The influence of gestures in the learning of Physics

Several researches show that gestures are a fundamental element for the understanding of the discourse or of a thought. Thus, when considering the school context, in the communication between the teacher and the student, it is important to understand better the role of gestures in learning. This way, in order to investigate the role of gestures in the understanding of basic Physics concepts, students from the middle and upper classes watched videos with linear momentum contents. The students in each teaching segment were randomly allocated into two groups: one watched the videos where the teacher's gestural activities were shown and the other watched the videos with only the teacher's face. The results show that there was an improvement in the learning of the students who watched the videos with gestures, but this effect was observed only in high school students

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

The development of spatial thinking and spatial thinking: new perspectives for the teaching of science and mathematics

O espaço fornece uma estrutura conceitual rica que nos possibilita distinguir objetos, compreender as suas funções e relacioná-los. O pensamento espacial é uma atividade cognitiva composta por conceitos e representações de espaço e aplicação a processos de raciocínio. Existem diversas evidências científicas que apontam que o pensamento espacial desempenha um papel fundamental tanto na atividade científica quanto na aprendizagem de ciências e matemática. O pensamento espacial se baseia em habilidades espaciais, tais como rotação mental e orientação espacial. Ainda, há resultados científicos que apontam que crianças do gênero masculino, tipicamente, possuem um desempenho melhor em testes de habilidades espaciais do que crianças do gênero feminino. Assim, o principal objetivo desta pesquisa consiste em desenvolver, implementar e analisar uma atividade que pretende desenvolver habilidades espaciais. Nosso trabalho se apoia na teoria da cognição incorporada, que considera que os processos cognitivos estão fortemente ligados a comportamentos motores e sensoriais. A atividade proposta consiste em um jogo chamado Math-e-motion projetado para estudantes do terceiro ano do Ensino Fundamental. Nesse jogo, estudantes exercem os papéis de saltadores e observadores. Os saltadores executam movimentos em um plano coordenado desenhado no chão. Os observadores, por sua vez, devem delinear o movimento executado pelo saltador em um plano coordenado desenhado numa prancheta. Mais importantemente, tal delineamento deve ser dado de acordo com a perspectiva do saltador. Todos os estudantes executam os dois papéis. Avaliamos a atividade proposta através de dois estudos controlados, cada qual envolvendo alunos de escolas públicas brasileiras. Como produto de uma colaboração internacional, também executamos o primeiro estudo em uma escola nos Estado Unidos. Os resultados obtidos indicam uma melhora nas habilidades de orientação espacial e de rotação mental. Além disso, os resultados também apontam para uma redução na diferença no desempenho do teste de orientação espacial entre os gêneros feminino e masculino. Para habilidades matemáticas, houve melhora significativa na habilidade de leitura de gráficos com informações implícitas. Com o respaldo da teoria da cognição incorporada, a nossa pesquisa pretende contribuir com uma discussão acerca do papel do corpo no processo de aprendizagem.Space provides a rich conceptual framework that enables us to distinguish objects, understand their functions, and relate them. Spatial thinking is a cognitive activity composed of concepts and representations of space and application to reasoning processes. There is substantial scientific evidence showing that spatial thinking plays a fundamental role in the scientific activity and in the learning of science and mathematics. Spatial thinking relies on spatial abilities, such as mental rotation and spatial orientation. Moreover, there are scientific results showing that boys typically outperform girls in tests of spatial abilities. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to develop, implement, and analyze an activity that aims at developing spatial abilities. Our work relies on the theory of embodied cognition, which considers that cognitive processes are strongly linked to motor and sensory behaviors. The proposed activity is a game called Math-e-motion designed for students in third grade of Elementary School. In this game, students play the roles of jumpers and observers. The jumpers perform movements in a coordinate plane drawn on the floor. The observers, in turn, are asked to delineate the movement performed by the jumper in a coordinate plane drawn on a clipboard. Most importantly, such a delineation must be given according to the jumper\'s perspective. All students play both roles. We evaluated the proposed activity by means of two controlled studies, with each involving a group of students from two Brazilian public schools. As a product of an international collaboration, we also executed the first study in a private school in the United States. Our results showed an improvement in spatial orientation and mental rotation abilities. In addition, we also found a reduction in the difference of the scores obtained by male and female students in the spatial orientation test. For math abilities, we found a significant improvement in the ability to read charts with implicit information. With the support of the embodied cognition theory, our research aims at contributing with a discussion about the role of the body in the learning process

The influence of gestures in the learning of Physics

Several researches show that gestures are a fundamental element for the understanding of the discourse or of a thought. Thus, when considering the school context, in the communication between the teacher and the student, it is important to understand better the role of gestures in learning. This way, in order to investigate the role of gestures in the understanding of basic Physics concepts, students from the middle and upper classes watched videos with linear momentum contents. The students in each teaching segment were randomly allocated into two groups: one watched the videos where the teacher's gestural activities were shown and the other watched the videos with only the teacher's face. The results show that there was an improvement in the learning of the students who watched the videos with gestures, but this effect was observed only in high school students