This research journey investigated the ways in which (1) the lives of adolescents have been influenced by parental divorce and subsequent remarriage, (2) exploring the relationships participants have with biological, nonresidential fathers and (3) to collaboratively present ways of doing family in alternative. Four adolescent girls took part in group conversations where they could were empowered to have their voices heard in a society where they are usually marginalized and silenced. As a result of these conversations a family game, FunFam, was developed that aimed to assist families in expanding communication within the family. Normalizing prescriptive discourses about divorce and remarriage were deconstructed to offer participants the opportunity to re-author their stories about their families. The second part of the research journey explored the problem-saturated stories that these four participants had with their biological, nonresidential fathers. They deconstructed the discourses that influenced this relationship and redefined the relationship to suit their expectations and wishes. / Practical Theology / M.Th.

In order to understand the dynamics of change taking place in universities in South Africa today and their impact on teaching and learning, specifically at the University of the North, an understanding of the changing nature of relationships in education is essential. Teaching and learning must not be seen in isolation, but in the context of a universal paradigm shift manifest in all walks of life. The relationship between teacher and learner too has fundamentally changed. In today's 'opensystems' paradigm, relationships have become temporary, horizontalized, other-directed and complex in nature. It is in the light of these realities that meaningful teaching and learning must take place. In the context of today's rapidly changing environment, dominated by technocracy and characterised by alienation and misunderstanding, the need for knowledge and leadership, in and through the University of the North, is crucial. This, in turn, can only be achieved if the University becomes accessible and accountable to the community. The process of transforming anachronistic, closed and authoritarian structures on campus towards openness and accountability has been fraught with conflict and opportunism. The University of the North developed from a once universal contradiction, having been created as a political necessity, towards becoming an educational necessity. This process has witnessed attempts at reformation, open rebellion and the quest for total transformation. The search for meaningful alternatives, as mirrored by the broader struggle in society against the contradictions of apartheid policy, has impacted on all walks of life at the University. Teaching and learning became highly politicised, characterised by open conflict and alienation, resulting in destruction of the culture of learning. The present process of transformation on campus, involving all stakeholders, has led to many achievements in the search for new relationships and new meanings. It is essential that the University belong to the community. Standing on the edge of chaos, the University needs to set an example in leadership, in accessibility, relevance, and in the promotion of Africanisation as a didactic principle through dialogue, openness and the sharing of knowledge through practical action at the grass roots level. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen theologischer Ausbildung und missionarischer Herausforderung im deutschsprachigen Europa. Dabei steht die Forschungsfrage im Zentrum, was der sich verändernde Kontext und die damit verbundene missionarische Herausforderung der Kirche für eine Reform der theologischen Ausbildung bedeuten. Zu dieser Fragestellung werden aus ökumenischer und evangelikaler Perspektive Stimmen laut, welche eine Reform hin zu einer missionalen theologischen Ausbildung fordern, welche somit in Wesen und Funktion von der Missio Dei her zu verstehen sei. Die vorliegende Untersuchung geht der Frage nach, was eine solche Forderung bedeuten könnte und welche grundsätzlichen Implikationen sich für die theologische Ausbildung ergeben. In einem ersten Teil werden ökumenische, evangelische und evangelikale Impulse zur Reform der theologischen Ausbildung und dem Zusammenhang der missionarischen Herausforderung dargestellt, theoretische Sensibilität und Kernkategorien für die empirische Untersuchung entwickelt. Im Hauptteil der Forschungsarbeit wird die obige Fragestellung mittels einer qualitativ-empirischen Untersuchung unter Leitern von evangelikalen theologischen Ausbildungstätten im deutschsprachigen Europa untersucht. Mit halbstandardisierten Experten-Interviews werden nach Grounded Theory und mittels Typologienbildung vier Handlungsmuster als mögliche Reaktionen theologischer Ausbildungsverantwortlicher dargestellt. Abschließend werden die Ergebnisse der empirischen Untersuchung unter Einbezug der Literatur evaluiert und eine missionswissenschaftliche Auswertung hinsichtlich der Theologie, der Lerntheorie und der Kompetenzorientierung einer missionalen theologischen Ausbildung vorgenommen. Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit leistet somit einen dreifachen Beitrag. Erstens stellt sie ökumenische, evangelische und evangelikale Beiträge und empirisch erarbeitete Handlungsmuster zum Thema Reform theologischer Ausbildung im Hinblick auf die missionarische Herausforderung dar. Zweitens bietet sie aus missionswissenschaftlicher Perspektive einen Diskussionbeitrag zu einer möglichen Reform theologischer Ausbildung. Drittens werden konkrete Impulse zu Theologie, Lerntheorie und Kompetenzorientierung einer missionalen theologischen Ausbildung für den deutschsprachigen Kontext erarbeitet / This dissertation examines the relationship between theological education and missionary challenges in German-speaking Europe. The central research question is what the changing context and related missionary challenges of the church signify for a reform of theological training. Voices from an ecumenical and evangelical perspective are demanding a reform of theological education towards a missional approach, an approach defined in its identity as well as its function from the Missio Dei. The following study pursues the question as to what such demands entail and what implications follow for theological education in general. The first part presents the ecumenical, evangelical and evangelic impulse towards a reform of theological education and a link with missionary challenges; theoretic sensibilities and key categories are developed for the empirical examination. The main section of the study examines the abovementioned question through a qualitative-empirical study of the leadership of evangelical theological educational establishments in German-speaking Europe. With the help of half-standardised interviews of experts, four action samples were presented as possible reactions, according to grounded theory and by means of typology development. Finally, the results of the empirical examination were evaluated in the light of the literature and a missional-empirical evaluation was made regarding the theology, the learning theory and the competence orientation of a missional-theological education. This dissertation thus makes a threefold contribution. Firstly, it constitutes ecumenical, evangelical and evangelic contributions and an empirically developed plan of action on the theme of the reform of theological education in light of missionary challenges. Secondly, it offers a contribution from a missional- empirical perspective to the discussion of a possible reform of theological education. Thirdly, it develops a concrete impetus towards the theology, learning theory and competence orientation of a missional theological education in the German-speaking context / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Missiology)

The role of the principal can no longer be viewed as merely being a manager and administrator but rather as learning-expert and lifelong learner. Principals are expected to establish appropriate preconditions for effective teaching, learning and assessment, and flow through with interactions aimed at improving teaching and leaning. The problem statement for this study was based on the researcher’s opinion that the lack of knowledge of effective assessment practices by principals as instructional leaders seemed to have a negative influence on teacher’s perceptions of the implementation of quality assessment practices in their respective classrooms. The reason for this challenge is because principals are not involved in the classroom assessment practices, to revise, support and manage the quality of assessment by indentifying teacher’s assessment to them. The purpose of this study was to design a proposed instructional leadership model/ framework to ensure effective and quality assessment practices at school level. This ILQA framework/model was designed from the literature review, findings and personal experience as a principal. The aim of this ILQA framework/model was to support principals understand their roles in the teaching and learning environment in ensuring quality assessment practices at school level. This study investigates how principals execute their roles as instructional leaders in ensuring effective and the implementation of quality assessment practices using structured questionnaire from a sample of 250 respondents and semi structured interviews with five primary school principals in the Free State Department of Basic Education. It was found that to ensure quality assessment practices, principals should understand their role in assessment for learning, assessment of learning and assessment as learning and integrate them into classroom instruction as an important component of quality teaching and learning. In summary the researcher further hopes that when the findings and the recommendations of this study are implemented, it will add value to the school principals’ instructional leadership roles in ensuring quality assessment practices at school level. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Text in German with abstracts in German and English / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 222-239) / Vorliegende missionstheologische Untersuchung geht aus von David J. Boschs ökumenischem Missionsparadigma als Vorschlag für ein ganzheitliches Missionsverständnis mit den Brennpunk-ten Verkündigung und soziales Engagement in einer postmodernen Welt. Auf der Suche nach einer geschichtsbezogenen Eschatologie als Grundlage und motivierende Hoffnung für die Kirche in ih-rer Mission, verweist Bosch mit einiger Zurückhaltung auf die heilsgeschichtliche Theologie seines Lehrers Oscar Cullmann. Die Arbeit setzt sich daher in einem ersten Teil kritisch mit unterschied-lichen eschatologischen Entwürfen und insbesondere mit Cullmanns Eschatologie und deren Impli-kationen auf das Missionsverständnis auseinander. Im Anschluss wird danach gefragt, ob und in-wiefern die Theologie von N.T. Wright die cullmannsche Eschatologie in Sinne von Bosch zu er-weitern vermag. Es wird schliesslich deutlich, dass Wrights eschatologischer Ansatz eine tragfähi-gere Grundlage für ein ganzheitliches Missionsverständnis darstellt, als derjenige von Cullmann. Die Untersuchung will einen Beitrag leisten zur Auseinandersetzung mit der Eschatologie und gleichzeitig Wrights Theologie aus missionstheologischer Perspektive kritisch würdigen. / This missionary-theological investigation takes as its point of departure David J. Bosch’s ecumeni-cal missionary paradigm as a proposal for a holistic understanding of mission with a focus on pro-clamation and social engagement in a postmodern world. In the search for an eschatology related to history as a foundation and motivating hope for the church in its mission, Bosch refers with some reservation to the salvation historical theology of his teacher Oscar Cullmann. Accordingly, the first part of the work is devoted to a critical engagement with different eschatological conceptions and especially with Cullmann’s eschatology and its implications for the understanding of mission. After this, we then ask whether and to what extent the theology of N.T. Wright can expand the Cullman-nian eschatology in the sense of Bosch. It becomes clear in the end that Wright’s eschatological approach represents a more viable foundation for a holistic understanding of mission than that of Cullmann. The study aims to contribute to the debate over eschatology and at the same to present a critical appraisal of Wright’s theology from a missionary-theological perspective. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

A confiabilidade de um sistema de componentes depende da confiabilidade de cada componente. Assim, a estimação da função de confiabilidade de cada componente do sistema é de interesse. No entanto, esta não é uma tarefa fácil, pois quando o sistema falha, o tempo de falha de um dado componente pode não ser observado, isto é, um problema de dados censurados. Neste trabalho, propomos modelos Bayesianos paramétricos para estimação das funções de confiabilidade de componentes e sistemas em quatro diferentes cenários. Inicialmente, um modelo Weibull é proposto para estimar a distribuição do tempo de vida de um componente de interesse envolvido em sistemas coerentes não reparáveis, quando estão disponíveis o tempo de falha do sistema e o estado do componente no momento da falha do sistema. Não é imposta a suposição de que os tempos de vida dos componentes sejam identicamente distribuídos, mas a suposição de independência entre os tempos até a falha dos componentes é necessária, conforme teorema anunciado e devidamente demonstrado. Em situações com causa de falha mascarada, os estados dos componentes no momento da falha do sistema não são observados e, neste cenário, um modelo Weibull com variáveis latentes no processo de estimação é proposto. Os dois modelos anteriormente descritos propõem estimar marginalmente as funções de confiabilidade dos componentes quando não são disponíveis ou necessárias as informações dos demais componentes e, por consequência, a suposição de independência entre os tempos de vida dos componentes é necessária. Com o intuito de não impor esta suposição, o modelo Weibull multivariado de Hougaard é proposto para a estimação das funções de confiabilidade de componentes envolvidos em sistemas coerentes não reparáveis. Por fim, um modelo Weibull para a estimação da função de confiabilidade de componentes de um sistema em série reparável com causa de falha mascarada é proposto. Para cada cenário considerado, diferentes estudos de simulação são realizados para avaliar os modelos propostos, sempre comparando com a melhor solução encontrada na literatura até então, em que, em geral, os modelos propostos apresentam melhores resultados. Com o intuito de demonstrar a aplicabilidade dos modelos, análises de dados são realizadas com problemas reais não só da área de confiabilidade, mas também da área social. / The reliability of a system of components depends on reliability of each component. Thus, the initial statistical work should be the estimation of the reliability of each component of the system. This is not an easy task because when the system fails, the failure time of a given component can be not observed, that is, a problem of censored data. We propose parametric Bayesian models for reliability functions estimation of systems and components involved in four scenarios. First, a Weibull model is proposed to estimate component failure time distribution from non-repairable coherent systems when there are available the system failure time and the component status at the system failure moment. Furthermore, identically distributed failure times are not a required restriction. An important result is proved: without the assumption that components\' lifetimes are mutually independent, a given set of sub-reliability functions does not identify the corresponding marginal reliability function. In masked cause of failure situations, it is not possible to identify the statuses of the components at the moment of system failure and, in this second scenario, we propose a Bayesian Weibull model by means of latent variables in the estimation process. The two models described above propose to estimate marginally the reliability functions of the components when the information of the other components is not available or necessary and, consequently, the assumption of independence among the components\' failure times is necessary. In order to not impose this assumption, the Hougaard multivariate Weibull model is proposed for the estimation of the components\' reliability functions involved in non-repairable coherent systems. Finally, a Weibull model for the estimation of the reliability functions of components of a repairable series system with masked cause of failure is proposed. For each scenario, different simulation studies are carried out to evaluate the proposed models, always comparing then with the best solution found in the literature until then. In general, the proposed models present better results. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the models, data analysis are performed with real problems not only from the reliability area, but also from social area.

A confiabilidade de um sistema de componentes depende da confiabilidade de cada componente. Assim, a estimação da função de confiabilidade de cada componente do sistema é de interesse. No entanto, esta não é uma tarefa fácil, pois quando o sistema falha, o tempo de falha de um dado componente pode não ser observado, isto é, um problema de dados censurados. Neste trabalho, propomos modelos Bayesianos paramétricos para estimação das funções de confiabilidade de componentes e sistemas em quatro diferentes cenários. Inicialmente, um modelo Weibull é proposto para estimar a distribuição do tempo de vida de um componente de interesse envolvido em sistemas coerentes não reparáveis, quando estão disponíveis o tempo de falha do sistema e o estado do componente no momento da falha do sistema. Não é imposta a suposição de que os tempos de vida dos componentes sejam identicamente distribuídos, mas a suposição de independência entre os tempos até a falha dos componentes é necessária, conforme teorema anunciado e devidamente demonstrado. Em situações com causa de falha mascarada, os estados dos componentes no momento da falha do sistema não são observados e, neste cenário, um modelo Weibull com variáveis latentes no processo de estimação é proposto. Os dois modelos anteriormente descritos propõem estimar marginalmente as funções de confiabilidade dos componentes quando não são disponíveis ou necessárias as informações dos demais componentes e, por consequência, a suposição de independência entre os tempos de vida dos componentes é necessária. Com o intuito de não impor esta suposição, o modelo Weibull multivariado de Hougaard é proposto para a estimação das funções de confiabilidade de componentes envolvidos em sistemas coerentes não reparáveis. Por fim, um modelo Weibull para a estimação da função de confiabilidade de componentes de um sistema em série reparável com causa de falha mascarada é proposto. Para cada cenário considerado, diferentes estudos de simulação são realizados para avaliar os modelos propostos, sempre comparando com a melhor solução encontrada na literatura até então, em que, em geral, os modelos propostos apresentam melhores resultados. Com o intuito de demonstrar a aplicabilidade dos modelos, análises de dados são realizadas com problemas reais não só da área de confiabilidade, mas também da área social. / The reliability of a system of components depends on reliability of each component. Thus, the initial statistical work should be the estimation of the reliability of each component of the system. This is not an easy task because when the system fails, the failure time of a given component can be not observed, that is, a problem of censored data. We propose parametric Bayesian models for reliability functions estimation of systems and components involved in four scenarios. First, a Weibull model is proposed to estimate component failure time distribution from non-repairable coherent systems when there are available the system failure time and the component status at the system failure moment. Furthermore, identically distributed failure times are not a required restriction. An important result is proved: without the assumption that components\' lifetimes are mutually independent, a given set of sub-reliability functions does not identify the corresponding marginal reliability function. In masked cause of failure situations, it is not possible to identify the statuses of the components at the moment of system failure and, in this second scenario, we propose a Bayesian Weibull model by means of latent variables in the estimation process. The two models described above propose to estimate marginally the reliability functions of the components when the information of the other components is not available or necessary and, consequently, the assumption of independence among the components\' failure times is necessary. In order to not impose this assumption, the Hougaard multivariate Weibull model is proposed for the estimation of the components\' reliability functions involved in non-repairable coherent systems. Finally, a Weibull model for the estimation of the reliability functions of components of a repairable series system with masked cause of failure is proposed. For each scenario, different simulation studies are carried out to evaluate the proposed models, always comparing then with the best solution found in the literature until then. In general, the proposed models present better results. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the models, data analysis are performed with real problems not only from the reliability area, but also from social area.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Portable languages and distributed paradigms have driven a wave of new applications and processing models. One of the most promising, certainly from its early marketing, but disappointing (from its limited uptake)is the mobile agent execution and data processing model. Mobile agents are autonomous programs which can move around a heterogeneous network such as the Internet, crossing through a number of different security domains, and perform some work at each visited destination as partial completion of a mission for their agent user. Despite their promise as a technology and paradigm to drive global electronic services (i.e.any Internet-driven-and-delivered service, not solely e-commerce related activities), their up take on the Internet has been very limited. Chief among the reasons for the paradigm's practical under-achievement is there is no ubiquitous frame work for using Internet mobile agents, and non-trivial security concerns abound for the two major stake holders (mobile agent users and mobile agent platform owners). While both stake holders have security concerns with the dangers of the mobile agent processing model, most investigators in the field are of the opinion that protecting mobile agents from malicious agent platforms is more problematic than protecting agent platforms from malicious mobile agents. Traditional cryptographic mechanisms are not well-suited to counter the bulk of the threats associated with the mobile agent paradigm due to the untrusted hosting of an agent and its intended autonomous, flexible movement and processing. In our investigation, we identified that the large majority of the research undertaken on mobile agent security to date has taken a micro-level perspective. By this we mean research focused solely on either of the two major stakeholders, and even then often only on improving measures to address one security issue dear to the stake holder - for example mobile agent privacy (for agent users) or access control to platform resources (for mobile agent platform owners). We decided to take a more encompassing, higher-level approach in tackling mobile agent security issues. In this endeavour, we developed the beginnings of an infrastructural-approach to not only reduce the security concerns of both major stakeholders, but bring them transparently to a working relationship. Strategic utilisation of both existing distributed system trusted-third parties (TTPs) and novel mobile agent paradigm-specific TTPs are fundamental in the infrastructural framework we have devised. Besides designing an application and language independent frame work for supporting a large-scale Internet mobile agent network, our Mobile Agent Secure Hub Infrastructure (MASHIn) proposal encompasses support for flexible access control to agent platform resources. A reliable means to track the location and processing times of autonomous Internet mobile agents is discussed, withfault-tolerant handling support to work around unexpected processing delays. Secure,highly-effective (incomparison to existing mechanisms) strategies for providing mobile agent privacy, execution integrity, and stake holder confidence scores were devised - all which fit comfortably within the MASHIn framework. We have deliberately considered the interests - withoutbias -of both stake holders when designing our solutions. In relation to mobile agent execution integrity, we devised a new criteria for assessing the robustness of existing execution integrity schemes. Whilst none of the existing schemes analysed met a large number of our desired properties for a robust scheme, we identified that the objectives of Hohl's reference states scheme were most admirable - particularly real - time in - mission execution integrity checking. Subsequently, we revised Hohl's reference states protocols to fit in the MASHIn framework, and were able to overcome not only the two major limitations identified in his scheme, but also meet all of our desired properties for a robust execution integrity scheme (given an acceptable decrease in processing effiency). The MASHIn offers a promising new perspective for future mobile agent security research and indeed a new frame work for enabling safe and autonomous Internet mobile agents. Just as an economy cannot thrive without diligent care given to micro and macro-level issues, we do not see the security prospects of mobile agents (and ultimately the prospects of the mobile agent paradigm) advancing without diligent research on both levels.