Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Educational technology Social aspects Australia'

There are approximately 700,000 non Government organisations in Australia employing approximately 936,000 people. Many of these can be classified as Non Government Human Service Organisations (NGHSOs). These organisations provide an array of services to people experiencing disadvantage. In the emerging information intensive climate, NGHSOs are increasingly under pressure to consider their own use of information technology (ID to underpin and transform traditional methods of service delivery, or risk becoming irrelevant to their clients and those that support them materially. This thesis argues that NGHSOs hove a critical role to play in addressing the so-called "digital divide" affecting their disadvantaged clients. It suggests a critical role for IT vendors in NGHSO IT management and examines this vendor role in diffusing new IT innovations. The thesis also highlights the multitude of impacting structures and policies that that influence NGHSO IT management practice.

Societal trends have changed more in the last decade than they have in the last century. This is particularly prevalent in the education environment. Concepts such as Lifelong Learning (the continued learning/educating of an individual throughout his/her lifetime), New Competencies (technology that is now part of almost every skill in the workplace) and Telecommuting (more people working from home rather than traditional offices) have become common-place today (Twigg, 1996, pp. 1-2). Education delivery needs to provide for these societal changes in order to ensure competent individuals pass on to the next level of education and ultimately to the work force. With key trends in technology such as Digitization, Maturation and Disintermediation becoming common in the workplace, education delivery must address the ―Digital Divide. (Twigg, 1996, pp. 2-3). Historically, schools in South Africa have used traditional teaching methods that have stayed the same for the last century. Educational institutions in South Africa, in particular, the previously disadvantaged schools of the Eastern Cape, face various challenges such as the dwindling ability to collect school fees from parents of scholars and declining financial support from the government. In Chapter Seven of the Draft White Paper on e-Education, which was gazetted on 26 August, 2004, the DoE, as part of its implementation strategies, urged the private sector to respond by implementing ICT initiatives nationwide. Phase 1 of the strategy advocated that ―Institutions are connected, access the internet and communicate electronically. (Department of Education, 2004, pp. 37-40). This dissertation shows that it is feasible to create a communications’ network among South African schools. It is believed that such a network can add great value to the education system in South Africa. The potential for this network to address the gap in the Digital Divide is enormous. This dissertation examines various ICT communications’ technologies and isolates wireless communications’ technology as best suited for this purpose, due to the speeds offered by the technology and the cost structure associated with it. A case study examines a pilot installation of the network and endeavours to prove the concept.

Whilst technology use has always been a part of the practice of health care delivery, more recently, information technology has been applied to aspects of clinical work concerned with documentation. This thesis presents an analysis of the ways that two professional groups, one clinical and one ancillary, at a single hospital cooperatively engage in a work practice that has recently been computerised. It investigates the way that a clinical group???s approach to and actual use of the system creates problems for the ancillary group. It understands these problems to arise from the contrasting ways that the groups position their use of documentation technology in their local definitions of professional status. The data on which analysis of these practices is based includes 16 hours of video recordings of the work practices of the two groups as they engage with the technology in their local work settings as well as video recordings of a reflexive viewing session conducted with participants from the ancillary group. Also included in the analysis are observational field notes, interviews and documentary analysis. The analysis aimed to produce a set of themes grounded in the specifics of the data, and drew on TLSTranscription?? software for the management and classification of video data. This thesis seeks to contribute to three research fields: health informatics, sociology of professions and social science research methodology. In terms of health informatics, this thesis argues for the necessity for health care information technology design to understand and incorporate the work practices of all professional groups who will be involved in using the technology system or whose work will be affected by its introduction. In terms of the sociology of professions, this thesis finds doctors and scientists to belong to two distinct occupational communities that each utilise documentation technology to different extents in their displays of professional competence. Thirdly, in terms of social science research methodology, this thesis speculates about the possibility for viewing the engagement of the groups with the research process as indicative of their reactions to future sources of outside perturbance to their work.

This study investigates how contemporary Australian families incorporate the consumption of multiple media technologies within their home environments. It uses an approach similar to David Morley's (1986) Family Television where he explored the consumption of television programs in the context of everyday family life. He viewed the household (or family) as the key to constructing understandings of the television audience; where there were gendered regimes of watching, and where program choice often reflected existing power relationships in the home. However since then (a time when most families had only one television set) the media environment of many homes has changed. The addition of multiple television sets, along with newer digital technologies such as computers and game consoles, has introduced a new dynamics of social space within the household. Therefore, the family living room, with its erstwhile shared television culture, has become a less critical site of domestic media consumption. With the migration of television sets and new digital technologies to other spaces in the home, claims over time and space have become even more intimately involved with the domestic use of media technologies. Consequently, this study critically analyses the relationship between media consumption and the geographical spaces and boundaries within the home. Drawing upon interviews with all family members, this thesis argues that the incorporation of multiple media technologies in many households has coincided with significant changes to the spatial geography of these homes, along with a rearticulation of gendered and generational power relationships. Extra media spaces in bedrooms, hallways, home offices and 'nooks’ have freed up the lounge room, possibly allowing for more harmony and accord within the family, but also reducing the amount of time the family spends together. At the same time the newer media spaces become additional sites for gendered and generational conflict and tension. This study uses an audience ethnography approach to explore and analyse media consumption at the micro level, that of the individual within the household/family. Twenty-three in-depth conversational interviews and observations of children and adults living in six technologically rich households in suburban and regional areas of Western Australia formed the basis of this thesis. Themes and issues that emerged from this qualitative research process include the gendered nature of screens in children's bedrooms, the extent to which a media-rich bedroom culture is evident in Australia, the existence of a masculine gadgeteer culture within some families in the study, the social construction of gaming as a gendered (boy) culture, gendered pathways on the Internet and the reintegration of adult acknowledge-based work into the family home. The thesis also addresses digital divide issues relating to inequities in access, technical and social support, motivation and the quality of new digital technologies available in the home.

The integration of new technologies in higher education has provoked a strong response over the last decade, not only from administrators and the public but also from academics. It has re-opened basic theoretical questions about the role of universities and that of academic culture.
This thesis begins with a critical review of the literature dealing with conceptualizations of academic culture and technology in higher education. Most theorists have come to the conclusion that academic culture is a set of values and norms that serve as guides for action. At root, this conclusion is derived from an organizational perspective prevalent in contemporary academic culture theory.
I argue, instead, that academic culture needs to be re-addressed to consider the complexities between its traditional boundaries and new technological pressures. My research suggests there are high levels of contestation across the full range of technologies, and that the nature of this contestation is ideological, aesthetic, and pedagogical. Furthermore, the contestation is both a product of, and is productive of, a reshaping of academic culture.
Drawing on the theory of cultural production of Pierre Bourdieu, who views culture as constitutive of fairly engrained practices I demonstrate that academic culture stands as a check on institutional powers, yet it is also influenced by the integration of new technologies. This suggests that academic culture is formed and maintained by an ever-negotiated and shifting set of activities.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation I report on an action research study in relation to the democratisation of science education in a Grade 10 life sciences classroom at a local high school through the application of educational technology, more specifically social network media such as Facebook. I argue that action research for social justice with the support of educational technology can contribute towards cultivating critical teaching and learning in the science classroom, thus contributing to the democratisation of science education in schools. In the main, this study shows that educational technology can contribute to the democratisation of science education in classrooms in relation to teaching contentious issues in the current life sciences school curriculum on three levels: firstly, learners and educators can experience enhanced levels of participation, collaboration and deliberation through Facebook; secondly, learners can construct personal learning contexts as a testament to the sense of autonomy they have (and can acquire) in learning about life sciences, particularly as they endeavour to nurture their critical and problem-solving skills, construct and apply life sciences knowledge, and integrate understandings of life sciences into the context of societal change; and thirdly, learners and educators can cultivate equal partnerships in the sense that equality refers to their insistence to „rupture‟ and „disrupt‟ pedagogical activities in the life sciences classroom. Finally, this study also reveals that critical teaching and learning in the life sciences classroom cannot be oblivious to poststructuralist thought on learning to think and act rhizomatically as opposed to hierarchically and linearly, and that exercising one‟s individual autonomy through a claim to intellectual equality can simply be pedagogical ingredients that can further enhance democratic science education in schools.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif doen ek verslag oor ‟n aksienavorsingstudie in verband met die demokratisering van wetenskaponderwys in ‟n Graad 10 lewenswetenskappe- klaskamer in ‟n plaaslike skool deur die toepassing van onderwystegnologie, meer spesifiek sosiale netwerkmedia soos Facebook. Ek argumenteer dat aksienavorsing vir sosiale geregtigheid met die ondersteuning van onderwystegnologie kan bydra tot die kultivering van kritiese onderrig en leer in die wetenskapklaskamer, wat dus bydra tot die demokratisering van wetenskaponderwys in skole. Hierdie studie bewys hoofsaaklik dat onderwystegnologie op drie vlakke kan bydra tot die demokratisering van wetenskaponderwys in klaskamers met verwysing na omstrede vraagstukke in die huidige lewenswetenskappe-skoolkurrikulum: eerstens kan leerders en opvoeders hoë vlakke van deelname, samewerking en beraadslaging deur Facebook ervaar; tweedens kan leerders persoonlike leerkontekste konstrueer as bevestiging van hulle sin van outonomiteit wat hulle bekom (en kan aanleer) deur leer oor die lewenswetenskappe, veral soos hulle poog om kritiese en probleemoplossingsvaardighede uit te bou, wetenskapskennis te konstrueer en toe te pas, en betekenisse van lewenswetenskappe in die konteks van sosiale verandering kan integreer; en derdens kan leerders en opvoeders gelyke verhoudings kweek in soverre gelykheid verwys na hulle aandrang daarop om pedagogiese aktiwiteite in die lewenswetenskappe-klaskamer te „verbreek‟ en te „ontwrig‟. Ten slotte wys hierdie studie dat kritiese onderrig en leer in die lewenswetenskappe-klaskamer nie onbewus kan wees van poststrukturalistiese denke oor die aanleer van risomatiese eerder as hiërargiese en liniêre denke en optrede nie, en dat die uitleef van individuele outonomie deur aanspraak te maak op intellektuele gelykheid die pedagogiese inspuiting kan wees wat benodig word om demokratiese wetenskaponderwys verder in skole te bevorder.

Com propósito de estimular uma educação consciente e critica enquanto a computação ruma à ubiquidade, propõe-se que a robótica nas escolas observe questões sociais e engajadas sobre tecnologia, da abertura da caixa-preta e da maior visibilidade dos objetos a partir da experiência de contato ativo e consciente com o aparelho e componentes que pervadem os ambientes da atualidade. Para este fim, discute-se nesta dissertação uma visão crítica de uso de aparatos com finalidade educacional, especialmente de recursos livres, aqui considerados mais adequados para a visão aberta de tecnologia do que aqueles com objetivos meramente comerciais. Apresentam-se elementos inspirados em obras do filósofo Álvaro Vieira Pinto, em estudos em Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade e em outros autores tradicionalmente ligados à robótica educacional. O trabalho discute criticamente a robótica educacional e, em um nível geral, o uso de artefatos tecnológicos na educação. Por considerar que há elementos livres e abertos adequados para a prática de robótica nas escolas, prima por discussões conceituais a fim de estimular uma visão crítica, engajada e menos alienada sobre os dispositivos utilizados na Educação.
With purpose of stimulate one critical and conscientious education while the computation tends to ubiquity, this text proposes that robotics at schools observes social and engaged questions about technology, like the opening of black boxes and more visibility of objects from the point of view of the conscious and active contact with the devices and components that pervades the actual environments. To this end, this dissertation discusses a critical view of use of devices for educational purposes, especially of free resources here considered more suitable for the open view of technology than those with purely commercial objectives. This paper presents elements inspired by works of the philosopher Álvaro Vieira Pinto, by Studies of Science, Technology and Society and by other authours traditionally associated with educational robotics. This paper discusses critically the educational robotics and, in a general level, the use of technological artifacts in education. Considering that there are free and open elements suitable for the practice of robotics in schools, this work prefers conceptual discussions to stimulate a critical, engaged, less alienated view about the devices used in education.

This research has been motivated primarily by a desire to extend and enrich existing research on women’s uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to manage relationships, and access and construct social support during their transitional midlife years. In doing so, this research addresses a gap in the literature on women’s consumption of such technologies. Since the late 1980s, when several landmark studies investigated women’s use of the telephone, there has been little systematic evaluation of the degree to which newer communication technologies have become integrated into women’s communication practices. Another key feature of this research is an examination of how ‘midlife’, as a stage of life characterised by several common transitions, is experienced by a group of women. These life experiences are modified by the availability of social support and, significantly for this research, by the communication conduits through which this support circulates. Given that midlife involves physical and emotional changes that may impact on a woman’s sense of self, this period of transition can be a source of stress. Numerous studies have identified the critical role social support plays in helping individuals cope with stress. For women, social support is commonly manifested through female networks, maintained through faceto- face encounters, and increasingly through mediated communication channels. In a region as geographically isolated as Western Australia, where over 27% of the population were born overseas, the importance of communication technologies in facilitating access to dispersed social support networks is arguably even more critical. The research procedure, drawing on a qualitative, interpretive methodological approach, involved 40 in-depth, one-on-one ethnographic interviews with women aged between 45 and 55. Initial findings indicated that while women are actively appropriating a range of online communication channels, there was a risk in limiting the research focus to women’s use of the Internet, in isolation from their broader communication practices. In particular, this research makes clear that one significant aspect of women’s uses of ICTs lies in how different communication channels meet the needs of women and their families at particular moments in their lives. At the midway mark in the lifecycle, many of the women interviewed are either consciously, or in some cases intuitively, employing particular communication channels to manage difficult or sensitive relationships; their choices often constrained by the communication needs and/or preferences of their aging parents and/or their own children. Despite such constraints, this research provides strong evidence to suggest that midlife women are as adept at strategically appropriating multiple communication technologies to satisfy their own needs, as are many younger people. This is manifested in a variety of ways, from women’s use of email as a safe conduit through which to maintain tenuous links with difficult siblings; to their strategic employment of email, instant messaging and webcam to foster a richer sense of connection with young adult children living thousands of kilometres away; through to their appropriation of a mix of ‘old’ and new channels such as face-to-face communication, the landline telephone, text messaging and email, as tools to help them manage their hectic lifestyles and sustain relationships with family and friends. Women’s active appropriation of multiple communication channels is therefore critical to the ongoing maintenance of relationships and, by extension, the health and emotional wellbeing not only of the women themselves, but also their loved ones and friends

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills shortage is of national and international concern. Modern business practices require the implementation of new technologies supported by a workforce with current and diversified ICT skill-sets. Acquiring suitable ICT skills has become a difficult task and employers are seeing government intervention at all levels. The school system in South Africa is under increased pressure and is faced with continuously declining matriculation pass rates, specifically in subjects such as science and mathematics. Schools are experiencing a decline in the number of scholars (learners) enrolling for the Information Technology (IT) school curriculum. The IT curriculum at school level is being criticised; under-prepared teachers are blamed and lack of suitable facilities highlighted. Surveys conducted amongst grade 9 and grade 12 scholars in the Eastern Cape have shown that scholars are not considering careers in ICT. Teachers, career/guidance counsellors and parents contribute to scholars' career decisions and are not encouraging scholars to pursue careers in ICT. Tertiary institutions in South Africa and internationally, are experiencing a decline in student enrolments and in pass and throughput rates. Industry is holding tertiary institutions responsible for not providing the “correct” ICT graduate skill-sets and passing an insufficient number of quality ICT graduates desperately required by industry. The accreditation of computing degree programs, such as Computer Science (CS), Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT), collectively referred to as CIT, offered by tertiary institutions is becoming an international requirement. The ICT industry is constantly changing and new job requirements and new career opportunities are frequently introduced. Graduates entering the ICT industry should have acquired knowledge about ICT career tracks in order to specialise and choose a suitable career path. Tertiary CIT degree programs should further be linked to specific career tracks and provide a multi-disciplined education to graduates. ii ICT graduates working in industry utilise skills obtained in under-graduate and post-graduate CIT degree programs. The ICT graduates have also obtained valuable skills working in industry, including business skills and soft skills. ICT skill surveys have identified the graduate skills gap, indicating ICT skills industry requires from graduates completing tertiary level qualifications. ICT graduates working in industry, for example indicated that programming in some cases is over-emphasised at school and tertiary level and that soft skills are ignored by tertiary institutions. An ICT Graduate Skills Classifications Framework is developed to address the graduate ICT skills gap and highlight important business skills, soft skills, technical skills and programming skills required by industry. In this thesis, an Industry ICT Value Chain Model is further developed that suggests a holistic approach to the problems experienced at all levels of ICT skills development, including government, industry, tertiary education institutions and at school level. Results from a number of research surveys conducted along the proposed Industry ICT Skills Value Chain Model indicated that problems exist at all stages in the value chain and that the problems can only be addressed involving government, industry and tertiary institutions collectively. A number of interventions is required and the support from industry is essential in achieving overall success in addressing the ICT skills shortage in South Africa. A proposed Industry ICT Skills Value Chain Model that can be utilised to address the ICT skills shortage in South Africa is presented.

This thesis examines the theory of technological determinism, which espouses the view that technological change drives social change, through an analysis of the impact of new media on higher education models in the United States of America. In so doing, it explores the impacts of new media technologies on higher education, in particular, and society in general. The thesis reviews the theoretical shape of the discourse surrounding new media technologies before narrowing in on utopian claims about the impact of new media technologies on education. It tests these claims through a specific case study of higher education in the USA. The study investigates whether 'new' media technologies (eg the Internet) are resulting in new forms of higher education in the USA and whether the blurring of information and entertainment technologies has caused a similar blurring in education and entertainment providers. It uses primary data gathered by the author in a series of interviews with key education, industry and media representatives in North America in 1997. Chapter 2 looks at the literature and history surrounding several topics central to the thesis - the discourses of technological determinism, the history of technology use and adoption in education, and impacts of new media technologies on education. Chapter 3 presents the findings of the American case study on the relationship between media and higher education and Chapter 4 concludes and synthesises the investigation.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
The currentt study is inserted in the research line - New Technologies in Education of the Postgraduate Program in Education: Curriculum. Its main aim is to reflect on personalized adaptive learning and the use of technological resources (Information Digital and Communication Technologies - IDCT) and how they are associated to certain pedagogical tendencies. The theme is still insuficiently studied by the Brazilian academy, which is why the defined period for the research was from 2006, when we note a growing academic research till 2016. In this interval a clear trend can be observed on the interest of the subject in question. The study was based on authors such as Libâneo, Saviani, Aranha, Gauthier & Tardif, regarding the survey of pedagogical tendencies and their contexts in Brazil, and technologies applied to education, when approached by adaptive and personalized learning. Concerning to the technology approach are highlighted authors such as Almeida, Valente, Barberà & Rochera. The methodology used was the qualitative and exploratory approach, through a literature review, with the purpose of investigating how the subject is presented in the Brazilian academic researches, focusing on the productions that appear in the portal of Coordination for Improvement Personnel of Higher Level ( Capes). After defining the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the literature review resulted in 51 (fifty one) works, from which 10 (ten) of doctorate, 34 (thirty-four) academic masters and 7 (seven) professional masters. The study allowed us to conclude that the use of technologies in adaptive and personalized learning is more aligned with liberal tendencies of education than with progressive tendencies, being therefore, rather a continuation of old pedagogical practices than an innovation in the teaching process of learning
O presente estudo se insere na linha de pesquisa em Novas Tecnologias na Educação, do Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação: Currículo. Tem por objetivo refletir sobre a aprendizagem adaptativa personalizada e o uso de tecnologias digitais da informação e comunicação e de que forma eles se associam a determinadas abordagens pedagógicas. O estudo foi baseado em autores como Libâneo, Saviani, Aranha, Gauthier e Tardif, no que se refere ao levantamento das tendências pedagógicas e de seus contextos no Brasil, e em tecnologias na educação, quando abordada a aprendizagem adaptativa e personalizada. No que diz respeito à abordagem da tecnologia, destacam-se autores como Almeida, Valente, Barberà e Rochera. A metodologia utilizada foi de abordagem qualitativa e exploratória, por meio de revisão de literatura, com a finalidade de investigar como o assunto é apresentado nas pesquisas acadêmicas brasileiras de 2006 a 2016, com foco nas produções que constam do portal da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes). Após definir critérios de inclusão e de exclusão, a revisão de literatura resultou em 51 (cinquenta e um) trabalhos, sendo 10 (dez) de doutorado, 34 (trinta e quatro) de mestrado acadêmico e 7 (sete) de mestrado profissional. O estudo permitiu concluir que o uso de tecnologias na aprendizagem adaptativa e personalizada está mais alinhado às tendências liberais de educação do que às tendências progressistas, evidenciando práticas pedagógicas mais tradicionais do que inovadoras no processo de ensino e aprendizagem

In South Africa, the linguistic hegemony of English over the African languages in the academic field reproduces unequal power relationships between their speakers. The present study shows that an intervention shaped by a counterhegemonic ideology can change the attitudes of Black university students, key players in spearheading social change. Usign statistical analysis and survey methodologies, this research explored the hegemonic role of English as the only language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in the discipline of Computer Science (CS) at Rhodes University. The study found that those speakers of an African language who are the most disadvantaged by the use of English as LoLT are also the most likely to resist a more extensive use of their mother tongue as an alternative. A group of such students were involved in the development and use of an online glossary of CS terms translated, explained and exemplified in an African language (isiXhosa). This experience increased the support for the use of African languages as additional LoLT, even in the Englishdominated field of study of Computer Science. This is an initial step towards promoting linguistic equality between English and African languages and social equality between their speakers.

This health communication research examines the identity levels of the heart patient on a therapeutic website HeartNET through an empirical investigation of site interactions as manifestations of a gift economy. The thesis also explores the media’s representation of heart health in both television and print. This research utilised a longitudinal qualitative ethnographic and netnographic approach involving twenty-six participants who completed two in-depth interviews. The first one-on-one interview occurred during the early stages of the participants’ heart journey, explored their heart story and use of interactive technology for heart health support. The second interview occurred six to twelve months later, and investigated changes in the participants’ heart health status and their media awareness. Data obtained through onsite postings, in-depth interviews, and asynchronous and synchronous interactions on HeartNET, resulted in an analysis of the rich insights into the lived experiences of people affected by heart disease. The heart patient has to cope with an unknown and disrupted future which may be complicated by a lack of understanding by their significant other and extended network. Interactions on HeartNET indicated a change in participants’ attitudes toward their heart disease. The gift of time, information and support were commodities that were shared freely. Over time however, a change in focus was evident. As members became more independent their posts would shift to a focus on independence and healing (or wellbeing) rather than focusing on the disease. Another key finding among the non-HeartNET members was the importance of volunteering and how it became an integral aspect of many recovering heart patients’ lives. As peer supporters this volunteering role appears to support the extension of social networks and complements professional health services. Findings from this research have shown that the media often portrays heart disease as a lifestyle issue and the participants of this research felt the media considered they were ‘to blame’, even though the majority of them had a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle prior to their heart event. An analysis of newspaper articles indicates that the use of the Heart Foundation brand name, or a passing mention of heart disease, was often used to raise the salience of the newspaper article, particularly in terms of its title. This research provides valuable insights into the heart patient’s journey as each individual recreates and re-identifies as a heart patient. Most importantly, this research allows participants’ voices to be heard.

This project examined the need for continuing education for teachers, particularly in the area of technology integration. It includes an exploration of the interdependence of technology and pedagogy. It developed an on-line extended community of practice to support professional educators attempting to implement Inspiration®, a commercial software application. The project presents a research-based justification for employing cognitive mapping strategies in a wide variety of pedagogical contexts, provides a dynamic list of examples demonstrating concrete applications which are connected to content and technology standards, and examines current design features for websites.

Neste trabalho, buscou-se analisar o envolvimento argumentativo de estudantes em sala de aula, com o desenvolvimento de proposta educacional envolvendo questões sociocientíficas. Essa proposta foi composta por atividades educacionais que abordavam dimensões científicas, tecnológicas, políticas, econômicas, sociais e ambientais no processo de geração de energia elétrica, considerando as relações entre Ciência, Tecnologia, Sociedade e Ambiente. Ao longo da pesquisa, procurou-se desenvolver o processo pedagógico considerando as seguintes questões: 1) Quais as características das interações discursivas desenvolvidas pelos alunos com abordagem de questões sociocientíficas em sala de aula? 2) Quais as possibilidades de alfabetização científica, de uma formação para o entendimento e acordo com o envolvimento dos alunos em situações de argumentação e problematização do conhecimento científico? Esta proposta possui fundamentos teóricos na Teoria do Agir Comunicativo de Jürgen Habermas, que concebe na linguagem um potencial para formação e emancipação do sujeito. Envolve também uma concepção de alfabetização científica para o entendimento e acordo e para o exercício da cidadania e questões sociocientíficas, associadas à argumentação. Os sujeitos participantes foram alunos de 9º ano na disciplina de Ciências em um colégio estadual paranaense, em 2015. Os dados foram constituídos por meio de gravações em áudio e vídeo, registros em diário de campo e trabalhos elaborados pelos alunos. Em seguida foram analisadas as interações discursivas por meio de uma abordagem metodológica de análise de conteúdo construída a partir do referencial teórico da Teoria do Agir Comunicativo. A análise desses dados permite destacar possibilidades de alfabetização científica, considerando a apropriação de conhecimentos científicos e o envolvimento em argumentação e proposições de alternativas a questões envolvendo as relações entre Ciência, Tecnologia, Sociedade e Ambiente. Entretanto, os resultados obtidos também apontam dificuldades na prática educacional em Ciências, para abordagem de questões sociocientíficas com o envolvimento comunicativo dos alunos; indicam a necessidade de um planejamento educacional que estimule e potencialize a interação comunicativa, para a formação de discentes e docentes.
In this work, sought to analyze the argumentative involvement of studenst in the classroon, with the development of educational proposal involving sócio-scientific issues. This proposal was constituted by educational activities that addressed dimensions of scientific, technological, political, economic, social and environmental in the electricity generation process, considering the relationship between Science, Technology, Society and Environment. During the research, sougth to develop the educational process considering the following questions: 1) What are the characteristics of discursive interactions developed by students with socio-scientific issues approach in the classroom? 2) What are the scientific literacy of possibilities formation for understanding and agreement with the involvement of students in argumentation situations and questioning of scientific knowledge? This proposal has its fundamentals in the assumptions of the Theory of Communicative Action by Jürgen Habermas, which conceives the language a potential for formation and empowerment of the subject. It also involves a concept of the scientific literacy for understanding and agreement and the exercise of citizenship and socio-scientific issues associated with the argument. The subjects in the research were Sciences students in 9º grade in a public school in the state of Paraná in 2015. Data was constituted of audio and video records and written records in a field diary. Then analyzed the discursive interactions through an approach methodological of analysis content built from the theoretical framework of the Theory of Communicative Action. The data analysis allows to highliht opportunities scientific literacy, considering the appropriation of scientific knowledge and involvement alternative proposals to issues involving the relationship between Science, Technology, Society and Environment. However, the results also indicate difficulties in educational practice in Science to approach socio-scientific issues with the involvement communicative of students. Indicate the need for an educational planning that stimulate and leverage the communicative interaction for the formation of students and teachers.

O objetivo geral desta dissertação é o de investigar as percepções de professoras e professores sobre o uso das TICs no cotidiano da sala de aula. Essa discussão considerou na análise dos dados uma perspectiva de gênero, compreendida a partir das relações sociais que se desenvolveram entre estas/es profissionais no âmbito dos espaços público, da escola, e privado, do lar. A opção metodológica pautou-se por uma pesquisa qualitativa de natureza interpretativa, permitindo a análise dos depoimentos das/os entrevistadas/os. A investigação contou com a participação de dezenove docentes, mulheres e homens, que responderam a um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada com questões abertas. Verificou-se que a maioria das/os docentes não teve em sua formação acadêmica inicial e na pós-graduação uma disciplina que abrangesse uma discussão teórica/prática sobre a utilização das tecnologias. Verificou-se, também, a falta de cursos de formação continuada e de oficinas pedagógicas com uma abordagem ao uso das TICs em sala de aula. Ficou evidenciado que existem dificuldades no manuseio dessas tecnologias no cotidiano da sala de aula, e analisadas sob a perspectiva de gênero, revelou que apesar da maioria dos professores em seu discurso afirmarem que homens e mulheres são iguais diante dessas tecnologias, ele é contraditório. A maioria das professoras assume ter dificuldades com o uso das TICs, já os professores negam tê-las, evidenciando o discurso patriarcal de que as mulheres não são iguais aos homens para a manipulação das TICs. A pesquisa revelou ainda uma extensa carga horária de aulas, distribuídas em diferentes estabelecimentos de ensino e, também, a existência da dupla jornada de trabalho para todas/os elas/es. Entretanto, ficou evidenciado que essa dupla jornada é marcada pela diferença entre atividades para essas/es profissionais. Nela, a maioria dessas mulheres assumem atividades especificamente na esfera doméstica limpando a casa, lavando e passando roupas, lavando louça, cozinhando e cuidando dos filhos, sem remuneração, por estas, serem desenvolvidas em seus lares. Apesar dos homens admitirem dividir as tarefas domésticas com suas companheiras, seus discursos retratam uma divisão com o sentido de “ajuda”, reforçando o discurso patriarcal de que as mulheres são responsáveis pelas tarefas domésticas. Essas diferenças estão associadas à divisão sexual do trabalho nos espaços público e privado e se mantém, sobretudo, por representações de gênero que associam a mulher ao espaço privado, ao cuidado e à delicadeza e, os homens, ao espaço público, ao provimento da família e ao trabalho pesado. Evidenciou-se, portanto, que as relações sociais entre estas/es professoras/es, na vida profissional e no âmbito do lar, são relações permeadas por poder, e que, apesar dessas mulheres experienciarem situações de igualdade em alguns espaços no âmbito do colégio e do lar, de certa forma, ainda estão subordinadas ao discurso patriarcal capitalista, que ainda hoje reproduz desigualdades de gênero, e condiciona essas mulheres a uma posição de subordinação e desvalorização.
The main objective of this dissertation is to investigate the perceptions of teachers on the use of ICTs in the classroom. The discussion considers a gender perspective in data analysis, understood from social relationships developed between those professionals, in relation to a public space, the school, and private space, the home. The methodological option is based on a qualitative research with interpretative nature, which permits the analysis of interviews. The investigation counts with the participation od ninetenn teachers, male and women, who answered an semi- estructured interview script with open questions. It was verified that in most cases the teachers didn´t have a discipline which covered the technologies utilization in their initial academic formation or post-graduation. Also, It was verified the lack of initial and continuing courses and pedagogical workshops towards the use of ICT´s in the classroom. It was evidenced the difficulties in the handling of technologies in daily classes, and under the gender perspective, although teacher´s discourse affirm the equality between men and women towards those difficulties, the discourse remains contradictory. Most of the female teacher´s assume difficulties in handling ICT´s, but male teacher´s deny it; which evidenced the patriarchal discourse that states that women are different from men at handling ICT´s. The research reveals that most of the teachers work extensive hours of classes, in different schools, even the double working day. However, it´s evidenced the differences between those double working day: most of women assume domestic activities like cleaning houses, washing and ironing clothes, doing the dishes, cooking and caring for their children, without remuneration because they are developed in their houses. Even though men assume that they are dividing domestic tasks, their discourse shows that they “help”, which reinforces the patriarchal discourse that states that only women are responsible for domestic tasks. These differences are associated to sexual division of work in public and private spaces, which maintain itself because of the gender representations which associates women to private space, to caring, to sensitivity; and man to public space, to family provision and to hard work. It was evident, therefore, that the social relationships between those teacher´s in professional and family life are permeated by power, and, spite those women experiences equality in some spaces at school and home, they are still subordinated to the capitalist patriarchal discourse, which still today reproduces gender inequalities, conditioning these women to a position of subordination and devaluation.

Thesis (M. Ed.(Educational Psychology)) - Central University of technology, Free State, 2010
The purpose of this study was to: * Investigate how school management understands and responds to the impact of HIV and AIDS on educators at Botshabelo primary schools. * Formulate recommendations, based on the findings of the study, for the design of programmes to develop school principals and heads of department so that they can proactively deal with HIV and AIDS. The method of research consists of an investigation in which a sample of thirty (30) primary schools at Botshabelo in the Free State Province was used. Questionnaires were distributed among the principals and heads of department. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the experiences and perceptions of the principals and heads of department towards understanding and responding to the impact of HIV and AIDS on educators. The empirical research was undertaken so as to gather information that could provide answers to the following research questions: * What is the impact and effect of HIV and AIDS on educators? * How can educators be assisted to cope with the impact that HIV and AIDS may have on their lives? * What impact do HIV and AIDS infected educators have on school management? The literature study showed that HIV and AIDS impact on education in various ways. It also indicated that the pandemic has a psychological-social impact on educators. Questionnaires revealed that most educators lose interest in their career. The study also revealed that HIV and AIDS education has not been extensively covered and standardised at the primary schools in Botshabelo. The findings derived from questionnaires provided several implications for planning, teaching and implementation of HIV and AIDS awareness programmes. Although the majority of the principals and heads of department believed that it is necessary to implement the HIV and AIDS policies in their schools, the results revealed that some are neglecting the implementation of HIV and AIDS policies. Lastly, the specific HIV and AIDS programmes should be co-ordinated by the Free State Department of Education in order to ensure that the support programmes achieve what they are intended to achieve. Principals and heads of department should be encouraged to take the lead in the fight against the impact of HIV and AIDS on education.

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar o papel da tecnologia no processo ensino e aprendizagem, na percepção dos professores das escolas de tempo integral da rede pública municipal de Curitiba. A revisão da literatura discute conceitos do determinismo e da Teoria Crítica e as implicações dessas teorias para a sociedade e estudos na área; discute a escola e a tecnologia, ou seja, a escola como elemento participante da sociedade consumidora e produtora de tecnologias; a formação de professores para o uso das novas tecnologias com os alunos e questões relacionadas às escolas que ofertam ampliação do tempo de permanência/dia nesse ambiente. A metodologia utilizada foi o delineamento misto sequencial exploratório composto de duas fases: uma primeira fase com abordagem qualitativa e uma segunda fase com abordagem quantitativa. A escolha da abordagem qualitativa para iniciar o estudo se deu em virtude de ser uma abordagem oportuna para explorar com mais profundidade situações cotidianas em um novo contexto. A técnica de coleta de dados foi a entrevista individual semiestruturada (conversação gravada e depois transcrita, tendo apenas um roteiro inicial com perguntas abertas) realizada com quinze professores de diferentes escolas localizadas em oito regionais no município de Curitiba. Da análise dos dados emergiram quatro categorias: formação de professores – inicial e continuada; uso da tecnologia em sala de aula; dificuldades encontradas pelos professores no uso da tecnologia e também as implicações da tecnologia nas escolas de tempo integral. Na segunda fase foi utilizado a pesquisa descritiva do tipo levantamento quantitativo. A opção em realizar uma fase quantitativa foi permitir a análise em dimensão maior que na abordagem qualitativa. A amostra foi composta de duzentos e dez professores que ministram aulas em escolas de tempo integral em oito regionais do município de Curitiba. O instrumento de coleta de dados foi um questionário constituído por um conjunto de escalas de dois a cinco pontos do tipo Likert para avaliar diferentes aspectos da utilização da tecnologia no contexto das escolas de tempo integral. Os itens para a elaboração do questionário emergiram da análise dos resultados obtidos na primeira fase do estudo. O instrumento foi validado por especialistas da área e testado em estudo-piloto com trinta e cinco professores de trinta e cinco escolas de tempo integral. A partir deste processo, o questionário final constituiu-se de cinco blocos que trataram sobre a formação inicial dos professores, apropriação da tecnologia, confiança dos professores na tecnologia, estrutura das escolas e frequência das atividades baseadas na tecnologia. Os dados quantitativos foram submetidos à análise estatística descritiva (distribuição de frequência, média e desvio padrão), análise não-paramétrica (Kruskal-Wallis e Mann-Whitney), comparação de escores médios, análise fatorial e análise Multivariada de Variância – (MANOVA - Multiple Analysis of Variance). Os principais resultados mostraram que a formação inicial dos professores sofreu mudanças históricas no tempo e no espaço. Em relação à formação continuada, as evidências mostraram que os temas trabalhados nos cursos oferecidos pela mantenedora não se articulam com o tema tecnologias, ou seja, são abordados separadamente. Os dados também mostraram que há divergência entre os professores no que diz respeito ao uso da tecnologia nas escolas de tempo integral, pois há professores que consideram que os alunos matriculados em tempo integral têm mais acesso às tecnologia, como também, demonstram apresentar melhor oralidade e argumentação em relação aos alunos que ficam em tempo regular. Outros professores consideram que a ampliação da jornada diária não implica maior acesso à tecnologia e melhor desempenho no processo ensino-aprendizagem. As diferentes percepções dos professores sobre o processo ensino-aprendizagem dos alunos das escolas de tempo integral mostraram também que a ampliação de tempo em que as crianças ficam na escola não traz implicações relevantes para a aprendizagem.
The objective of the study was to analyze the role of Technology in the teaching and learning process according to the perception of teachers of full-time schools from the public municipal network of Curitiba. The theoretical framework of this study was based on Determinism and in Critical Theory, as well as on the implications of these theories for society; it also discusses the school and the technology, i.e., the school as a participant element of the technology producing and consuming society; the training of teachers for the use of new technologies with students and issues related to schools that offer extension of the time of permanence/day in this environment. The methodology used was the exploratory sequential mixed design consisting of two phases: a first phase with a qualitative approach and a second phase with a quantitative approach. The qualitative approach was chosen to start the study for being a timely approach to explore in more depth situations in a new context. The technique for data collection was a semi-structured individual interview (conversation recorded and then transcribed, featuring only one initial roadmap with open questions) performed with fifteen teachers from different schools located in eight regional boards in the municipality of Curitiba. From the data analysis, four categories emerged: teacher training - initial and continuing; the use of technology in the classroom; the difficulties faced by teachers in using the technology and also the implications of technology in full-time schools. In the second phase, a descriptive research of the quantitative survey type was used. The option to perform a quantitative phase was to allow the analysis in a larger scale than the qualitative approach. The sample was composed of two hundred and ten teachers, who teach classes in full-time schools, from eight regional boards of the municipality of Curitiba. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire consisting of a set of five-point scales of the Likert type to assess the different aspects of the use of technology in the context of full-time schools. The items to prepare the questionnaire emerged from the analysis of the results obtained in the first phase of the study. The instrument was validated by experts in the field and tested in a pilot study with thirty-five teachers from thirty-five different full-time schools. From this process, the final questionnaire consisted of five blocks that dealt with the initial training of teachers, appropriation of technology, teachers' confidence in the technology, school structure and the frequency of activities based on technology. The quantitative data was then submitted to descriptive statistical analysis (distribution of frequency, mean and standard deviation), non-parametric analysis (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney), comparison of means scores, factor analysis and MANOVA - Multiple Analysis of Variance. The main results showed that the initial training of teachers has undergone historic changes in time and space. In relation to continuing training, the evidence showed that the topics addressed in courses offered by the maintainer do not articulate with the technologies topic, i.e., they are addressed separately. The data also showed that there is disagreement among teachers with respect to the use of technology in full-time schools, since there are teachers who believe that students that are enrolled in full-time programs have more access to technology, as well as display greater speaking and argumentation skills when compared to those under standard- time programs. Other teachers believe that the extension of daily hours does not imply greater access to technology and improved performance in the teaching and learning process. The different perceptions by part of teachers in regards to the teachinglearning process of students from full-time schools have also shown that the extension of time in which children remain in school does not bring relevant implications in learning.

Com o recente crescimento do interesse em atividades manuais baseada em tecnologias digitais, espaços de construção começam a fazer parte de projetos educacionais públicos e privados no país. Estes espaços são planejados, construídos e executados seguindo tendências transnacionais de construção digital. Esta tese contrasta propostas maker baseadas em FabLabs, na Maker Media, em críticas à tecnoutopia californiana e no FabLearn com objetivo de compreender as origens, objetivos e implicações de cada uma dessas diferentes propostas de tecnologias para a Educação. Considerando a sub-teorização do movimento maker em geral, que privilegia o fazer acima do refletir, esta tese apresenta conceitos de tecnologia baseado em Álvaro Vieira Pinto, de práxis e liberdade em Paulo Freire, e de bases social da técnica no campo de Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva de fatos e fenômenos em voga na tecnociência e educação brasileiras. Os resultados alcançados são uma abordagem crítico-reflexiva das diferentes vertentes maker, o contraste entre diferentes propostas de construção digital, uma contribuição a propostas progressistas de educação e a valorização e expansão da obra de pensadores nacionais de Educação e tecnologias. Conclui-se que a proposta FabLearn é condicente com ideias freirianas para Educação e que parte da falta de embasamento teórico do movimento maker em geral pode ser preenchida pelo pensamento filosófico de Álvaro Vieira Pinto e educacional de Paulo Freire, em uma perspectiva emancipatória e inclusiva da sociedade.
Spaces dedicated to construction based on digital resources are taking part of public and private educational projects in Brazil as a result of the growing public interest in hands-on activities. These spaces are planned, built, and executed under transnational trends of digital construction. This Ph.D. thesis contrasts maker proposals, e.g. FabLabs, Maker Media, criticism to the Californian tecnoutopia, and FabLearn, in order to comprehend the origins, the aims and the implications of each one of these distinct proposals of technologies in Education. One considering the under-theorization of maker movement in general, which privileges the ´making´ over reflection, this thesis presents concepts of technology based on Alvaro Vieira Pinto, and praxis and freedom on Paulo Freire’s work, along a discussion of social basis of techniques on Science, Technology and Society Studies. It is a descriptive research about facts and phenomenons in an ongoing debate about Brazilian techno science and education. As results, it presents firstly a critical reflexive approach of diverse maker proposals, secondly a contribution to progressive education discussions, and thirdly the enrichment and expansion of national thinkers’ theories on technology and education. It concludes that FabLearn is consistent with Freire’s ideas of progressive education, and Alvaro Vieira Pinto’s philosophical and Paulo Freire’s educational thoughts can be filled in, based on an emancipatory and inclusive perspective of society, the theoretical gap of maker movement.

CAPES
Este trabalho apresenta uma proposta de sequência didática para o ensino de Educação Financeira, com conteúdos do Ensino Fundamental e do Ensino Médio. A abordagem está alinhada à Estratégia Nacional de Educação Financeira, às tecnologias educacionais e sociais desenvolvidas pela Associação de Educação Financeira do Brasil e às recentes discussões e definições da Base Nacional Comum Curricular, que reconhece definitivamente a Educação Financeira como tema relevante e que deve ser ensinado nas escolas brasileiras. Parte desta sequência didática foi aplicada em um minicurso ministrado pelo autor para estudantes do 3º ano do Ensino Médio, experiência cujos resultados também são relatados.
This work presents a proposal for a didactic sequence for the teaching of Financial Education, with contents of Elementary and Secondary Education. The approach is aligned with the National Financial Education Strategy, the educational and social technologies developed by the Brazilian Financial Education Association and the recent discussions and definitions of the National Curricular Common Base, which definitively recognizes Financial Education as a relevant subject and that must be taught in Brazilian schools. Part of this didactic sequence was applied in a mini-course taught by the author to students of the 3rd year of High School, an experiment whose results are also reported.

Acompanha produto: Formação docente através da investigação-ação: a abordagem da questão sociocientífica "Epidemia de zica - das saídas milagrosas aos gargalos sociais"
Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de identificar aspectos críticos e emancipatórios presentes na prática educativa orientada por um processo coletivo e colaborativo de formação continuada de professores realizado por meio de investigação-ação e de abordagem de questões sociocientíficas. O referencial teórico é fundamentado na literatura crítica, tanto na compreensão da práxis social como da práxis educativa em especial. A investigação-ação é a perspectiva teóricometodológica adotada nesta pesquisa, considerando suas possibilidades formativas de construções teórico-práticas coletivas e colaborativas entre professores para reflexão e transformação da prática educativa, conforme Wilfred Carr e Stephen Kemmis (1986). Dentre as práticas educacionais situadas conforme uma perspectiva crítica, foi proposto o desenvolvimento pedagógico de questões sociocientíficas por meio de estratégias didático-metodológicas pautadas em controvérsias que afetam o meio ambiente e que possuem base na produção científica e tecnológica, de acordo com Ratcliffe e Grace (2003). Nesse percurso, privilegiou-se a constituição de um coletivo docente denominado Grupo de Trabalhos e Estudos na Escola para Ações Formativas, composto por três professoras de Ciências e uma professora de Geografia da rede pública de ensino do Paraná. O processo formativo ocorreu no período entre fevereiro a junho de 2016, contemplando a realização de encontros presenciais, produção de materiais, implementação de ações em sala de aula, reflexão e problematização da prática educativa, seus obstáculos e desafios. Para a constituição dos dados, empregaram-se os recursos de: (1) diário de bordo, com o registro das ações e impressões, elaborado pela pesquisadora; (2) gravações do áudio das reuniões do grupo de investigação-ação, com posterior transcrição dos diálogos realizados; (3) transcrição das conversas feitas por meio de grupo constituído em aplicativo próprio para compartilhamento de mensagens escritas, áudios, links indicados etc.; (4) materiais didáticos produzidos pelo grupo no decorrer das ações. A análise dos dados empíricos percorreu a sistematização, classificação e elaboração de categorias de análise baseada na teoria educacional crítica e na pedagogia libertadora, com fundamentação nas obras de Freire (1979; 1987; 1996; 1999), Carr e Kemmis (1986), Giroux (1997; 1998) e Contreras (2012). Foram identificados obstáculos estruturais e pedagógicos para a efetivação da prática docente em perspectiva crítica e coletiva. A necessidade de resistência à perda de autonomia docente por meio de ações coletivas entre professores no interior da escola foram problematizadas e assumiram centralidade no curso da investigação-ação. O produto educacional desta investigação consistiu em um caderno docente elaborado a partir das ações e reflexões desenvolvidas pelo grupo, levando em conta os aspectos: da experiência desenvolvida na implementação da pesquisa, das reflexões advindas da investigação, de um processo de autocrítica e reflexão da investigadora.
The aim of this research is to identify critical and emancipatory aspects in educational practice oriented by a collective and collaborative process of teacher continued education conducted through action research and socio-scientific issues. The theoretical framework is based on the critical literature, both in understanding the social praxis and the educational praxis in particular. Action research is the theoreticalmethodological approach adopted in this research, considering its formative possibilities of collective and collaborative theoretical-practical constructions among teachers for reflection and transformation of the educational practice, according to Wilfred Carr and Stephen Kemmis (1986). From those located educational practices in a critical perspective, this study proposed the pedagogical development of socioscientific issues through didactic-methodological strategies guided by controversies that affect the environment and have the basis of scientific and technological production, according to Ratcliffe and Grace (2003). Therefore, it focused on the establishment of a teaching collective called Work and Studies Group at School for Formative Actions, composed of three teachers of Sciences and a teacher of Geography of a public school of Paraná. The educational process took place in the period between February and June 2016, contemplating face-to-face meetings, production of materials, implementation of actions in classroom, reflection and problematization of educational practice, as its obstacles and challenges. For the constitution of data, the following resources were used: (1) logbook, with the record of actions and impressions, prepared by the researcher; (2) audio recordings of the meetings of the action research group, with later transcription of the dialogues carried out; (3) transcription of the dialogues made through the group in an app for the sharing of written messages, audios, links, etc .; (4) didactic materials produced by the group in the course of actions. The analysis of the empirical data covered the systematization, classification and elaboration of categories based on critical educational theory and liberation pedagogy, based on Freire (1979, 1987, 1996, 1999), Carr and Kemmis (1986), Giroux (1997), and Contreras (2012). Structural and pedagogical obstacles were identified for the effectiveness of teaching practice in a critical and collective perspective. The need for for resistance to loss of teacher autonomy through collective actions among teachers within the school were problematized and assumed centrality in the course of action research. The educational product of this research consisted of a teaching book elaborated from the actions and reflections developed by the group, taking into account the aspects of: the experience developed in the implementation of the research, the reflections from the investigation, the process of self-criticism and reflection by the researcher.

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Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Examines the possible conflict between the increasing use of information and communication technology and a higher education which contributes to social and ecological sustainability. Presents the argument that information and communication technology might be unable to support the dialogical modes of learning necessary for a sustainable higher education.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2000

This study examines the psychological problems that were overcome, and the social and cultural adaptations which were made, by Arab immigrants in the process of settling in Australia. The research was based on a group of forty participants, sixteen of whom migrated to Australia between 1973 and 2004. The other twenty-four were all of Arab descent and born in Australia. The methodology for undertaking this research utilized humanistic sociology principles for the collecting and analysis of qualitative data. The major finding of this portfolio of stodies is that the Arab immigrant families did adjust to the new country wholeheartedly, even in the first generation, partly by maintaining the core values of their Arab home culture.
Thesis (D.Ed.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Education, 2007

Online adolescent friendships and social networking among adolescents are current phenomena that have emerged, and exploded, as part of the digital age and the vast development of communication technologies. The primary aim of this study was to gain knowledge and understanding regarding the nature and quality of online friendships and social networking among adolescents. A sequential explanatory mixed method design, was put to use for the purpose of this study. The quantitative data was collected first in the form of a short survey, by utilising a self-developed questionnaire to obtain a general overview of the social network practices and the forming and maintaining of online friendships among adolescents. Twenty five participants took part in the survey. This study was followed by a qualitative study in the form of interviews, to clarify, elaborate and explain the quantitative findings. Five information rich participants were interviewed. The findings of the empirical investigation revealed that adolescents, being part of the Net Generation, base their concept of socialising with friends on digital and communication technology, especially cell phones. They are connected to their friends 24 hours a day. The sense of safety and support they experience through this constant connectedness strengthens their self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth and contributes to their identity formation. It is therefore recommended that parents and educators should accept that adolescents live in a virtual world and their new way of socialising, needs to be acknowledged. Parents and educators should adjust accordingly, by getting educated in this field themselves. The Net Generation is a generation who focuses on relationships and collaboration through technology and this should be exploited by anybody who has contact or interacts with the adolescent of today.
Psychology of Education
M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The main part of this study was written just as the Australian Government announced its new Participation and Equity Programme (P.E.P.) aimed at increasing the number of students staying on at school as post-compulsory students to Year 12. Under the programme schools were to be funded to develop programmes aimed at providing students, who would normally have left school at age 15 or 16 relatively unqualified and unskilled, with qualifications and skills that would give them entry to employment. The objectives, as stated, were to encourage · all students to stay on at school until they had completed a full secondary education or its equivalent, and to ensure that the education and training would offer all the students the opportunity to develop their individual talents and abilities and thereby ensure more equitable outcomes to education (Commonwealth Schools Commission, 1987:145).

The phenomenon of migration has given rise to prolific research emphasising the psychological adaptation of persons post-immigration. This study focuses on psychological preparation pre-immigration. Literature study and empirical research establish that an immigrant's adaptation is influenced by migration motivation and expectations. Several phases of adaptation occur, during which time individual stress is influenced by one's perception of the balance between the stresses of the new environment and one's personal and external resources. Various migration stressors could be identified in the sample group of South Africans living in Australia. Personal and external resources include effective coping strategies, a positive, committed outlook, strong self-esteem as well as a cohesive family and an acquired support system. Finally, guidelines were produced reflecting that the preparation for immigration is a complex and highly individualised task comprised of providing information, encouraging self-assessment and supplying training to improve the coping startegies of the individual.
Educational Studies
M. Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Self-direction is the process by which individuals collaborate in the construction of meaningful learning objectives and use internal and external controls to meet those objectives. In professional contexts, self-direction is seen as an increasingly important skill for engagement in complex organizations and industries. Modern innovations in program development for adult learners, therefore, should address learners’ needs for self-motivation, self-monitoring, and self-management. Social learning contexts—such as online class discussion forums—have emerged as potentially democratic spaces in online learning. Yet evaluation methods for assessing online discussion have not considered the ways in which student-introduced goals influence how quality is operationalized and studied. This research attempted to understand if, when, and how adult learners leverage online course discussions as a space to introduce and moderate their own learning and professional goals. The study used activity systems analysis as a framework for assessing self-direction within a complex social learning environment. A sample drawn from three sections of an online Research Design course was observed, surveyed, and interviewed to develop a visual map and narrative description of their perceptions of a discussion activity system. A cross-case analysis of these maps was used to define five systemic tensions that prevented students from aligning their goals with the instructor-designed activities. When faced with these tensions, students either subjugated their own goals to an instructor’s explicit goals, or else introduced one of eight mediating behaviors associated with self-directed learning. The study yielded five emergent hypotheses that require further investigation: (1) that self-directed learning is not inherent, even among Millennial learners, (2) that self-directed learning is collaborative, (3) that goals for interaction in social learning environments are not universal, (4) that goals must be negotiated, explicit, and activity bound, and (5) that self-directed learning may be not be an observable phenomenon.

Text in English
Born at a time of abundance of technology, including new media, e-teens have their lives woven around the use of new media technologies to the extent that they virtually do everything with the aid of these technologies, including learning, playing, socialising and communicating. E-teens, besides, demonstrate marked expertise in the use of these technologies. Although there have been various studies done on this group of users supported by models and theories on the use, gratifications and appropriation of new media technologies, the premise of this study was on two assumptions. First, there are limited studies that have been conducted in the sub-Saharan African context, especially, Ghana. Second, most available theories and models that guide the study of e-teens’ use, appropriation and the use of new media technologies are generalized and do not sufficiently highlight the unique attributes and gratification needs that are tied to their developmental stage. In light of these assumptions, the study was undertaken to provide empirical evidence on the types of new media e-teens have access to; the types of new media used by e-teens in their scheme of things and e-teens’ purposes for using new media. It also sought to find out the gratifications sought and obtained from the use of new media technologies by e-teens; the key features of new media appropriation and experience among e-teens and to identify the features of new media technologies which are most appealing to e-teens. The other objective, which serves as the main contribution of this study, was to develop a conceptual model representing new media use and appropriation among e-teens, thereby filling the theoretical or conceptual gap that exists in this context. The study adopted a quantitative approach whereby data was collected using close-5ended questionnaires. The target population were teens from age 13 to 19 in senior high schools in the Greater Accra region of Ghana, selected using a simple random sampling. The results of the study show that, overall, the most popular new media technology that e-teens had access to and owned was the smartphone. Leading among the apps that e-teens found to be appealing were educational, entertainment and information/news, with communicative and participatory features of new media technologies appealing to e-teens highly. Also, educational, sociability and social inclusion, respectively, were the most popular gratifications sought and obtained by e-teens. It is submitted that social inclusion, educational and sociability gratifications are considered to be directly in line with the unique developmental needs of e-teens. However, it is recommended, among other things, that educational use of new media, which was one of the strong points for new media use, should be further encouraged as new media provides borderless opportunities for learning. The researcher believes that the conceptual model for e-teen use and appropriation of new media technologies provide a firm ground for further research on topics related to this subject matter. To provide support and substance to the e-teen model, other researchers are encouraged to test and extend it where necessary. In conclusion, the findings provide evidence that new media technologies are highly appropriated by e-teens because the technologies help them meet their unique gratification needs. Therefore, the study recommends that, although new media use among e-teens can be encouraged, it is important to ensure proper usage, which will not be detrimental to them.
Communication Science
D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)

Text in English
Anyone using the Internet is likely to use Facebook and anyone using Facebook is likely to use it just about every day. The prevalent uses of the Internet and related technologies is a sign-showing that they have become a part of human life. On any student’s academic side of life, the use of social media (taking Facebook as a case) has become commonplace, but their influences over the academic engagement and performance of students requires deeper understanding. In Africa, the need for studies on the interplay between social media and education is growing. This study focuses on the influence of Facebook on the academic performance of undergraduate social sciences students using three federal Universities in Nigeria, West Africa as research sites. The study shows that Facebook use did not significantly influence the academic performance of the surveyed students at these universities and that its use can, however, be harnessed for augmenting student academic performance and for advancing education in general.
Sociology
M.A. (Sociology)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Es obvio que nuestro mundo ha cambiado mucho en las últimas tres décadas. Los métodos antiguos de enseñanza servían su función en las aulas y en el sistema educativo de aquella época los alumnos iban a la escuela, se sentaban delante del maestro y lo escuchaban para aprender el contenido; con estos cambios algunos maestros todavía esperan que sus estudiantes aprendan de la misma manera que en años anteriores. Todavía existe la mentalidad de que los estudiantes entran en un aula, se sientan y escuchan a su maestro. Este trabajo propone una forma de desarrollar proyectos desde la perspectiva de la teoría de actividad. Para entender mejor la teoría de actividad y su uso en el aprendizaje basado en los proyectos, empezaremos con una revisión de la historia de la teoría, una explicación de sus principios y luego presentaremos un ejemplo en un aula donde un maestro inculca confianza en los estudiantes y les da la oportunidad de hacer actividades para mostrar sus habilidades, todo guiado por la teoría de actividad.