Browsing by Author "Azeiteiro, Ulisses"
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- Acceptance of fish and fish products by Portuguese young consumers: an exploratory study based on mothers’ evaluationPublication . Moura, Ana Pinto de; Cunha, Luís Miguel; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Lima, Rui C.Portugal is one of the major fish consuming countries in the World, from where one may collect experiences in order to improve fish consumption in other countries. The aim of this research is to explore the factors that influence the consumption of fish and seafood among 8-14 year old children from the Oporto metropolitan area. A focus group was conducted with mothers of children to gain insights into their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding the inclusion of fish and fish products as a regular part of their children’s diet. Narrative analysis was conducted based on Bardin content analysis. Findings indicated that children eat fish regularly, integrated into the family meal, and that mothers feel confident about their fish buying and preparation skills, leading them to incorporate fish regularly into family meals, with a choice of tastier easy to eat options.
- Alterações climáticas, perceções e racionalidadesPublication . Viegas, Vanda; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Dias, João Alveirinho; Alves, FátimaConsiderando que as Alterações Climáticas (AC) – uma das cinco áreas-guia da Estratégia 2020 da Comissão Europeia – são um problema global que requer respostas locais articuladas aos níveis macro, meso e micro; e que a sua compreensão implica a identificação das relações reciprocamente influentes entre a Natureza, a Sociedade e a Cultura; qualquer intervenção – seja no sentido da mitigação das AC, seja no sentido da adaptação às AC – envolve necessariamente essa mesma sociedade, em toda a complexidade das suas dimensões socioculturais e ambientais. Neste artigo, enquadrado pelas teorias compreensivas, refletimos brevemente sobre algumas das inter-relações entre os sistemas climáticos, ambientais e socioculturais e defendemos que as racionalidades leigas, por se enraizarem em tipos e fontes de saber plurais, são um dos pilares para melhor se compreender e lidar com o fenómeno das AC. Whereas Climate Change (CC) – one of the five prioritary areas of the Strategy 2020 of the European Commission – is a global challenge needing local responses, articulated at the macro, meso and micro levels; and while its understanding entails identifying mutually influential relationships between Nature, Society and Culture, any intervention – either to mitigate or adapt to CC – necessarily involves society itself, in the full complexity of its sociocultural and environmental dimensions. In a world in the midst of a major demographic transition, with a population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, issues like sustainability, resource use, scarcity and sharing, have been interwoven in the international, regional and local arenas. This paper develops in the light of comprehensive theories. The methodological procedures are based upon desk research and all the work relies on the reflexive notion and today´s ubiquitous complexity. The spirit of this pivotal approach is the interest in knowledge, curiosity for different dimensions of knowledge and how it is (re)produced, articulated and reflected in the relationships of the individual human being, with itself, with other human beings, with other living creatures and with the environment. This papers argues that the lay rationalities, because they take root in various types and sources of knowledge, are one of the pillars to better understand and deal with the phenomenon of CC. Part one of this paper makes a brief reference to ethical implications, preceded by a succinct analysis of the key dynamics and processes, which are considered responsible for the variability and climate change in a diachronic perspective. Part two discusses some of the sustainability issues, with a brief introduction to the pathways and strategies for mitigating and adapting to CC, which have been outlined and lie ahead, linking the global dimension to the local dimension, governments to markets and to civil society. Finally, focusing on lay rationalities, a brief approach is sought regarding the issues of reflexivity, social capital and the ‘knowledge-power’ concept, keeping in mind that the study of the social reality, which is complex in nature, is always a (de)constructed exercise of dialectics between generalization and specialization.
- Assessing high school students perceptions and comprehension of climate changePublication . Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Santos, Paulo T.; Nicolau, Leonor Bacelar; Morgado, FernandoThe purpose of this study was to investigate High School (HS) students’ perceptions of Climate Change (CC) and Global warming (GW). This work was conducted within Portuguese High School students and the results in this context should have meaningful implications for national CC policies in the future as well as HS curricula adaptation to the students’ perceptions. Research was conducted at a high school in Central Portugal. The survey was applied to all the high school students from the 10th to the 12th grade, enrolled in the areas of Sciences and Technology, Languages and Humanities, Socio-economical Sciences and Professionalization. The data were collected through a self-completion questionnaire consisting of 29 closed-ended questions and two open questions aiming at characterizing students from the socio-demographic, and from their perceptions, beliefs, motivations, attitudes, knowledge relating to the topic of CC. Google Drive was used to host the questionnaire and allow for the online survey. Statistical exploratory univariate and bivariate analyses were performed on the data collected (frequencies, total and column percentages, adjusted residuals). All statistical tests were two-tailed, with significance levels of 5%. Only statistically significant results were commented on the results section. Majority of students believed that CC was happening and also perceived that human activities were an important cause of CC. Still, the surveyed students hold some misconceptions about basic causes and consequences of climate change. Students’ gender influenced their perceptions of time scale of CC impact on both human and biotic communities. Most students state that their training had focused enough on the topic of CC and felt they had a moderate technical knowledge about the topic of CC (students’ knowledge of how their behaviour influenced CC followed a similar pattern). There was a large conviction that the main actions in mitigating CC effects should be taken by governments and regarding the perception of the importance of CC for their future professional carrier, 48% considered that this topic was “moderately important” and 29% considered it as “very important”. However as individuals, and globally, 74% had not taken actions to mitigate CC (only 26% of the respondents had taken some actions to mitigate the causes of CC). Further research is necessary so that curricula programs can be adequate to promote better knowledge and attitudes about climate change and an active engagement of future participative citizens, as part of the solution for climate change problems.
- Assessing university student perceptions and comprehension of climate change (Portugal, Mexico and Mozambique)Publication . Morgado, Fernando; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Rendon von Osten, Jaime; Santos, Paulo; Nicolau, Leonor Bacelar; Farooq, Harith; Alves, Fátima; Soares, Amadeu M. V. M.; Azeiteiro, UlissesHigher education system has a critical role to play in educating environmentally aware and participant citizens about global climate change (CC). And, as shown by the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Climate Change – COP 21, held in Paris in December 2015, there is still a path to be followed regarding the role played by universities in the negotiations and in influencing decision-making on a matter of such global importance. The purpose of this first study conducted within Portuguese (Europe), Mexican (Spanish-speaking North America University) and Mozambican (Africa) universities is to investigate higher education system students’ perceptions on CC. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through a questionnaire aiming at characterising students from the socio-demography, and from their perceptions, motivations, attitudes and knowledge relating to the topic of CC. Statistical analysis was used to compare and characterise the three national groups under study. Findings This study did not show significant perception differences among the analysed subsamples, although there was a tendency for Mexican students to express lesser belief that CC was happening, and for Mozambicans to show a greater belief in CC issues and motivation to mitigate its effects which may be related to the specifics contexts. The results show that relevant differences among nationalities mostly concerned the magnitude of choices (e.g. most respondents of each nationality expressed interest in CC issues, but the magnitude of this expression differed according to nationality). The principal component analysis (second and third components) clearly embodied nationality profiles (discussed in the context of different cultures, educational structures and CC impacts). Research limitations/implications Further research is warranted to understand the integration of CC into higher education curriculum to improve and target educational efforts to suit students’ needs. Practical implications How CC perceptions vary cross-nationally and how research studies that examine the integration of CC into higher education curriculum are areas for which more research is needed. Originality/value The results highlight the importance of socio-cultural dimensions of each country in relation to the understanding or perception of CC issues, namely, in what concerns aspects related with gender roles, age, active learning and citizenship. This study’s data evidenced that despite the surveyed students being familiarized with CC phenomena, this knowledge does not translate necessarily into concrete mitigation practices and behaviours.
- Attitudes, barriers and motivators as factors for sustainability of higher education e-Learning programmes at Universidade Aberta, PortugalPublication . Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Caeiro, Sandra; Martinho, Ana Paula; Azeiteiro, UlissesIn higher education distance learning institutions, where studies are carried on through a variety of distance learning regimes, from the correspondence and earlier forms of distance education to fully online e-learning programmes, and where planners and administrators seize the effective adoption and deployment of technology-enabled education, student attitude and motivation assume considerable significance. Attitudinal pre-dispositions, institutional and allied barriers (including appropriate policy initiatives), besides the scientific and pedagogical quality of degree programmes are assumed to play a crucial role in sustainability of higher education systems. This article reports the findings of a study conducted at Universidade Aberta, Portugal—the Portuguese Distance Learning Education University—to examine student attitudes towards e-learning and to identify barriers and motivators of e-learning adoption, which are key factors for decreasing dropout rates of a 2nd cycle degree e-learning programme, analysed as a case study.
- Avaliação do ensino a distância da educação ambientalPublication . Caeiro, Sandra; Azeiteiro, UlissesOs actuais sistemas educativos devem garantir as necessidades educativas oferecendo um perfil de diversidade, quer quanto às agências de educação, quer quanto às formas de resposta, diversificando as estratégias de ensino e formação. È neste sentido de novas estratégias de aprendizagem que o ensino a distância se pode estabelecer. O objectivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o Ensino a Distância da disciplina de Educação Ambiental leccionada na Universidade Aberta (Uab). A avaliação do desempenho deste ensino foi efectuada através da análise das taxas de sucesso/insucesso no exame final e da avaliação do efeito dos contactos entre docente e estudante no processo de aprendizagem à distancia. Os níveis de sucesso apresentados neste trabalho enquadram-se na experiência que outras Universidades de Ensino a Distância têm obtido, podendo os resultados serem ainda mais satisfatórios. Os contactos entre docente e discente mostraram-se benéficos para o processo do ensino e aprendizagem.
- Bacterioplankton dynamics in the Mondego estuary (Portugal)Publication . Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Nicolau, Leonor Bacelar; Marques, J. C.; Morgado, Fernando; Azeiteiro, UlissesIn this work, the density of bacterioplankton and environmental parameters were monitored over a 11 month period (July 1999-June 2000), and also during one tidal cycle (15 June 2000), at two sampling stations, in the estuary of River Mondego. These data were treated by multivariate analyses methods in order to identify the key factors that control the dynamics of the bacterioplankton in the estuary. Bacterial dynamics were dominated by temporal gradients (annual seasons and tide-related) and less by the spatial structure of the estuary. Three main metabolic groups of bacterioplankton—aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB)—involved in the cycling of organic matter, were present in the water column of the estuary.Their relative abundance depended on the particular physical, chemical and biological environment. The abundance of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, during the 11 month study, was modelled as a function of nitrate (the most important variable, with a negative effect), temperature, salinity and pH (with positive effects). SRB appeared to be limited to the water-sediment interface, where concentrations of sulphate and POM were greater.A competition between SRB and NRB for carbon has also been suggested.
- Biodiversidade e serviços de ecossistemaPublication . Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Oliveira, Paulo; Guerreiro, Maria JoãoAs relações entre biodiversidade, serviços de ecossistema e sustentabilidade são os temas principais deste documentário que tem como objetivo salientar a importância do equilíbrio e da diversidade biológica para a sobrevivência da Humanidade. Produção efetuada para assinalar: "2010 Ano Internacional da Biodiversidade".
- Biodiversity and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): tendencies and perspectivesPublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Castro, Paula; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Azul, Anabela Marisa; Azeiteiro, UlissesThis introductory paper outlines some of the areas where research and action is needed, so as to allow a more systematic development of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Biodiversity Conservation context. Apart from presenting the concepts of ecosystem services and biodiversity, this chapter indicates the main initiatives needed to be developed to incorporate ESD in the curricula as a multiple-perspective approach. Additionally, it is discussed how biodiversity conservation through education action fit within the actual premises and programmes of sustainability as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2010 Biodiversity Target or under the scope of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020. Tendencies and perspectives on Education for Biodiversity Conservation in the coming decades is also a subject of debate in the present chapter.
- Boas práticas de sustentabilidade : o montado de sobro e a cortiçaPublication . Caeiro, Sandra; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Jardim, Pedro; Guerreiro, Maria JoãoDocumentário sobre o contributo do montado de sobro e da cortiça na definição de um conjunto de boas práticas de sustentabilidade. Participação de Pedro Mestre, músico de “Viola Campaniça” e do Grupo de Cantares da Serra de São Martinho das Amoreiras.