Entrepreneurship education. Insights on current challenges - Editorial

Yet it is not for denying the will and the capacity of each human being to assert him/herself by an entrepreneurial attitude. Nor shall we deny those who have initiative and creativity to open new ways of enriching our societies with their value. The case is that for ensuring competitive, innovative, sustainable, inclusive and just societies, as the European Commission so well puts it, takes us to the current dilemma of indefinite growth without really having indefinite resources; an issue that takes us to face the environmental problems as well as the need for equity of growth. So being, we now must address at the same time the problem of entrepreneurship and sustainability, not just as problems but as scopes of education, i. e., entrepreneurship and sustainability education. An antinomy not commonly considered but often disregard or even hidden. Nevertheless, we also have to tackle the growing demand, even if we should control it, we have to tackle, human ambition even if it should be restraint. Thus we must pursue a line of endeavor or entrepreneurship balanced with a line of respect for difference and diversity as core issues of sustainability

"Outdoor learning": A escola e o mundo que a rodeia

O propósito desta reflexão é articular uma metodologia de ensino e aprendizagem com um valor. O valor escolhido foi a paz e a metodologia, por razões que adiante procuraremos mostrar, o “Outdoor Learning”. Num primeiro momento procuramos mostrar a natureza dos valores, enquanto qualidade estrutural. Tentamos, também, mostrar, que, na nossa perspetiva, os valores são intensiva e extensivamente infinitos. Em continuidade, expõe-se o sentido do valor da paz como referindo-se a uma fase de um processo em hélix pelo qual se alcança um certo equilíbrio no campo social. Em particular, entendemos que a paz (fase de cooperação) depende do alinhamento das expectativas com o (equilíbrio do) poder conseguido. Daí que qualquer fissura ente as expectativas e o equilíbrio de poderes contratado venha a constituir motivo de conflito. Isto significa que não pode haver verdadeira paz enquanto não houver justiça. Ora, como a paz não pode abranger apenas os seres humanos, pois existe um “outro” que, de há muito, foi negligenciado e, mais do que isso, sujeito a um assalto predatório pelos humanos, referimo-nos à Natureza, há que considera-la na nossa abordagem. É isto que justifica a inclusão da metodologia de “Outdoor Learning”, como via formativa indispensável, seja porque assiste a urgente (re)naturalização da infância, seja porque propiciar o contacto com a Natureza pode constituir um dos melhores meios para nos fazer vivenciar o valor da paz

Ontological conversion: The place of self-knowledge, the contemplative tradition and contemporary mindfulness in education

In this paper, we will try to show how philosophy, psychology and education can still dwell on common issues, namely ontological transformation while using similar insights approaches. This is the case, for instance when we compare Epictetus’ spiritual exercises and the current contemplative knowledge stream to which Mindfulness is inserted. By essaying to look for the connection between the stated approaches perhaps we can bring forth some mutual enriching ideas in the mentioned fields

Outdoor Learning: the school and the world that surrounds it

O propósito desta reflexão é articular uma metodologia de ensino e aprendizagem com um valor. O valor escolhido foi a paz e a metodologia, por razões que adiante procuraremos mostrar, o “Outdoor Learning”. Num primeiro momento procuramos mostrar a natureza dos valores, enquanto qualidade estrutural. Tentamos, também, mostrar, que, na nossa perspetiva, os valores são intensiva e extensivamente infinitos. Em continuidade, expõe-se o sentido do valor da paz como referindo-se a uma fase de um processo em hélix pelo qual se alcança um certo equilíbrio no campo social. Em particular, entendemos que a paz (fase de cooperação) depende do alinhamento das expectativas com o (equilíbrio do) poder conseguido. Daí que qualquer fissura ente as expectativas e o equilíbrio de poderes contratado venha a constituir motivo de conflito. Isto significa que não pode haver verdadeira paz enquanto não houver justiça. Ora, como a paz não pode abranger apenas os seres humanos, pois existe um “outro” que, de há muito, foi negligenciado e, mais do que isso, sujeito a um assalto predatório pelos humanos, referimo-nos à Natureza, há que considera-la na nossa abordagem. É isto que justifica a inclusão da metodologia de “Outdoor Learning”, como via formativa indispensável, seja porque assiste a urgente (re)naturalização da infância, seja porque propiciar o contacto com a Natureza pode constituir um dos melhores meios para nos fazer vivenciar o valor da paz.The purpose of this reflection is to articulate a methodology of teaching and learning with a value. The value chosen was peace and the methodology, for reasons that we will try to show later, "Outdoor Learning". We start by trying to show the nature of values as a structural quality. We also essay to show that, in our perspective, values are intensively and extensively infinite. In continuity, the meaning of the value of peace is exposed as referring to a phase of a process in helix by which a certain balance in the social field is reached. In particular, we propose that peace (cooperation phase) depends on the alignment of expectations (balance of) achieved with power. Hence any fissure between the expectations and the balance of powers contracted will be a cause for conflict. This means that there can be no true peace until there is justice. Since peace can not only be related to human beings, for there is a "other" that has long been neglected and, more than that, subjected to a predatory assault by humans, we refer to Nature, we must Consider it in our approach. This is what justifies the inclusion of "Outdoor Learning" methodology, as an indispensable formative way, either because it assists the urgent (re)naturalization of childhood, or because it could provide contact with Nature, which means it could be one of the best means to make us experience the value of peace

La reconstrucción metamoderna de la Razón Pedagógica – Revisitando o Bildung.

Neste artigo analisámos a desconstrução pós-moderna do projeto da Modernidade, destacando as suas consequências para o conceito de "Bildung" e a possibilidade de o recuperar operativamente. Considerámos, também, a questão do relativsmo e do multiculturalismo, bem como a demobilização do sujeito crítico e a sua eventual recuperação educacional

Entrepreneurship education and problem based learning

In this paper we draw on the concept of Entrepreneurship Education and describe the Budapest Agenda and its Progression Model for Initial Teacher Education. The concept of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education is discussed. We than sketch the origins of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), comparing it to the traditional paradigm of learning. A specific reference is made to creativity importance for education, broadly conceived and EE in particular. PBL features and process are presented in order to give a practical insight regarding its educational appliance. Finally we try to show PBL’s potential for fostering Creativity and supporting Entrepreneurship Education

Science legitimacy and the postmodern condition of knowledge

We start by showing how science is as much a personal as a social endeavour, carefully driven between convictions and scepticism, depending on strictly defined criteria that are made possible through a conjunction of social norms intimately connected to epistemological principles. If the sociological contexts play an important role, we must recognize that science compensates their influence with the experimental gathering of evidences.  However knowledge always requires a link to tradition, believe and authority, i.e., tacit knowledge and a fiduciary framework.Objectivity can also be supported by science’s success to describe and transform reality, within a renewed process that continuously expands what we know and can transform. This attests the power of science that meanwhile was separated from the ethical dimension required to all kind of knowledge appliance, thus redirecting us to the sociological contexts of science.We then refer to how science’s sociological structures consequently changed when the dimension, cost and importance of science for economic progress was such that responsibility for it was taken from the hands of scientists. The age of competition for scarce resources marks the end of pure intellectual competition in which science’s progress was conditioned mainly by individual creativity. That’s why sociological factors regain nowadays a much more important role to play in science dynamics.The paper concludes by presenting how a new sociologically framework of scientific knowledge is emerging: the “fourth age of research” driven by international collabora­tions between elite research groups, strongly guided for markets, and once again science’s autonomy is at stake

Student's attittudes as a constraint factor of teacher's creativity towards inclusive settings

The presentation focus on an inclusive education programme for children and pupils with disabilities. The programme’s activities are directed to set up an adequate educational environment, whose conditions are described and evaluated. Particularly, the programme is designed to support creativity as a basic factor for developing teachers’ expected skills while working under an inclusive setting. The programme‘s target ( ) group where teenagers: from secondary schools and vocational schools. The subject will explore their attitudes and opinions about people with disabilities. An analysis of the educational programmes, which are publicly accessible, is carried out in order to describe the subjects´ orientation regarding the considered issues. We will also monitor differences between groups of students considering their provenance from graduation and non-graduation study programs. The resulting comparison of monitored items will primarily be used for the practical field as well as for further research. The study focused on a group of teenagers - secondary school students and apprentices. The subject of the investigation was their attitudes to and views of handicapped persons. The assumption of good orientation in the theme and clear attitudes, supported by analytical results of framework educational programmes, was not confirmed. One of the reasons of weak orientation of secondary school students in the issue was its absence in their curricula. The conclusion drawn on the basis of the research was also confirmed by analytical results of several school educational programmes, which are publicly accessible and mentioned later in this article. The presented research results point to a rather high level of empathy and emotional contribution of the teenagers to the concept of handicapped persons, but rather low information including skills. A positive factor that needs to be emphasized is that the adolescents themselves are aware of the absence of knowledge and require its inclusion in their lessons. The research did not confirm any difference between students and apprentices

Higher Education in Portugal: From expansion to quality assessment

After presenting a brief description of the Portuguese higher education evolution, since 1974 to the present day, and providing the indispensable legal framework, we discuss its structure, highlighting the actual binary nature that includes universities and polytechnics, public and private. Crucial statistics about the subsystems and the actual study programmes are also given. Finally we present the Portuguese Agency (a.k.a. A3ES) responsible for the assessment and accreditation of the study programmes imparted by Portuguese HEIS. An overview of the work carried out so far by the Agency and its assessment model is also presented