No campo da psicologia educacional, muitos estudos têm diagnosticado a motivação de estudantes na área da química, mas poucos propõem intervenções e avaliam seu potencial para a mudança da motivação para a aprendizagem, especialmente no contexto brasileiro. Diante disso, este estudo avaliou a contribuição de palestras interativas para a promoção da motivação para aprender química em estudantes do primeiro ano do Ensino Médio de três escolas públicas da cidade de São Carlos com base na Self-Determination Theory (SDT). As palestras foram desenvolvidas a partir da parceria com grupos de pesquisa do IQSC e representam um conjunto de atividades dinâmicas de divulgação científica, das quais quatro foram selecionadas para serem aplicadas ao longo de um ano, no total de 21 apresentações para cerca de 150 estudantes. Os espaços de apresentação das palestras foram um museu de ciências e o saguão de uma biblioteca da USP. Foi utilizada a triangulação metodológica pautada na aplicação de questionários com escala Likert, realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com estudantes e professores e observações no diário de campo. A análise do instrumento Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ), através do cálculo da mediana, juntamente da análise das entrevistas dos professores, forneceu dados sobre o estado motivacional inicial dos estudantes e o cenário na qual a pesquisa se desdobrou. Foi revelada a prevalência da motivação regulada por fatores externos, como a motivação por nota, em todas as escolas. A análise do instrumento Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), indicou que as palestras interativas de química satisfizeram aspectos promotores do interesse, valor, esforço e percepção de escolha nos estudantes, em detrimento do sentimento de pressão, o que aponta para uma atividade motivadora. A partir da categorização simples das entrevistas e análise dos resultados, o aumento do interesse pela química, a melhor compreensão dos conceitos químicos, a melhor compreensão da natureza da química, bem como do aumento do esforço aplicado para o aprendizado forneceram, dentre outros fatores, indícios da promoção da motivação para o aprendizado de química. Tais resultados foram corroborados pelas observações dos professores à medida que aprofundaram o olhar para suas turmas e notaram particular aumento do esforço e interesse, embora não tenham observado mudanças em toda a sala de aula. Dentre os aspectos das palestras que contribuíram para os resultados, destacam-se a promoção de interação entre os alunos, do engajamento e envolvimento cognitivo a partir das dinâmicas das apresentações. As pesquisas científicas apresentadas, espaços não formais utilizados e formação dos apresentadores também tiveram papel fundamental. Contudo, aspectos relacionados à avaliação escolar e falta de diálogo entre professores e estudantes podem limitar essas atividades no que concerne ao diagnóstico, intervenção e acompanhamento dos estudantes. Os resultados fomentam a importância da divulgação científica da química e responsabilidade da universidade pública no processo de divulgação e motivação do estudante para o aprendizado. / In the educational psychology field, many studies have been doing the diagnosis of student\'s motivation to chemistry, but few studies propose interventions and evaluate its potential for changing the motivation to learning, especially at Brazilian context. From this, this study evaluated the contribution of interactive lectures to promote the motivation to learn chemistry in first-year High School students of three public schools of São Carlos city based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The lectures were develop from the partnership with IQSC research groups and represent a set of dynamic activities of science popularization, of which four of them were chosen to be applied over one year, in a total of 21 presentations to around 150 students. The presentation spaces of the lectures were a science museum and the hall of a library of USP. The triangulation methodology was used, based on the application of Likert scale questionnaires, semi-structured interviews with students and teachers and observations and field notes. The analysis of the Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ), through the median calculation, and the teachers\' interview analysis, provided data about students\' initial motivational state and about the scenario in which the research was unfolded. The prevalence of motivation regulated by external factors, such as grade motivation, was revealed in all schools. The analysis of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) indicated that the interactive chemistry lectures have satisfied aspects related to promotion of interest, value, effort and perception of choice to the detriment of the sense of pressure, which points to a motivating activity. From the simple categorization of the interviews and analysis of the results, the increase in interest for chemistry and the increase of the effort to learn provided, between other factors, indications of promotion of motivation to learning chemistry. These results were corroborated by the observations of the teachers as they paid more attention to their classroom and noticed a particular increase in effort and interest, although they did not observe changes in all students. Among the aspects of the lectures that contributed to the results, the promotion of interaction among students, engagement and cognitive involvement based on the dynamics of presentations are highlight. The scientific research presented, non-formal spaces used and presenters training also played fundamental role. However, aspects related to school evaluation and lack of dialogue between teachers and students may limit this activities regarding the diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of the classes. The results foment the importance of scientific popularization of chemistry and the responsibility of the public university in the process of dissemination and motivation of students to learn.

This thesis work aims the ionic liquid pretreatment of peanut shells for co-production of glucose as fermentable sugar and lignin, considering a multi product perspective. The effects of ionic liquid type and pretreatment time period on the sugar and lignin yields were investigated, as the particle size and temperature parameters were determined in the preliminary studies. Peanut shells were pretreated at constant temperature, 150 oC, for 5, 15 and 30 minutes with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate and for 15, 30 and 60 minutes with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride. The pretreated peanut shells were then subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis in order to produce fermentable sugars, mostly, glucose. The solid residue obtained upon enzymatic hydrolysis was analyzed in terms of lignin quantity. 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate pretreatment for 15 minutes resulted in the maximum reducing sugar and lignin yields / 28 g of reducing sugar and 20 g of solid residue with 70% lignin were obtained per 100 g of peanut shells. Higher pretreatment time resulted in lower yields. Moreover, no optimal time period for 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium chloride pretreatment was obtained, since reducing sugar and lignin yields increased as the time period increased. Also all reducing sugar and lignin yields were lower than that obtained with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. Lignin obtained upon enzymatic hydrolysis of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate pretreated peanut shells were characterized by SEM, FTIR, TGA and XRD analyses, which also showed the morphological and structural effects of pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis on peanut shells / and used as concrete admixture, which increased the flow of the concrete by 6%.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-212).

This study focuses on perceptions of a group of Computing lecturers at a large post ’92 Scottish university of the changes that have occurred in the student body. It also considers whether or not the changes have had any impact on the identity and role of the lecturers and whether the lecturers have adapted their practice to accommodate the needs of the diverse student population. An empirical approach was used consisting of semi-structured interviews with a targeted random sample of lecturers. The findings indicate that the impact of the changes which have taken place within higher education have not been uniform and have varied depending on the perceived status of the institution as well as the discipline within the Higher Education (HE) hierarchy. The findings identify a number of areas for consideration by university managers, lecturers and higher education researchers. There appears to be a gap between university policies on widening access and student retention and the implementation of the policies by the lecturers. The findings show that the lecturers are aware of the greater diversity of the student body, but that many of the lecturers share the traditional view of a university student and therefore expect the students to adapt to fit the existing system rather than considering changing their approaches to suit the students. The lecturers in my study have adopted a number of strategies to cope with the constant changes taking place within higher education. However, many of them are unclear as to what is expected of them and unsure about how they should prioritise the numerous demands on their time. This study differs from and complements other work because it focuses on the lecturers’ perceptions of the changes in their role as well as in the student body. The outcome of my study is a better understanding of the perceptions lecturers have of their role and the students that they teach. Although my study is small scale and specific to a particular academic discipline within a large university, the findings should be of value not only to the particular institution in the study, but the wider academic community as well.

Language constitutes the dominant representational mode in science teaching, and lectures are still the most prevalent of the teaching methods in school science. In this dissertation, I investigate lectures from a multimodal and communicative perspective to better understand how teaching as a cultural-historical and social activity unfolds; that is, I am concerned with teaching as a communicative event, where a variety of signs (or semiotic resources), expressed in diverse modalities (or modes of communication) are produced and reproduced while the teacher articulates very specific conceptual meanings for the students. Within a trans-disciplinary approach that merges theoretical and methodical frameworks of social and cultural studies of human activity and interaction, communicative and gestures studies, linguistics, semiotics, pragmatics, and studies on teaching and learning science, I investigate teaching as a communicative, dynamic, multimodal, and social activity. My research questions include: What are the resources produced and reproduced in the classroom when the teacher is lecturing? How do these resources interact with each other? What meanings do they carry and how are these associated to achieve the coherence necessary to accomplish the communication of complex and abstract scientific concepts, not only within one lecture, but also within an entire unit of the curricula encompassing various lectures? My results show that, when lecturing, the communication of scientific concepts occur along trajectories driven by the dialectical relation among the various semiotic resources a lecturer makes available that together constitute a unit—the idea. Speech, gestures, and other nonverbal resources are but one-sided expressions of a higher order communicative meaning unit. The iterable nature of the signs produced and reproduced during science lectures permits, supports, and encourages the repetition, variation, and translation of ideas, themes, and languages and therefore permits, supports, and encourages conceptual development at the boundary between the mundane and discipline-specific cultures that students (have to) traverse in learning. It is only within this multimodal and dialectical communicative meaning unit that we can understand and investigate science teaching and learning as these processes naturally occur.

Investigating Learning with Web Lectures Jason A. Day 242 Pages Directed by Dr. James D. Foley Learning can be improved when instructors use classroom time to engage students with hands-on activities and other kinds of active learning. However, time and cost constraints, especially in the higher education domain, can make integrating active learning into course curricula a significant challenge. With this dissertation, we have designed, implemented, and rigorously evaluated an inexpensive, easy-to-implement educational intervention that facilitates increased student engagement and active learning. A key technological component of this intervention is web lectures: condensed, studio-recorded lectures made available via the web as multimedia presentations that combine video of the lecturer, audio, lecture slides, and a table of contents. When web lectures are used to replace the traditional in-class lecture, classroom time can be utilized in other more engaging, learning-beneficial ways. This work is not just about using web lectures, however; it is also about making them with the best combination of modalities (e.g., video, audio, slides, narrative text) and about technologies and pedagogies that bridge the gap between studying web lectures individually and subsequently applying and extending that lecture material in the classroom. We explored the effectiveness of this educational intervention using two complementary threads of investigation. First, we used a controlled, experimental study to evaluate individual s learning with web lectures as standalone learning objects. Here, we found that our web lectures are more effective and efficient than other similar educational multimedia presentations. Second, we used longitudinal, naturalistic studies to evaluate the deployed classroom intervention as a whole. With these studies, we found that a course taught using our web lecture intervention produces as good or better student grades and significantly improved perception of learning and satisfaction than a traditionally-taught course. Guidelines for making and using web lectures are provided.

Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Martini et al. (2006) found that the AGN fraction of galaxy clusters was five times higher than previous optical studies suggested. Using visual observations only, Dressler et al. (1985) estimated the AGN fraction of field galaxies to be 5%, while that of clusters was thought to be 1%. To understand the role that the environment plays in AGN fueling, the author studied a variety of environments, ranging from the field to groups to clusters. Will the AGN fraction of groups also be higher than that of the field? The author demonstrates how the AGN fraction of groups compares to that of clusters. In the following sections, the author describes the mechanics of X-ray astronomy, the group environment, and the characteristics of active galactic nuclei. The author briefly describes the possible mechanisms for AGN fueling.

Finding renewable sources of energy is becoming an increasingly important component of scientific research. Greater competition for existing sources of energy has strained the world’s supply and demand balance and has increased the prices of traditional sources of energy such as oil, coal, and natural gas. The experiment discussed in this paper is designed to identify and build an inexpensive and simple method for creating an effective organic solar cell.

O objetivo desta tese é compreender a produção da qualidade quando aplicada no campo de atividade do professor universitário. A questão da qualidade é um dos desafios centrais da educação universitária no Brasil pelo caráter estratégico de seus resultados para a nação. Dessa educação emerge a capacidade das futuras gerações. A definição de qualidade é uma tarefa difícil dentro de quase todas as ciências sociais e muito mais difícil dentro do contexto da educação universitária que é frequentemente dividida por ideologias, tradições e critérios ontológicos. Esta tese produziu um resumo da literatura tentando responder a questão do que é qualidade no ensino superior quando aplicada ao desempenho do docente universitário. A literatura não apresenta consenso a essa questão, mas oferece cinco dimensões para a consideração do problema. O conceito do ensino superior, a gestão do professor, o comportamento do professor, o desenvolvimento e atualização do professor e as condições do trabalho constituem as fontes de ações para a produção de qualidade no desempenho rotineiro do professor. Este estudo foi complementado com uma investigação empírica dirigida para a identificação dos fatores que estão disponíveis e acessíveis aos coordenadores e professores da universidade e para contribuir para a produção da qualidade. Esta investigação empírica foi desenhada e realizada através da escala Q que é um método frequente nos estudos das teorias e ideologias que estão implícitas em papéis, identidades, fatores e critérios. A escala Q foi construída sobre as proposições encontradas na literatura que identificavam as cinco dimensões e aplicada a uma população de professores e coordenadores das instituições universitárias. Os resultados revelaram fatores que contribuem com a qualidade do ensino universitário em quatro das cinco dimensões. Conceito do ensino superior, comportamento do professor, desempenho e atualização do professor e condições de trabalho. A única dimensão que não alcançou significância na produção de qualidade foi a gestão dos professores por parte dos coordenadores. Futuras investigações deverão ser dirigidas para aprofundar a força destas dimensões / The objective of this thesis is the understanding of the production of quality when applied to the realms of the higher education institution. The issue of quality became one of the central challenges of Brazilian higher education institutions because of the strategic character of its outcomes to the nation. Out of it emerge the skills, competencies and knowledge of future generations. The definition of quality is a difficult task in most of the social sciences fields and even more difficult within the context of education which is often split by ideologies, traditions and ontological criteria. This thesis summarized the discussion presented by the literature trying to answer the question what is quality when that concept is applied to the performance of lecturers at the any university degree. The literature has hardly a consensual view and offers five dimensions to figure it out. The concept of higher education, the management of the lecturers, the lecturers behavior, the lecturers development and updating and the working conditions were understood as the main sources of actions for the production of quality in lecturers ordinary performance. This study was complemented by an empirical research directed to the investigation of the factors that are at the hands of managers and lecturers and contribute significantly to the quality of lecturers` performance. That investigation was designed and achieved through the Q Scale as a method quite popular for the study of theories and ideologies underlying roles, identities, factors and criteria. A Q-Scale was build out of the literature on the grounds of the five dimensions above mentioned and applied to a population of lecturers and pedagogic supervisors taken from two institutions. The results came across with factors related to the conception of higher education, faculty performance, working conditions and the faculty development. The only dimension which did not reach level of significance in its contribution to quality was the faculty management. Future research should investigate deeper on those dimensions

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:39:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 745.pdf: 779382 bytes, checksum: dedd462fafcc61f05576747bf5e8c2bb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-03-11 / This work is inserted in an investigative line, guided by a cognitive learning framework, seeking to understand how speech, in the teaching environment, has impact upon the learning process of students. Using as outline suggested questions from the teacher in participative lectures and the reactions to the students responses, this investigation aimed to answer two questions: a) How does the analysis of the interaction teacher-student in participative lectures enable the identification of possible learning opportunities? b) Which are the variables involved in the process that go from the intentions in teaching practice, to the opportunities of learning offered? To proceed in this analysis, we have sought reference in social-historical psychology authors regarding the caracterization of the thought process and the structure of scientific knowledge ( Petrovsky, 1980; Vygostky, 1993 ); authors who, using as a starting point social-historical psychology, have developed concepts and interpretations on the functions of speech in learning activities ( Scott, 1998; Mercer, 1996; Wegerif et al, 1999 ); authors who deal with forms of relationship in regard to knowledge, as they materialize in the teaching environment ( Edwards, 1997 ). This work is characterized as a descriptive-analytic study of a biology teacher; of qualitative nature, presented in case study format. The data was collected thru means of observation and registry of given lectures as well as an interview with the teacher. Results indicate that the identification of learning opportunities offered by the teacher, by means of interventions, can only be comprehended if articulated to the logics of context ( structure of scientific concepts ) and interaction ( structure of participation, that is, the implied rules that guide the students and teacher s participation in their speech during class). These opportunities sometimes don t correspond to the ones idealized /verbalized by the teacher, as they suffer influence of many variables in the process of materialization in class. Among these are the ones related to the basis of knowledge of the teacher in teaching skills, in terms of knowledge of a specific area as well as in the pedagogic area. A correct articulation between the two types of knowledge can enable a more adequate one between the teacher s interventions and the mental processes necessary to the elaboration of certain scientific knowledge by the students. Beyond that, results also show the utility of theoretical structures, deriving from concepts such as scafolding ( Bruner et al, 1976, apud Scott, 1998 ) for the analysis of concrete situations in teacher-student interaction during participative lectures. / Este trabalho está inserido em uma linha investigava que, pautada em uma abordagem cognitivista da aprendizagem, procura compreender como a fala, nas situações de ensino, têm impacto sobre o processo de aprendizagem dos alunos. Tendo como recorte as questões propostas pelo professor em aulas expositivo-participativas e as suas reações às respostas dos alunos, esta investigação procurou responder a duas questões: a) Como a análise da interação professor-aluno em aula expositivo-participativa possibilita que se identifiquem as oportunidades de aprendizagem oferecidas? b) Quais as variáveis envolvidas no processo que vai das intenções de ensino às oportunidades de aprendizagem oferecidas? Para proceder a esta análise, buscamos referências em: autores da psicologia sócio histórica a respeito da caracterização do processo de pensamento e da estrutura dos conhecimentos científicos((Petrovsky, 1980; Vygotsky, 1993); autores que, tendo como ponto de partida a psicologia sócio-histórica, têm desenvolvido conceitos e interpretações sobre as funções da fala em atividades de aprendizagem (Scott, 1998; Mercer, 1996; Wegerif et al, 1999); autores que tratam das formas de relação com o conhecimento tais como se materializam em sala de aula (Edwards, 1997). Este trabalho caracteriza-se como um estudo analítico-descritivo, de natureza qualitativa, apresentado sob a forma de um estudo de caso de um professor de Biologia. Os dados foram coletados por meio de observação e registro das aulas ministradas e entrevista com o professor. Os resultados indicam que a identificação das oportunidades de aprendizagem oferecidas pelo professor por meio de suas intervenções só podem ser compreendidas se articuladas as lógicas do conteúdo (estrutura dos conceitos científicos) e da interação (estrutura da participação, ou seja, as regras implícitas que regem a participação de alunos e professor no discurso em sala de aula). Estas oportunidades, muitas vezes, não correspondem àquelas idealizadas/ verbalizadas pelo professor pois, em seu processo de materialização em sala de aula, sofrem a influência de muitas variáveis, dentre elas as relacionadas à base de conhecimentos do professor para o ensino , tanto em termos de conhecimentos do âmbito específico, quanto do âmbito pedagógico. Uma correta articulação entre estes dois tipos de conhecimento podem levar a uma adequada articulação entre as intervenções do professor e os processos mentais que são necessários à elaboração de determinados conhecimentos científicos pelos alunos. Além disso, os resultados também demonstram a proficuidade de construções teóricas oriundas de conceitos como scafolding (Bruner et al, 1976, apud Scott, 1998) para a análise de situações concretas de interação professor-alunos em aulas expositivo-participativas.