Activating teacher critical moments of learning through reflection

Mathematical modelling is one of the current focuses in the Singapore Mathematics Curriculum Framework. A multi-tiered teaching experiment using design research methodology was conducted to build teachers’ capacity in designing, facilitating, and evaluating learning during mathematical modelling tasks for Primary 5 students (aged 10-11). This paper illustrates the use of the retrospective analysis phase within design research cycles to activate a critical moment of teacher learning involving the interplay between questioning and listening during her first attempt at facilitating a mathematical modelling task. The teacher affirmed her deliberate focuses in the use of questions to (a) refine students’ models, (b) encourage articulation of student ideas in self-evaluation of the models, and (c) clarify and understand student reasoning. However, she also discovered the importance of interpretative listening in conjunction with questioning to promote more sophisticated mathematisation processes in model development. Implications from the use of the retrospective analysis phase on activating critical moments of learning during teacher education will be discussed.

Fostering teacher competencies in incorporating mathematical modelling in Singapore primary mathematics classrooms

Until recently, the limited use of modelling activities in Singapore mathematics classrooms despite the incorporation of mathematical modelling in the curriculum since 2003 could be due to a lack of concerted efforts in teacher preparation. Explicit guidelines have recently been developed by the Ministry of Education (CPDD, 2012) with a view to harness the potentials of modelling activities for fostering 21st Century Competences in students. This paper illustrates how a multi-tiered teaching experiment using design research methodology was conducted to build teachers' capacity in facilitating and designing modelling tasks using a case study involving an experienced teacher in a primary 5 (aged 10-11) mathematics classroom. Implications on the identification of teacher competencies to be focused upon during teacher development in incorporating mathematical modelling in Singapore classrooms will be drawn.

Tracks to advocacy: journalism studies, animal rights and Australian media law

This article considers the role of animal rights-based journalism and its connection to teaching media law and ethics to undergraduate students in an Australian university arts faculty. An anecdotal discussion of a reflective practice informing the teaching of an undergraduate course in a journalism major relates questions of ethics and law to broader considerations of the role of advocacy in and around journalism, and media practice. It is argued that animal rights-related stories have a role in training media professionals, and also in inspiring journalists to envision their own work as part of the democratic mechanisms of social and legal reform in Australia.

A comparison of mobile learning attitudes among university students in four nations

This paper contains findings based on administering a Likert-type mobile learning attitude survey to 261 university students from four nations, China, Lebanon, the UAE and the USA. Students were asked to provide attitudes and perceptions toward the use of mobile technologies in education. The results of the survey indicate that students in different regions of the world tend to agree that mobile learning could empower informal learning and could enhance teaching and learning. Lebanon students were most similar to those from the USA, while students from China were more similar to those from the UAE. Similarities and differences in results among nations and implications of these findings are discussed.

Developing teacher competencies through videos for facilitation of mathematical modelling in Singapore primary schools

Mathematical modelling tasks which are situated in real-world contexts encourage students to draw connections between school-based mathematics and the real-world, enhancing their engagement in learning. Such tasks often require varied interpretations of the real-world problem context resulting in multiple pathways of solutions. Although mathematical modelling has been introduced in the Singapore mathematics curriculum since 2007, its incorporation in schools has been limited. One reason for this could be that teachers are challenged by how best to facilitate for rich student mathematisation processes during such tasks. This chapter reports how a multi-tiered teaching experiment using design research methodology was conducted to build teachers’ capacity in designing, facilitating, and evaluating student mathematisation during mathematical modelling tasks with an intact class of Primary 5 students (aged 10-11). The use of videos was critical because grounded images helped capture the dynamics and complexity of authentic classroom interactions. This chapter highlights how video recordings of teacher-student interactions during a modelling task were harnessed during design methodology cycles, particularly during the Retrospective Analysis phase, to activate critical moments of learning for the teacher towards developing her competencies in facilitating students’ mathematisation processes.

On testing the Phillips curves, the IS Curves, and the interaction between fiscal and monetary policies

Esta tese é composta por três ensaios sobre testes empíricos de curvas de Phillips, curvas IS e a interação entre as políticas fiscal e monetária. O primeiro ensaio ("Curvas de Phillips: um Teste Abrangente") testa curvas de Phillips usando uma especificação autoregressiva de defasagem distribuída (ADL) que abrange a curva de Phillips Aceleracionista (APC), a curva de Phillips Novo Keynesiana (NKPC), a curva de Phillips Híbrida (HPC) e a curva de Phillips de Informação Rígida (SIPC). Utilizamos dados dos Estados Unidos (1985Q1--2007Q4) e do Brasil (1996Q1--2012Q2), usando o hiato do produto e alternativamente o custo marginal real como medida de pressão inflacionária. A evidência empírica rejeita as restrições decorrentes da NKPC, da HPC e da SIPC, mas não rejeita aquelas da APC. O segundo ensaio ("Curvas IS: um Teste Abrangente") testa curvas IS usando uma especificação ADL que abrange a curva IS Keynesiana tradicional (KISC), a curva IS Novo Keynesiana (NKISC) e a curva IS Híbrida (HISC). Utilizamos dados dos Estados Unidos (1985Q1--2007Q4) e do Brasil (1996Q1--2012Q2). A evidência empírica rejeita as restrições decorrentes da NKISC e da HISC, mas não rejeita aquelas da KISC. O terceiro ensaio ("Os Efeitos da Política Fiscal e suas Interações com a Política Monetária") analisa os efeitos de choques na política fiscal sobre a dinâmica da economia e a interação entre as políticas fiscal e monetária usando modelos SVARs. Testamos a Teoria Fiscal do Nível de Preços para o Brasil analisando a resposta do passivo do setor público a choques no superávit primário. Para a identificação híbrida, encontramos que não é possível distinguir empiricamente entre os regimes Ricardiano (Dominância Monetária) e não-Ricardiano (Dominância Fiscal). Entretanto, utilizando a identificação de restrições de sinais, existe evidência que o governo seguiu um regime Ricardiano (Dominância Monetária) de janeiro de 2000 a junho de 2008.

Hedging options in a garch environment: testing the term structure of stochastic volatility models

This paper develops a methodology for testing the term structure of volatility forecasts derived from stochastic volatility models, and implements it to analyze models of S&P500 index volatility. U sing measurements of the ability of volatility models to hedge and value term structure dependent option positions, we fmd that hedging tests support the Black-Scholes delta and gamma hedges, but not the simple vega hedge when there is no model of the term structure of volatility. With various models, it is difficult to improve on a simple gamma hedge assuming constant volatility. Ofthe volatility models, the GARCH components estimate of term structure is preferred. Valuation tests indicate that all the models contain term structure information not incorporated in market prices.

A prática pedagógica de professores de alunos com transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperativadade

This study is inserted at the Line of Strategical Research of Thinking and Knowledge production which scientific projects about the relation of thinking and knowledge production are realized. The accomplishment of this dissertation involved an empiric research at a school of the municipal district of Natal RN. Our purpose was to investigate the practice of the staff working with students who present Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (DADH) at regular classes due to the organization of thinking in pedagogical strategies. The object of this study is presented at the center of the questions which involves the conscious analysis of the problems and needs that emerge at the school. Considering the specialty of the theme, we choose a methodology whose focus is the dialogue and the sharing of meanings with the partners of this research through the observation of the activities developed at class/school and interviews/conversations with six teachers of first and second cycles of primary education. According with the study, some theoretician presumptions of Mr. Freire (2001), Mr. Nóvoa (1995), Mr. Bohm (2005) and son on. The results reveled at the research indicate the fragility of a continuous formation directed to the development of critical-reflexive thinking of the teachers.The teachers revel conceptions due to formation, pedagogical practices and the relation with the parents and coordinators, through their performances and speeches, allowing us to identify some pedagogical strategies used. We identified some negative response about the process of learning-developing of these pedagogical strategies such as the one we call unconcern . The strategy of sitting the student at the front row chairs can have positive and negative responses depending on the way the teacher act and follow the student. Other strategies identified as positive response bringers at the learning-developing process and that should be reinforced by the staff are the playful and the group assignments . At this perspective, the school needs to develop a collective project between the pedagogical team and teachers to overcome the needs of all students, and as a consequence, of the staff and improve the positive strategies, minimizing the negative ones and allowing the organizations of new strategies that promotes the improvement of learning-teaching process of the students with DADH

Geometrias não-eucludianas como anomalias: implicações para o ensino de geometria e medidas

This present research the aim to show to the reader the Geometry non-Euclidean while anomaly indicating the pedagogical implications and then propose a sequence of activities, divided into three blocks which show the relationship of Euclidean geometry with non-Euclidean, taking the Euclidean with respect to analysis of the anomaly in non-Euclidean. PPGECNM is tied to the line of research of History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science in the Teaching of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Treat so on Euclid of Alexandria, his most famous work The Elements and moreover, emphasize the Fifth Postulate of Euclid, particularly the difficulties (which lasted several centuries) that mathematicians have to understand him. Until the eighteenth century, three mathematicians: Lobachevsky (1793 - 1856), Bolyai (1775 - 1856) and Gauss (1777-1855) was convinced that this axiom was correct and that there was another geometry (anomalous) as consistent as the Euclid, but that did not adapt into their parameters. It is attributed to the emergence of these three non-Euclidean geometry. For the course methodology we started with some bibliographical definitions about anomalies, after we ve featured so that our definition are better understood by the readers and then only deal geometries non-Euclidean (Hyperbolic Geometry, Spherical Geometry and Taxicab Geometry) confronting them with the Euclidean to analyze the anomalies existing in non-Euclidean geometries and observe its importance to the teaching. After this characterization follows the empirical part of the proposal which consisted the application of three blocks of activities in search of pedagogical implications of anomaly. The first on parallel lines, the second on study of triangles and the third on the shortest distance between two points. These blocks offer a work with basic elements of geometry from a historical and investigative study of geometries non-Euclidean while anomaly so the concept is understood along with it s properties without necessarily be linked to the image of the geometric elements and thus expanding or adapting to other references. For example, the block applied on the second day of activities that provides extend the result of the sum of the internal angles of any triangle, to realize that is not always 180° (only when Euclid is a reference that this conclusion can be drawn)

Projeto pedagógico: abordagens e implicações no âmbito da formação em odontologia

Proposals that aim a redirection of current health attention models in Brazil are indispensible due to the need of health issues and its challenges imposed by society. These issues come forth in Higher Education Institutions in an attempt to devise ways to face these demands. The research aims to analyze the Pedagogical Project (PP) present in the Dentistry Graduation Course in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil-(UFRN). This is done in coherence the Brazilian National Curricular Guidelines considering main competences established in the PP. This research was approved by the Ethics Committee at UFRN under document number 285/201. The work is of descriptive nature and was realized with 30 students in the Dentistry Graduation Course. Interviews were realized with the use of problem situation approach. The research was also supported by documental studies that dealt with syllabus present in the disciplines taught at UFRN. Data were processed with the use of the ALCESTE 4.9 software. It is possible to acknowledge that some conservative conceptions arise, even though there is use of active methodologies and innovation that aim to promote reflection and articulation for general competence development such as proposed in the Pedagogical Project in Dentistry Graduation Course at UFRN. These conceptions are mainly present in the teaching-learning process where students do not have full participation. Thus it is possible to conclude that even though there are advances and breakthroughs. This is seen with that fact that there was inclusion of multidisciplinary clinical work as well optional courses in the curriculum. It was also seen that there was occasional use of active teaching methodologies in Dentistry at UFRN. But there is still a need for a didactical and methodological resizing. These actions require the need for progressive development of competences and abilities during the formative process according to what was established in the Brazilian National Curricular Guidelines

A geografia no currículo do ensino médio e no vestibular da UFRN: 2001-2007

This work examines the results of the selecting process to enter Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte called Vestibular, in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007, in relation to the necessary knowledge presented by the candidates in the Geography area. It observes the contents in the discursive exams and its corresponding results discussing them from the official curriculum of the Secondary School, as it is stated in the official documents of Ministério da Educação(MEC): Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais do Ensino Médio (PCNEM), Orientações Curriculares Nacionais para o Ensino Médio (OCNEM) e Orientações Educacionais Complementares aos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCN+ do Ensino Médio). We aim to highlight what are the contents and background of the Geography curriculum according to the orientations of the official curriculum; discuss in what measure these contents are present in the questions and in the correct answers of the candidates as well as reflect upon what possibly is suggested by those results concerning the knowledge presented in the answers. In this investigation process, the history of the teaching in Brazil is taken up together with the statistical data about the Fundamental School and about Higher Education in the last years. Both map the scenario in which this research takes place as well as make knowledgeable some variables such as: cultural, economical, political and social structures. The discussion takes place between the curriculum and the teaching, Geography teaching and Secondary School in Brazil articulating these variables with the question of accessibility to Higher Education through the Vestibular . Despite the limitations of this research in terms of methodology and deepening of analysis, the results led us to important observations which can contribute to the understanding of that the students´ performance in the Geography examination has several outspreads. These must be thought with scientific exactness in order to avoid any rushed and careless explanations leading to conclusions that may have serious consequences for the teaching systems and the students

The use of standard methodology for determination of antifungal activity of natural products against medical yeasts Candida sp and Cryptococcus sp

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estágio supervisionado na formação docente em serviço: do 'aproveitamento' da prática à tentativa de reinventar os professores

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Livros didáticos de física para o ensino médio: uma análise de conteúdo das práticas de eletricidade e magnetismo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A resolução de problemas no processo ensino-aprendizagem-avaliação de matemática na e além da sala de aula

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)