Os manuais e a reforma do ensino liceal de 1936 em Portugal. Um prólogo para a história do manual único

[Excerto] Na presente reflexão pretendemos sondar os objetivos que foram sendo propostos para o ensino secundário após o golpe militar de 28 de maio de 1926. A um primeiro momento, designado de Ditadura Militar, sucedeu a configuração do denominado Estado Novo, sendo este período pautado, no essencial, pela sistemática explicitação do modo como se constituiu a lapidar e necessária educação nacionalista, neste clima, o Liceu é concebido como o espaço de afirmação e de formação das elites do regime. Os princípios conservadores, totalitários e de estancamento da mobilidade social, foram expressos numa progressiva definição, cada vez mais radical, nos seus enunciados1. Para darmos conta desta trajetória, dividiremos a nossa reflexão em duas partes (...)

The role of government debt in economic growth

We study the effect of public debt on economic growth for annual and 5-year average growth rates, as well as the existence of non-linearity effects of debt on growth for 14 European countries from 1970 until 2012. We also consider debt-to-GDP ratio interactions with monetary, public finance, institutional and macroeconomic variables. Our results show a negative impact of -0.01% for each 1% increment of public debt, although debt service has a 10 times worse effect on growth. In addition, we find average debt ratio thresholds of around 75%. Belonging to the Eurozone has a detrimental effect of at least -0.5% for real per capita GDP, and the banking crisis is the most harmful crisis for growth

Contributo para uma formação contínua centrada nas necessidades dos professores do 1.º ciclo do ensino básico na área de Ciências da Natureza

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação, especialização em Supervisão Pedagógica em Ensino das Ciências da Natureza.A presente investigação insere-se no grupo de pesquisas realizadas na área de Formação Contínua (FC) de professores e pretende contribuir para a implementação de uma FC adequada às reais necessidades de formação dos professores do 1º ciclo na área das Ciências da Natureza. O principal objectivo que norteou a sua realização foi: - Analisar a adequação da FC realizada pelos Centros de Formação das Associações da Escolas (CFAE’s) às necessidades e características da formação desejada pelos professores do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico (1ºCEB). Como se trata de um estudo exploratório relativamente às necessidades de FC, consideramos igualmente oportuno orientar o estudo no sentido da prossecução dos seguintes objectivos complementares: - Identificar a percepção dos professores do 1º CEB relativamente aos aspectos em que se deve centrar a FC dos CFAE’s, às motivações e limitações sentidas pelos professores para frequentar as acções de FC e às metodologias de diagnóstico das necessidades de FC no âmbito das CN. - Averiguar da possível influência das variáveis sexo e distrito nas necessidades de FC dos professores do 1º CEB, nas características da FC desejada, nos aspectos em que se deve centrar a FC dos (CFAE’s), nas motivações e limitações para a frequência de FC e nas metodologias de diagnóstico das necessidades de FC no âmbito das CN. De forma a atingir estes objectivos, recolheram-se dados a partir da aplicação de um questionário a uma amostra de 88 professores do 1º CEB dos distritos de Bragança e Vila Real e de investigação documental relativa a 509 acções de FC no âmbito das CN, realizadas no período de 1997 a 2002, em 13 CFAE’s dos mesmos distritos. Os dados recolhidos foram submetidos a tratamento estatístico com recurso ao programa SPSS, versão 10.0. Os resultados obtidos apontam para a seguinte principal conclusão: - A FC realizada nos CFAE’s dos dois distritos em estudo não vai de encontro às necessidades de FC na área de CN manifestadas pelos professores da amostra no que diz respeito aos temas da especialidade em CN nem aos temas da metodologia das CN. Não apresenta adequação com as principais motivações dos professores para frequentar FC, nem com a modalidade de formação por eles mais desejada. O aspecto onde se verificou maior adequação entre a formação oferecida pelos CFAE’s e as preferências dos professores foi no número de níveis de ensino a contemplar pelas acções de formação.The following research relates to the Continuous Training (CT) of teachers and intends to contribute towards the implementation of an adequate CT which addresses the real needs of primary school teacher training in the field of Nature Sciences. The main objective of this study has been the following: - To analyze the adequacy of CT carried out by the Training Centres of the Associations of Schools (TCAS) in relation to the needs and characteristics of the training desired by the primary school teachers. As it constitutes an exploratory study in relation to the needs of CT, we find it equally opportune to guide the research towards the pursuit of the following complementary goals: - To identify how primary school teachers perceive what aspects the CT carried out by the TCAS should focus on, the motivating factors and limitations felt by the teachers who attend these CT sessions and the methodologies of diagnostics of the CT needs in the field of Nature Sciences. - To investigate the possible influence of the variables of gender and district in the CT needs of primary school teachers, in the characteristics of the CT desired, in the aspects in which the CT carried out by the TCAS should focus on, in the motivating factors and limitations for attending the CT and in the methodologies of diagnosing the needs of CT in the field of Nature Sciences. In order to achieve these goals, data was collected by means of a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 88 primary school teachers in the districts of Bragança and Vila Real and by analyzing documents related to 509 CT sessions in the field of Nature Sciences carried out during a period from 1997 and 2002, in 13 Training Centres of the same districts. The data compiled was then submitted to statistical analysis by using the SPSS program, version 10.0. The results that have been obtained point towards the following main conclusion: The CT carried out in the TCAS of both districts being studied do not match the training needs in Nature Sciences which were pointed out by the teachers involved in the study sample, neither in relation to the topics of Nature Sciences nor in the topics of methodologies of the CT. It does not match the main motivating factors of teachers for attending the CT, nor the type of training desired by them. The aspect which comes closer to matching the training provided by the TCAS and the teachers’ preferences is the number of teaching levels involved in the training sessions

Reconsidering Wagner’s law : evidence from the functions of the government

We revisit Wagner’s law of increasing state expenditure by function of government expenditure. Using data of 14 European countries between 1996 and 2013, we apply panel data and SUR methods to assess public expenditure-income elasticities. We find that some functions of government spending for a few countries (e.g. Austria, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal) validate Wagner’s law. For the Netherlands expenditures with environment protection increase more than proportionately to eco- nomic growth, and for France that is the case of spending in housing and community amenities. In addition, Greece is the only country where two public spending items react more than one to one to growth

Stock-flow adjustments and interest rates

We assess the effects of stock-flow adjustments (SFA) on short and long-term interest rates for 14 European countries between 1970 and 2015, in panel and SUR analysis. We conclude that an increase in SFA reduces long- and short-term interest rates, with higher reductions for short-term rates. Furthermore, the decreasing effects of an increment in the stock-flow have reduced since the 2008-2009 financial crisis. As expected, there is also an upward push on both interest rates from a rise in the debt ratio.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optimal tax structure for consumption and income inequality : an empirical assessment

In the present empirical analysis, we try to assess the impact of taxation on investment growth. In particular, and by using gross _xed capital formation as a proxy for investment, we intend to evaluate the impact of the taxation structure in investment dynamics, in a short and a long-run perspectives. This empirical exercise was conducted for all OECD countries, during the 1980-2015 period. Through panel data econometric techniques, we find optimal tax-investment threshold values, especially higher for short-term than for long-term horizon. In addition, we find optimal income taxation around 9%, in percentage of GDP, an average optimal value of 12.7% for consumption taxes to promote annual investment growth.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Are fiscal consolidation episodes helpful for public sector efficiency?

We assess the consequences of fiscal consolidation episodes on public sector efficiency (scores) for 35 OECD countries for the 2007-2020 period. We find that fiscal consolidations improve public sector efficiency and results are robust across efficiency models. Moreover, peripheral euro-area economies and economies with debt-to-GDP ratios between 60% and 90% are those whose public sector efficiency scores improve more when fiscal consolidation episodes occur. The evidence that fiscal consolidations enhance spending efficiency is an additional argument for fiscal consolidations, from a policy perspective.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tax structure for consumption and income inequality: an empirical assessment

In this study, we assess the relationship between several tax items and consumption and income inequality levels. For OECD countries between 1980 and 2015, we use panel data techniques and find tax threshold values regarding inequality levels and consumption. In particular, we obtain threshold values for social security contributions between 9.50 and 11.80% (of GDP), for long-run consumptions, while to promote a reduction in income inequalities we found a 15.51% share of social security contributions over GDP, in both short- and long-term perspectives. Lastly, our results would support higher taxes on firms, in GDP terms, to decrease income inequalities, although that might hamper aggregate consumption.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Short and long-term interest rate risk: The sovereign balance-sheet nexus

We compute stock-flow adjustments (SFA) using sovereign balance sheet developments, and assess their effects on short and long-term interest rates for 14 European countries between 1970 and 2015, in a panel and SUR analysis. We find that an increase in SFA reduces long- and shortterm interest rates, with higher reductions for short-term rates. Furthermore, the decreasing effects of an increment in the stock-flow have reduced since the 2008–2009 financial crisis. As expected, there is also an upward push on both interest rates from a rise in sovereign indebtedness.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio