Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Literacy'

Mass media messages have overwhelmed modern culture. Many of these messages are not created with the best interest of the recipient in mind (Potter, 2008). The Mass media does not operate as a public service. It's big business. Good daily decision making has become increasingly dependent on the ability to be "information literate" - to effectively evaluate the accuracy, currency, and completeness of media messages. But these critical information literacy skills are surprisingly lacking today (Asher & Duke, 2012). One recent study suggests that information literacy skills can be effectively developed through training in media literacy (Van De Vord, 2010). This thesis has replicated this study in an effort to validate the correlation between information literacy and media literacy. Aside from the Van De Vord study, the communications theory of Media Ecology, as proposed by McLuhan, and developed by Postman is foundational to this work. Also referenced are McCombs and Shaw's agenda setting and Noelle-Neumann's spiral of silence theories. Additionally, the work of Potter in media literacy; of McChesney in media economics; and of Duke & Asher in information literacy are also foundational. Quantitative research for this thesis was conducted using an internet-based survey. The gathered empirical data was used in a statistical correlation analysis between information literacy and media literacy. The test results validated that the two variables were weakly correlated in a positive direction with evidence of statistically significant probability. The weakness of the correlation and the limitations inherent in the testing methods suggest that additional study is needed - perhaps utilizing alternate testing methods. Further comparison between the differing methods that are traditionally used in teaching the two different literacies is also suggested.

The purpose of this study is to identify factors in the home literacy environment using the Stony Brook Family Reading Survey (SBFRS) in order to understand the extent to which these factors predict phonemic awareness and other basic reading skills, as assessed by selected subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III). The present study used archival data to examine the home literacy habits of a sample of parents and preschool children ages 3-5 years (range in months= 36-67) from a private and a public preschool with a combination of high- and low-income backgrounds and various ethnicities. Using exploratory factor analyses with 165 participants, three dimensions of family reading behavior were identified from the SBFRS including Home Reading Emphasis, Adult Responsibility, and Parental Academic Expectations. Each of the SBFRS rotated factors considered together in a stepwise multiple regression analysis contributed significantly over and above age to the prediction of phonological awareness as measured by the Phonemic Awareness 3 (PA3) Cluster from the WJ III. The best order of predictors for PA3 of the WJ III, with stepwise entry, included Factor 1: Home Reading Emphasis, Factor 3: Parental Academic Expectations, and Factor 2: Adult Responsibility. One of the SBFRS rotated factors, Factor 1: Home Reading Emphasis, considered in a stepwise multiple regression analysis using age as a covariate contributed significantly to the prediction of basic reading as measured by the Basic Reading Skills (BRS) Cluster of the WJ III [WJ III BRS=.38+.26(Factor1)]. Results demonstrate the importance of the aforementioned factors in relation to the prediction of emergent literacy. Future studies are needed to investigate parental expectations, adult responsibility for child outcomes, the impact of fathers, and the importance of dominant home language on the emergence of literacy. Revision of the SBFRS, in addition to studies that include a wider range of SES, racial/ethnic, and linguistic groups, would help to standardize the measure for future use.

Este estudo tem como objectivo percepcionar o papel das bibliotecas públicas portuguesas na criação de competências de leitura em idade pré-escolar, através da implementação de projectos de literacia emergente e familiar. Recorreu-se ao método de investigação quantitativo para a recolha inicial dos dados, através do envio de um questionário que permitiu traçar o panorama nacional das bibliotecas públicas portuguesas, abertas até ao ano de 2004. Das 86 bibliotecas que responderam ao questionário, apenas 34 dispõem de bebeteca. A investigação incidiu, em profundidade, em cinco bibliotecas públicas. Com base na metodologia qualitativa, os dados foram obtidos a partir de uma entrevista semi-estruturada, realizada a 6 inquiridos. Os dados sugerem que o campo de actuação das bibliotecas públicas portuguesas, no suporte à ·literacia emergente, incide na implementação de bebetecas, na dinamização de actividades de mediação directa de leitura e no estimulo às práticas literácitas em contexto familiar. São apontados alguns constrangimentos que dificultam o planeamento, a gestão e a dinamização eficaz das bebetecas. A escassez de recursos humanos, documentais e financeiros e a ausência de linhas orientadoras em Portugal são os obstáculos indicados. //ABSTRACT: This study aims to understand the role of Portuguesa public libraries in the development of reading skills since pre-school age, through the implementation of emergent and familiar literacy projects. The initial data were collected using the quantitative method through a questionnaire which enabled a portrait of the Portuguesa public libraries open up to 2004. From the 86 libraries that answered the questionnaire, only 34 have spaces destined for babies. The investigation focused in depth on five Portuguesa public libraries that were selected after a previous questionnaire. Based on the quality method, data were obtained from a semi-structured interview made to six library technicians. Data suggest that the role of Portuguesa public libraries as far as supporting emergent literacy is concerned consists in the implementation of specific spaces for babies within the library, in carrying out activities involving direct reading mediation and in stimulating reading habits in family context. The library technicians questioned point out some constraints that make difficult planning, management and effective functioning of these spaces for babies. They referred as obstacles the shortage of human resources and documents and financial funds, and the absence of guidelines for Portugal.

Each day in the United States, millions of adult consumers possessing traditional literacy skills below an eighth grade reading level enter a marketplace packed with written messages. This research offers the first in-depth, systematic investigation exploring the impact of low literacy skills within the marketplace and the methods consumers utilize to cope with literacy deficits. Based on the body of literature on stigma theory (Goffman 1963), previous work suggested coping strategies to result as a mechanism to protect the consumers' feelings of self-worth. This research identifies seven categories of coping strategies. The data collected show that coping strategies are not only used to protect the consumers' self-esteem but also to facilitate problem-solving tasks within the marketplace. In several cases, informants reveal their successes in getting marketplace needs met. Thus, a new conceptualization of the consumer literacy construct is offered to consist of traditional literacy skills, coping strategies or surrogate literacy skills, and specialized knowledge of the marketplace environment. Applying Link and Phelan's (2001) reconceptualization of the stigma concept to the data yields a richer understanding of the stigmatization process and consequences within the marketplace. Rather than passively accept the role of low literate, this research offers a perspective of the low literate consumer as an active challenger to the stereotypes that lead to negative evaluations and stigmatization. Implications of these findings for public policymakers, academicians, and members of the business community, as well as future researcher opportunities are discussed. The Association for Consumer Research (http://www.acrweb.org), the Society for Consumer Psychology (http://fisher.osu.edu/mkt/scp/), and the Sheth Foundation provided financial support for this research in the form of dissertation grants.
Ph. D.

1.Social Media and Literacy / Shakuntala Banaji – International Encyclopedia of Digital Communication & Society, – p. 6 2.Медиаграмотность - средство от манипуляции [Electronicresource]. – accessmode:WWW.UNESCO.ORG 3.Leveraging Social Mediafor Literacy [Electronicresource]. – accessmode:https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/leveraging-social-media-literacy
A great number of people spend on social networks more than 2 hours per day. And in general its content raises great concerns from a security point of view. As a new tendency, information usually provokes (especially among adolescents and young people) the destruction of universal values, personal models of behavior, undermine the idea of morality and ethics. Using social networks people face with inaccurate information which forms incorrect knowledge and perceptions in the audience. This risk is one of the most common on social media. This can be any information: from distortion of news to incorrect indication of the author of any quotation. What is more, people with a lack of media literacy can be endangered with mind influence, especially in political and social spheres.
Велика кількість людей проводить в соціальних мережах більше 2 годин на день. І в цілому їх зміст викликає великі побоювання з точки зору безпеки. Як нова тенденція, інформація зазвичай провокує (особливо серед підлітків і молоді) руйнування загальнолюдських цінностей, особистісних моделей поведінки, підриває уявлення про мораль і етику. Використовуючи соціальні мережі, люди стикаються з недостовірною інформацією, яка формує у аудиторії невірні знання і уявлення. Цей ризик є одним з найпоширеніших в соціальних мережах. Це може бути будь-яка інформація: від спотворення новин до невірного зазначення автора будь-якої цитати. Більш того, люди з недостатньою медіаграмотності можуть наражатися на небезпеку впливу на свідомість, особливо в політичній і соціальній сферах.

2010 - 2011
The increasing interest in health literacy is due to the universally recognized assumption that health and knowledge are crucial assets for well being, both for individuals and the community. Health literacy, is no longer a negligible health determinant. It goes beyond the ambit of education, pertains to community development through continuous and dynamic interaction with the social environment, and is strategically functional to the pursuit of equity, appropriateness and adequacy in health care services. In short, health literacy is an empowerment strategy bent on the improvement of people’ s attitude to accessing health information and using it effectively. At the same time, it is an instrument that policy makers can use to optimize health promotion, to gain better health outcomes and to cut costs in the health care system. Our study confirms that a limit in most research is that health literacy is measured only in patients in the context of their relation with health professionals, whereas a “systemic vision” is sorely lacking whereby a health care organization can evaluate its capacity to deliver a service and put in place managerial and communicational mechanisms that encourage interaction between the patient/client and the health organization as a whole. Consequently, the present study aims to investigate the attitude of health organizations when implementing policies and at the same time, to activate procedures and approaches that promote adequate levels in patient/client health literacy and a greater extent of health literacy in the community. Assuming the hypothesis that the Italian health care system is unable to cope with policies to improve health literacy, and in addition, postulating that Italian health organizations are quite unaware of the issue, we attempt to show how the health system in Italy is still far from effectively activating health literacy pathways, since health outcomes seem to be correlated to “informal procedures” carried out by health professionals as opposed to formal engagement on the part of health organizations combined with a commitment towards literacy in patients. Our research verifies that utility, quality and effectiveness in health literacy practice can only be maximized if health organizations adopt a systemic vision and pervasive policies. On the contrary, all the efforts made by health care professionals in Italy in order to put in place informal procedures are thwarted, since besides not being mainstreamed within the organization; they are sporadic and not concretized into routines; in terms of management, they come up against the lack of organizational commitment and clash with a non-attitude in the community on health literacy. Only if health organizations acquire awareness and put in place effective processes of change, can we envisage, through the lens of health literacy, more equity, better outcomes, lower costs: in a word, better quality public health. [edited by Author]
X n.s.

This research is concerned with investigating literacy development in the foster placement and the role and contribution of the foster carer in that development. Historical research shows the family (and that includes the foster family), as providing the literacy foundations for future academic success in school. Many studies have shown that Looked After children fare poorly in mainstream education, so our understanding of the literacy practices within the foster placement needs now to be advanced. This investigation presents the findings of a survey and structured and unstructured interviews, which were identified as the most appropriate methodologies to fulfil the research objectives. The questionnaire design elicited the degree of literacy awareness and activity in the foster placement, followed by interview schedules that allowed deeper meanings to be assigned to the more measured survey results. As the research area is a newly developing field a grounded theory approach was employed. The results of this research offer indications that literacy development within the foster placement is taking place, and explanations are offered about the way foster carers are instrumental in equipping Looked After children with 'literacy life skills'. Foster carers do feel a responsibility towards developing literacy in the home and provide a range of literacy-based opportunities, yet a more thorough, appropriate training would raise a heightened awareness in foster carers of what more they could do to utilise more flilly the materials they provide, and at the same time, develop their own literacy needs and confidence in supporting literacy development in the foster placement. Institutional weaknesses also prevent fiarther development in this area. The implications of this research mean that developing literacy in foster placement will only become common practice when the pivotal role of the foster carers in raising educational achievement (both for themselves and their Looked After children) is acknowledged by all, when resources to make it possible are in place, and when foster carers are suitably trained.

There is concern about lack of financial literacy and need for financial literacy education, but little or no attempt to understand their nature. Three questions were asked: 'What is financial literacy?', 'What is financial literacy education?' and 'What might be the components of an effective financial literacy curriculum?'. Adopting an inductive grounded theory approach and a pragmatist philosophy, in association with real-world organisations such as the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and the National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy (NRDC), empirical data was collected from surveys, observation and interviews. This was the first time that: perceptions of financial advisers in England on financial literacy were systematically analysed; financial literacy education provision in England was examined using the FSA framework; financial literacy education for financial literacy providers was the subject of a study; a financial literacy curriculum was categorised using the FSA's baseline survey areas; and financial literacy curriculum components were explored within a new synthesis of 'Competency Based Action learning (CoBAl)'. It was found that often financial literacy was misunderstood, financial literacy education interventions ineffective, financial literacy practitioners unqualified, and financial literacy curricula simplistic. Public policy needs to be directed towards developing a more rigorous and aspirational form of financial literacy education that would facilitate more effective outcomes. Financial literacy is more than information or capability; it is the demonstration of competencies in actual performance in the financial world. Financial literacy educational interventions need to be multidimensional and set within the framework of adult learning and not that of children learning within a formal educational system. A financial literacy curriculum that synthesises components relating to knowledge, skills and attitudinal competencies with action learning in the real-world context is likely to lead to the generation of more effective financial experiences.

The purpose of this study was to document the literacy practices of three 5-7 year old boys who were in the formative stage of formal schooling. The study took place in the British Virgin Islands, a group of 60 or so islands, cays, and islets located in the Caribbean. I examined these boys’ literacy practices in three contexts — home, community and school. Through observations, interviews and samplings of conversations at home, I found that school literacy dominated all three contexts and was used similarly in all three contexts. Additionally, parents were consciously reinforcing school literacy in the home. The three boys were reading, writing, speaking and listening at their expected grade level and appeared to be steadily progressing. Religion appeared to play an important role in supporting the children’s literacy development, consistent with the country’s Christian heritage. As previous research in other contexts (e.g., Marsh, 2003) has shown, home and community literacy practices remain largely unrecognized and untapped at school.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of African Languages at the University Of Zululand, 2017.
Lolu cwaningo lumayelana nokwethiwa kwabalingiswa emibhalweni ekhethekile ebhalwe emva kokuzuzwa kombuso wentando yabantu. Ukwethiwa kwegama lomuntu kusemqoka kakhulu osikweni lakwaZulu, njengakwamanye amasiko ase-Afrika. Imvamisa lawa magama ahamba nezincazelo kanti futhi ahambisana nezehlo ezithile. Amagama angaveza ulwazi olukhulu ngamasiko nezinkolelo ezahlukene ngokomphakathi nangokwezizwe. Isiko lokwethiwa kwamagama luyaziveza ngendlela ababhali abangama-Afrika abetha ngayo abalingiswa emisebenzini yobuciko eyahlukene. Umbhali usuke enenhloso nezizathu ezithile ngalelo gama. Umbuzo onqala wocwaningo ubheka ukuthi ngabe ababhali babusebenzise kanjani ubuciko bokwethiwa kwamagama emibhalweni (Literary onomastics), ukwakha abalingiswa, emibhalweni eqokiwe yesiZulu ebhalwe ngemuva kokuzuzwa kombuso wentando yabantu. Injongo yalo mbuzo, ukuhlaziya indlela ulimi olusetshenziswe ngayo ukwakha abalingiswa njengalokhu kunobudlelwano obunzulu phakathi kolimi nesimomqondo kanye nencazelo eqondiwe. Kulolu cwaningo kuqokwe uhlobo lobucikomazwi obubhaliwe okungamanoveli ayisihlanu kanye nohlobo lomdlalo owodwa. Ucwaningo lusebenzise insizakuhlaziya yokuHlaziya nokuCofiya iNgxoxombhalo, okuyinto ezinye izingcwaningo ezingayisebenzisanga. Ezinye zezinto ezitholwe ucwaningo zimbandakanya: ukusetshenziswa ngababhali iqhingasu lokwethiwa kwabalingiswa ukugqamisa izindikimba ezifana nemiphumela yokwanda kwezidakamizwa, ukudayisa ngomzimba nokuhlukunyezwa kwezingane nabesifazane emiphakathini. Okunye okutholwe ucwaningo kufakazela osekuvezwe ngongoti abaningi abaphenya ngale ndikimba okuthinta ukuqonela kwabesilisa (patriachy). Kugqamile nokho ocwaningweni ukuthi abanye ababhali bayakugwema ukwetha amagama achemile ngokobulili kunalokho bakhetha amagama akhuthazayo, nadlulisa ukwexwayisa. Ucwaningo luphinde lwathola ukuthi amagama ethiwe akhombisa izinguquko ezenzekile ezweni, ezithinta izigigaba zomlando njengokubuya kwababesekudingisweni, ukuzuzwa kwenkululeko nemithelela yokuthutheleka kwabokufika eNingizimu Afrika. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukusetshenziswa kwenzululwazi ye-onomastiki njengesu lokufundisa ukuhlaziywa kwemibhalo kulesi sikhathi lapho izikole zibhekene nengwadla yabafundi abangalwazi ulimi nencazelo yamagama esiZulu, kanye nezigigaba ezingumlando wesizwe.

Teachers, administrators, parents, business owners, and community members need to know the importance and value of a Personal Finance class. In this study, a two page survey was given to teachers, administrators, parents, business owners, and community members to determine the importance they placed on financial literacy curriculum and what content they think should be included in a financial literacy curriculum at Bozeman High School. The results of this survey showed that most participants of the survey thought financial literacy was important and that financial literacy curriculum was also important. The conclusions of this study were that financial education is beneficial and that the concepts taught in that type of curriculum were valued.

This qualitative study examined a professional development model of literacy coaching in which secondary content teachers were trained in literacy strategy instruction and in literacy mentorship. I attempted to understand the negotiation of pedagogical identities of content teachers engaged in literacy strategy instruction within their own classrooms while also providing literacy mentorship for a peer within the district. Data sources included interviews, video of strategy instruction, field notes, and artifacts from three participants in a suburban high school. Findings revealed that participants engaged in strategy instruction in their own practices and identified themselves regularly as literacy strategy experts within the district but not typically as mentoring experts. Three metaphors were used to explore the separate identities exhibited by the teachers in their role of mentor: the Peer Coach; the Content Warrior, and the Fake Mentor. The findings also revealed that cooperative reflection around video of strategy instruction was essential for negotiation of identity. Several implications for administrators, teachers, teacher educators and professional development were drawn from the findings of this study in regard to developing and selecting professional development models around disciplinary literacy strategy instruction.

The literacy rate in Louisiana remains lower than the national average. This is especially true at Rosewood Elementary School (pseudonym), a D-rated school on a scale of A-F. The problem is that teachers are unsuccessful in trying to improve students' literacy test scores, despite several targeted efforts to give them tools to make these improvements. The purpose of this study is to explore the literacy practices, beliefs, and professional development of teachers at Rosewood Elementary. The conceptual framework of this study included Clark and Peterson's cognitive process teacher model, which focuses on teachers' thought processes and their behaviors in the classroom and guides the questions about these processes. The key research questions involve 3rd-5th grade teachers' and literacy coaches' perceptions of their current professional learning on and support for effective literacy instruction, as well as the literacy coaches' perceptions of teachers' needs and struggles with teaching literacy. This case study includes sequential data collection including a survey, interviews, and classroom observations from 9 purposefully selected literacy teachers in Grades 3-5 and 2 literacy coaches, all from Rosewood Elementary School. Constant comparative data analysis was used for interview and observational data, and descriptive analysis was used for the survey. Findings include both teacher and coach perspectives. Training on classroom management and differentiated instruction was needed. A 4-day professional development was developed to address these needs. Implications for social change with improved literacy instruction include an increase in student literacy rates as well as teachers' self-efficacy in literacy instruction.

Maps are increasingly being used in traditional and virtual media, and civic discourse on political, social, and environmental issues, among others, is more and more becoming influenced by them. The often-used expression of a “picture tells a 1000 words” has never been so apt in our progressively more visual world. Despite this increased role and importance of maps, map literacy, as a field of research, remains rather underdeveloped. This is especially so for thematic maps, the very type of map that is finding increasing currency in discourse. As part of this under-developed nature of map literacy, the quantitative skills used in map reading and interpretation have not been systematically investigated, and previous commentary on the subject has been limited to listings of relatively low-level skills. As modern technologies, such as GIS, enable the more sophisticated production of maps, their interpretation can come to depend on more advanced quantitative literacy. The quantitative literacy required for map interpretation can also be expected to vary significantly with the type of map, and while map literacy studies generally recognize the broad distinction of reference and thematic maps, they do not provide a more nuanced framework for investigating how quantitative literacy may vary both within these broad categories and for maps which overlap these categories. This dissertation represents a first attempt to address these issues, and at least provide conceptual frameworks for their investigation. For the first conceptual framework, the dissertation introduces a three-set Venn model to discuss the content and relationships of three “literacies”: map literacy, quantitative literacy, and background information. As part of this, the field of Quantitative Map Literacy (QMP) is introduced and defined as the knowledge (concepts, skills and facts) required to accurately read, use, interpret, and understand the quantitative information embedded in geographic backgrounds. It is conceptualized as the intersection of the Map Literacy and Quantitative Literacy “sets”. The dissertation also introduces the conceptual framework of a compositional triangle based on the ratio of reference to thematic map purpose and the level of generalization/distortion within maps. This framework allows for any type of map to be located within the triangle and then related to the type and level of quantitative literacy they demand. Finally, based on these two frameworks, the dissertation uses the pedagogical tool of “word problems” to explore the variability of map reading skills and knowledge, and does this for specific map examples.

SammandragVi lever i en värld där texter och annan information finns runt oss hela tiden. Många är överens om att det därför krävs en annan skola än tidigare. Dock visar forskning att undervisning ofta ser likadan ut som den gjort tidigare. Mina erfarenheter säger att ett literacyperspektiv behöver komma in i skolans värld och detta är något som saknats på min VFU. För att komma ut på arbetsmarknaden och våga ha kvar literacyperspektiv som grund för min undervisning behöver jag övertyga mig om att styrdokument stödjer ett literacyperspektiv. Syftet med denna studie är att öka kunskapen om vad styrdokumenten säger om att arbeta utifrån ett literacyperspektiv. Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkter grundar sig i ett literacyperspektiv som utgår från ett sociokulturellt lärandeperspektiv. Studien tar upp tidigare forskning som lyfter värdet av att inkludera elevers vardag och att barn och unga kommer i kontakt med mängder av texter även utanför skolan. Studiens empiri har samlats in genom dokumentstudier på läroplanen, tillhörande kommentarmaterial till kursplanen i svenska, bedömningsstöd för åk 1 samt kartläggningsmaterial för förskoleklass.Undersökningens resultat visar att styrdokumenten stödjer en lärare att arbeta utifrån ett literacyperspektiv. Läroplanen lyfter vikten av att inkludera olika texter i undervisningen och att språket är med och bygger vår identitet vilket även ett literacyperspektiv innefattar. Det studerade kartläggningsmaterialet och bedömningsstödet har dock mer fokus på svenskämnet som ett färdighetsträningsämne och krockar med ett literacyperspektiv och de övriga styrdokumenten kan därför uppfattas peka åt olika håll.

This study explored the nature of and extent to which Canadian children's authors were inviting school-age students into literacy. The most common forms of interaction between authors and readers were identified. While essentially exploratory in nature this investigation provided some descriptive research to help uncover the parameters of the phenomenon of authors interacting with readers at literacy events. A pilot study was conducted in 2004 to help inform the national survey given in 2007. Seventy-three Canadian children's authors participated in the national survey. The email survey consisted of 15 items and asked a variety of questions ranging from how authors shared their craft with students to how beneficial authors found websites as a means of communicating with their readership. From the 125 pages of transcription of responses the following general themes arose: authors in school environments, correspondence, websites, author roles, authors as literacy resources, engaging in the literacy process, and facilitating events and people. Two main research tools were used in this study. Atlas.ti was used to generate key categories from the authors' comments. SPSS was used to generate frequencies. Findings from this study suggested that authors were highly engaged in inviting students further into literacy by meeting and corresponding with readers. Authors identified elements of fiction, researching, reading, developing style, and generating ideas as central components of their dialogues and mentoring of school-aged children. Authors also said that websites were significant for maintaining contact with their readership. Based on the findings of this research, a theoretical model was developed. The Reader/Author Reciprocal Mediation Model considers how students' literacy can improve when authors and readers of texts interact with a storyworld. This study provides a framework for understanding how authors are impacting student literacy.

Föreliggande studie vill undersöka hur fyra verksamma lärare i svenska som andraspråk, enligt dem själva, förstår och undervisar literacy i ett multimodalt samhälle. Genom en kvalitativ metod har de fyra lärarna intervjuats enskilt och deras svar har sedan placerats i redan befintliga teman från en studie av Cross (2011) som, tillsammans med ett sociokulturellt perspektiv, utgör teoretiska utgångspunkter och analysverktyg för denna studie. Det analyserade resultatet visar bland annat att lärarna fokuserar mycket på sociala och kulturella praktiker vid literacyundervisning och att de inkluderar multimodaliteter i begreppet literacy men att det får olika mycket utrymme i undervisningen beroende på tillfrågad lärare.

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A literatura apresenta profunda relevância para a formação integral do indivíduo. Repensar e modificar a maneira de ler o texto literário e propor atividades de leitura que levam ao letramento literário contribui para a vida social e cognitiva do sujeito, levando-o a desenvolver sua capacidade de crítica e argumentação, além de fazê-lo compreender o mundo em que vive e se sentir parte dele. O letramento literário compreende, desta forma, as práticas de leitura literária como função social e colabora para a sua formação como leitor independente. É possível encontrar muitas pesquisas que incentivam a leitura, porém encontramos poucas dissertações que orientam o trabalho com o letramento literário na escola, com a leitura dos clássicos, do como fazer, do como ler e do como proceder com esses textos. Desta maneira, esta dissertação discute a importância do letramento literário como objetivo a ser atingido no ensino de literatura. Nessa perspectiva, esse texto busca evidenciar os benefícios que a leitura literária, mediada adequadamente, pode fornecer para a formação social e leitora do aluno. Apresentamos o conceito de letramento, para, então, compreender o letramento literário, pois é preciso partir dos conceitos basilares para se avançar à mediação da leitura literária na escola. A partir das reflexões sobre letramentos, propomos uma sequência de atividades, de acordo com os fundamentos do letramento literário de Cosson (2014a), aplicável ao 7º ano do ensino fundamental, para uma escola da rede pública federal do Recife, tendo por base o livro “O Pequeno Príncipe”, de Saint Exupéry. Utilizamos a pesquisa bibliográfica centrada, principalmente, nas obras de Paulino (1998) Paulino e Pinheiro (2004), Lajolo (2000), Kleiman (1995, 2005), Soares (2003, 2005), Colomer (2007), Dalvi, Rezende e Jover-Faleiros (2013), Cosson (2014), entre outros autores. Desta forma, este estudo originou-se da necessidade de mais estudos sobre o ensino de literatura com vistas à formação do letramento literário do aluno e ampliar as reflexões sobre o ensino de literatura na escola.
Literature presents a deep relevance to a person‟s whole formation. Rethinking and modifying the manner of reading a literary text and proposing reading activities which lead to the literary literacy contribute to the person‟s social and cognitive life, leading them to develop their capacity of criticizing and argumentation and, besides, make possible for them to understand the world in which they live and feel part of it. This way, literary literacy comprehends the literary reading practices as a social function and something useful to develop an independent reader. It‟s possible to find many researches that reinforce the reading practice; nevertheless, only few studies really provide an effective orientation for the application of literary literacy at school, through the reading of classic literary texts, clarifying how to read them, what to do and how to deal with them. Thus, this work discusses the importance of literary literacy as a goal to be achieved by literature teaching. From this perspective, this text aims to highlight the benefits which literary literacy, if managed adequately, can provide for the student‟s social and intellectual formation. This research presents, yet, the concept of literacy, so that we can make clear the meaning of literary literacy, because it‟s necessary to begin from the basic concepts in order to move forward with the literary literacy management at school. Considering the wonderings about literacy, we propose a set of activities, according to the principles of Cosson for literary literacy, applied to 7th grade of a federal public middle school in Recife, having as basis the book The Little Prince, by Saint Exupéry. We have mainly focused our bibliographic research on Paulino (1998) Paulino e Pinheiro (2004), Lajolo (2000), Kleiman (1995, 2005), Soares (2003, 2005), Colomer (2007), Dalvi e Jover-Faleiros (2013), Cosson (2014), among others. Therefore, this study originated from the need for more studies around the topic, objecting the student‟s literary literacy formation and the broadening of considerations about literature teaching at school.

Media literacy is touted as a necessary life skill for cultural citizenship, yet as it is generally practiced there is little engagement with sustainability issues. In order to gain insights into why this is the case, this research investigated how media literacy practitioners use metaphors to frame both the role of media education in the world and how it affects green cultural citizenship. This involved analyzing web site documents and teacher resources of seven North American media literacy organizations as well as interviewing nine key practitioners within a bounded system called the media literacy ecosystem. Drawing on an ecocritical framework, I analyzed the discourses of the media literacy ecosystem by using multi-site situational analysis, qualitative media analysis and critical discourse analysis. This research explored how media literacy practitioners participate in meaning-making systems that reproduce pre-existing environmental ideologies. The findings show that media literacy education is grounded in a mechanistic worldview, thereby perpetuating unsustainable cultural practices in education. By problematizing the mechanistic discourses of media literacy education, the aim of this research was to raise awareness and to offer potential solutions for changing the nature of those same discourses. As such, I theorized a model of media literacy that incorporates green cultural citizenship, called ecomedia literacy, and outlined a path forward so that sustainability becomes a priority for media literacy educators.

Children who have experienced developmental, social, or economic risks may benefit more from attending high-quality preschool intervention programs than their more advantaged peers; thus, programs that have delivered high-quality experiences may have served as a protective factor for these children to help reduce the achievement gap that has existed at school entry. The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to examine best practice in providing systemic early literacy interventions as a protective factor against school failure for young at-risk children. The three studies comprising this dissertation included analyses of systemic early literacy interventions for young children at risk of reading and school failure due to (a) developmental delays, (b) low socioeconomic status, or (c) English language learner status. Consistent with previous literature, the researcher found that children participating in a responsive early literacy intervention program were better prepared for kindergarten than were non-participating peers. Responsive early literacy interventions were defined as purposeful instruction designed to meet the educational needs of children by implementing an embedded-explicit or balanced approach to teaching. Attendance in high-quality early education programs - especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds - was linked to lasting effects on indicators related to student achievement.

Research has suggested that providers of health services must be aware of health literacy tools as elements of communication with patients. Poor health literacy is an epidemic that affects quality of care. The purpose of this study was to examine the functional health literacy of associate-degree nursing (ADN) students and their awareness of patients' health literacy needs. This correlational study was designed to examine the relationship between the functional health literacy of ADN students and their awareness of their patients' health literacy needs using the asset model and the health literate care model. A convenience sample of 131 ADN students in their last 2 semesters of nursing school completed the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) and the Knowledge and Skills Survey. Pearson correlation, linear regression, multivariate analysis of variance, and Spearman correlation were used to analyze the demographics of students, TOFHLA, and Knowledge and Skills Survey scores. The Pearson correlation indicated that the functional health literacy of ADN students and their awareness of the need to identify patients with low health literacy were statistically significant (p = .017). The results supported the need for improved training and support for students on the topic of health literacy along with opportunities for further research. The implication of social change directly relates the area of nursing education by further identifying associations between education and the application of health literacy, which leads to further discussion on organizational policy and curriculum changes. These types of analysis will lead to more patient-centered care and improved patient outcomes.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Literature suggests that post-literacy (PL) is a seriously under-researched field in most African countries including South Africa. From the literature, it also became evident that, if PL is not viewed as a government priority, a gap will continue to exist between what PL programmes offer, and what the newly literate adults may need. Various authors emphasise the importance of PL to prevent relapsing into illiteracy, the applicability of PL in enhancing everyday private and occupational life, as well as the potential contribution of PL to poverty reduction, social, economic and political development and in sustaining communities. The aim of this study was to identify the PL perceptions of newly literate adults in the PL programme at the Simondium Community Learning Centre (SCLC) in the Western Cape of South Africa. A basic qualitative research approach to collect data was undertaken. During the data production ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, with the individual participant as the unit of analysis. All interviews were recorded digitally (using a tape recorder) and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was done using the HyperQual computer programme to identify, retrieve, isolate and regroup data. The results and conclusions of data based on the literature studied and findings of the study indicate a learner-centred PL programme is required which focuses mainly on non-formal and vocational programmes for sustaining communities and economic development.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Literatuur dui daarop dat nágeletterdheid (NG) is ’n ernstig onder nagevorsde gebied in die meeste Afrika-lande wat Suid Afrika insluit. Vanuit die literatuur het dit duidelik geblyk dat, as die regering nie NG as 'n prioriteit beskou nie, 'n gaping sal bly voortbestaan tussen dit wat nuutgelettterde volwassenes moontlik kan benodig en dit wat die program bied. Verskeie skrywers benadruk die belangrikheid van NG om 'n terugval na ongeletterdheid te voorkom, die toepaslikheid van NG om alledaagse private en beroepslewe te bevorder, asook NG se potensiële bydrae tot armoedeverligting, maatskaplike, ekonomiese en politieke ontwikkeling en by die volhoubaarheid van gemeenskappe. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die NGpersepsies van nuutgeletterde volwassenes in die NG-program by die Simondium Gemeenskapleersentrum (SGLS) in die Wes-Kaap van Suid-Afrika te identifiseer. ’n Basiese kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gebruik om data te versamel. Tydens die data versameling is tien semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gebruik met die individuele deelnemer as die eenheid van analise. Alle onderhoude is digitaal deur 'n bandopnemer opgeneem en verbatim getranskribeer. Data-analise is gedoen deur gebruik te maak van die HyperQual-rekenaarprogram om data te identifiseer, te herroep, te isoleer en te hergroepeer. Die resultate en opsommings van data gabaseer op literatuur wat bestudeer is en die bevindinge van die studie, dui aan dat 'n leerder-gesentreerde NG program wat hoofsaaklik fokus op nie-formele en beroepsgerigte programme vir die volhoubaarheid van gemeenskappe en ekonomiese ontwikkeling, mag nodig wees binne die bestudeerde konteks.

The purpose of this study is to describe the similarities between adult assistance to children's early language development and teacher assistance to primary children's literacy development. The main problem the study addresses is how child-centered language interaction was used by teachers in an Emergent Literacy program to promote student's skills in reading and writing. The methodology used were field-based, qualitative research techniques to document interaction during reading and writing conferences. The documentation was done through the use of field notes and audio taping during the conferences. The notes and transcriptions were analyzed for the presence of teacher use of framing and formatting. It was also analyzed for the presence of verbal scaffolds, accountability structures and semantically contingent utterances on the part of the teachers. The study concludes that those selected features of adult assistances to children's language development are present in the teacher assistance to children in this program. This may be explained by the teachers' commitment to child-centered, teacher-guided interactions which place children's efforts and sense of meaning at the center of the literacy learning experiences.
Education, Faculty of
Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of
Graduate

We only need to consider public media reports to appreciate that there is growing concern amongst citizens for sustainability. This concern arises from increasing appreciation that the current direction and rate of exploitation of resources is not sustainable and humanity’s actions today are arguably compromising future generations’ ability to meet their living needs. By drawing on the research of scientists, ranging from their evidence of the problems of sustainability to those promising solutions, the same press reports show strong links between sustainability and science. The appearance of such reports in the public media implies that citizens understand the interaction of science and sustainability and that they can engage critically with scientific research, including its applications and implications for sustainability. In this dissertation this understanding and capacity to engage critically is termed scientific literacy. The general question governing the research reported in this dissertation arose from this context and is: What does it mean for citizens to be scientifically literate within the context of sustainability? More specifically, because it is expected that university graduates are well educated in a socially relevant manner, with commensurate responsibilities and influence, the focus question studied in this dissertation is: What does it mean for university graduates to be scientifically literate? It became apparent from the review of the literature, that the concept of scientific literacy was multidimensional. The three key dimensions that emerged were (i) the fundamental and enduring ideas and concepts of science, (ii) the nature of science and (iii) the interaction of science with society. These dimensions provided the framework for the research reported in this dissertation. Within this framework and based on the literature, two relationships amongst these dimensions were proposed. The first relationship was that the dimensions were in a conceptual hierarchal order, with successive dimensions including the previous dimensions and expanding upon them. The second relationship was that students’ scientific literacy developed sequentially along the same hierarchy. It was proposed that development occurred sequentially, with development of concepts of science first, nature of science second and interaction with society last. It was proposed that a scientifically literate person would have reached the level of understanding that includes the interaction of science with society. Specific indicators of the successive dimensions were functional, conceptual/procedural and multidimensional, which at this highest level, includes the relationship between the first two dimensions and society. This framework and the associated indicators were used as a structure and lens for interrogating the development of scientific literacy of 244 first year university students enrolled in Australia’s Murdoch University’s foundation unit, Life and the Universe. This is one of five units from which first year students are required to select one. The units are interdisciplinary in nature with Life and the Universe being a unit that covers generic issues in science. In part because of its content and in part because it allows students from all backgrounds to enrol, it was considered suitable for studying, illustratively, the development of scientific literacy of potential university graduates. The development of scientific literacy was studied in three ways. First, participants responded to open questions about a newspaper report of science, before and after their studying in Life and the Universe, second, they responded to a Likert style questionnaire regarding the nature of science, again before and after studying the unit, and third, a subset of participants were involved in a focus group run over two years. The participants’ responses to the open questions on the questionnaire were analysed for their critical engagement with the news brief, in terms of their ability to give reasons why the text should be accepted or rejected. The nature of requests for extra information about the news brief’s content was also analysed. Analysis of the initial responses to the open questions showed that more than fifty percent of the participants in this study did not demonstrate the ability to critically engage with science reported in the news. The Likert style questionnaire assessed participants’ conception of the nature of science, with one end of the continuum reflecting a traditional view that science was a body of unchanging facts, derived from objective and value free observations, and the other reflecting a more contemporary view, that scientific knowledge was dynamic, open to change, had subjective components, and had scientists socially located so that their work was not free of values. Analysis of the initial responses to the Nature of Science questionnaire showed that more than fifty percent of the participants were located on the continuum towards the contemporary, socially located end. However, it also showed that the majority were still not sufficiently located towards the contemporary end of the continuum to view science as dynamic, with a changing body of knowledge. There was no statistically significant difference in these analyses in relation to participants’ gender, time out of school, course of enrolment or science background. Unexpectedly, the comparison in the analysis of the news brief pre and post Life and the Universe showed that the number of participants engaging critically did not increase. More expectedly, the comparison of the pre and post Life and the Universe responses to the Likert scale showed that there was overall a statistically significant increase in the group’s contemporary, socially located, perspective of the nature of science during their participation in the foundation unit. Specifically, the participants demonstrated raised awareness of the tentative and subjective nature of science and that scientists study a world in which they are a part and, as such, their work is not objective or value free. Nevertheless, there was substantial possibility of higher locations on the scale which the majority of participants did not reach. This statistically significant increase, but possibility for further improvement, is compatible with the lack of increase in critical engagement with the news brief and suggests that the statistical increase was not educationally significant. The focus group data contributed greater depth of understanding to the researcher about the range in participants’ conceptions of the nature of science. The conceptions evident were consistent with the conclusions from the open questions and Likert style questionnaire and also highlighted limited understandings of scientific processes or scientific methods. It was evident that misconceptions and naïve understandings of the contemporary nature of science were present at the beginning and retained throughout the foundation unit learning experience. These limitations helped explain participants’ inability to engage meaningfully and to question critically the science news briefs contained in the questionnaires. Data from the focus group also suggested that a limited understanding of science terms prevented critical engagement with the content of the news briefs. Following closely the focus group participants’ development of scientific literacy over a two year period, allowed the researcher to gain a greater depth of understanding of the participants’ development of scientific literacy than that which could be gained alone from the large scale administrations of the questionnaire. This experience highlighted that the development of scientific literacy was far more complex than the originally proposed sequential development across the three dimensions. The analysis of converging sources of data challenged this proposition and resulted in a reconstruction of understanding about the development of scientific literacy. It was evident that the ability and disposition to critically question and act scientifically required parallel development of science content, socially located conceptions of the nature of science and understanding of its interaction with society. It was the blended and parallel development of these knowledge dimensions, at any level, that demonstrated scientific literacy. In order to characterise the more complex structure amongst the dimensions in which parallel development occurred, a rope metaphor was used. This metaphor effectively represented the observed development of scientific literacy, as it made concrete the interwoven threads of multidimensional knowledge. It represented more realistically the complex, intertwining and multidimensional aspects of participants’ development of scientific literacy. Re-thinking the development of scientific literacy and representing the construct with the rope metaphor offered possibilities for effective pedagogy in higher education. The interaction of multidimensional threads of knowledge seems an integral part of the development of scientific literacy and suggests the need for teaching and learning experiences that are holistic in nature and driven by socially relevant contexts.

The first chapter of this thesis begins with an introduction to the background associated with the research project and an overview of significant issues in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and its assessment. This leads on to an explanation of the need for EAP Assessment Literacy. It is clarified, through reference to the research questions, that this study has been undertaken in order to investigate the extent to which the views of EAP teachers, on the topic of EAP testing and assessment, reflect language testing research and practices which comprise Assessment Literacy. Statement of the research questions and the hypothesis under investigation also explains that the thesis aims to ascertain how EAP Assessment Literacy can be sustained or enhanced. Chapter 2 of the study presents the Literature Review which examines the conceptual frameworks surrounding Assessment Literacy and the context of EAP. The views of key proponents of Assessment Literacy are discussed alongside a review of associated research in the fields of Education, Applied Linguistics and EAP. Other resources and mechanisms available for the enhancement of Assessment Literacy through formal training or in-service learning opportunities are also discussed. In the third chapter, the Research Design and Methodology, the researcher’s philosophical approach is rationalised and an appropriate set of research methods for this enquiry into EAP Assessment Literacy is identified. For this particular study the choice of a pragmatic paradigm is clarified. A mixed methods approach is also described in addition to the design of a questionnaire and an interview protocol for data collection purposes. Chapter 4 presents the Findings section of the research. Features of the research participant population are described and, in the case of the questionnaire, a method for filtering the total number of respondents to provide a more representative group is outlined. The results from the two main research tools are then presented in terms of key sets of data. These data sets include different question types and investigate the key areas of Assessment Literacy in EAP. Through Chapter 5, Analysis and Discussion, the meaning revealed within the Findings chapter is interpreted further. This will serve to identify key information relating to EAP teachers’ views on EAP testing and assessment practices and the extent to which these reflect language testing research practices which comprise Assessment Literacy. A synthesis of the main outcomes of the research is then provided in Chapter 6, Conclusions and Recommendations. Suggestions regarding what needs to be undertaken in order to sustain or enhance EAP teacher Assessment Literacy are also provided in the recommendations. In addition, the limitations of the study are also acknowledged, so that the scope of the research is appropriately contextualised. In Chapter 7, a list of references is provided detailing resources which have been cited during the research. Finally, an Appendix is included in Chapter 8 which includes the full questionnaire and the full set of interview questions. Access is also provided to transcripts from each of the interviews, the series of open question responses from the questionnaire and number of charts and diagrams which are not included in the main body of the thesis.

Financially literate consumers are empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to make sound financial decisions that ensure their long-term economic well-being. Within the context of the range of cognitive, psychological, and social factors that influence consumer behavior, simulations enhance financial literacy by developing consumers' mental models for decision-making. Technical communicators leverage plain language and visual language techniques to communicate complex financial concepts in ways that consumers can relate to and understand. Simulations for financial education and decision support illustrate abstract financial concepts, provide a means of safe experimentation, and allow consumers to make informed choices based on a longitudinal comparison of decision outcomes. Technical communicators develop content based on best practices and conduct evaluations to ensure that simulations present information that is accessible, usable, and focused on the end-user. Potential simulation formats range from low- to high-fidelity. Low-fidelity simulations present static data in print or digital formats. Mid-fidelity simulations provide digital interactive decision support tools with dynamic user inputs. More complex high-fidelity simulations use narrative and dramatic elements to situate learning in applied contexts.
ID: 031001493; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Adviser: Dan Jones.; Title from PDF title page (viewed July 25, 2013).; Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2012.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-80).
M.A.
Masters
English
Arts and Humanities
English; Technical Communications

Background: Older people are more likely to have poorer health literacy skills, experience more health problems and worse health outcomes compared to younger people. Aims: The aim of the study was to explore whether age differences between older people’s and younger people’s performance on a health literacy task would reduce with multimodal health information, presented by video, compared with unimodal information presented by audio and text on its own. Method: 24 older adults and 25 younger adults completed a test predictive of intelligence and an experimental task where they were shown information about health conditions presented by video, audio and text and then asked forced-choice questions on its content. Older adults also completed a cognitive screening test. Results: No significant differences in performance between the age groups were found for video stimuli presentation. Conversely, older adults performed significantly worse than younger participants when shown the audio and text-based stimuli in isolation. The pattern of findings suggests the older group benefited more than the younger group from video stimuli. Conclusions and implications: Older people may benefit more from receiving multimodal health-improving information. Clinicians have a responsibility to communicate health advice in ways most accessible to the older population. Additional work is needed to further investigate how presenting health information to more than one sensory channel could improve older people’s health literacy and health outcomes.

Med bakgrund i begreppet visual literacy, samt elevers och lärares föreställningar kring bildämnets syfte och innehåll, undersöker detta arbete hur lärare förhåller sig till begreppet visual literacy i sin undervisning och hur lärarna uppfattar begreppet i relation till läroplanen. Detta undersöks utifrån en pragmatisk syn på kunskap och lärande. Begrepp från det multimodala perspektivet Design för lärande har brukats för att analysera faktorer som påverkar lärares genomförande och val av undervisnings innehåll. Materialet har samlats in genom fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med bildlärare som arbetar i grundskolan. Resultatet visar att dem delar som visual literacy består av finns med i informanternas undervisning. Kopplingar mellan visual literacys innehåll och den pragmatiska kunskapssynen diskuteras även. Utifrån informanternas uppfattningar av visual literacys relation till bildundervisning och styrdokumenten, identifieras två förhållningsätt.Nyckelord: Bildundervisning, Bildämne, Visual Literacy

BakgrundLiteracy ett begrepp som fått mer och mer utrymme de senaste åren. Begreppet literacyinnefattar inte endast läsande och skrivande, men idag innefattar det dessutom bilder ochandra tecken. Literacy är även något som utvecklas i samspel med den miljö man vistas i och isampel med de individer som man samspelar med. Det handlar dessutom om en förmåga attkunna ta till sig, förstå och tolka olika typer av texter.SyfteSyftet är att undersöka hur pedagoger tillämpar literacy i arbetet med barn som har svenskasom andra språk, huruvida de gör det överhuvudtaget och vilka material de i så fall tar hjälpav.MetodDenna studie är en kvalitativ studie där semistrukturerade intervjuer har använts. De 7intervjuer som gjordes genomfördes på två olika förskolor vid två olika tillfällen. Detinsamlade materialet analyserades sedan med hjälp av kodning.ResultatResultatet visar att literacy inte är ett vedertaget begrepp i förskolans verksamhet även ompedagogerna arbetar med hur forskning och litteratur beskriver literacy. Literacy är inget sompedagogerna arbetar medvetet med. Det visar också att bokläsning är något som finnssvårigheter runtomkring på grund av brist på tid och personal.