Prática de ensino supervisionada relativo ao ano letivo 2014/2015, realizada na Escola Básica de 2º e 3º ciclos com Ensino Secundário Cunha Rivara

O presente relatório é fruto da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, realizada no ano letivo 2014/2015 na Escola Básica 2, 3 com Ensino Secundário Cunha Rivara, no âmbito do Mestrado em Ensino do Português no 3.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e Ensino Secundário e de Espanhol nos Ensinos Básico e Secundário, sob a orientação do Professor Doutor António Ricardo Mira. Esta fase prática do mestrado assume-se como momento charneira na formação de futuros professores, porquanto representa o espaço ideal para aferir e testar métodos e técnicas aplicáveis aos processos de ensino/aprendizagem. Nesse sentido, e partindo do pressuposto de que o aluno deve ser o ator principal ao longo deste processo, este relatório assume uma função descritiva, mas, em simultâneo, outra dimensão, tão ou mais importante, no domínio da reflexão e da interiorização de práticas pedagógico-didáticas e de comportamentos relacionais, assumidos durante este processo. Assim, desenvolve-se em cinco componentes, que se complementam: preparação científica, pedagógica e didática; planificação e condução de aulas e avaliação de aprendizagens; análise da prática de ensino; participação na escola e desenvolvimento profissional; ABSTRACT: This report is the result of Supervised Teaching Practice, held in the school year 2014/2015 at the Basic and Secondary School 2, 3 “Cunha Rivara”, within the Master degree: “Teaching Portuguese in the 3rd cycle of Basic Education and Secondary Education and Spanish in basic and secondary education”, under the guidance of Professor Ricardo Antonio Mira. This practice of master stage is assumed as a key moment in the training of future teachers, because it is the ideal place and moment to measure and test methods and techniques applicable to teaching / learning processes. Accordingly, and assuming that the student must be the main actor throughout this process, this report takes a descriptive function, but at the same time, another dimension, equally important in the field of reflection and practices internalization, pedagogical-didactic and relational behaviors made during this process. Thus it develops into five components, which complement each other: scientific, pedagogical and didactic preparation; planning and conducting classes and learning evaluation; analysis of the teaching practice; participation in school and professional development.

How do teachers prepare their students for statewide exit exams? A comparison of Finland, Ireland, and the Netherlands

Statewide exit exams are often believed to have a positive impact on school effectiveness and the alignment between instructional practice and state standards because of their mandatory nature and the stakes attached for students and teachers. They may also, however, lead to teaching to the test and to a perceived de-professionalization of the teaching role. While some studies suggest a narrowing of contents and an increase in teacher-centered instruction, little is known about how the impact on instructional practices and teacher cognitions varies between different exam systems. This study compares the strategies teachers use to prepare their students for the exams at the end of upper secondary education in Finland, Ireland, and the Netherlands using a standardized questionnaire survey with responses from 385 teachers. The goal was to develop hypotheses about the relationship between differences in the exam procedures and the stakes attached, and the differences in teacher preparation strategies. The results suggest country-specific variations regarding teacher beliefs as to how much time should be spent on exam preparation; however, there were smaller differences in the strategies applied. Regression analyses indicated that the way in which preparation intensity was associated with the stakes for students and schools, and the attitudes towards the exams themselves varied across the three countries. The different exam systems appeared to affect preparation in markedly different ways, but nevertheless led to the exercise of comparable strategies. (DIPF/Orig.)

A NARRATIVE CASE STUDY EXAMINING THE EXPEREINCES OF MEN TEACHING SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES

Over the past several decades, the landscape of the workplace has changed in many industrialized nations. In the United States this time period has seen the outright elimination or outsourcing of well-paying “blue collar” jobs. The workforce continues to evolve, change, and become more global, and men and women are making nontraditional occupational decisions, whether by choice or necessity. The traditional views of men and women have begun to shift. However, gender assumptions about masculinity have failed to keep pace with the shift. There are approximately 1.8 million elementary grade level teachers in United States public schools; of these, a mere 9% are male. The paucity of male teachers in the elementary grades has been a concern for many years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 86% of all special education teachers are female. In 2012, 86.2% of all special education teachers were female, and by the following year, the number had dropped to 80.4%. The evidence indicates that more men are embarking on nontraditional career paths. Despite theses changes there is minimal research looking at the experiences of men working as special education teachers My goal in this study was to obtain a better understanding of the influences on and the process by which men make the decision to pursuing a career teaching special education in the elementary grades. The study utilized social role theory (Eagly, 1987), and Stead’s (2014) social constructionist theory as well as Williams’ (1992) glass escalator proposition The findings of this study confirm some of the factors related to career choice, experiences and barriers faced by men in nontraditional careers detailed in the literature. Three themes emerged for each research question: Experiences, advocacy, and benefits. Three themes emerged around the second research question exploring the experiences of men in a female-concentrated profession: The male body, communication, and perception. Three themes arose around the third research question: administration, My Masculinity, and pay. The findings run counter to Williams’ glass escalator proposition, which posits men working in female-concentrated professions are at an advantage. The findings advance support for Buschmeyer’s theory of (2013) alternative masculinity.

An Assessment of Professional Development for Astronomy and Physics Faculty: Expanding Our Vision of How to Support Faculty's Learning About Teaching

In this thesis, we will explore approaches to faculty instructional change in astronomy and physics. We primarily focus on professional development (PD) workshops, which are a central mechanism used within our community to help faculty improve their teaching. Although workshops serve a critical role for promoting more equitable instruction, we rarely assess them through careful consideration of how they engage faculty. To encourage a shift towards more reflective, research-informed PD, we developed the Real-Time Professional Development Observation Tool (R-PDOT), to document the form and focus of faculty's engagement during workshops. We then analyze video-recordings of faculty's interactions during the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop, focusing on instances where faculty might engage in pedagogical sense-making. Finally, we consider insights gained from our own local, team-based effort to improve a course sequence for astronomy majors. We conclude with recommendations for PD leaders and researchers.

Effects of two teaching interventions on nursing students’ acquisition of competence in ECG interpretation

Purpose: Nurse ability to recognise patient arrhythmias could contribute to preventing in-hospital cardiac arrest. Research suggests that nurses and nursing students lack competence in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two training strategies on nursing students’ acquisition of competence in ECG interpretation. Materials and methods: A controlled randomised trial with 98 nursing students. Divided in groups of 12–16, participants were randomly allocated to one of the following 3-h teaching intervention groups: 1) traditional instructor-led (TILG), and 2) flipped classroom (FCG). Participants’ competence in ECG interpretation was measured in terms of knowledge (%), skills (%) and self-efficacy (%) using a specifically designed and previously validated toolkit at pre-test and post-test. Two-way MANOVA explored the interaction effect between ‘teaching group’ and ‘time of assessment’ and its impact on participants’ competence. Within-group differences at pre-test and post-test were explored by carrying out paired t-tests. Between-group differences at pre- and post-test were examined by performing independent t-test analysis. Results: There was a statistically significant interaction effect between ‘teaching group’ and ‘time of assessment’ on participants’ competence in ECG interpretation (F(3,190) = 86.541, p = 0.001; Wilks’ Λ = 0.423). At pre-test, differences in knowledge (TILG = 35.12 ± 12.07; FCG = 35.66 ± 10.66), skills (TILG = 14.05 ± 10.37; FCG = 14.82 ± 14.14), self-efficacy (TILG = 46.22 ± 23.78; FCG = 40.01 ± 21.77) and all other variables were non-significant (p > 0.05). At post-test, knowledge (TILG = 55.12 ± 14.16; FCG = 94.2 ± 7.31), skills (TILG = 36.90 ± 16.45; FCG = 86.43 ± 14.32) and self-efficacy (TILG = 70.78 ± 14.55; FCG = 79.98 ± 10.35) had significantly improved, regardless of the training received (p < 0.05). Nonetheless, participants in the FCG scored significantly higher than participants in the TILG in knowledge, skills and self-efficacy (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Flipping the classroom for teaching ECG interpretation to nursing students may be more effective than using a traditional instructor-led approach in terms of immediate acquisition of competence in terms of knowledge, skills and self-efficacy. Further research on the effects of both teaching strategies on the retention of the competence will be undertaken.

Errors in preparation and medication management in nursing professionals

The preparation and administration of medications is one of the most common and relevant functions of nurses, demanding great responsibility. Incorrect administration of medication, currently constitutes a serious problem in health services, and is considered one of the main adverse effects suffered by hospitalized patients. Objectives: Identify the major errors in the preparation and administration of medication by nurses in hospitals and know what factors lead to the error occurred in the preparation and administration of medication. Methods: A systematic review of the literature. Deined as inclusion criteria: original scientiic papers, complete, published in the period 2011 to May 2016, the SciELO and LILACS databases, performed in a hospital environment, addressing errors in preparation and administration of medication by nurses and in Portuguese language. After application of the inclusion criteria obtained a sample of 7 articles. Results: The main errors identiied in the pr eparation and administration of medication were wrong dose 71.4%, wrong time 71.4%, 57.2% dilution inadequate, incorrect selection of the patient 42.8% and 42.8% via inadequate. The factors that were most commonly reported by the nursing staff, as the cause of the error was the lack of human appeal 57.2%, inappropriate locations for the preparation of medication 57.2%, the presence of noise and low brightness in preparation location 57, 2%, professionals untrained 42.8%, fatigue and stress 42.8% and inattention 42.8%. Conclusions: The literature shows a high error rate in the preparation and administration of medication for various reasons, making it important that preventive measures of this occurrence are implemented.

Effect of different methods of soil preparation on soil moisture loss, weed growth and soil resistance to penetration.

The effect of different methods of soil preparation on soil moisture loss, weed growth and soil resistance to penetration has been quantified for the Latosols of Bebedouro experiment station of CPATSA-EMBRAPA, Petrolina,PE, Brazil. The methods studied are manual preparation, preparation by animal drawn wheeled tool carrier and tractorized implements. The drying characteristics of three fields with different soil physical properties were studied prior to conducting the experiment. The different methods of soil preparation caused the soil moisture loss differently. The plot prepared by animal drawn tool carrier retained more moisture for longer time even at deeper layers. The soil resistance to penetration on the surface increased with time with little variation at deeper layers.

Work, Professional Development And Teaching Commitment: Deconstructing Meanings

The paper we present is part of the research project "The professional identity of teacher studies", that we are development for last 3 years. The third phase of this research put the focus on the experience of job placement of novel teachers, graduated no more than 5 years. We work with focal groups and professional experience and teacher education accounts of teachers implied in this research. Also, for any teachers, we do biographical interviews to deepen on processes of construction of professional identity. In this paper we present the Ana Belen History, a female teacher of pre-school education with an experience of 4 years in school, working in a urban school with students in risk of exclusion. This school have a educative project, commitment with the neighbourhood, joint with the community and other social groups. Ana Belen story, from professional perspective, is linked with the social politic and educational commitment of this school. Our interest is focused in the comprehension of professional identity that Ana Belen has gone forging along her personal story and how her education and job placement has contributed for it. Also we are interested in knowing how early professional experiences have influenced in her professional development as teacher. Specifically we ask ourselves about what influence have for her professional identity, that her career starts in this particular school. In consequence, this paper leads us to question the current teacher education model. In particular we are interested on the kind of professional experience that have place and, so, the kinds of commitments that enables. We understand that frameworks in which professional education and experience have place are relevant to enable more or less transformer understandings about teaching. From conceptual perspective this paper adopts a socio-critical point of view (Gergen, 1985; Kincheloe, 2001; Wenger, 1988, etc.). We understand that teaching has to be analysing according work contexts and personal stories of teachers, because we face processes historical and collective building. Teaching is the result of action of their actors, over time, and in specific stage. So, with this research we intend to break with the old gap between pre and in-service education. We think that both of them are part of the same process and are formed according similar logical; although scenes change. We understand that they are part of a continuous process in which is giving sense to different and complex settings where teaching profession is built, but they are not differenced and independent stages. The teacher work, so, is subject to particular conditions, generated from such different fields as institutional, corporative, cultural, social, political, moral, etc. It displays a kaleidoscopic view on space, time, context, ... These are the axis in which the teaching is formed, from the complexity and heterogeneity. How this complexity is articulated results in different ways to face the teacher work, according different personal and professional stories. The teacher acts with subjects in instituted contexts from relationships he has with them, which gives a situated and contingent character. But, these contexts are strongly structured and ruled according centralized and generalized positions; which is, at the very least, paradoxical. Possibly, from our point of view, same of the crisis of teaching have to explain from this paradoxical perspective and the conflict, which characterize this job (Rivas, Leite y Cortés, 2011)

Part-time and fractional staff in the learning and skills sector

This Universities and College Union Launch Event presentation reported on the findings of Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) London and South East (LSE) Regional Research Project. The presentation reflected on research carried out during 2002-06 on the development and deployment of part-time staff in the Learning and Skills Sector. Although the lifelong learning sector is the largest UK education sector, little attention has as yet been paid to the role of LSC sector part-time staff. Worrying trends of an increasing casualisation of staffing have been reported. The role of part-timers as highly committed (philanthropic) but generally underpaid and exploited staff (ragged-trousered) emerged from the data collected by this investigation, which examined the role of part-timers in several colleges and adult education institutions in London and the South East. The metaphor of the 'ragged-trousered philanthropist' was consciously selected to investigate the interactivity between philantrophy, employment practices for PT staff, and education as social action, in addressing the need for good practice to achieve quality outcomes in learning and teaching. The results are to some extent transferable to other education and training sectors employing part-time staff, e.g. higher education institutions and work-based training organisations.

Organizations in time:history, theory, methods

Book review: Organizations in Time, edited by R Daniel Wadhwani and Marcelo Bucheli, Oxford University Press, 2014. The title of this edited volume is slightly misleading, as its various contributions explore the potential for more historical analysis in organization studies rather than addressing issues associated with time and organizing. Hopefully this will not distract from the important achievement of this volume—important especially for business historians—in further expanding and integrating business history into management and organization studies. The various contributions, elegantly tied together by R. Daniel Wadhwani and Marcelo Bucheli in their substantial introduction (which, by the way, presents a significant contribution in its own right), opens up new sets of questions, especially in terms of future methodological and theoretical developments in the field. This book also reflects the changing institutional location of business historians, who increasingly make their careers in business schools rather than history departments, especially in Europe, reopening old questions of history as a social science. There have been several calls to teach more history in business education, such as the Carnegie Foundation report (2011) that found undergraduate business education too narrow in focus and highlighted the need to integrate more liberal arts teaching into the curriculum. However, in the contemporary research-driven environment of business and management schools, historical understanding is unlikely to permeate the curriculum if historical analysis cannot first deliver significant theoretical contributions. This is the central theme around which this edited volume revolves, and it marks a milestone in this ongoing debate. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I should add that even though I did not contribute to this volume, I have coauthored with several of its contributors and view this book as central to my current research practice.)

Preparation of manganese oxide - graphite electrodes by electrophoretic deposition

Manganese oxide is a promising active material for supercapacitors (SCs) with pseudocapacitance due to its high capacitance and its environmentally friendly character. This paper deals with the preparation of electrodes for supercapacitors consisting of manganese oxide supported onto graphite by electrophoretic deposition. Manganese oxide powders were characterized and dispersed in water by controlling the colloidal and rheological behavior in order to obtain stable suspensions. Optimized manganese oxide suspensions were deposited onto graphite electrodes by electrophoretic deposition. The deposited mass per unit area in the electrodes was optimized by controlling the applied current density and the deposition time. It has been demonstrated that the introduction of a binder helped to improve the adherence to graphite; otherwise the deposit thickness obtained by EPD is limited and no films can be obtained by simply dipping. These conditions allowed us to obtain more homogeneous deposits with higher specific energy than without binder.

Taux d‘inscription, de rétention et de décrochage dans le programme de gestion du tourisme

Abstract : This paper examines the factors motivating students to enrol in the Tourism Management program at Champlain College, St-Lambert and why a large number of students abandon the program before obtaining their DEC. There is a great deal of literature on student attrition, however there is little consensus on why students withdraw from college programs and the results cannot be easily generalized to this particular set of students at this time. Understanding the factors that influenced the students to choose Tourism Management at Champlain, St-Lambert and why they then leave before completing the six semesters will help with student success and with the marketing of the program. The theoretical framework guiding the study is metacognition, a branch of cognitive psychology that deals with the awareness and understanding of one’s thinking processes. Through a survey, students were asked to rank the general and specific factors that influenced their choice of Tourism Management as a program of study. Exit interviews were carried out with students who abandoned the program within the first year of study to determine the reasons for dropping out. Students who persisted in the program wrote journals describing their first year experience in order to identify any differences in metacognitive abilities with those who abandoned the program. The academic records of all students were also analyzed. The major factors influencing students to choose the Tourism Management program were interest in travel and job opportunities available after graduating. The results from the exit interviews and journals also showed that interest in travel was the primary reason for enrolment. The knowledge that students had of Cegep and the Tourism Management program before enroling however was negligible, particularly among the group that abandoned the program within the first year of study. The analyses of the academic records of the 2007 incoming students showed that the students with the lower high school grades were more likely to abandon the Tourism Management program than those with higher grades. The same is true for first semester and second semester Cegep grades. The major reason why the students abandoned the program during the 2007/2008 academic year was a lack of interest or a dislike of the program, followed by financial difficulties. It is not clear however what the lack of interest can be attributed to and this may be an avenue for future research. As opposed to the students who persisted in the program, those who abandoned their studies had unrealistic expectations of the academic requirements, were unprepared for the workload, had more difficulty analyzing their own performance and had not set concrete goals for themselves. The study shows several problem areas within the program. Of main concern is the lack of knowledge that students have of Cegep life and the Tourism Management program in general and the lack of preparation for Cegep level courses. The scheduling of courses and teaching methods within the program are other areas that need to be addressed. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations to possibly help remedy some of the problems.||Résumé : Ce travail s’intéresse aux facteurs qui motivent les étudiants à s’inscrire au programme de tourisme offert au Collège Champlain de St-Lambert. Il cherche à établir les raisons qui font en sorte qu’un si grand nombre d’étudiants abandonnent le programme avant d’obtenir leur DEC. Plusieurs recherches ont été effectuées sur l’abandon scolaire, mais il n’y a pas de consensus quant aux raisons pour lesquelles les étudiants se retirent du programme collégial. Actuellement, il est difficile d’établir des liens entre les résultats de ces recherches et ce groupe d’étudiants. La compréhension des facteurs qui influencent les étudiants à choisir le tourisme au Collège Champlain et les raisons qui font en sorte qu’ils quittent avant d’avoir complété leur formation, nous permettront d’améliorer le taux de rétention des étudiants dans ce programme. De plus, cela favorisera le marketing du programme. Le cadre théorique de cette recherche est la métacognition, une composante importante de la psychologie cognitive qui examine la connaissance et le contrôle qu’une personne a sur sa façon de penser. La métacognition est une variable qui différencie les étudiants qui réussissent de ceux qui abandonnent (Tardif 1997). La méthodologie de cette recherche comprend : un sondage, des entrevues, des comptes-rendus sous forme de journal et une analyse des résultats scolaires. Le sondage fut complété par tous les étudiants qui ont commencé le programme en tourisme en août 2007. Ce sondage avait pour but d’établir les facteurs qui ont motivé les étudiants à choisir cette discipline. Ceux-ci étaient divisés en deux volets soient : les facteurs généraux et les facteurs spécifiques. Les facteurs généraux comprennent l’intérêt pour les voyages et les informations obtenues auprès des orienteurs, des enseignants, de la publicité faite par les cégeps, des parents et des amis. Les facteurs spécifiques incluent les différents cours offerts tels que la géographie, l’informatique, l’administration, le programme de voyages, le stage en milieu de travail, la réputation du programme et de ses professeurs. Les entrevues ont été effectuées auprès de sept étudiants qui ont abandonné le programme entre décembre 2007 et juin 2008. Le but de ces entrevues était de déterminer les raisons de ces abandons. Les étudiants qui ont poursuivi leur formation en tourisme ont rédigé un journal dans lequel ils décrivaient leur expérience tout au long de leur première année d’études. Dans ce journal, ils devaient répondre à sept questions qui avaient pour but de déterminer les différences entre leurs habiletés métacognitives et celles de ceux qui se sont retirés du programme. L’analyse des dossiers des étudiants tenait compte des résultats scolaires du secondaire ainsi que des résultats académiques de la première année de cégep. Les principaux facteurs qui ont motivé les étudiants à choisir le programme gestion du tourisme étaient l’intérêt pour les voyages et les opportunités d’emploi après l’obtention de leur DEC. La connaissance que les étudiants ont du cégep et du programme de gestion du tourisme avant de s’inscrire était toutefois négligeable, particulièrement parmi le groupe qui a abandonné le programme durant la première année d’études. L’analyse des résultats académiques des étudiants a démontré que les candidats ayant des notes inférieures à l’école secondaire sont plus susceptibles d’abandonner le programme de gestion du tourisme que ceux ayant des notes supérieures. L’analyse arrive aux mêmes conclusions en ce qui concerne les candidats qui ont obtenu de faibles résultats académiques lors de la première et de la deuxième session du cégep. Les raisons principales qui ont fait en sorte que les étudiants ont abandonné le programme durant l’année académique 2007-2008 étaient le manque d’intérêt pour le programme et les difficultés financières. Par ailleurs, nous ne pouvons établir de façon générale les causes de ce manque d’intérêt. Cela pourrait faire l’objet d’une recherche ultérieure. Par opposition aux étudiants qui ont poursuivi le programme, ceux qui ont abandonné leurs études avaient des attentes irréalistes en ce qui a trait aux exigences académiques, ils n’étaient pas préparés pour la charge de travail, ils avaient plus de difficultés à analyser leur propre performance et ils ne s’étaient pas fixé d’objectifs concrets. L’étude a identifié plusieurs secteurs problématiques à l’intérieur du programme. L’une des problématiques principales est le manque de connaissance que les étudiants ont de la vie au cégep et du programme de tourisme en général sans compter le manque de préparation pour des cours de niveau cégep. L’horaire des cours et les méthodes d’enseignement à l’intérieur du programme sont d’autres éléments qui méritent d’être revus. Les limites de cette recherche comprennent le nombre restreint d’étudiants qui ont accepté d’être interviewés et l’effet d’intervieweur. Étant donné que l’intervieweur était le professeur des étudiants et malgré le fait que ceux-ci n’étudient plus en gestion du tourisme, ils peuvent se sentir obligés de répondre à l’intervieweur de façon subjective. Les recherches futures pourront inclure un plus grand nombre d’entrevues menées par des intervieweurs expérimentés n’ayant eu au préalable aucun contact avec les étudiants et ce dans le but de favoriser une plus grande objectivité. Un autre domaine de recherche pourrait être l’analyse du fait que des étudiants très intéressés par les voyages finissent par se désintéresser complètement du programme. Enfin et possiblement l’un des facteurs qui nous semble des plus importants est le besoin pour les étudiants du secondaire d’en connaître plus sur la vie au cégep et sur le programme de gestion du tourisme. Le document se termine par un ensemble de recommandations pour le Collège, le programme et les professeurs pour éventuellement aider à remédier aux problèmes identifiés.

The teaching of reading English in a foreign language in Libyan universities: methods and models

This study focuses on the learning and teaching of Reading in English as a Foreign Language (REFL), in Libya. The study draws on an action research process in which I sought to look critically at students and teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Libya as they learned and taught REFL in four Libyan research sites. The Libyan EFL educational system is influenced by two main factors: the method of teaching the Holy-Quran and the long-time ban on teaching EFL by the former Libyan regime under Muammar Gaddafi. Both of these factors have affected the learning and teaching of REFL and I outline these contextual factors in the first chapter of the thesis. This investigation, and the exploration of the challenges that Libyan university students encounter in their REFL, is supported by attention to reading models. These models helped to provide an analytical framework and starting point for understanding the many processes involved in reading for meaning and in reading to satisfy teacher instructions. The theoretical framework I adopted was based, mainly and initially, on top-down, bottom-up, interactive and compensatory interactive models. I drew on these models with a view to understanding whether and how the processes of reading described in the models could be applied to the reading of EFL students and whether these models could help me to better understand what was going on in REFL. The diagnosis stage of the study provided initial data collected from four Libyan research sites with research tools including video-recorded classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers before and after lesson observation, and think-aloud protocols (TAPs) with 24 students (six from each university) in which I examined their REFL reading behaviours and strategies. This stage indicated that the majority of students shared behaviours such as reading aloud, reading each word in the text, articulating the phonemes and syllables of words, or skipping words if they could not pronounce them. Overall this first stage indicated that alternative methods of teaching REFL were needed in order to encourage ‘reading for meaning’ that might be based on strategies related to eventual interactive reading models adapted for REFL. The second phase of this research project was an Intervention Phase involving two team-teaching sessions in one of the four stage one universities. In each session, I worked with the teacher of one group to introduce an alternative method of REFL. This method was based on teaching different reading strategies to encourage the students to work towards an eventual interactive way of reading for meaning. A focus group discussion and TAPs followed the lessons with six students in order to discuss the 'new' method. Next were two video-recorded classroom observations which were followed by an audio-recorded discussion with the teacher about these methods. Finally, I conducted a Skype interview with the class teacher at the end of the semester to discuss any changes he had made in his teaching or had observed in his students' reading with respect to reading behaviour strategies, and reactions and performance of the students as he continued to use the 'new' method. The results of the intervention stage indicate that the teacher, perhaps not surprisingly, can play an important role in adding to students’ knowledge and confidence and in improving their REFL strategies. For example, after the intervention stage, students began to think about the title, and to use their own background knowledge to comprehend the text. The students employed, also, linguistic strategies such as decoding and, above all, the students abandoned the behaviour of reading for pronunciation in favour of reading for meaning. Despite the apparent efficacy of the alternative method, there are, inevitably, limitations related to the small-scale nature of the study and the time I had available to conduct the research. There are challenges, too, related to the students’ first language, the idiosyncrasies of the English language, the teacher training and continuing professional development of teachers, and the continuing political instability of Libya. The students’ lack of vocabulary and their difficulties with grammatical functions such as phrasal and prepositional verbs, forms which do not exist in Arabic, mean that REFL will always be challenging. Given such constraints, the ‘new’ methods I trialled and propose for adoption can only go so far in addressing students’ difficulties in REFL. Overall, the study indicates that the Libyan educational system is underdeveloped and under resourced with respect to REFL. My data indicates that the teacher participants have received little to no professional developmental that could help them improve their teaching in REFL and skills in teaching EFL. These circumstances, along with the perennial problem of large but varying class sizes; student, teacher and assessment expectations; and limited and often poor quality resources, affect the way EFL students learn to read in English. Against this background, the thesis concludes by offering tentative conclusions; reflections on the study, including a discussion of its limitations, and possible recommendations designed to improve REFL learning and teaching in Libyan universities.

Un aporte a la comprensión de las estrategias emergentes en las organizaciones a través del concepto de improvisación y la metáfora musical

Este trabajo se inscribe en uno de los grandes campos de los estudios organizacionales: la estrategia. La perspectiva clásica en este campo promovió la idea de que proyectarse hacia el futuro implica diseñar un plan (una serie de acciones deliberadas). Avances posteriores mostraron que la estrategia podía ser comprendida de otras formas. Sin embargo, la evolución del campo privilegió en alguna medida la mirada clásica estableciendo, por ejemplo, múltiples modelos para ‘formular’ una estrategia, pero dejando en segundo lugar la manera en la que esta puede ‘emerger’. El propósito de esta investigación es, entonces, aportar al actual nivel de comprensión respecto a las estrategias emergentes en las organizaciones. Para hacerlo, se consideró un concepto opuesto —aunque complementario— al de ‘planeación’ y, de hecho, muy cercano en su naturaleza a ese tipo de estrategias: la improvisación. Dado que este se ha nutrido de valiosos aportes del mundo de la música, se acudió al saber propio de este dominio, recurriendo al uso de ‘la metáfora’ como recurso teórico para entenderlo y alcanzar el objetivo propuesto. Los resultados muestran que 1) las estrategias deliberadas y las emergentes coexisten y se complementan, 2) la improvisación está siempre presente en el contexto organizacional, 3) existe una mayor intensidad de la improvisación en el ‘como’ de la estrategia que en el ‘qué’ y, en oposición a la idea convencional al respecto, 4) se requiere cierta preparación para poder improvisar de manera adecuada.

Era uma vez...As sete casas da infortuna: relação actor - marioneta : Relatório de estágio

O presente relatório tem como objectivo analisar a realidade de uma Companhia de Marionetas em Portugal, Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora, incidindo sobre a relação entre o actor, marioneta e meio envolvente (site specific) no contexto de uma prática teatral concreta, a produção do espectáculo Era uma vez ...As Sete Casas da Infortuna, no Castelo de Santa Maria da Feira. Os resultados apurados acompanham os moldes em que se procurou passar de um actor convencional para a especialização de um micromundo teatral onde a aprendizagem foi, fulcral desde o processo de construção até, à manipulação em cena num universo de trabalho particularmente árduo e específico. A minha trajectória no seio da companhia começou pela familiarização e aprendizagem informal da prática das marionetas através da observação directa dos espectáculos e de diferentes projectos da companhia. A formação feita no local de estágio (atelier da Companhia) foi outra das modalidades de formação que acompanhou o meu trajecto ao longo do estágio através da minha colaboração em projectos como Teatro nas Instituições, sempre sob a égide da divisão de tarefas e de alguma autoaprendizagem com a devida supervisão e orientação de artistas especialistas, como o Director Criativo, enVide neFelibata. O laboratório de aprendizagem prosseguiu pela mão da marionetista Clara Ribeiro que orientou a minha formação no sentido de absorver princípios teórico-práticos como o Foco, o Movimento e o Olhar para uma melhor consciencialização do universo do teatro de marionetas e formas animadas. Ainda nessa aprendizagem, a figura de alguns artistas especialistas foi fulcral, nomeadamente a da cenógrafa Marta Fernandes da Silva, que revelou ser de extrema importância ao longo do estágio pois permitiu uma verdadeira intersecção entre as componentes teórica e prática. Dessa forma pude acompanhar todo o processo de criação do Era uma vez ...As Sete Casas da Infortuna, e colaborar na construção das marionetas que iria manipular como actor - marionetista. Relativamente à questão da componente da interpretação no estágio, esta foi assumida pela encenadora - marionetista, Filipa Alexandre que, com a sua orientação, permitiu um enfoque do grupo de trabalho num processo de criação colectiva. Assim, a nível pessoal, fui movido por uma necessidade premente de descodificar o papel do actor na sua relação com a marioneta e o meio envolvente (site specific). ABSTRACT: This study aims to examine the reality of a Puppet Company in Portugal, the Puppet Theater of Mandrágora, focusing on the relationship between actor, puppet and environment (site specific) in the context of an actual theatrical practice, Once upon a time ...Seven houses of infortune, in the Castle of Santa Maria da Feira. The results obtained follow the way in which one seeks to move from one "conventional" actor to the specialization of a micro theater where learning was central from the building process to manipulation on the scene in a universe of work particularly hard and specific. My initial course within the company began with the familiarization and informal learning of the practice of puppetry through direct observation of performances and various projects of the company. The training done at the company (workshop of the Company) was one of the training arrangements that accompanied my way along the training through assistance on projects such as Teatro nas Instituições, always under the auspices of the division of tasks and due self-teaching with appropriate supervision and guidance of expert artists, such as the Creative Director, enVide neFelibata. The learning laboratory continued by the hand of the puppeteer Clara Ribeiro who supervised my training in order to absorb theoretical and practical principles as the Focus, the Movement and the Look for better awareness of the world of puppetry and animated forms. Also at this level, the figure of some specialist artists were central, such as the scenographer Marta Fernandes da Silva, who proved to be extremely important during this training, allowing a true intersection between the theoretical and the practical components. I could experience the surroundings of the creation notebook of Era uma vez ...As Sete Casas da Infortuna, and collaborate in the preparation of puppets that would handle as an actor - puppeteer. As to the question of the interpretation component on training, this was in charge of stage director - puppeteer, and the Artistic Director, Filipa Alexandre, whose instructions allowed a focus of the working group in a process of collective creation. Accordingly, to a personal level, I was urged to decode the role of the actor in relation to the puppet and the environment (site specific).