Student Perceptions of Secondary Science Teachers’ Practices Following Curricular Change

Inquiry-based teaching has emerged as a highly valued strategy in science education. In Portugal, the science curriculum has been redesigned in order to promote such teaching. This implies substantial change in teacher practice. It is therefore important to understand students’ perceptions of teacher practice. Aim: In this study, we describe student perception of teacher practices and look for associations between the perceptions and student motivation. Method: Three low-achieving, secondary-level science classes were studied. Motivation was measured by two scales (Intrinsic and Extrinsic); Perceptions were measured in four dimensions. Results: Significant associations (p < .05) were observed between intrinsic motivation and (a) Perception of the use of Laboratory Work; (b) Perception of Science-Technology-Society and (c) Perceived Student Autonomy. No association was noted between intrinsic motivation and the Perception of Teacher as Facilitator. Conclusions: Results are generally consistent with previous literature. Teacher professional development lags behind curricular change. Teachers require new conceptions of assessment.Projeto financiado pelo CIEFCU

Queuing theory-based latency/power tradeoff models for replicated search engines

Large-scale search engines are built upon huge infrastructures involving thousands of computers in order to achieve fast response times. In contrast, the energy consumed (and hence the financial cost) is also high, leading to environmental damage. This paper proposes new approaches to increase energy and financial savings in large-scale search engines, while maintaining good query response times. We aim to improve current state-of-the-art models used for balancing power and latency, by integrating new advanced features. On one hand, we propose to improve the power savings by completely powering down the query servers that are not necessary when the load of the system is low. Besides, we consider energy rates into the model formulation. On the other hand, we focus on how to accurately estimate the latency of the whole system by means of Queueing Theory. Experiments using actual query logs attest the high energy (and financial) savings regarding current baselines. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper in successfully applying stationary Queueing Theory models to estimate the latency in a large-scale search engine

Science Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices: Collaboration as a Trigger of Change

This research aims to study a collaborative process between teachers and a facilitator and to examine how this process contributes for changing Physics and Chemistry teachers’ beliefs and practices. In order to achieve these goals, a specific program of professional development was studied, which characteristics were sourced on literature concerning the relationship between beliefs and practices and between reflection and collaboration. Five Physics and Chemistry teachers were involved in a qualitative study.  The results show that the collaboration, grounded on a trusting relationship and on a constant negotiation of meanings, was essential for teachers to overcome their fears and uncertainties, to stimulate teachers to develop different practices and to leave their comfort zone and review some of their beliefs

Tratamento do pé boto: qual a melhor abordagem terapêutica?

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em FisioterapiaObjetivo: O objetivo deste estudo de revisão foi reunir informação de artigos científicos, que abordassem e confrontassem diferentes técnicas no tratamento do pé boto e concluir qual delas é mais eficaz. Metodologia: Foi efetuada uma pesquisa nas bases de dados PEDro, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, B-on e EBSCO/Medline para estudos realizados em crianças com idades até aos 2 anos, de livre acesso e artigos randomizados controlados, randomizados, quasi-experimentais, estudos de coorte, estudo de caso controlo ou observacionais e com as palavras-chave “pé boto”, “Método de Ponseti”, “Método de Kite”, “Método Funcional Francês”, “Clubfoot”, “Ponseti Method”, “Kite’s Method” e “French Functional Method”. Resultados: Nesta revisão foram incluídos 7 artigos com um total de 423 pacientes e 628 pés. A qualidade metodológica destes artigos foi utilizada com recurso à CASP SCALE, obtendo-se assim uma pontuação média de x. Conclusão: Foram confrontados quatro métodos de intervenção (Método de Kite, Método de Ponseti, Método Funcional Francês e Tratamento tradicional) e, apesar de todos demonstrarem resultados no tratamento do pé boto, o Método de Ponseti foi o que apresentou os melhores resultados.Objective: The objective of this review was to gather information of scientific articles that addressed and confront different techniques in the clubfoot treatment and conclude which one is most effective. Methods: A survey was conducted in PEDro databases, PubMed, ScienceDirect, B-on and EBSCO / Medline for studies in children up to 2 years, free access and randomized studies controlled, randomized, quasi-experimental studies cohort, case control study or observational and the keywords "clubfoot", "Ponseti Method," "Kite Method", "French Functional Method", "Clubfoot", "Ponseti Method," "Kite's Method "and" French Functional Method ". Results: In this review were included seven articles with a total of 423 patients and 628 feet. The methodological quality of these articles was used using the CASP SCALE, thus yielding an average score of x. Conclusion: We faced four intervention methods (Kite method, Ponseti Method, French Functional Method and traditional treatment) and, despite all show results of clubfoot treatment, the Ponseti method showed the best results

España y la literatura de viajes en el siglo XIX

Reproduce este artículo el texto de una conferencia pronunciada en un ciclo sobre Alicante y su provincia en la literatura de viajes. En ella se traza una panorámica de esta modalidad literaria, referida a la España del siglo XIX, en la que se abordan las motivaciones que hacen surgir el género, los aspectos formales y estilísticos que la caracterizan y diferencian de la del siglo precedente o los itinerarios preferidos por los viajeros, con atención particular a las obras en que sus autores, tanto españoles como extranjeros, se ocuparon de Alicante.This article contains the text of a lecture given on Alicante y su provincia en la literatura de viajes. The author gives in it a panoramic view of this literary gender in the Spanish XIXth century. She studies the gender motivations, the formal and stylistic aspects that characterize and differentiate it from the travel literature of the preceding century or the routes that travelers prefer, with special attention to the books in which their authors, both Spanish and foreigners, wrote about Alicante

A CONTRIBUIÇÃO ESTRATÉGICA DA OUVIDORIA PÚBLICA PARA A GESTÃO DE PROCESSOS DE NEGÓCIOS NAS IFES

Este artigo pretende analisar como as ouvidorias públicas poderiam auxiliar estrategicamente a Gestão de Processos de Negócios ou BPM (Business Process Management) nas IFES. Por BPM entende-se ser um modelo de gestão que objetiva a entrega de resultados de maneira mais efetiva, apresentando uma visão sistêmica e horizontalizada para os processos organizacionais, além de respeitar o fluxo de entrada de recursos e o processamento destes para gerar produtos ou serviços como saída. Em paralelo, a ouvidoria pública universitária é analisada neste artigo sob o ponto de vista voltado para a gestão, ao proporcionar transparência nas ações e retroalimentar o planejamento organizacional através de informações estratégicas. Destarte, o presente texto apresenta uma pesquisa qualitativa descritiva desses dois tópicos em especial, considerando tanto a literatura existente como a leitura de casos práticos, resultando, consequentemente, na percepção de uma afinidade entre ambos os temas na medida em que se discute a possibilidade de juntos favorecerem a melhoria na gestão de universidades públicas federais