Auswahl der wissenschaftlichen Literatur zum Thema „Practice theories“

Conventional ways of looking at livelihood systems and household food security fail to capture the variations in procurement strategies used by different households to obtain resources. This can be attributed to the fact that the attention of the developers is mostly focused on national food supplies. Aggregate data obscures the local and regional inequality and seasonal disparities in access to food. This is exacerbated by the preconceived notion that peasant societies are a monolithic unit. Thus, our understanding of the internal dynamics of peasant communities, and of cooperation and conflict among their members becomes distorted. Considerable variability exists in Chad and Haiti both in terms of livelihood systems and household resource endowments. This dissertation argues that approaches to food security must address this variability at the household level. Social differentiation exists between households and within households within any given community. To improve our understanding of intra-household dynamics, gender analysis must be used to delineate the economic activities, division of labor, and access to and control over resources that exist among household members. Most food security scholars have assumed that rural households can adapt to sudden crises. This dissertation shows that rural households are always in the dynamic process of coping; crises are not conjunctural but rather endemic. The coping mechanisms they develop are not as well patterned as the literature portrays them. In a context of failing livelihood systems of the last two decades, people's responses to vulnerability vary according to changing circumstances. Another major assumption about food security is that child nutritional status is an indicator of the food and health conditions of child household and of the entire community. Research conducted in Haiti presents a case study which runs counter to this general assumption. Variability, flexibility, adaptability, diversification and resilience are key concepts in household food security. Studies on food security should take into consideration at least five major sources of variations: (1) Contrasts among livelihood systems; (2) Intra-community variations; (3) Differences in household resource endowments; (4) Variation between households or local communities in relation to the "national state"; and (5) Changes in all of the foregoing sources of variation over time.

This study examined exceptional student educators’ (ESE) personal practical theories (PPTs) and how they impact complex decision-making when it comes to students with disabilities and their families. A case study methodology was selected to explore how four ESE teachers and leaders developed their PPTs as well as how they planned, interacted, and reflected upon decisions made during one workweek. The guiding questions of this study were: what are the PPTs of ESE leaders and teachers, what factors influence the development of PPTs, and how do PPTs impact special educators’ work with students with disabilities? To address these questions, four participants were selected based on their role within the district, their experiences working with students with disabilities, and their reputation for being high quality educators. Data were collected using a PPT workbook as well as in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The results of this study included five PPTs for each participant and eight common themes. These themes included: care for students and families, safety of students, administration and teacher professional development, ensuring high expectations for students, personal and professional advocacy, mentoring and collaboration, reflection and problem solving, and problems with inclusion. These results are presented in this dissertation in support of an argument for the need for increased pre-service and in-service for ESE educators, increased professional development for administrators, and increased training for inclusion teachers working with students with disabilities. Engaging in a practice of exploring and refining teacher and leader beliefs and assumptions using the PPT process may increase the reflective practice of teachers and perhaps result in a more appropriate form of evaluation for educators.

This study reports on a project exploring how a commitment towards teaching mathematics for social justice amongst teachers can be translated into related classroom practice. It recounts how a group of teacher researchers set about achieving this through developing, trying out and evaluating a series of teaching ideas and activities. It contrasts the abundance of research literature on theories of mathematics education and social justice with the relative scarcity of studies on developing practice in this area. Mathematics lessons are generally characterised by too much focus on factual recall and procedural understanding, resulting in unacceptable levels of disengagement and disaffection amongst learners. A critical methodological stance is adopted in arguing that this current situation should not be taken as given. The research design is based on a model of participatory action research, which is socio-political, participative, collaborative, emancipatory and recursive in nature, and aims to bring about desirable social change. Careful consideration is given to the credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability of the research findings, and particular attention is paid to the role of the researcher in facilitating the research group. Data was collected primarily from meetings of the research group and a series of semi-structured empathetic interviews conducted with each teacher researcher. Audio-recordings were transcribed and condensed before being coded inductively and analysed through a thematic approach, using the constant comparative method to draw out meaning from the data. A case study approach was used as a means to capture and report the stories of how teacher researchers' thinking and classroom practice evolve and develop over the course of the project. Findings from the project demonstrate how the five teacher researchers, through their involvement in the project, begin to question seriously and rethink previously held views about the nature of mathematics, their own relationship with the subject and notions of mathematical ability. They exhibit a growing belief that the development of students' mathematical understanding and awareness of social justice issues are inextricably linked, rather than separate objectives. These changes in epistemologies appear to have an impact on teacher researchers' classroom practice and their students' dispositions towards learning mathematics. There is evidence that making mathematics more relevant and meaningful leads to raised levels of student engagement, and that focusing on how mathematics can be used to understand real-life issues and to construct an argument for change leads to increased student agency. The collaborative and participative nature of the research group shows how a mutually supportive environment can be created which promotes the self-efficacy of teacher researchers in addressing issues of social justice in their mathematics classrooms. By relating the findings back to the underlying theories, conclusions are drawn of relevance to practitioners and researchers in the field of mathematics education. These relate to the relationship between teacher epistemologies and teaching approaches, the relevance and purpose of the school mathematics curriculum and the potential of participatory action research as a model of professional development which has a strong impact on classroom practice and promotes teachers' genuine engagement in and with research.

This dissertation is concerned with the contentious issue of treating buildings of the recent past as part of a common architectural heritage to be protected. Specifically, it is concerned with issues of environmental compatibility, economic feasibility and social viability in the built environment. After an initial investigation of the topic generally, the research identifies the most pressing issues arising from the conservation of modernist heritage, whilst analysing key international cases emblematic of the Modern Movement. This approach develops a series of constructive observations that are intended to question the current conservation practice and that ensure that over-arching objectives of sustainability are met. A particular focus is given to recent practice in the U.K. Policies are considered in the light of the current theoretical and legislative framework, particularly highlighting English Heritage’s recent move since the late 1990s towards a more sustainable, integrated practice on post-war heritage. Originating from the theoretical roots of ‘Conservazione Integrata’, an Italian concept that was later promoted by the Council of Europe with the 1975 Charter of Architectural Heritage, the current idea of ‘Planned and Integrated Conservation’ has gradually replaced the traditional concept of restoration and preservation, whilst also facing the emerging dispute over sustainability. Through my research, I have investigated the discourse within international socially embedded contexts, where architectural heritage represents a source of social, environmental and economic values to be preserved and passed on to future generations.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether variability of practice enhances neuromuscular adaptations when compared to traditional strength training. The secondary purpose was to investigate whether there was a difference in perception of exertion between the two strength programs. Forty one subjects (23 women and 18 men) were assigned to either the control group or one of two treatment groups by a blocked-random method. Subject's one repetition maximum (1RM) for the kettlebell press and leg press were measured at baseline, after 4 weeks of training, and after 8 weeks of training. The treatment groups completed 8 weeks of training consisting of 3 days a week with at least one recovery day in between each session. In weeks 1 through 3, subjects undergoing the traditional treatment completed 3 sets of 8 repetitions at 70% of their 1RM for each exercise. Weeks 4 through 6 were composed of 3 sets of 6 repetitions at 77% 1RM. In weeks 7 and 8, 3 sets of 4 repetitions at 85% 1RM were performed. Over the course of the eight weeks, the variable treatment was comprised of 5 sets of the kettlebell and leg press. A set of 4 repetitions at 77% of the subject's 1RM, one of 5 repetitions at 70% 1RM, another of 3 repetitions at 85% 1RM, one of 6 repetitions at 65% 1RM, and finally a set of 2 repetitions at 93% 1RM were performed every session. The order of these sets were changed every 3 weeks, altering where in the session the highest intensity set was in relation to the lower intensity sets. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded following treatment to determine subject's perception of intensity during each set. Analysis of variance with repeated measures did not reveal significantly different strength gains between treatment groups in either lift, although variable treatment resulted in greater mean strength gains over almost every time interval. Analyses of RPE data revealed significantly lower reported RPE values for the variable treatment compared to the traditional treatment in both lifts. The greater mean strength gains and significantly lower RPEs of the variable treatment program compel us to conclude it is a superior training method for increasing strength compared to the traditional program.