A graduação em química: um novo químico para uma nova era

The discussions sponsored by the Brazilian Chemical Society, over the past five years, intending to produce a chemistry agenda with perspectives and needs for the next decade for the country, have involved the national chemistry community and several related sectors of Brazilian society. Chemistry education has been the theme throughout these discussions. It is known that the low level of basic and secondary education and the recent increase in high school courses and institutions adversely affect the quality of undergraduate teaching. The recent national "Curriculum Guidelines" for Chemistry Courses, through their flexible approach, encourage the integral, interdisciplinary (non compartmentalized) and critical-reflexive training of professionals as citizens and as entrepreneurs. However, deficiencies are still recognized. The system of undergraduate course evaluation has identified the most fragile modalities of the courses and other indicators. Also, it has been verified that the Brazilian chemistry industry absorbs only minimally the highly qualified professionals, which is attributed to the fact that the Federal Council of Chemistry is vertically organized and does not recognize the graduate degrees as professional qualifications. In conclusion, the importance of the effective implantation of the national curriculum guidelines is apparent, among other aspects, highlighting courses whose didactical and pedagogical projects may offer a solid formation in Chemistry. However, at the same time the guidelines are comprehensive and general enough to enable the chemistry professionals to develop varied skills.

The use of mixed methods research in interdisciplinary educational journals

Mixed methods research is becoming increasingly important in several scientific areas. The analysis of prevalence rates is a new line of research that has emerged in mixed methods research, and this methodological approach has only been applied carefully in a handful of journals. The purpose of this article was to analyse the prevalence of mixed methods research in interdisciplinary educational journals. Moreover, the main characteristics of the mixed methods articles identified were examined. This study used a mixed methods approach to analyse these aspects. Specifically, a partially mixed sequential equal status multiple-case study design was applied with a development mixed methods purpose. Three educational journals in different disciplines were reviewed from 2005 to 2010 (Academy of Management Learning and Education, Educational Psychology Review, Journal of the Learning Sciences). The findings show differences among the journals in the prevalence rates and characteristics of the mixed methods studies

Análisis de una propuesta de trabajo desde la perspectiva del modelo de convergencia europea

The work presented here describes a part of the experience carried out during the last two academic years in a course called New Technologies Applied to Education within the Teacher Training Studies of the Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology of the University of Girona. It is a project that involves students working on a proposal closely related to their future professional lives. In it they simulate their intervention in a school staff meeting at which the introduction of ICT into the curriculum is being discussed. This proposal is presented in a WebQuest format. Various individual and group tasks allow the students to acquire knowledge about educational programmes and resources available on the web and to discuss their possible teaching applications in the context of a specific school situation, leading to an analysis of the curricular implications associated with the educational use of the ICT from the teacher’s perspective. During the last two academic years assessments by both the students and the teaching staff have been gathered in order to redesign the proposal and calculate the time necessary for the development of each task following the ECTS system. This proposal, although formulated within the context of current degree programmes, implies a way of working guided by the plans of European convergence (ECTS). In the future it is hoped to establish an interdisciplinary proposal focusing on various subjects of the degree leading to the development of some of the capabilities established in our university’s degree courses in Early Childhood and Primary Teacher Training following the plans of European convergence (ECTS)

Early Childhood Mathematics Education: Research, Curriculum and Educational Practice

This article reviews data obtained through research into early childhood mathematics education in Spain. It analyses the current curricular directions in mathematics education with early learners. It also provides an overview of mathematical practices in early childhood education classrooms to analyse the commonalities and differences between research, curriculum and educational practice. A review of the research presented at SEIEM symposia from 1997 until 2012 demonstrates: a) very little research has been done, a trend that is repeated in other areas, such as the JCR-Social Sciences Edition or the PME; b) the first steps have been taken to create a more and more cohesive body of research, although until now there has not been enough data to outline the curricular directions; and c) some discrepancies still exist between the mathematical practices in early childhood education classrooms and the official guidelines

Curriculum innovation in teacher education : exploring conceptions among Tanzanian teacher educators

The focus of the study is to understand curriculum innovation from the perspective of Tanzanian teacher educators. It is argued that the deterioration of quality of education in schools is partly to be attributed to the way in which teachers are educated. Curriculum innovation is considered as an essential strategy for bringing about improvement in teacher education. Therefore, in 2000 a new curriculum was introduced; however, right from the inception the curriculum was criticised by teacher educators. The overall aim of the study is to investigate teacher educators’ conceptions of curriculum innovation. In the theoretical framework the main focus is on discussion about different curriculum approaches for teacher education and innovation. In order to achieve the aim of the study, a phenomenographic approach is employed. This approach is used in order to identify similarities and variation in educators’ conceptions of curriculum innovation. The empirical basis of the study consists of interviews with thirty teacher educators working in eight teachers’ colleges situated in various parts of Tanzania. The findings, in brief, reveal variation in teacher educators’ conceptions of the dominant domains of innovation. Two broad conceptions of teaching with six aspects are identified. Conceptions of educational studies are presented in four broad categories of description with four aspects. Similarly, in methodology subjects two conceptions are described with four aspects. On the integration of subject matter studies and subject methods, two broad conceptions are presented with six aspects. Conceptions of textbook prescription policy are characterised in two broad categories of description with four aspects. With the use of modules two broad conceptions are identified with six aspects. In addition, the study identifies four broad conceptions of future curriculum approaches with eight aspects. Looking across the categories of description, the results indicate that educators cope with innovation individually. Three character types of teacher educators are presented: loyal, creative and critical. Furthermore, four types of phenomena suggesting critical areas about teacher educators’ conceptions of innovation are described: educators’ prior educational background, technical factors, student teachers’ factors and shifting from teaching to learning. On the whole, educators express a number of frame factors in the process of change towards the aim of curriculum innovation. This indicates that the new curriculum (2000) is not implemented as intended by curriculum developers. Constraints to the implementation are presented and discussed in detail. From these findings, two models of educators’ stance towards curriculum innovation are presented and can be used as a framework for planning successful curriculum innovations and analysing practice in teachers’ colleges.

A composição do curriculum vitae entre estudantes de medicina e seus condicionantes

Nesta pesquisa, investigam-se as escolhas de atividades formadoras feitas por estudantes de Medicina e seus motivos, com o fim de apreender a lógica dessas escolhas no contexto institucional em que se apresentam e no contexto social mais amplo das sociedades capitalistas atuais, onde se afirmam novos padrões de autorrealização, conforme as pesquisas de A. Ehrenberg. Assim, não só escutamos os estudantes, como também estivemos atentos às práticas e aos valores vigentes na faculdade estudada e a outros procedimentos indicados pelos entrevistados, entre eles a seleção para a residência médica. Parte-se de dados colhidos por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com 12 alunos e mediante um questionário respondido por 156 dos 160 alunos que cursavam o oitavo período da Faculdade de Medicina estudada. A análise dos dados apoia-se em pesquisas similares e em estudos sobre as transformações atuais nos padrões de comportamento dos indivíduos na sociedade.

O Core Curriculum da Unesco como Base para Formação em Bioética

RESUMO A revolução biotecnológica das últimas décadas teve como resultado o desenvolvimento de um poder quase sem limites sobre a vida humana. Tal contexto exige do profissional uma visão globalizada dos problemas éticos e sociais da era contemporânea, alicerçada em sólidas bases filosóficas e legais. Este contexto torna necessária a promoção de novas competências e habilidades relacionadas à vida profissional. Neste sentido, o ensino da Bioética desponta como uma possibilidade de inovação curricular alternativa ao tradicional modelo prescritivo e normativo. Este artigo relata a experiência da Cátedra Unesco de Bioética da Universidade de Brasília com a utilização do Core Curriculum proposto pela Unesco como instrumento didático-pedagógico adequado ao ensino da Bioética. Entre os dilemas pedagógicos enfrentados pela Bioética como disciplina encontram-se: a construção de seus conteúdos, sua estruturação, as concepções teóricas a serem seguidas e seus objetivos. A contextualização e o aperfeiçoamento da estratégia proposta pelo Core Curriculum podem significar importantes instrumentos facilitadores para docentes que buscam organizar práticas didático-pedagógicas inovadoras em Bioética com o intuito de proporcionar resultados efetivos na formação de seus estudantes.

Show me your brain! Stories of interdisciplinary knowledge creation in practice. Experiences and observations from Aalto Design Factory, Finland.

This dissertation centres on the themes of knowledge creation, interdisciplinarity and knowledge work. My research approaches interdisciplinary knowledge creation (IKC) as practical situated activity. I argue that by approaching IKC from the practice-based perspective makes it possible to “deconstruct” how knowledge creation actually happens, and demystify its strong intellectual, mentalistic and expertise-based connotations. I have rendered the work of the observed knowledge workers into something ordinary, accessible and routinized. Consequently this has made it possible to grasp the pragmatic challenges as well the concrete drivers of such activity. Thus the effective way of organizing such activities becomes a question of organizing and leading effective everyday practices. To achieve that end, I have conducted ethnographic research of one explicitly interdisciplinary space within higher education, Aalto Design Factory in Helsinki, Finland, where I observed how students from different disciplines collaborated in new product development projects. I argue that IKC is a multi-dimensional construct that intertwines a particular way of doing; a way of experiencing; a way of embodied being; and a way of reflecting on the very doing itself. This places emphasis not only the practices themselves, but also on the way the individual experiences the practices, as this directly affects how the individual practices. My findings suggest that in order to effectively organize and execute knowledge creation activities organizations need to better accept and manage the emergent diversity and complexity inherent in such activities. In order to accomplish this, I highlight the importance of understanding and using a variety of (material) objects, the centrality of mundane everyday practices, the acceptance of contradictions and negotiations well as the role of management that is involved and engaged. To succeed in interdisciplinary knowledge creation is to lead not only by example, but also by being very much present in the very everyday practices that make it happen.

Impact of social vulnerability on the outcomes of predialysis chronic kidney disease patients in an interdisciplinary center

Introduction: Numerous studies examined the associations between socio-demographic, economic and individual factors and chronic kidney disease (CKD) outcomes and observed that the associations were complex and multifactorial. Socioeconomic factors can be evaluated by a model of social vulnerability (SV). Objective: To analyze the impact of SV on the outcomes of predialysis patients. Methods: Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected from a cohort of patients with predialysis stage 3 to 5 who were treated by an interdisciplinary team (January 2002 and December 2009) in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Factor, cluster and discriminant analysis were performed in sequence to identify the most important variables and develop a model of SV that allowed for classification of the patients as vulnerable or non-vulnerable. Cox regression was performed to examine the impact of SV on the outcomes of mortality and need for renal replacement therapy (RRT). Results: Of the 209 patients examined, 29.4% were classified as vulnerable. No significance difference was found between the vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups regarding either mortality (log rank: 0.23) or need for RRT (log rank: 0.17). In the Cox regression model, the hazard ratios (HRs) for the unadjusted and adjusted impact of SV on mortality were found to be 1.87 (confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-5.41) and 1.47 (CI: 0.35-6.0), respectively, and the unadjusted and adjusted impact of need for RRT to be 1.85 (CI: 0.71-4.8) and 2.19 (CI: 0.50-9.6), respectively. Conclusion: These findings indicate that SV did not influence the outcomes of patients with predialysis CKD treated in an interdisciplinary center.