Theorizing the Nature of Reflection

For the past decades reflection has been the buzzword of adult and higher education. Reflection is facilitated in many practices and there is abundant research on the issue. Despite the popularity of the concept, the reasons why bringing about reflection in educational practices is difficult remain unclear. The prevailing theories inform of the process in its ideal form. However, to a great extent, they fail to offer conceptual tools for understanding and working with the actualities of reflection. The aim of the doctoral thesis was to explore the challenges and prerequisites of reflection in order to theorize the nature of reflection. By the term reflection it is here referred to becoming aware of and questioning the assumptions that orient our thinking, feelings and actions. The doctoral thesis consists of five studies that approach these questions from different viewpoints and within different contexts. The methods involve both a philosophical and an empirical approach. This multifaceted approach embodies the aim of both gaining a more thorough grasp of the phenomenon and to develop the methodology of researching reflection. The theory building is based on conceptual analysis and rational reconstruction (see Davia 1998; Habermas 1979; Rorty1984) of Mezirow s (1981; 1991; 2000; 2009) theory of transformative learning. In order to explore the aspects which, based on the analysis, appeared insufficiently considered within Mezirow s theory, Damasio s (1994; 1999; 2003; 2010) theory on emotions and consciousness as well as Clausewitz s (1985) view on friction are used as complementary theories. Empirical analyses are used in dialogue with the theoretical, in order to challenge and refine the emerging theorization. Reflection is examined in three different contexts; regarding university teachers pedagogical growth, involuntarily childless women recovering from a life-event crisis, and soldiers preparing to act in chaotic situations of the battlefield as well as recovering from it. The choice of these contexts is based on Mezirow s notion of disorienting dilemma as a trigger for reflection. This notion indicates that reflection may more naturally emerge in association to life-event crises or other cumulative sets of instances, which bring our worldview and beliefs under question. Nevertheless, reflection is often being promoted in educational contexts in which the trigger conditions may not readily prevail. These contextual issues as well as the differences between the facilitated and non-facilitated contexts have not, however, been considered in detail within the research on reflection (or transformative learning). The doctoral thesis offers a new perspective into reflection which, as a further development on Mezirow s transformative learning theory, theorizes the nature of reflection. The developed theory explicates the prerequisites and challenges to reflection. The theory suggests that the challenges of reflection are fundamentally connected to the way the biological life-support system affects our thinking through emotions. While depicting the mechanisms that function as a counterforce to reflection, the developed theory also opens a perspective for considering possibilities for carrying out reflection, and suggests ways to locate and deal with the assumptions to be reflected on. The basic dynamic of the challenges to reflection was explicated by conceptually bridging the gap between Mezirow s and Damasio s theories, through exploring the connections between the meaning perspective and the biological functions of emotions. The concepts of comfort zone and edge-emotions were formed so as to depict the emotional orientation of our thinking, as part of the explanation of the nature of reflection.

Effective Practice with e-Portfolios

Effective Practice with e-Portfolios, one in a series of Effective Practice guides, uses the outcomes of recent significant projects and examples from current practice to explore how e-portfolios can add value to personalised and reflective models of learning. Drawing on the work of key national agencies and organisations and on excellent practice and recent initiatives by institutions and professional bodies, the guide illustrates a wide variety of e-portfolio use across further, higher and continuing education.

A percepção de servidores públicos sobre os desafios para o sucesso da convergência aos padrões internacionais da Contabilidade Aplicada ao Setor Público

A Contabilidade é a linguagem das finanças. O mundo tem convergindo a um processo de harmonização desta linguagem, a partir de diferentes dialetos, de diferentes nacionalidades, à conversão a padrões internacionais, inclusive de Contabilidade Pública. Este processo, no Brasil, tem caminhado a passos largos, o quê requer a devida atenção. Neste sentido, esta pesquisa teve por objetivo avaliar a percepção de servidores públicos sobre os desafios para o sucesso da convergência aos padrões internacionais da Contabilidade Aplicada ao Setor Público. Para isto foi realizada uma pesquisa exploratória, com a adoção do método quanti-qualitativo no tratamento dos dados. Os dados foram obtidos através de um questionário auto-aplicável aos servidores da Controladoria Geral do Município do Rio de Janeiro, a Auditores do Tribunal de Contas do Município do Rio de Janeiro e a alunos do curso de Contabilidade Pública inseridos na base de dados do Conselho Regional de Contabilidade do Rio de Janeiro, o que gerou uma amostra de 93 servidores respondentes. Os resultados sugerem que na percepção dos respondentes o maior desafio a ser superado para o sucesso da convergência, é a capacitação dos servidores através da divulgação e da educação continuada, a respeito do que é a convergência, prazos, e impacto na rotina de trabalho, sejam dos servidores que atuam diretamente com a Contabilidade Pública como daqueles que suprem a Contabilidade de informações para a realização de sua missão, resultado corroborado pelas diretrizes do CFC para promover o desenvolvimento conceitual da Contabilidade Aplicada ao Setor Público no Brasil e estudos como o de Cardoso, Souza e Almeida (2006) que salienta a necessidade da educação continuada, para os já formados. Os resultados sugerem também, como Wesberry (1995) e Silva (2008), desafios culturais, como a fragilidade do uso exclusivo do enfoque patrimonial para a Contabilidade Pública. Sugerem ainda, desafios na mensuração, avaliação e disclosure dos Bens de Uso Comum do Povo pela magnitude e novidade do tema.

Por uma outra Epistemologia de Formação: Conversas sobre um Projeto de Formação de Professoras no Município de Queimados

Esta tese origina-se da pesquisa de doutoramento realizada por meio do projeto de extensão Conversas entre professores: a prática como ponto de encontro, outra forma de pensar a formação e os currículos praticados no município de Queimados/RJ com professoras da rede municipal. Seu objetivo é pensar uma Epistemologia de Formação Contínua fundamentada no trabalho em sala de aula, na troca de experiências, nas histórias de vida e nos saberes experienciais enredados na vida cotidiana apontando/desinvisibilizando a complexidade que faz parte da vida e do processo de formação que é contínuo assim como os usos e a importância das narrativas nesse processo. Desenvolve-se a partir de uma metodologiapolítica que envolve os cotidianos das salas de aula, as rodas de conversa com narrativas de experiências e de histórias de vida. Defende que a formação se dá continuamente, ou seja, é um processo que começa com o nascimento e se tece por toda a vida dos sujeitos. Para isso, discute tanto a importância das memórias de vida como dispositivo de autoformação, pensando por que o exercício de autoconhecimento é tão importante nessa trajetória quanto a importância que o compartilhamento de experiências, por meio das narrativas, tem na formação contínua. Considera a ideia de que as políticas oficiais de educação se tecem a partir dos embates cotidianos entre diferentes grupos, ou seja, não há uma política separada da prática, há políticaspráticas, o que significa que todas as ações desenvolvidas pelos praticantes das escolas são também fruto de decisões e convicções políticas e expressam valores e objetivos também políticos. Traz ainda discussão acerca do que vem sendo dito em textos oficiais de políticas públicas para a formação continuada no Brasil e de que forma esses textos vêm sendo lidos e usados no município de Queimados. Pretende se apresentar como uma políticaprática contra-hegemônica, que desinvisibliza os cotidianos escolares mostrando que o que parece posto como política de formação contínua é um processo de embates que se tece coletivamente e cotidianamente. Pratica um exercício da suspeita que tem mostrado que há outras maneiras de produzir políticaspráticas de formação que estão enredadas às histórias de vidas das professoras

Percepções dos profissionais de farmácia sobre os conhecimentos na área da Homeopatia

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Farmacêuticas

Current status of Gerodontology teaching in Europe: preliminary findings

Aim(s): The aim of this study was to explore the findings of a survey on the prevalence, contents and status of Gerodontology teaching amongst the European Dental Schools.
Materials and Methods: A first wave of emails, including an electronic questionnaire in English, and two weeks later a first reminder, were sent to the Deans or other contact persons in 185 dental schools in 40 European countries. The electronic questionnaire recorded the prevalence, contents and status of Gerodontology education at the undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education levels.
Results: The first wave of responses included 70 dental schools from 28 countries. Gerodontology was included in the undergraduate curricula of 77% of the respondents and was compulsory in 61% of them. It was taught as an independent course in 39% of the respondents. When embedded in other courses, these were mainly the Prosthodontics lectures. Clinical training in Gerodontology was on the curriculum of 56% of the respondents. Sixteen percent of the schools had a Gerodontology Division, and 43% an assigned Programme Director. Gerodontology was taught in the postgraduate programmes of 33% of the schools, again mostly embedded in Prosthodontic programmes. Continuing education courses in Gerodontology were offered by 34% of the responding schools.
Discussion and Conclusions: When interpreting the results of this still ongoing study, a "worst case scenario" has to be born in mind, where dental schools, who failed to participate in the survey, may not be teaching in Gerodontology. Under this perspective, a moderate prevalence of Gerodontology is recorded in the undergraduate curricula of European dental schools. At a postgraduate level, it is less frequently offered, and mainly embedded in the Prosthodontic programmes. European guidelines on the dental curriculum might help to increase awareness and introduce Gerodontology to undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education.

Qualidade em saúde: que trajetos de formação dos enfermeiros?

ENQUADRAMENTO: A avaliação da qualidade dos serviços de saúde, a crescente melhoria do desempenho dos profissionais, e a monitorização sistemática das atividades desenvolvidas pelas instituições de saúde, potenciam a qualidade dos cuidados prestados. A intervenção dos enfermeiros e dos restantes profissionais de saúde é imprescindível na promoção desta qualidade conforme defendem os diversos modelos da sua gestão. Para a generalidade destes, considera-se que a supervisão clínica em enfermagem e a formação dos profissionais são ferramentas de eleição para a promoção da excelência clínica. OBJETIVO: Analisar as principais dimensões a considerar num processo de supervisão e formação para a avaliação e acreditação da qualidade duma instituição hospitalar, numa perspetiva ecológica. MÉTODO: Trata-se de um estudo de caso que abrange uma unidade de cuidados de um hospital. Para a colheita de dados recorreu-se a um conjunto de técnicas e instrumentos, entre as quais a observação participante, entrevistas semiestruturadas e um questionário, aplicados aos enfermeiros dessa unidade. A informação obtida foi submetida à análise qualitativa e quantitativa, com recurso aos programas NUD*IST QSR N6 e SPSS 17, respetivamente. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: Os resultados obtidos permitiram caracterizar quatro dimensões: i) Processos de qualidade; ii) Práticas supervisivas; iii) Formação em contexto de trabalho; e iv) Relações interpessoais. A partir destas compreendeu-se que a acreditação deve ser um processo contínuo e documentado da análise das atividades de enfermagem, visando a realização de mudanças nos processos de gestão, na orientação das atividades de aperfeiçoamento dos recursos humanos, na pesquisa de respostas às dificuldades no ato de cuidar enfrentadas e identificadas, e nas atividades administrativas ligadas às modificações de processos assistenciais e de gestão. O cruzamento dos dados com os referenciais teóricos veio corroborar a importância da implementação de um processo de gestão de qualidade para os cuidados de enfermagem, num hospital, onde são decisivos os processos supervisivos e formativos, assim como se tornou emergente atender-se às relações interpessoais nas equipas.

Construction identitaire d'enseignantes de la danse en milieu scolaire : sphères de négociation, tensions et stratégies identitaires

Depuis 1981, les jeunes du primaire et secondaire sont sensibilisés à la danse par des enseignants qui l’offrent au sein du curriculum de la formation générale des jeunes. Les enseignants de la danse en milieu scolaire (EDMS) du Québec, bénéficient d’une formation universitaire à la fois disciplinaire, pédagogique et pratique qui développe leurs compétences tant artistiques que professionnelles. Au sein de cette formation initiale, commence le développement de l’identité professionnelle de l’enseignant (Lessard et Tardif, 2003) qui continue à se développer durant toute la carrière. Toutefois, la construction identitaire de l’EDMS n’a pas fait l’objet d’une étude approfondie car l’enseignement de la danse en milieu scolaire est une profession relativement nouvelle, non-traditionnelle et méconnue. Ainsi, dans le cadre d’une approche sociologique constructiviste, nous nous penchons sur les tensions et stratégies identitaires inhérentes aux trajectoires biographiques et aux représentations professionnelles de praticiens dans le but de mieux connaître qui ils sont. Nous cherchons à comprendre le sens qu’ils donnent, dans leur construction identitaire, à leur parcours de formation, à leur travail, à leurs relations dans le travail, aux savoirs, et aux institutions en élaborant les rapports qu’ils entretiennent avec autrui ainsi que la perception de leurs rôles, statuts et fonctions artistiques et éducatifs. Un cadre conceptuel nous a permis de faire un portrait sociologique des sphères de négociations identitaires inhérentes à la construction de l’identité professionnelle grâce à l’analyse de la double transaction biographique et relationnelle, un concept de Dubar (1991). Les données de cette étude, recueillies auprès de dix-huit EDMS, proviennent d’un questionnaire sociodémographique ainsi que d’un questionnaire et d’entretiens sur leurs représentations professionnelles, leurs héritages et sur les incidents critiques de leurs trajectoires biographiques. L’analyse inductive des données par l’approche de théorisation ancrée, vérifiée par quinze participantes, a permis de dégager six sphères internes et externes de négociations identitaires communes à la construction de l’identité professionnelle d’EDMS : Devenir, Se réaliser, Se projeter, Faire sa place, Rencontrer l’autre et Agir. Ces sphères se présentent comme des espaces d’identification dans lesquelles l’EDMS construit son identité professionnelle en se positionnant par rapport aux identités héritées, acquises, prescrites, réelles et projetées. Cependant, les écarts entre les logiques opposées, les postures complémentaires et les rôles à jouer pour soi et pour autrui dans la pratique peuvent engendrer des tensions identitaires intrasubjectives et intersubjectives que nous avons identifiées. Pour réduire les écarts entre les représentations polaires et pour apaiser les zones d’incertitudes identitaires, l’EDMS mobilise des stratégies temporelles et spatiales. Neuf ont été relevées: conversion, conciliation, différenciation, implication multiple, maintien identitaire, défense, promotion, alternance des rôles et formation continue. Cette étude expose des façons d’EDMS de se définir pour soi et pour autrui qui permettent d’accéder aux référents identitaires des sphères par des exemples concrets issus des verbalisations de participantes sur le terrain. L’interprétation de nos résultats nous conduit à décrire six profils identitaires provisoires. Nos résultats offrent des retombées possibles en formation initiale et continue.

National identity in Timor-Leste : a brief comparative study

The papers in this eduted and refereed volume were first presented at the Timor-Leste Studies Association's Understanding Timor-Leste conference (UNTL, Dili, 2-3 July 2009). Papers in the collection are divided into four language sections (Tetum-Dili, Portuguese, English and Bahasa Indonesia), along with a special section on Adult and Popular education.

Escola de desenvolvimento social do estado de São Paulo - EDESP – oportunidades e desafios para tornar-se referência como escola de governo da assistência social

Entre os desafios para a implementação da política de desenvolvimento social do Brasil, muito tem sido discutido acerca das dificuldades de capacitação dos profissionais que diariamente executam ações que traduzem esta política. Parte da dificuldade é decorrente das transformações ocorridas nas últimas décadas nas Políticas Públicas de Assistência Social no país e no entendimento destas novas demandas. O Brasil está transformando a sua antiga política assistencialista na do direito social. A capacitação e a garantia da educação continuada e da educação permanente são elementos fundamentais e estruturantes para a consolidação deste novo projeto de política social. Neste sentido, a criação de uma escola de governo no Estado de São Paulo, com a perspectiva de capacitação e educação continuada dos profissionais envolvidos na prestação de serviços socioassistenciais, vem colaborar com a formação dos atores sociais (servidores e prestadores de serviço), capazes de executar e aprimorar as políticas sociais regionais e do SUAS, de forma transversal e multidisciplinar, visando garantir o direito e o acesso a bens e serviços aos cidadãos e grupos em situação de vulnerabilidade e risco social e pessoal. Este trabalho busca resgatar o contexto e as motivações que levaram à criação da Escola de Desenvolvimento Social do Estado de São Paulo (EDESP), sua história e as expectativas em torno dela, permitindo, a partir de experiências em outras escolas de governo e referenciais de boas práticas, elencar alguns pontos para reflexão.

Relações entre teorias da história e ensino de história: a compreensão de professores

This thesis has as an objective to think over the teachers` understanding of the school History of the Fundamental Teaching regarding the existent relations between the history theories and the teaching of the school History, as well as to think over how these teachers see the influence that their teaching practice gets from the history theories. The work is based on the postulates of the qualitative research and on the characteristics of the ethnography of the school practice. The main procedures of data gathering were the documental analysis, the semi-structured interviews, the field diary and the observations of classes. The scientific perspective of the multiple references is an important source in this research. The participants of this work are two teachers of the school district of Natal who work in the field of the school History in two schools on the North Side of the city. The accomplished analysis point to significant indications that didn't occur continuous and regular teaching situations in the initial and continuing education of these teachers that clearly showed the relations between the history theories and the teaching of the school History. They also suggest that their understanding about the influence that their teaching practice gets from the history theories, is not still explicit. We understand that the relations between the history theories and the teaching of the school History are important for the initial and continuing education of these teachers who belong in this knowledge field, even when these relations are not explicitly pointed by the teachers, because they will always influence the teaching practice that the teachers of the school History build

Um estudo sobre o estágio supervisionado na formação inicial de professores de matemática na Bahia

This work arose from our concerns with the issues of teacher training for early childhood education. From the difficulties encountered as a novice teacher in elementary, we deem important to research training needs of these professionals. Thus, we define the objective of this research to investigate the training needs of novice teachers teaching Early Childhood Education/Elementary school. Our work fits in Educational Research Qualitative Approach, and its construction procedures of the semistructured interview data and document analysis. Our empirical field was made up of schools in the metropolitan region of Natal / RN, offering kindergarten / elementary school. The subjects are five teachers who act as holder of the elementary school class and have 0-3 years of teaching practice, characterizing the second Huberman (2007) as novice teachers. Data analysis, based on principles of content analysis, three themes emerged: Beginner Teaching Professor in Early Childhood Education / Preschool; Reasons explaining the difficulties Faculty / Formative Needs Teaching and Training in Early Childhood Education / Elementary school, from the Training Needs Analysis, with their respective categories, subcategories, contributing to our understanding of the subject matter. The entry into the profession is marked by mixed feelings of euphoria and fear, where there seems to be a "clash" with reality. The difficulties are related to the planning / execution of activities, meet the individual needs of learning and assessment of children. As a strategy to overcome the difficulties the teachers exercise the action-reflection-action in their practices and seek continuous updates in the theoretical and methodological framework of early childhood education. The reasons that define these difficulties may be related to the teacher, school, family, and students of these institutions. In experiencing these difficulties has outlined the need for teacher training, among which stand out studies on ethics in teaching with children, the concept of children and their childhoods, peculiarities of teaching / learning in preschool, toys and legal determinations on early childhood education, multi-language and expressions in early childhood education, specific content areas of knowledge, among others. Furthermore, studies on the theoretical as Piaget, Vigotsky, Maria Carmen Barbosa and Emily Smith. For these professionals to be a professional early childhood education is: like children, be patient and careful, have specific theoretical and practical training for teachers in kindergarten, being able to improvise with seriousness and competence and get updates on continuing education. The surveys, together with the authors and teachers, to confirm our understanding that the training needs of beginners may be related to shortcomings in the initial and continuing education

Análise de necessidades de formação: uma prática reveladora de objetivos da formação docente

In recent years, in Brazil, researches in the area of education have been focused on the study of the necessities of formation, by the practice of necessity analysis, to subside the continued teacher formation programs. This research on the necessity of the formation of literacy teachers in the initial years of primary education originated in our discussions in academia, regarding the issues of retention and evasion related to basic literacy teaching in Brazilian public schools. We defined as a goal: to know the necessities of the formation of literacy teachers from Odila Leite Municipal Elementary School, Natal/RN, which focuses on the literacy teaching on that level of education and in Adult and Youth Education. The object is the necessities in these teachers formation. The thesis is that the literacy teacher reveals/constructs formation necessities when speaking of her practice, when exerting said practice or even when producing teaching materials which subside that practice; in other words, when making the theoretical/practical relation related to literacy teaching. The approach is qualitative, according to which the natural environment is the source for data collection; the focus of interest is the process of knowledge construction, and fundamental importance is given to the meanings constructed by the subjects. We comprehended that necessity is a socially constructed subjective phenomenon, and that necessity analysis allows the revelation of formation objectives. We used the case study as a methodological strategy which permits: studying a well-defined entity, [ ] as well as an academic institution; the global comprehension of the phenomenon of interest; discovering what is most essential and characteristic in the object. We counted with 17 teachers, 3 of which had their teaching practices observed. We observed the school routine, analyzed the main class documents and plans and interviewed the 17 teachers. We triangulated the data obtained by the routine observation, the observation of the three teachers practices and by the document analysis, next, we triangulated this data with the data from the analyzing the interviews with the 17 teachers. Such procedures reveal formation necessities in those teachers , such as: studying child cognitive development; reviewing the concepts of literacy teaching; reviewing fundaments of written language psychogenesis; reflecting on reading practices and literature; reflecting on the practice of daily planning; reflecting on the school s material conditions and the family/school relation. We concluded that researches of this nature contribute to the orientation of teacher formation programs

Necessidades de formação de professoras principiantes da educação infantil/pré-escola

This work arose from our concerns with the issues of teacher training for early childhood education. From the difficulties encountered as a novice teacher in elementary, we deem important to research training needs of these professionals. Thus, we define the objective of this research to investigate the training needs of novice teachers teaching Early Childhood Education/Elementary school. Our work fits in Educational Research Qualitative Approach, and its construction procedures of the semistructured interview data and document analysis. Our empirical field was made up of schools in the metropolitan region of Natal / RN, offering kindergarten / elementary school. The subjects are five teachers who act as holder of the elementary school class and have 0-3 years of teaching practice, characterizing the second Huberman (2007) as novice teachers. Data analysis, based on principles of content analysis, three themes emerged: Beginner Teaching Professor in Early Childhood Education / Preschool; Reasons explaining the difficulties Faculty / Formative Needs Teaching and Training in Early Childhood Education / Elementary school, from the Training Needs Analysis, with their respective categories, subcategories, contributing to our understanding of the subject matter. The entry into the profession is marked by mixed feelings of euphoria and fear, where there seems to be a "clash" with reality. The difficulties are related to the planning / execution of activities, meet the individual needs of learning and assessment of children. As a strategy to overcome the difficulties the teachers exercise the action-reflection-action in their practices and seek continuous updates in the theoretical and methodological framework of early childhood education. The reasons that define these difficulties may be related to the teacher, school, family, and students of these institutions. In experiencing these difficulties has outlined the need for teacher training, among which stand out studies on ethics in teaching with children, the concept of children and their childhoods, peculiarities of teaching / learning in preschool, toys and legal determinations on early childhood education, multi-language and expressions in early childhood education, specific content areas of knowledge, among others. Furthermore, studies on the theoretical as Piaget, Vigotsky, Maria Carmen Barbosa and Emily Smith. For these professionals to be a professional early childhood education is: like children, be patient and careful, have specific theoretical and practical training for teachers in kindergarten, being able to improvise with seriousness and competence and get updates on continuing education. The surveys, together with the authors and teachers, to confirm our understanding that the training needs of beginners may be related to shortcomings in the initial and continuing education