulnerability, reinforcing the role of interventions that help children become more precise and the perception of their own Competence in the different domains of human behavior. The motivation climate for mastery has had a positive impact on most of the investigated variables, reinforcing the implementation of effective motivational strategies and appropriate practices that allow the child experiences that respect their resources and physical constraints and generate satisfaction, autonomy and motivation for achievement. Also, in the present study, since children have increased their abilities and perceptions of competence, they may have become more in need of using information from external parameters in order to positively reinforce the judgments about their own competence.

Submitted by MEIRIELEN FREITAS (meirielengfreitas@gmail.com) on 2015-08-04T11:25:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Meirielen_Freitas.pdf: 1835757 bytes, checksum: 98155decce5c8a8373eb5f172584c862 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Auxiliadora da Silva Lopes (silopes@ufba.br) on 2015-08-27T18:33:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Meirielen_Freitas.pdf: 1835757 bytes, checksum: 98155decce5c8a8373eb5f172584c862 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-27T18:33:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Meirielen_Freitas.pdf: 1835757 bytes, checksum: 98155decce5c8a8373eb5f172584c862 (MD5) / CAPES/OBEDUC / O presente trabalho teve por objetivo analisar o ingresso, a permanência e o desempenho acadêmico dos estudantes com deficiência no ensino superior na Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA). Para isso, pontuaram-se as dificuldades enfrentadas por esse público no ensino básico, assim como as barreiras existentes no acesso, ingresso e permanência no ensino superior, considerando o tipo de deficiência, curso, renda, sexo, idade, cor e etnia. O estudo investigou essa problemática a partir de uma fundamentação teórica delineando conceito de eficácia (enquanto campo da pesquisa de avaliação em educação), equidade (como princípio de justiça e elemento básico no alcance à educação) e os estudos sobre a deficiência e inclusão. Fundamentou-se, também, no direito à educação e nas políticas públicas que focalizam os direitos de pessoas com deficiência. Para tanto, empreendeu-se a pesquisa de abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa. No enfoque quantitativo, utilizou-se a base de dados da UFBA, com informações dos estudantes inscritos no vestibular e matriculados em cursos de graduação, no período de 2005 a 2013. As informações da abordagem qualitativa foram coletadas por meio da entrevista semiestruturada e análise de alguns documentos da Instituição. Os resultados apontaram que a proporção de estudantes com deficiência que ingressaram na universidade seguiu a tendência nacional de crescimento, tendo em vista que em 2005 as matrículas representaram 0,08%, passando para 0,28% em 2013. Os estudantes com deficiência predominaram (52%) nos cursos pertencentes à área de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas. Aqueles com deficiência física foram os que mais se inscreveram nos vestibulares no período analisado. Entre os 58 matriculados, 45% foram com deficiência física, 40% com deficiência visual e 15% com deficiência auditiva. Quanto ao gênero, 55% eram do sexo masculino e 45%, feminino. Constatou-se também que 7% dos estudantes com deficiência vivem com até um salário mínimo por mês, um importante entrecruzamento no processo de exclusão social. A distorção idade-série se apresentou em 34% dos estudantes com deficiência, com idade superior a 24 anos. Constatou-se que quase 50% desses estudantes se identificaram de etnia, cor ou raça parda. Quanto ao desempenho notou-se uma aparente semelhança entre os estudantes com deficiência e os demais estudantes na universidade. / ABSTRACT The present study aimed to analyse the entry, stay and academic performance of the students with disabilities in higher education at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA).To achieve this, the difficulties faced by this public in the basic education, as well as existing barriers to access, enter and remain in higher education, considering the type of disability, course, income, gender, age, race and ethnicity are going to be considered. The study investigated this problematic from a theoretical framework outlining the concept of efficacy (as in the field of education evaluation research), equity (as a principle of justice and basic element in achieving education) and studies on disability and inclusion. It was also based on the right to education and public policies that focus on the rights of people with disabilities. Therefore, it undertook a quantitative and qualitative approach on this research. In the quantitative approach, it was used the UFBA database with information of students enrolled in the college entrance examination and enrolled in graduate courses in the 2005-2013 period. The information of a qualitative approach were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysis of some documents from the Institution. The results showed that the proportion of disabled students who entered the university followed the national growth trend, given that in 2005 the enrollment represented 0.08% to 0.28% in 2013. Students with disabilities predominated (52%) in the courses belonging to the area of Philosophy and Human Sciences. Those with physical disabilities represented the majority who were enrolled in college entrance exams during the study period. Among the 58 enrolled, 45% were physically disabled, 40% visually impaired and 15% of hearing-impaired. As to gender, 55% were male and 45% female. Almost 7% of students with disabilities live up to one minimum salary per month, an important intersection in the social exclusion process. The age-grade distortion was apparent in 34% of students with disabilities, older than 24 years. It was stated that almost 50% of these students were identified ethnicity, color or brown race. As for the performance, it was noted an apparent similarity between students with disabilities and other students at the university.

Submitted by Oliveira Santos Dilzaná (dilznana@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-04-18T12:40:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO - CARLA OLIVEIRA DE CARVALHO.pdf: 2206488 bytes, checksum: 04b699664115c461a0ef6f97a1fabfcb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Portela (anapoli@ufba.br) on 2016-04-28T19:25:58Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO - CARLA OLIVEIRA DE CARVALHO.pdf: 2206488 bytes, checksum: 04b699664115c461a0ef6f97a1fabfcb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T19:25:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO - CARLA OLIVEIRA DE CARVALHO.pdf: 2206488 bytes, checksum: 04b699664115c461a0ef6f97a1fabfcb (MD5) / CAPES / Os Mapas Pensantes® são um conjunto de recursos visuais de ensino associados a processos cognitivos que vem sendo usado para intervenções em ambientes de aprendizagem. Atualmente sugere-se que, ao ser usado por professores no contexto escolar, atuam como uma linguagem comum, aprimorando a aprendizagem e transformando informações em conhecimento ativo, além de facilitar a comunicação e compartilhamento de reflexões lógicas. Os estudos indicam que o uso dos Mapas Pensantes® promovem o desenvolvimento acadêmico, ampliação do vocabulário, aprimoramento da compreensão de leitura e do raciocínio matemático, além de desenvolver habilidades sociais e intrapessoais. Objetivos. O presente trabalho teve por objetivos revisar estudos sobre os Mapas Pensantes®, estabelecendo relações com desenvolvimento da compreensão de leitura à luz do Modelo Multicomponente de Memória Operacional, além de apresentar pesquisa que investigou o impacto do uso dos Mapas Pensantes®, durante as aulas de Língua Portuguesa e Redação, no desenvolvimento da compreensão de leitura de estudantes do 1o ano do ensino médio de uma escola pública. Materiais e Métodos. Participaram da pesquisa 40 adolescentes, com idades entre 15 e 18 anos, estudantes de escola pública situada em região urbana de Salvador - Bahia, Brasil. A amostra foi previamente dividida em dois grupos pelo sistema escolar. Os participantes preencheram questionário sociodemográfico, e foram avaliados quanto à habilidade de compreensão de leitura. Além disso, foram computadas suas notas escolares de Língua Portuguesa e Redação, pré e pós intervenção. Para avaliação da inteligência e como critério de inclusão foi aplicado o teste Matrizes Progressivas de Raven, que avalia a inteligência fluida, excluindo estudantes com déficit intelectual. Os grupos (1 e 2) receberam diferentes quantidade de horas de intervenção (14 ou 6 horas, respectivamente), com uso dos MP durante as aulas de Língua Portuguesa e Redação. O desempenho dos dois grupos foi comparado com uso de testes estatísticos não paramétricos. Resultados. No estudo 1, a revisão da literatura sugere que, sendo a memória operacional uma função cognitiva relevante como preditor para a aprendizagem, o seu processamento exerce efeito na habilidade de compreensão de leitura, que por sua vez influencia no desempenho acadêmico. Estudos também indicam que o uso de recursos visuais e verbais, incluindo organizadores gráficos, contribui para o acionamento dos subsistemas passivos da memória operacional. No estudo 2, os grupos 1 e 2 não apresentaram melhoras na compreensão de leitura, independentemente do número de horas de intervenção com os Mapas Pensantes®. Apesar de ter havido um incremento entre o Momento 1 e o Momento 2 do Grupo 1 nas notas de Redação, este não foi significante. Não houve diferenças nas notas de Língua Portuguesa nos Momentos 1 e 2 para os dois grupos. As análises de correlação mostraram correlação positiva entre a medida de inteligência (RAVEN) e a compreensão de leitura no Grupo 1, mas não no Grupo 2. Em ambos os grupos mostrou-se correlação negativa entre a idade e o desempenho acadêmico, sendo significativo apenas para o Grupo 1. Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que o uso dos Mapas Pensantes® não tiveram impacto no desempenho dos participantes em relação à avaliação de compreensão de leitura em estudantes do 1º ano do ensino médio, independentemente do número de horas de intervenção. Investigações da compreensão de leitura com instrumentos com maior confiabilidade são necessárias para investigar a eficácia dos Mapas Pensantes® como recurso de intervenção para melhoramento do desempenho acadêmico. Mapas Pensantes® are a set of visual teaching resources associated with cognitive processes used for interventions in learning environments. Currently it is suggested that, when used by teachers in school context, act as a common language, improving learning and transforming information into knowledge, facilitating communication and sharing of logical thinking. Studies indicate that the use of Mapas Pensantes® promote academic development, expansion of vocabulary, improvement on reading comprehension and mathematical reasoning, as well as developing social and intrapersonal skills. Objectives: This work aimed to review studies on Mapas Pensantes® establishing relationships with development of reading comprehension in light of the Multi-component Working Memory Model, and to present research that investigated the impact of the use of Mapas Pensantes® during Portuguese Language and Writing classes in the development of reading comprehension of students of the first year of high school from a public school. Materials and Methods: The participants were 40 adolescents, aged between 15 and 18, from a public school students located in the urban area of Salvador - Bahia, Brazil. The sample was previously divided into two groups by the school system. Participants completed sociodemographic questionnaire and were assessed for reading comprehension ability. In addition, their Portuguese Language and Writing grades were computed, pre and post intervention. For evaluation of intelligence and as inclusion criterion was applied Raven's Progressive Matrices test, which evaluates the fluid intelligence, excluding students with intellectual deficit. Groups (1 and 2) had different amount of hours of intervention (14 or 6 hours, respectively) using the Mapas Pensantes® during the Portuguese Language and Writing classes. The performance of the two groups was compared using non-parametric statistical tests. Results: In study 1, the literature review suggests that working memory is an important cognitive function as a predictor for learning, and that its processing has an effect on the ability of reading comprehension, which in turn influences on academic performance. Studies also indicate that the use of visual and verbal resources, including graphic organizers, contributes to the activation of the working memory passive subsystems. In study 2, groups 1 and 2 showed no improvement in reading comprehension, regardless of the number of hours of intervention using Mapas Pensantes®. Although there was an increase between Moment 1 and Moment 2 of Group 1 in Writing grades, this was not significant. There were no differences in the Portuguese Language grades in Moment 1 and Moment 2 for the two groups. Correlation analysis showed positive correlation between measured intelligence (RAVEN) and reading comprehension in Group 1, but not in Group 2. Both groups showed a negative correlation between age and academic performance, but only significantly for Group 1. Conclusion: The results suggest that the use of Mapas Pensantes® had no impact on the performance of participants with regard to reading comprehension assessment in students of the 1st year of high school, regardless of the number of hours of intervention. Reading comprehension investigations using instruments with greater reliability are necessary in order to investigate the effectiveness of Mapas Pensantes® as and intervention resource for improving academic performance.