The present study is located within a broader problematic of how inequality is generated and legitimated within schools. It has as its centre of focus three Greek mathematics teachers who are seen as mediating forces between state curricular intentions and the learners. Having social justice as my primary motive for conducting this thesis research, I use the critical theoretic research paradigm as a guiding framework in order to investigate the teachers’ conceptions of the socio-political dimension of the assessment of pupil attainment in mathematics. Through an analysis of the socio-political role of educational assessment I argue that the investigated issue may be considered as a privileged window that can provide a broad perspective from which I can observe how the participants of this study are positioned with respect to the role of mathematics education in the reproduction of unequal class relations. To obtain answers to my assessment-related research questions, through a series of interviews I examine the teachers’ theoretical positions but in addition to that I observe their classroom cultures in the formation of which they play a protagonistic role. Through the teachers’ discourses and their annotated actions, I try to uncover the ways they respond to the contradictions and the dilemmas that might be posed to them by the given educational reality, as well as the tensions they might experience whenever they perceive the incompatibility of what they espouse and what they can achieve. Moving beyond the cognitive and psychological approaches that characterise most of research literature on teacher beliefs into the realm of ideology critique, I use Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis to depict teacher discourses as parts of social practices that are conditioned by social-historical factors and try to show what reproductive effects these discourses can have on social structures, sustaining them or contributing to their transformation.

Pakistani families with disabled children are among the most disadvantaged population groups in the UK. Previous research has indicated difficulties with accessing support services as well as problematic attitudes towards disability within the Pakistani community. As no substantial improvement in their situation was evidenced since early studies in the 1990s, a participatory action research study was undertaken with six Pakistani families to explore how an actionoriented, emancipatory approach could facilitate them to explore their support needs and how these might be met, in further depth. An occupational justice perspective was used to clarify how cultural and familial expectations influenced family members’ occupational balance and well-being. After an exploratory phase in which all family members were interviewed and family interactions observed in their own homes, three action research groups were formed for women, men and children respectively. Each group carried out their own action research around their chosen topic. Through participation in the project the participants gained important skills as well as a better understanding of their situation and how they could be more proactive in improving it. Furthermore, the fact that all family members were actively involved in the project helped them to start implementing changes in behaviour and communication at home. Key findings of the study were that the importance of faith in accepting the disabled child and dealing with negative community attitudes needs to be recognised and fostered; that the social model of disability needs to be more explicit about the influence of religion and culture on the lived experience of disabled people; that the central support need of parents is for practitioners to build up a supportive relationship with them as persons in their own right; and that (the lack of) belongingness had a very significant impact on the disabled child’s and their mothers’ well-being.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The overarching objective of this thesis is to investigate and examine several contemporary IC theories and how they are utilised in practice so that understandings of the IC concept can be developed, in order to answer in part the main research question of “How does IC in action influence organisations?” The content of the thesis is based on a review of IC from both a theory and practice perspective and four empirical papers that examines IC theory as it is implemented in practice. In combining these papers into a coherent piece of work, a critical research perspective, as outlined by Alvesson and Deetz (2000), has been utilised as the theoretical framework. The term ‘critical’ is used in this thesis not to find fault with contemporary theory and practice of IC but rather to examine and question the application of IC theory into practice. The end result of doing so is the narrowing of an identified gap between IC theory and practice. A ‘critical’ analysis of IC in action is justified because the development of the concept of IC parallels that of ‘critical’ theory in that both have evolved from changing conditions in society as technology and the proliferation of knowledge that have fundamentally altered the conditions under which organisations operate. The overarching findings of the thesis are based on three outcomes of critical research being insight, critique and transformative re-definitions. Insight into IC is developed by examining contemporary IC frameworks as they have been applied. Critique is developed by putting to the test the implications for organisations as a result of implementing these contemporary IC frameworks. Last, transformative re-definition is achieved by opening a discourse on the impact of implementing IC practices so that academics and practitioners can develop critical, relevant and practical understandings that begins the process of change and develops practical managerial skills. More importantly this thesis identifies how the development of tools to reduce ‘causal ambiguity’ about how intangible resource help create (or destroy) value has the potential to raise the profile of IC as a strategic management technology. But from the wider view of the critical perspective, it is not the intention of this thesis to prescribe specific formulae for the measuring, management and reporting of IC, nor does it intend to further develop theory. So while the individual papers may proffer that certain avenues proved productive in developing insights, critique and transformative re-definition, these avenues are not offered as the preferred way of investigating IC. More specifically the goal of a critical perspective is to open a discourse. The opprurtinity for academics and practitioners to engage in discourse is enabled by the thesis’ focus on the issues identified by highlighting the gap between IC theory and practice. Furthermore, each of the included papers offers the opportunity for further discourse by way of the opportunities that remain for future research. Additionally, the thesis achieves exemplifies a number of different approaches to conducting research into IC practice that puts to the test particular aspects of IC theory in order to develop insights and understandings of IC in practice. As the empirical material only examines a fraction of contemporary IC theory there is scope for further research and thus discourse into the implementation of IC theory into IC practice. This future research should not be constrained by a particular method of research as exemplified in the variety of methods employed to gather the empirical material for the papers which stretches along the continuum of qualitative and quantitative research. This too provides an avenue of for future discourse.

<p>As citizens of developed countries we are under constant media influence. The media can in many cases choose if and more importantly how a phenomenon is to be presented to the public. Criminal matters and the actions of the police have almost always received large spatial attention in the media. The police’s perspective is often given much priority and weight, and while the police never intend to misguide the public, one must take into consideration that they operate under certain circumstances, hence their perspective of crime is influenced and somewhat biased. The written media, i.e. the press, is favorably examined through textual analysis but considering media influence on a society this textual analysis must be put in a wider perspective. This makes a discourse analysis of the critical kind well suited in researching the police in media. The aim of this paper is to establish, by using aspects of the theory of discourse analysis as presented by Teun van Dijk and Norman Fairclough, how (and to some extent with what purpose) the press presents the actions of the police.</p>

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The overarching objective of this thesis is to investigate and examine several contemporary IC theories and how they are utilised in practice so that understandings of the IC concept can be developed, in order to answer in part the main research question of “How does IC in action influence organisations?” The content of the thesis is based on a review of IC from both a theory and practice perspective and four empirical papers that examines IC theory as it is implemented in practice. In combining these papers into a coherent piece of work, a critical research perspective, as outlined by Alvesson and Deetz (2000), has been utilised as the theoretical framework. The term ‘critical’ is used in this thesis not to find fault with contemporary theory and practice of IC but rather to examine and question the application of IC theory into practice. The end result of doing so is the narrowing of an identified gap between IC theory and practice. A ‘critical’ analysis of IC in action is justified because the development of the concept of IC parallels that of ‘critical’ theory in that both have evolved from changing conditions in society as technology and the proliferation of knowledge that have fundamentally altered the conditions under which organisations operate. The overarching findings of the thesis are based on three outcomes of critical research being insight, critique and transformative re-definitions. Insight into IC is developed by examining contemporary IC frameworks as they have been applied. Critique is developed by putting to the test the implications for organisations as a result of implementing these contemporary IC frameworks. Last, transformative re-definition is achieved by opening a discourse on the impact of implementing IC practices so that academics and practitioners can develop critical, relevant and practical understandings that begins the process of change and develops practical managerial skills. More importantly this thesis identifies how the development of tools to reduce ‘causal ambiguity’ about how intangible resource help create (or destroy) value has the potential to raise the profile of IC as a strategic management technology. But from the wider view of the critical perspective, it is not the intention of this thesis to prescribe specific formulae for the measuring, management and reporting of IC, nor does it intend to further develop theory. So while the individual papers may proffer that certain avenues proved productive in developing insights, critique and transformative re-definition, these avenues are not offered as the preferred way of investigating IC. More specifically the goal of a critical perspective is to open a discourse. The opprurtinity for academics and practitioners to engage in discourse is enabled by the thesis’ focus on the issues identified by highlighting the gap between IC theory and practice. Furthermore, each of the included papers offers the opportunity for further discourse by way of the opportunities that remain for future research. Additionally, the thesis achieves exemplifies a number of different approaches to conducting research into IC practice that puts to the test particular aspects of IC theory in order to develop insights and understandings of IC in practice. As the empirical material only examines a fraction of contemporary IC theory there is scope for further research and thus discourse into the implementation of IC theory into IC practice. This future research should not be constrained by a particular method of research as exemplified in the variety of methods employed to gather the empirical material for the papers which stretches along the continuum of qualitative and quantitative research. This too provides an avenue of for future discourse.

I den här uppsatsen undersöker vi relationen mellan vetenskapsjournalistiken och forskarvärlden med fokus på journalisternas kritiska granskning. Genom en kvalitativ studie intervjuar vi nio vetenskapsjournalister och tar reda på hur de ser på rollen som kritisk granskare av forskarvärlden. Vi utforskar hur de väljer ut forskning att skildra, vilka källor de förlitar sig på samt vad som saknas i dagens vetenskapsjournalistik. Resultaten visar att vetenskapsjournalister kopplar kritisk granskning till faktorer som att bedöma innehåll i enskilda studier, aktivt välja ut och välja bort forskning och kontrollera hur forskningsmedel används. Därtill kan det innebära att kontrollera vem som ligger bakom en studie och att sätta in forskningen i ett sammanhang. Många vetenskapsjournalister följer idag de stora vetenskapstidskrifternas pressreleaser, vilket gör att de effektivt kan ta del av det senaste inom forskningen. Samtidigt gör det att många medier rapporterar samma nyheter och att forskarvärlden ibland upplevs sätta agendan. I mer djupgående vetenskapsjournalistik är det oftare journalisterna själva som söker efter forskning att rapportera om. Rutinen för att granska källors trovärdighet fungerar i stort på samma sätt för alla: Man går till originalartikeln, bedömer innehållet och kontaktar oberoende forskare för kommentarer. De flesta uppger att de kontrollerar studiens omfattning och var den är publicerad. Vidare kontrollerar en del vem som ligger bakom studien och hur den har betalats. Journalisternas syn på vad som saknas inom vetenskapsjournalistiken varierar ämnesmässigt utifrån deras intressen. Flera anser att vetenskapsjournalistiken borde bli bättre på att sätta in forskningen i ett historiskt eller ett samhälleligt sammanhang.

As citizens of developed countries we are under constant media influence. The media can in many cases choose if and more importantly how a phenomenon is to be presented to the public. Criminal matters and the actions of the police have almost always received large spatial attention in the media. The police’s perspective is often given much priority and weight, and while the police never intend to misguide the public, one must take into consideration that they operate under certain circumstances, hence their perspective of crime is influenced and somewhat biased. The written media, i.e. the press, is favorably examined through textual analysis but considering media influence on a society this textual analysis must be put in a wider perspective. This makes a discourse analysis of the critical kind well suited in researching the police in media. The aim of this paper is to establish, by using aspects of the theory of discourse analysis as presented by Teun van Dijk and Norman Fairclough, how (and to some extent with what purpose) the press presents the actions of the police.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2015-12-11T17:11:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 eneidagomestolentino.pdf: 1911513 bytes, checksum: 38094770cb61b8d0b7a5f3354a8b2fbc (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2015-12-14T15:47:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 eneidagomestolentino.pdf: 1911513 bytes, checksum: 38094770cb61b8d0b7a5f3354a8b2fbc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-14T15:47:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 eneidagomestolentino.pdf: 1911513 bytes, checksum: 38094770cb61b8d0b7a5f3354a8b2fbc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-25 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A pesquisa “O educador e o brincar: reflexões sob a perspectiva sócio-histórico-cultural” se insere na linha de Linguagem, Conhecimento e Formação de Professores do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora/UFJF – Minas Gerais, propondo-se a investigar sobre processos de mediação constituídos pelos educadores nos momentos de brincadeira. O que motivou tal pesquisa foi o desejo de compreender as possibilidades de mediação dos educadores no contexto da brincadeira, tendo por objetivos: compreender se os brinquedos e artefatos são considerados por estes como possibilidades de mediação nos momentos de brincadeiras e fomentar a reflexão sobre o significado do ato de mediar. Fundamentada na perspectiva sócio-histórico-cultural, tem como aporte teórico as contribuições de Leontiev, Lúria e Vigotski. O desenvolvimento metodológico foi pautado na Pesquisa Crítica de Colaboração (MAGALHÃES, 2010), em que, num movimento colaborativo, por meio de atividades coletivas de reflexão, pesquisador e colaboradores puderam compartilhar e (re) construir significados que possibilitaram outras compreensões sobre os fazeres pedagógicos. Tais reflexões foram fomentadas em dois momentos, a saber, uma entrevista dialógica, na qual compartilhamos saberes que fundamentam nossos fazeres; e uma sessão reflexiva, com a proposta de análise coletiva e colaborativa de situações cotidianas de brincadeiras. As transcrições resultantes desses momentos de reflexão foram analisadas de forma argumentativa com base nas categorias da Nova Retórica de Perelman e permitiram compreender que por meio das atividades reflexivas, em colaboração, foi possível compartilhar ideias que reverberou em um movimento de mudança. / The research "The teacher and playing: reflections on the socio-cultural-historical perspective" is included in Language, Knowledge and Training Teachers line of the Education Graduate Program of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora / UFJF - Minas Gerais, proposing to investigate about mediation procedures established by educators in playful moments. What motivated this research was the desire to understand the educators’ mediation possibilities in the context of playing, establishing as its goals: understanding whether the toys and playful artifacts are considered by these educators as a possibility for mediation in moments of play and encouraging reflection on the meaning to the mediate act. Based on socio-cultural-historical perspective, it has as the theoretical basis Leontiev, Luria and Vygotsky´s contributions. The methodological development was guided by the Critical Collaboration Research (MAGALHÃES, 2010), in which, in a collaborative movement through reflection collective activities, researcher and collaborators were able to share and (re) construct meanings that allowed other understandings on the pedagogical tasks. Such reflections were promoted in two moments, namely, a dialogical interview, in which we share knowledge underlying our tasks; and a reflective session, with the proposal of collective and collaborative analysis playing daily situations. The resulting transcripts of these reflection moments were analyzed in an argumentative form based on Perelman´s New Rhetoric categories and allowed realize that through reflective activities in collaboration, it was possible to share ideas that reverberated in a changing movement.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:22:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Belia Fantina Bonini Pinto de Arruda.pdf: 4017848 bytes, checksum: eb17b151548cbeb8182cc0df59b0bd11 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research aims to understand form a critical point of view, which is, focused on understanding the issues raised in discussion with a view to creating zpds for questioning and collaborative production of new meanings and contexts created for learning and development in a virtual context of an English course in English language training for teachers - Teachers' Links. The theoretical-methodological research is based on, Bredo and Feinberg (1982) to analyze and understand, critically, how e context for learning, are established in the Discussion Forums, on a virtual environment of a specialization course for English language teachers Teachers Links, For the development of data analysis, I use the categories of collaboration and conflict, according to Oliveira and Magalhães (2011), the category of ZPD according to Magalhães (2002, 2009) and Newman and Holzman (1993/2002) and the category of senses and meanings, (Liberali, 2009); (Magalhães, 1996, 2004, 2007, 2010). The categories of analysis to check the engagement of participants in the discussions in the forums are the thematic and lexical choices, the types of questions ( Brooks field-Preskill (2005) among the students and teachertutor to analyze how language is organized in the messages posted in the forums, the types of placement of students, teachers and tutors (if one explains the purpose of the assignments, how to act; or if he simply ignores the speech of the other); and if their assignments are completed by the participants or not. The data were selected from the database of the Teachers' Links, more precisely the Discussion Forums. The results of this study show that in the virtual context, in this case, Discussion Forums, the proposed assignments in order to create relationships that allow spaces for learning and development should be reviewed and thought the papers, the division of labor and rules among the participating subjects, i.e., the teacher-tutor and students, for it is possible to create these spaces / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo geral entender de forma crítica, isto é com foco na compreensão e inserção de possibilidades de transformação, a criação de zpds para questionamento e produção colaborativa de novos significados em um contexto virtual de formação de professores de inglês. Especificamente analisa os contextos criados na Unidade 3 do Fórum de Discussão do curso de aperfeiçoamento em língua inglesa para professores em formação Teachers Links para a compreensão das possibilidades crítico-colaborativas criadas nas relações entre as participantes. Teoricamente está apoiada no quadro da Pesquisa Sócio-Histórico-Cultural (Vygotsky) para compreensão do central papel da ZPD para aprendizagem e desenvolvimento. Também está apoiada na discussão dos tipos de perguntas que possibitam a criação de contextos crítico-colaborativos em espaços de discussão. Os aportes teórico-metodológicos da pesquisa têm como base Bredo e Feinberg (1982) para discutir sua base numa abordagem crítica de pesquisa que se propõe a criar possibilidades de compreensão e transformação aos participantes, leitores e organizadores do curso Teachers Links e a esta pesquisadora. Os dados foram coletados no Banco de Dados do curso, em 2007 e foram analizados com base nas escolhas lexicais para compreensão do conteúdo temático dos objetivos e conteúdos dos três passos da Tarefa proposta e dos tipos de perguntas da tutora. Foram categorias de interpretação centrais as categorias de colaboração e contradição, conforme Oliveira e Magalhães (2011), a categoria de ZPD, segundo Magalhães (2002; 2009) e Newman e Holzman (1993/2002) e a categoria de sentidos e significados, (LIBERALI, 2009); (MAGALHÃES, 1996; 2004; 2007; 2010). Os resultados revelaram o quase inexistente engajamento das participantes nas discussões nos fóruns, tipos de perguntas que não possibilitaram a criação de zpds para produção colaborativo-crítica de conhecimento. Os resultados deste estudo ressaltam a importância de cursos conduzidos no contexto virtual, neste caso os fóruns de discussão, criar relações que possibilitem interações colaborativo-críticas em que as regras e divisão de trabalho sejam pensadas para possibilitar a relação dialógica e dialética entre os participantes, ou seja, o professor tutor e os alunos

<p>Entrepreneurs are expected to play a crucial role in times of unemployment and economical regression. A “hunt for entrepreneurs” can thus be said to be occurring as they appear to be people who can save nations, societies, and companies in troublesome situations. </p><p>The project Diversity in Entrepreneurship (DiE) aimed to introduce a broad view of entrepreneurship in a regional context. Three development areas are emphasized that are strategically important to transforming a traditional industrial community into an entrepreneurial region: paying attention to the spirit of enterprise among underrepresented groups; stimulating entrepreneurship among young people; and considering the importance of culture in stimulating a diverse and entrepreneurial society.</p><p>An equality discourse is introduced through DiE that – emphasising social and mundane occurrences - stands in contrast to the historically rooted enterprise discourse that proffers companies as productive apparatus, where a few competent people – often men – have been, and still are, in charge. In the equality discourse, all people in the region make a difference, not merely a few. The encounter of the two discourses has resulted in confusion, and thus conflicts and collisions; but also in new possibilities.</p><p>A new perspective of entrepreneurship and regional development is developed where conflicts are put forward as constructive. That the two discourses met on the same regional scene is therefore seen as positive as many people have been made aware of the social, political, and economic contradictions which restrain some groups in society from creating a (working) life. Hence, the contradictions have enabled the inhabitants to see themselves, and others, as entrepreneurs in regional development processes. Openings have thus emerged to view entrepreneurship from a broader perspective that includes people, to create practices through which a more diverse working life is becoming discernible.</p>