Instrumentos de avaliação da linguagem: uma perspetiva global

Neste capítulo é feita uma síntese das principais metodologias usadas para a avaliação da linguagem e é efetuada uma síntese dos instrumentos desenvolvidos e/ou adaptados para a avaliação da linguagem em Português Europeu (incluindo público-alvo e dimensões avaliadas).CIEC - Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança, IE, UMinho (UI 317 da FCT), Portugalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Parental reports of preschoolers’ lexical and syntactic development: validation of the CDI-III for European Portuguese

This study presents the validation analysis of the European Portuguese version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory III (CDI-III-PT). The CDI-III-PT is a parental report measure allowing researchers to assess expressive vocabulary and the syntactic abilities of children aged 2;6–4;0. In this study, we present a version comprising a lexical subscale which follows the Swedish adaptation and an original syntactic subscale allowing us to include language-specific structures. The reports of 739 children were collected; in addition, a standardized measure of language was also administered to a sub-sample of these children and the reports of preschool teachers were collected for another sub-sample. The results indicate a high internal consistency of the lexical and syntactic subscales. As for sociodemographic variables often found to be predictors of language development, as measured by this type of instrument, the results indicate that age and maternal education are significant predictors of the scores, and that first-born children attain higher scores in vocabulary than later born children, but no significant gender differences were found. The scores of the CDI-III-PT are positively correlated with the ones obtained in the standardized languagemeasure, thus supporting their validity. A high agreement between the reports of parents and teachers was also found. These findings indicate that the CDI-III-PT has adequate psychometric properties and that it can be a useful tool for research and clinical practice. The age-based norms that are now provided can be used to evaluate whether a child is performing poorly compared to their peers.This work was financially supported by Portuguese national funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) within the framework of the CIEC (Research Center for Child Studies of the University of Minho) projects under the references UIDB/00317/2020 and UIDP/00317/2020

Adaptation of the mobile phone dependence test for portuguese adolescents and youth

O uso dos telemóveis é um comportamento quotidiano que nos aproxima da informação e das pessoas que nos são significativas. Com o avanço da tecnologia, tornou-se uma ferramenta presente no dia-a-dia das pessoas e por utilizadores cada vez mais jovens, associada também a alguns riscos ou mesmo a um uso excessivo. No presente trabalho, pretendemos apresentar os estudos de adaptação para a população portuguesa de um instrumento que foi desenvolvido para avaliar a dependência dos telemóveis. Para isso, recorremos a uma amostra de 907 participantes - adolescentes e jovens – a quem foi aplicado um questionário sociodemográfico e o Test of Mobile Phone Dependence (TMD; Chóliz, 2012), através de um formulário online. Os resultados permitiram encontrar uma estrutura de quatro fatores com fidelidade adequada. Permitiram ainda perceber uma relação moderada ou forte entre a pontuação total com os diferentes fatores. Encontramos ainda diferenças de género, com as raparigas a apresentar pontuações médias superiores, e uma relação negativa com a idade. Explorando diferenças entre género e idade, encontramos uma diminuição significativa entre os participantes do género feminino. Os dados recomendam a utilização do instrumento no nosso contexto e permitem estudos futuros nesta temática.The use of mobile phones is a daily behavior that brings us closer to the information and the most significant people to us. With the developments of technology, mobile phones have become a daily tool for people and for each time younger users, also associated with some risks or even dependence. In the present work, we intend to present the adaptation studies for the Portuguese population of an instrument that was developed to evaluate the dependence of mobile phones. For this, we used a sample of 907 participants - adolescents and young people - to whom a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Test of Mobile Phone Dependence (TMD; Chóliz, 2012) were applied through an online form. The results allowed us to find a structure of four factors with adequate fidelity. They also allowed us to perceive a moderate or strong relationship between the total score and the different factors. We also found gender differences, with girls presenting higher mean scores, and a negative relation with age. Exploring differences between gender and age, we found a significant decrease among participants of the females. The data recommend the use of the instrument in our context and allow future studies in this issue

Effects of listening comprehension, word recognition, and oral reading fluency on reading comprehension in second-grade students

Several studies have provided evidence regarding the importance of listening comprehension, word recognition and oral reading fluency in successful reading comprehension; however, most of the research has been conducted with English language speakers. This study aims to examine the direct effects of these three variables on reading comprehension using a sample of European Portuguese speakers. A sample of 325 second- grade Portuguese students completed the Test of Word Reading, the Reading Fluency Assessment Test, the Test of Listening Comprehension of Narrative Texts and the Test of Reading Comprehension of Narrative Texts. Path analysis showed that listening comprehension, word recognition and oral reading fluency were all significant predictors with unique effects on reading comprehension at this grade level. The combination of all three predictors explained 41% of the variance observed in reading comprehension. The results are discussed in terms of the practical implications and limitations of the study, and guidelines for future research are presented.CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), PortugalThis study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre, University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds and, when applicable, co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (UID/PSI/01662/2013) and by grant FCOMP-01-0124- FEDER-010733 from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the European program COMPETE (Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efecto de un programa de intervención en los procesos y estrategias para la comprensión lectora en estudiantes de 5º y 6º grado

Background: Various investigations have revealed that the promotion of cognitive and metacognitive strategies can improve reading comprehension and that when readers receive this type of instruction, they can use monitoring processes and regulation strategies adequately. The goal of this work is to analyze the effects of strategic and metacognitive instruction on reading comprehension processes and strategies, using the "Aprender a Comprender" [Learning to Understand] program. Method: Instruction was carried out in the classroom by two teachers during six months. Ninety-four students participated, 49 from 5th grade and 45 from 6th grade. A pretest-intervention-posttest-follow-up design was used with a comparison group by grade. Results: The analysis of variance shows an impact of the intervention and its differential maintenance in each grade. The 5th-grade intervention group scored higher than the comparison group in the reading comprehension test, both at posttest and at follow-up. The 6th-grade intervention group scored higher than the comparison group in the Planning scale, both at posttest and at follow-up. Conclusions: Textual strategy instruction favors reading comprehension and the progressive development of planning, which is necessary for supervision and regulation, and its effects are maintained over time.Antecedentes: diferentes investigaciones han evidenciado que el fomento de estrategias cognitivas y metacognitivas puede mejorar la comprensión lectora y su instrucción favorece la utilización adecuada de los procesos de monitoreo y de las estrategias de regulación. El objetivo del estudio es analizar los efectos de la instrucción estratégica y metacognitiva con el programa “Aprender a Comprender” en los procesos y estrategias para la comprensión lectora. Método: la instrucción se llevó a cabo durante seis meses, en el aula, a cargo de dos docentes. Participaron 94 escolares, 49 de 5º grado y 45 de 6º grado. Se utilizó un diseño pretest-intervenciónpostest-seguimiento con un grupo de comparación por grado. Resultados: los análisis de varianza muestran un impacto de la intervención y su mantenimiento diferencial en cada grado. Los estudiantes del grupo de intervención de 5º grado puntuaron más alto en la prueba de comprensión lectora en postest y en el seguimiento. Los del grupo de intervención de 6º grado puntuaron más alto en la escala de planifi cación tanto en postest como en el seguimiento. Conclusiones: la instrucción estratégica textual favorece la comprensión lectora y el progresivo desarrollo de la planifi cación necesaria para su supervisión y regulación, manteniendo sus efectos en el tiempo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The interrelatedness between infants’ communicative gestures and lexicon size: a longitudinal study

Research has shown a close relationship between gestures and language development. In this study, we investigate the cross-lagged relationships between different types of gestures and two lexicon dimensions: number of words produced and comprehended. Information about gestures and lexical development was collected from 48 typically developing infants when these were aged 0;9, 1;0 and 1;3. The European Portuguese version of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Gestures (PT CDI:WG) was used. The results indicated that the total number of actions and gestures and the number of early gestures produced at 0;9 and at 1;0 year predicted the number of words comprehended three months later. Actions and gestures’ predictive power of the number of words produced was limited to the 0;9–1;0 year interval. The opposite relationship was not found: word comprehension and production did not predict action and gestures three months later. These results highlight the importance of non-verbal commu- nicative behavior in language development.CiPsi - Psychology Research Centre, Uminho (UID/PSI/ 01662/2013), PortugalCIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), PortugalNational Funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) and co-financed by European Regional Development Funds (FEDER) through the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program (POCI) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653 and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007562info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Well-being and academic achievement in secondary school pupils: The unique effects of burnout and engagement

The main goal of this study was to examine the relationship among burnout, engagement, well-being, and academic performance in Portuguese secondary school pupils. The existence of gender related differences in these relationships was also investigated. The sample was composed of 489 pupils who attended an academic track at secondary school. Results of multi-group structural equation modelling indicated that higher levels of cynicism towards studies were associated with lower academic achievement. Exhaustion was not uniquely related to the adolescents' academic achievement or well-being. However, higher levels of engagement, namely dedication and vigour, were related to higher levels of wellbeing. Moreover, vigour was also uniquely associated with academic achievement. The results were similar for boys and girls. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed. (C) 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This study was partially conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, through national funds, and co-financed by FEDER, through COMPETE2020, under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653). The first author is also supported by grant SFRH/BPD/102549/2014 from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Invariance on a reading comprehension test in European Portuguese: a differential item functioning analysis between students from rural and urban areas

The aim of this study was to determine whether the items from a reading comprehension test in European Portuguese function differently across students from rural and urban areas, which biases the test validity and the equity in assessment. The sample was composed of 653 students from second, third and fourth grades. The presence of differential item functioning (DIF) was analysed using logistic regression and the Mantel–Haenszel procedure. Although 17 items were flagged with DIF, only five items showed non-negligible DIF in all effect-size measures. The evidence of invariance across students with rural or urban backgrounds for most of the items supports the validity of the test though the five identified items should be further investigated.This research was supported by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) [grant numberFCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-010733] and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the European program COMPETE (Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN) and by FCT [grant number SFRH/BD/39980/2007].CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, UM (FCT R&D 317

Adaptação e validação da Escala Reading Strategy Use para a população portuguesa

The main goal of this research was to adapt and validate a scale of reading strategies assessment for the Portuguese population. The Reading Strategy Use (RSU) is a measure of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, consisting of 22 items. The sample was composed of 428 students. The factor structure of the scale was investigated by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The fit of two factor and one factor models was tested. The results supported a one factor structure. Cronbach's alpha value was.85. The reading strategies exhibited statistically significant correlations with academic achievement in the Portuguese Language. Statistically significant differences between the female and the male participants in the RSU results were observed, with girls achieving higher scores. These results provide evidence of validity and reliability for the Portuguese version of the RSU. The implications of the results, limitations and issues to be approached in future investigations are discussed.O objetivo deste estudo foi adaptar e validar uma escala de avaliação de estratégias de leitura para a população Portuguesa. A Reading Strategy Use (RSU) é uma medida de avaliação de estratégias cognitivas e metacognitivas, com 22 itens. A amostra foi constituída por 428 alunos do quinto e sexto ano de escolaridade. Estudou-se a estrutura da escala com recurso à análise fatorial confirmatória, testando-se o ajustamento de modelos de dois e de um fator. Obtiveram-se melhores indicadores de ajustamento para o modelo unifatorial. O valor do alfa de Cronbach foi de .85. Os resultados na RSU apresentaram correlações significativas com o desempenho escolar em Língua Portuguesa. Verificaram-se diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os participantes do sexo feminino e masculino, com as raparigas a obterem resultados superiores. Estes resultados fornecem evidência de validade e fidelidade para a escala. São discutidas implicações dos resultados, limitações e questões a abordar em investigações futuras.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of a group emergent literacy screening tool

It is important to identify children who are struggling with emergent literacy skills as early as possible to provide them with the support they need to prevent future academic failure. Screening tools administered in groups are more cost-effective than those administered individually, but few are available in Portugal. The goal of this study was to explore the psychometric properties (difficulty, reliability, and validity) of a group emergent literacy screening test for Portuguese-speaking children. The test includes two phonological awareness tasks, one vocabulary task, and one concepts of print task. The sample comprised 1379 children from pre-K (n = 314), kindergarten (n = 579), and first grade of primary education (n = 486). Measures of emergent literacy, reading and writing skills, and academic achievement were used to test the validity of the screening test. The Rasch model results suggest that the tasks were suitably difficult for the kindergarten group, but had varying levels of difficulty for pre-K and first grade. Reliability was adequate for the tasks with an appropriate level of difficulty. Scores for the screening test were highly correlated with measures of literacy and with academic achievement. These findings suggest that the presented emergent literacy screening test is valid and reliable, making it a useful tool for practice and research