The research reported in this thesis is an in-depth study of science education reform in a transitional society. The society in transition is Rwanda - one of the world's poorest countries - a tiny central African nation adversely affected by major social, political, economic, and ethnic upheaval. Rwanda is faced with the challenge of ensuring rehabilitation after the genocide of 1994 and has adopted the following national goals: implementation of a durable educational policy, eradication of illiteracy, national capacity building in science and technology and reinforcing the teaching of mathematics and sciences.The objective of this research is to describe, discuss and analyse information on the status of science education in Rwanda, from the perspective of primary and secondary science teachers, students, education personnel and my personal in-field observations and analysis. This research analyses the constraints in the implementation of educational policies and a relevant science education in a climate of social, political, cultural, ethnic and economic uncertainty.The research used a case study methodology and utilised quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how teachers' and students' knowledge, perceptions and experiences impact on the school learning environment. The study made use of a questionnaire that was administered to teachers and students in Rwanda. English and French versions of a modified School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ) and a modified Teacher Beliefs Instrument (STEBI) were administered to teachers. Two scales derived from the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) were adapted for use in Rwandan classes.The qualitative component of the research made use of interviews, classroom observations, personal reflexivity, historical and curriculum document analysis and vignettes. / To enable an interpretation of the quantitative data from questionnaires in a meaningful manner, the socio-cultural, gender and ethnic perspectives of policy makers, teachers and students were examined through interviews and classroom observations of science lessons. My personal experiences and reflections also were used to understand science education reform in Rwanda.The qualitative and quantitative findings of the research identified factors that influence the science education reform process and make meaningful interpretations of background, culture and the situation in Rwanda. Document analysis indicated that there is a need for greater access to secondary education. Interviews and science lesson observations indicated that it is necessary to develop a curriculum that is contextually relevant and to redefine science teacher training programmes. The findings of the research identified the constraints, dilemmas and tensions in the implementation of the educational reform process as young and inexperienced teachers, most of whom do not have university degrees and have difficulties in implementing the curriculum effectively. Further constraints included work pressures due to the examination system, an acute, as well as a lack of material resources and finances required to reconstruct and improve educational institutions.The research investigates the impact of the transition on science education in Rwanda. The research designed to examine the science education reform process in the transitional Rwandan society and economy studied the complex cultural, historical and educational factors that influence science education. / Using multiple research methods, this study is an analysis of my understanding of the changes that have taken place in science education, the impediments to these changes and the identification of aspects that may enhance the prospect for future science education reform, especially in the areas of the science curriculum reform, assessment procedures and teacher professional development.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T17:38:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 24 / Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos / A ação condenatória do processo civil não encontra a correspondente ação no plano material, motivo pelo qual não realiza a pretensão do autor. A exigência de sua utilização no processo civil, como condição para o início da execução, nas pretensões relativas ao direito obrigacional, também está relacionada ao método empregado pela ciência processual. O conhecimento científico depende do método de que a ciência se utiliza. As ciências do espírito não são o campo da invenção e o seu proceder é diverso daquelas da natureza. A compreensão é que deve informar o saber no campo social. Então, é inadequada a utilização do método das ciências naturais, quando se trata da ciência processual. A incorporação do método das ciências exatas, pelas ciências do espírito, tem suas origens no pensamento racionalista, quando na Idade Moderna desenvolveu-se uma nova concepção do mundo e do conhecimento. No campo do Direito, a influência do Direito Natural trouxe essa dimensão peculiar, onde a necessária afirmação da razão humana, / The condemnatory action of the civil process does not find a corresponding action in the material plan, which is why it does not fulfill the author’s pretension. The demand of its use in the civil process, as a condition to start an execution, in the pretensions related to the obligational law, is also related to the method employed by the process science. The scientific knowledge depends on the method that science uses. The spiritual science is not in the field of invention and its procedure differs from the natural one. The understanding must inform the knowledge in the social field. Therefore, it is inadequate the use of the natural sciences method when dealing with the process science. The incorporation of the exact sciences method by the spiritual science has its origin in the rationalistic thought, when a new conception of world and knowledge was developed in the Modern Age. In the field of Law, the influence of the Natural Law brought this peculiar dimension, where the necessary assertion of the human

Detecting anomalies in computer-based systems, including Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), has attracted a large interest recently. Behavioral anomalies represent deviations from what is regarded as the nominal expected behavior of the system. Both Process science and Data science can yield satisfactory results in detecting behavioral anomalies. Within Process Mining, Conformance Checking addresses data retrieval and the connection of data to behavioral models with the aim to detect behavioral anomalies. Nowadays, computer-based systems are increasingly complex and require appropriate validation, monitoring, and maintenance techniques. Within complex computer-based systems, the European Rail Traffic Management System/European Train Control System (ERTMS/ETCS) represents the specification of a standard Railway System integrating heterogeneous hardware and software components, with the aim of providing international interoperability with trains seemingly interacting within standardized infrastructures. Compliance with the standard as well as expected behavior is essential, considering the criticality of the system in terms of performance, availability, and safety. To that aim, a Process Mining Conformance Checking process can be employed to validate the requirements through run-time model-checking techniques against design-time process models. A Process Mining Conformance Checking methodology has been developed and applied with the goal of validating the behavior exposed by an ERTMS/ETCS system during the execution of specific scenarios. The methodology has been tested and demonstrated correct classification of valid behaviors exposed by the ERTMS/ETCS system prototype. Results also showed that the Fitness metric developed in the methodology allows the detection of latent errors in the system before they can generate any failures.