Traditional Toys and Student Motivation and Commitment in Technological Education

Problem Statement: This research aims to understand the contribution of traditional toys as catalysts for motivation and student commitment in the development of Technological Education projects and activities. Research Questions: To what extent do work units related to traditional toys promote student motivation and commitment in the subject of Technological Education. Purpose of Study: Technological Education requires students to gain knowledge and know-how such that motivation and commitment are crucial for the development of classroom projects and activities. It is in this context that traditional toys are assumed to be catalysts for motivation and student interest. Research Methods: In terms of methodology, an exploratory research of a qualitative nature was carried out, based on semi-structured interviews to teachers and students within a 2nd cycle of Basic Education environment, encompassing five state schools in the Viseu municipality, Portugal. Nine teachers and forty-five technological education pupils, aged between 10 and 12, attending the 5th and 6th years of schooling participated. Findings: Content analysis of the answers revealed that the implementation of work units involving the construction of traditional toys are conducive to student motivation and commitment. Starting off with an initial idea, pupils are enabled to experience all the stages of toy building, from conception to completion, contributing to greater student satisfaction in the teaching-learning process. Conclusions: The traditional toys constitute an added value in the subject of Technological Education, promoting student motivation and commitment in the development of projects and activities. Students acquire knowledge and skills, which will enable them to analyze and thus resolve specific situations and prepare them for an increasingly technological world.

Leadership and Pedagogical Interaction as Predictors of Learning Outcomes in Physical Education

Problem Statement: This research aims to understand the relative contribution of leadership styles and teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interaction concerning the learning performance and academic achievement in physical education. Research Questions: Are the teacher leadership style and the teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interaction related to the learning performance and academic achievement in physical education in basic schooling? Purpose of Study: There are several factors that contribute for the explanation of learning outcomes, namely teacher leadership styles in the classroom, as well as teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interactions. These factors are considered to be essential in the teaching-learning process and in the subsequent improvement of educational outcomes. Research Methods: A quantitative methodology was implemented, comprising a sample of 447 students attending a School Grouping located in the Central Region of Portugal. In order to verify the nature, the strength and the direction of the relations among the variables, correlation and multiple regression analyses were used. For this, scales already validated and used in other researches were applied. Findings: The results show that the learning performance and the academic achievement are significantly associated with teacher leadership styles and teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interaction. A stronger association was obtained with leadership styles, especially the democratic one. It should be mentioned that these factors provide a higher relative contribution to the learning performance than to the academic achievement. Conclusions: This study sought to deepen the understanding of the explanatory factors of academic success concerning the teaching-learning process in physical education. The analysis conducted highlights the importance of the democratic teacher leadership style and of the pedagogical interaction established within the classroom towards the improvement of students' ability to understand the gains and the effort made in learning.

Reiki como terapia não convencional: conhecimentos dos enfermeiros

Enquadramento: O interesse pelas Terapias Não Convencionais (TNC) teve um grande desenvolvimento no início deste século. O Reiki é uma terapia realizada através da colocação das mãos em pontos específicos do corpo e que utiliza a transferência de energia para proporcionar um bem-estar natural. A Enfermagem em especial a de Reabilitação, também apresenta dentro das suas intervenções específicas, uma vertente essencial baseada no toque à pessoa a quem presta cuidados, sendo por isso importante possuir conhecimentos sobre estas técnicas. Objetivos: Avaliar os conhecimentos dos enfermeiros acerca do Reiki e identificar fatores determinantes nesse conhecimento. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, descritivo e correlacional, realizado numa amostra de 49 enfermeiros a exercer funções em instituições da região centro do país, baseado num questionário de conhecimentos elaborado pelas investigadoras. Resultados: Constatamos que os conhecimentos globais dos enfermeiros sobre o Reiki eram para 59,1% razoáveis, para 38,6% altos e apenas 2,3% apresentava baixos conhecimentos. Pudemos verificar diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre o “Conhecimento Total”, e as variáveis “ter iniciação em Reiki” e “ter recebido tratamento com Reiki” para o grupo de enfermeiros dos Cuidados Diferenciados (CD). Encontraram-se diferenças estatisticamente significativas, também, entre a dimensão “Conceito e História” e grupos etários, habilitações literárias, categoria profissional e tempo de serviço para os enfermeiros a exercer nos CD. Conclusão: Os conhecimentos dos enfermeiros sobre o Reiki são bastante significativos, sendo estes claramente superiores no grupo que exerce funções em CD. Por outro lado encontrámos fatores que interferem na determinação desses conhecimentos e que por isso importa controlar. Palavras-chave: Reiki; Enfermagem; Conhecimentos.