O ensino da evolução biológica em sala de aula: um estudo de caso

O estudo que se apresenta incide sobre o tema “evolução biológica”, o qual integra o programa curricular da disciplina de Biologia e Geologia do 11.º ano de escolaridade, e é parte de um trabalho de investigação desenvolvido numa escola de Lisboa. O conceito de evolução constitui um pilar fundamental na construção do conhecimento biológico, uma vez que é considerado por muitos o eixo integrador da Biologia. Nessa medida, uma das questões que se colocou nesta pesquisa foi a seguinte: “Como é abordado pelos professores o ensino da “evolução biológica” na sala de aula?”. Procurou-se, assim, analisar de forma aprofundada as metodologias de ensino a que o docente recorre nas aulas para a leccionação do tema. A atenção foi aqui dirigida para os métodos de ensino, entendidos como técnicas capazes de ensinar com eficiência e focalizados nos processos de aprendizagem. Os dados para análise foram recolhidos através dos seguintes instrumentos: questionários aos alunos, entrevista ao professor e observação das aulas correspondentes ao tema

Portuguese Report The Economic Crisis and Policy Developments in Portugal

The economic crisis has introduced major changes in family policies in Portugal, in particular since 2010. There has been a move away from an explicit pro-family, pro-egalitarian and pro-natalist perspective focusing on the strengthening of support for families at the level of services, cash benefits and leave schemes, towards a more implicit and residual policy perspective underlining support for very poor families and a move away from state responsibility for families in general, also encouraging the non-governmental sector and families themselves to act as the “front-line” of support. Families have been more affected by increased selectivity and reductions in cash benefits, whereas policies concerning leave entitlements and services have suffered less change

Changes in Family Policies since 2010: Country Overview Portugal

Historically, and well into the 20th century, Portugal’s pathway is linked to the male breadwinner model and to a rudimentary and familialistic welfare state underlining women’s role as primary caregivers and low state support for families. Family policies after the transition to democracy (1974) rejected unsupported familialism and introduced an explicit focus on state responsibilities to support a gender-equality oriented dual-earner model, leading to a gradual but steady increase in entitlements to family benefits and paid leave schemes, in public and publicly-subsidized services for young children and in gender equality incentives (Wall, 2011). Family policies shifted toward a “mixed” welfare state model focusing on family care supported by services and benefits and underlining a specific “solidarity” welfare mix in which different actors - families, public, private profit and non-profit institutions - take on responsibility jointly (Wall, Samitca and Correia, 2013)

Equine embryo transfer: the effect of semen processing and donor mare management on recovery rates

Embryo transfer (ET) is a biotechnology that allows to get more than one foal from a single mare during a breading season and also to prevent the removal of mares from their competition careers. Nevertheless, to achieve a successful outcome, the association of many factors must be considered such as the management of donor and recipient mares, the stallions and the veterinarian´s experience. The aims of this study were to evaluate (1) if some of characteristics related to the donor mares such as the breed and the reproductive status, may influence the embryo recovery; (2) if climate and different donor mares location may have impact in breeding programs; (3) the effect of some reproductive techniques and embryo transfer methodologies such as the day of uterine flushing, the type of semen, the stallion and the moment of inseminations and transfer as potential effectors of success. To achieve the objectives pointed out, one hundred and fifty six uterine flushes and eighty eight embryo transfers were performed. Obtained results showed higher embryo recovery rates at day 8 (61.1%) and an overall pregnancy rate of 62.2%. An influence of the month of the year (P=0.04) and of the type of semen (fresh or frozen; P=0.03) on the number of positive embryo collections were identified. No other significant effects upon the remaining determinants under testing were observed, although stallions were responsible for inducing 11% of the variability within embryo recovery rates. In conclusion, the main factors that had a great influence in this embryo transfer program were the type of semen and the day and month of the uterine flushing procedure. The use of fresh semen for donor mares insemination and recovery at day 8 increased the number of embryos that were collected during this period, although lower results were obtained in July-August. These procedures should be consider and implement in mare embryo transfer centres

Avaliação das aprendizagens dos alunos nas disciplinas de ciências naturais e biologia e geologia: um estudo sobre a sua interpretação e implementação em sala de aula

A avaliação das aprendizagens tem vindo a assumir um papel importante no campo da investigação em Educação, uma vez que se encontra ligada aos componentes dos processos de ensino e de aprendizagem, numa perspetiva formativa e reguladora, possibilitando o desenvolvimento de competências de autorregulação dos processos de aprendizagem através do feedback, da autoavaliação e avaliação por pares, ajudando o aluno a “aprender a aprender”. Nesta sequência de ideias, surgiu a preocupação em estudar duas salas de aula, de dois anos de escolaridade distintos, 7.º ano do ensino básico na disciplina de Ciências Naturais, e 11.º ano do ensino secundário na disciplina de Biologia e Geologia. Pretendemos conhecer as práticas de avaliação implementadas pelo professor em duas salas de aula de anos de escolaridade diferenciados, bem como as perceções do professor e dos alunos no que respeita à avaliação das aprendizagens. Assim, esta investigação enquadra-se numa abordagem qualitativa e interpretativa, na forma de um estudo de caso, do tipo instrumental, em que foram estudadas as duas turmas em referência. Quanto à recolha de dados, esta baseou-se na realização de entrevistas, na observação direta de aulas e na análise de documentos utilizados. O tratamento de dados foi efetuado através da técnica de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados do estudo indicam que nas salas de aula das duas turmas em análise prevalecem práticas de avaliação mais orientadas para a classificação e seleção dos alunos do que para a melhoria do processo de ensino e de aprendizagem. A avaliação formativa é praticada pontualmente aquando da revisão de conteúdos e raramente numa perspetiva reguladora do processo de ensino e de aprendizagem. Destaca-se ainda a predominância do conceito de avaliação como medida nas perceções de professor e alunos, o que influencia fortemente as práticas avaliativas implementadas em sala de aula; ABSTRACT: Students' assessment in the disciplines of Natural Sciences and Biology and Geology: a study on its interpretation and implementation in the classroom Assessment has taken on an important role in the field of research in education, since it is connected to the components of teaching and learning in a formative and regulatory perspective, enabling the development of learning self-regulation skills and abilities through feedback, self-assessment and peer assessment, helping students to "learn how to learn". In this sense, there was a concern in studying two classrooms from different educational levels, one of the 7th grade of basic education in the discipline of Natural Sciences and another of the 11th grade of secondary education in the discipline of Biology and Geology. We intended to describe the assessment practices implemented by teachers in those two classrooms and understand the teacher's and students’ perceptions with regard to the assessment process. The research is in line with a qualitative and interpretative approach, being an instrumental case study, where two classrooms were analyzed, one of 7th grade and another of 11th grade. Data collection was based on interviews, direct classroom observation and on the analysis of documents used. The data were analyzed through the technique of content analysis. The study results indicate that in the two classrooms analyzed prevail assessment practices for classification, selection and certification of students rather than oriented practices to improve teaching and learning. Formative assessment is practiced for content review rather than being practiced in a teaching and learning regulatory perspective. It was also noted the predominance of the concept of assessement as a measure on teacher and students’ perceptions, which strongly influences the assessment practices implemented in the classroom

High Nature Value Farming in Portugal.

High Nature Value (HNV) farming systems are inherently valuable for biodiversity. They use semi-natural pastures, meadows and orchards, as well as species-rich arable land, and often retain a wealth of landscape features. HNV farming is present in all European countries, with a diversity of types and extent. Apart from being the cornerstone of European farmland biodiversity, these types of farming provide a multitude of other services for society, including sustainable rural economies, and the rich social fabric and character of Europe’s landscapes. The environmental, socio-cultural and territorial significance of HNV farming is increasingly recognised, but greater awareness is needed amongst policy makers and the wider public. This chapter on Portugal is part of a book presenting an overview of HNV farming across 35 European countries, describing the main characteristics and presenting examples of farming systems, farms and farmers. Beside the country chapters there are thematic chapters looking at a range of issues of farming, nature, economy and policy. In Portugal exists an immensely rich heritage of traditional farming systems, almost all of which are still of High Nature Value. Some of these use large-scale semi-natural areas – the baldios and lameiros of the north and the montado in the south. Others are characterised by low-intensity mosaics – small-scale permanent cropping farms in the south and especially the typical smallholdings of the northern uplands. Both the area of farmland and the number of farmers have declined steeply over recent years; all HNV farmland associated with small farms are in practice severely threatened. On the southern latifundia, the picture is more complex – cork prices maintain a relatively good income, but the quality of management of many montados is in decline, with both localised intensification and abandonment. New intensive systems are being put in place, included irrigated low nature value olive monocultures. A territorial vision for Portugal’s agricultural landscapes is only in its infancy; this is a severe impediment to the development of holistic and targeted support for HNV farming systems. Economic marginalisation has allowed the survival of Portuguese HNV farming systems into the early 21st century; a socio-economically and ecologically sustainable future for those systems or their modern successors requires an end to their political marginalisation

WP3 Care arrangements in multi-career families National report: Portugal

The division of labour within the family and the behaviour of families in relation to the labour market have changed significantly in Portugal over the last few decades. Of particular importance have been the increased labour force participation of women, especially of married women and those with young children, and the rise in women’s levels of educational attainment.. Women (aged 15-64) as a proportion of the total labour force rose rapidly from 18.3% in 1960 to 52.8% in 1991,and 62% in 1998.European Commissio

To be an educator in a day care setting : conceptions and educational practices

The “Day Care Project” is a group of professionals linked to the childhood education field that aims to reflect and investigate early childhood in the day care context. This group develops its activity at the Superior School of Education and Social Sciences of the Leiria Polytechnic Institute, Portugal, as an integrating part of the Center for Research and Development in Education. The data we now present concern the conceptions of two female childhood educators, of this group, on their developed practices in the day care context

A primeira infância na formação inicial de educadores

Este estudo pretende dar a conhecer os aspectos do desenvolvimento e aprendizagem na primeira infância valorizados por 50 estudantes do 3.º ano do Curso de Formação Inicial em Educação de Infância do Instituto Politécnico de Leiria - Escola Superior de Educação e Ciências Sociais. Neste sentido, procura-se reflectir sobre a primeira infância enquanto etapa do desenvolvimento humano, identificando aspectos do desenvolvimento e aprendizagem na primeira infância em contexto de creche. Este estudo recorre a um questionário sócio-demográfico para a caracterização da amostra e aos trabalhos de pesquisa sobre a primeira infância elaborado no âmbito da unidade curricular de Prática Pedagógica II no ano lectivo 2008/2009. Actualmente, os dados recolhidos estão a ser sujeitos a uma análise de conteúdo, tendo-se já encontrado categorias respeitantes ao conceito de primeira infância, ao conceito e características de desenvolvimento e ao conceito de aprendizagem. Uma primeira leitura dos dados aponta para uma maior ênfase nas dimensões do desenvolvimento humano em detrimento dos conceitos de primeira infância, desenvolvimento e aprendizagem. Verifica-se ainda uma valorização do desenvolvimento físico-motor em detrimento das outras dimensões do desenvolvimento. Consideramos que este trabalho se poderá constituir como um contributo para o estudo da primeira infância na formação inicial de educadores de infância

Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Aloe Vera_Chitosan Nanofibrous Asymmetric Membranes Aimed for Wound Chelinga Applications

Today, none of the wound dressings available on the market is fully capable of reproducing all the features of native skin. Herein, an asymmetric electrospun membrane was produced to mimic both layers of skin. It comprises a top dense layer (manufactured with polycaprolactone) that was designed to provide mechanical support to the wound and a bottom porous layer (composed of chitosan and Aloe Vera) aimed to improve the bactericidal activity of the membrane and ultimately the healing process. The results obtained revealed that the produced asymmetric membranes displayed a porosity, wettability, as well as mechanical properties similar to those presented by the native skin. Fibroblast cells were able to adhere, spread, and proliferate on the surface of the membranes and the intrinsic structure of the two layers of the membrane is capable of avoiding the invasion of microorganisms while conferring bioactive properties. Such data reveals the potential of these asymmetric membranes, in the near future, to be applied as wound dressings