This study of P.T. Barnum’s American Museum challenges readers to examine Barnum in a new light. An argument is made that P.T. Barnum was a successful museum educator whose philosophies and actions align with three modern museum education discourses: free-choice learning, constructivism, and edutainment. These findings challenge the commonly-held belief that Barnum was simply a showman, best known for his work in the circus and for a quote that has been mis-attributed to him that, “there’s a sucker born every minute.” The research undertaken for this investigation focuses on museums and education in the nineteenth century. This study presents a brief history of the emergence of museums in America, spanning the years 1782–1841. Six museum proprietors are discussed in accordance with their beliefs in three educational philosophies: popular education, useful education and didactic education. A focus is then made towards P.T. Barnum and his American Museum. A brief biography of Barnum prior to his career as a museum proprietor is included. The holdings and organization of the American Museum is described, revealing some of the influence it had on nineteenth-century culture. The thesis concludes by illustrating how Barnum’s American Museum exemplified three forms of education: free-choice learning, constructivism, and edutainment. In it I argue that Barnum was an effective museum educator and his legacy should reflect this important feature of his character. / text

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Sammanfattning Denna studie avser att undersöka ungdomars sexuella handlingsutrymme. Syftet är att studera om det sexuella handlingsutrymmet uppfattas olika när det gäller ungdomar med, respektive utan, en lindrig intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. I analysen har särskild hänsyn tagits till tre bakgrundsfaktorer; ungdomars kön, föräldrars födelseland samt föräldrars religiositet. Definitionen av det sexuella handlingsutrymmet bygger på den unges uppfattning om vårdnadshavarens restriktioner gentemot den unge inom fyra områden; restriktioner i skolan och på fritiden, begränsningar i heterosexuella föräktenskapliga relationer, begränsningar i val av framtida äktenskapspartner samt begränsningar i sexuella relationer innan äktenskap. Studien bygger på en sekundäranalys av kvantitativt datamaterial hämtat från två tidigare studier, Schlytter m.fl. (2009) samt Davidian m.fl. (2012). Det sammanslagna datamaterialet består av 2576 respondenter från årskurs nio i Stockholms stad samt från det nationella programmet på gymnasiesärskolor i Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö och Uppsala. Frågor som i datamaterialet berör restriktioner i skolan och på fritiden, begränsningar i heterosexuella föräktenskapliga relationer, begränsningar i val av framtida äktenskapspartner samt begränsningar i sexuella relationer innan äktenskap har bearbetats. Analysen av materialet har gjorts utifrån tidigare forskning samt teorin om socialkonstruktivism där respektabilitet, sexuella script samt det romantiska kärlekskomplexet och kärleksideologin varit framträdande begrepp/teorier. Studien visar tre huvudsakliga resultat. För det första att ungdomar med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning uppfattar större begräsningar när det gäller sexuella relationer innan äktenskap än vad ungdomar utan en intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. För det andra att ungdomar utan intellektuell funktionsnedsättning uppfattar större begränsningar i valet av sin framtida äktenskapspartner. Slutligen indikerar resultatet att när hänsyn tas till om ungdomar har föräldrar med hög religiositet, eller två utlandsfödda föräldrar, så är skillnaderna mellan ungdomar med och utan intellektuell funktionsnedsättning små. / Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate adolescents’ understandings of opportunities to enact their sexuality both when a mild intellectual disability is present, and is not. In addressing the aim, three background factors have been taken into consideration; gender, parents country of birth and parents religiosity. In determining adolescents understanding of opportunities to enact their sexuality, the study looked at four outcomes; restrictions on schooling and leisure time, the restriction of heterosexual relations before marriage, restrictions in the choice of future husband or wife and restrictions in sexual relations before marriage. The study is based on quantitative data from two previous studies; Schlytter et.al. (2009) and Davidian et.al. (2012). The database contains 2576 respondents from the ninth grade in Stockholm and from the national programs in secondary special school in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo and Uppsala. Variables that handles restrictions in school and on leisure time, restriction in heterosexual relation before marriage, restrictions in the choice of future husband or wife and restriction in sexual relations before marriage has been processed. The results of the study is analysed based on the theory of social constructivism where respectability, sexual script and romantic love and love ideology has been prominent. The study has three major findings. Firstly, adolescents with a mild intellectual disability experience restrictions in sexual relations before marriage more frequently than adolescents without an intellectual disability. Secondly, adolescents without an intellectual disability experience more limitations concerning the ability too freely choose a future husband or wife by themselves in comparison to adolescents with an intellectual disability. Lastly, the results indicate that the difference between adolescents with or without an intellectual disability and ‘room to act’ in relation to sexuality are small when the adolescents’ parents are born outside of Sweden or are considered by the adolescent to be very religious.

A constructivist understanding of policy production as a struggle of meaning in which ideas and actors interact is the point of departure of this thesis. Prostitution policy is a salient example of such a struggle and is thus a suitable case for exploring the role of ideas in politics. The purpose of the thesis is threefold: to explain the process preceding the Swedish ban on the purchase of sexual services in 1998, to understand the dynamics in gendered policy and to develop a framework for policy analysis. In the first part of the thesis a dynamic model of frame analysis is developed consisting of three dimensions to analyze: the politically relevant ideas in terms of policy frames (in this case related to gender and power); ideas as restricting and facilitating for actors; actors’ framing strategies and the consequences of strategic framing in terms of risks and limitations. This comprehensive and dynamic model of frame analysis fills a gap in previous policy research. In the second part of the thesis the dynamic frame analysis is applied to explain Swedish prostitution policy. The empirical analysis contains a study of the policy process preceding the ban of 1998, a micro study of the actors’ involvement at a critical juncture and an analysis of the actors’ strategic framing. The thesis concludes that the process was path dependent in the sense that the institutionalization of different ideas, at different points of time, was important for the final outcome. However, the thesis also concludes that the involvement of the actors’, mostly women, was a decisive factor. In relation to previous research the analysis provides a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the policy process both with regard to the ideas from which the client criminalization claim emanated and also with regard to the actors’ role.

Formal learning contexts often present information to learners in an inert and highly abstract form, making it unlikely that learners would ever use this information in their every-da y lives. Learners do, however, show a greater propensity for retaining information that is seen as having relevance in their lives . Constructivism is an educational paradigm that has gained popularity amongst educationists. The core tenet of this paradigm is that learners learn through interaction with their environment and that all knowledge construction is based on previous life experience. Information that is presented to learners in a contextualised form not only has a better chance of being retained in long-term memory, but also has a greater likelihood of being applied in relevant life situations. This publication deals with the research, design and delivery of important information concerning diseases that have a major impact in Southern Africa. Firstly, learners at the University of Natal, Durban were polled for their existing knowledge concerning four widespread diseases, namely HIV/AIDS , tuberculosis, malaria and cancer. Aspects of these diseases where learners demonstrated a low level of awareness were defined as the primary learning object ives for an educational 3D- immersive microworld. Areas of knowledge concerning the transmission, symptomatic expression, biology and prevention of these diseases were generally not well represented in the learner sample. Hence, information regarding these aspects is presented to learners in a contextualised form within the microworld. Motivation for learners to play in this microworld is provided by a storyline that was researched and written for the portal. In addition, the model used in the storyline design was evaluated for its effectiveness as a tool to be used in the planning of future educational games. A model, the Puzzle Process model, was proposed to inform the design of puzzle interfaces for these types of interactive learning environments, and puzzle interfaces were designed for the virtual environment according to the model guidelines. The learning environment was tested as part of the formative evaluation with a small sample of learners . The testing process made use of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning environment as a possible learning tool. Comparison of pre- and post-gameplay questionnaires showed that learners gained a more indepth and richer understanding of the topics being dealt with in the portal. In particular, the puzzle objects situated in the environment stimulated learners to negotiate meanings for the puzzle interfaces and, in the process, encouraged learners to discuss the topic being dealt with. Results from this study also show that the longer learners discussed and negotiated a certain knowledge domain, the greater their increase in richness of information was for that knowledge domain after gameplay. These results highlight the importance of social dialogue in the knowledge construction process and suggest that environments like these have great potential based on their ability to encourage learners to talk to one another and their facilitators while negotiating mutually acceptable knowledge. The original Puzzle Process model, as well as the Game Achievement model and the Game Object model were modified to account for the need for social dialogue and content. These more comprehensive models are instrumental for use in future virtual world environment design. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004

This study was undertaken in an attempt to improve the vocational training in Electrical Systems and Construction done at the Sedibeng Further Education and Training Colleges. The development of vocational training in South Africa, as well as different approaches to effective teaching and learning, were investigated by doing a literature study. It was determined that a constructivist approach to teaching and learning that advocates an active, learner-centred approach to teaching and learning appears to be the most effective for vocational training. An empirical investigation was conducted to determine possible shortcomings in the current way of teaching, learning and assessment at Sedibeng Further Education and Training College. For this purpose, mixed method research with a triangulation design was employed. The quantitative part of the study utilized descriptive survey research with a questionnaire to establish Level 3 educator and learner viewpoints regarding the current nature of teaching, learning and assessment. A phenomenological strategy was used for the qualitative part of the study, which involved the use of semi-structured interviews with the management staff at the college, to obtain their perspectives regarding training at the college. The quantitative and qualitative data indicated weaknesses in the current approach to teaching, learning and assessment, and that teaching, learning and assessment practices could become more effective by incorporating constructivist teaching, learning and assessment principles that encourage active and interactive learning. Furthermore, a lack of teacher training and a lack of practical experience among educators, as well as inadequate infrastructure and ill-equipped facilities, are major contributing factors to ineffective vocational training. The practical contribution of the study is found in the teaching and learning programme for Electrical Systems and Construction based on constructivist principles that was developed to assist educators to improve the effectiveness of vocational training. / Thesis (PhD (Learning and Teaching))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

Learning and assessment are inextricably intertwined, since assessment not only measures learning, but future learning is also dependent on assessment. The purpose of this two phase sequential mixed-methods study was to examine the interplay between informal and formal assessment in Grade 9 EFAL classrooms in order to gain a better understanding of teachers’ assessment practises. Argued from a constructivist point of view, the study endorses continuous assessment (CASS), which balances informal and formal assessment. In order to direct the study towards the stated purpose, the researcher embarked on a literature study to contextualise English as First Additional Language against the background of educational developments in South Africa since 1994 and to examine assessment of English First Additional Language in an OBE framework. The literature study was followed by an empirical study. By applying a sequential mixed-methods research design, 66 conveniently sampled EFAL teachers in the Johannesburg-North District of the Gauteng Department of Education participated in the quantitative phase of the empirical study. By means of a survey as strategy of inquiry, these teachers completed a questionnaire. Six randomly selected teachers from the initial sample participated in the qualitative phase of the empirical study which followed a case study strategy of inquiry and consisted of individual interviews and observations. The empirical research findings revealed that the sampled teachers experienced the official Departmental documents as regulatory, overwhelming and ambiguous and that they gave more attention to formal assessment than informal assessment. Due to this emphasis on formal assessment, the teachers felt uncertain about the purposes of informal assessment which, as a consequence, was considered as less important than formal assessment. A preference of conventional assessment methods was also disclosed which implied that the sampled teachers were not willing to experiment with alternative assessment methods. In conclusion, the researcher discovered that although CASS was implemented in the sampled teachers’ classrooms, learner-centred teaching founded on constructivism with the aim of encouraging scaffolding, was not high on the teachers’ teaching agendas. / MEd (Learning and Teaching), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

This thesis contributes to the general body of knowledge of research into engineering education. The main scope of the thesis is on enhancing laboratory education. There are three main types of laboratory: virtual, hands-on and remote. The hands-on lab is the oldest and most commonly used medium for experiential education in undergraduate degrees of science and engineering. The literature review of laboratory education has shown that hands-on labs suffer from many disadvantages, which can be overcome by utilizing hybrid laboratory structures that incorporate virtual and/or remote modes. The investigation into enhanced laboratory education is achieved via implementing new technical and pedagogical models of conducting laboratories. The technical model incorporates three access modes (virtual, hands-on and remote) to the laboratory experience in one software package called the TriLab. The TriLab concept has been applied to the Process Control Lab at the Chemical Engineering Department of Loughborough University and has been implemented using LabVIEW. The Joomla web content management system was used to develop an online portal for disseminating the remote component of the TriLab resulting in the first remote lab portal of Loughborough University and one of the few available in the UK. A pedagogical model of laboratory education based on Kolb's experiential learning theory and by the utilization of the TriLab concept is proposed. The model is built on a hypothesis, which states that the poor learning outcomes of hands-on laboratory sessions can be associated with poor activation of the stages of Kolb's experiential learning cycle. It has been proposed that access to a virtual lab in a preparatory session will play a role in activating the stages of Kolb's cycle. To verify this, educational experimentation procedures were designed and applied to two groups, control and experimental. Measurements via pre- and post-lab tests, marks for the laboratory report and the final exam of the module have been performed. The statistical analysis of the measurements has supported the stated hypothesis and solution proposal. The proposed pedagogical model is one of the few that provide a way of conducting laboratory education based on constructivist educational theories. (Continues...).

Much has been written about the way in which e-learning has changed learning in higher education without transforming it to meet the changing needs and expectations of stakeholders in the sector. The beliefs and practices of teachers in the sector have remained largely unchanged despite the widespread adoption of e-learning tools. This study used a phenomenographic approach to identify the conceptual frameworks of practitioners. Among the indicators used to define these frameworks were practitioners’ levels of engagement with e-learning tools and the broader concept of technology-enhanced learning. The study identified limited evidence of the transformation of beliefs and practices in the sector to a more student-centred paradigm, despite the adoption of the language associated with such a change by the majority of practitioners interviewed. It showed how many e-learning initiatives had led to the internalization of such change with the adoption of exemplars and best practice. Examples of externalization (where exemplars were adapted to context and the modifications passed to others) were much more limited. Cases were identified where practitioners had used e-learning as a means of reinforcing the existing, teacher-centred paradigm. The majority of practitioners, however, were identified as being in a ‘transitionary’ state, adopting the language and some of the practices of a ‘transformed’ state. This study, therefore, considered factors influencing the adoption of a more student-centred paradigm through the use of e-learning. Using Activity Theory, the barriers to such change were explained and lessons for future approaches to professional development derived. Through an exploration of collaborative technology-enhanced learning initiatives, the nature of learning communities that should be at the heart of such transformation were identified. This study should, therefore, be of value to practitioners wishing to innovate, those who design and deliver the professional development programmes to support them and those managing such change in HE.

The purpose of this research study is to describe and analyze the self-reported experiences of exemplary high school mathematics teachers who underwent personal and professional transformations in order to develop and use a standards-based, constructivist (SBC) teaching paradigm in their classrooms. These teachers were all past recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), an award that required them to demonstrate that their mathematics instruction was rigorous in the manner described by the NCTM standards. The following research questions are addressed: (a) What are the paths SBC secondary mathematics teachers who received the PAEMST pursued to become highly effective?, (b) What obstacles and challenges did they encounter and how were these obstacles overcome?, and (c) What sustained them on their journeys? The research methodology used to be a narrative inquiry. Following a wide survey of PAEMST recipients, five volunteer participants were chosen for the study. Data were collected from each participant using a one-to-one interview and the written section of each participant's PAEMST application. A narrative was written for each participant describing the path they had followed to become a highly effective high school mathematics teacher. The narrative was sent to each participant, and a follow-up interview was conducted via telephone amending the narrative to reflect the participant's additions and deletions. From the five amended narratives, eight themes were identified: (a) influences; (b) education; (c) professional development; (d) NCTM standards; (e) teaching style: beginning, current, or end of a career; (f) obstacles; (g) personality traits and personal beliefs; and (h) student influence. Several of the themes were supported by previous research. However, this research study discovered two new findings. First, the five participants had common characteristics and beliefs: (a) belief in their students, (b) persistence, (c) belief that professional development is vital for teacher growth, and (d) passion about mathematics and about conveying that passion to their students. The second research finding pertained to the influence that their own students had on all of the five participants. All the participants purposely sought out their students' thoughts about the classroom curriculum and about the instruction they received. The teachers considered their students part of the classroom learning community, and they honored and acted on their input. Finally, in addition to describing the trajectory of five PAEMST winning teachers, this study offers recommendations for students studying to become high school mathematics teachers, teacher educators, and educational researchers. For these students, their teaching preparation courses need to be taught adhering to the four principles of learning: activity, reflection, collaboration and community. According to this research, the model of teacher preparation courses that emphasize the teaching of the above four principles using a traditional teacher-directed method does not prepare future mathematics teachers for the use of SBC teaching in their classrooms. Suggestions about further research are addressed.