Representaciones en torno a las competencias de los formadores de profesores de biología de la provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Las exigencias actuales para integrarse en la sociedad del conocimiento ponen en crisis los contenidos formativos del profesorado. Esto nos llevó a estudiar el campo de las competencias situándolas en el contexto de la renovación de los enfoques formativos. Nos interesó conocer las representaciones que poseen los formadores sobre las competencias propias de su función, confrontándolas con las propuestas sobre el tema. Tomamos como referente la categorización de las competencias de referencia (CR) de Perrenoud (2004). Hallamos una marcada coincidencia con las CR en el papel a desarrollar por un profesor de biología en la escuela secundaria en los siguientes aspectos: su formación continua, los estudiantes, los contenidos y las estrategias didácticas

Are the health messages in schoolbooks based on scientific evidence? A descriptive study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most textbooks contains messages relating to health. This profuse information requires analysis with regards to the quality of such information. The objective was to identify the scientific evidence on which the health messages in textbooks are based.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The degree of evidence on which such messages are based was identified and the messages were subsequently classified into three categories: Messages with high, medium or low levels of evidence; Messages with an unknown level of evidence; and Messages with no known evidence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>844 messages were studied. Of this total, 61% were classified as messages with an unknown level of evidence. Less than 15% fell into the category where the level of evidence was known and less than 6% were classified as possessing high levels of evidence. More than 70% of the messages relating to "Balanced Diets and Malnutrition", "Food Hygiene", "Tobacco", "Sexual behaviour and AIDS" and "Rest and ergonomics" are based on an unknown level of evidence. "Oral health" registered the highest percentage of messages based on a high level of evidence (37.5%), followed by "Pregnancy and newly born infants" (35%). Of the total, 24.6% are not based on any known evidence. Two of the messages appeared to contravene known evidence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Many of the messages included in school textbooks are not based on scientific evidence. Standards must be established to facilitate the production of texts that include messages that are based on the best available evidence and which can improve children's health more effectively.</p

A Pedagogical approach of schistosomiasis an experience in health education in Minas Gerais, Brazil

The experience described here is part of an extensive program that aims to stimulate schools to develop health integrated projects from theme generators, i.e., themes that have a meaning for the community. It was developed in Jaboticatubas, a town in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the focus was schistosomiasis. The selection was based on the expressive and historical prevalence of this disease in the county, which has been known as the "capital of schistosomiasis", in a national press release since the 1960's. Schistosomiasis is also a theme pointed out by teachers as requiring more information and methodologies to work with their students, most of them living in areas of high risk of transmission. In addition, during the last years, this disease has been transmitted silently through an increasing rural tourism in that region, requiring integrated and effective control actions. The developed strategy included four schools, whose teachers, students, and families took part in the process. It emphasizes in a critical pedagogy approach, which focuses on health issues as themes that may mobilize the school community and awake the population to a work which integrates environment, health, and citizenship. The results demonstrate that teachers and students not only acquired new knowledge and methodological skills, but also gained confidence in their ability to improve their health conditions. Thus, the project promotes a critical education that can result a more permanent effect on the control of schistosomiasis as well as other benefits for the schools and for the population