Concepções e representações sociais de professores sobre a sua formação inicial: construção e validação de um questionário

Este estudo versa sobre a validação de um questionário aplicado aos licenciandos do primeiro e último ano das licenciaturas em Biologia, Ciências, Física, Química e Pedagogia, sendo selecionadas duas diferentes instituições para cada curso. O instrumento de pesquisa passou pela validação semântica, realizada por seis pesquisadores doutores das áreas de Ensino (Biologia, Física e Química) e a aplicação de um teste piloto com licenciandos do curso de Biologia. Após a análise semântica e o teste piloto, três assertivas foram eliminadas, ficando o questionário final constituído por 81 assertivas. Para avaliar a confiabilidade do instrumento (validação estatística) foi realizado o teste de Alpha de Cronbach, análise fatorial, Kaiser-Meyer-Olklin (KMO) e o de Esfericidade de Bartlett. Após a aplicação dos testes foram eliminadas 30 assertivas, tornando possível a Análise dos Componentes Principais (ACP). O número amostral foi considerado satisfatório para a sistematização e análise dos dados, quando analisado o valor do KMO.Fundos nacionais através da FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) no âmbito do projeto do CIEC (Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança) da Universidade do Minho, com a referência UID/CED/00317/2019

The role of the marginalized and unusual suspects in the production of digital innovations: Models of innovation in an African context

The rapid proliferation of innovation concepts addressing experiences in the Global South raises crucial questions about the relevance of this phenomenon for development. In an effort to bring conceptual clarity, this paper reviews several related understandings of innovation and related approaches to, firstly, map overlaps and differences, and secondly, understand how they are situated within the development discourse. This study uses a literature review and applies thematic analysis in identifying the various innovation concepts, and the extent to which they include the marginalized in their framing and operationalization. In particular, this study evaluates whether these innovation concepts are framing innovation as something developed outside of poor communities but on behalf of them, whether innovation is designed alongside poor communities, or whether it is designed by and within poor communities. The findings of this study revealed that in most cases, these concepts are pro-poor, with very few exceptions of innovations done in collaboration with the poor, in a per-poor process

Inventors dynamics in Balkanic Area: Evidences by a network analysis

Abstract: Patent data is a key source of information for innovation economists. In recent decades it has been possible to observe its significant diffusion and success mainly thanks either to archives digitization or to authorities’ greater openness with respect to patent granting procedure. Furthermore, the use of this information over time has not been limited to simple statistics on patents and their classification, but, going further, has extended to the analysis of applicants, inventors, citations, and much more. By this seminal paper, we are going to analyze starting from Data analysis related to a selection of Balkanic Countries, chosen among the most dynamic in innovation process and production of patents: Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. How it will explain into the work, this selection was not accidental: the aim was to represent the evolution of these Countries, in terms of patent internationalization, depending on their “link” with the European Union, not all Western Balkan Countries are in fact part of it. Croatia, an official EU member since 2012, was chosen as the representative state of European influence. Some interesting results were obtained with a novel approach by social network analysis techniques.Abstract: Patent data is a key source of information for innovation economists. In recent decades it has been possible to observe its significant diffusion and success mainly thanks either to archives digitization or to authorities’ greater openness with respect to patent granting procedure. Furthermore, the use of this information over time has not been limited to simple statistics on patents and their classification, but, going further, has extended to the analysis of applicants, inventors, citations, and much more. By this seminal paper, we are going to analyze starting from Data analysis related to a selection of Balkanic Countries, chosen among the most dynamic in innovation process and production of patents: Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. How it will explain into the work, this selection was not accidental: the aim was to represent the evolution of these Countries, in terms of patent internationalization, depending on their “link” with the European Union, not all Western Balkan Countries are in fact part of it. Croatia, an official EU member since 2012, was chosen as the representative state of European influence. Some interesting results were obtained with a novel approach by social network analysis techniques

Reliability of location determination system

The characteristics of triangular Photonic Crystal Fibers (PCF) with elliptical holes filled with a Nematic Liquid Crystal are investigated theoretically. The analysis carried out using the Finite Element Method, including also material dispersion effects, will show that the Liquid Crystal anisotropy and the hole ellipticity allow some not yet predicted phenomena, such as polarization dependent losses and birefringence sign change in the wavelength range used for standard telecom fibers. Control of these features allows the design of new devices for sensing or telecommunication applications

Bifurcation analysis of a duopoly game with R&D spillover, price competition and time delays

The aim of this study is to analyse a discrete-time two-stage game with R&D competition by considering a continuous-time set-up with fixed delays. The model is represented in the form of delay differential equations. The stability of all the equilibrium points is studied. It is found that the model exhibits very complex dynamical behaviours, and its Nash equilibrium is destabilised via Hopf bifurcations