Les travaux en psychologie ont mis en évidence que les jeunes et âgés utilisent différentes stratégies pour accomplir des tâches cognitives. La question qui se pose alors est comment nous choisissons une stratégie parmi plusieurs stratégies disponibles. Afin de mieux comprendre la sélection stratégique, l’objectif de cette thèse était d’étudier le phénomène de changement stratégique intra-item et son évolution au cours du vieillissement, d’une part, et de mettre en évidence les mécanismes impliqués lors du choix d’une stratégie, d’autre part. Nos données montrent que différentes variables, intrinsèques et extrinsèques aux problèmes, influencent la capacité de changement stratégique intra-item au cours du vieillissement. Les jeunes et les âgés interrompent une stratégie en cours d’exécution et choisissent une stratégie différente que celle précédemment exécutée. Les participants changeaient plus fréquemment de stratégies afin de choisir la meilleure stratégie, et ce d’autant plus que la stratégie était facile à exécuter. Les âgés avaient de plus difficultés que les jeunes à changer de stratégies et par conséquent, ils choisissaient moins fréquemment la meilleure stratégie. Nous montrons aussi que la sélection stratégique est associée à une augmentation de l’activité cérébrale dans des régions préfrontales bien connues pour être le siège des fonctions exécutives. Enfin, nous discutons en quoi ces résultats ont d’importantes implications concernant, les modèles théoriques de la sélection stratégique, et concernant le vieillissement cognitif. / Psychology research has shown that young and older adults used different strategies to accomplish a cognitive task. Thus, the issue of how we choose a strategy among several available strategies is raised. In order to further understand strategy selection, the goal of this thesis was to investigate the within-item strategy switching and its evolution with age, on one hand, and to highlight mechanisms involved in the selection strategy, on other hand. Our data show that different variables, intrinsic and extrinsic to the problems, affect the ability of switching strategies within item during aging. Young and older adults interrupt a mid-execution strategy and choose a different strategy than previously executed. Participants switched strategies more frequently to choose the best strategy, and especially when the strategy was easy to execute. Older adults had more difficulties than young adults to switch strategies and therefore, they chose less frequently the best strategy. We also show that the strategy selection is associated with increased brain activities in prefrontal regions, well known to be the seat of executive functions. Finally, we discuss how these results have important implications for theoretical models of strategy selection, and for cognitive aging.

A presente dissertação, que se insere na Linguística Aplicada, tem como objetivo geral verificar a eficiência do formato de estudo dialogado de teorias nos horários de Aula de Trabalho Pedagógico Coletivo ATPC para a formação continuada dos professores; e como objetivo específico analisar linguístico-discursivamente os relatos dos professores para buscar evidências que mostrem em que medida o que foi discutido nas reuniões sobre leitura, uso da palavra, produção de texto e novas formas de agir em sala de aula foi assimilado e entendido pelos professores como significativo para contribuir com sua prática em sala de aula. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa, envolvendo doze professores de uma escola pública do Ensino Fundamental II, tendo como instrumento questionários e diários retrospectivos das reuniões enviados por e-mail à pesquisadora. Na vivência da formação continuada, os professores foram levados a refletir sobre a própria prática a partir do estudo teórico. Entendemos que é por meio do processo da interação que os sujeitos aprendem, constroem conhecimentos nas relações interpessoais (sociais) e intrapessoais (cognitivas/afetivas). Para tanto a pesquisadora mediava as discussões moderando o processo dialógico nos encontros para que os professores das várias disciplinas tivessem oportunidade de refletir, decidir, (re)organizar ações cotidianas da sala de aula. Os dados revelam que quando há uma atmosfera de estudo a partir de interesses dos docentes e de escuta do professor, quando lhe é dada a voz, a reflexão sobre a prática é possível; dessa forma, temos que os dados evidenciam que os professores desta pesquisa reconheceram e valorizaram os momentos da ATPC como importante na sua formação continuada. Outro dado obtido refere-se à preocupação com a formação escolar e a formação humana dos próprios alunos, considerando todo seu contexto dos alunos. Concluímos que esse tipo de formação continuada dos professores em serviço mostra-se favorável e enriquecedora para a prática pedagógica, desde que atrelada a realidade em que atuam e a seu interesse. Assim há a oportunidade de se fazer relação imediata das teorias estudadas com os fracassos e sucessos da prática da sala de aula e em direção das reais necessidades do cotidiano pedagógico da escola, com grande possibilidade de efetiva mudança da atuação do professor. / The present thesis, which is within Applied Linguistics field, has as general goal to verify the efficiency of the theory dialogued study format during the hours of Collective Pedagogical Work Class CPWC for the continuous education of teachers; as a specific goal, analising discoursively and linguistically the reports of the teachers in order to search for evidence that shows to what extent what has been discussed in the meetings regarding reading, the use of the word, text production and new ways of acting inside the classroom has been assimilated and understood by the teachers as meaningful to contribute to their classroom practice. To do so, there was a qualitative research involving twelve teachers from a public school of the Middle School having, as instrument, questionnaires and retrospective journals from the meetings sent by e-mail to the researcher. Living the continuous education, the teachers were led to reflecting about their own practice based on the theoretical study. Its understood that is through the interaction process that the subjects learn, build knowledge within their interpersonal (social) relationships and intrapersonal (cognitive/affective). In order to achieve that the researcher mediated the discussions moderating the dialogical process along the meetings so that the teachers from several disciplines could have the opportunity of reflecting, deciding, (re)organizing daily classroom actions. The data show that when there is na atmosphere of studying based on the teachers interests and listening, when they are given the voice, the reflexion about their practice is possible. Thus, we have the results that the teachers from this research recongnized and valued the CPWC moments as important within their continuous education. Other data refer to the concerns about the school education and the human education of the students themselves, considering all the students context. We concluded that this kind of continuous education of inservice teachers seems to be favorable and enriching for the pedagogical practice, since its attached to the reality they live in and to their interests. Thereby, there is the opportunity of relating the studied theories and the failures and successes of the classroom practice to the real needs of the school pedagogical routine, with a great possibility of effective change in the teachers procedures.

No description available.

No description available.

Logistics outsourcing can be used as a strategy for companies that attempt to solve internal issues and/or improve their businesses enhancing their competitiveness. Such strategy is not limited only for large firms, even small companies have possibilities to implement it. This thesis addresses the decision making for outsourcing logistics activities in the context of a small e-commerce company in the fashion industry and also it intends to clarify what small e-commerce companies need to know when contemplating outsourcing opportunities. The purpose of this thesis is to provide guidance for small fashion e-commerce companies about what to consider when faced with a logistics outsourcing decision. The company ACQUO of Sweden (AoS) was referred to as the case study of this thesis. A literature review was conducted investigating previous related research to identify key factors to be considered when contemplating outsourcing and relevant theories to answer the research questions and the purpose of this thesis. The findings indicated that implementing outsourcing is not a simple quick task even for small firms, since it requires previous research, accurate analysis, evaluated decisions and well-planned establishment outsourcing process to achieve a successful outcome. In conclusion, an outsourcing decision should be taken cautiously. It should be based and justified through previous precise evaluations, potential benefits for the company and a suitable reliable TPL-partner. The findings are based on analysis and pattern matching between the literature and empiric data of this study. This study also refers eventual risks that TPL-relationships might imply and how to prevent them. Additionally, this study makes mention of disadvantages that small firms as AoS might have towards the TPL-market being a small e-commerce company that is considering acquiring TPL-services. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>

The purpose of this study was to explore, describe and explain the transitions of individuals within a twinship from Grade R through to Grade 2, and thus offer an in-depth description of such participants’ transition experiences and perspectives. I focused my investigation on the overall transitions of the individuals within a twinship from Grade R through to Grade 2, and included variables such as stress, stressors, emotions, coping, and life skills. In this qualitative research study, I used a case study research design and conducted the research from both an interpretivist and social constructivist point of view. The primary participants in the research were two monozygotic individuals within a twinship (boys), their mother, and their Grade R, Grade 1 and Grade 2 teachers. I commenced the fieldwork when the individuals within a twinship were in Grade R and five years old, and tracked their transitions through until their Grade 2 year when they were eight years old. During their Grade R year, I taught the individuals within a twinship certain life skills by utilizing creative, age-appropriate worksheets and play activities. I continued to utilize such activities as a catalyst for collecting data throughout their Grade 1 and Grade 2 years. I also conducted semi-structured interviews with their mother and teachers. During visits to their school, I also observed the individuals within a twinship in their natural setting. The findings of the study suggest that the transition of the individuals within a twinship effected mainly trouble-free transitions from Grade R through to Grade 2 largely because of their positive attitudes and behaviour, their self-confidence, their pleasure in tackling new experiences, the security and support they enjoyed as co-individuals within a twinship, their satisfying friendships, the positive qualities of their teachers, the learned life skills, their realistic expectations of Grade 1 and Grade 2, and their ability to cope satisfactorily with their academic work. The negative stressors during these transitions were bullies and the disruption caused by disobedient children. A key finding of this study was that the transition of the individuals within a twinship to Grade 2 was, to some extent, more stressful than their transition to Grade 1 because of more demanding academic expectations in Grade 2. In spite of this, they characterized their Grade 2 holistically as enjoyable and rewarding. The learned life skills helped them to cope with various stressors, though the overall support structures of the individuals within a twinship were most influential in their largely trouble-free transitions from Grade R through to Grade 2. The learned life skills enabled the participants to deal successfully with bullies, to develop rewarding friendships, and with emotional control. It was apparent throughout this research that the individuals within a twinship enjoyed all the advantages of supportive social structures including a stable and safe home and school environment, This resulted in good relationships with each other, their parents siblings, teachers and friends. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

We evaluated the effects of one year of schoolwide cluster grouping on the academic achievement growth of gifted and non-identified elementary students using a piecewise multilevel growth model. Scores from 186 non-identified and 68 gifted students' Measures of Academic Progress Reading and Math scores were examined over three school years. In 2008-2009 within-class ability grouping was used. In 2009-2010 schoolwide cluster grouping was implemented. In 2010-2011 students once again were grouped only within classrooms by ability and students identified as gifted were spread across all classrooms at each grade level. Results suggest that schoolwide cluster grouping influenced student performance in the year following its implementation, but only for mathematics and not the area of reading.

We evaluated the effects of one year of schoolwide cluster grouping on the academic achievement growth of gifted and non-identified elementary students using a piecewise multilevel growth model. Scores from 186 non-identified and 68 gifted students' Measures of Academic Progress Reading and Math scores were examined over three school years. In 2008-2009 within-class ability grouping was used. In 2009-2010 schoolwide cluster grouping was implemented. In 2010-2011 students once again were grouped only within classrooms by ability and students identified as gifted were spread across all classrooms at each grade level. Results suggest that schoolwide cluster grouping influenced student performance in the year following its implementation, but only for mathematics and not the area of reading.

The epaulets of male Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are frequently cited as a sexually selected plumage ornament, but a number of laboratory and field studies provide little evidence that they are currently experiencing sexual selection. We used hair dye to dull epaulets of free-living territorial males prior to pair formation to determine if manipulated males experienced disadvantages in comparison with control males. We found no differences between control males and males with dulled epaulets in territorial behavior (territory size, song rate, trespass rate, and loss of territory), paternal care (time spent on territory and in antipredator sentinel behavior, and response to a model crow to simulate the threat of predation), pairing success (number of social mates), apparent reproductive success (numbers of nesting attempts, eggs/nest, nestlings/egg, and fledglings/nestling), or realized reproductive success (numbers of within-pair, extra-pair, and total fledglings as determined by DNA fingerprinting). We then used a meta-analysis of 11 published studies of Red-winged Blackbirds to determine if there is an overall effect of epaulet color or size on male-male competition, female choice, or reproductive success. Our results show that epaulet size has a small positive effect on male reproductive success, but epaulet color has no effect on male-male competition, female choice, and male reproductive success. One explanation for the seeming contradiction between studies that show that epaulets are necessary for territory defense and those that conclude that epaulets are not currently under selection is that epaulets serve as one of several cues of species recognition, especially among males at close range. An alternative explanation proposes counter-balancing intersexual advantages and intrasexual disadvantages of epaulet expression. Additional studies are needed to test these alternatives.

Even though the topic of gender is ever more present, as confirmed by the large amount of popular scientific literature on the topic, well-informed scientific papers on the topic of relationship between gender and conflicts within the environment of teaching staff are lacking both in domestic and foreign literature. The impetus for the creation of this thesis was the contemplation of the idea of how a larger proportion of males within teaching staff would influence the feminized Czech education system. The thesis investigates whether the gender makeup of teaching staff of selected kindergartens influences the types of conflicts that arise and how their characteristics depend on the gender makeup. The first chapter defines the notion of conflict from a theoretical point of view based on published literature and enquires into their causes and sources, as well as approaches to solutions. The second chapter deals with the notion of gender and presents current approaches and attitudes to this issue. In the second part of this chapter, we present several views on the difference between the male and female brain, perception, ways of thinking and assessment of sensory input, male and female communication and differing approaches to conflicts. The third chapter elucidates the function, core business and...