Teaching writing to middle school students in Portugal and in Brazil: an exploratory study

Learning how to write is a challenging process, typically developed in schools. Teachers’ practices in teaching writing, however, have been under researched. The aim of this study was to survey a sample of teachers from Portugal (n = 96) and Brazil (n = 99) about their practices for and perceptions about writing instruction. Teachers reported on time devoted to student writing and the teaching of writing, on their practices to promote students’ self-regulated writing, adaptations for less skilled writers, and their perceptions about writing and the teaching of writing. Findings from this survey raised concerns about the quality of writing instruction in both countries. Teachers reported little time devoted for writing and the teaching of writing in their classes. The majority of the teachers rarely used practices to promote students’ self-regulated writing or applied explicit teaching methods for writing instruction. Both Portuguese and Brazilian teachers perceived writing as a shared responsibility. Brazilian teachers, however, agreed with this perception more strongly. Portuguese teachers’ perception of the importance of writing for students’ academic and professional success was higher than the perceptions held by Brazilian teachers. A positive correlation was found between teachers’ preparation to teach writing and their practices to promote students’ self-regulated writing. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

A Biopsychosocial Evaluation Method and the International Classification of Functioning,Disability, and Health (ICF)

This study evaluated the significant contents and concepts of the Biopsychosocial Assessment Method (MAB) as they relate to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the connection between the Geriatric Core Set (GCS) and the different issues of the MAB. We linked the 56 items of the MAB to ICF and GCS categories according to published rules. The most significant concepts included in the MAB enabled the connection of 83 items to the ICF's categories. It was possible to establish a connection with all the components of the ICF except the Body Structures component. Of the 123 categories in the GCS, about 30% did not establish connections with MAB items. The results of this study show that—much like the ICF—the MAB is a tool based on the biopsychosocial model, allowing for a comprehensive and integrated assessment of the different components of functioning. Now, the MAB is the most utilized tool for the evaluation of the geriatric population in Portugal. Thus, it is of the utmost importance that we analyze its results in order to enhance its capabilities. It can then contribute to the creation of a shortened Core Set by the World Health Organization (WHO).     

Does slow and steady win the race?: Clustering patterns of students’ behaviors in an interactive online mathematics game

Educational technology research and development - Online educational games have been widely used to support students’ mathematics learning. However, their effects largely depend on...