In-Service Education of Science Teachers: Virtual Simulators as a Resource for Experimental Work

Monogr??fico con el t??tulo: " Formaci??n de profesores. Perspectivas de Brasil, Colombia, Espa??a y Portugal"

Aproximación a la realidad socio-económica marroquí mediante una red de aprendizaje cooperativo

Esta comunicación presenta las prácticas llevadas a cabo en el marco del proyecto de Innovación Docente 'Construcción de una red de aprendizaje cooperativo para el análisis aplicado del contexto socioeconómico marroquí', valorado positivamente por la ANECA y subvencionado por la unidad de Innovación Docente de la Universidad de Granada (UGR). El proyecto se inserta en una doble línea: descubrir la realidad social y económica de un país vecino socio de la Unión Europea y crear la interacción con y entre el alumnado desde una perspectiva internacional e intercultural para desarrollar sus destrezas socio-profesionales y facilitar su movilidad

Estudos de caso revelam efeitos socio-pedagógicos de um programa de formação de professores

O presente texto pretende mostrar o potencial dos estudos de caso para revelar mudanças em contextos escolares e em concepções e práticas de professores que participaram do PROFORMAÇÃO - Programa de Formação de Professores em Exercício. A primeira parte do texto descreve brevemente o Programa de Formação que se destina a certificar professores leigos em exercício nas escolas das regiões Norte, Nordeste e Centro Oeste do país. Na segunda parte são apresentados os procedimentos metodológicos utilizados na realização de seis estudos de caso, que incluíram visitas às salas de aula dos cursistas, entrevistas, análises de memoriais e aplicação de testes de desempenho. A terceira parte do texto discute os principais resultados do estudo avaliativo: mudanças em concepções e práticas pedagógicas dos professores, melhoria em suas habilidades de escrita e em sua auto estima, valorização da cultura local e das experiências dos alunos e efeitos positivos nas políticas locais e nos contextos escolares.

Women on March in Goa : the gender transition in Higher Education after the Statehood

This paper attempts to address the interesting phenomenon of dominance of women in higher educational sector of Goa-a remarkable postcolonial event which occurred after Goa attained statehood in 1987. The Indian state of Goa has been experiencing a rapid socio-economic and cultural transformation. At present it enjoys many of the highest human development indicators in India, matching some of the developed countries. Its’ projected population at present is 1.45 million (Indian decennial census 2001 reported 1.348 million). When the Portuguese rule ended, the literacy was just 31 % whereas it stood at 82 % in 2001. Goa is a highly urbanized state in India. In 1960 there were just five towns and 15 % urban population. In 2001 the figures were, 44 towns and 50 % urban population. On economic front Goa has made tremendous progress mainly on account of the growth of mining, tourism and the service sector. Tourist arrivals in Goa have exceeded the state’s population from 2001. The Gross state domestic product (GSDP) at current prices in 2003-04 was Indian Rupees (Rs.) 96570 million, up from Rs. 3930 million when Goa became a full-fledged state. The banks are flush with funds indicating a booming economy. Goa has lowest birth and death rates and a life expectancy of 68 years for the males and 72 for females. The sex ratio however has shown a declining trend since 1960, from 1066 to 960 in 2001 (Table 1).The sex ratio for 0-6 years age group was 933. On this background we intend to examine the changing pattern of female education in Goa.

Valores culturais, orientações políticas e classes sociais : consequências nos valores de trabalho

Aborda-se a temática das estruturas de valores e consequente impacto nas atitudes e comportamentos na sociedade em geral e no trabalho em particular. Uma amostra diversificada de 157 participantes, recrutada em diferentes meios sociais, variando assim em termos etários, de qualificações académicas, de classe social e de simpatia partidária, respondeu a um questionário sobre valores, valores de trabalho e orientações políticas. Primeiro, verificámos que as orientações político-ideológicas são estruturadas em duas dimensões correlacionadas mas independentes: a esquerda-direita e o autoritarismo-liberdade. Também verificámos que diferentes dimensões supraordenadas de valores do modelo de valores universais de Schwartz estruturam os valores de trabalho e as orientações político-ideológicas, com impactos específicos sobre as funções laborais desejáveis e as preferências socioeconómico-culturais. Finalmente, os efeitos das dimensões de classe social (detenção de capital e qualificação académica) sobre as orientações político-ideológicas sugerem que as dimensões direita-esquerda e autoritarismo-liberdade, apesar de estarem correlacionadas, têm motivações e origens sociológicas diferentes.

Num novo paradigma para o Desenvolvimento Humano : «Comunicação e Cultura Inclusivas»

A «comunicação e a cultura inclusivas» constituem o móbil de um amplo desenvolvimento biopsicossocial e humano, numa dimensão de igualdade de circunstâncias e de oportunidades para todos, com lugar e qualidade de vida para todos, independentemente de dificuldades como, por exemplo, sensoriocognitivas, sociocognitivas, sociocomunicacionais, intelectuais, psíquicas, patologias neurogénicas da comunicação. Trata-se de uma «viagem» concisa, «passeando» num paradigma novo para o desenvolvimento humano, o da «educomunicção inclusiva», uma aglutinação conceptual consubstanciada no polinómio «educação+comunicação/TIC+cultura+pedagogia», que é o caminhar livre e seguro, digno e socializante, numa perspetiva ecoevolutiva humana profícua e eticizante da vida.

Socio-cultural visions of interactivity within Museums

The ideas on which this paper is based are drawn from my thesis “Interactivity in Museums. A Relationship Building Perspective” written in 2007 for the fulfillment of the Master Degree in Museology at the Reinwardt Academy in Amsterdam. The main arguments are that the notion of Interactivity conceptualized within a technological orientation coupled with the pedagogic approach of mere information transmission need to be reconsidered; that Interactivity in museums is a conception both misinterpreted and under-implemented; and that the problems of understanding Interactivity will resolve by identifying the aspects which define Interactivity and most importantly focus on why they matter in a broader socio-cultural context within museums. Without an intention to attribute all the developments and advances associated with new museological practice, in some deterministic way, solely to politics and economic change, I argue that the new strategies adopted by museums towards progression and broader accessibility –at least regarding interactivity, seem to be linked more with a dominant commercialization of culture and education, than with a belief towards an effect on social change through the promotion of social interaction within a pluralistic and multicultural society, acknowledging the diversity of nature, opinion and practices, which can be combined instead of contrasting each other.

Fifty Years After Angicos : Paulo Freire, Popular Education and the Struggle for a Better World that is Possible

The main thesis of this paper is that Freire’s original experience in Angicos anticipated a grand design for social transformation of educational systems. As such it brought together two key concepts that formulated the basis of his educational system: popular culture as an counter-hegemonic project and popular education, more particularly what was later called citizen schools or public popular education as keystone of his new educational system. I use the term Paulo Freire System to show that his original attempts were not only to challenge pedagogical the prevailing banking education system that was so pervasive in Brazil and Latin American at the time. In challenging the hegemony of banking education, its narrative, theoretical foundations, epistemology and methodology, Freire and his team sought to create a new system that could replace the old one. They saw banking education not only as obsolete in terms of modernization of systems but also oppressive in gnoseological, epistemological and political terms. In the conclusion of this paper I will discuss the twins obsessions of Freire, already present in the Angicos experience and that will stay with him throughout his life: the relationship between democracy, citizenship and education, and education as a postcolonial ethical act of social transformation. I would like to emphasize therefore that the Paulo Freire system, as conceived in the Angicos experience and its aftermath was a much larger and comprehensive system that originally considered, even by his critics.

Occupational choice, socio-economic status and educational attainment: a study of the occupational choices and destinations of young people in the British household panel survey

The article considers young people's occupational choices at the age of 15 in relation to their educational attainment, the occupations of their parents and their actual occupations when they are in their early 20s. It uses data from the British Household Panel Survey over periods of between five and ten years. The young people in the survey are occupationally ambitious: many more aspire to professional, managerial and technical jobs than the likely availability of these occupations. In general ambitions and educational attainment and intentions are well aligned but there are also many instances of misalignment; either people wanting jobs which their educational attainments and intentions will not prepare them for, or people with less ambitious aspirations than their educational performance would justify. Children from more occupationally advantaged families are more ambitious, achieve better educationally and have better occupational outcomes than other children. However, where young people are both ambitious and educationally successful the occupational outcomes are as good for those from disadvantaged as advantaged families. In contrast, where young people are neither ambitious nor educationally successful, the outcomes for those from disadvantaged homes are very much poorer than for other young people. The article suggests that while choice is real it is also heavily constrained for many people. A possible educational implication of the study is that career interventions could be directed at under-ambitious but academically capable young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

On the nature of "context" in chemical education

Some of the most pressing problems currently facing chemical education throughout the world are rehearsed. It is suggested that if the notion of "context" is to be used as the basis for an address to these problems, it must enable a number of challenges to be met. Four generic models of "context" are identified that are currently used or that may be used in some form within chemical education as the basis for curriculum design. It is suggested that a model based on physical settings, together with their cultural justifications, and taught with a socio-cultural perspective on learning, is likely to meet those challenges most fully. A number of reasons why the relative efficacies of these four models of approaches cannot be evaluated from the existing research literature are suggested. Finally, an established model for the representation of the development of curricula is used to discuss the development and evaluation of context-based chemical curricula.

Language, education and ethnicity: whose rights will prevail in an age of globalisation?

Education and ethnicity cannot be discussed without taking language into account. This paper will argue that any discussion of ethnic minorities cannot ignore the question of language, nor can any discussion of human rights ignore the question of language rights. Unfortunately, in today's globalised world, governments and minorities are faced with conflicting pressures: on the one hand, for the development and use of education in a global/international language; on the other for the use and development of mother tongue, local or indigenous languages in education. Language complexity and ethnic plurality were largely brought about as a result of the creation of nation-states, which were spread around the world as a result of European colonialism. European languages and formal education systems were used as a means of political and economic control. The legacy that was left by the colonial powers has complicated ethnic relations and has frequently led to conflict. While there is now greater recognition of the importance of language both for economic and educational development, as well as for human rights, the forces of globalisation are leading towards uniformity in the languages used, in culture and even in education. They are working against the development of language rights for smaller groups. We are witnessing a sharp decline in the number of languages spoken. Only those languages which are numerically, economically and politically strong are likely to survive. As a result many linguistic and ethnic groups are in danger of being further marginalised. This paper will illustrate this thesis both historically and from several contemporary societies, showing how certain policies have exacerbated ethnic conflict while others are seeking to promote harmony and reconciliation. Why this should be so will be explored. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Power, nature and neoliberalism: the political ecology of water in Chile

Since the 1990s, international water sector reforms have centred heavily on economic and market approaches. In regard to water resources management, tradable water rights have been promoted, often supported by the neoliberal model adopted in Chile. Chile's 1981 Water Code was reformed to comprise a system of water rights that could be freely traded with few restrictions. International financial institutions have embraced the Chilean model, claiming that it results in more efficient water use, and potentially fosters social and environmental benefits. However, in Chile the Water Code is deeply contested. It has been criticised for being too permissive and has produced a number of problems in practice. Moreover, attempts to modify it have become the focus of a lengthy polemic debate. This paper employs a political ecology perspective to explore the socio-environmental outcomes of water management in Chile, drawing on a case study of agriculture in the semi-arid Norte Chico. The case illustrates how large-scale farmers exert greater control over water, while peasant farmers have increasingly less access. I argue that these outcomes are facilitated by the mode of water management implemented within the framework of the Water Code. Through this preliminary examination of social equity and the environmental aspects of water resources management in Chile, I suggest that the omission of these issues from the international debates on water rights markets is a cause for concern.