Chronic disease is rising globally, but LMICs may require novel approaches to management suited to a low-resource setting. Private health care providers in LMICs have experimented and developed new models for organizing, financing, and delivering care. This thesis examines some of the innovations that have emerged in LMICs to manage chronic disease. Using a common performance measurement framework and drawing from a database of over 1200 innovative health programs, I identify and evaluate 46 programs addressing chronic disease in LMICs. I then go on to identify, innovative practices used by the subset of 19 diabetes focussed programs and catalogue them according to the Chronic Care Model (CCM). Delivery system design is the most commonly used domain of the CCM, which even earlier has shown to have great potential to impact health outcomes. Few of the identified innovations may also have the potential for ‘Reverse innovation’ in high income countries.

Temos aktualumas. Šiuolaikinės švietimo organizacijos, siekiančios prisitaikyti prie nuolatinės kaitos procesų, kintančių vartotojų poreikių, privalo pačios inicijuoti pokyčius, skatinti inovacijas ir naujoves. Lyderystės, kaip inovatyvios švietimo strategijos vystymas, didina švietimo organizacijų konkurencingumą, veiklos efektyvumą, veiksmingumą, yra aukštos ugdymo kokybės bei organizacinės kultūros kaitos prielaida, užtikrina atsakomybės pasidalijimą. Magistro darbe analizuota lyderystės samprata, tipologijos pavyzdžiai, aptartas lyderystės reikšmingumas, atskleistas inovatyvių strategijų vystymo švietime reikšmingumas bei pasidalytosios lyderystės vystymo švietimo organizacijose prielaidos. Tyrimo objektas: lyderystės kaip inovatyvios strategijos įgyvendinimo švietimo organizacijose vertinimas skirtingose švietimo subjektų grupėse. Tyrimo tikslas: teoriškai pagrįsti lyderystės kaip inovatyvios strategijos įgyvendinimo švietimo organizacijose reikšmingumą ir atskleisti šios strategijos vertinimus švietimo organizacijų vadovų bei pedagogų grupėse. Taikyti šie tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros šaltinių analizė, anketinė apklausa (su atvirais ir uždarais klausimais), aprašomoji statistika. Tyrime dalyvavo Šiaulių miesto švietimo įstaigų pedagogai ir vadovai. Remiantis tyrimo rezultatais daromos išvados, kad inovatyvios strategijos, susijusios su lyderyste, yra vertinamos palankiai, respondentai supranta jų įgyvendinimo reikšmę, tačiau jos įgyvendinamos ne itin aktyviai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Relevance of the theme. As modern educational organizations seek to adapt to constantly changing processes and consumer needs, they have to initiate changes and stimulate innovations their selves. Leadership, as development of strategy of innovative education, increases competitiveness, efficiency and effectiveness. It is also an assumption for high quality of education and changes in culture of organization as well as assured sharing of responsibilities. Concept of leadership and examples of its typology are analyzed in the Master‘s thesis. Importance of leadership is discussed and relevance of development of innovative strategies in education as well as assumptions of development of distributed leadership in educational organizations is revealed. Object of the research: Evaluation of leadership as innovative strategy implementation in educational organizations in different groups of educational subjects. Purpose of the research: To theoretically motivate importance of leadership as implementation of innovative strategy in educational organizations and reveal evaluation of this strategy in groups of educators and managers of educational organizations. The following research methods have been applied: analysis of scientific literature, questionnaires (including both open and closed questions) and descriptive statistics. Participants of the research were educators and managers of Šiauliai educational organizations. According to the results of the research the following... [to full text]

Darbe siekiama apibendrinti kietojo biokuro rinkos plėtros aspektus nagrinėjant jos struktūrinius pokyčius bei rinkos dalyvių elgseną. Teorinėje dalyje analizuojamas rinkodaros sprendimų priėmimo procesas ir inovatyviosios rinkodaros priemonių svarba siekiant šios verslo sistemos vystymo. Kietojo biokuro rinkos segmentų valdymo moksliniai-praktiniai sprendimai yra orientuoti taikyti tokias rinkodaros priemones, kurios padėtų gerinti tiekimo sistemos struktūriškumą. Tiriamojoje dalyje, remiantis kietojo biokuro rinkos dalyvių sąveikos įvertinimu, atliekamas jų veiklos plėtros galimybių vertinimas. Empirinio tyrimo pagrindas – apklausa. / The final thesis aims to examine the development aspects of solid biofuel market by summarizing the structural changes and the behavior of market entities. The theoretical analysis includes the marketing decision-making process and innovative marketing tools to achieve development of solid biofuel market. The scientific-practical managerial solutions are oriented towards the application of marketing tools that improve the supply system for the segments of solid biofuel market, which is structural complex and undeveloped. The research covers the basis of solid biofuel market interactions including activities of entities with the feasibility development assessment. The empirical basis of the study – a survey by questionnaire.

Syfte Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur projektledare självskattar sitt ledarskap och projektmedlemmar upplever motivation i pre-development projekt på Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset och Scania. Metod Studien är kvantitativ och deduktiv. För att undersöka förekomst av transformellt ledarskap hos projektledare och inre motivation hos projektmedlemmar har vi valt att använda två frågeformulär, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Leader Form respektive Work Preference Inventory. Båda formulären är undersökta av forskare vad gäller validitet och reliabilitet. Resultat Resultatet i vår undersökning visade att projektledare på Karolinska hade en högre förekomst av transformellt ledarskap än de på Scania. I båda organisationerna fanns även transaktionellt ledarskap i ganska stor utsträckning medan förekomsten av passivt undvikande ledarskap var lägre. I analysen av underfaktorerna i MLQ Leader Form (5x-Short) visade våra data för transformellt ledarskap att idealiserade inflytandet och intellektuell stimulans låg högre på Karolinska. För det transaktionella ledarskapet låg villkorad belöning högre på Karolinska medan ledarskap med aktiva undantag var högre på Scania. Vår undersökning visar att projektmedlemmar i båda organisationerna hade en högre förekomst av inre motivation jämfört med yttre motivation. Det fanns ingen signifikant skillnad mellan organisationerna vad gäller inre motivation. Vad gäller yttre motivation visade vår undersökning att Scanias projektmedlemmar låg signifikant högre än Karolinskas. Underfaktorerna i WPI analyserades och visade att faktorerna för inre motivation skilde sig väldigt lite mellan organisationerna. Yttre motivationsfaktorn kompensation låg högre på Scania i projekten men generellt var den lika hos projektmedlemmarna i båda organisationerna. Den andra yttre motivationsfaktorn, orientering mot erkännande och andras styrning låg högre på Scania både i projekten och generellt. Forskningsbegränsningar/implikationer En begränsning är att vi undersökt ett urval av projekt i två organisationer. Urvalet är gjort utifrån Scanias definition av pre-development projekt. Praktiska implikationer Tidigare forskning tyder på att transformellt ledarskap och inre motivation är särskilt viktigt i tidig fas av radikala innovationer. Vår undersökning visade att både transformellt ledarskap och inre motivation är vanligare än transaktionellt ledarskap och yttre motivation. Ett nästa steg skulle vara att utöka antal organisationer och projekt samt att koppla ledarskap och motivation till resultat i projekten för att se om det finns någon korrelation. Det skulle visa om ökat transformellt ledarskap och inre motivation kan ha positiv effekt på resultatet i pre-development projekt. Originalitet/värde Vi har inte hittat någon forskning som jämfört två organisationer som bedriver pre-development projekt med avseende på transformellt ledarskap och inre motivation. Sökord: pre-development projekt, transformellt ledarskap, innovativt beteende och inre motivation / Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate how project managers self estimates their leadership and project members perceive motivation in pre-development projects at the Karolinska University Hospital and Scania. Design/methodology/approach This study is quantitative and deductive. To investigate the presence of transformational leadership in project managers and internal motivation in project members we have chosen to use two questionnaires, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Work Preference Inventory. Researchers have examined both forms in terms of validity and reliability. Findings The results of our study showed that a project manager at Karolinska had a higher incidence of transformational leadership than at Scania. In both organizations the transactional leadership was also fairly common while the occurrence of passive avoidance leadership was lower. In the analysis of our data the subfactors in the MLQ Leader Form (5x-Short) showed that idealized influence and intellectual stimulation were higher at Karolinska for transformational leadership. For the transactional leadership was contingent reward higher at Karolinska while leadership with active exception was higher at Scania. Our investigation showed that the project members in both organizations had a higher incidence of intrinsic motivation compared to extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation in project members was significantly higher at Scania than Karolinska but there was no difference regarding intrinsic motivation. When the data from the subfactors in WPI were analysed it showed that the factors of intrinsic motivation differed very little between the organisations. Extrinsic motivation factor compensation was higher at Scania in the projects but in general it was the same for the project members in both organizations. The second external motivation factor, orientation towards recognition and control of others was higher at Scania both in projects and in general. Research limitations/implications In our investigation we examined a selection of projects in two organizations. The selection was done based on Scanias definition of pre-development projects. Practical implications Previous research suggests that transformational leadership and internal motivation is particularly important in the early phase of radical innovation. Our investigation showed that both transformational leadership and internal motivation was more common than transactional leadership and extrinsic motivation at both Karolinska and Scania. A next step would be to expand the number of organizations and projects. It would also be interesting to examine if leadership and/or motivation has any correlation to the result of projects. It would show whether increased transformational leadership and internal motivation could have a positive effect on the results in pre-development projects. Originality/value We have not found any research that compares two organizations engaged in pre-development projects with regard to transformational leadership and intrinsic motivation. Keywords: pre-development project, transformational leadership, innovative behaviour and intrinsic motivation

Top researchers and outstanding scientists are an essential source of science-based innovation and regional development. The location pattern and international movements of the scientific elite, are, thus, of fundamental importance. However, despite a growing interest, there is only little empirical evidence about these core issues. Drawing on the results of a world-wide survey of 720 ―star scientists‖ (identified by the number of citations they generated in journals in the ISI databases in the period 1981-2002) this paper seeks to explore the role of islands of innovation in providing employment opportunities for stars. It is shown that US and European islands of innovation and their regional labor markets are at the forefront when it comes to produce (i.e. to educate) and to employ star scientists and to exchange them with other places. Furthermore, the paper provides evidence for the formation of a network among innovative regional labor markets based on international movements of the best and brightest scientific minds. (author´s abstract) / Series: SRE - Discussion Papers

本研究旨在了解新北市國民小學校長科技領導、教師科技素養與創新教學之現況，並分析不同背景變項下校長科技領導、教師科技素養與創新教學的差異情形，進而探討此三者之間之結構關係，以了解校長科技領導、教師科技素養對創新教學之影響性。 本研究採用問卷調查法，抽取新北市公立國民小學51所，共638位教師進行問卷調查，回收有效問卷共631份。問卷資料分別以描述性統計、獨立樣本t檢定、單因子變異數分析與結構方程模式（SEM）進行統計與分析。 本研究獲得之結論如下： 一、新北市國民小學校長科技領導、教師科技素養與創新教學現況良好。 二、中小型規模、地處偏遠與歷史較久之學校教師，知覺校長科技領導的程度較高。 三、兼任行政職務與學歷較高之男性教師科技素養程度較高。 四、學校歷史較久之教師科技素養程度較高。 五、教師兼主任、學歷較高與年資較深之男性教師創新教學程度較高。 六、學校歷史較久之中型學校教師創新教學程度較高。 七、國民小學校長科技領導對教師科技素養與創新教學均有正向的影響。 最後，依據研究結論提出建議，俾供教育行政機關、國民小學校長以及未來研究做為參考。 / The purpose of this study is to understand the current conditions of New Taipei City elementary school principals’ technology leadership, teachers’ technology literacy, and innovative instruction, and further analyze the differences in principals’ technology leadership, teachers’ technology literacy, and innovative instruction under different background variables. Moreover, it attempts to explore the structural relationships among these three issues, and understand the influence of principals’ technology leadership and teachers’ technology literacy on innovative instruction. This study conducted a questionnaire survey on 638 teachers from 51 public elementary schools in New Taipei City, and retrieved 631 valid questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, and structural equation model (SEM). The conclusions of this study are as follows: 1.The current conditions for New Taipei City elementary school principals’ technology leadership, teachers’ technology literacy, and innovative instruction are good. 2.Teachers at mid-sized and small elementary schools in remote areas with longer histories perceive principals’ technology leadership to a greater extent. 3.Male teachers who also have administrative responsibilities and have higher education that have higher technology literacy. 4.Teachers in schools with longer histories have higher technology literacy. 5.Male teachers who are also directors, with higher education and more teaching experience have higher innovative instruction. 6.Teachers at mid-sized schools with longer histories have higher innovative instruction. 7.Elementary school principals’ technology leadership has a positive influence on teachers’ technology literacy, and innovative instruction. Finally, suggestions are proposed based on the research conclusions, in order to serve as a reference for education administration, elementary school principals, and future research.

本研究旨在了解新北市立國民中學校長變革領導與教師創新教學之現況，以及分析校長變革領導與教師創新教學之關係。研究方法係採問卷調查法，使用之研究工具為「國民中學校長變革領導與教師創新教學之研究」問卷，寄發49 所學校共780 份問卷，回收有效問卷615份進行分析。統計分析之方法為描述性統計分析、獨立樣本t 考驗、單因子變異數分析、皮爾遜積差相關、多元迴歸分析。 本研究的研究發現如下: 一、新北市立國民中學教師對於校長變革認知程度屬於中高程度，其中 以「建立變革願景」層面之認知程度最高。 二、新北市立國民中學教師對於校長變革領導認知程度，以男性教師、 資深教師、年長教師、兼任主任職務之教師認知程度較高。 三、新北市立國民中學教師在創新教學實施現況良好，各分層面之實施現況差異不大，但以「教師教學創新」層面得分最高。 四、新北市立國民中學教師在創新教學實施現況，以初任教師、資深教師、兼任主任之教師實施程度較高，尤其初任教師表現令人驚艷。 五、校長變革領導五個層面與教師創新教學整體及各層面有顯著正相關。 六、校長變革領導五個層面對教師創新教學整體具預測力。 最後，本研究依據研究結果提出相關之建議，以供教育行政機關及國民中學校長、教師之參考。 關鍵字:校長變革領導、教師創新教學 / The purpose of this study is two-fold: first, to assess the current status of innovative teaching practices and the principals’ transformational leadership at municipal junior high schools in New Taipei City; and second, to verify their relationship. This questionnaire survey was adopted as the research tool and the "Study of Innovative Teaching Practices and Principals’ Transformational Leadership at Municipal Junior High Schools" questionnaire is specifically designed for this study. 780 questionnaires were sent out to 49 schools, and 615 effective samples were collected for analysis. The statistical analysis techniques selected for this study include Descriptive Statistics, Independent Samples t-test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis The study results are as follows: 1. Junior high school teachers in New Taipei City exhibited a mid-to-high level of perception toward principals’ transformational leadership, and among all dimensions, the vision establishment dimension was observed to have the highest level of perception. 2. Among all teachers surveyed, male teachers, senior teachers, older teachers, and teachers who also serve as directors exhibited a higher level of perception toward principals’ transformational leadership. 3. In terms of innovative teaching practices, it was observed that teachers at municipal junior high schools in New Taipei City performed fairly well. No large diversity was observed across all dimensions, but the teacher teaching innovation dimension has the highest score. 4. In terms of innovative teaching practices among teachers at municipal junior high schools in New Taipei City, the beginning teachers, senior teachers and teachers who also serve as directors exhibited a higher level of performance, but beginning teachers have exhibited an astonishing level of performance. 5. The five dimensions under the principals’ transformational leadership are positively and significantly correlated to innovative teaching practices and all its dimensions. 6. The five dimensions of principals’ transformational leadership can be used to predict innovative teaching practices. Finally, based on the study results, this research proposed relevant suggestions as reference for school administrative and supervisory organizations, principals and teachers at municipal junior high schools. Keywords: Principals’ Transformational Leadership, Innovative Teaching Practices

在WEB 2.0時代的帶動下，社群網站已然成為時下流行文化，個人創作者紛紛投入社群網站的經營，觀察近年來幾個事件，社群網站對於創作者的發展確有推波助瀾之效，為有助於創作者對社群網站的運用，本研究針對個人創作者與社群網站兩者之間的關係與影響，進行分析、研究。 因此，本研究採取質性研究，以多重個案分析，一個創作者即為一個個案。以貼近一般大眾閱讀口味的類型為主，選取文學小說、兩性家庭、生活風格三大類。從近三千位華文創作者中，首先挑選上百位創作者公開的社群網站，再從個人創作到作品出版的五大步驟與歷程：（一）創意的產生與發展；（二）作品的呈現方式；（三）作品的傳遞與管道；（四）作品的行銷與推廣；（五）創作者個人品牌的建立與累積，觀察、分析三種不同類型創作者的社群網站在這五大面向的內容與作為，比較各個創作者社群網站經營的異同，以期找出社群網站經營之道與影響力。 經過分析與研究，歸納出以下結果：（一）個人創作運用社群網站有助於創意的產生與發展，意見的回饋對於創作的方向更能掌握，呈現的方式越趨多樣化，朝多媒體發展，也能藉社群網站累積人氣、增加知名度、建立個人品牌。（二）社群網站提供創作者固定的據點，使他們易於被看見與聯繫；不同類型的創作者以各自擅長的方式在此展現自我，營造自我特性。創作者活用社群網站此項工具，並著重回歸到創作的核心能力。 本研究提供後進創作者經營社群網站的策略擬定與具體建議，並給予和創作者息息相關的出版產業一些意見，以及對於社群網站研究有興趣者參考，可擴及將創作者延伸至文創產業或相關產業的應用研究。 / Driven by web 2.0, social networking websites have become part of the pop culture. Creative writers have been jumping on the bandwagon running their own social networking websites. From the observation of recent events, it has confirmed that social networking websites did have helped promote the creative writers. In order to improve the use of social networking websites for the creative writers, this research analyzed and studied the relationship and influence between the creative writers and social networking websites. This research comprised of multiple qualitative case studies – one creative writer forming a single case – and focused on three popular genres, literature and fiction, relationships as well as lifestyle. First of all, hundreds of Chinese creative writers’ public social networking websites out of approximately 3,000 were selected. The next step was observing and analyzing the content and behaviors of the creative writers of these three genres on social networking websites during the five primary activities in the publishing process: the development of ideas; the presentation; the delivery channels; marketing and promotion; the branding and reputation of the author. This research was to find out the key success factors and influence of social networking websites through the comparison between those creative writers’ websites. Following the analysis and studies, the conclusion was drawn as follows: 1.Social networking websites are beneficial for the development of ideas. Online feedback provides the directions for writing. It diversifies the presentation especially the use of multi-media. Meanwhile social networking websites also help boost the awareness and popularity of the writers and ultimately build the personal branding up. 2.Social networking websites provide a stable platform for writing where the writers can be easily seen and contacted. Creative writers of various genres express themselves in their own specialist ways, shape their own USPs (unique selling propositions) and re-focus on the pivotal skills – writing – through the wise use of social networking websites as a tool. This research provides the subsequent creative writers with the strategies and advice on how to operate social networking websites. It also provides suggestions to the publishing industry that is closely linked with the creative writers. For researchers who are interested in social networking websites, this research may be applied to cultural and creative industry or other related industries.

The adoption of open innovation models has been widely recognized as an effective strategy to be successful in knowledge creation. This holds true since a joint adoption of internal and external technology sources may bring complementarities in terms of a given performance measure. The assessment of these complementarities and the examination of the conditions favoring them are the main objective of this research. First, the thesis examines the process of knowledge provision in the case of alternative alliances (e.g., collaboration and R&D outsourcing), and assesses its effects on the formation of inter-organizational complementarities in R&D. Second, the thesis analyzes how firms organize alternative search strategies that differ from each other in their technological and organizational profiles. The thesis presents a novel taxonomy that proposes three generic models by which firms organize their technological search activities: ambidextrous, specialized and diversified models. From an empirical perspective, the thesis assesses the performance consequences when applying these models, and compares their capacity to produce complementarities in innovative performance. Third, the thesis studies the implementation of inter-organizational ambidexterity in R&D as a method that allows firms to balance tensions in the integration of exploratory and exploitative R&D tasks. Given the potential effects of this balance strategy on the way a firm innovates, the thesis further investigates the main consequences associated with the adoption of inter-organizational ambidexterity in R&D. / Los modelos de innovación abierta han sido ampliamente reconocidos como una estrategia efectiva para favorecer el proceso de creación de conocimiento en las empresas. Este reconocimiento se debe al hecho de que estos modelos facilitan la producción de complementariedades, medidas en términos de algún indicador sobre el rendimiento innovador de las empresas. Dado el carácter estratégico de estas complementariedades, su evaluación y el examen de las condiciones que favorecen su producción constituyen el objetivo principal de esta tesis. En primer lugar, la tesis analiza el proceso de provisión de conocimientos derivado de diferentes tipos de alianzas (i.e., colaboración en I+D, la subcontratación de I + D), evaluando su impacto en la formación de complementariedades ínter-organizativas en I+D. En segundo lugar, la tesis analiza la organización de las estrategias dedicadas a la búsqueda de conocimiento tecnológico usadas por las empresas. Para ello, se considera que dichas estrategias difieren entre si en cuanto a sus perfiles tecnológicos y organizativos. La tesis presenta una nueva taxonomía que propone tres modelos genéricos mediante los 2 cuales las empresas pueden organizan sus actividades de búsqueda tecnológica: el modelo ambidiestro, el modelo especializado y el modelo diversificado. Desde el punto de vista empírico, la tesis analiza las consecuencias sobre la capacidad de innovación de las empresas asociados a la implementación de estos modelos. Adicionalmente, se comparan estos modelos en cuanto a su capacidad de producir complementariedades durante el proceso de innovación de las empresas. En tercer lugar, la tesis estudia la aplicación de la ambidestreza ínter-organizativa en I + D como método de organización de las actividades de exploración y explotación de las empresas. En particular, se analiza la capacidad de este método a la hora de equilibrar las tensiones producidas en la integración de actividades de exploración y explotación en I + D. Teniendo en cuenta los efectos potenciales de estos modelos sobre la innovación en las empresas, la tesis evalúa las principales consecuencias asociadas con su adopción.

Στη διατριβή αυτή παρουσιάζονται τα αποτελέσματα έρευνας σχετικής με το σχεδιασμό, εφαρμογή και αξιολόγηση μιας διδακτικής ακολουθίας για την έννοια της ενέργειας η οποία απευθύνεται σε μαθη-τές/τριες της ε΄ τάξης του ελληνικού δημοτικού σχολείου. Η διδακτική αυτή ακολουθία βασίζεται στις αρχές της ‘καινοτομικής’ και ‘εποικοδομητικής’ προσέγγισης για τη διδασκαλία και μάθηση των φυσι-κών επιστημών και εξετάζονται αφ’ ενός τα επιστημολογικά χαρακτηριστικά του εννοιολογικού περιε-χομένου της ακολουθίας αυτής και αφ’ ετέρου αν μπορεί να οδηγήσει μαθητές/τριες αυτής της εκπαι-δευτικής βαθμίδας να εμφανίσουν γνωστική πρόοδο στο συγκεκριμένο θέμα. Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέ-σματα της έρευνας, εκτιμάται ότι το ‘μοντέλο των ενεργειακών αλυσίδων’ αποτελεί ένα επιστημολογικά έγκυρο, συμβατό προς τις γνωστικές δυνατότητες των παιδιών και διδακτικά αποτελεσματικό διδακτικό μετασχηματισμό της επιστημονικής γνώσης σε σχολική γνώση. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, παρέχονται ενδείξεις σύμφωνα με τις οποίες οι μαθητές/τριες μετά το πέρας της σχετικής διδασκαλίας είναι δυνατόν να οι-κοδομήσουν τόσο στο ποιοτικό όσο και στο ποσοτικό επίπεδο ένα ενεργειακό μοντέλο με το οποίο (α) να περιγράφουν χρησιμοποιώντας την έννοια της ενέργειας, τόσο στο ποιοτικό όσο και στο ποσοτικό επίπεδο, τη λειτουργία απλών τεχνολογικών συστημάτων όπου εμπλέκονται μηχανικά, θερμικά και η-λεκτρικά φαινόμενα, (β) να μετρούν ποσότητες ενέργειας σε απλά τεχνολογικά συστήματα του σχολι-κού εργαστηρίου και (γ) να περιγράφουν, εξηγούν και προβλέπουν την ενεργειακή συμπεριφορά οικια-κών τεχνολογικών συστημάτων. / In this thesis, the results of a research concerning the planning, application and evaluation of a teaching sequence as far as the concept of energy is concerned, are featured. This teaching sequence is addressed to fifth grade pupils of Greek primary schools and it relies on the principles of ‘innovative’ and ‘construc-tive’ approach for the teaching and learning of science. On one hand, the epistemological features of the conceptual content of the sequence are being examined and on the other hand, it is argued whether pu-pils can be led to developing cognitive progress on this specific issue. According to the findings of this research, it is estimated that the ‘model of energy chains’ is scientifically valid and compatible to the cognitive capabilities of the pupils. It is an effective teaching model which transforms the scientific knowledge into school knowledge. More specifically, there are indications that the pupils, after completing this teaching course are capable of developing an energy model which is both qualitative and quantitative, so as to be able to: (a) describe the function of simple technological systems which include mechanical, thermal and electrical phenomena, by using the concept of energy both in a qualitative and quantitative level, (b) measure energy quantities in simple technological sys-tems of the school laboratory and (c) describe, explain and predict the energy behaviour of domestic technological systems.