Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-04T19:14:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-08-31 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Introdução: As intervenções baseadas em mindfulness podem ser efetivas para tratamento complementar das cefaleias primárias em populações socialmente vulneráveis. Este estudo com mulheres da maior favela do Ceará, no Nordeste do Brasil, verificou os efeitos de uma IBM em mulheres com cefaleia crônica sob risco social. Método: Estudo de eficácia preliminar, exploratório, quasi-experimental, de abordagem mista (quanti e qualitativa), que avaliou o impacto de uma IBM em mulheres usuárias do SUS com relação à incapacidade nas atividades da vida diária (Midas) decorrente da cefaleia crônica (desfecho primário), além de variáveis secundárias como nível de mindfulness, injustiça percebida e autocompaixão. Uma intervenção com acupuntura foi o grupo controle ativo. Resultados: O perfil das participantes foi: (44,5%) casadas; (51,3%) com até 2 filhos; (63,9%) nível fundamental; (53,8%) com renda de 1 a 2 salários-mínimos e (72,21%) com cefaleia crônica, sendo (63,3%) enxaqueca e (8,8%) cefaleia de tensão. A cefaleia está associada à baixa escolaridade, à baixa renda familiar (p<0,05) e a eventos emocionais negativos na vida. Nos autorrelatos, foram categorizados quatro determinantes sociais de saúde causadores de distress psicológico: papel social da mulher na comunidade; busca recorrente aos serviços de saúde; abuso de medicamentos e estratégias de enfrentamento disfuncionais. O distress psicológico estava na base das crises recorrentes de cefaleia. Na comparação dentro dos grupos IBM e acupuntura, IBM promoveu diminuição no nível da incapacidade da cefaleia indicado pelos autorrelatos, mas não por Midas; aumento da autocompaixão (p<0,05); aumento de do nível de mindfulness (p<0,05), enquanto que acupuntura promoveu diminuição apenas em Midas (p<0,05). Houve diminuição da injustiça percebida em ambos os grupos, mas não estatisticamente significante (p>0,05). Na comparação entre grupos, IBM apresentou níveis maiores de autocompaixão e de mindfulness que no grupo acupuntura, com diferença estatisticamente significante (p<0,05). Houve correlações estatisticamente significantes entre Midas e injustiça percebida (p<0,001) e Midas e mindfulness (p<0,05). No modelo de regressão, apenas injustiça percebida influenciou Midas (p<0,001), corroborando os autorrelatos que destacaram esse sentimento negativo na gênese da cefaleia. Considerações finais e Conclusão e: Esse é o primeiro estudo em nível internacional a avaliar os efeitos de uma IBM em população de mulheres com cefaleia crônica e vulneráveis socialmente, comparados com os da acupuntura. As duas intervenções foram efetivas para a redução da incapacidade da cefaleia, sendo que atuando através de mecanismos distintos. Os resultados sugerem que IBM influenciou positivamente a dor através de processos mentais e emocionais (controle atencional, consciência corporal e regulação emocional), o que não ocorreu em relação ao grupo acupuntura. Os efeitos da IBM e da acupuntura na cefaleia crônica das participantes demonstraram preliminar potencial eficácia de práticas mente-corpo em populações vulneráveis socioeconomicamente. / Introduction: Mindfulness-based interventions may be effective for complementary management of primary headaches in socially vulnerable populations. This study with women from the largest favela in Ceará, Northeast Brazil, verified the effects of an IBM in women with chronic headache at social risk. Method: Preliminary, exploratory, quasi-experimental, mixed-approach (quantitative and qualitative) efficacy study evaluating the impact of an IBM on women users of SUS in relation to the disability in daily life activities (Midas) due to chronic headache (Primary outcome), as well as secondary variables such as level of mindfulness, perceived injustice and self-pity. One intervention with acupuncture was the active control group. Results: The participants' profile was: (44.5%) married; (51.3%) with up to 2 children; (63.9%) fundamental level; (53.8%) with income of 1 to 2 minimum wages and (72.21%) with chronic headache, being (63.3%) migraine and (8.8%) tension headache. Headache is associated with low schooling, low family income (p <0.05) and negative emotional events in life. In the self-reports, four social determinants of health that caused psychological distress were categorized: the social role of women in the community; Recurrent search for health services; Drug abuse and dysfunctional coping strategies. Psychological distress was at the basis of recurrent headache crises In the comparison within the IBM groups and acupuncture, IBM promoted a decrease in the level of headache inability indicated by self-reported but not by Midas; Increased self-pity (p <0.05); Increased level of mindfulness (p <0.05), whereas acupuncture promoted a decrease only in Midas (p <0.05). There was a decrease in perceived injustice in both groups, but not statistically significant (p> 0.05). In the comparison between groups, IBM presented higher levels of self-pity and mindfulness than in the acupuncture group, with a statistically significant difference (p <0.05). There were statistically significant correlations between Midas and perceived injustice (p <0.001) and Midas and mindfulness (p <0.05). In the regression model, only perceived injustice influenced Midas (p <0.001), corroborating the self-reports that highlighted this negative feeling in the genesis of headache. Final considerations and conclusions: This is the first international study to evaluate the effects of an IBM on a population of women with chronic and socially vulnerable headache compared to acupuncture. The two interventions were effective in reducing the incapacity of headache, and acting through different mechanisms. The results suggest that IBM positively influenced pain through mental and emotional processes (attention control, body awareness and emotional regulation), which did not occur in relation to the acupuncture group. The effects of IBM and acupuncture on chronic headache of the participants demonstrated preliminary potential efficacy of mind-body practices in socioeconomically vulnerable populations. / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Thesis (MTech(Information Technology)) --Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / Due to the legacy of apartheid South Africa is facing developmental discrepancies with inequalities between the advantaged few in the more urban areas and the disadvantaged majority in the rural areas. With quality education being key, not only to the success of an individual but of a country’s development, efforts have been made to ensure equal access for all. ICT is seen as a key enabler to this end. The study investigated the status of ICT deployment and its integration into curricula in schools. The objective was to understand the factors affecting the efforts to achieve successful implementation of ICT integration into schools in underdeveloped areas, to understand the challenges that exist and ultimately, to inform solutions. A qualitative study was conducted, using a case study method. A purposive sampling method was used to select population elements; educators and school coordinators of ICT programs in Western Cape schools (i.e. Kulani Secondary, Sithembele Matiso Secondary, Macassar Secondary and Marvin Park Primary). To gain an understanding of the status quo, literature was explored and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ICT coordinators and educators within the 4 sampled schools. Activity theory was used to provide an analytical framework for the study. Through this framework the aims and objectives of the study were conceptualized and summarized to form a graphical representation of the phenomena under study. In spite of efforts to ensure universal access to ICT, the findings indicate that the status of ICT deployment and its integration into school curricula is far from favourable in underdeveloped schools.

This study concerns the possibilities of ergodiagnostics (pre-work rehabilitation), appraisal diagnostics, in the area of employment of medically handicapped people. It emphasises the value of work and being employed for the medically disadvantaged. It familiarises those interested with this matter with the means of a complete system of rehabilitation where occupational rehabilitation is irreplaceable. The study informs where legislation on (pre-work) ergodiagnostics can be found, through vocational rehabilitation we discover more detailed information and furthermore what a medically disadvantaged person should do to be able to participate actively in ergodiagnostics. It also offers a thorough overview of ergotherapy which plays an important role in diagnostics, particularly ergodiagnostics of medically handicapped people. It leads you through individual evaluations which are currently used by ergotherapists in complete rehabilitation centres where ergodiagnostics is practised. It is not only ergotherapists, however, who participate in vocational rehabilitation but a whole multi-discipline team which cooperates with job centres. The practical part is oriented on the field of ergodiagnostics or else vocational rehabilitation. Two suppositions were made for the research. The first supposition explores how well-informed people with a medical handicap are about ergodiagnostics. The second then assumes that ergodiagnostics plays a significant role in searching for suitable vacancies for the medically handicapped. The study should serve as informative material for all interested in the problem concerned. It should be especially useful to those who work with the medically handicapped and who want to have an integral view of (pre-work) ergodiagnostics, vocational rehabilitation.

El Sistema est le nom d’un programme vénézuélien de formation à travers la musique symphonique. Au bout de quarante ans d’existence le nombre d’élèves est impressionnant, de toutes classes sociales. Imité dans plus de 60 pays, El Sistema est une référence mondiale pour l’utilisation de l’art musical comme instrument d’éducation personnelle et sociale auprès des populations de quartiers défavorisés socio-économiquement. Néanmoins, il existe une grande lacune quant à la recherche en sciences sociales sur ce qui est réellement fait au Venezuela et dans les pays qui s’inspirent d’El Sistema.Nous participons à combler cette lacune en appliquant des méthodologies ethnographiques sous un regard sociologique. Pour cela nous avons focalisé la recherche sur l’unité de base d’El Sistema – le núcleo. Il s’agit d’un espace physique, comme une école, où se regroupent des acteurs (élèves, professeurs, parents…) pour des cours de musique au quotidien, en suivant les principes et les méthodes d’El Sistema. Cet enseignement est gratuit et les instruments sont prêtés aux élèves.La double-question posée est : comment se déroulent les actions dans le núcleo et quel est le rôle de chaque type d’acteur qui le constitue ? Pour tenter de répondre à ces questions générales, qui seront approfondies au long de la thèse, nous proposons une analyse comparative entre trois núcleos de trois pays différents : Venezuela, Brésil, Portugal. Dans ces deux derniers, nous avons choisi des programmes de formation musicale inspirés par l’El Sistema vénézuélien : le Neojiba au Brésil ; l’Orquestra Geração au Portugal.Dans chaque programme, nous avons choisi un seul núcleo comme unité d’analyse. C’est donc une recherche multi-située, où sont appliquées des méthodologies qualitatives : observation ethnographique ; entretiens semi-directifs, focus-groups. L’analyse comparative n’est pas normative, elle sert ici à provoquer la pensée grâce aux différences et aux similarités entres les trois núcleos, ce qui complexifie la recherche. Dans les trois terrains de recherche, l’ethnographie est centrale, quotidienne et très intense, pour que l’on puisse illustrer le rôle de chaque type d’acteur dans les núcleos. Nous cherchons à comprendre quelles actions individuelles et collectives se développent dans chaque contexte. C’est le coeur de cette thèse : révéler le plus d’aspects empiriques possibles des núcleos et sous divers angles complémentaires.Pour comprendre les actions dans les núcleos nous avons besoin d’élargir l’analyse, en y intégrant les contextes sociaux, économiques et politiques qui les enveloppent. Les facteurs qui semblent externes ont, eux aussi, beaucoup d’impact sur les actions de chaque acteur et, en conséquence, sur les résultats atteints à travers l’éducation musicale dans les núcleos. / El Sistema is the name of a Venezuelan educational program that uses symphonic music as a tool. After forty years of existence, the numbers of students have increased impressively from all social classes. Reproduced in more than 60 countries, today El Sistema is a worldwide reference in the use of musical art as a tool for personal development and social education among populations living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Yet, there is a gap in social science research on what is really done in Venezuela and in the countries that have been inspired by it.We intend to fill in this gap by applying ethnographic methodologies under a sociological eye. For that, we focus the research on the basic unit of El Sistema – the núcleo. The núcleo is a physical space, like a school, where social actors (students, teachers, parents…) get together for daily music classes, following principles and methods of El Sistema. The lessons are free and the instruments are lent to the students.The starting double-question we ask is: how do the actions progress in a núcleo and what is the role of each of these actors? To answer these questions, we suggest a comparative analysis between three núcleos in three countries: Venezuela, Brazil and Portugal. In the last two, we chose musical education programs inspired by the Venezuelan El Sistema: Neojiba in Brazil and Orquestra Geração in Portugal.In each program, we chose one núcleo as a unit of analysis. It is, therefore, a multi-situated research, in which we apply qualitative methodologies: ethnographic observation, semi-structured interviews and focus-groups. The comparative analysis is not normative. Instead, it is a way to complexify, to provoke the researcher’s thinking using the differences and the similarities between the three núcleos. In our fields of research, ethnography is central, carried out daily in a very intense paste, aiming at capturing and illustrating the role of each actor in the núcleo. We want to understand which individual and collective actions are developed in each context. The heart of this thesis is to reveal as many empirical aspects of the núcleos as possible, through diverse complementary angles.To understand the actions in the núcleos we extend the analysis by incorporating the social, economical and political contexts surrounding them. The factors that seem external also have impacted on the actions of each actor and, in consequence, on the results obtained through musical education in the núcleos.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining perceived attitudes of self-concept of educationally disadvantaged students in special vocational environments, other vocational students, and academic students as measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. The hypotheses formulated to carry out this study included: 1. There is no significant difference in the mean attitude self-concept score of vocational education students, academic students, and educationally disadvantaged students (CVAE) as measured by the Piers-Harris ChildrenIs SelfConcept Scale. 2. There is no significant difference in the mean attitude self-concept scores as measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale between vocational education students, academic students, and CVAE students and number of years of placement in a vocational program, academic program and CVAE program. The Piers-Harris Children1s Self-Concept Scale was administered to 311 students from the CVAE, vocational, and academic programs in the Birdville Independent School District, Fort Worth, Texas and Denton Independent School District, Denton, Texas.

This research sought to discover whether minority and economically disadvantaged students are underrepresented in gifted and honors programs. Another goal was to ascertain attitudes of students and teachers currently participating in gifted and honors programs regarding: admission criteria; adequacy of teacher preparation to meet special needs of gifted and honors students; levels of needs satisfaction of gifted and honors students; perceptions of students and teachers about program modification.

Magister Public Health - MPH / In this study a process evaluation of the action planning process of the HealthKick programme in disadvantaged primary school settings in the Western Cape was conducted. A qualitative methodology was adopted to best determine the experiences of the participants and the underlying factors involved. Four schools were randomly selected to participate. Four focus group discussions were conducted with educators, and four in-depth interviews were conducted with principals and champions at schools, (champions are either an educator or school governing body member selected to be the driver of the project at each school, as well as the liaison person between the school and the HealthKick project team). Semi-structured interview guides were used to steer the discussions. Interviews and focus groups were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. The data was thematically analysed with the assistance of Atlas ti computer software. The results of this study indicated that the action planning process did not take place as designed by the project team. Several challenges were identified and experienced by participants. The results further indicated that the challenges of time, workload and competing priorities were intrinsically linked. Positive experiences were also reported and various enablers to the process were identified, such as the facilitation process, the receipt of the resource toolkit as well as the complementary nature of the HealthKick curriculum to the normal academic curriculum. / South Africa

This research project examines the experiences of school principals when implementing the staff-reduction process of the rationalisation policy stipulated by the National Department of Education in 1994. The implementation of this policy has its origins in the Transformation policy of the National government after the first democratic election in South Africa in 1994. The aim of the rationalisation policy is to bring about equity and affirmative action in the staff provision in schools. Achieving this is a collective agreement between the National Education Department and the teachers’ unions where the decision was made that the teacher:learner ratio would be 1:35 in secondary schools and 1:40 in primary schools. The aim of this research is to determine what principals experience during the staff-reduction process(es) and what impact it would have on the principal as the manager of the institution. The researcher also intends to examine the influence that staff reduction has on the working conditions of the principal as well as how this process affects the teaching and learning culture in a school. Ultimately the researcher intends to make recommendations to assist principals that are affected by staff reduction. The research concentrates on a selected group of principals, regardless of race, gender or religion (including principals from secondary, middle and primary schools) who are currently busy with their Masters Degree in Education Leadership and Management at the University of Pretoria. A qualitative research methodology is used to exemplify the perceptions and experiences of principals. The dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One provides an overview and orientation of the study. The focus is the problem statement and the exposition of the aims of the research. Chapter Two concentrates on the literature study that is supported by the collection of empirical data with specific reference to the rationalisation process and the resulting staff reduction process in some schools. Chapter Three discusses the research design and data collection instruments. The focus is on the individual interviews (face to face) done with principals of schools where they air their views regarding the rationalisation process, staff reduction and the impact that the abovementioned has on the teaching and learning process in schools. Transcriptions are made of the audio recordings of the interviews and field notes have also been included as background information for the interviews. In Chapter Four the analysis of the collective interviewed data is done and the empirical data is discussed. Chapter Five is a summary of the research. In this chapter the important findings are discussed and suitable recommendations are made. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Leadership))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The purpose of this case study was to establish the influence of the Internet on the use of computers by teachers at a primary school in a lower socio-economic community in South Africa. The study investigates to what extent the use of the Internet as a source of information and communication motivated teachers to apply the computer for other purposes. A project was implemented to find answers to the main question: “What influence did the Internet have on the integration of computers at a primary school in a lower socio-economic community in South Africa?” During this project teachers were introduced to the Internet, and attended a five months’ course in computer training, offered once a week, for one hour after school. Special attention was paid to factors that influenced the use of the Internet and the computer. The main focus was on factors such as motivation, training, support, time, the attitude of teachers and their access to computers. Answers to how the Internet contributed to the use of the computer for educational purposes were also noted. In this study the training and support offered to teachers played a major role in their use of the Internet and the computer. Teachers wanted training on aspects that would be useful and relevant to them. They mostly needed support with the technical aspects of the computer and the software. Prior to the project the teachers’ computer skills were limited. By the end of the project their skills had improved, as there was a 42% growth in communication through e-mail, a 67% growth in searching for information on the Internet, a 50% growth in the use of the computer for school administration and a 83% growth in the use of word processing. Other factors that also played a major role in the successful use of the Internet and the computer were the policies of the school’s management team, specifically those policies that made access to computer technology possible. The study recommended that policies on the use of the Internet and the computer (acceptable use policy) should be in place. The study concluded that Internet skills had a definite influence on teachers’ use of the computer. / Dissertation (MEd (Computer-Integrated Education))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

In this study the original Rorschach test was administered to ten black South African adolescents, all fourteen years of age. Originally, the Rorschach’s test norms have been determined for an American sample. Using a qualitative research design in this study, the standard Rorschach test was administered in two phases, namely the pre-test and the post-test. Ten case studies were used as a format for research. During the pre-test the standard RCS procedures were strictly adhered to. The participants were never exposed to psychological tests before and reacted differently when presented with the Rorschach Inkblot cards for the first time. For instance, some of them were uncertain, nervous and reacted with shock. According to Exner&Weiner (1995:33) when less than 14 answers are given in response to the Rorschach test, the results cannot be interpreted. The participants were therefore required to give 14 or more answers. During the pre-test phase five out of 10 gave 14 and more responses whereas five gave less than 14 responses. The total responses of the 10 participants were 127 with an average of 12,7. The factors that inhibited the participants from giving 14 or more responses were identified and analysed. Adjusted or modified RCS procedures were then designed with the explicit aim of accommodating the participants’ culture, beliefs and background. The participants were re-tested with the adjusted RCS (ARCS) during the post-test phase. In this phase, eight participants gave 14 or more responses and only two participants gave less than 14 responses. The number of responses increased when the ARCS was administered. The total responses of the 10 participants were 161 with an average of 16,1. The results indicate an increase of 34 responses with an average increase of 3,4 responses for each participant. The research findings indicate that the ARCS was a more appropriate and effective administering test procedure when testing black South African adolescents as compared to the standard RCS. It is recommended that when administering the Rorschach Comprehensive System among non-western participants, that the factors that could prevent them from giving sufficient responses should be identified and analysed in order to modify the test procedures. The examiners could in this way minimise biases when administering psychological tests. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted