Search

Fungi mostly reproduce through spores that are adapted for airborne dispersal; hence, fungal spores (and fungi) are found virtually everywhere. Fungi can be "friends or foes." Our friends include fungi used in the food and biotech industries, fungi that contribute to the cycling of carbon and nutrients, and those involved in the decontamination of polluted soils and/or water, to mention just a few examples. Many species, however, are foes--they are detrimental to plants, animals, and/or humans. Annually, >1.5 million people die due to invasive fungal infections. With the aim of enhancing microbiology literacy and the understanding of microbial concepts, we set up a project for the collection of airborne spores (the principal agent through which human airways are exposed to fungi). Students from five high schools in the Oeiras municipality partnered with us as citizen scientists; they carried out sampling by collecting fungal spores on adhesive stickers. The fungal spores collected by the students were subsequently processed in the schools and our research laboratory. Results obtained by the students themselves revealed a large variety of fungal species capable of growing in a rich medium at 30°C. In the research laboratory, using selective isolation conditions, 40 thermotolerant fungi were isolated, 32 of which were taxonomically identified as aspergilla, mostly from within the Aspergillus fumigatus taxa, yet exhibiting high genetic heterogeneity. The protocols and results were presented to the students, who were made aware of the local dispersal of airborne fungal spores, including some from potentially pathogenic fungi. Through carrying out scientific activities, the students developed both the interest and the self-confidence needed to implement future environmental investigations.

Culture shapes pupils' mathematical learning, their performances and life trajectories of participation (César, 2013a, 2013b). It also contributes to the senses they attribute to mathematical learning (Bakhtin, 1929/1981). Using collaborative work and interempowerment mechanisms facilitates knowledge appropriation (César, 2009). This is particularly important for pupils participating in minority cultures, socially undervalued and whose L1 is not the instruction language. Bi-univocal culture mediation (César, 2017b) is important regarding empowerment. We used an instrument to evaluate pupils' abilities and competencies (IACC), conceived by the "Interaction and Knowlwdge" (IK) team (Machado, 2014), and other mathematical tasks. The goal we address is to trace the differences between their approaches to problems, mathematical reasoning and solving strategies used by pupils whose L1 is ideographic (Creole, Cape Verde) or phonetic (Portuguese). We developed an intrinsic case study (Stake, 1995). The main participants are the pupils from almost 600 classes (all over Portugal and Cape Verde) who participated in the IK. The analysis of some examples illustrates that L1 shapes pupils' approaches to problems, mathematical reasoning and solving strategies. This evidence plays an important role in their access to school achievement and in teachers' understanding about how they can promote pupils' mathematical learning.

In recent decades, the potential benefits of introducing technologies into large-scale tests have been much discussed. Yet the path to effective technology use on large-scale testing has fallen short of expectations, especially when these tests have medium or high stakes for students. After a temporary cancelation of external assessment of learning due to the COVID19 pandemic, the Portuguese government is taking a step forward. With a gradual implementation until 2025, the reintroduction of external assessment of learning in the Portuguese education system foresees all national assessment tests and all national examinations in digital format with the implementation of the "External Assessment Dematerialization Project" (DAVE). However, assessment reforms, such as DAVE, raise concerns within school communities. To identify and analyze these concerns, we conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with head teachers from mainland Portugal. To understand to what extent these concerns were considered and covered in DAVE's design and implementation, a supplementary interview was conducted with the president of the Portuguese institute responsible for DAVE. In addition, a survey with 2 673 teachers was carried out to find out their degree of agreement with the implementation of DAVE. Results show that DAVE raises many concerns among head teachers, and it is not fully accepted by the teachers.

Despite growing interest in evaluating the social and emotional learning of students and the development of standardized assessment tools for this purpose, there remains a dearth of validated instruments for evaluating teachers' social and emotional skills. We set out to address this knowledge gap by investigating the psychometric characteristics of the Social-Emotional Competence Teacher Rating Scale (SECTRS) questionnaire, an instrument originally developed and validated in North America. Participants were 572 teachers from Italy (n=324), Latvia (n=139), and Portugal (n=109) ranging from 40 to 59 years of age. We performed confirmatory factor analysis procedures to validate a four-factor model measuring Teacher-student relationships, Emotion regulation, Social awareness, and Interpersonal relationships. The data supported this factorial structure, with a total of 14 items included in the final model. The outcomes of a multi-group comparison indicated that the model exhibited partial invariance, up to and including metric invariance, across the three cultural settings. We discuss these findings in relation to selecting appropriate instruments for assessing the social and emotional skills of teachers in different cultural contexts.

Concerns with educational quality have led to the implementation of external school evaluation (ESE), based on the premise that these processes can provide valuable information about schools and, consequently, create conditions for improvement. Improvement is based on the feedback, commonly in the form of an evaluation report, resulting from evaluations, describing the reality of each school, and providing clues and guidance for action and progress. Nonetheless, ESE still has a relatively weak impact on overall school improvement. With this in mind, this paper focuses on the potential of evaluation reports to promote improvement, aiming to answer the question: What kind of feedback on school self-evaluation (SSE) does ESE provide to schools? Focusing on the Portuguese case, the paper analyses the feedback regarding school self-evaluation provided in evaluation reports from the northern region of Portugal. The study concludes that the feedback provided in the reports is mainly descriptive and generic, referencing issues that apply to all schools rather than targeting issues specific to each school. This leads to the hypothesis that the vagueness of ESE feedback can explain the limited contribution external evaluations make towards SSE improvement in particular, and school improvement overall. The example of Portugal and self-evaluation can help bring to light where ESE processes are underperforming and require investment to achieve their goals.

Purpose: This article examines the use of English medium instruction (EMI) for teaching Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) by non-native speakers with a focus on multilingual classrooms. It also explores teachers' positive and negative beliefs about using EMI in classroom settings for JFL instruction. Methods and procedure: 274 non-native Japanese language teachers from around the world (57 countries) voluntarily participated in a survey, answering a questionnaire on Google Forms and Jotform. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The research instrument was piloted before the main study and was found to be effective and adequate to elicit the desired data. The research questions aimed to identify whether there were any relationships between the use of EMI and the multilingual classroom. Findings: The results showed a clear correlation between the extensive use of EMI and the multilingual character of JFL classrooms. Translanguaging turned out to be a common practice adopted by non-native Japanese teachers regardless of the primary language of instruction. The article concludes that EMI can be a valuable tool for JFL instruction in multilingual classrooms. Based on the investigation of the teachers' beliefs, the results showed a changing positive attitude towards English employed in JFL classrooms. Implications for research and practice: The findings can be used to further investigate EMI in JFL instructional practices in multilingual classrooms, improve the quality of JFL instruction and facilitate the integration of multilingual education into foreign language teaching. Future research can explore the effectiveness of EMI in different JFL contexts and investigate the impact of EMI on students' language learning outcomes.

This empirical cross-sectional study explored the effect of chronotypes on classroom behaviour. One hundred and forty young Portuguese children, from 1st to 4th grades, were examined regarding their chronotype and disruptive behaviours occurring in the classroom. Three groups of chronotypes (i.e., morning, intermediate and evening) were identified. The Chronotype Questionnaire for Children evaluated the chronotype of children, and the Conners Scale -- reduced version for teachers (self-report) identified the frequency of the following behaviours in the classroom: psychomotor agitation, inattention, and opposition. Multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of regression parameters showed that morning children are more agitated and impulsive compared to evening peers. Concerning academic achievement, students did not differ in the subjects Portuguese and Mathematics for both semesters when considering chronotype and controlling for covariates such as age and gender. Parental qualifications appeared as an influential covariate for the chronotype effect in disruptive behaviour. This evidence addresses the contributions of school policies and family supervision regarding young children: children have earlier evening chronotypes; chronotypes impact specific disruptive behaviours in the classroom; parents' education influences the sleep habits and behaviours of children in school; parents and schools need more support and evidence to correctly identify children's chronotypes, to understand how chronotype and sleep habits affect behaviours in the classroom, and to recognise that more studies should be replicated attending to the contextual factors of health outbreaks and war conflict. With reliable data, this study highlights concerns and novelties for education and psychology.

Understanding the relevant aspects of the construction of knowledge in science, as well as the elements that are an essential part of a scientific inquiry, need to be discussed in teacher training courses in the area of natural sciences. This study aimed to identify and classify investigative elements present in the conceptions of undergraduates from a university in Brazil and another in Portugal who will be working in basic education. This is a qualitative study using content analysis to identify categories based on the students' responses, and a quantitative approach using descriptive statistics to quantify the absolute frequency of each response. The data were obtained during a preparatory course on inquiry teaching given to 30 undergraduates from both countries in 2023 through the analysis of a problem situation involving forensic entomology. The results showed that the most frequent investigative elements present in the students' answers are the problem, the formulation of hypotheses, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and the conclusion.

Children's natural curiosity by everything around them is a premise for discovery. Natural phenomena such as the alternation between day and night, elements of nature such as the tree's leaves and their shapes and colors, daily routines as sorting waste, raise many questions in children, stimulating them towards scientific literacy trough what is familiar to them and their personal life experiences. In the science children's books, the concepts' approach sometimes difficult its understanding by children, due to the used vocabulary, the lack of an appealing narrative, among other aspects. In turn, children's literature books without any intention of promoting or developing ideas of science can, through their narrative and illustrations, in a more meaningful context for children, motivate the inquiring and the concepts' exploration. This work results from a presentation session of the children's book "From the outside to inside and from the inside to outside" to children of a Portuguese school of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education, by the authors which are also the researchers, having as aim create an environment based on questioning activity, supported in the story narrative, and develop children's divergent thinking in a context involving scientific ideas.

This study aims to identify how mathematics teachers understand whole-class discussions and to know the influence of lesson study on the way they orchestrate these discussions. This is a qualitative study, conducted with two groups of middle school teachers. We analyze data concerning three teachers, Patrícia, Marta, and Diana, collected through initial individual interviews and observation of three research lessons. Data are analyzed by discourse analysis, establishing a relationship between the discourse about the teachers' understanding of whole-class discussions in the initial interview and their subsequent orchestration of this lesson moment. From this relation, we consider the influence of the lesson studies on the teachers' orchestration practice. The teachers' discourse in the interviews suggest the existence of a tension between their understanding of the goals of a whole-class discussion and their practice in orchestrating the discussion, causing several challenges. The lesson study contributed to lower these tensions and challenges through the definition of a fluid lesson structure and the appreciation, selection and recording of the students' activity, enriching the discussion. However, carrying out effective questioning and managing time proved to be complex challenges that deserve attention from further research.

Background/purpose: While the existing literature explores the internalization of higher education, a significant gap remains in comprehending the motivations behind international students choosing Portuguese higher education. This study aims to address this gap by examining the motivations of a specific group within Portuguese universities: international students from Portuguese-speaking African countries. Materials/methods: The study was conducted with a qualitative approach using data obtained from biographical interviews with African Portuguese-speaking international students. The collected data were then analyzed according to content analysis. Results: The findings demonstrate that the students' motivations for studying at Portuguese higher education institutions varied. Their reasons include the international reputation of Portugal, the quality of its education, upon recommendation from family members, the Portuguese language, lower tuition fees compared to their home institutions, cultural proximity, scholarship opportunities, and the perception of Portugal as a safe country. Conclusion: Through an examination of the motivation of students from Portuguese-speaking African countries pursuing higher education in Portugal, this study provides fresh perspective on the existing literature concerning international student mobility. Opting to study in Portugal is seen as a chance for African students to access quality higher education and to obtain an academic degree with significant recognition in the country of origin, with anticipated positive impacts on the personal, social, and professional aspects of their lives.

Educational data mining has allowed for large improvements in educational outcomes and understanding of educational processes. However, there remains a constant tension between educational data mining advances and protecting student privacy while using educational datasets. Publicly available datasets have facilitated numerous research projects while striving to preserve student privacy via strict anonymization protocols (e.g., k-anonymity); however, little is known about the relationship between anonymization and utility of educational datasets for downstream educational data mining tasks, nor how anonymization processes might be improved for such tasks. We provide a framework for strictly anonymizing educational datasets with a focus on improving downstream performance in common tasks such as student outcome prediction. We evaluate our anonymization framework on five diverse educational datasets with machine learning-based downstream task examples to demonstrate both the effect of anonymization and our means to improve it. Our method improves downstream machine learning accuracy versus baseline data anonymization by 30.59%, on average, by guiding the anonymization process toward strategies that anonymize the least important information while leaving the most valuable information intact.

One of the main objectives of international large-scale assessments is to make comparisons between different countries, education policies, education systems, or subgroups. One of the main criteria for making comparisons between different groups is to ensure measurement invariance. The purpose of this study was to test the measurement invariance of the mathematics intrinsic motivation scale across 14 countries. For this purpose, the "students like learning mathematics" scale, which measures intrinsic motivation for mathematics, was included in the TIMSS 2019 cycle. The study sample consisted of a total of 152992 students, 70192 4th grade and 82800 8th grade students from 14 different countries participating in the TIMSS 2019 cycle. Measurement invariance was tested with Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MG-CFA) and Alignment Method. The mathematics intrinsic motivation scale provides only configural invariance according to MG-CFA at the 4th grade level, whereas the scale provides approximate invariance according to the alignment method. At the 8th grade level, the scale provides configural and metric invariance according to MG-CFA, whereas the scale provides approximate invariance according to the alignment method. The results indicate that the mathematics intrinsic motivation scale provides approximate measurement invariance at both grade levels and that comparisons can be made between the scores of the identified countries.

This quantitative survey using a structured questionnaire with closed questions and a sample of 340 participants from 20 courses (bachelor's and master's degrees) at public higher education institutions in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region of the Portuguese university (University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro) and polytechnic (Polytechnic Institute of Bragança) subsystem aims to list a group of proposals for reflection and future implementation that can fill or mitigate gaps and weaknesses identified in the disciplines of the curricula related to internships. The analysis of the data reveals indicators indicating the need for a (formal and conceptual) rethinking of inclusive intervention in the context of supervision in the field of teacher training. These indicators include problems with operating in a multifaceted educational setting, enhancing an interdisciplinary, integrated and inclusive approach, rearranging curriculum and reconsidering the functional profiles and competencies of teaching staff. Therefore, the construction of a professional culture that favors an integrative and inclusive approach through the assumption of a broad profile of professional competence capable of training the teacher in a multidimensional educational context is crucial. We evaluate the necessity of encouraging research of this type involving additional factors, populations and samples in order to enable the extrapolation of data and findings to a national level providing significance and technological foundations for decisions made within the context of public education policy.

Background/purpose: Despite progress in inclusive education policies, research has largely neglected the analysis of learning environments that are adjustable for all students. School gardens are learning environments that emphasize the broader view of participation on current perspectives of inclusion. This article discusses the possibilities and limitations of using school gardens in inclusive learning environments and their relations with different inclusive education national policies. Materials/methods: We performed a content analysis of inclusive education national policies and 16 learning activities tested and implemented in four schools from Slovenia, Spain, Greece, and Portugal participating in an exchange project which promoted teaching with school gardens supported by digital tools. Results: The study revealed illustrations of how activities that combine the use of school gardens with digital tools can emphasize collaboration and participation in inclusive learning approaches. However, fostering inclusive practices was found to be either constrained or promoted by each country's view of inclusion in educational policies. Conclusion: Integrating teacher collaboration and project-based learning with garden-based school activities fosters student collaboration and participation, while offering enriched sensorial experiences that benefit the learning and development of all students. School gardens also foster inclusion through deepening intercultural understanding and stronger student interactions that heighten awareness and normalization of diversity.

Purpose: This paper explores the potential of students' participation in the HW educational intervention programme based on participatory methodologies in promoting their environmental citizenship. Design/methodology/approach: Using a quasi-experimental design, 126 students were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups and filled out questionnaires before and after the HW intervention to evaluate environmental citizenship dimensions. Findings: The psychometric properties of a 16-item instrument to measure youth environmental citizenship were validated. After the HW intervention, the students' intervention group had a significant improvement in their sense of environmental efficacy. Research limitations/implications: The cross-sectional design of this study does not allow causal inferences to be made; further research should conduct longitudinal studies. Practical implications: Schools must promote educational experiences where students have opportunities for reflection and action in interaction in a climate of openness to dialogue and diversity with the involvement of different actors.

Research demonstrates that young people value mental health support that is tailored to their needs and preferences, rather than a "one size fits all" offer, which is often not equitably accessible (National Children's Bureau, 2021). Understanding young people's lived experiences across different sociocultural contexts is important. The aim of this research was to conduct an international qualitative study on the views of young people with lived experience and professionals, on proposed aspects of personalised support for anxiety and/or depression. Participatory action focus groups were conducted with N = 120 young people with lived experience of anxiety and/or depression (14-24 years) and with N = 63 professionals in Brazil, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Data were analysed using the rigorous and accelerated data reduction (RADaR) technique. Overall, although some country-specific differences were found in terms of what aspects of support young people found to be most important, individual preferences were considered stronger, furthering the view that support should be personalised to the needs of the individual young person. Young people experiencing anxiety and/or depression should be able to choose for themselves which aspects of support they would prefer in their own care and support plans, with families and mental health professionals providing guidance where appropriate, rather than removing the young person from the decision-making process altogether. It should also be ensured that the aspects of personalised support can be understood by young people and professionals from different contexts, including marginalised and minoritised groups and communities.

Given the high prevalence of multiple-choice examinations with formula scoring in medical training, several studies have tried to identify other factors in addition to the degree of knowledge of students which influence their response patterns. This study aims to measure the effect of students' attitude towards risk and ambiguity on their number of correct, wrong, and blank answers. In October 2018, 233 3rd year medical students from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, in Porto, Portugal, completed a questionnaire which assessed the student's attitudes towards risk and ambiguity, and aversion to ambiguity in medicine. Simple and multiple regression models and the respective regression coefficients were used to measure the association between the students' attitudes, and their answers in two examinations that they had taken in June 2018. Having an intermediate level of ambiguity aversion in medicine (as opposed to a very high or low level) was associated with a significant increase in the number of correct answers and decrease in the number of blank answers in the first examination. In the second examination, high levels of ambiguity aversion in medicine were associated with a decrease in the number of wrong answers. Attitude towards risk, tolerance for ambiguity, and gender did not show significant association with the number of correct, wrong, and blank answers for either examination. Students' ambiguity aversion in medicine is correlated with their performance in multiple-choice examinations with negative marking. Therefore, it is suggested the planning and implementation of counselling sessions with medical students regarding the possible impact of ambiguity aversion on their performance in multiple-choice questions with negative marking.

Studies into why young people choose to study journalism have often been informed by a belief in journalism's inherent worthiness within civil society. However, as surveys show decreasing trust in journalism and increasing avoidance of news in many countries, this article asks whether young people are being put off studying journalism in part because of rising public cynicism around its societal worth. The research compares data sets across multiple countries to explore whether there is a statistical relationship between attitudes among 18- to 20-year-olds toward trust in news and interest in learning to produce it.

Despite rising participation rates in Portugal, a gap persists between general and vocational upper secondary students' transition to higher education (HE). This study employs a qualitative methodology, specifically through content analysis of focus group discussions, to explore the factors influencing vocational students' reluctance towards higher education, amidst specific policies designed to aid their transition. Empirical findings suggest that vocational students may exhibit reservations stemming from self-perceived academic deficiencies, impacting their self-confidence in continuing their education at a HE level. Nevertheless, confidence in market-valued practical skills might motivate HE consideration within a vocational domain. Their practical focus also makes HE seem less immediately applicable in the labour market. Many prioritise integration into the workforce for short-run objectives, seeking breaks, experience and financial earnings. Aiming for earning and practicality, many lean towards the labour market over HE, even considering emigrating to achieve financial stability. The study emphasises the need for Portuguese educational policies to align vocational training with HE, supporting diverse student ambitions and holistic career paths.

This year-long action research (AR) study, conducted in the context of a physical education teacher education (PETE) program in Portugal, explored how critical reflection among preservice teachers (PSTs) developed in response to tailored questioning by an external facilitator (EF). Participants were six PSTs and the first author, who assumed the dual role of EF and researcher. Four AR cycles, each involving a self-reflection analysis, intervention, and the development of the PSTs' reflections were completed. During each AR cycle, the EF examined the PSTs' teaching-learning practices and views and generated tailored questions to support critical reflection. Data were collected through focus group interviews and written reflective journals. The EF also made participant observations to contextualize each PST's teaching-learning process, resulting in field notes. Using various question types (e.g. leading, probing, and procedural next-step questions) designed to address individual needs, PSTs progressed from a basic reflection level to thinking critically about their teaching-learning practices. The questions were helpful for PSTs in interpreting daily issues faced in teaching-learning and understanding the relevance of self-analysis and attention to learners' needs in fostering critical reflection. Given these results, we recommend that PETE programs incorporate a component or module explicitly promoting reflection on and analysis of PSTs' pedagogical practices.

One main argument for inclusion refers to the social benefits that students with SEN might have from being in contact with typically developing classmates. Students' sense of belonging to the classroom is also a relevant dimension of inclusion, given its importance for positive emotional and social development and academic motivation. Yet, studies specifically focused on students with SEN show mixed results regarding their sense of belonging. While some studies have highlighted the effect of classroom social networks on peer-related social experiences, to our knowledge no study has examined its effect on the sense of belonging. Thus, the goal of the current study is to examine the associations between the structure of classroom social networks, peer-related social experiences in the classroom and the sense of belonging of students with and without SEN. The participants were 914 students (56% boys, 10% SEN, average age 12.68) attending Portuguese schools. Contrary to what was expected, although students with SEN were, on average, more rejected and less accepted by the peer group than students without SEN, they did not differ in their levels of sense of belonging. In addition, the structure of classroom social networks was associated with students' belonging in unexpected ways. Results point to the importance of creating social conditions in the classroom to facilitate positive peer interactions and relationships, and the need for teachers to pay attention to the social structure of the classroom in order to create a positive atmosphere where all students feel accepted, respected, valued and a part of the classroom.

This text aims to revisit a practice developed in a course on art education within the Ph.D. programme in Arts Education at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto. We approached this space through the construction of a workbook that was practised during classes. The exercises aimed to reflect on the positionality we occupy and on art education as a field of practice/research built on several colonialities. The idea of theory as a practice enacted through questioning, displacements, staying in research and getting to know the archives we inhabit framed the work carried out. The text is an exercise in revisiting the workbook, activating it now through reading and outside the group of participants to which it was made. It is not linear in the sense of recounting the experience; rather, it seeks to blend today's writing with the exercises drawn from that workbook.

Introduction: Social self-efficacy refers to peoples' beliefs about their ability to establish effective social relationships. During adolescence, it has been related to positive social relationships, skills to cope with adverse experiences, and health. While prior research has focused on the general dimension of self-efficacy, this study aims to examine the reliability and validity of the subscale social self-efficacy in Spanish and Portuguese adolescents across gender, age, and country. Method: The sample, selected from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, was composed of 20,691 13-18-year-old adolescents from Spain and Portugal (48.2% boys and 51.8% girls). The scale's reliability and internal and external validity were examined systemically across sex, age, and country, as well as testing measurement invariance according to these variables. Results: Data showed adequate evidence of reliability ([alpha] = 0.85), as well as internal and external validity, thus demonstrating the scale's stability and applicability in similar research contexts. Conclusions: Social self-efficacy fosters individual and social well-being in youth, as well as healthy and positive development. Use of this subscale in evaluation and intervention programs could further our understanding about different dimensions of adolescent development.

In recent years, there has been considerable investment at the European Union level in expanding early childhood education and care (ECEC) facilities. In line with this quantitative substantial initiative, research and social policies are increasingly focusing on the quality of such facilities. High quality depends, among other things, on well-trained early childhood educators. This poses a dilemma for early childhood educators for various reasons; there is a shortage of skilled early childhood professionals, so that low-skilled staff are also being employed in early childhood education facilities. Online formats for professional development can contribute to the professionalisation of the ECEC system through vocational training. Since these formats are designed and produced to high professional and technical standards, they can be cost-effective thanks to their multiple uses and because they can often be completed by participants independent of time and location. This article presents an empirically studied blended e-learning training format based on the principles of co-constructivist didactics. The content focuses on the quality of interaction between early childhood professionals and children. Before and after the training course was completed, standardised non-participant observations were conducted in Austrian, German, Hungarian, Slovenian, Italian, and Portuguese early childhood education and care institutions. The before/after measurements (N = 43) showed a significant effect on the quality of interaction between the early childhood professionals and the children.

Editing techniques enable audiovisual producers to merge viewpoints of a single subject and condense time and space between scenes, leading to more engaging videos. However, for content aimed at young children, these techniques may compromise intelligibility if not correctly understood, thus posing a risk to the overall learning experience. This study investigates the impact of first-order editing techniques and various shot types on the effectiveness of educational videos for preschool children, comparing edited videos with continuous, unedited shots. A total of 92 Portuguese preschool children participated. Results showed no significant difference in learning outcomes between unedited videos (continuous shots) and edited videos (diverse shot types, such as wider and closer shots), with both groups demonstrating high success rates. These findings suggest that the cognitive load related to processing first-order editing techniques and different shot sizes does not hinder learning experiences. The study also highlights the importance of early exposure to audiovisual content in enhancing media sign literacy and promoting a better understanding of editing techniques. Our research supports the notion that preschool children can process and integrate first-order editing techniques and various shot types, thus enabling effective learning from edited videos when crucial visual information is centered on the screen. Future research should further explore the relationship between the comprehension of editing techniques and the level of exposure of children to audiovisual media across different content types.

Withdrawal from doctoral education has been recognized as a problem with negative consequences for different actors, leading researchers worldwide to explore its underlying factors and processes. However, even if many PhD candidates who withdrew intend to re-enrol, there is a gap in the literature regarding the factors and processes related to re-enrolment. The aim of this qualitative study is to understand pre- and post-withdrawal experiences of PhD candidates and the factors and processes related to withdrawal, dropout and re-enrolment, through the voices of PhD candidates who withdrew and faculty in social and health sciences in a Portuguese university. Our findings conceptualize withdrawal as a behavioural manifestation of disengagement processes comprising interacting emotional/affective, cognitive, and behavioural dimensions, which start before withdrawal, extend beyond it, and may culminate in dropout or re-engagement and re-enrolment. Factors and processes related to withdrawal, dropout, or re-enrolment were situated in various nested contexts. This study highlights the need for an academic cultural change, to envisage withdrawal as a process that does not necessarily mark the end of PhD candidates' incursion into doctoral education. It draws attention to the need to provide adequate working conditions for PhD candidates, and also to promote follow-up and communication with PhD candidates who withdrew.

The gap between public managers and academics has long been a topic of discussion in the field of public affairs. This article presents a successful strategy to bridge this gap: the creation and use of local case studies in executive education for Portuguese public managers. We found that the creation process, which included interviews with practitioners, allowed them to reflect on their work from the framework of academic theories. As for the use of cases in the classroom, the local aspect of the case studies - set in Portuguese institutions, and shaped by the local values, mores, and norms - fostered the appropriation of the subject matter and enhanced the sharing of experiences and ideas, combining academic theory with tacit knowledge from the field. We discuss examples of the observed benefits, as well as the challenges and possibilities of replicating the strategy in other contexts.

This paper presents a systematic framework of the most needed Vocational Education and Training (VET) reforms in The Azores, a Portuguese outermost region. Our report is based on a participatory research approach involving the perspectives of five different groups of stakeholders. Our data was collected in 18 virtual world-café sessions (n = 164 participants--58 trainees; 21 trainers; 42 institutional representatives; 21 unemployed people registered at local public employment agencies; and 22 businesspersons; M age = 45.20; 60.37 women). Based on content analysis, we identified three main priorities to restructure vocational training policies: (a) VET perception and valorization, comprising strategies to disseminate a more positive social representation of VET in the region; (b) horizontal coordination between stakeholders, including effective ways of coordinating and sharing information; and (c) vertical coordination in terms of VET improvements of "curricula," funding models, and investments in the sector's human capital. Our correspondence analysis did not show significant differences regarding the prevalence of the three priorities across the five groups of stakeholders. We interpret and contextualize our results according to relevant publicly available data about the region, and an integrated governance lens to inform policy design in outermost territories.

This study examines Portuguese teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education and how teachers' self-efficacy towards inclusion and other sociodemographic and professional variables relate and predict teachers' attitudes. In total, 539 Portuguese teachers participated. Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education scale, Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used to collect data. The results indicate that teachers' attitudes towards inclusion were generally positive. However, teachers-related variables (e.g., teachers' self-efficacy, teaching experience, previous training, and knowledge about educational laws and policies) influence teachers' attitudes in a complex and dynamic way. Implications for policies, practices and research are presented.

Academic integrity is part of the process that explains the communication of information in an ethical manner. Although the prevalence of dishonest acts at university has been noted, it is an aim of the educational system to analyse what motivates them from an age prior to their incorporation into university studies. The aim of this work is to collect the visual-narrative representation of academic plagiarism made by secondary school and university students, as well as to analyse their perception of it and discover the keys that explain this malpractice. A participatory study was carried out, in which two high school students took on the role of co-researchers in training. Information is collected from 178 students from three schools in Spain and Portugal through participatory photography or Photovoice. It is analysed with Maxqda22 software in two stages: (1) deductive analysis of the narratives, identifying categories and thematic codes, in a participatory way with the trainee researchers; and (2) inductive analysis of images and metaphorical expressions. The results allow us to outline three representations of the action of copying: as a punishable act, as a picaresque act and as a quick and easy opportunity for the student. This classification reveals the issues that dominate the discourse of the participants, suggesting the effects and causes that aggravate the commission of plagiarism: the simplicity of the process and the possibility of not being detected.

Children's writing depends on strategic and self-regulated behaviors as well as on attention and transcription skills. Despite the well-established effectiveness of interventions based on the self-regulated strategy development model (SRSD), little is known about their effects when combined with the explicit teaching and systematic training of attention or transcription. This study compared the effects of SRSD interventions that taught students a planning strategy and how to use it compose text, with additional components of attention (via focused meditation exercises) or transcription (via copy and alphabet exercises). We used a quasi-experimental design with three groups of Portuguese third graders: SRSD + attention (n = 42), SRSD + transcription (n = 37), and wait list (n = 34). Measures of transcription, executive functions, motivation, written production, and academic achievement were collected before and after the interventions. Analyses of co-variance revealed that the SRSD + transcription group surpassed the others in terms of handwriting fluency as well as in terms of spelling accuracy, though only among the weakest spellers at pretest. Moreover, in comparison to the wait list group, both SRSD groups showed better planning skills, wrote more complete texts, and displayed better executive functioning at posttest. After the intervention, though the SRSD + transcription group produced better texts than their peers, the SRSD + attention group achieved better academic performance, but only among those with poorer grades at pretest. Regarding motivation, we only found an effect of the SRSD + transcription intervention on self-efficacy for ideation, among students with lower self-efficacy at pretest. These findings suggest the importance of articulating writing and self-regulation strategies with attention and transcription training in early schooling.

Based on the expectancy-value perspective on identity and identity formation, this paper explores the relationship between math identity (MI) and the dimensions of motivation (i.e. intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value and perceived competence) and math achievement in primary school. An additional aim of our research was to explore these relationships in different cultural contexts and investigate potential gender and grade differences concerning MI. The participants were 11,782 primary school students from Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Portugal and Serbia. All predictors from the motivation spectrum were significant for students' MI across the examined countries and had a stronger association with MI than math achievement. Among the motivational dimensions, intrinsic value had the strongest association with students' MI. Boys had significantly more positive math identities than girls in Estonia, Finland, Norway and Portugal. The results showed that the grade 4 students perceived themselves less as "math persons" than their grade 3 peers in all countries.

Research has shown that some students who underperform in mathematics overestimate their performance, while others who excel in mathematics underestimate it. Looking at this mismatch of performance and confidence judgement--the Dunning-Kruger effect (DKE)--the current study investigates how well students' confidence judgement and item-specific mathematics competence relate with each other and whether such a relationship differs across six European countries (i.e., Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Serbia and Portugal). We also examine whether perceived competence, mathematics identity, gender, socioeconomic status and immigration background predict this mismatch and whether these demographic factors function differently between the examined countries. The results show that the DKE could be found across grades three and four in all six countries. However, there are country-specific patterns regarding the relationship between performance, mathematics identity and perceived competence; the DKE; and how different demographic variables predict its occurrences in particular subpopulations.

Mathematics teachers' beliefs are central to mathematics teaching and student learning. Because different aspects of motivation and affect--particularly enjoyment--primarily develop within the classroom context, examining how different teachers' beliefs may affect student outcomes in mathematics is imperative. The current study examines teachers' beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics in connection to students' motivation (i.e. intrinsic value, utility value and perceived competence) and enjoyment of mathematics across different settings by considering students' mathematics achievement, gender and classroom composition (i.e. socioeconomic and behavioural). Data were collected from 3rd- and 4th-grade mathematics teachers (N = 686) and their students (N = 11,782) in six countries (i.e. Norway, Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Estonia and Serbia). A two-level structural equation modelling technique (TSEM) (i.e. student level and classroom level) with random slopes was employed to address our research questions. The results indicate that students' intrinsic value and perceived competence positively relate to their enjoyment of mathematics in all six countries. Teachers' beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics moderate the within-classroom relationship between boys and girls and the motivation and enjoyment of learning mathematics in Portugal and Norway. Unlike boys, girls consistently perceive themselves as less competent in mastering mathematics, even in primary school. Classroom socioeconomic composition had a more pronounced influence on teachers' beliefs in Sweden, Norway and Serbia. In relation to teachers' beliefs, classroom behavioural composition was relevant in Estonia and Sweden. In Finland and Norway, classroom composition was essential to boys' and girls' differential motivation and enjoyment of mathematics learning.

Higher Education Institutions are expected to stimulate the innovation system and to contribute to the development of societies in a global perspective. Within this context, there is an increasing focus on internationalization. HEIs are developing institutional mechanisms to support internationalization while academics are expected to carry specific practices that allow them to improve the internationalization of knowledge production. At the same time, they are encouraged to engage with non-academic partners to co-produce and transfer knowledge, contributing, in this way, to economic and social development. Although there is some research on the impact of internationalization on academic entrepreneurship, studies on the effects in other dimensions of academic engagement with society are almost absent. This paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing the relationship between academics' internationalization practices and perceptions and the development of different types of academic engagement. Our analysis draws on quantitative analysis with data provided by an international survey (APIKS) and explores the Portuguese context. Findings show that the different practices and perspectives on internationalization impact differently on the way scientists engage. While there are positive effects of internationalization of research on engagement, the time academics stay abroad and the high focus on publishing in internationally high-rated journals may negatively affect academics' orientation towards the local community. This paper contributes to the debate on the role of the internationalization in the context of a knowledge-based society, considering different dimensions and a broad spectrum of knowledge-based engagement activities.

This article offers some reflections on education in the Portuguese state system, based on family experience. It contextualises the recent emergence of that system and describes characteristic elements of its organisation, culture, curriculum and practices.

This study aims to present the extent to which online education influenced the level of empathy displayed by university students. The research relies on a self-evaluated applied survey in two European countries: Portugal and Romania. The participants in this research are 1,085 students enrolled in Communication Studies programs. The purpose of this study is to unfold the connection between gender, exposure to digital technology, empathy level according to the Basic Empathy Scale applied to young adults, and online education self-perception that involves the use of webcams. Empathy can have positive effects on students' satisfaction and increase students' outcomes. The shift from a physical environment to a digital one brought significant challenges that most students and teachers were not ready for. The digital environment influences how empathy is expressed. The present research found evidence of a relationship between exposure to technology usage, emotional contagion, and gender. This suggests that understanding the emotions of others might be inhibited during digital education. Also, the most relevant factor of empathy variation in online education is gender. The findings of the present research may contribute to the design of activities or programs that could foster empathy expression during online education for young adults.

Advances in neuro-technology provide new insights into how individual students learn in educational contexts. However, applying it poses challenges for teachers in natural settings. This paper presents an example of the use and applicability of eye-tracking technology in Higher Education. We worked with a sample of 20 students from three universities (Burgos and Valladolid in Spain and Miño in Portugal). The objectives were: (1) to determine whether there were significant differences in indicators of cognitive effort (FC, FD, SC, PD, VC) found with eye-tracking technology between students with and without prior knowledge; (2) to determine whether there were clusters of learning behavior patterns among students; and (3) to analyze differences in the visualization of behavior patterns. A quasi-experimental design without a control group and a descriptive design were used. The results indicated significant differences in learning outcomes between students with and without prior knowledge. In addition, two clusters were found in indicators of cognitive effort. Finally, a comparative analysis of learning behavior patterns between students in cluster 1 vs. cluster 2 was performed. Eye-tracking technology makes it possible to record large data about the learning process. However, using it in natural educational settings currently requires teachers to have technological and data mining skills.

Teacher-family partnerships are crucial elements of high-quality early childhood education. The factors influencing these partnerships, particularly for children under age 3, are not well known. This study compares teachers' and mothers' perspectives on their partnership and the ideal practices they would like to see implemented. Additionally, it investigates child, family, and program-level factors predictive of partnership practices. Participants were mothers and teachers of 90 infants who completed the Real-Ideal Teacher-parents Partnership Scale; mothers rated child's temperament, and classroom quality was observed 6-months after infants entered childcare. Home environment was assessed before infants entered childcare. Both mothers and teachers reported a medium-high number of practices being implemented, but ideally, would like more practices to be implemented. The frequency of mother and teacher reports of real and ideal practices were significantly associated, although teacher reports were higher. Findings from the regression analyses showed that teacher level of education (having a Master) was uniquely and positively associated with both teachers' and mothers' reports of real partnership practices, and was significantly associated with teachers' reports of ideal partnership practices. Mothers' education level predicted their ideal partnership practices. Findings highlight the importance of teacher education for partnerships, especially considering the variability in legal requirements regarding qualifications for teaching infants across Europe.

The Escol@s Digitais Project, under development in all public primary schools of Amadora Municipality (Portugal), aims to support the process of digital transformation in school dynamics. In this article, we examine the meaning that the teachers who participate in this project attribute to the "digital school" concept. For this purpose, we mobilized a corpus of qualitative data obtained through an online questionnaire that included an open question, formulated in the following terms: "What do you think a `digital school´ could be?". The analysis carried out, with peer validation, highlighted three dimensions that help us to understand the "digital school" concept in a holistic way: the first dimension underlines the elementary requirements to ensure the digitalization process in schools (strategic dimension); the second dimension highlights the pedagogical potential of digital tools (pedagogical dimension); and the third dimension emphasizes a set of values and principles by which any school, more or less digital, should guide its action (axiological dimension). In conjunction with the results of recent studies, it is concluded that the ongoing digital transformation process, despite being complex and multifaceted, is necessary to raise education to a qualitatively higher level.

This study focuses on the analysis of school exclusion, which underlies and causes early school leaving, in 20 schools around Porto, Portugal. It is based on the qualitative and documental study of the personal school files of 25 youth, born between 1996 and 2003, who have left school and are now in a situation of social exclusion. We created a characterization grid for these "at-risk" students, and we have picked the following categories for the analysis of their schooling paths: early detection of misalignment processes between students and school; disruptive behaviour and corrective and punitive actions by schools; individual academic paths; main pedagogical recommendations devised by schools; and the articulation mode for these measures leading up to the exclusion from school. The study allows us to understand how these educational practices, through processes marked by humiliation and disqualification, create unteachable students, as well as make them solely accountable--together with their families--for their own academic failure, thus hiding the role of the schools as promoters of silent exclusion.

Globally, there is considerable investment in education technologies leading to increased attention from stakeholders (Trucano, 2017). For a deeper understanding about the implementation of various technologies, research is needed to examine how teachers are incorporating them in teaching and learning. This study focused on eight countries to examine how teachers used ICT in mathematics instruction and factors that contributed to ICT use. Results show that teachers' education levels and cooperation amongst educators are associated with ICT use in instruction. The paper includes recommendations and implications for practice and future research.

Previous research on gender differences in young people's digital development has shown that boys and girls differ in frequency and type of internet use, but vital gaps in the literature remain. In recent years, gender is increasingly considered to be a multidimensional concept with a growing number of young people identifying as non-binary (i.e. genderfluid, an umbrella term for gender identities that are not conforming to the male/female dichotomy). Non-binary youth more frequently engage with a variety of digital risks such as misinformation, cyberbullying, and co-rumination than binary youth. Despite this, no research so far has investigated how digital development differs between non-binary and binary youth. In this online survey study among adolescents in six European countries (N=6,221), we focus on differences in digital skills and digital activities. Non-binary youth tend to make greater use of the internet for content creation and mental and physical health information than boys and girls. They also report greater content creation skills than boys and girls. Disparities in terms of entertainment and social relationship use are also found. Furthermore, findings on digital skills indicate that non-binary youth closely mirror boys in this regard. We conclude with recommendations for future research that should help bolster our understanding of how digital contexts may predict the development and well-being of non-binary youth.

In the last two years, a growing number of studies have focused on the promotion of students' mental health to address the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, less studies have been conducted on sustaining teachers' mental health which has been affected by the sudden changes in online teaching and the difficulties in keeping and building relationship with students. Even before the pandemic, teaching has long been recognised as one of the most challenging occupations characterized by high levels of stress. Although the research highlighted the key role of mental health promotion among teachers, there is still a lack of programs enhancing teachers' wellbeing. This study examined the impact of the PROMEHS program, a school-based curriculum, on teachers' mental health. A total of 687 teachers participated in the study. Applying a pre- and post-training study design with experimental and waiting list groups, teachers were evaluated in social and emotional learning, resilience, and self-efficacy. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in all competences of the teachers in the experimental group compared to those in the waiting list group. The paper discusses the implications of the findings with recommendations for further studies in the area.

Developing socio-emotional skills is essential for improving university students' quality of life and subjective well-being. These skills also play a crucial role in initial teacher education, as they are responsible for their students' cognitive, emotional and social development. The objective of the present study is to analyse the perceived impact of an emotional education programme for teachers in training. A total of 56 student teachers, from seven different master's degree programmes, completed a six-session programme. The evaluation was conducted through an experiential portfolio, which included the challenges and dynamics experienced in terms of emotional experience, the meaning of these experiences, and the difficulties and gains. The results revealed that, despite some difficulties, participation in the programme was considered by the participants as contributing to their emotional literacy, such as the ability to express and understand their own emotions and those of others, and to a growing sense of empathy and connectedness. This study highlights the importance of continuously investing in teachers' socioemotional growth and competence during their training and teaching careers.

In a period strongly marked by constraints and abrupt societal changes, school leaders had to manage the pandemic crisis, guide changes, and find new solutions to respond to the demands of increasingly digitalised schools. In this context, a study was carried out to identify the main challenges faced by school leaders in Portugal and how digital technologies (DTs) were used by school leaders to address those challenges. From the methodological point of view, a questionnaire with closed and open questions on DTs during the COVID-19 pandemic was submitted to Portuguese school leaders between November 2020 and March 2021. Based on a descriptive statistical analysis of the closed questions and the content analysis of the open answers of 145 school leaders, the results point to aspects related to lack of training, lack of resources, widening inequalities and communication issues. The DTs are the same as used before. However, these technologies were used more frequently. These findings imply the need to invest in continuous training for school leaders in managing crises, how to optimise the use of DT in schools; and to capitalise on internal and external partnerships in collaborative efforts and to network to overcome the lack of resources, social needs, and inequalities. The lessons learned during the process of finding and evaluating solutions can contribute to improving school management processes in crises, in a post-pandemic future.

This study addresses the growing interest in transformative experiences in international academic tourism from a managerial and consumer perspective. While the managerial perspective focuses on delivering highly personalized experiences that profoundly impact each individual, the consumer perspective emphasizes inner transformation and personal growth. Despite recent developments in understanding transformative experiences, comprehensive empirical studies encompassing both consumer and managerial perspectives, as well as focusing on academic tourism remain limited. To fill this gap, the research conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with international academic tourists, integrating both managerial and consumer perspectives. The study confirmed previously identified dimensions of transformative experiences and unveiled a novel facet related to intended achievements. Additionally, the findings corroborated that academic tourists undergo transformative experiences during their study abroad programs. This research contributes valuable insights to academia and the tourism industry, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of transformative experiences in the context of international academic tourism.