Managing challenging behaviour in the classroom is a problem faced by all teachers. Challenging behaviour is any form of behaviour that interferes with children's learning or normal development; is harmful to the child, other children or adults; or puts a child in a high risk category for later social problems or school failure. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the link between undesirable behaviours of students and their effect on classroom learning culture, as one of the key factors in behaviour management is in understanding why challenging behaviour occurs. The qualitative nature of this research allowed for the exploration of both teacher and student narratives by learning from their experiences regarding challenging behaviour and its effect on a classroom learning culture. The literature review revealed that it is important, that teachers have a personal definition of challenging behaviour and reflect on their own personal beliefs and the beliefs of others regarding the understanding of challenging behaviours. Research, reviewed in Chapter 2 has indicated that challenging behaviour is strongly context dependent as seen particularly in the impact of different cultural contexts on that behaviour, that learning and behaviour are socially and culturally acquired and that academic learning and social learning are interconnected. It is the teachers' responsibility to initiate a classroom culture that recognises the connections between learning and behaviour, especially when there are a number of cultures represented. This type of classroom culture must be acceptable to, and shared by both students and teachers, must recognise and respond to cultural difference, and must avoid deficit thinking about minoritized cultures. To achieve this, teachers need to be the ones that change the most as they are the ones who hold the power to do so. Successful teachers need to place a high value on forming mutually respectful, trusting and positive relationships with their students which will create classrooms and schools that are safe and caring and allow a stronger focus on realising potential and encourage learning. The most effective way of forming such relationships is to learn to listen to and respect student voice. The outcomes of this study confirm findings in literature by demonstrating, that a close, positive and supportive relationship between teacher and students are essential for developing learning potential and for responding appropriately to challenging behaviour. Recognition of student voice is central to achieving these aims. Teachers also need to be aware of cultural difference and be prepared to make shifts in their thinking so that their own culture does not totally dominate in the classroom. In this study, the student and teacher participants were representative of both Māori and European ethnicity and the findings suggest that their assertions regarding how challenging behaviours affects learning were noticeably similar. This suggests perhaps that the participants in this study felt they were in a culturally safe environment where the teachers' culture did not always dominate.

The main content of the thesis is the analysis of elective mathematics lessons including examples of the tasks. This work could be useful mainly to teachers of primary elective mathematics. It is divided into two parts. The first one deals with the main theory. The second part is based on the analysis of particular lessons and tasks. The work also contains a set of tasks suitable for primary pupils.

Master of Public Health - MPH / Introduction: Despite the progress that Zambia has made in reducing its maternal mortality ratio from 649 to 398 per 100,000 live births between 1996 and 2013/14, the country did not meet the Millennium Development Goal 5a target, of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by 75% (i.e. to a ratio of 162 per 100,000 live births) by the end of 2015. Thus, as is the case with many other countries, considerable challenges still remain in relation to reducing maternal mortality in Zambia. According to Zambia's Roadmap for Accelerating Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child Mortality (2013-2016), the continuum of care for reproductive and maternal, newborn, and child health includes integrated service delivery for mothers and children across these various time periods, and also across place: within the home, the community, and in health facilities. In this regard, a referral system plays a key role in linking the various levels at which care is provided, and the different types of services offered at these levels. In the urban district of Lusaka, Zambia, all complicated pregnancy-related cases received by health centres or clinics are referred to either Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital, or the University Teaching Hospital. However, it appears that at present those working at the primary level of care, who make such referrals up to these higher levels of care, receive no feedback on the outcome of their referrals; there are also few counter-referrals to the respective clinics in the district. With limited communication to the primary level of care, and with no formal handover of patients back to the clinics by the tertiary level institutions, it is difficult to ensure that the required continuum of care for the referred mothers and their children, post-delivery, has been established within the district. This explorative study aimed therefore to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the maternity-related referral system currently operating between primary and tertiary levels of health care in the district, and to consider how the system might be strengthened so as to support a stronger continuum of care with respect to maternal and neonatal health. Methods: Using a descriptive qualitative research approach, stakeholders involved in the planning, delivery and/or oversight of maternal and neonatal health services in the district were purposively sampled and asked to voluntarily participate in the study. Prior to all the interviews, after being informed about the study, and receiving information sheets to read through, participants were required to give informed consent. Their experiences and opinions regarding referrals and counter-referrals were collected through a series of 23 individual, semi-structured interviews. A Thematic Analysis approach was used to analyse data in this study. Ethics approval was first obtained from the Senate Research Committee, University of the Western Cape and thereafter from the Excellence in Research Ethics and Science Converge Ethical Review Board in Zambia, before proceeding with the study. Clearance was also obtained from the Ministry of Health, the Lusaka District Health Management Team and the University Teaching Hospital to facilitate entry into the health facilities. Findings: The study found that, in practice, the referral system for maternity and neonatal health does exist and is generally – but not optimally - functional in the Lusaka District. However, challenges were noted that included the fact that the district’s maternity referral system has not been revised since it was first developed in the 1980s and is not available in a comprehensive set of guidelines or standard operational procedures which explicitly outline the reasons for referral and the related referral steps and mechanisms. In addition, the referral forms currently in use in the district have not been standardised and appear to be inconsistently used by the different facilities. Interviewees reported that there were limitations in terms of the number of, and availability of ambulances, and that there was also an inadequate number of trained midwives. Limitations on the health service's infrastructure, namely, the physical space that is available, the number of delivery beds, and the limited supply of equipment place an additional burden on the staff working at both the primary and tertiary level. Conclusion: Overall, the study recommends that further research – possibly in the form of a baseline audit – be conducted so as to develop a more detailed and/or operational assessment of the actual rather than the reported level of functionality of the district's maternity referral system. Specific recommendations are also proposed for the various stakeholders who are critical role players in the referral system, namely, the clinics, the University Teaching Hospital, the Lusaka District Health Management Team, the Provincial Health Office, the Ministry of Health and Cooperating Partners.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Background: The irrational use of medicines, and increasingly antimicrobials, remains a key health problem in many developing countries including Zambia. Inappropriate, ineffective and inefficient use of medicines is common in health facilities at all levels. There are many factors influencing irrational prescribing and dispensing of antimicrobials including patients, prescribers, dispensers, the supply system (including industry influences), government regulations and medicines information and misinformation. Study aim: The aim of the study was to assess the rational use and availability of antimicrobials at primary level health facilities under the Lusaka district community health office, Zambia. Study design: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study, with prospective and retrospective components. A standardized research methodology, including tools and indicators, adapted from the World Health Organization, was employed. Study population and sampling: The study population included all the 30 government primary level health facilities (health centres) in Lusaka District, from which 20 primary health facilities were sampled using a combination of purposive and random sampling. Using the WHO standard indicators of rational drug use, this study assessed 800 patient encounters, 520 medicines inventory records, and other baseline data, from 20 health facilities at three different levels under the Lusaka district community health office, Zambia. Data collection: The data collection tools were numbered and labeled. Tool 1: Prescribing Indicator Form was used to collect prescribing data; Tool 2: Patient Care (Pharmacy) Form was used to record dispensing data; Tool 3: Antimicrobial Availability Form for recording data for the availability of the key indicator antimicrobials and their substitutes; Tool 4: Facility Indicator Consolidation Reporting Form was used for consolidating the data collected for each health facility under study; and Tool 5: Facility Medicines Use Indicator Consolidation Form was used for the consolidation of the drug use data for the entire study. Third year Pharmacy Technology students were trained for the data collection process. The patients were first observed from outside the prescriber's room and the dispensing area for consultation and dispensing times respectively, and then they were interviewed to collect the prescribing and dispensing data. The tools were pre-tested. Data analysis: After data checking and consolidation, quantitative data were categorized into continuous numerical variables. Calculations were done manually and using computerized analysis (Epi Info package) and presented as simple frequency and means. Ethics: Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from University of the Western Cape Senate Research Committee. Permission was obtained from the Lusaka Provincial and District health offices, being the authorities that are overseeing the health facilities included in the study. Furthermore, permission was obtained from the health centre in-charges. Consent was obtained from healthcare providers and patients. Key results and discussion: The study found that at the primary level facilities there were more Clinical Officers (55%) than Medical Doctors (25%) and Registered Nurses (20%) in charge of prescribing. The main dispensers were Pharmacy Technologists (85%); there were no Pharmacists available in any of the facilities. A third [259 (32.4 %)] of all the 800 patients in the study were children below 12 years of age. Across the clinics, a mean of 2.94 medicines were prescribed per prescription, with an extremely low rate of prescribing drugs by generic name (36.7%). The proportion of prescriptions including an antibiotic was 36.2 % and 3.4 % included an injectable drug. Linking the antimicrobials and injections to patient diagnoses indicated that many were probably irrational, prescribing decisions. Amoxicillin and metronidazole were by far the most commonly prescribed antimicrobials at 32.0 % and 17.2 % of total antimicrobials, respectively. The essential drugs list was available in 80.0% of facilities and a high percentage of medicines were prescribed from the essential medicines list (81.2%). The overall mean percentage of medicines packages correctly labeled was considerably low at 44.8 %. The average consultation time was short at 4.0 (range 1-8.4) minutes, whereas the dispensing times were equally short and averaged at 116.6 (range 15-360) seconds, with the range of 15 to 360 seconds. The average percentage of first line antimicrobials available at health facilities was 79 %; and the average percentage of second line, substitute, antimicrobials available was 15 %. Conclusion: In line with studies from other settings, this medicines use study found considerable overuse and irrational use of antimicrobials in the primary health care clinics in Lusaka District. Irrational medicine prescribing was common and poor dispensing practices were also seen, resulting in poor use of and adherence to medicines and, consequently, poor therapeutic outcomes. Recommendations: Several recommendations have been formulated. They include: Reinforcing the Drug Therapeutic Committees (DTCs) at the national and the local facility level to help manage medicines use; clarification of prescribers and dispensers roles and responsibilities; development, enforcement or adaption of standard operating procedures (SOPS) for prescribing and dispensing; and improvement of prescribing and dispensing practices through introduction of appropriate education, supervision and audit.

Associée à beaucoup de clichés, d’idéalisation et de nostalgie, l’école rurale constitue un objet de recherche renouvelé depuis les années 1980, tant au niveau national qu’international. Les petites écoles rurales françaises, espagnoles, chiliennes et uruguayennes (écoles à classe unique ou à deux classes) présentent des points communs en termes d’organisation (structure multi-cours) et d’implication des acteurs locaux (en particulier des parents) dans leur fonctionnement. L’immersion des enseignants dans le territoire rural à travers l’activité professionnelle, la confrontation à la structure multi-cours, à la culture locale, aux traditions de l’école rurale bouleversent leur identité professionnelle en mettant souvent à mal leur système capacitaire (Costalat-Founeau, 1997). L’étude réalisée grâce à une méthodologie qualitative auprès de 43 enseignants, montre que les enseignants mettent alors en œuvre de nombreuses actions professionnelles et personnelles en direction du territoire, avec le territoire, à la recherche d’une validation sociale par celui-ci. Ces actions visent également à un apprentissage du territoire en réponse à l’expression d’une curiosité cognitive. Le déséquilibre du système capacitaire, le manque de validation sociale peut conduire les enseignants à une forme de repli sur soi en fermant la porte au territoire. En retrouvant un équilibre du système capacitaire, ils modifient alors leur représentation du métier, leur rapport au savoir, leur rapport à l’autorité, leur rapport à l’institution, leurs pratiques pédagogiques et donc l’ensemble de leur développement professionnel. Ils construisent progressivement une identité professionnelle et une proposition éducative territorialisées. Celle-ci s’exprime parfois par un conformisme important à la demande sociale, mais souvent par l’intégration des problématiques locales dans leur proposition éducative. / Rural schools, associated with many idealized images and nostalgia, have constituted a renewed subject of research since the 1980s, at both the national and international levels. Small rural schools (schools with one or two classes) in France, Spain, Chile and Uruguay have points in common in terms of their organization (multi-year) and the implication of local participants. The immersion of teachers in the rural territory through their professional activity, and their confrontation with a multi-year structure, local culture and the traditions of the rural school tend to upset their professional identity and often damage their “capacity system”(Costalat-Founeau, 1997). This study – undertaken with 43 teachers using qualitative methodology – shows that, as a result, teachers engage in numerous professional and personal activities both directed at the territory and with the territory, on a quest of social validation by the latter. These activities are also intended to quench the teachers’ intellectual curiosity by enabling them to learn about the territory. An imbalance in the “capacity system” and a lack of social validation can lead teachers to turn in on themselves by shutting out the territory. By re-balancing their capacity system, they modify their representation of their own profession; their connection with knowledge, authority and the institution; their educational practices; and thus their whole professional development. They gradually construct a territorialized professional identity and educational offer. This sometimes finds expression in conformity with social expectations, but more often in an integration of local issues into the educational offer.

The problem for consideration in this thesis is a comparison of comprehension in pre-directed informational reading and in non-directed informational reading at the primary level, based upon a survey of professional literature in the field.

Esta tese resulta de pesquisa que teve como objetivo verificar e analisar as dimensões relativas à gestão e à estrutura da escola no ensino de leitura literária nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental. Os dados empíricos foram coletados em uma escola da rede estadual paulista, na periferia da zona sul de São Paulo. Tendo a perspectiva sócio-histórica como base conceitual, partiu-se da concepção de educação como formação e atualização do ser humanohistórico por meio da apropriação da cultura (FREIRE, 2011a, 2011b; PARO, 2012a, 2012b, 2011, 2010). A linguagem verbal é compreendida como instrumento cultural, criado pelo ser humano em meio às necessidades de interlocução da convivência e do trabalho, constituidora do sujeito e do conhecimento (VIGOTSKI, 2009a, 2009b, 2007; BAKHTIN, 2014; SMOLKA, 2012, 2013; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). A leitura também é vista como constituidora de subjetividades pela interlocução entre sujeitos por meio da escrita; entendida como atividade de produção de sentidos pelo leitor, inserido no contexto linguístico e sociocultural mais amplo (CHARTIER, 2009; GOULEMOT, 2009; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). Tomada como prática social, influenciada por fatores econômicos, políticos, sociais e culturais (CHARTIER, 2009; LAJOLO e ZILBERMAN, 2003; ABREU, 1999), pressupõe-se que a leitura pode ser ensinada e aprendida na escola (JOLIBERT, 1994; CHARTIER, A-M., 2005, 2011; SOARES, 2006; REZENDE, 2013a, 2013b, 2012), com potencial de ampliação, transformação e ressignificação de repertórios culturais (HÉBRARD, 2009). Como resultados da pesquisa, foram identificadas cinco dimensões que devem estar conjugadas para garantir um trabalho pedagógico consistente de ensino da leitura literária ao longo de todo o ciclo dos anos iniciais: formação de professores; planejamento e gestão pedagógica; objetos de leitura e seus usos; avaliação; interlocução para a produção de sentidos. Verificou-se que, apesar de alguns avanços, essas cinco dimensões não são consideradas em seu conjunto no âmbito do sistema estadual de ensino e tampouco na escola. / This thesis is the result of a research that aimed to verify and analyze the dimensions related to management and structure of school regarding teaching of literary reading at primary level. The data were collected in public school located at south zone of São Paulo. From a sociohistorical perspective, education was conceived as formation of historical-human being through culture appropriation (FREIRE, 2011a, 2011b; PARO, 2012a, 2012b, 2011, 2010). Speech language was taken as a cultural tool, created by humans facing the needs of interaction for common life and work; it is also constituent of selves and knowledge (VIGOTSKI, 2009a, 2009b, 2007; BAKHTIN, 2014; SMOLKA, 2012, 2013; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). Reading is also seen as constituent of selves as interaction through written language; at the same time it is understood as activity of production of meaning: readers build meaning, situated on a broader linguistic and social context (CHARTIER, 2009; GOULEMOT, 2009; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). Reading is also a social practice, influenced by economic, political, social and cultural factors (CHARTIER, 2009; LAJOLO e ZILBERMAN, 2003; ABREU, 1999). As a social practice reading can be taught and learnt at school (JOLIBERT, 1994; CHARTIER, A-M., 2005, 2011; SOARES, 2006; REZENDE, 2013a, 2013b, 2012), helping to enlarge, change and reshape cultural background of learners (HÉBRARD, 2009). As result of the research, we identified five dimensions which should be put together to warranty a consistent pedagogical work of teaching literary reading throughout primary school: teachers training; pedagogical management and planning; reading objects and its uses; assessment of teaching and learning processes; interaction for production of meaning. Although some positive aspects were found, we verified that such five dimensions have not been considered as equal parts of the same project neither at state administrative level nor at school level.

Esta tese resulta de pesquisa que teve como objetivo verificar e analisar as dimensões relativas à gestão e à estrutura da escola no ensino de leitura literária nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental. Os dados empíricos foram coletados em uma escola da rede estadual paulista, na periferia da zona sul de São Paulo. Tendo a perspectiva sócio-histórica como base conceitual, partiu-se da concepção de educação como formação e atualização do ser humanohistórico por meio da apropriação da cultura (FREIRE, 2011a, 2011b; PARO, 2012a, 2012b, 2011, 2010). A linguagem verbal é compreendida como instrumento cultural, criado pelo ser humano em meio às necessidades de interlocução da convivência e do trabalho, constituidora do sujeito e do conhecimento (VIGOTSKI, 2009a, 2009b, 2007; BAKHTIN, 2014; SMOLKA, 2012, 2013; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). A leitura também é vista como constituidora de subjetividades pela interlocução entre sujeitos por meio da escrita; entendida como atividade de produção de sentidos pelo leitor, inserido no contexto linguístico e sociocultural mais amplo (CHARTIER, 2009; GOULEMOT, 2009; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). Tomada como prática social, influenciada por fatores econômicos, políticos, sociais e culturais (CHARTIER, 2009; LAJOLO e ZILBERMAN, 2003; ABREU, 1999), pressupõe-se que a leitura pode ser ensinada e aprendida na escola (JOLIBERT, 1994; CHARTIER, A-M., 2005, 2011; SOARES, 2006; REZENDE, 2013a, 2013b, 2012), com potencial de ampliação, transformação e ressignificação de repertórios culturais (HÉBRARD, 2009). Como resultados da pesquisa, foram identificadas cinco dimensões que devem estar conjugadas para garantir um trabalho pedagógico consistente de ensino da leitura literária ao longo de todo o ciclo dos anos iniciais: formação de professores; planejamento e gestão pedagógica; objetos de leitura e seus usos; avaliação; interlocução para a produção de sentidos. Verificou-se que, apesar de alguns avanços, essas cinco dimensões não são consideradas em seu conjunto no âmbito do sistema estadual de ensino e tampouco na escola. / This thesis is the result of a research that aimed to verify and analyze the dimensions related to management and structure of school regarding teaching of literary reading at primary level. The data were collected in public school located at south zone of São Paulo. From a sociohistorical perspective, education was conceived as formation of historical-human being through culture appropriation (FREIRE, 2011a, 2011b; PARO, 2012a, 2012b, 2011, 2010). Speech language was taken as a cultural tool, created by humans facing the needs of interaction for common life and work; it is also constituent of selves and knowledge (VIGOTSKI, 2009a, 2009b, 2007; BAKHTIN, 2014; SMOLKA, 2012, 2013; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). Reading is also seen as constituent of selves as interaction through written language; at the same time it is understood as activity of production of meaning: readers build meaning, situated on a broader linguistic and social context (CHARTIER, 2009; GOULEMOT, 2009; GERALDI, 2013, 2009). Reading is also a social practice, influenced by economic, political, social and cultural factors (CHARTIER, 2009; LAJOLO e ZILBERMAN, 2003; ABREU, 1999). As a social practice reading can be taught and learnt at school (JOLIBERT, 1994; CHARTIER, A-M., 2005, 2011; SOARES, 2006; REZENDE, 2013a, 2013b, 2012), helping to enlarge, change and reshape cultural background of learners (HÉBRARD, 2009). As result of the research, we identified five dimensions which should be put together to warranty a consistent pedagogical work of teaching literary reading throughout primary school: teachers training; pedagogical management and planning; reading objects and its uses; assessment of teaching and learning processes; interaction for production of meaning. Although some positive aspects were found, we verified that such five dimensions have not been considered as equal parts of the same project neither at state administrative level nor at school level.

No description available.

The local district in this study has not made adequate yearly progress in the past several years in language arts literacy on state assessments. Particularly problematic were poor reading skills among district students. Poor literacy skills negatively affect student learning across the curriculum. The purpose of this case study was to identify teachers' and administrators' perceptions of best literacy practices, professional development, and administrative decisions regarding literacy learning for primary students in reading at a strong performing elementary school in the district. The target school was selected to help address reading failure for the low-performing schools in this district. Bloom's taxonomy of learning, which indicates that higher-level learning is based on foundational knowledge that is often provided at the primary level, was the framework for this study. A bounded case study was conducted that included a purposeful sample of 7 elementary teachers of language arts from Pre-K to 2nd grades and 2 administrators at the target elementary school. Classroom observations and interviews were used to collect data. NVivo was used to assist in coding, analysis of data, and identification of recurring themes. The findings indicated that an outcome-based curriculum incorporating Bloom's levels of learning coupled with supportive district decisions regarding literacy were key components driving literacy success at the target school. The findings were incorporated into a policy paper as a project to propose and support elementary level reading curriculum changes and administrative decisions regarding literacy success for elementary students in the local district. Implications for positive social change might be far reaching as elementary school students in this district benefit from literacy skills that improve their academic success and ultimately their overall quality of life.