In-service teacher training in Portugal: objectives, organization and impact on teacher's career

This paper presents a short overview of teacher´s training as considered by the Portuguese legislation: (i) initial teacher education (ITE), (ii) specialized training and (iii) in-service teacher training. A particular emphasis will be given to in-service teacher training. Nowadays, ITE corresponds to level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (master degree). It is a career-long professional development, where research-based and in context practice are important features. Specialized training is intended to provide qualification in complementary educational functions, such as special education, school administration and inspection activities, socio-cultural animation and basic education for adults. In-service training or continuous training allows teachers to complement, deepen and update their knowledge and professional competences. Its accreditation, in what concerns involved institutions, training actions and evaluation process is centralized in the “Conselho Científico-Pedagógico da Formação Contínua” (Scientific and Pedagogical Council of in-service training) and has a direct impact in teacher’s careers, being one of the factors considered to access mobility and progression

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved