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Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-04-27T12:41:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Max D_angelo Pereira.pdf: 1528025 bytes, checksum: d14be6f25744c8822536ec10e86d5a14 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-27T12:41:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Max D_angelo Pereira.pdf: 1528025 bytes, checksum: d14be6f25744c8822536ec10e86d5a14 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This study examines the relationship between working conditions and the quality of life of working professionals in information technology. A questionnaire was applied with socio-demographic questions about work conditions and the WHOQOL-Bref-instrument, of the World Health Organization, in a sample of 170 professionals distributed by Brazil. With a majority of men (81%), married (64%), with a good academic background (45%), working in a large company (57%) and holding technical positions (66%). An internal reliability analysis was applied, obtaining 0.89 for Cronbach's Alpha. Student's t-tests, ANOVA and Linear Regression were used to confirm the hypotheses. It was confirmed that IT professionals have a good evaluation of the quality of life, highlighting the physical domain with the highest score. On the other hand, it is concluded that the domain of social relations needs to be improved. It is also concluded that work time, flexibility and work environment are the working conditions that have the greatest influence on the quality of life of IT professionals. Another answer brought by the research is the demystification in relation to the salary and contract type, which did not significantly affect the quality of life of these professionals / Este estudo analisa a relação entre as condições de trabalho e a qualidade de vida de profissionais atuantes em tecnologia da informação. Foi aplicado um questionário com perguntas sociodemográficas, sobre condições do trabalho e o instrumento WHOQOL - Bref, da Organização Mundial da Saúde, em uma amostra de 170 profissionais distribuídos pelo Brasil. Com maioria de homens (81%), casados (64%), com boa formação acadêmica (45%), trabalhando em empresa de grande porte (57%) e ocupando cargos técnicos (66%). Aplicou-se uma análise de confiabilidade interna, obtendo 0,89 para o Alfa de Cronbach. Utilizou-se dos testes T de Student, ANOVA e Regressão Linear para confirmação das hipóteses de pesquisa. Confirmou-se que os profissionais de TI estão com boa avaliação quanto à qualidade de vida, destacando-se o domínio físico com maior pontuação. Por outro lado, conclui-se que o domínio das relações sociais precisa ser melhorado. Conclui-se também que a jornada diária, a flexibilidade e o ambiente de trabalho são as condições de trabalho que possuem maior influência na qualidade de vida dos profissionais de TI. Outra resposta trazida pela pesquisa é a desmistificação em relação à remuneração e modo de contratação, que não afetaram significativamente a qualidade de vida destes profissionais

Abstract This research explores the development of Finnish Medical Laboratory Technologists based on education given in Turku covering the years 1955–1990. The data is limited into three time periods: education lasting for one year 1955–1963, education lasting for two years 1964–1983 and education 1984–1990 based on the secondary school reform. The development of the Finnish medical laboratory technologist education was connected with development of medical and natural sciences and technology. The representatives of the medicine were of vital importance in influencing the beginning of this education. The swift from industrial to service society speeded the development. The duration of education was extended gradually from one year to four and half year education. Even in the beginning of this education the students selected into training should have at least the basic general secondary school education which was not the case with other health care staff . Especially in the beginning the students should have good health in working with health hazard environment and substances. A distinctive change took place in the relationship of cognitive and practical teaching. In the beginning the greatest part of the educational training was practical given in health laboratories and hospital wards. Gradually the cognitive teaching was transferred into the school classrooms. Also the practical training in the hospital decreased. In the beginning of the educational training took place in the different faculties and institutes of Turku University given by medical staff. Later the teaching was moved to the nursing and health care colleges and the authority to teach was given to the permanent health care staff. The decrease of the infectious diseases and the development of internal medicine and surgery reflected in the changes of the selection of laboratory investigations from the bacteriological research to the chemical research. The manual research methods developed to automatic research methods was seen with a delay in the medical technologist education. Also the quality control appeared surprisingly late in the educational training. The education and training of the laboratory technologists were attached to the education of nursing instead of technical sector of health education. The intensive increase of the social and behaviorial sciences was part of wider international development. This research adds knowledge to the planning of laboratory technologist education. The analysis of the earlier actions helps to reveal the far reaching influences of the different choices made before and to explain why the situation is what it is. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin Suomessa toteutuneen laboratoriohoitajakoulutuksen kehittymistä Turussa tapahtuneen koulutuksen avulla. Tutkimus rajautui vuosille 1955–1990 ja jakautui ajallisesti kolmeen jaksoon: yksivuotiseen koulutukseen vuosina 1955–1963, kaksivuotiseen koulutukseen vuosina 1964–1983 ja keskiasteen koulunuudistukseen vuosina 1984–1990. Tutkimuksen tarkastelun kohteena oli: Mitkä tekijät johtivat laboratoriohoitaja-koulutuksen käynnistymiseen ja kehittymiseen? Miten opiskelijat valittiin? Miten tietopuolinen ja käytännöllinen opetus jakaantui? Minkälainen oli opettajien pätevyys? Minkälainen oli oppisisältö? Minkälaista tutkintonimikettä käytettiin? Laboratoriohoitajakoulutuksen kehittyminen oli yhteydessä lääketieteen, luonnontieteen ja teknologian kehittymiseen. Lääketieteen edustajat olivat keskeisiä vaikuttajia laboratoriohoitajakoulutuksen alkamiselle ja kehittymiselle. Teolliseen ja palveluyhteiskuntaan siirtyminen vauhdittivat kehitystä. Koulutus piteni asteittain yksivuotisesta neljä ja puolivuotiseksi. Koulutukseen valituilta opiskelijoilta vaadittiin jo alkuaikoina muista hoitohenkilöistä poik-keavasti vähintään keskikoulun oppimäärä. Suuri osa oli kuitenkin ylioppilaita. Koulutuksen alkuaikoina vaadittiin opiskelijoilta hyvää terveyttä tartuntavaarallisen ympäristön ja terveydelle haitallisten aineiden kanssa työskenneltäessä. Koulutuksen alkuaikoina suurin osa oli käytännöllistä opetusta terveydenhuoltoalan laboratorioissa ja vuodeosastoilla. Ajan kuluessa suhde muuttui selvästi koululla annattavan tietopuolisen opetuksen eduksi. Myös vuodeosastoharjoittelu väheni. Koulutuksen alkuaikoina tietopuolinen opetus tapahtui Turun yliopiston eri laitoksilla pääasiassa lääketieteilijöiden voimin. Myöhemmin koulutus siirtyi sairaanhoito- ja terveydenhuolto-oppilaitoksiin ja samalla vetovastuu siirtyi vakinaisille sairaanhoidon opettajille. Tartuntatautien väheneminen ja sisätautien ja kirurgian kehittyminen heijastuivat laboratorio-tutkimusvalikoiman muuttumiseen bakteriologian tutkimuksista kemiallisiin tutkimuksiin. Ihmisen elimistön tutkiminen kudos- ja elintasolta syveni solutasolle. Manuaalisten tutkimusmenetelmien kehittyminen automaatio-menetelmiksi näkyi viiveellä laboratoriohoitajien koulutuksessa. Samoin laboratorioissa voimakkaasti kehittyvä laaduntarkkailu tuli koulutukseen yllättävän myöhään. Laboratoriohoitajakoulutus määriteltiin hoitoalan koulutuksiin terveydenhuollon teknisen alan sijaan. Tämä määritteli hoidollisuutta korostavat raamit laboratoriohoitajakoulutukselle. Yhteiskunta- ja käyttäytymistieteiden voimakas lisääntyminen oli osa laajempaa kansainvälistä kehitystä. Opiskelijoita tuli kasvattaa myös ammatillisissa koulutuksissa yhteiskuntatietoisiksi, osallistuviksi ja sivistyneiksi kansalaisiksi ja perheenjäseniksi. Muiden maiden laboratoriohoitajakoulutukseen ne eivät kuitenkaan sisältyneet. Tämä tutkimus antaa lisää tietoa laboratoriohoitajakoulutuksen suunnitteluun. Aikaisemman toiminnan analysoiminen auttaa näkemään, minkälaiset, kauaskantoisetkin, vaikutukset erilaisilla valinnoilla on ollut, miksi ollaan siinä tilanteessa missä ollaan.

Thesis (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis presents the findings and conclusions of the function of research in the technikons’ journey from apprenticeship training to technological degrees. The analysis and interpretation of primary sources on the development of technical higher education and research revealed that research developments at technikons evolved in a pattern so closely resembling and reflecting an evolving technical education mission that it is difficult if not impossible to pinpoint cause and effect. The evolving technical education mission was characterised by diversity entrenched in the provision of technical education, a continuing problematic process of differentiation between vocational and technical education, the development of formal centrally-controlled technical higher education and continuous differences between the Education Department and the sector officials on the nature of the technical higher qualifications and the role of research in these qualifications. As a result of the factors characterising the development of technical higher education, gaps were created between the technikon officials’ vision of research at technikons, the strategies and plans to establish a research culture and the technikons’ research performance. In addition, an evaluation of technikon research performance in terms of the nature, scope, content and volume of research reflects a limited understanding of the relation between the input factors and the process factors utilised to lead to a system capable of sustaining a research culture, especially in view of maintaining the newly-assigned University status. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie dissertasie handel oor die bevindinge en slotsom ten opsigte van die funksie van navorsing in die technikons se reis van vakleerlingskapopleiding tot die aanbied van tegnologiese grade. Die analise en interpretasie van primêre bronne wat handel oor die ontwikkeling van hoër tegniese onderwys en navorsing het bewys dat navorsingontwikkeling by technikons op ‘n manier ontwikkel het dat dit die evolusie van die tegniese onderwysmissie streng navolg en reflekteer. Dit maak dit moeilik, indien nie onmoontlik nie, om die oorsaak en gevolg vas te stel. Die evolusie van die tegniese onderwysmissie is gekenmerk deur diversiteit wat ingebed is in die voorsiening van tegniese onderwys, ‘n voortdurende problematiese proses van differensiasie tussen beroeps- en tegniese onderwys, die ontwikkeling van formele sentraalbeheerde hoër tegniese onderwys en voortdurende verskille tussen die Department van Onderwys en die sektorbeamptes oor die aard van die hoër tegniese kwalifikasies en die rol van navorsing in hierdie kwalifikasies. As gevolg van die faktore wat die ontwikkeling van hoër tegniese onderwys gespeel het, het gapings ontstaan tussen die technikonbeamptes se visie van navorsing aan technikons, die strategieë en planne wat ontwikkel is om ‘n navorsingskultuur te vestig en die technikons se navorsingsuitsette. Saam daarmee het ‘n evaluasie van technikonnavorsingprestasie in terme van die aard, omvang, inhoud en volume ‘n beperkte begrip van die verhouding tussen insetfaktore en die prosesfaktore wat gebruik word om tot ‘n sisteem te lei wat daartoe in staat is om ‘n navorsingskultuur te onderhou, gereflekteer, veral met die doel om die nuuttoegekende universiteitstatus te onderhou.

In this study of intercultural communication, I investigate the multi-faceted meaning of the expression " cultural fit " in the sense that it is used by recruiters when shortlisting Indian information technologists to fill skills shortages for the Y2K project in Australia. The data is in the form of ten videotaped interviews in Bangalore and the recruiter commentary on those tapes in Melbourne. A crucial decision to be made by recruiters in any shortlisting process is " How will the candidate fit into the workplace?" This question becomes more problematical when applied to overseas-trained professionals. I take a critical approach, drawing principally on the research traditions of linguistics where studies of intercultural communication and workplace interaction intersect, employing chiefly the tools of Critical Discourse Analysis and Interactional Sociolinguistics and the more abstract notions of Bourdieu. A bridge between these different discourse approaches is provided by Sarangi & Roberts < 1999 < who show the connection between the larger institutional order and interactional routines, through an elaboration of frontstage talk and backstage talk following Goffman < 1959 < . An analysis of the interviews < frontstage talk < reveals "cultural fit" to involve a knowledge of institutional talk, in particular, directness. The recruiter commentary < backstage talk < draws attention to issues of intelligibility, body language, technical expertise and workplace values. the study shows that Indian Information Technologists have "partial fit" in that they possess technical fit but do not demonstrate, or lack the opportunity to demonstrate in the interview, Australian workplace values such as small talk, humour and informality. The recruiter judgments were fleeting and apart from checking for intelligibility, were made on the basis of candidates' body language thus highlighting its importance and its relative absence from the discourse approaches mentioned above. This study shows clearly that there is room for more communicative flexibility on the part of all the stakeholders.

This thesis investigates the emergence of a new specialisation within the profession of architecture, namely that of the architectural technologist. The main original contributions from the research concern a deep understanding of how that emergence has been realised, and a study of the implications for buildings in the longer term. Using the UK and Denmark as examples it finds that this profession has existed for a long time, but until recently without formal recognition. It also finds that the consequences of the lack of attention are potentially major, and it suggests why recognition came so late. By researching literature the history of the building and architecture industries was investigated and it is shown how the architects were cooperating with well-trained craftsmen for many centuries. This is compared with the kind of cooperation with architectural technologists going on today, and what will most likely occur in the future. Questionnaires, to provide data about current architectural and architectural technologist education, were sent to groups of newly graduated professionals. After statistical treatment the resulting quantitative data were thoroughly analysed by discussing the possible interpretations. Focus groups of highly qualified professionals also interpreted the data and insights into the needs of industry in both the UK and Denmark were provided. Finally, the thesis concludes by identifying necessary means of improvement, and points at the serious risk of a further division of the construction industry into more consulting companies. This increases the risk of future architecture failing to properly integrate technology and design.

This study is concerned with the differences in career patterns and characteristics between the medical technology program graduates who remain in practice and those who leave the profession. The subjects of the study are the 155 graduates of the program for the period from 1970 through 1978. This study has three purposes. The first is to determine the retention rate of the graduates. The second is to assess the factors related to attrition of these professionals. The third is to describe a programming methodology that would enhance career retention.

O presente trabalho tem como tema a aprendizagem organizacional em cursos superiores de tecnologia. Estes cursos são o centro da educação profissional em nível superior no Brasil. Eles foram reformatados, no início da década de 2000, com a prerrogativa de atender demandas mais atuais do setor produtivo e a de ampliação do acesso à educação superior. Desta forma, entendese que os cursos de formação de tecnólogos devem ser frequentemente revistos, redesenhados e reorganizados, garantindo a adequação às necessidades do mercado em constante transformação, pressupondo constante aprendizagem organizacional. Neste contexto, o objetivo geral desta tese foi de analisar práticas que são atecedentes para a aprendizagem organizacional em cursos superiores de tecnologia (tecnólogos), identificando resultados de aprendizagens organizacionais de ciclos simples e duplo e avaliando os resultados destas aprendizagens nos indicadores do MEC (SINAES). Como objetivos específicos, buscou-se: a) identificar práticas que contribuam para processos de aprendizagem organizacional em cursos superiores de tecnologia; b) identificar outputs de aprendizagens organizacionais produtivas de ciclos simples e duplo em cursos superiores de tecnologia; c) relacionar as práticas que contribuem com os processos de aprendizagem nos cursos com os outputs de aprendizagens organizacionais produtivas de ciclos simples e duplo e o desempenho do curso nos indicadores do SINAES. Para atender estes objetivos, foi desenvolvida base teórica sobre aprendizagem organizacional e sobre a educação profissional em nível superior no Brasil, que culminou em um modelo teórico com com três macro hipóteses. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas fases distintas. A primeira fase teve abordagem qualitativa, baseada em entrevistas com coordenadores de cursos, e buscou indentificar as práticas que contribuiem para processos de aprendizagem organizacional e seus outputs, delineando variáveis e servindo de base para a construção de instrumento de coleta de dados quantitativos. A segunda etapa de pesquisa foi uma survey, tendo como respondentes professores de cursos superiores de tecnologia. Foram recebidas 292 respostas, que formaram a base de dados para análises estatísticas multivariadas. Foi realizada análise fatorial exploratória, que objetivou purificar o modelo e validar o instrumento de coleta de dados, e utilizou-se modelagem de equações estruturais para teste das hipóteses formuladas. Os resultados mostram sete antecedentes para aprendizagem organizacional. Estes impactam em resultados, seja com outputs de aprendizagem organizacional, seja em resultados dos cursos no sistema de avaliação do MEC. As relações mais fortes estão entre: a) as práticas decorrentes do SINAES e as aprendizagens de ciclos simples e duplo; b) as reuniões informais entre os professores e os resultados nas avaliações do curso; c) as parcerias com empresas e organizações e as aprendizagens de ciclo simples; e d) o contato com profissionais não acadêmicos e o desempenho dos estudantes no ENADE. Como contribuição teórica, a presente tese apresenta um framework para estudo da aprendizagem organizacional no ambiente educacional brasileiro, em especial na educação profissional em nível superior. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2016-07-07T19:29:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Nilson Varella Rubenich.pdf: 9100101 bytes, checksum: bc0cad16629b487f2b611e15a0ebae11 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-07T19:29:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Nilson Varella Rubenich.pdf: 9100101 bytes, checksum: bc0cad16629b487f2b611e15a0ebae11 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-07 / The theme of this research refers to organizational learning in higher vocational education programs in Brazil, denominated as Cursos Superiores de Tecnologia. They constitute the main type of professional higher education in Brazil and were redesigned in the early 2000, with the prerogative to meet most current demands of the productive sector and to expand access to vocational higher education. In this context, those vocational oriented programs must be frequently revised, redesigned and reorganized, ensuring the adequacy to the needs of the changing market, assuming constant organizational learning. In this context, the general objective of this thesis is to examine the practices that contribute to organizational learning in Brazilian higher vocational programs, identifying organizational learning results from single and double loop cycles and evaluating the results through the indicators of the Brazilian education ministry (MEC). The specific objectives are: a) to identify the practices that contribute to organizational learning processes in higher education vocational programs; b) to identify the outputs of the productive organizational learning of single and double loop cycles in higher education vocational programs; c) to correlate the practices that contribute to the learning processes in the programs with the outputs of productive organizational learning of single and double loop cycles with the current performance in indicators of MEC. To meet those objectives, a theoretical research was developed on the themes of organizational learning and on vocational higher education in Brazil, which culminated in a theoretical model including three macro hypotheses. The research was conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase had a qualitative approach, based on interviews with programs coordinators, and sought to identify practices that contribute to the organizational learning processes and their outputs, outlining sub-hypotheses and serving as a basis for the construction of a quantitative data collection instrument. The second phase of research was a survey, where professors from those programs acted as respondents. A total of 292 responses were received, which were the basis of a multivariate data analysis. An exploratory factor analysis was performed, which aimed to purify the model and validate the data collection instrument. A structural equation modeling was conducted to test the formulated hypotheses. The results show that the seven identified antecedents that contribute to organizational learning had an impact on the results, either with outputs of organizational learning or in results of the programs in the MEC evaluation system. The strongest relationships are between: a) the practices about MEC indicators and the learning of single and double loop cycles; b) the informal meetings between the teachers and the evaluations results of the program; c) the partnerships with companies and organizations and the learning of single loop cycle; and d) the contact with non-academic professionals and the student's performance in national exams (ENADE). As a theoretical contribution, this thesis presents a framework for the study of organizational learning in Brazilian educational environment, particularly in higher vocational education.

O presente trabalho tem como tema a aprendizagem organizacional em cursos superiores de tecnologia. Estes cursos são o centro da educação profissional em nível superior no Brasil. Eles foram reformatados, no início da década de 2000, com a prerrogativa de atender demandas mais atuais do setor produtivo e a de ampliação do acesso à educação superior. Desta forma, entendese que os cursos de formação de tecnólogos devem ser frequentemente revistos, redesenhados e reorganizados, garantindo a adequação às necessidades do mercado em constante transformação, pressupondo constante aprendizagem organizacional. Neste contexto, o objetivo geral desta tese foi de analisar práticas que são atecedentes para a aprendizagem organizacional em cursos superiores de tecnologia (tecnólogos), identificando resultados de aprendizagens organizacionais de ciclos simples e duplo e avaliando os resultados destas aprendizagens nos indicadores do MEC (SINAES). Como objetivos específicos, buscou-se: a) identificar práticas que contribuam para processos de aprendizagem organizacional em cursos superiores de tecnologia; b) identificar outputs de aprendizagens organizacionais produtivas de ciclos simples e duplo em cursos superiores de tecnologia; c) relacionar as práticas que contribuem com os processos de aprendizagem nos cursos com os outputs de aprendizagens organizacionais produtivas de ciclos simples e duplo e o desempenho do curso nos indicadores do SINAES. Para atender estes objetivos, foi desenvolvida base teórica sobre aprendizagem organizacional e sobre a educação profissional em nível superior no Brasil, que culminou em um modelo teórico com com três macro hipóteses. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas fases distintas. A primeira fase teve abordagem qualitativa, baseada em entrevistas com coordenadores de cursos, e buscou indentificar as práticas que contribuiem para processos de aprendizagem organizacional e seus outputs, delineando variáveis e servindo de base para a construção de instrumento de coleta de dados quantitativos. A segunda etapa de pesquisa foi uma survey, tendo como respondentes professores de cursos superiores de tecnologia. Foram recebidas 292 respostas, que formaram a base de dados para análises estatísticas multivariadas. Foi realizada análise fatorial exploratória, que objetivou purificar o modelo e validar o instrumento de coleta de dados, e utilizou-se modelagem de equações estruturais para teste das hipóteses formuladas. Os resultados mostram sete antecedentes para aprendizagem organizacional. Estes impactam em resultados, seja com outputs de aprendizagem organizacional, seja em resultados dos cursos no sistema de avaliação do MEC. As relações mais fortes estão entre: a) as práticas decorrentes do SINAES e as aprendizagens de ciclos simples e duplo; b) as reuniões informais entre os professores e os resultados nas avaliações do curso; c) as parcerias com empresas e organizações e as aprendizagens de ciclo simples; e d) o contato com profissionais não acadêmicos e o desempenho dos estudantes no ENADE. Como contribuição teórica, a presente tese apresenta um framework para estudo da aprendizagem organizacional no ambiente educacional brasileiro, em especial na educação profissional em nível superior. / The theme of this research refers to organizational learning in higher vocational education programs in Brazil, denominated as Cursos Superiores de Tecnologia. They constitute the main type of professional higher education in Brazil and were redesigned in the early 2000, with the prerogative to meet most current demands of the productive sector and to expand access to vocational higher education. In this context, those vocational oriented programs must be frequently revised, redesigned and reorganized, ensuring the adequacy to the needs of the changing market, assuming constant organizational learning. In this context, the general objective of this thesis is to examine the practices that contribute to organizational learning in Brazilian higher vocational programs, identifying organizational learning results from single and double loop cycles and evaluating the results through the indicators of the Brazilian education ministry (MEC). The specific objectives are: a) to identify the practices that contribute to organizational learning processes in higher education vocational programs; b) to identify the outputs of the productive organizational learning of single and double loop cycles in higher education vocational programs; c) to correlate the practices that contribute to the learning processes in the programs with the outputs of productive organizational learning of single and double loop cycles with the current performance in indicators of MEC. To meet those objectives, a theoretical research was developed on the themes of organizational learning and on vocational higher education in Brazil, which culminated in a theoretical model including three macro hypotheses. The research was conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase had a qualitative approach, based on interviews with programs coordinators, and sought to identify practices that contribute to the organizational learning processes and their outputs, outlining sub-hypotheses and serving as a basis for the construction of a quantitative data collection instrument. The second phase of research was a survey, where professors from those programs acted as respondents. A total of 292 responses were received, which were the basis of a multivariate data analysis. An exploratory factor analysis was performed, which aimed to purify the model and validate the data collection instrument. A structural equation modeling was conducted to test the formulated hypotheses. The results show that the seven identified antecedents that contribute to organizational learning had an impact on the results, either with outputs of organizational learning or in results of the programs in the MEC evaluation system. The strongest relationships are between: a) the practices about MEC indicators and the learning of single and double loop cycles; b) the informal meetings between the teachers and the evaluations results of the program; c) the partnerships with companies and organizations and the learning of single loop cycle; and d) the contact with non-academic professionals and the student's performance in national exams (ENADE). As a theoretical contribution, this thesis presents a framework for the study of organizational learning in Brazilian educational environment, particularly in higher vocational education.

M.Tech. (Radiography) / Conventional film and paper based radiology departments have been replaced by information technology at a rapid rate internationally. The leading technology is the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS). The necessity to follow global trends has become more apparent in Africa. Simultaneously, Gauteng has now reached a stage where PACS and RIS have been widely implemented. It has been recommended that radiographers must be prepared for the change in expectations and levels of accountability required when PACS and RIS are adopted into the radiology department. The research question that arises is: What are the experiences of radiographers using PACS and RIS in Gauteng, South Africa? The aim and objectives of this explanatory sequential study was to explore and describe the experiences of radiographers using PACS and RIS in Gauteng, South Africa and to develop guidelines to facilitate the job satisfaction of radiographers in a PACS and RIS-driven radiology department. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The explanatory design is a two-phased mixed methods design. The study began with the first, quantitative phase in which the researcher collected data from the six participating diagnostic radiology practices in the form of questionnaires. For the second phase the researcher interviewed information-rich radiographers who participated in the first phase of the data collection in focus groups. The findings, of this study, indicate that the participants in this study experience PACS and RIS in a positive manner, but that strategies could be put into place to further enhance their experience. Guidelines for facilitating job satisfaction of radiographers in a PACS and RIS-driven radiology department are suggested