Skip to main content
Susana Mira Leal
  • University of the Azores, Portugal.
    School of Social Sciences & Humanities, Department of Education
    orcid.org/0000-0002-2734-0342
  • (+351)296650010
Prefácio Este livro, intitulado A Aprendizagem da Escrita no Ensino Básico, é, em primeiro lugar, o resultado de um trabalho de natureza acadé-mica. Nessa perspetiva, ele constitui o relato de um trabalho rigoroso que, devidamente... more
Prefácio
Este livro, intitulado A Aprendizagem da Escrita no Ensino Básico, é, em primeiro lugar, o resultado de um trabalho de natureza acadé-mica. Nessa perspetiva, ele constitui o relato de um trabalho rigoroso que, devidamente sustentado do ponto de vista teórico, caracteriza um objeto – a escrita nos manuais escolares do 5.º ano de escolaridade. Essa caracterização decorre da implementação de um procedimento metodológico rigoroso, que implicou a construção de um sistema de categorias relativamente extenso que cruza o objeto de estudo em duas dimensões: a da ação sobre o contexto de produção escrita e a da ação sobre o processo de escrita. Assumindo que o manual escolar, enquanto instrumento reconfigu-rador das orientações programáticas emanadas da tutela, tem um importante papel de regulação das práticas pedagógicas e constitui, portanto, uma importante fonte de conhecimento do que acontece nas salas de aula, esta obra, para além de evidenciar algum desfasamento entre as propostas de abordagem da escrita e as referidas orientações programáticas, traça um quadro do ensino da escrita que não parece ser muito diferente daquele que outros trabalhos, desenvolvidos ao longo das últimas três décadas, foram evidenciando. Na verdade, apesar do intenso movimento de investigação sobre a escrita que se vem desenvolvendo desde o último quartel do século XX, do qual decorrem profundas implicações relativamente ao modo como olhamos para a escrita e naturalmente para a sua abordagem no contexto da escola, e das sucessivas revisões programáticas que, em maior ou menor grau, foram incorporando algumas dessas perspetivas, é possível identificar, a partir da análise realizada nesta obra, um conjunto de traços configuradores de uma conceção tradicional da escrita como objeto escolar. Destacamos, a partir da conclusão desta obra, alguns desses traços: a associação da produção escrita a atividades de “compreensão de textos literários”; a predominância de práticas viradas para a “expressão da experiência pessoal”, da “sensibilidade” e do “imaginário”; a insistência na produção de textos do tipo narrativo; a perceção da escrita como “atividade predominantemente individual”; a não consideração da
6 A Aprendizagem da Escrita no Ensino Básico diversidade de “intenções discursivas”; a “existência de uma certa “artificialidade das práticas de escrita”, raramente “equacionadas numa efetiva lógica comunicativa” que pressuponha a dimensão da “circulação social dos textos”. Refira-se ainda uma tendência para “o uso do suporte de papel, evidenciando-se uma fraca adesão à utilização do computador como ferramenta de produção, revisão e apresentação cuidada de textos, em prol da comunicação e partilha de conhecimentos”. Do movimento de investigação sobre a escrita acima referido, o único aspeto que, de algum modo, se evidencia nas propostas de abor-dagem da escrita tem a ver com a conceção processual da mesma, traduzida na assunção da planificação, textualização e revisão como conceitos chave, embora se possa questionar se os mesmos são vistos em toda a sua extensão, isto é, tal como são perspetivados original-mente no modelo de Flower e Hayes, ou seja como componentes, que, recursivamente, emergem no quadro de um processo cognitivo com-plexo e não como meras fases de uma sequência de tarefas que que o texto escrito é o resultado. O interesse deste livro não se confina, no entanto, à sua condição de trabalho de investigação, avaliável em função da relevância do conhe-cimento produzido e da adequação da metodologia seguida nessa construção. Ele pode ser encarado como uma ferramenta de trabalho para os professores de Português, já que nele é possível encontrar pistas interessantes para a abordagem da escrita na escola. As categorias de análise, organizadas em dois vetores e concretizadas num conjunto de subcategorias e indicadores, não só evidenciam a extensão e a complexi-dade da escrita como providenciam um elenco de aspetos, muitos deles normalmente ignorados, que deveriam necessariamente ser trabalhados na aula quando se assume como objetivo a promoção de competências de expressão escrita. Esta obra pode ainda constituir uma ajuda aos professores no momento em que são chamados a tomar decisões relativas à adoção de um manual já que, a partir das categorias de análise propos-tas, é possível definir critérios relevantes a ter em conta nesse contexto. Também os editores, os autores de manuais e os avaliadores dos mesmos poderão ser vistos como destinatários deste texto, devendo as conclusões aqui apresentadas ser objeto de uma profunda reflexão da sua parte. Na verdade, aqui se evidencia que o modo como se trabalha a escrita na escola não parece ser o mais adequado e continua a ser necessária uma profunda transformação nesse campo. E os manuais escolares, pela força reguladora que possuem, podiam dar um impor-tante contributo nesse sentido. José António Brandão Carvalho
Os resultados da investigação e das estatísticas educativas nacionais e internacionais evidenciam reiteradamente a necessidade de transformar o processo de ensino e aprendizagem da leitura com vista a promover nas crianças o prazer na... more
Os resultados da investigação e das estatísticas educativas nacionais e internacionais evidenciam reiteradamente a necessidade de transformar o processo de ensino e aprendizagem da leitura com vista a promover nas crianças o prazer na leitura, a vontade de aprofundar conhecimentos e competências neste domínio e a valorização destes no seu processo de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento. Sustentados em perspetivas teóricas e orientações curriculares atuais, empreendemos, no âmbito da nossa ação pedagógica, estratégias didáticas diversas que permitissem alcançar um conjunto de objetivos traçados com vista a aprofundar competências de leitura em crianças em idade pré-escolar e no 1.º ciclo do ensino básico, bem como o gosto destas pela leitura.
Research Interests:
"O trabalho de Susana Mira Leal - O Português no Ensino Secundário: Transformações, tensões e dinâmicas de apropriação e recontextualização curricular - dá um inestimável contributo para uma compreensão mais aprofundada e para um debate... more
"O trabalho de Susana Mira Leal - O Português no Ensino Secundário: Transformações, tensões e dinâmicas de apropriação e recontextualização curricular - dá um inestimável contributo para uma compreensão mais aprofundada e para um debate mais informado sobre os modos como a disciplina de Português é concebida e praticada nas nossas escolas. Fá-lo analisando práticas de professores e alunos num contexto de reforma do currículo, contexto particularmente favorável à emergência de entendimentos diversos, por vezes antagónicos, sobre o que é ensinar e aprender português.
A autora toma como objeto do seu estudo as apropriações da reforma curricular do ensino secundário desencadeada a partir de 1997. O quadro teórico e concetual que é mobilizado, a metodologia, plural, que é utilizada e a discussão que é feita dos resultados obtidos disponibilizam, no seu conjunto, referenciais, instrumentos de análise e modos de ler o real de grande pertinência e produtividade.
O estudo permite-nos aceder ao modo como professores e alunos, envolvidos num processo de mudança curricular, recontextualizam em diferentes espaços escolares, que não apenas na aula, as orientações oficiais, como se posicionam perante elas e como as integram em diferentes produções discursivas. Permite-nos compreender, também, os princípios e os dispositivos que estruturam o campo do ensino do Português.
O estudo de Susana Mira Leal que agora é publicado representa, por tudo isto, uma obra cuja leitura será da maior relevância não apenas para todos aqueles que têm o ofício de ensinar Português, mas também para os que buscam melhor compreender um domínio particularmente importante do currículo escolar, aquele em que educação e linguagem se articulam de forma mais complexa."

Rui Vieira de Castro (Professor Catedrático da Universidade do Minho)
Research Interests:
As profundas alterações ao nível social e económico, das dinâmicas de trabalho e emprego, da estrutura e funcionamento das organizações, têm vindo a reclamar uma atenção crescente às questões da formação de adultos. Esta atenção aparece... more
As profundas alterações ao nível social e económico, das dinâmicas de trabalho e emprego, da estrutura e funcionamento das organizações, têm vindo a reclamar uma atenção crescente às questões da formação de adultos. Esta atenção aparece consubstanciada num conjunto já significativo de documentos europeus de referência na área da educação e da formação , que visam, entre outros aspetos, estimular o prosseguimento, nos diferentes países, de políticas no domínio da aprendizagem ao longo da vida.
Neste enquadramento, em Portugal, os responsáveis governativos e educativos têm vindo a investir na concretização de um conjunto de medidas de ação educativa e formativa que passam pelo prolongamento da escolaridade obrigatória, pela adequação e qualidade das ofertas formativas, de nível básico, secundário e superior, pela valorização de conhecimentos, competências e experiências profissionais, entre outros aspetos.
Também o setor privado tem vindo a reconhecer cada vez mais a importância do desenvolvimento do seu potencial humano para fazer face às exigências de modernização, produtividade e competitividade que se lhe colocam atualmente, ainda para mais num ambiente de elevada retração económica como o que o país atravessa. Neste sentido, as organizações têm vindo a incrementar e a adequar as suas estratégias de formação de recursos humanos, com vista a facilitar o desenvolvimento de diferentes competências, entre as quais as de comunicação, criatividade e inovação, flexibilidade, adaptação e resolução de problemas, nos seus colaboradores.
Atendendo, assim, à importância das questões da formação no mundo atual, investigadores e técnicos propuseram-se olhar para esta problemática do ponto de vista das suas áreas de conhecimento e intervenção, produzindo contributos que deram origem à obra FORMAÇÃO DE ADULTOS: DESAFIOS, ARTICULAÇÕES E OPORTUNIDADES EM TEMPO DE CRISE.
O livro encontra-se organizado em quatro partes. A primeira, mais extensa, pela sua natureza enquadradora, intitula-se Formação: que desafios?. Nela, reflete-se sobre alguns reptos que a formação enfrenta hoje, convidando o leitor a problematizar o próprio conceito e a discutir objetivos, conteúdos e modalidades de formação de adultos. A segunda parte, Formação, trabalho e emprego: que articulações?, analisa a articulação entre o sistema educativo e formativo e o mercado de trabalho, tomando como referência questões de idade e género, e discute políticas para a empregabilidade. Na terceira parte, cujo título é Formação, recursos humanos e empreendedorismo: que oportunidades?, equaciona-se o papel da formação em recursos humanos e empreendedorismo para compreender e lidar de forma mais eficaz com a complexidade atual dos contextos organizacionais e empresariais. Por último, a quarta parte, Formação nas empresas: dois testemunhos, oferece depoimentos de práticas de formação em empresas nacionais, procurando dar conta das mais-valias provindas desse investimento formativo.
Espera-se que a leitura desta obra permita ao leitor expandir e/ou aprofundar as suas reflexões acerca das problemáticas discutidas em cada capítulo, encontrar resposta para algumas das suas inquietações profissionais e estimular uma atitude otimista e empreendedora, capaz de gerar novas ideias e perseguir novas soluções."
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT
... Susana Mira Leal Universidade dos Açores & Centro de Investigação em Educação da Universidade do Minho leal@uac.pt Odília Machado Escola Básica Integrada da Praia da Vitória Mónica Monteiro Escola Básica Integrada da Praia da... more
... Susana Mira Leal Universidade dos Açores & Centro de Investigação em Educação da Universidade do Minho leal@uac.pt Odília Machado Escola Básica Integrada da Praia da Vitória Mónica Monteiro Escola Básica Integrada da Praia da Vitória Filomena Rebelo ...
"This century has brought upon significant changes in Portuguese language curriculum in Portugal; one of those was the approval of a new syllabus for basic education (Reis, 2009). In order to help teachers understand the new curricular... more
"This century has brought upon significant changes in Portuguese language curriculum in Portugal; one of those was the approval of a new syllabus for basic education (Reis, 2009). In order to help teachers understand the new curricular guidelines and change their teaching and assessment methodologies, the Bureau for Innovation and Curriculum Development organized a training program which involved teachers from the various schools, educational cycles, and regions of Portugal.
Some were from the Portuguese Autonomous Regions of Azores, and they became responsible for conducting the training process in the archipelago, under the supervision of the Regional Secretary of Education and a university professor.
That training process started in 2009 and it was organized in three phases. Phases one and two lasted from 2009 to 2011. They involved approximately eight dozens of Portuguese language teachers from eight islands of the archipelago and half a dozen of formers. The process included classroom training and distance learning, planning tasks, didactic material construction and experimentation, as well as peer work in schools. The third phase lasted from 2011 to 2013. It was mostly based on peer work in schools, under the supervision of the teachers who participated in the previous phases.
This process is now being researched in order to analyze teachers’ representations on its organization, relevance, impact and constraints, as well as on the new curriculum guidelines (changes, adequacy and demands).
It uses a mixed methodology based on content analysis on documents produced by the teachers who participated in the training process (portfolios, reports, and didactic sequences) and their testimonies on online forums, as well as on a questionnaire, test results and a study case.
We here present some preliminary results on how teachers evaluate the training process based on content analysis on their individual reports."
The Secondary Education Curricular Restructuring that recently took place in Portugal presented meaningful transformations in the field of Portuguese language curricula. This paper presents a fraction of the data gathered between 2003 and... more
The Secondary Education Curricular Restructuring that recently took place in Portugal presented meaningful transformations in the field of Portuguese language curricula. This paper presents a fraction of the data gathered between 2003 and 2008 in a study we carried out in the Portuguese Azorean Archipelago, which followed other studies in the area such as Poulson, Radnor & Turner-Bisset (1996) and Dionísio et al. (2005). The study aimed at analysing the curricular appropriation process developed by Portuguese language teachers. We here discuss how teachers monitored and took part in the reform movement, what transformations they attribute to the new Portuguese language teaching curricular framework over the previous curricular frameworks in Secondary Education, and how they assess them, as regards their own expectations, previous knowledge, practices and values, as well as in terms of the reform meaningfulness and its suitability to contexts, …).
What must students learn in mother tongue classrooms is no consensual topic (Ball & Lacey, 1982; Brumfit, 1995; Cox, 1991; Poulson, Radnor & Turner-Bisset, 1996; Castro, 2005). Curricular policies in the field do not only tend to follow... more
What must students learn in mother tongue classrooms is no consensual topic (Ball & Lacey, 1982; Brumfit, 1995; Cox, 1991; Poulson, Radnor & Turner-Bisset, 1996; Castro, 2005). Curricular policies in the field do not only tend to follow the configuration of the educational systems as a whole as they often interact with other systems (social values, political programs, scientific fields, economics, technological innovations, media discussions, ...). Whatever policy, from the office to the classroom goes, however, some distance. Language teaching practices are somehow influenced by teachers’ opinions, values and routines, and language learning processes are not disconnected from students’ language learning experiences or opinions. In face of the recent transformations in Portuguese language education in Portugal, we inquired more than five hundred 11th grade students from the Archipelago of the Azores. In this paper we present some of the data we gathered as we asked them questions such as: Should Portuguese language learning be compulsory in secondary education? Why so? What profile must a Portuguese language teacher have? What should students learn in Portuguese language classrooms in secondary education? Which teaching strategies should Portuguese language teachers use?
In a context of swift and continuous scientific, technological, socio-economical and environmental change, teachers must become more and more aware of the complexity of the educational process and continually analyze their actions,... more
In a context of swift and continuous scientific, technological, socio-economical and environmental change, teachers must become more and more aware of the complexity of the educational process and continually analyze their actions, responsibilities and roles.
Commonly, teachers regret the scarcity and inadequacy of lifelong training programs, the time they involve and the gap between theory and practice. They must understand they can better meet the educational challenges they face if they engage in collaborative research projects.
One of the greatest challenges teachers face daily has to do with students' lack of interest in learning what society thinks they should learn. In this paper, we present some data from a research project (Research for a Relevant Curriculum) that illustrates how collaborative action research can help teachers think their practices and improve their teaching skills aiming for their students’ motivation and success (Sousa & Valadão, 2008).
RRC is a collaborative action research project developed in the Azores (Portugal). It involves twelve teachers of basic education from two islands of the Archipelago (São Miguel and Terceira) and four researchers from the University of Azores. In 2009, RRC established an international partnership with teachers and researchers from Bucharest, Romania (ENCUR), and, in July, 2010, organized the first Portuguese-Romanian Colloquium on Curriculum Issues, which took place in Terceira, Azores. The second edition is already being prepared and will take place in 2011, in Bucharest.
Research Interests:
Neste texto, procedemos a uma reflexão sobre o modo como a Formação em Contexto de Trabalho (FCT) aparece regulamentada e se desenvolve em algumas escolas do ensino profissional da Região Autónoma dos Açores. Partindo da análise de... more
Neste texto, procedemos a uma reflexão sobre o modo como a Formação em Contexto de Trabalho (FCT) aparece regulamentada e se desenvolve em algumas escolas do ensino profissional da Região Autónoma dos Açores. Partindo da análise de regulamentos internos e de regulamentos da FCT de cinco escolas profissionais da ilha de S. Miguel e de um inquérito por questionário realizado a professores orientadores da FCT das mesmas escolas, discutimos a importância da supervisão da FCT e o papel do(s) orientador(es) na formação, apresentando um conjunto de sugestões com vista ao incremento da qualidade dos processos e resultados da FCT.
"As alterações nas políticas curriculares demandam mudanças nas práticas docentes. A extensão e alcance dessas mudanças decorrem, entre outros aspetos, do modo como os professores se apropriam dessas alterações e as recontextualizam.... more
"As alterações nas políticas curriculares demandam mudanças nas práticas docentes. A extensão e alcance dessas mudanças decorrem, entre outros aspetos, do modo como os professores se apropriam dessas alterações e as recontextualizam.
Esse processo não é simples, nem rápido ou linear. É atravessado por tensões e dinâmicas (Mira Leal, 2012) que têm lugar privilegiado na escola, ora de forma informal, por iniciativa e organização dos próprios professores, ora de forma formal, por vontade e programação da tutela ou dos responsáveis escolares, podendo ser impulsionado por iniciativas formativas externas.
Assim sucedeu, no país e na Região Autónoma dos Açores (RAA), na sequência da promulgação em 2009 do atual programa de Português do Ensino Básico. O processo formativo então iniciado teve como objetivo central apoiar os professores de Português na apropriação do novo enquadramento curricular e facilitar transformações nas suas práticas.
Na RAA, o processo compreendeu, nas duas primeiras fases (2009-2011), formação presencial e a distância de cerca de oito dezenas de professores de Português do EB das diversas ilhas, dinamizada por uma equipa de formadores acreditada para o efeito, e a “replicação” dessa formação nas respetivas escolas; e, numa terceira fase (2011-2013), um trabalho colaborativo dinamizado, ao nível das escolas, por equipas de acompanhamento constituídas por formandos e formadores envolvidos nas fases anteriores da formação.
Neste trabalho damos conta de alguns resultados do estudo em curso com vista à compreensão e discussão desse processo formativo nas suas variadas dimensões e implicações educativas. Os resultados apresentados referem-se especificamente à segunda fase da formação e respeitam às representações dos formandos acerca da adequação, utilidade e impacto dos processos formativos empreendidos, bem como acerca dos constrangimentos experimentados. Os dados apresentados resultaram da análise de conteúdo de relatórios produzidos pelos formandos.
"
"As elevadas taxas de abandono e insucesso escolar constituem um desafio para as escolas e demais responsáveis educativos. Em resposta, os governos têm reforçado políticas de diferenciação curricular e pedagógica. A implementação de... more
"As elevadas taxas de abandono e insucesso escolar constituem um desafio para as escolas e demais responsáveis educativos. Em resposta, os governos têm reforçado políticas de diferenciação curricular e pedagógica. A implementação de programas educativos orientados para a recuperação de escolaridade é uma das medidas que tem vindo a ser adotada na Região Autónoma dos Açores.
De entre esses programas, destacamos o Oportunidade, atualmente em vigor na Região. Criado em 2001, este programa foi substituído temporariamente (entre 2006/2007 e 2008/2009) pelo Percurso PERE (Programas Específicos de Recuperação da Escolaridade), tendo sido retomado em 2009 e, entretanto, reformulado em 2010 e 2011, contando com quatro subprogramas: Oportunidade I, Oportunidade II, Oportunidade III e Oportunidade Profissionalizante.
Em 2009/2010, desenvolveu-se um estudo descritivo e interpretativo, que teve como propósitos, entre outros aspetos, apreender as representações de professores do 1.º e do 2.º ciclo relativamente ao subprograma Oportunidade I e aos alunos que o frequentam e compreender as especificidades do trabalho pedagógico desenvolvido por aqueles no âmbito do referido subprograma.
Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas a 15 professores do 1.º e do 2.º ciclo das 8 escolas básicas integradas da ilha de S. Miguel que trabalhavam à data com alunos do subprograma Oportunidade I.
Ao desvelar o pensamento dos professores acerca da relevância e adequação desses programas, dos alunos que os frequentam e do trabalho pedagógico realizado no contexto, este estudo apoia a avaliação dos programas de recuperação da escolaridade implementados na Região Autónoma dos Açores, em particular, ao mesmo tempo que levanta questões relativamente às políticas e práticas educativas que buscam o combate ao abandono e ao insucesso escolar, em geral."
"A recente revisão curricular do ensino secundário introduziu um conjunto de alterações na área do Português, quer ao nível dos planos de estudo, quer dos programas, que representam uma significativa transformação nas orientações oficiais... more
"A recente revisão curricular do ensino secundário introduziu um conjunto de alterações na área do Português, quer ao nível dos planos de estudo, quer dos programas, que representam uma significativa transformação nas orientações oficiais para a área.
Os estudos mostram, contudo, que as transformações no discurso oficial não determinam transformações nas concepções e práticas dos professores. São sujeitas a um processo de reconstrução dos seus sentidos e procedimentos, um processo que Bernstein (1994) designa por apropriação.
De igual modo, os estudos sugerem que a adesão dos professores às mudanças curriculares depende da avaliação que fazem daquelas: tendem a assumi-las quando as percepcionam necessárias, potencialmente eficazes na resolução de um problema e quando têm o apoio necessário para as levar a cabo (Day, 2001); tendem a rejeitá-las quando as consideram pouco claras ou congruentes, não relevantes ou adequadas aos contextos em que actuam, demasiado exigentes do ponto de vista emocional ou intelectual (Doyle & Ponder, 1977-78), complexas, conceptuais e longitudinais (Duffy & Roehler, 1986), ou desajustadas às condições físicas e materiais das escolas, às características cognitivas e comportamentais dos alunos ou ao tempo de que dispõem para as implementar (Ducros & Finkelstein, 1990).
Na linha de trabalhos como os de Poulson, Radnor & Turner-Bisset (1996) e Dionísio et al (2005), que têm procurado compreender o impacto das transformações curriculares nas representações e práticas dos professores no campo das línguas de escolarização, desenvolvemos, a propósito das mais recentes transformações introduzidas na área do Português ao nível secundário, um estudo de natureza descritiva-interpretativa, que procurou compreender o(s) modo(s) e processo(s) de apropriação daquelas alterações pelos professores da área na Região Autónoma dos Açores.
Neste trabalho, procuramos dar conta de algumas das conclusões a que chegámos, no que respeita i) ao acompanhamento das transformações curriculares por parte dos professores da área do Português, ii) ao grau de conhecimento que tinham do programa de Português à data da sua implementação, iii) às alterações que reconhecem naquele comparativamente com os das disciplinas antecedentes (Português A e Português B), e iv) à forma como se posicionam relativamente àquelas."
Tem-se intensificado a discussão em torno dos desafios que se colocam ao professor no século XXI, e bem assim do seu perfil, conhecimentos e competências para fazer face a esses desafios. Tem-se relevado a este nível a importância de uma... more
Tem-se intensificado a discussão em torno dos desafios que se colocam ao professor no século XXI, e bem assim do seu perfil, conhecimentos e competências para fazer face a esses desafios. Tem-se relevado a este nível a importância de uma formação inicial e contínua capaz de promover, para além de conhecimentos e competências de natureza científica e pedagógica, a autonomia, a criatividade e a reflexão crítica, o espírito colaborativo, a abertura à pesquisa e à inovação, o empreendedorismo investigativo e a fluência tecnológica.
Partilhando deste entendimento comum relativamente aos objectivos a assumir na formação de professores em geral, procuramos aqui reflectir sobre as singularidades de que se deve revestir a formação dos professores de Português, considerando a especificidade do seu ofício em face da especificidade da aula de Português e dos objectivos formativos que, em nosso entender, aquela deve hoje prosseguir.
Aprender a língua materna é uma necessidade e um direito de cada cidadão reconhecido na Declaração Mundial sobre Educação para Todos (1990). As disciplinas de língua materna ocupam por isso lugar cativo nos curricula escolares. Em... more
Aprender a língua materna é uma necessidade e um direito de cada cidadão reconhecido na Declaração Mundial sobre Educação para Todos (1990). As disciplinas de língua materna ocupam por isso lugar cativo nos curricula escolares. Em Portugal, as atuais disciplinas de Língua Portuguesa e Português acompanham o aluno ao longo do percurso escolar. Quer isso dizer considerar-se fundamental que os jovens portugueses tenham uma formação mínima de nove anos na sua língua mãe.
Tradicionalmente, aquelas disciplinas têm assumido a transmissão geracional de um dado património linguístico-literário, que se pressupõe meio para proporcionar aos cidadãos o conhecimento linguístico e as ferramentas necessárias para a construção identitária e para o exercício social e profissional. Uma expectativa reiteradamente gorada. As taxas de insucesso nas disciplinas de Português são altas; o insucesso noutras áreas disciplinares é frequentemente associado a dificuldades de compreensão escrita e oral dos alunos; estudos internacionais sobre literacia na leitura têm denunciado um défice de competências comunicacionais básicas entre os alunos portugueses.
A aula de Português tem falhado os seus objetivos fundamentais e um diagnóstico de fracasso deve impulsionar dinâmicas de transformação. Nesta intervenção discutimos as potencialidades do modelo comunicativo para a promoção de competências comunicacionais fundamentais ao desenvolvimento cognitivo, à integração social e à inserção profissional dos cidadãos.
A revisão do currículo da escolaridade secundária desenvolvida em Portugal entre 1999 e 2006 comportou uma significativa transformação na área do Português. As orientações programáticas para a disciplina de Português criada no contexto,... more
A revisão do currículo da escolaridade secundária desenvolvida em Portugal entre 1999 e 2006 comportou uma significativa transformação na área do Português. As orientações programáticas para a disciplina de Português criada no contexto, acesamente criticadas na esfera pública, deram início, entre os professores da área, a um processo dinâmico de (re)interpretação colectiva dos novos princípios e orientações programáticas e das respectivas possibilidades de recontextualização pedagógica, que procurámos compreender num estudo desenvolvido na Região Autónoma dos Açores.
A investigação em referência incluiu um estudo de caso desenvolvido numa escola secundária da ilha de S. Miguel, que compreendeu a entrevista e a observação das práticas interaccionais ocorridas entre os professores responsáveis pela leccionação da nova disciplina de Português nas sessões de trabalho conjunto realizadas entre o final do ano lectivo de 2002/2003 e o início do de 2004/2005, tendo desvelado as dinâmicas de liderança individual dentro dos grupos observados e o seu impacte no processo de ‘leitura’ e recontextualização pedagógica das novas orientações programáticas para a área do Português.
A democratização do ensino em Portugal ocasionou a heterogeneidade da população escolar. Desta decorreu o aumento das taxas de abandono e insucesso escolar, um dos principais desafios da escola de hoje. Em resposta a este desafio, e... more
A democratização do ensino em Portugal ocasionou a heterogeneidade da população escolar. Desta decorreu o aumento das taxas de abandono e insucesso escolar, um dos principais desafios da escola de hoje.
Em resposta a este desafio, e tendo em vista a igualdade de oportunidades no acesso à educação e a promoção socioeconómica e cultural do povo português, o país e as regiões autónomas têm reforçado políticas de diferenciação curricular e pedagógica.
A implementação de Programas Específicos de Recuperação de Escolaridade (PERE) é uma das medidas adoptadas na Região Autónoma dos Açores. De entre estes programas, que têm vindo a assumir designações e características diversas ao longo da última década, destacamos o programa Oportunidade, actualmente em vigor na nossa Região.
Em 2009/2010, desenvolvemos um estudo que teve como propósitos apreender as representações de professores do 1.º e 2.º Ciclos relativamente a estes programas e aos alunos que os frequentam, compreender as especificidades do trabalho pedagógico desenvolvido no contexto e o impacto deste no desenvolvimento e satisfação pessoal e profissional daqueles professores.
Tratou-se de um estudo qualitativo, que recorreu à entrevista semi-estruturada para a recolha de dados. Foram entrevistados 15 professores do 1.º e 2.º ciclo que, em 2009/2010, leccionavam o programa Oportunidade I na ilha de S. Miguel, e envolveu professores de todos os concelhos da ilha, abrangendo 8 escolas básicas integradas.
Nesta comunicação, apenas nos debruçaremos sobre os resultados alcançados no âmbito desse estudo no que respeita às representações dos inquiridos acerca i) do programa Oportunidade I e dos alunos que o frequentam, ii) das preocupações e estratégias pedagógicas que privilegiam, iii) dos constrangimentos que experimentam.
A preocupação das instituições de formação com o modo como os professores aprendem a ensinar é crescente e visa a melhoria da qualidade dos processos pedagógicos através da formação de profissionais cada vez mais competentes.... more
A preocupação das instituições de formação com o modo como os professores aprendem a ensinar é crescente e visa a melhoria da qualidade dos processos pedagógicos através da formação de profissionais cada vez mais competentes. Reconhece-se, portanto, que a qualidade da educação depende, em larga medida, da qualidade da formação inicial dos professores e do seu desenvolvimento profissional ao longo da carreira. De entre as experiências que podem contribuir para a aprendizagem e desenvolvimento profissional dos professores destacamos o exercício de cargos, em particular o de supervisor pedagógico.
Nesta comunicação damos conta dos resultados obtidos a partir de uma investigação desenvolvida na Região Autónoma dos Açores, cujo objetivo geral foi conhecer as representações que os professores cooperantes do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico tinham da sua experiência supervisiva e do impacto desta no seu desenvolvimento profissional.
O estudo, de natureza descritiva e interpretativa, adotou uma metodologia de investigação de natureza qualitativa. Os dados foram recolhidos através da realização de entrevistas semidiretivas, cujo conteúdo foi sujeito a procedimentos da análise de conteúdo.
Os resultados obtidos indicam que as 20 professoras entrevistadas percecionavam de forma diferente as suas experiências supervisivas. Um grupo mais alargado (16) representava-a como fracamente positiva, destacando-a como um dos fatores que contribuiu para o seu crescimento pessoal e profissional; um grupo mais restrito (4) apresentava uma visão menos positiva do exercício dessas funções, não lhe atribuindo a mesma relevância ou impacto no seu desenvolvimento profissional ou pessoal.
Para a maioria das entrevistadas, a atividade supervisiva permitira adquirir/atualizar conhecimentos, melhorar as práticas pedagógicas e supervisivas, desenvolver capacidades e atitudes, através da troca de experiências e materiais, da observação de aulas, do trabalho desenvolvido com os estagiários e da interação com outros supervisores das escolas e da universidade, apesar de alguns constrangimentos e dificuldades. Para as restantes, os obstáculos e dificuldades experimentados a vários níveis (gestão das relações interpessoais, articulação interinstitucional, desempenho dos estagiários) sobrepunham-se aos poucos proventos que retiravam da experiência ao nível da aquisição/atualização de conhecimentos ou do desenvolvimento de algumas competências.
Assumir a complementaridade entre o Português e a Matemática constitui um primeiro passo para um trabalho articulado e consistente com vista à aquisição de conhecimentos e ao desenvolvimento de competências por parte dos alunos (do 1.º... more
Assumir a complementaridade entre o Português e a Matemática constitui um primeiro passo para um trabalho articulado e consistente com vista à aquisição de conhecimentos e ao desenvolvimento de competências por parte dos alunos (do 1.º ciclo ao secundário, passando inclusive pelo pré-escolar). A excessiva disciplinarização do saber e as dificuldades de implementação de práticas inter e transdisciplinares nas escolas não têm, contudo, facilitado a potenciação de sinergias entre o Português e a Matemática. Tais sinergias tornam-se, todavia, tão mais prementes quanto mais se evidencia a elevada taxa de reprovação nestas disciplinas e a sua estreita interdependência com dificuldades de compreensão na leitura dos alunos, quanto mais se reforça ao nível dos documentos oficiais nacionais ou regionais (programas das disciplinas, Referencial Curricular para a Educação Básica dos Açores, entre outros) a necessidade de a Matemática ter em conta o desenvolvimento de competências ao nível do Português e vice-versa. Este seminário pretende promover a reflexão sobre estas questões e ilustrar caminhos de interação entre o Português e a Matemática na sala de aula.
O novo modelo de gestão e autonomia das escolas introduziu um conjunto de transformações relacionadas com as estruturas formais da escola no âmbito da gestão educativa. Nas escolas básicas integradas convivem hoje dois órgãos de gestão... more
O novo modelo de gestão e autonomia das escolas introduziu um conjunto de transformações relacionadas com as estruturas formais da escola no âmbito da gestão educativa. Nas escolas básicas integradas convivem hoje dois órgãos de gestão intermédia com funções distintas aos olhos da lei (Decreto-Lei n.º 172/91, de 10 de Maio): o Coordenador de Núcleo (CN) e o Coordenador de Departamento do 1.º Ciclo (CD).
De presença já consolidada na escola, o CN assumiu basicamente as funções dos anteriores Directores de Escola, competindo-lhe assegurar as condições materiais e administrativas necessárias ao funcionamento regular do núcleo e a mediação das relações dentro da comunidade escolar que constitui o núcleo, entre o núcleo e outros órgãos de gestão da escola básica integrada, como o Coordenador de Departamento do 1.º Ciclo e o Conselho Executivo, e entre o núcleo e as forças sociais e político-administrativas que integram a comunidade local. De aplicação mais recente, o CD emerge, por seu lado, como responsável pela articulação, em termos pedagógicos e curriculares, entre os núcleos afectos a uma mesma escola básica integrada e pela representação e comunicação de cada núcleo com os demais órgãos pedagógicos da básica integrada, tendo em vista a análise das necessidades e especificidades dos núcleos e a procura e delineamento de caminhos pedagógico-curriculares adequados.     
Numa investigação que levámos a cabo em 2009/2010, no âmbito do Mestrado em Supervisão da Universidade dos Açores, procurámos perceber o modo como estes dois órgãos se constroem no dia-a-dia da sua actuação na escola, na dupla dimensão de gestores escolares e supervisores pedagógicos, assim como à interacção e colaboração que estabelecem entre si, atendendo, para tal, às representações de professores do 1.º ciclo e daqueles que desempenham os cargos em referência.
O estudo combinou metodologias de natureza qualitativa e quantitativa: entrevistas a CN e CD de quatro Escolas Básicas Integradas do Concelho de Ponta Delgada e um inquérito por questionário a professores do 1.º Ciclo daquelas escolas.
Os resultados da nossa investigação permitiram perceber que o modo como os professores e os CN e CD representam as competências e a acção daqueles órgãos se distanciam, em certa medida, dos termos definidos na lei. O CN assume uma actuação que excede a natureza administrativo-burocrática que lhe é imputada e se estende ao domínio pedagógico-curricular, decorrente da proximidade com os problemas e necessidades dos núcleos e com os docentes que os integram. O CD, por seu lado, não parece potencializar suficientemente as suas competências pedagógicas, tendendo a restringir a sua ação ao domínio administrativo-burocrático, em face de constrangimentos vários, como a extensão do departamento, a dispersão dos núcleos e o conhecimento mais limitado dos docentes e especificidades contextuais de cada núcleo.
Apesar de a formação contínua de professores ser uma realidade recente em Portugal, esta tem sido analisada e discutida por diversos autores (Nóvoa, 1995, 2002; Alarcão, 1996; Lourenço, 1997; Alonso, 1998; Cró, 1998; García, 1999; Pacheco... more
Apesar de a formação contínua de professores ser uma realidade recente em Portugal, esta tem sido analisada e discutida por diversos autores (Nóvoa, 1995, 2002; Alarcão, 1996; Lourenço, 1997; Alonso, 1998; Cró, 1998; García, 1999; Pacheco e Flores, 1999; Sá-Chaves, 2000; Pereira, 2001; Carvalho, 2003). É nota comum entre estes o destaque da necessidade de se atender às exigências da sociedade e à urgência de implementação de práticas pedagógicas inovadoras. Nesse sentido, têm procurado descrever, analisar ou apontar caminhos que debelem as dificuldades apresentadas, quer pelo sistema educativo, quer pelos profissionais de educação, caminhos esses que passam, em larga medida, pelo investimento em políticas e práticas  de formação contínua dos professores.
Assumindo os professores um papel fundamental na introdução de mudanças qualitativas nas aprendizagens dos alunos, a formação contínua deve diagnosticar os problemas e ensaiar soluções, partindo de um equilíbrio entre as necessidades do sistema educativo e as necessidades individuais e profissionais dos professores e apostando na redefinição da profissão docente e no desenvolvimento profissional daqueles, nas suas diversas vertentes e dimensões.
Num estudo sobre o Programa Nacional de Ensino do Português (PNEP), realizado no distrito de Viana do Castelo durante o ano letivo de 2009/2010, procurámos apreender, entre outros aspetos, as representações de formandos, formadores residentes e coordenador distrital, relativamente aos objetivos e características que a formação contínua deve prosseguir (como se deve desenvolver, por quem deve ser desenvolvida, quando e onde se deve desenvolver). O estudo combinou metodologias de natureza quantitativa (inquérito por questionário aos formandos) e qualitativa (inquérito por entrevista aos formadores e à coordenadora distrital).
Os resultados apontam que os inquiridos consideram que a formação contínua deve ser da responsabilidade do Ministério da Educação, mas centrar-se nas escolas/agrupamentos de escolas e ser dinamizada por professores com a devida preparação científica; deve privilegiar como metodologia de trabalho oficinas temáticas, desenvolvidas ao longo de um dado período de tempo, articulando a teoria e a prática; deve promover o desenvolvimento de competências pedagógico-didáticas, centrando-se na atualização de conhecimentos nas áreas de especialidade e na aprendizagem de novas estratégias de ensino-aprendizagem; e deve atender às necessidades dos professores e das escolas e envolvê-los no processo formativo, valorizando as suas sugestões e experiências.
O projecto Investigação para um Currículo Relevante (ICR) assenta no pressuposto de que a melhoria das aprendizagens escolares dos alunos depende em larga medida da forma como estes encaram a escola e as práticas de ensino-aprendizagem... more
O projecto Investigação para um Currículo Relevante (ICR) assenta no pressuposto de que a melhoria das aprendizagens escolares dos alunos depende em larga medida da forma como estes encaram a escola e as práticas de ensino-aprendizagem que nela ocorrem, bem como da relevância que atribuem às aprendizagens escolares. O projecto assume, pois, como objectivo central, a transformação das práticas dos professores com alunos que não encontram no currículo escolar respostas aos seus interesses, expectativas e necessidades individuais.
De acordo com autores como Schön (1983) e Zeichner (1993), a introdução de mudanças significativas no processo pedagógico com vista à melhoria da qualidade educativa deve assentar em modelos formativos de matriz reflexiva. A reflexão ajuda o professor a lidar positivamente com a incerteza e a estar aberto a novas hipóteses de trabalho, identificando e assumindo os problemas com que se depara, descobrindo novos caminhos, construindo e concretizando sempre renovadas soluções. Os processos reflexivos pressupõem, desta feita, o envolvimento activo dos professores numa dinâmica de acção-reflexão-acção, que deve assumir como objecto as práticas pedagógicas, facilitando a reconstrução mental retrospectiva e a análise daquelas (reflexão sobre a acção) (Alarcão 1996, Shön, 1983), com vista à sua transformação.
Partindo destes pressupostos, o ICR estrutura-se em ciclos de investigação-acção colaborativa assentes na reflexão analítica e crítica das práticas dos docentes-investigadores nele envolvidos, distribuídos em dois núcleos de investigação (um situado na Terceira outro em S. Miguel). Esta abordagem tem evidenciado contributos positivos para o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores envolvidos no projecto, nomeadamente no que respeita à orientação das suas práticas para a resolução de problemas e necessidades dos alunos e das escolas, com vista à melhoria dos processos pedagógicos e dos resultados da aprendizagem.
Nesta comunicação procuramos dar conta de alguns dos dados recolhidos a este propósito nos registos individuais de alguns dos docentes-investigadores que integram o núcleo de S. Miguel.
This century has brought upon significant changes in Portuguese language curriculum in Portugal; one of those was the approval of a new syllabus for basic education (Reis, 2009). In order to help teachers understand the new curricular... more
This century has brought upon significant changes in Portuguese language curriculum in Portugal; one of those was the approval of a new syllabus for basic education (Reis, 2009). In order to help teachers understand the new curricular guidelines and change their teaching and assessment methodologies, the Bureau for Innovation and Curriculum Development organized a training program which involved teachers from the various schools, educational cycles, and regions of Portugal.
Some were from the Portuguese Autonomous Regions of Azores, and they became responsible for conducting the training process in the archipelago, under the supervision of the Regional Secretary of Education and a university professor.
That training process started in 2009 and it was organized in three phases. Phases one and two lasted from 2009 to 2011. They involved approximately eight dozens of Portuguese language teachers from eight islands of the archipelago and half a dozen of formers. The process included classroom training and distance learning, planning tasks, didactic material construction and experimentation, as well as peer work in schools. The third phase lasted from 2011 to 2013. It was mostly based on peer work in schools, under the supervision of the teachers who participated in the previous phases.
This process is now being researched in order to analyze teachers’ representations on its organization, relevance, impact and constraints, as well as on the new curriculum guidelines (changes, adequacy and demands).
It uses a mixed methodology based on content analysis on documents produced by the teachers who participated in the training process (portfolios, reports, and didactic sequences) and their testimonies on online forums, as well as on a questionnaire, test results and a study case.
We here present some preliminary results on how teachers evaluate the training process based on content analysis on their individual reports.
Este texto reporta-se a parte de um estudo iniciado no ano letivo de 2000/2001 na Região Autónoma dos Açores e desenvolvido com alguns alunos do 5.º ano das Licenciaturas em Línguas e Literaturas Modernas, variantes de Português/Francês e... more
Este texto reporta-se a parte de um estudo iniciado no ano letivo de 2000/2001 na Região Autónoma dos Açores e desenvolvido com alguns alunos do 5.º ano das Licenciaturas em Línguas e Literaturas Modernas, variantes de Português/Francês e Português/Inglês (ensino de) da Universidade dos Açores, em estágio em escolas Básicas 3/ Secundárias da ilha de S. Miguel.
Realizado no contexto de duas das disciplinas do 5.º ano das referidas licenciaturas, os seminários pedagógico-didáticos de Português e de Francês, o estudo elegeu como objetivos: favorecer a consciencialização sobre as práticas, promover a consciência didática dos professores-estagiários e desenvolver a sua competência didática.
A investigação consiste no desenvolvimento, por parte dos alunos envolvidos, de projetos de investigação-ação que compreendem 3 ciclos de planificação de sequências de ensino-aprendizagem,  gravação áudio e vídeo de 1 ou 2 aulas, análise dos atos de fala produzidos nessas aulas pelo professor e pelos alunos e reflexão sobre esses resultados em função dos objetivos propostos:
a)favorecer o aumento do uso da palavra pelos alunos;
b)facilitar uma maior distribuição da palavra entre os alunos;
c)promover o desenvolvimento da competência comunicativa dos alunos;
d)desenvolver a competência metacomunicativa dos alunos;
e)fomentar a relação afetiva destes com a língua e com o seu contexto de ensino-aprendizagem;
f)favorecer o desenvolvimento da competência de aprendizagem dos alunos;
g)implicar mais os alunos na organização do processo de ensino-aprendizagem;
h)favorecer a socialização dos alunos através do desenvolvimento de valores e atitudes.
A 1.ª fase do estudo, a que aqui nos reportamos, aponta para a importância do recurso a práticas de investigação da própria ação como auxiliares do processo formativo, na medida em que estas parecem promover a consciencialização sobre as práticas, a consciencialização sobre o papel que a didática pode desempenhar no aperfeiçoamento destas práticas e o aperfeiçoamento efetivo destas, ainda que de forma restrita, fator que se prenderá com as características do contexto de formação inicial por estágio (tempo de formação, falta de experiência, adaptação à profissão e à situação de estágio...).
Educational, or merely curricular, reforms are always inscribed in a specific political, socioeconomic, scientific and ethical framework and are prone to appropriation processes which take place at diverse levels (in schools, in society,... more
Educational, or merely curricular, reforms are always inscribed in a specific
political, socioeconomic, scientific and ethical framework and are prone to
appropriation processes which take place at diverse levels (in schools, in society, in the media, among the scientific community) and represent multiple attempts to 'read' the official discourse which sets the patterns for curricular reforms (preparatory documents, all kinds of government publications, rules and regulations...) and their pedagogical transposition.
In this process, school is one of the main settings and teachers (as well as
students) play a leading role. It is, therefore, crucial to get to know the way(s) in
which they (re)interpret the official discourse (i.e. how they monitor and take part in
reform movements, what transformations they attribute to them over the previous
curricular frameworks, how they assess them, as regards their own expectations,
previous knowledge, practices and values, as well as in terms of the meaningfulness of reforms and their suitability to contexts...) and how they set about its pedagogical implementation (what goals they set, what contents they choose, what
methods and materials they select).
The meaningful changes portuguese language teaching in Secondary Education  underwent in Portugal from 1999 to 2006 make it a privileged field for the analysis of the ways and processes of curricular appropriation developed by teachers which was the aim of our study.
To fulfil this aim we selected a complex and diversified methodology of data
collection and analysis, which encompassed both qualitative and quantitative research
methods (questionnaires and interviews, case study documentation analysis and direct observation of interaction), involving target populations, population-sample
and diverse corpora; reports, lesson plans and tests). Samples were collected
in diverse and complementary moments and places.
Our analysis reveals that most teachers valued communicational goals and were quite open to the new Curricular framework. There is however some tension and contradiction, due to previous practices and teachers' beliefs, thoughts and values. The increased emphasis on speaking and writing skills, on understanding and producing various text types, as well as the diversification of assessment objects, procedures and instruments were the major areas of acceptance, whereas new linguistic concepts, the pedagogical work of the literary text, process approaches and the formative dimension of evaluation constituted areas of resistance.
The study also reveals teachers' general lack of interest and participation on curricular decision processes, and their resistence to collaborative work in curricular (re)interpretation and planning.
The document discusses an internship in Pre-School and Elementary Education and the relevance of didactic materials to develop oral and written language in childhood. During the internship at Pre-School Education, most of the experiences... more
The document discusses an internship in Pre-School and Elementary Education and the relevance of didactic materials to develop oral and written language in childhood.
During the internship at Pre-School Education, most of the experiences about learning were directed for the development of oral language and  approach to writing. On this context, children were able to interpret different story tales, talk about themes and specific situations, share ideas and opinions, interact with different written supports and didactic resources, or share songs, spiels and rimes.
In elementary education, oral and written language activities involved the active participation of children on the learning process and contact with numerous written supports, the creation of several different resources, presentation of oral papers and writing with different communicative intentions.
The analysis of our work shows that the strategies adopted and the
didactic resources used influenced the way that children
experienced their learning activities on oralcy and writing. Moreover, we observed that the use of adequate didactic resources has a high
potential to promote the development of theoral and written language both for affective and communicational factors. The creation and use of different materials and the dynamics inherent to their exploration have proved to mobilize children's interest and attention, contributing to diversified, playful and effective learning experiences.
Understanding how teachers learn to teach and how they develop professionally, in order to help them become better teachers and im prove the quality of education are major concerns amongst institutions responsible for... more
Understanding how teachers learn to teach and how  they develop professionally, in  order  to  help  them  become  better  teachers  and  im
prove  the  quality  of  education  are major concerns amongst institutions responsible for teacher education.
We  now  realize  the  professional  experiences  teachers  undergo  during  their career  are  a  major  contribute  to  enlarge  their  professional  knowledge  and  skills.
Supervising  is  one  of  the  experiences  we  believe  can  have  great  impact  in  teachers’ professional development.
The  aim  of  our  research  was  to  understand  the  representations  that  the cooperating  teachers  from  Primary  Schools  have  of  their  supervisory  experience  and understand the impact that this experience may have had on their professional growth.
Given  these  goals,  we  chose  a  descriptive  study  and  an  interpretative  and qualitative  research  methodology.  The  data  were  collected  using  semi-directive interviews,  whose  content  was  systematized  and  organized  through  the  procedures  of content analysis.
The  results  indicate  that  the  20  teachers  interviewed  had  different  ways  to experiment  supervision.  A  larger  group  (16)  represents  it  as  not  much  positive, highlighting  it  as  one  of  the  factors  that  contributed  to  their  personal  and  professional growth. A smaller group (4) shows a less positive view of those experiences, not giving the same relevance or impact on their professional or personal development, revealing, even, in some cases, a certain negative perspective.
For  most  people,  the  supervision  activity  allowed  to  acquire/update  knowledge, improve teaching and supervised practice, develop skills and attitudes, trough exchange of  several  experiences  and  materials,  classroom  observation,  the  work  with  trainee teachers,  and  the  interaction  with  other  supervisors  and  university  professors.  For  the remaining  individuals,  obstacles  and  difficulties  experienced  in  various  areas (management  of  interpersonal  relationships,  institutional  dialogue,  and  trainees’ performance)  were  bigger  than  the  poor  gains  with  the  experience  acquired  in  the acquisition/updating of knowledge or development of certain skills.
Research Interests:
The present study aimed to analyze the representations of future preschool teachers about emergent literacy in preschool language education, by discussing the importance of developing reflexive nature training... more
The  present  study  aimed  to  analyze  the  representations  of  future  preschool  teachers  about  emergent  literacy  in  preschool language  education,  by  discussing  the  importance  of  developing  reflexive  nature  training  strategies  for  the  awareness  on practices and their eventual modifications.
This  study  is  intended    to  (1)    perceive  how  graduates  on  their  first  year  of  Masters in Preschool and Elementary Education equate their intervention in the field of pedagogical  approach  to  reading  and  writing  in  preschool,  (2)  understand  how  they  justify  their pedagogical  choices,  (3)  perceive  their  representations  regarding  the  training received and their training needs, (4) describe how the teaching sections operate and to find out how the relationships among
actors are established and, (5) recognize the importance attributed to reflection in  practicum context.
This is a qualitative, naturalist, interpretive and descriptive study.  The data was compiled  through  a  questionnaire  with  interview  and  document  analysis,  in  order  to  complement  one  another.  Of  the  ten  participants  involved  in  the  study,  two  were selected  to  explore  issues  related  to  practice  through  particularistic  research.  We  used  the  autoscopic  process  in  some  videotaped  lessons,  with  the  purpose to analyze  the  procedures of these two practitioners in educational setting, with regard to the activities planned to develop the reading and writing approach.
The  study  results  indicate  that  graduates  have  a  conception  on  reading  and  writing  as  a  process  of  construction,  according  to  what  they  learned  during  training. 
From their point of view, the acquisition of reading and writing skills, to be successfully developed  during  teaching  and  learning  process,  depend  upon  phonological  awareness  activities,  reinforcing  the  importance  to  create  initial  formation  environments  that  encourage them to be reflective and critical.
The  study,  thus  contributes  to  the  debate  about  the  methodologies  developed  during  the  pedagogical  training  in  the  context  of  practicum,  promoting  the  autoscopy  approach as a supervisory strategy centered on reflection.
Considering  the  trainees’  viewpoints,  we  believe  that  autoscopy  practice  contributes  to  more  effective  instruction, promotes  better  teaching  practice,  hence  on  to  confront  themselves  with  their  own  work  and  be  aware  of  their  possibilities  and  limitations  and,  on  the  other  hand,  allows  them  to  question  themselves  about  the  practice,  discovering  their  own  ways  of  action  to  achieve  their  personal enrichment and professional growth.
Language is seen as the main vehicle for expression and communication, allowing one to be a thinking, talking and acting subject. Thus, the teaching-learning process and, therefore, the first educational stages, should enhance the... more
Language is seen as the main vehicle for expression and communication, allowing one to be a thinking, talking and acting subject.
Thus, the teaching-learning process and, therefore, the first educational stages, should enhance the development of skills that enable the student to the usage of Language in its multiple functions and according to different daily contexts.
It is, in this sense, urgent to reflect on the teaching perspectives and educational practices that habilitate the usage of Language as an instrument of interaction, of intervention and of social integration, granting our students the expansion of their linguistic knowledge and the possibility to relate with an other and with the world, through a critical, analytical and recreational thought.
A Communicative Approach on Language is the one that, in our perspective, best answers such requests, as it intends to capacitate each student for the proficient usage of his/her Mother Tongue, through the development of communicative competences that must be promoted in the different verbal domains and curricular areas, embracing child-centered, significant, active, integrative, and socializing learning experiences.
This report aims, in this way, a formative and pedagogical understanding on the relevance of the Communicative Approach in the teaching and learning processes of Language, in the Preschool and the Primary School contexts, in which our professional internships took place.
Thereunto, we will analyze our educational practices as part of a set of didactical activities that were based upon communicative assumptions, and which privileged the clear, conscientious and active domain of Language.
To sum up, the main goal of this report is to understand and to disclose the curricular and educational benefits of this model, aiming to stimulate teachers to its appliance in the classroom, promoting settings and experiences on the learning of the Mother Tongue as a way to emancipate each child/student for a better life within a democratic society.
This curricular internship report was elaborated under the Master’s Degree in Preschool and 1st Cycle Basic Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Azores University. The pedagogical practices described are part of the subjects... more
This curricular internship report was elaborated under the Master’s Degree in Preschool and 1st Cycle Basic Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Azores University. The pedagogical practices described are part of the subjects Práticas Educativas Supervisionadas I and Práticas Educativas Supervisionadas II.
This document presents an overall reflection about the process developed in the educational practices, highlighting the activities fulfilled within the topic: Verbal communication in the learning of mathematics in Preschool and 1st Cycle Basic Education. The theme addresses the connection between verbal communication and teaching and learning mathematics.
In the first section some considerations are made about the profile and the formation of the preschool educator and first graders teacher. In the second section, the research problematic is addressed, exploring the main topic of this essay, verbal communication, in its oral and written dimensions in context of mathematics learning. Finally, the third section presents the pedagogical action developed in Preschool and 1st Cycle Basic Education and the analysis and reflection of the activities implemented within the theme of this internship report.
Ultimately, we can conclude that the verbal communication in the learning of mathematics, allowed us to comprehend the importance of: promote the understanding of what is to learn mathematics, promote the mathematical reasoning and turning the mathematical language as a more natural and easy way for children to express themselves; and the organization of space, time, work and educational action for the teacher, providing learning moments between students.
By performing the analysis of the interaction that exists throughout the communication, in the classroom environment, showing the qualities and defects that arise during the exchange of information, allows us to construct a structure that... more
By performing the analysis of the interaction that exists throughout the communication, in the classroom environment, showing the qualities and defects that arise during the exchange of information, allows us to construct a structure that identifies the virtues or defects in the verbal communication, in the symbiosis between the mother tongue and the mathematical language. In identifying the origin of the mathematical discourse, in the process participants, taking into account the contents that are manipulated, as well as the whole structure that occurs the dialogue, we can create the base of useful information in order to generate a reflection between all the elements of the educational community, allowing to improve the teaching process by the teacher, understanding the student's help and participation by the caretaker; with regard to mathematics. Thus, this report was prepared as part of my pedagogical internship in Pre-primary Education and 1st cycle of Basic Education, aiming with it to contribute to the successive improvement of the teaching and learning process of mathematics. Its entire structure was built in such a way that it was possible to report, in a more succinct way, all the work done during a school year, to describe the whole constructive process, which allowed us to architect the analysis tool in order to achieve the main objectives of an empirical study of research, and easy analysis in the understanding of the processes of mathematical interaction and mathematical contents, addressed in the classroom environment. Following the qualitative / interpretative methodology of research, several pedagogical situations were selected, observed and recorded, followed by their respective characterization, content analysis of the communication interaction and analysis of contents related to the mathematical contents addressed in the classes and / or activities. Both interventions, described in this report, occurred in the school year 2015/2016. At the level of pre-school education, the internship was carried out with a group of children between the ages of two and three. The teaching structure was based on games and the use of manipulative material. The contents explored, were framed with the official program of education, although only the processes related to the notion of number, the appropriation of the count, the composition of sets and identification of the geometric figures and their properties were reported.
Abstract
iv
At the level of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education, the intervention occurred in a class of the 3rd year of schooling, in which the students played a more active role. With these students the data chosen by the students were explored, encouraging the development of autonomous work, both in the performance of games and in the resolution of exercises in appropriate time, or through the execution of self-correcting records, thus stimulating the decision-making process, preparation and presentation of group work. The contents explored, were also framed with the official program of education. In summary, we find that the development of group work and significant learning are increasingly effective in promoting mathematical communication. In addition, the results allowed us to highlight the need to reinforce teacher training in basic mathematics, as well as to avoid the expository method and to plan so that the students can play an active and communicative role.
This repport shows a review and reflection about the pedagogical practice undertaken on the 6th edition of the Master in Pre-School (PS) and Elementary School (ES), highlighting the role of verbal communication to learn math in those... more
This repport shows a review and reflection about the pedagogical practice undertaken on the 6th edition of the Master in Pre-School (PS) and Elementary School (ES), highlighting the role of verbal communication to learn math in those educational levels. One of our main purposes with this work was to promote verbal communication (oral and written) to discuss mathematical topics and processes, encouraging children to use proper math language, helping them understand the exercises and making them able to explain mathematical processes and rational both orally and in writing, helping them become subjects of their own learning process. Furthermore, we intended to promote their interest for math. To achieve that, we used the Design Experiment Methodology, carrying out in PS some strategies like Games, Worksheets, Image interpretation and other pedagogical tools, highlighting the following topics: Colors, Numbers, Counting and Geometric shapes. In ES we encouraged the execution of some games and exercises, the analysis and interpretation of charts and posters and a few moments of discussion and dialog, focusing on the three domains established in the national guidelines to learn math in elementary school: Numbers and Operations, Geometry and Measures and Organizing and Processing data. Our data was collected through field notes, audiovisual records and student’s worksheets, ans subject to content analyses. During both pedagogical internships, we noticed a certain evolution in math communication. We verified that the diverse strategies used were efficient in promoting math communication, especially games and oral and written exercise resolution. The first one because it helps students disinhibit and engage orally; the second one because it promotes oral interaction and the written explanation of exercises and how to solve them.
Assuming that the professional knowledge of the teacher represents a permanent construction throughout his career, we present the fundamental points under which these professionals should focus, in order to bring their pedagogical action... more
Assuming that the professional knowledge of the teacher represents a permanent construction throughout his career, we present the fundamental points under which these professionals should focus, in order to bring their pedagogical action closer to effectiveness. Considering specifically that the educational action will be as rich as in its development if we contemplate contributions from the other curricular areas, we deepen, particularly the advantages of creating dynamics between the curricular area of Portuguese and that of Expressions.
Fully aware of this, we have explored a series of hypotheses of connections between Portuguese and Expressions in educational practice, assessing that these contribute substantially to the achievement of the expected learning in the domains of both, acting as complementary. In light of the potentialities that come from such synergy and with the purpose of highlighting them, we analyzed the practices developed within our pedagogic internship’s that occurred in the context of Pre-School Education and in the context of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education. In view of the advantages and challenges imposed on us by the very nature of the teaching levels, we have attempted, through our study, to understand to what extent other colleague’s, in a situation similar to ours, have seen the same occurrences.
With this in mind, we analyzed a set of internship reports, in which the focus was similar to ours. With this study we intend to assess if the future professionals of our area of formation are awakened to the advantages of the connections between the Portuguese and the Expressions in the pedagogical practice. Regarding this matter, due to the fact that we have verified in the practices of our colleague’s different situations and challenges from ours, we have associated this component with our work in order to complete the problematic under analysis.
In short, we have observed that the practice of complicity between the two areas highlighted in our work, in addition to proving being beneficial to the enrichment of pedagogical practice, adds value to the attractive character it represents for children. However, in spite of the evidence given regarding the advantages of the dynamics defended, we found some divergence in the reception of its applicability by the teachers, because its viability finds an open door in Pre-School Education that is narrowing with the advancement of the level to the detriment of other curricular areas.
n this report we analyze and discuss the pedagogical practices undertaken in the context of the pre-school and elementary school, particularly with regard to the development of reading comprehension skills in childhood, focusing on the... more
n this report we analyze and discuss the pedagogical practices undertaken in the context of the pre-school and elementary school, particularly with regard to the development of reading comprehension skills in childhood, focusing on the analysis of the levels of reading comprehension we promoted in different curricular areas and reflecting on the relation between the reading of different types of text and the promotion of different levels of reading comprehension.
Throughout this work we report on action research carried out in the course of our pedagogical interventions on those educational levels, pursuing a qualitative methodology of data collection and analysis.
In both internships the strategies used in reading different texts, focusing on the different curricular areas, privileged the promotion of levels of literal and inferential comprehension. The data collected point to the need to identify, in future practices, new strategies that enhance understanding at the level of reorganization and criticism. The latter was the level with the worst results, as has been the trend in similar studies.
In the pre-school stage, the promotion of reading comprehension was more frequent in the area of Expression and Communication, taking into account the different areas that comprise it, although the results represented a balanced distribution in activities focusing on the different curricular áreas. The narrative texts constituted the most used textual typology and with which it was possible to better promote reading comprehension skills at the various levels.
In the context of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education, the discipline of Portuguese stood out with the accomplishment of a greater number of activities promoting the reading comprehension, and the narrative texts were again the most recurrent. The expository texts also had a greater prominence in the practices at this educational level.
Through this study we confirm that the strategies adopted and the activities promoted by the teacher influence the way children understand the texts and that it is necessary to awaken the young ones to the reading as a means of interaction and communication with the world. The ability to understand different types of text is a gateway to knowledge.
In recent years, the Science Centers (CC) have been privileged spaces for the teaching and dissemination of the sciences, being relevant in the context of non-formal training, in this field of work. Some of the main objectives for... more
In recent years, the Science Centers (CC) have been privileged spaces for the teaching and
dissemination of the sciences, being relevant in the context of non-formal training, in this field
of work. Some of the main objectives for creating the science centers include raising awareness
among society and the individual of their actions against the environment and its repercussions
in the short and long term, making them more environmentally responsible.
In this sense, we seek to study the four CC of the island of São Miguel (Azores), namely the
Santana - Azores Astronomical Observatory, the Azores Microbial Observatory, the Azores
Volcanological and Geothermal Observatory and Expolab - Live Science Center.
In order to better understand these CC, their history, mission, objectives, operation, target
audience, strategies of dissemination and educational action at environmental level, a
methodology of mixed research was necessary, by analysing documents and the application of
surveys by interview and questionnaire, respectively, to directors and visitors of the CC.
In an overall analysis of the results, it was found that CC are able to fulfill their objectives of
promoting scientific culture, stimulating curiosity and increasing a liking for science. To this
end, they present exhibitional content and organize regular activities, particularly aimed at
teachers, students and tourists, although their public is more diverse and heterogeneous.
Nevertheless, the predominance of tourists from certain countries, such as Spain, Germany and
the United Kingdom, is more noticeable. To reach these audiences, CC use diverse strategies,
which seem to be the most effective. The public that visits the CC values the exhibition modules
as well as the interactivity of the proposed activities and the support of the monitors during the
visits, to provide a more detailed technical and scientific information on the exhibitions.
With this work, we could verify that all centers organize and promote activities oriented
towards knowledge and environmental awareness, but this work is more noticeable in some
centers than in others, depending on the area of activity in which they are inserted. In this
context, we find that the most visible and recognized centers in this area are OMIC and
Expolab, while OASA is less focused on environmental issues.

Key words: Science Center, environmental education, non-formal education, qualitative research, quantitative research
Oral language is the first used to communicate verbally, it is what allows us to think, remember and learn everything that you need during the process of teaching and learning, a fact that shows its transversal. So programs and guidelines... more
Oral language is the first used to communicate verbally, it is what allows us to think, remember and learn everything that you need during the process of teaching and learning, a fact that shows its transversal. So programs and guidelines for preschool education and the 1st cycle of teaching and learning have changed in order to educators and teachers operationalize strategies to develop competence in oral communication continuously from 3 years.
The work aimed A. Enhancing the organization's activities room space and the use of certain teaching resources to develop oral communication; B. Explore different forms of work organization for the development of oral communication; A. To analyze the importance of organizing workshops speaking for communication development; B. Discuss the importance of working with different text types for understanding the communicative intentions.
To this end, we promote the realization of activities that develop oral communication of children, activities that present and analyze this report considering the stated objectives.
The realization of this work was an asset because it allowed recover moments of our pedagogical interventions and reflect on them in a deeper way, recovering reflections on the action and reflecting on them.
The role others play in our experiences is unquestionable and influences the way we see and act. As such, we consider that much that we learn results from the interaction with others. Cooperative learning stresses the relevance of social... more
The role others play in our experiences is unquestionable and influences the way we see and act. As such, we consider that much that we learn results from the interaction with others. Cooperative learning stresses the relevance of  social interaction in the learning process. This work discusses the importance of cooperative learning in schools, and its constraints both from a theoretical point of view, a curricular perspetive for pre-school and primary school education in Portugal, and practice in class.
Language allows children to interact with the environment and with others, while allowing you to structure your thoughts, express feelings and opinions and expand their knowledge. The difficulties in seizing it, manifests itself not only... more
Language allows children to interact with the environment and with others, while allowing you to structure your thoughts, express feelings and opinions and expand their knowledge. The difficulties in seizing it, manifests itself not only in difficulties in communication, but also in terms of sociability, causing children to become less interactive, less communicative, so children tend to be more reserved and more isolated. In turn, this difficulty manifested at the level of language has consequences in what concerns their learning skills, since language is presented as a facilitator of the process itself and contributes to the acquisition of many skills. This stage report is linked to the training of teachers and educators and is presented as a narrative based and reflected in the work of the modules of Educational Practice Supervised I and II of the Educational Supervised Masters in Early Childhood Education and Primary School Teaching of the University of Azores, with special focus on issues and practices conducted in the field of oral and written approach to the pre-school education and to the Portuguese language in the first year of Primary School, learning that deserved special attention from us during our practice, not only because it is underlined, but also decisive in the overall learning process in different areas and fields. Understanding language as a tool for language is the school and the teacher's role to teach students to make better use of that instrument giving them the opportunity to develop processes of comprehension and oral and written expression, determinants for their personal statement and social integration. This intervention represented a fundamental step in our process of training, reinforcing the importance of the process of training for teachers and educators to take a strong practical dimension that allows placing, applying and testing theoretical learning undertaken throughout the training.
This report is inserted on a master degree on preschool education and 1st teaching cycle, by the Azorean University. It analyses of our pedagogical action throughout two moments of stage that coincided with two school subjects: Prática... more
This report is inserted on a master degree on preschool education and 1st teaching cycle, by the Azorean University. It analyses of our pedagogical action throughout two moments of stage that coincided with two school subjects: Prática Educativa Supervisionada I e Prática Educativa Supervisionada II. In this work, we present, analyse and reflect upon our formative course, deepening the analyse of our contribution on didactic resources to the learning process of written and oral language, bearing in mind the theory and the curriculum of the preschool education and 1st cycle and given life examples which took place during our pedagogical action. The survey allowed us to understand that the use of some didactic resources is an added value to the learning process of the oral and written language due to several reasons, among which we have psychological and communicational. This way, we observed that i) some resources are important guiding instruments to the learning process, helping students accomplish their tasks; ii) some resources favour peer help and the integration of all children in the same activities and iii)) the children meaningful resources are the ones that develop their interests the best. Therefore, it’s essential that the teacher pays special attention to the resources that he should use, bearing in mind not only his teaching aims and its adjustment to the class and each child’s cognitive capability, but also the guarantee that the construction and the exploration of these resources in the classroom helps his aims. Besides this, the resources are a way of controlling the curriculum, motivating the pupils and making it easier for them to learn things. This work was an added value to our education as teachers/ educators, because it favoured our reflection about our pedagogical action, awakening our attention to the importance of the resources we use during the learning process of oral and written language. It also allowed us to adapt our teaching methods to our children’s needs. With this work, we hope to make educators and teachers understand the importance of didactic resources in the learning process, motivating them to diversify and adequate their teaching resources to the contents they are teaching and to the specific aims of the learning process.
In todays global world, it is an issue of citizenship to know how to use Writing as a powerful tool for communication and social interaction. Within a communicative approach of the language, it’s the aim of the school to promote the... more
In todays global world, it is an issue of citizenship to know how to use Writing as a powerful tool for communication and social interaction. Within a communicative approach of the language, it’s the aim of the school to promote the Writing Skill, both as a working tool and as a way of interacting in social terms. This essay is framed in a theoretical vision concerning the main writing conceptions and, on a first stage, it tried to seize the guidelines of the program for the teaching and learning of the writing skill in the Portuguese Language Teaching program, for the 5th and 6th grades (2009), and the writing conceptions behind it. On a second stage, in an empirical perspective, the focus was on the proposed activities based on the writing skills, suggested in twelve schoolbooks of the 5th grade, edited in 2011. These books are, for teachers and students, an aid in educational settings and a “so-called” performer of the syllabus. We have tried in them to identify the school syllabus contents and the writing concepts as far as the writing productions are concerned. This empirical research pursued a qualitative methodology using the analyses of contents. In conclusion we can say that in the program the cognitive, social, cultural and communicative approaches are implied in the practicing of writing, in these approaches it is given more importance to the intervention measures, both in the writing production contexts and in the processes of writing. From the analyses of the textbooks, it is evident that the writing intention prevailing is specially to express experiences, sensibilities and imagination, in the narrative text. The addressees of the written texts are, mainly, the teacher and the students of the class. It tends not to give suggestion neither for the collaborative / cooperative work nor for the use of the computer as a mean of searching for information, for production, for revision and for the diffusion of the text. As far as the processes of writing are concerned, enhance is namely on the by-processes of planning. From our essay, one can infer that it is necessary to do some readjustments both on the level of the writing production contexts and on the level of the written procedure.
Language is the main communication and learning tool that people have at their disposal. The importance of language acquisition and learning has given rise to several studies, considering not only the intrinsic complexity of those... more
Language is the main communication and learning tool that people have at their disposal. The importance of language acquisition and learning has given rise to several studies, considering not only the intrinsic complexity of those processes, but also the difficulties children seem to face in the beginning of those processes. In this regard, teachers apply different methods to different workgroups to overcome difficulties and make progress. Cooperative learning has been one of the most frequently studied methods over the past few years, including its benefits for learning processes regardless of the curriculum areas. Taking this into account, we sought to analyse both the potential and the constraints of the cooperative language learning method at the level of Pre-School and Primary Education in what regards the development of communication skills in different areas (speaking, reading and writing), as well as the development of social, psychological and evaluation skills. For that purpose, we have analysed several educational activities carried during  our teaching practice in Pre-School and Primary Education by applying different cooperative learning techniques to language learning. In essence, this work aims at raising teachers’ awareness of the potential of cooperative methodology to improve language learning (as opposed to resorting to their first educational stages), mainly as regards speaking skills, by sharing information, experiences and ideas, as well as by intensifying verbal communication, and also as regards writing skills, by preparing more complex texts. In addition, these methods have visibly increased the children’s level of satisfaction and motivation, the sharing of material resources, as well as the expression and acceptance of personal views, considering these methods contribute to the development of critical thinking on the evaluation of their own work. Therefore, teachers may envision and resort to strategies that foster cooperative language learning, taking into account however that there might be some constraints, namely: at the language level, the misunderstanding of words and texts; at the social skills level, the development of conflicts; at the psychological level, the embarrassment in expressing views; and, at the evaluation level, the difficulty of expressing critical analysis.
The present study aimed to analyze the representations of future preschool teachers about emergent literacy in preschool language education, by discussing the importance of developing reflexive nature training strategies for the awareness... more
The present study aimed to analyze the representations of future preschool teachers about emergent literacy in preschool language education, by discussing the importance of developing reflexive nature training strategies for the awareness on practices and their eventual modifications. This study is intended to (1) perceive how graduates on their first year of Masters in Preschool and Elementary Education equate their intervention in the field of pedagogical approach to reading and writing in preschool, (2) understand how they justify their pedagogical choices, (3) perceive their representations regarding the training received and their training needs, (4) describe how the teaching sections operate and to find out how the relationships among actors are established and, (5) recognize the importance attributed to reflection in practicum context. This is a qualitative, naturalist, interpretive and descriptive study. The data was compiled through a questionnaire with interview and document analysis, in order to complement one another. Of the ten participants involved in the study, two were selected to explore issues related to practice through particularistic research. We used the autoscopic process in some videotaped lessons, with the purpose to analyze the procedures of these two practitioners in educational setting, with regard to the activities planned to develop the reading and writing approach. The study results indicate that graduates have a conception on reading and writing as a process of construction, according to what they learned during training. From their point of view, the acquisition of reading and writing skills, to be successfully developed during teaching and learning process, depend upon phonological awareness activities, reinforcing the importance to create initial formation environments that encourage them to be reflective and critical. The study, thus contributes to the debate about the methodologies developed during the pedagogical training in the context of practicum, promoting the autoscopy approach as a supervisory strategy centered on reflection. Considering the trainees’ viewpoints, we believe that autoscopy practice contributes to more effective instruction, promotes better teaching practice, hence on one hand, allows them to confront themselves with their own work and be aware of their possibilities and limitations and, on the other hand, allows them to question themselves about the practice, discovering their own ways of action to achieve their personal enrichment and professional growth.
Investigation and the statistics in education, both on a national and international level, show us how important it is to transform the teaching and learning process of reading in order to promote the pleasure to read, the motivation to... more
Investigation and the statistics in education, both on a national and international level, show us how important it is to transform the teaching and learning process of reading in order to promote the pleasure to read, the motivation to have more knowledge and abilities in this domain and value the process of learning and progressing in this area. Sustained by current theoretical perspectives and curricular guidelines, in our practice we chose strategies that would help students improve their reading skill, as well as their joy in reading. Here we present all the work developed, the context in which it took place, discussing the importance of the didactic strategies that we used. We conclude that strategies should  help students find the purpose in reading, and also understand the goals of communication associated to different types of texts; that students react positively to strategies and activities different from those they are used to, stimulating their curiosity and imagination; that reading activities should not be based only on books and must be complemented with other supports (audio, video, images, that children can interact with; and that contact with reading outside of the classroom increases the interest and will to read (field trips to book fairs, libraries, bookstores, among others).
This study centers on identifying and analyzing current and future early childhood educators’ ideas and practices in the field of mathematics. We chose this topic because it interests us as an early childhood educator and also because... more
This study centers on identifying and analyzing current and future early childhood educators’ ideas and practices in the field of mathematics. We chose this topic because it interests us as an early childhood educator and also because there are not many studies in the area in Portugal, despite general acknowledgement of the importance of mathematics in the development of logical reasoning and thinking in pre-school children. With this research we aimed to learn on trainees and school supervisors’ ideas regarding mathematical education in preschool; to characterize and relate their practices in the field of mathematics; to understand the relation between the training process and the ideas and practices in the field of mathematics; to analyze trainees and supervisors’ ideas on the impact that the process of supervision has on them; to discuss the practice of supervision while researching. Considering our goals and the nature of our problem, we adopted a qualitative research methodology, choosing interviews and document analysis to collect data. Our research was divided into two complementary studies. Study 1 involved nine trainees from a master degree in Preschool and Primary Education as well as their school supervisors; study 2 involved three trainees from a graduate degree in Basic Education and myself, both as school supervisor and researcher. The results allowed us to register that even though trainees and supervisors are aware of the importance of dealing with mathematics in preschool for children’s general development as well as their preparation for primary school, they don’t invest much in the area, they prefer “informal” activities and favour certain topics over others and almost never use manipulative materials. That may be due either to a predominant negative idea on mathematics, or to a lack of training in the didactics of mathematics or even to the practices they watch in preschool. In this matter, although trainees and supervisors recognize the potential of the supervising process to share ideas and materials, as well as to update knowledge and think on the practices, the process doesn’t seem to help them change their practices, not even when they are involved in a research process.
The end of Estado Novo (the Portuguese authoritarian regime installed in 1933) made school accessible to all children. This phenomenon contributed to the school’s population heterogeneity, one of the main challenges school faces today.... more
The end of Estado Novo (the Portuguese authoritarian regime installed in 1933) made school accessible to all children. This phenomenon contributed to the school’s population heterogeneity, one of the main challenges school faces today. Facing this diversity, the country performed several educational reforms in order to promote equal educational opportunities and, at the same time, to fight against the high school dropout rate and academic failure. The implementation of Specific School Recuperation/recovery Programs (PERE) was one of the measures adopted in the Azores to face up the problem. It is about programs such as these, especially about the Opportunity program, that this report is about. The study aimed at the characterization of the teachers who are involved in these programs, their representations about relevance and educational impact of these programs, the characteristics of students who attend these same programs and still what role does this program play in the student’s personal and professional satisfaction. It is a qualitative study that used interview as an instrument to collect data. Fifteen teachers, who taught the Opportunity program in primary school and/ or lower secondary in 2009/2010 school year, were interviewed. Teachers from all over the São Miguel Island took part in this study, including 8 primary schools. The results suggests that the majority of teachers, who teaches these kind of programs, have some professional experience and they teach it because they choose to, turning out to be pleased at the professional level. The majority has a positive representation of these programs’ relevance, though they find some flaws in it, indicating lack of education and information about the functioning and development of the programs. The majority sees the students from PERE as being children deprived from affection, students that come from lower socioeconomic environments, they have many difficulties at the cognitive and attitude level and it is towards the development of their social abilities that they determine their action in the first place. Nevertheless, the majority considers that working with these students is a positive experience whether at a professional level or personal, contributing for their own development and professional satisfaction.
The present investigation develops a reflection based on empirical data about the action of the Regional Board of Educational Inspection in the Azores and the role it performs/ may perform in the quality promotion of the regional... more
The present investigation develops a reflection based on empirical data about the action of the Regional Board of Educational Inspection in the Azores and the role it performs/ may perform in the quality promotion of the regional educational system. In order to achieve that, the investigation involves teachers and inspectors from the Region, trying to apprehend, on one side, the teachers and the schools points of view and on the other side, the tutorship’s points of view. The study was accomplished in the islands of São Miguel and Terceira having assumed a mixed character by using methodologies of qualitative and quantitative nature. Six education inspectors, the former Regional Education Inspector and about two hundred teachers from Elementary Schools participated in this study. The investigation results suggest the consonance between teachers and inspectors relatively to the importance of the Regional Board of Educational Inspection, which states itself as an organism created with the goal of supporting the schools and promoting a quality improvement of the regional education system. In this context, the inspectors confirmed a conjunct of functions stated by law, such as accompanying and checking till purveyor’s office and also control and disciplinary action, stating the intensification of their action at the accompanying and checking level and translating a very positive representation of their action and of their impact in schools and in the improvement of the regional education system. Although the teachers recognize the different functions of the Regional Board of Educational Inspection they only identify the impact in the improvement of the schools functioning, not in the pedagogical process. Therefore, they claim the intensification of the accompanying and checking from the Regional Board of Educational Inspection, instead of others functions, asserting its importance in the search for solutions for the school problems and for the educational process improvement. However, their apprehensions and insecurities do not allow them to put in perspective an action that goes by the individual observation and the accompanying in a classroom situation. Despite of the efforts that the inspectors of the Regional Board of Educational Inspection make in order to improve the interaction and the collaborative relation with the schools, teachers express feelings of anxiety, expectation and preoccupation regarding the inspective action, fact that they justify with the separation posture, the demand and arrogance assumed by the inspectors in the development of their actions.
The dissemination and institutionalization of teachers’ lifelong training is a recent reality in Portugal. Nonetheless, it is firmly increasing, due to the continuously renewed social, cultural and technological demands, experienced... more
The dissemination and institutionalization of teachers’ lifelong training is a recent reality in Portugal. Nonetheless, it is firmly increasing, due to the continuously renewed social, cultural and technological demands, experienced nationally and internationally. This growth is also an answer to the need to encourage and prepare teachers for the development of the curriculum and for educational reforms, whilst it promotes a necessary change in pedagogical practices. This study focused on the National Program of Portuguese Language Teaching (PNEP) seeking to understand the representations of trainees, trainers and training coordinator in the district of Viana do Castelo on the implementation, development and educational impact of the training program. This research took place during 2009/2010 school year and combined quantitative and qualitative methods. Interviews were undertaken with six resident trainers and the program’s coordinator in the district and one hundred and twenty-nine trainees of that district between the academic years of 2007/2008 and 2009/2010 answered a questionnaire. The results indicate that the training model developed within the context of PNEP deserves consent and continuance. The focus on schools, teachers, practices and their needs; the interaction between the teachers’ practices and the new concepts and methodologies; the reliance on continued monitoring and supervision of teachers’ action; and the promotion of reflexive practices and their effective processing are the main issues highlighted and valued by the respondents. Nevertheless, according to the data collected, this model still lacks some adjustments regarding: i) the workload of some components, ii) the schedule of the training sessions, iii) the fact that there is no discharge for the trainees from their non-teaching component, iv) the need for better coordination/interaction between schools/groups responsible for the training and higher education Institutions, and v) the simplification of procedures related to the assessment of trainees.
The Primary School Head Teacher is a very significant member of the School as an organization, due to his position as a middle manager, but also regarding the diversity of the activities and roles he performs. Recently, the Primary School... more
The Primary School Head Teacher is a very significant member of the School as an organization, due to his position as a middle manager, but also regarding the diversity of the activities and roles he performs. Recently, the Primary School Head Teacher School came to share his role with the Head of Department to the 1st Cycle. With this research we aimed to understand how the School perceives the roles of the Primary School Head Teacher and of the Head of Department to the 1st Cycle, examining the functions and activities they are responsible for and the relations established between them. More so, we intended to understand these two school managers and educational supervisors, exploring their representations and teachers' representations on both functions. Therefore, we used qualitative and quantitative research methods: an interview to Primary School Head Teachers and Heads of Department to the 1st Cycle, and a questionnaire to Primary school Teachers from four schools in the municipality of Ponta Delgada. The results point out that despite the Head Teacher and the Head of Department were created with different purposes and roles (the first as a middle manager and the later as a supervisor), they both act as educational supervisors. This activity, perceived by teachers and Heads as vital in the improving of School quality, face, however several difficulties deriving from the lack of conditions to be properly carried out. Ultimately, we understand that the development of the Primary School Head Teacher and the Head of Department to the 1st Cycle and their significance in the School is strongly connected with the establishment of practices of association and collaboration among themselves, directed to the accomplishment of a much needed educational supervision.
The role others assume in our experiences is unquestionable and influences the way that we see and act in the world that surrounds us. As such, we can consider that many of the learning we make result from the interaction between a person... more
The role others assume in our experiences is unquestionable and influences the way that we see and act in the world that surrounds us. As such, we can consider that many of the learning we make result from the interaction between a person and the environment. Considering the importance that the social dimension has in learning, emerged a learning method that emphasizes this dimension and uses the interactions with others (teachers, peers, among others) as a resource that promotes learning – cooperative learning. In this work we discuss the importance of cooperative learning in schools, from the theoretical and from the curricular guidelines point of view, for pre-school and 1th cycle of basic education, illustrating with real situations of cooperative learning that took place in our interventions. With this assignment, we pretend to contribute so that educators and teachers perspective teaching in a less individual way, assuming the benefits of cooperative learning.