What do you think about parenting? Challenges to cohesiveness in child protection teams

Child protection work requires professionals to manage the different perspec tives regarding intervention aims and strategies associated with different per sonal, academic and organisational backgrounds. Parenting assessment is a determinant task for intervention and for children’s future where universal or automatic criteria remain unavailable. This study aimed to explore and char acterise the existing agreement (and disagreement) between child protection workers on statements related to judgements on parenting. A total of 325 Por tuguese social workers participated in the study, mostly with a background in social work and psychology and more than six years of experience in child pro tection. Professionals were required to distribute 50 sentences in a scoring sheet (Q-sort methodology) with 11 points. The results were interpreted through the matrix of operationalisation of minimally adequate parenting. Three main answer strands revealed different focuses in sorts’ configurations: the child, the procedures and the child’s ecology. The clear difference between the factors could contribute to maintaining the child protection system as an adversarial one, and not as an effectively cooperative system. To promote team cohesive ness and intervention success, and to reinforce professionals’ wellbeing and resilience, metacommunication on parenting assessment criteria is proposed as a determinant strategy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Parenting and health: the major challenge of complex relations

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proposal for a model of teaching evaluation in higher education

Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma proposta de um modelo de avaliação da docência no Ensino Superior. Parte-se de uma análise contextual das directrizes europeias sobre a qualidade do Ensino Superior, apresentando-se as reformas no sistema de avaliação do Ensino Superior em Portugal e em particular na avaliação docente. Propõe-se um modelo flexível e ajustável à realidade e à missão de cada Instituição do Ensino Superior, que permita uma avaliação efectiva dos professores, promovendo o desenvolvimento de profissionais cada vez mais competentes e uma cultura de colaboração entre os docentes, contribuindo para o aumento da qualidade do ensino.Este trabajo presenta una propuesta para un modelo de enseñanza de la evaluación en la educación superior. Parte de un análisis contextual de las directrices europeas sobre la calidad de la educación superior y reformas en el sistema de evaluación de educación superior en Portugal, especialmente en la evaluación docente. Propone un modelo flexible y adaptable a la realidad y a la misión de cada institución de educación superior, lo que permite una evaluación efectiva de los docentes, promover el desarrollo de cada vez más expertos profesionales y una cultura de colaboración entre profesores, contribuyendo al aumento de la calidad en la educación.This work presents a proposal for a model of teaching evaluation in higher education. It is part of a contextual analysis of the European guidelines on quality in higher education, to introduce the reforms in the Portuguese university evaluation system and specifically in the evaluation of university teaching. We propose a flexible model, adjustable to the context and mission of each institution of higher education, allowing an effective evaluation of teachers, promoting the development of competent professionals and developing a culture of collaboration among teachers, contributing to the quality improvement of teaching

Mothers as victims of intimate partner violence: the decision to leave or stay and resilience-oriented intervention

This paper presents a qualitative study to understand the reasons for leaving or staying in an abusive relationship and how this informs planning for psychosocial interventions with victims. We present a study of 15 Portuguese women with children who were victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). The sample consisted of women, helped by a Victim Support Office, who volunteered to participate in a semi-structured interview and whose narrative responses were recorded and transcribed for analysis. The results, organized into two broad categories, reveal that the reasons for staying in the abusive relationship are essentially related to extrinsic factors (e.g., children, the aggressor, society), which reinforces myths (e.g., marriage is for life) and makes it difficult to break the cycle of violence. However, the decision to leave the abusive relationship is also based on the same factors which, when reconceptualized and empowered, contribute to the intrinsic recognition of the problem and the decision-making process. We find that the resilience portfolio model, which focuses on three major factors (self-regulation, interpersonal forces, and construction of meaning), favors the identification of protective factors that can guide interventions for individuals facing situations of adversity such as IPV.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relation between organizational commitment and professional commitment: an exploratory study conducted with teachers

The existence of several kinds of commitments in the workplace is well known. However, there are few studies that relate these different commitments or those established by deterministic models. This study explored the relationship between organizational and professional commitment in public higher education professors according to the multidimensional perspective of Meyer and Allen (1991), based on a convenience sample of 219 teachers. The proposed models were estimated through structural equation modeling methodology. Model 1 specified a relationship of direct influence of Professional Commitment on Organizational Commitment and Model 2 established the opposite relationship of direct influence of organizational commitment on professional commitment. Both models presented a good fit to the data without statistically significant differences between them. Nevertheless, the explanatory power of Model 1 was superior to Model 2, due to the fact that it includes a larger number of determinant relationships that are statistically significant. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed and new directions for future research were identified.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Análisis de tendencias en las investigaciones realizadas a partir de los datos del Proyecto PISA

Este estudio es parte de una investigación más amplia que pretende diseñar un modelo de análisis de evaluaciones de sistemas educativos que permita valorar su aportación para la cohesión social (Jornet, 2012). El punto de partida son investigaciones previas sobre el papel de las variables de contexto, de entrada y de proceso en las evaluaciones de sistemas educativos, que frecuentemente cuidan mucho más la justificación teórica y la calidad métrica de las variables de producto que estas otras, que finalmente ayudan a interpretar los resultados. En este caso realizamos revisión de los trabajos científico-académicos del corte empírico, publicados entre los años 2000 y 2012, que utilizan bases de datos PISA. La metodología se estructura en dos fases: identificación y selección de los documentos para formar una base y posterior análisis de cada uno de los documentos con el fin de extraer indicadores que nos permitieran realizar un análisis exploratorio. Algunos resultados hacen pensar que las bases de datos PISA están infrautilizadas, sobre todo por los investigadores en el campo de educación.This study is part of a broader research that aims to design a model of analysis of educational systems assessment, based in social cohesion (Jornet, 2012). The starting point is located in previous research about the context variables; it is cared more frequently a theoretical justification and metric quality of output variables, leaving aside the variables that can help interpret the results. In our case, we conducted a review of the scientific literature, based in empirical papers that use PISA database and published between 2000 and 2012. The methodology is structured in two phases: identification and selection of documents and further analysis of these documents. The analysis of documents consists of identifying certain indicators in order to explore. Some results suggest that researchers in the field of education underuse PISA databases

A Classic Neurocysticercosis Case with an Unusual Complication

Cysticercosis is triggered by infection with the larval form of the tapeworm Taenia solium. The usual sites for the development of cyscticerci are the central nervous system (neurocysticercosis – NCC), subcutaneous tissue, skeletal muscle, heart muscle, and the eye. Ocular cysticercosis is caused by the growth of the larvae within ocular tissues. The extraocular muscles form is the most common type of orbital cysticercosis. We report a case of a patient admitted with seizures secondary to NCC, who developed ocular symptoms after starting combined treatment with albendazole, praziquantel and dexamethasone. The investigation revealed a cystic lesion in the lateral rectus muscle

A Classic Neurocysticercosis Case with an Unusual Complication

Cysticercosis is triggered by infection with the larval form of the tapeworm Taenia solium. The usual sites for the development of cyscticerci are the central nervous system (neurocysticercosis – NCC), subcutaneous tissue, skeletal muscle, heart muscle, and the eye. Ocular cysticercosis is caused by the growth of the larvae within ocular tissues. The extraocular muscles form is the most common type of orbital cysticercosis. We report a case of a patient admitted with seizures secondary to NCC, who developed ocular symptoms after starting combined treatment with albendazole, praziquantel and dexamethasone. The investigation revealed a cystic lesion in the lateral rectus muscle

A rua direita em Portalegre : estratégia de revitalização

Orientação: Alberto Flávio Monteiro LopesA maioria das cidades portuguesas atravessa vários problemas relacionados com a degradação e consequente desertificação das suas áreas urbanas históricas. Apesar dos valores patrimoniais, das memórias e da identidade destes centros históricos, a precariedade física dos seus imóveis, a expansão das cidades com habitações mais novas, mais baratas e com maior conforto e, também o maior uso do automóvel, fizeram com que a população fosse atraída para a periferia negligenciando estas áreas urbanas. O objetivo da presente dissertação é estudar a Rua Direita de Portalegre, entender os motivos que a levaram à situação em que se encontra atualmente e, por fim, testar uma metodologia de revitalização apontando soluções para que esta volte a ser repleta de vivências. Numa primeira fase é analisado o Centro Histórico de Portalegre onde se percebe a sua importância para a cidade, seguindo-se depois a descrição histórica e física da Rua Direita. Posteriormente são estudados os conceitos atuais de revitalização e, seguidamente são abordadas algumas intervenções de sucesso de revitalização de espaços públicos em áreas urbanas históricas. Após toda a análise são apresentadas propostas para a dinamização da economia, do comércio, para a habitabilidade da rua, enfim, propostas para a revitalização da Rua Direita de Portalegre.Most of Portuguese cities are through various problems related to degradation and consequent desertification of their historic urban areas. Despite the heritage values, memories and identity of these historic centers, their precarious housing resulted in the expansion of cities with newer, cheaper and more comfortable housing, and also the greater use of the car makes the population attracted to living in the periphery neglecting these urban areas of such history. The goal of this dissertation is to study and analyze the particular case of the Rua Direita of Portalegre, to understand the reasons that led to the current situation and, finally, to test a revitalization methodology pointing out solutions to be replete of experiences. In a first phase the Historical Center of Portalegre is analyzed where the importance for the city is perceived, followed by the historical and physical description of Rua Direita. Later, the current concepts of revitalization are studied, and then some successful interventions of revitalization of public spaces in historical urban areas are discussed. After all the analysis, proposals are presented for the dynamization of the economy, of the services, for the habitability of the street, in short, proposals for the revitalization of Rua Direita of Portalegre

Materiais didácticos para o ensino da classe das conjunções: uma proposta para Angola

Angola viveu quase três décadas de uma intensa guerra civil que se seguiu a uma não menos intensa luta pela independência, “cujas consequências se faziam sentir principalmente nas zonas rurais. Efeitos profundamente nocivos reflectiram-se nas infra-estruturas escolares. Inúmeras escolas foram destruídas.” (Chivela & Nsiangengo, 2003: 5). Atualmente, vive-se quase uma década e meia de paz. Muito já se fez, mas muito mais há para fazer em todas as áreas, e a da educação não é exceção. O país tem revelado uma grande evolução neste âmbito, pois verificou-se um aumento do número de alunos a frequentarem os diferentes níveis de ensino, do número de salas de aula, de docentes e de equipamentos. Neste momento, procede-se à avaliação da Reforma Educativa, um processo em implementação desde 2002 e que substituiu o anterior Sistema Educativo. Com esta alteração, as autoridades governamentais tentam consolidar a concretização dos princípios da integridade, laicidade, democratização, gratuitidade e obrigatoriedade do ensino. Esta reforma educativa, que tem como objetivo melhorar o sistema de ensino-aprendizagem, dá um grande destaque à Língua Portuguesa. Não só porque assume o papel de língua oficial e de escolaridade mas, também, de comunicação e união entre os angolanos, cuja realidade linguística é bastante diversificada, pois existem outras línguas que são faladas pela população como, por exemplo, o Umbundu, o Kimbundu, o Kikongo, o Tchokwe e o N’gangela. No meio de tanta diversidade e como dizem os próprios angolanos, o português une o país “de Cabinda ao Cunene e do mar ao Leste”. É, pois, neste contexto, que se procura dar uma melhor resposta às necessidades de formação dos utilizadores da Língua Portuguesa em Angola. Para tal, torna-se imprescindível elaborar e aplicar metodologias que possam ajudar a ultrapassar o desafio. (...