This thesis reports the results of some five years of work with first year physics students at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. South African education is presently characterized by large numbers of students who, judging from their poor results in their first year at university, are poorly equipped to meet the academic requirements of a university course especially in science-related disciplines. The purpose of this research was twofold: (a) To determine the cognitive reasons for the poor performance of these students, characterized as disadvantaged in the study; (b) To develop suitable instructional materials based on the determination in (a). Feuerstein's theories of the cognitive development of disadvantaged persons were found to be extremely useful both in providing direction for the research as well as in interpreting the data generated by the study. Thirty person-to-person interviews of about 45 minutes in length, were conducted with first year physics students as they attempted to solve two typical kinematics problems. Analysis of the interviews revealed that in addition to language difficulties experienced, students also displayed regularities in the types of errors made. Over and above this, students demonstrated significant cognitive difficulties with the analysis and elaboration of data in the problems. Many of these difficulties can be related to the cognitive deficiencies documented in the work of Feuerstein. Additionally, a paper-and-pencil test was developed to examine whether students, after instruction, display any planned approach in their use of Newton's laws in solving typical physics problems. The results of the test with 86 first year physics students show that traditional physics instruction does not help disadvantaged students develop the ability to use Newton's laws in any structured manner. Instruments were developed to assist students using the algorithmic approaches of Landa. Nine areas in the typical university first year mechanics course were analysed for the cognitive operations requited to use specific laws or concepts in problem-solving. Booklets were designed which made these cognitive operations explicit in the application of the particular law or concept. A test group which used the instruments showed significant gains in quarterly examinations in the physics department, over a control group which received instruction in the traditional manner. Anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of the instruments is also presented. The success of the research shows that it is possible to address the cognitive difficulties of disadvantaged students in physics within the framework of a first year university course. The approaches documented in this thesis give an indication of how disadvantaged students can be assisted and supported academically.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Vita. Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Orientador: Clara Germana de Sa Gonçalves Nascimento / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T14:00:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Joaquim_RosangeladoCarmoVendramel_M.pdf: 892323 bytes, checksum: 7c61fa99abb221f188bb10ec343e3c36 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Esta pesquisa constitui uma análise do processo de implementação das Políticas Públicas de Educação Especial, na Rede Municipal de Ensino da Cidade de Campinas, no período de 1989 a 2004.Para situar o contexto histórico, político e educacional em que essas Políticas foram implantadas, procedeu-se a uma reconstrução dos principais atos legais e ações político-educacionais do período, que contempla quatro Gestões Municipais. Nessa trajetória, optamos por realizar a coleta e a análise das informações a partir de dois eixos: o ¿documental¿ e o ¿vivido¿, considerando-se para o primeiro eixo, os textos legais e os documentos oficiais, disponibilizados pela Secretaria Municipal de Educação e/ou por Profissionais da Educação Especial da Rede Municipal de Ensino, que se mostraram significativos para o planejamento e para a implementação das Políticas de Educação Especial, nas escolas municipais de Campinas. Para o ¿vivido¿, definimos como fundamentais, os depoimentos de Professores Itinerantes de Educação Especial, especialmente escolhidos para se constituírem em amostra significativa da Pesquisa, uma vez que este Profissional tem contato direto com a realidade escolar, podendo oferecer informações sobre como as Propostas e as Políticas de Educação Especial nas escolas municipais de Campinas, têm sido geradas, entendidas, implementadas e vividas no cotidiano escolar. O estudo constatou que, apesar da falta de continuidade das propostas educacionais entre as diferentes Gestões municipais, houve efetiva participação dos Professores de Educação Especial no processo de planejamento e discussão das mesmas, e significativo avanço das concepções e ações em relação ao processo de inclusão de alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais, conforme os atendimentos realizados e existentes, no período considerado. A Pesquisa mostrou, também, aspectos conflitantes do trabalho de apoio especializado da Educação Especial no cotidiano escolar, seja com relação à formação diferenciada dos professores, à caracterização dos alunos da Educação Especial, ou com relação ao insuficiente ou inexistente processo de intersetorialidade das políticas sociais na Cidade. Ficou evidenciada, ainda, a necessidade do estabelecimento mais objetivo, do papel do Professor Itinerante, no contexto de sua atuação na escola regular / Abstract: This study constitutes an analysis of the implementation process of Public Policies in Special Education in the Municipal Schools of Campinas, in the period of 1989 to 2004.To indicate the historical, political and educational contexts in which these Policies were implemented, we proceeded with a reconstruction of the main legal acts and political-educational actions in the period, with covers four Municipal Governments. In this trajectory, we chose to conduct a collection and analysis of information from two aspects: a ¿documental¿ and a ¿lived¿, considering for the first aspect, the legal texts and official documents that were made available by the Municipal Secretary of Education and/or by Professionals in Special Education from this net of Municipal Schools, who were essential to the planning and implementation of Special Education Policies in the Municipal Schools in Campinas. In the ¿lived¿ aspect, we defined as essential the depositions from Itinerants Teachers in Special Education, specially selected to constitute a representative sample in the Research, as these professionals have a direct contact with the school reality and are able to offer information about how the proposals and the policies in special education are being developed, understood and lived in the daily educational routine in the municipal schools in Campinas.The study evidenced that besides the lack of continuity of educational proposals between the different municipal Governments; there was an effective participation of Special Education Teachers in the process of planning and discussing them and a significant advance in the conceptions and actions related to the process of inclusion of students with special education needs, according to the existing cases from the considered period. The research also evidenced conflicting aspects of the specializing supporting work in special education in the daily activities in relation to the differentiated training of teachers, the characteristics of special education students, and insufficient or non-existent process of communication between the various sectors of social policies in the city. Finally, it was evidenced the need for a more objective establishment of the role of itinerant teachers in the context of their actual role in regular schools / Mestrado / Politicas de Educação e Sistemas Educativos / Mestre em Educação

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

A dissertação aborda como a deficiência, enquanto estigma, é socialmente estabelecida, os processos através dos quais as identidades das pessoas com deficiência são construídas dentro do meio social e qual a função da educação, em seu potencial reprodutor e transformador da sociedade, para a (re) produção dos estigmas de deficiência. Aborda, ainda, como direito a educação das pessoas com deficiência pode se prestar à desconstrução dos estigmas, construção de uma sociedade inclusiva, e alguns dos caminhos que podem ser seguidos para a realização de tal direito. Os dados foram obtidos através da revisão da bibliografia pertinente ao tema e estudo e reflexão sobre os discursos das pessoas com deficiência, aos quais tivemos acesso com base na leitura de obras escritas por pessoas com deficiência e através de pesquisa etnográfica, a qual nos deu acesso a relatos que, embora não estejam formalmente transcritos, permeiam todas as linhas e entrelinhas da presente dissertação

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:18:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 pre-textuais.pdf: 1014264 bytes, checksum: 068105074e07468e188f1bbb5761b974 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-01-10 / The dissertation discusses how the disability, as a stigma, is socially established, the ways how the identities of people with disabilities are made into the social environment and what is the function of education in its potential of reproduction and transformation of the society, to the production and reproduction of the disabilities' stigmas. The dissertation also discusses how the right to education of persons with disabilities can make an deconstruction of the stigmas, and can build an inclusive society, and some of the ways can be followed for the realization of this right. The data were obtained through review of the literature relevant to the theme and study and reflection on the discourse of people with disabilities, to which we had access reading of works written by people with disabilities and by ethnographic research, which gave us access with reports that, although not formally transcribed, permeate all lines of this dissertation / A dissertação aborda como a deficiência, enquanto estigma, é socialmente estabelecida, os processos através dos quais as identidades das pessoas com deficiência são construídas dentro do meio social e qual a função da educação, em seu potencial reprodutor e transformador da sociedade, para a (re) produção dos estigmas de deficiência. Aborda, ainda, como direito a educação das pessoas com deficiência pode se prestar à desconstrução dos estigmas, construção de uma sociedade inclusiva, e alguns dos caminhos que podem ser seguidos para a realização de tal direito. Os dados foram obtidos através da revisão da bibliografia pertinente ao tema e estudo e reflexão sobre os discursos das pessoas com deficiência, aos quais tivemos acesso com base na leitura de obras escritas por pessoas com deficiência e através de pesquisa etnográfica, a qual nos deu acesso a relatos que, embora não estejam formalmente transcritos, permeiam todas as linhas e entrelinhas da presente dissertação