Centre for Research and Intervention in Education

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Publications

Effects of a model for multidisciplinary peer observation of teaching in teacher professional development and in nurturing a reflective school

Publication . Mouraz, Ana; Pinto, Daniela; Torres, Ana Cristina

Peer observation of teaching has for long been defended as a valuable device of professional and institutional development in higher education, but is almost unexplored at primary- and secondary-level schools. This paper introduces a model for multidisciplinary peer observation of teaching that has been developed and implemented in a professional development programme in two Portuguese school clusters of basic and secondary education in collaboration with its teachers. After four years of developing the programme in these school clusters, a case study was conducted through a qualitative analysis of observation guides completed throughout the years (N = 563) to identify perceived effects of participating in the programme for both teacher professional development and reflective practices. The programme emerged as a powerful initiative to foster teacher collaboration, innovation, and reflection for improving practices. Implications related to current national curriculum and educational policies are discussed.

2022Journal article

Embargoed access

Desafios da inovação curricular: perspetivas de professores veteranos

Publication . Torres, Ana Cristina; Mouraz, Ana; Monteiro, Angélica

O acentuado envelhecimento docente em Portugal tem sido reconhecido como um dos obstáculos à mudança do paradigma educacional com que muitos sistemas educativos europeus estão comprometidos. As crescentes diferenças geracionais entre professores e alunos, as constantes pressões para a utilização educativa das tecnologias e a intensificação do trabalho docente têm contribuído para algum sentimento de ineficácia do trabalho curricular e um certo desencanto profissional em muitos professores. Neste contexto, o projeto REKINDLE+50 trabalhou com professores veteranos procurando potenciar a relação entre a sua agência curricular e as práticas de ensino pelo recurso a tecnologias digitais, com vista à promoção de um (re)encantamento profissional através da inovação curricular. Este texto analisa perspetivas de professores veteranos sobre os desafios da inovação curricular pelo uso de tecnologias, incluindo práticas, riscos percebidos, obstáculos e estratégias de superação que identificam na sua agência perante a inovação curricular. Assumindo uma metodologia qualitativa de cariz interpretativo, foi realizada uma análise de conteúdo aos murais em padlet e às reflexões individuais de 36 professores que participaram num curso de formação, organizado no âmbito do projeto, bem como às transcrições de três grupos de discussão focalizada. Desta análise constatou-se que a agência curricular de professores veteranos é potenciada por práticas de inovação pelas tecnologias, sobretudo quando percebem a sustentabilidade dessas práticas e os efeitos das mesmas numa participação mais ativa dos alunos nas atividades de ensino e na melhoria das suas aprendizagens.

2022-06Journal article

Open access

High school students’ questions about science and religion in school debates with scientists

Publication . Torres, Ana Cristina; Paiva, João; Mouraz, Ana

The paper describes an analysis of the questions posed by high school students regarding relationships between science and religion in a series of debates with scientists in public high schools of the northern part of Portugal. The exploratory interpretation of 171 collected anonymous written questions allowed for the detection of fragilities in the students’ ideas about the nature of science and the nature of religion, connected with a trend to reject religion using scientism arguments. The findings reinforce a need of revising the fragmented teaching of nature of science and its connections with religion towards a more contextualized approach of diversified episodes of these social endeavours, anchored in life’s ‘big questions’ that allow students to make cross-disciplinary connections. Our analysis also supports the need for more research on students’ questions rather than on students’ answers in more common research methodologies conducted to inform the development of a more meaningful curriculum.

2021Journal article

Open access

High school students as researchers about their school: exploring its potential for choices and skills

Publication . Torres, Ana Cristina; Mouraz, Ana

This paper introduces a partnership between researchers in Education Sciences and high school students and discusses the students’ perceptions of the effects of taking on the role of researchers in Education Sciences. These partnerships were established to develop a project in which high school students researched their school’s everyday life in collaboration with academic researchers. The partners are introduced, as well as the partnership and the steps for supporting the student researchers in developing their projects. Drawing on student voice literature, a qualitative evaluation of the students’ products and perspectives regarding their experiences as researchers pointed to the potential of these partnerships for the students’ engagement in discussions about educational trajectories and pathway choices with their peers, teachers and researchers. Moreover, the students’ perceptions indicate an improvement in their inquiry skills and valuing of research in Education Sciences. This paper adds to the existing literature on student voice in schools, by discussing processes to engage students as researchers of school issues and by highlighting the importance of student voice to early awareness and recognition of research in Education Sciences.

2021Journal article

Open access