INVESTIGATION OF STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE EFFECTIVE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES IN EARTH SCIENCE

This dissertation serves as a call to geoscientists to share responsibility with K-12 educators for increasing Earth science literacy. When partnerships are created among K-12 educators and geoscientists, the synergy created can promote Earth science literacy in students, teachers, and the broader community. The research described here resulted in development of tools that can support effective professional development for teachers. One tool is used during the planning stages to structure a professional development program, another set of tools supports measurement of the effectiveness of a development program, and the third tool supports sustainability of professional development programs. The Michigan Teacher Excellence Program (MiTEP), a Math/Science Partnership project funded by the National Science Foundation, served as the test bed for developing and testing these tools. The first tool, the planning tool, is the Earth Science Literacy Principles (ESLP). The ESLP served as a planning tool for the two-week summer field courses as part of the MiTEP program. The ESLP, published in 2009, clearly describe what an Earth science literate person should know. The ESLP consists of nine big ideas and their supporting fundamental concepts. Using the ESLP for planning a professional development program assisted both instructors and teacher-participants focus on important concepts throughout the professional development activity. The measurement tools were developed to measure change in teachers’ Earth science content-area knowledge and perceptions related to teaching and learning that result from participating in a professional development program. The first measurement tool, the Earth System Concept Inventory (ESCI), directly measures content-area knowledge through a succession of multiple-choice questions that are aligned with the content of the professional development experience. The second measurement, an exit survey, collects qualitative data from teachers regarding their impression of the professional development. Both the ESCI and the exit survey were tested for validity and reliability. Lesson study is discussed here as a strategy for sustaining professional development in a school or a district after the end of a professional development activity. Lesson study, as described here, was offered as a formal course. Teachers engaged in lesson study worked collaboratively to design and test lessons that improve the teachers’ classroom practices. Data regarding the impact of the lesson study activity were acquired through surveys, written documents, and group interviews. The data are interpreted to indicate that the lesson study process improved teacher quality and classroom practices. In the case described here, the lesson study process was adopted by the teachers’ district and currently serves as part of the district’s work in Professional Learning Communities, resulting in ongoing professional development throughout the district.

Caracterização do perfil audiológico de escolares de escola pública do município de Bauru/SP

Muitos dos problemas auditivos não são notados por pais e professores. Este fato prejudica a aprendizagem da criança principalmente no ambiente escolar. Por isso, programas de triagem auditiva podem ser utilizados com o intuito de detectar e, posteriormente, diagnosticar escolares a fim de que se possa prevenir ou minimizar o impacto a que possíveis sequelas auditivas venham prejudicar o rendimento escolar da criança. Hoje em dia podemos contar com programas que permitem o melhor acompanhamento de populações que necessitam de cuidados preventivos e curativos, e a audição é um aspecto muito importante que pode ser avaliado quando estes programas são colocados em prática. O Programa Nacional de Reorientação da Formação Profissional em Saúde (Pró-Saúde), que visou reorientar a formação profissional, teve como objetivo integrar ensino-serviço e promover atenção básica por meio da abordagem integral do processo saúde-doença. Ambientes externos podem ser utilizados por alunos e professores universitários para que possam colocadas em prática ações que possibilitem a humanização das práticas de atenção a saúde e a integralidade das mesmas, por meio da articulação de ações e serviços de saúde, preventivos e curativos, individuais e coletivos. A escola é considerada um dos ambientes que este trabalho pode ser realizado. O Programa Saúde na Escola (PSE) abre o ambiente escolar com a finalidade de contribuir para a formação integral dos estudantes da rede pública de educação básica por meio de ações de prevenção, promoção e atenção à saúde. Sendo um estudo do tipo retrospectivo transversal, como objetivo principal caracterizar o perfil audiológico de escolares de escola pública do município de Bauru SP, contando com a integração de profissionais da área da saúde e educação no ambiente escolar, o que teve como base os programas citados acima. A triagem auditiva foi realizada com a aplicação dos seguintes procedimentos: imitanciometria, inspeção visual do meato acústico externo, emissões otoacústicas por produto de distorção e audiometria tonal liminar. Observou-se que do total de 652 estudantes, a grande maioria (97,1%) dos participantes com faixa etária entre 10 e 18 anos, apresentaram audição normal. Em 2,9% desta população foi encontrada alguma alteração auditiva temporária. Com a exceção de um único participante, portador de perda auditiva sensorioneural. Apesar de encontrarmos muitas crianças e adolescentes com audição normal, o que mais ressalta a importância deste trabalho é a necessidade da triagem auditiva em ambientes escolares e, essencialmente, o acompanhamento das mesmas nesta faixa etária, já que são escassos os estudos referentes a ela. Apesar das poucas alterações auditivas encontradas serem passageiras, são exatamente estas que interferem no bom rendimento escolar e outros fatores.

O PAPEL DO GESTOR ESCOLAR NO PROCESSO DE QUALIFICAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL DOS ALUNOS NO ENSINO MÉDIO UM ESTUDO DE CASO EM UMA ESCOLA PÚBLICA ESTADUAL PAULISTA

A presente dissertação trata do papel da gestão escolar no Ensino Médio, no processo de qualificação profissional dos alunos em uma escola pública estadual na periferia do município de Osasco São Paulo. Observa-se que um novo modelo de gestão na educação é discutido nos últimos anos no Brasil. Os Governos Federais junto com o Ministério da Educação têm apresentado programas sociais com o objetivo de que o jovem brasileiro possa se profissionalizar e estar apto a enfrentar um mercado de trabalho competitivo. Entre os programas do Governo destaca-se o Prouni, (Programa de Universidade para todos), representa um programa do Ministério da Educação criado em 2004 com a finalidade de conceder bolsas de ensino integral e parcial em instituições privadas de ensino superior, em cursos de graduação, destinada a estudantes brasileiros que não tenham cursado o ensino superior. Essas bolsas são concedidas aos alunos que participaram do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM). Em 2011, o Ministério da Educação criou o Programa Nacional de Acesso ao Ensino Técnico e Emprego (Pronatec) com o propósito de ampliar a oferta de cursos de educação profissional e tecnológica. Com esses e outros programas oferecidos pelo Governo pretende-se preparar os jovens para o mercado de trabalho. A pergunta norteadora deste estudo é: qual o papel do gestor escolar do Ensino Médio e suas ações visando a qualificação profissional do aluno? A pesquisa busca analisar a gestão escolar no Ensino Médio, tendo como foco o papel do gestor de uma escola pública no processo de escolha da qualificação profissional dos alunos do Ensino Médio. Para auxiliar o alcance desse objetivo, foram delimitados dois aspectos para estudo: a) analisar as ações e concepções políticas da gestão escolar pela percepção do corpo docente e de funcionários da escola; b) analisar as ações da gestão escolar visando à qualificação profissional por meio da visão de alunos em curso e de egressos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa que será qualitativa exploratória- descritiva. A pesquisa documental e as entrevistas semiestruturadas fazem parte da coleta de dados que irão subsidiar a análise final. A contribuição científica e social que se discute neste trabalho é a reflexão sobre a gestão da escola no Ensino Médio no processo de qualificação profissional dos alunos.

Proposta arquitetônica para o Centro de Treinamento dos Servidores do IFRN com base nos fatores de desempenho energético.

In recent years, as part of the expansion process of its activities, the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte – IFRN (Federal Institute for Education, Science and Technology of the State of Rio Grande do Norte – IFRN) detected the need to hire more employees for the institution. This expansion process, a policy of the Federal Government, together with the increase of human resources, required the construction of an adequate facility in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante-RN, for training and qualification and as a means of better enabling its personnel. Along with this policy, the Federal Government is also deeply concerned that its buildings be environmentally friendly. This study deals with this subject matter, as it develops an architectural design of a public building with an emphasis upon the reduction of energy consumption, through the study of energy performance factors such as defined by Carneiro (1988) and adapted by the author of the present study. It is known that residential, commercial and public buildings represent about 45 % of energy consumption in Brazil. That is why it is necessary to consider the reduction of such consumption in buildings, as well as the role that professionals, especially architects, play in this issue. The most effective participation in this regard in the field of architecture occurs in the design phase. However, the architectural solution proposed here goes beyond the energy performance factors, since it also involves other aspects, such as the definition of the concept, the parti and the spatial solution itself. In this sense, the architectural project of the Centro de Treinamento dos Servidores do IFRN - CTSIFRN (Training Center for IFRN Personnel – CTSFIRN) is particularly fitting as a subject for research at the Professional Master Program at PPGAU/UFRN, which is devoted to research on architecture, design and the environment.

A gestão do programa saúde na escola no município de Natal/RN: um estudo de caso

The current conception of health deals with several influential factors, having education among them. Intersectoral organization is essential for Young and adult healthcare services. In this context the Healthcare in School Program was created which foresees a continuous articulation between health and education aiding the effectuation of the Healthcare Single System. The objective of this research is analyze the Healthcare in School Program (HSP) in Natal city in Rio Grande do Norte State taking into consideration the Intersectoriality of actions from the standpoint of the management. The chosen method was the case study, with qualitative approach. The sample was of the intentional kind including all components of the Natal city Intersectorial work group, composed by representatives of the Municipal Education Bureau, the State Education Bureau and Healthcare Municipal Bureau. The collecting data technique was the semi-structured interview. The data analysis was performed through the analysis of contents technique. For Data Show the following analysis categories were considered: Meaning of Intersectoriality; Actions Planning; Permanent and ongoing training for autonomy regarding to Healthcare Promotion; Difficulties and Potentials for actions operationalization. The outcomes allow us to indentify in Natal HSP intersectoral practices not developed yet. The manager professionals of Healthcare and Education do not get to acknowledge the power of Intersectoriality yet. The lack of commitment of some professionals stands out, planning is performed in a sectorial basis and without active participation of learners and community, there is duties accumulation and discouragement group, structural inadequacy and difficulty on the ongoing of the program actions. Despite the existing fragmentation, the program has contributed to the professional qualification and development of education actions regarding to healthcare along with learners. Therefore we conclude that healthcare, education and society have lots of challenges to face in order to consolidate Intersectoriality and the Healthcare in School Program and the and the implementation of the guidelines of the Healthcare Single System in Natal city in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Professional development programs in health promotion : tools and processes to favor new practices

Developing innovative interventions that are in sync with a health promotion paradigm often represents a challenge for professionals working in local public health organizations. Thus, it is critical to have both professional development programs that favor new practices and tools to examine these practices. In this case study, we analyze the health promotion approach used in a pilot intervention addressing children’s vulnerability that was developed and carried out by participants enrolled in a public health professional development program. More specifically, we use a modified version of Guichard and Ridde’s (Une grille d’analyse des actions pour lutter contre les inégalités sociales de santé. In Potvin, L., Moquet, M.-J. and Jones, C. M. (eds), Réduire les Inégalités Sociales en Santé. INPES, Saint-Denis Cedex, pp. 297– 312, 2010) analytical grid to assess deductively the program participants’ use of health promotion practices in the analysis and planning, implementation, evaluation, sustainability and empowerment phases of the pilot intervention. We also seek evidence of practices involving (empowerment, participation, equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability) in the intervention. The results are mixed: our findings reveal evidence of the application of several dimensions of health promotion (equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability), but also a lack of integration of two key dimensions; that is, empowerment and participation, during various phases of the pilot intervention. These results show that the professional development program is associated with the adoption of a pilot intervention integrating multiple but not all dimensions of health promotion. We make recommendations to facilitate a more complete integration. This research also shows that the Guichard and Ridde grid proves to be a thorough instrument to document the practices of participants.

Escolha profissional e o perfil dos acadêmicos de administração na modalidade a distância da FURG: um estudo comparativo

A atividade profissional é fundamental para a constituição do sujeito e reprodução da sociedade. Por outro lado, o processo de ensino-aprendizagem, na modalidade a distância, apresenta novos desafios e mudanças substanciais na maneira de se produzir conhecimento. Dessa forma, no presente estudo, analisaram-se dados socioeconômicos dos acadêmicos do curso de administração a distância da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, com o intuito de traçar seu perfil, fazendo uma análise comparativa com os alunos da modalidade presencial. Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, no qual se utilizou o tratamento estatístico na análise dos dados, obtidos de questionário e fontes secundárias. Os resultados demonstram que os acadêmicos da modalidade a distância possuem uma média de idade superior à dos alunos do presencial, sendo 63% são responsáveis pelo próprio sustento. Além disso, apenas 11% são oriundos de escolas particulares, ao passo que 25%, no presencial, provêm dessas instituições. Mais de 50%, por sua vez, são filhos de pais com grau de instrução inferior ao ensino fundamental e 31% afirmaram que o fizeram basicamente por ser um curso virtual, indicando que a educação à distância, além de oferecer a possibilidade de qualificação profissional às mais distantes regiões do país, beneficia um público que está entre as camadas mais necessitadas da população.

Relatório de Estágio

O presente relatório de estágio insere-se na unidade curricular de Integração Curricular: Prática Educativa e Relatório de Estágio, relativa ao segundo ano do mestrado em Ensino do 1.º e 2.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico (CEB). Deste modo, tem como objetivo divulgar de uma forma refletida e alicerçada, todo um caminho percorrido pela mestranda na prática e todas as opções tomadas relativamente à intervenção educativa no contexto de prática de ensino no 1.º e 2.º CEB. Num primeiro momento é evidenciado um enquadramento académico e profissional, tendo em conta os pressupostos legais, a nível académico, e os pressupostos teóricos e práticos a nível da formação profissional, que sustentaram e orientaram toda a prática educativa supervisionada da professora estagiária. Além da componente teórica, num segundo momento, procede-se à descrição dos contextos educativos do Agrupamento de Escolas PVC, nomeadamente o 2.º Ano A da EB1/JI dos M, o 5.º A e o 6.º D da EB2/3 PVC, em que a professora estagiária se inseriu e onde desenvolveu a sua prática pedagógica. De seguida, é realizada uma narração e de reflexão fundamentada de todas as práticas educativas e experiências vividas em ambos os contextos. Sendo a componente investigativa extremamente importante para a formação docente é retratada também a realização de um projeto investigativo, implementado em contexto de 1.º ciclo, seguindo as especificidades da investigação-ação, que permite ao professor averiguar acerca das suas práticas, no sentido de as aperfeiçoar e renovar. Neste sentido, este documento finaliza um primeiro momento da formação docente, sendo que aqui se inicia um percurso de aprendizagens e desafios que serão o mote para a constante formação e procura da identidade.

Professional development programs in health promotion : tools and processes to favor new practices

Developing innovative interventions that are in sync with a health promotion paradigm often represents a challenge for professionals working in local public health organizations. Thus, it is critical to have both professional development programs that favor new practices and tools to examine these practices. In this case study, we analyze the health promotion approach used in a pilot intervention addressing children’s vulnerability that was developed and carried out by participants enrolled in a public health professional development program. More specifically, we use a modified version of Guichard and Ridde’s (Une grille d’analyse des actions pour lutter contre les inégalités sociales de santé. In Potvin, L., Moquet, M.-J. and Jones, C. M. (eds), Réduire les Inégalités Sociales en Santé. INPES, Saint-Denis Cedex, pp. 297– 312, 2010) analytical grid to assess deductively the program participants’ use of health promotion practices in the analysis and planning, implementation, evaluation, sustainability and empowerment phases of the pilot intervention. We also seek evidence of practices involving (empowerment, participation, equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability) in the intervention. The results are mixed: our findings reveal evidence of the application of several dimensions of health promotion (equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability), but also a lack of integration of two key dimensions; that is, empowerment and participation, during various phases of the pilot intervention. These results show that the professional development program is associated with the adoption of a pilot intervention integrating multiple but not all dimensions of health promotion. We make recommendations to facilitate a more complete integration. This research also shows that the Guichard and Ridde grid proves to be a thorough instrument to document the practices of participants.

"I'm thinking 'bout moving in"... An examination of the issues impacting on the recruitment of secondary school graduates to the library and information profession

In recent years concern has been expressed internationally about the future of the library and information services (LIS) profession: recruitment and retention, changing skill sets and declining numbers of people choosing librarianship as a career are all factors contributing to an uncertain future. One area yet explored in any depth is the topic of why LIS studies are not perceived, let alone promoted, as a good first professional qualification for high school graduates. This paper considers the professional literature that examines the uptake of librarianship as a first qualification by school leavers and discusses, in the context of the Australian library sector, the role of professional associations, library schools, National and State Libraries, as well as individual libraries and librarians. Examples of best practice are presented to highlight the opportunities for inspiring and motivating students through well structured and stimulating work experience programs. The topic is relevant to all librarians who are interested in the future of the LIS profession. It is argued that the focus of the present conference on ‘moving up’ and ‘moving on’ can only have real significance when the profession has a more complete understanding of the barriers to and the opportunities for ‘moving in’.

Two Thai teachers' perceptions of cooperative learning

Over the past decade, the need for educational reform in Thailand has become increasingly apparent. The strong tradition of teacher-directed instruction has been the major teaching and learning style in Thai education. Recent policy changes have focused on expanding education opportunities, the implementation of compulsory education and also on more student-centered pedagogies (Carter, 2006). A suggested way of bringing about the changes necessary to improve the standard of education in primary schools and retention rates is to incorporate cooperative learning into Thai primary school classrooms. The action research in this study proceeded in four stages. There were pre-implementation interviews of teachers, teacher preparation, implementation of program, and post-implementation evaluation. This study focused on the two Thai teachers' perceptions about the benefits of cooperative learning and the roles of the teachers in cooperative learning classroom. The study found that the two teachers had constructed different levels of perceptions about the benefits of cooperative learning and the roles of the teacher. These findings indicated that Thai teachers who are relatively inexperienced, lacking in confidence and with little or no experience with group work strategies such as peer tutoring need alternative, less intense professional development programs conducted over a period of a semester than the professional development program implemented in this study. In addition to being conducted over a longer period of time, the findings also indicate that alternative teacher professional programs need to provide additional workshops to improve their understanding of cooperative learning and the teachers' roles.

Paving pathways : shaping the public health workforce through tertiary education

Public health educational pathways in Australia have traditionally been the province of Universities, with the Master of Public Health (MPH) recognised as the flagship professional entry program. Public health education also occurs within the fellowship training of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, but within Australia this remains confined to medical graduates. In recent years, however, we have seen a proliferation of undergraduate degrees as well as an increasing public health presence in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. ----- Following the 2007 Australian Federal election, the new Labour government brought with it a refreshing commitment to a more inclusive and strategic style of government. An important example of this was the 2020 visioning process that identified key issues of public health concern, including an acknowledgment that it was unacceptable to allocate less than 2% of the health budget towards disease prevention. This led to the recommendation for the establishment of a national preventive health agency (Australia: the healthiest country by 2020 National Preventative Health Strategy, Prepared by the Preventative Health Taskforce 2009). ----- The focus on disease prevention places a spotlight on the workforce that will be required to deliver the new investment in health prevention, and also on the role of public health education in developing and upskilling the workforce. It is therefore timely to reflect on trends, challenges and opportunities from a tertiary sector perspective. Is it more desirable to focus education efforts on selected lead issues such as the “obesity epidemic”, climate change, Indigenous health and so on, or on the underlying theory and skills that build a flexible workforce capable of responding to a range of health challenges? Or should we aspire to both? ----- This paper presents some of the key discussion points from 2008 – 2009 of the Public Health Educational Pathways workshops and working group of the Australian Network of Public Health Institutions. We highlight some of the competing tensions in public health tertiary education, their impact on public health training programs, and the educational pathways that are needed to grow, shape and prepare the public health workforce for future challenges.

Matching intention with agency : lessons from practice

The research project described in this paper was designed to explore the potential of a wiki to facilitate collaboration and to reduce the isolation of postgraduate students enrolled in a professional doctoral program at a Queensland university. It was also intended to foster a community of practice for reviewing and commenting on one another’s work despite the small number of students and their disparate topics. The students were interviewed and surveyed at the beginning and during the face-to-face sessions of the course and their wikis were examined over the year to monitor, analyse and evaluate the extent to which the agency of the technology (wiki) mediated their development of scholarly skills. The study showed that students paradoxically eschewed use of the structured wiki and formed their own informal networks. This paper will contend that this paradox arose from a mismatch between the agency of technology and its intended purpose.