Perceptions of university teachers about teaching and the quality of pedagogy in higher education: a study in Portugal / Percepciones de los profesores universitarios sobre la enseñanza y la calidad de la pedagogía de la educación superior: un estudio realizado en Portugal

This paper draws upon a broader piece of research aiming at investigating the perceptions of university teachers about the quality of pedagogy in higher education and their professional development. Data were collected through questionnaires. In total, 171 faculty members participated in the study. Findings indicate that the participants recognized the importance of quality of pedagogy, and particularly the principles of transparency and intentionality. The most important motives for university teachers to engage in professional development opportunities are emancipatory and pedagogical ones. The participants also stress that in general they feel good as far as their teaching activity is concerned. However, those who revealed greater satisfaction with teaching valued more the quality of pedagogy in general. Also, those who feel good in relation to teaching value more the principles of interaction, democratization and negotiation with the students. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

The effects and characteristics of family involvement on a peer tutoring programme to improve the reading comprehension competence

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of an educational programme involving peer tutoring at school and family tutoring at home on child reading comprehension achievement in Catalunya, Spain. We drew upon a sample of 303 primary school students from 8 to 11 years old and 223 family tutors from home (61.5% mothers, 15% fathers, 17% both parents, 6.5% siblings). Reading comprehension performance was assessed through standardised tests in pre and post-test bases. Background variables were collected by means of student and parent questionnaires and also teacher and family interviews. An analysis of the family tutoring interactions was also performed. The main results showed positive effects for all the students, but especially for the 223 students who received family support. Overall, the study reveals the effectiveness of peer learning to improve reading comprehension skills and the potential of family involvement for the development of academic skills when the school provides trust and support for it.     

Our Role as Intercultural Scholars,Practitioners, Activists,and Teachers in Addressing These Key Intercultural Urgencies,Issues, and Challenges

As the finale, the participating scholars connect their discussion of key intercultural urgencies, issues, and challenges to our role as intercultural scholars and the pathways for engagement. We all inhabit different and multiple roles for addressing and confronting such urgencies—as researchers, practitioners, activists, teachers, and community members with macro and micro modes of agency, influence, and impact. Discussants grapple with how to envision these roles in contemporary society and actuate meaningful change for multiple constituencies and communities around us.     

The implementation of a new policy on teacher appraisal in Portugal: how do teachers experience it at school?

This paper draws upon a broader piece of research aimed at investigating the implementation process of a recent policy on teacher appraisal in Portugal. Two case studies were carried out and a combination of methods for data collection was used. Findings suggest that teachers?? perceptions are marked by uncertainty and scepticism. Amongst the most critical issues are the lack of recognition of the appraisers, the bureaucratic and summative dimension, and the lack of necessary conditions to put it into practice. However, some positive aspects were also identified, namely the emergence of debates within the teaching profession, the opportunity to reflect upon teachers?? practice and to change previous teacher appraisal system.     

Role of vitamin B12 on methylmalonyl-CoA mutase activity

Vitamin B₁₂ is an organometallic compound with important metabolic derivatives that act as cofactors of certain enzymes, which have been grouped into three subfamilies depending on their cofactors. Among them, methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) has been extensively studied. This enzyme catalyzes the reversible isomerization of L-methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA using adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) as a cofactor participating in the generation of radicals that allow isomerization of the substrate. The crystal structure of MCM determined in Propionibacterium freudenreichii var. shermanii has helped to elucidate the role of this cofactor AdoCbl in the reaction to specify the mechanism by which radicals are generated from the coenzyme and to clarify the interactions between the enzyme, coenzyme, and substrate. The existence of human methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) due to the presence of mutations in MCM shows the importance of its role in metabolism. The recent crystallization of the human MCM has shown that despite being similar to the bacterial protein, there are significant differences in the structural organization of the two proteins. Recent studies have identified the involvement of an accessory protein called MMAA, which interacts with MCM to prevent MCM’s inactivation or acts as a chaperone to promote regeneration of inactivated enzyme. The interdisciplinary studies using this protein as a model in different organisms have helped to elucidate the mechanism of action of this isomerase, the impact of mutations at a functional level and their repercussion in the development and progression of MMA in humans. It is still necessary to study the mechanisms involved in more detail using new methods.     

I Am Sure There May Be a Planet There: Student articulation of uncertainty in argumentation tasks

We investigated how students articulate uncertainty when they are engaged in structured scientific argumentation tasks where they generate, examine, and interpret data to determine the existence of exoplanets. In this study, 302 high school students completed 4 structured scientific arguments that followed a series of computer-model-based curriculum module activities simulating the radial velocity and/or the transit method. Structured scientific argumentation tasks involved claim, explanation, uncertainty rating, and uncertainty rationale. We explored (1) how students are articulating uncertainty within the various elements of the task and (2) the relationship between the way the task is presented and the way students are articulating uncertainty. We found that (1) while the majority of students did not express uncertainty in either explanation or uncertainty rationale, students who did express uncertainty in their explanations did so scientifically without being prompted explicitly, (2) students’ uncertainty ratings and rationales revealed a mix of their personal confidence and uncertainty related to science, and (3) if a task presented noisy data, students were less likely to express uncertainty in their explanations.     

Teachers' views on recent curriculum changes: tensions and challenges

This article presents the major findings of a small-scale study of recent changes in the elementary school curriculum in Portugal and their implications for teachers' sense of professionalism. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires in a suburban elementary school. Findings suggest the emergence of contradictory trends in teacher professionalism: on the one hand, teachers acknowledge the flexibility and the local logic in the management of school curriculum in which they play a key role; on the other, they highlight issues of bureaucracy and ‘imposed collaboration’, along with the lack of support and guidance to perform their new roles at school. Challenge, ambiguity and tension are key words in defining Portuguese teachers' sense of professionalism in times of change.     

An action research process on university tutorial sessions with small groups: presentational tutorial sessions and online communication

We describe and analyse the action research process carried out by us as teachers in a general didactics course in the University of Malaga (Spain). The course methodology combined lectures to the whole class and small-group work. We were in charge of guiding small-group work. In the small groups, students researched on an educational innovation guided by a teacher from the educative system (primary, secondary, ‘A’-level). Students used theoretical concepts explained in lectures to analyse educational innovative realities. Students met with the lecturers at Faculty periodically. These lecturers used online tools to guide small group work between meetings. Specifically, students developed a diary using the ad hoc tool in Online Campus, based on Moodle. Lecturers read the diaries on a regular basis and offered feedback to the students. Additionally, students and lecturers kept in contact between meetings by email and forums. Finally, students submitted a report of their research and lecturers offered feedback before a final version of the report. We carried out an action research process to explore the fit between the general purposes of the course and our work as lecturers with the small groups of students. Moreover, we studied the interrelationship between the meetings at Faculty and the online communication via diaries, email and forums.