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  • Traditional Toys and Student Motivation and Commitment in Technological Education
    Publication . Cardoso, Ana Paula; Correia, Luísa; Rodrigues, Paula
    Problem Statement: This research aims to understand the contribution of traditional toys as catalysts for motivation and student commitment in the development of Technological Education projects and activities. Research Questions: To what extent do work units related to traditional toys promote student motivation and commitment in the subject of Technological Education. Purpose of Study: Technological Education requires students to gain knowledge and know-how such that motivation and commitment are crucial for the development of classroom projects and activities. It is in this context that traditional toys are assumed to be catalysts for motivation and student interest. Research Methods: In terms of methodology, an exploratory research of a qualitative nature was carried out, based on semi-structured interviews to teachers and students within a 2nd cycle of Basic Education environment, encompassing five state schools in the Viseu municipality, Portugal. Nine teachers and forty-five technological education pupils, aged between 10 and 12, attending the 5th and 6th years of schooling participated. Findings: Content analysis of the answers revealed that the implementation of work units involving the construction of traditional toys are conducive to student motivation and commitment. Starting off with an initial idea, pupils are enabled to experience all the stages of toy building, from conception to completion, contributing to greater student satisfaction in the teaching-learning process. Conclusions: The traditional toys constitute an added value in the subject of Technological Education, promoting student motivation and commitment in the development of projects and activities. Students acquire knowledge and skills, which will enable them to analyze and thus resolve specific situations and prepare them for an increasingly technological world.
    2016-10Conference object Open access Show more
  • Perpetual debt valuation: the net present value myopia
    Publication . Reis, Pedro; Augusto, Mário
    Would you prefer to receive a fixed rent for a period of 50 years, 75 years or perpetually? Well, if you have chosen the perpetual option, you are absolutely right. However, when considering a mathematical and financial approach, they may all end up roughly the same whenever the Net Present Value (NPV) is approximately identical. It makes common sense to choose the perpetual option even if the NPV exhibits myopia when computing the discount value of a fixed yearly rent. After a certain period, the discount value becomes approximately the same even when adding more yearly fixed rents. Corporations and governments issue perpetual bonds while recognizing these may not represent a very good financing strategy and thus implying that most of these issues are either callable or convertible on the issuer’s request. In approaching the existing perpetual debt related NPV myopia, this paper holds two main goals: firstly, we intend to study the behaviours of perpetual debt yields against other perpetual instruments and, secondly, we consider the financial methods for assessing the value of money before proposing a formula adjustment that might serve to overcome default NPV when evaluating fixed rents in perpetuity.
    2016-10Journal article Restricted access Show more
  • Expectations of a group of Portuguese pregnant women in the districts of Viseu and Aveiro regarding motherhood
    Publication . Coutinho, Emília de Carvalho; Rocha, Ana Maria Anjos; Silva, Alcione Leite da
    Motherhood is a complex phenomenon, supplementedwith expectations about the new reality, the hopes of all going well, taking into account the expected care. In order to meet the needs of the Portuguese expectant mother, it is necessary to know what she deems essential for herself and her family, so that strategies may be developed to facilitate the transition process. This study was intended to gain insight into fulfilled and unfulfilled expectations of health care in motherhood with a group pregnant females in Portugal. This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, with 22 Portuguese women belonging to the Clusters of Health Care Centers of the districts of Viseu and Aveiro. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using content analysis proposed by Bardin, supported by QSR NVivo 10. It was observed that fulfilled expectations surpassed those unmet, especially in terms of high quality health care and competent health care professionals. Regarding unfulfilled expectations, they mainly refer to maternity incentives, with an emphasis on the wish of greater financial familly supportfrom the government.
    2016-10Journal article Open access Show more
  • Representações sobre a leitura e sua influência em práticas educativas: um estudo de caso no 1.º ciclo de Bolonha
    Publication . Melão, Dulce
    É hoje amplamente reconhecida na literatura de especialidade a importância da leitura, no âmbito de uma reconstrução em pleno de um exercício de cidadania que se (re)quer crescentemente multidimensional. No que respeita aos estudantes do ensino superior, aumentam hodiernamente os desdobramentos da leitura, cruzando-se no seu quotidiano e na escola, em práticas cujas diversidade e funcionalidade adquirem considerável relevância. Nesse sentido, neste estudo procuramos indagar que representações sobre a leitura evidenciam estudantes futuros profissionais da Educação a frequentar um 1.º ciclo de estudos de Bolonha sobre: i) a sua motivação para a leitura; ii) o seu desempenho em compreensão na leitura; iii) os fatores que os influenciam; iv) estratégias didáticas orientadas para a motivação para a leitura e o desenvolvimento da compreensão na leitura no seu futuro público. Adicionalmente refletimos sobre as possíveis repercussões de tais representações nas suas práticas educativas futuras centradas: i) na motivação do seu futuro público para a leitura; ii) no desempenho da compreensão na leitura nesse mesmo público. Face aos objetivos delineados, considerámos adequada uma abordagem de natureza qualitativa, tendo como referencial metodológico o estudo de caso. Os participantes neste estudo foram 53 estudantes inscritos na unidade curricular de Iniciação à Leitura e à Escrita que integra o plano de estudos da licenciatura em Educação Básica na Escola Superior de Educação de Viseu (3.º ano, 1.º semestre do ano letivo 2012/2013). Foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos de recolha e análise dos dados: um inquérito por questionário; duas reflexões escritas individuais; um depoimento escrito individual sobre o processo de seleção de um álbum/obra e um relatório escrito final com uma componente coletiva e outra individual. Concluímos que as representações sobre a leitura evidenciadas por estes estudantes eram um constructo complexo e multidimensional, existindo múltiplos fatores que as influenciariam. Tais representações teriam repercussões no modo como os estudantes encaravam as suas futuras práticas educativas e o seu futuro público. Face ao interesse de que se revestem representações sobre a leitura dos estudantes futuros profissionais da Educação, pela sua responsabilidade na formação de leitores, importará realizar mais estudos que permitam (re)descobrir a sua possível riqueza e diversidade.
    2016-10Conference object Open access Show more
  • Satisfaction and Service Quality and Life in the institutions for seniors
    Publication . Malva, Madalena; Antunes, Joaquim; Pereira, Vânia
    The socio-demographic changes justified the increase number of studies related to population aging; the increase in the elderly population has led to many social changes, which seek through new and improved services to meet the needs of this population. This study sought to understand user satisfaction in elderly homes adding two constructs: the quality of Parasuraman services, Zeithaml and Berry (1988) and the quality of life of Kane (2003) These play an important role in the management of organizations having a significant weight in the strategic and operational decisions that influence the quality of services provided (Hespanhol, 2008; Escoval & Ferreira, 2010). For the first time, these constructs were analyzed together in order to see whether the part of the services or the part of the quality of life contribute more to the satisfaction of residents in institutions for seniors. The study was carried out to 209 users institutionalized in elderly homes, protected by the Social Security or private nature in Viseu county. The results allow us to verify a set of relationships between variables related to quality of service and the quality of life in user satisfaction.
    2016-10Conference object Open access Show more
  • High Energy OFDM Pulse Design Algorithm for Acoustic ToF Ranging and Localization
    Publication . Albuquerque, Daniel; Vieira, José; Lopes, Sérgio; Aguilera, Teodoro; Álvarez, Fernando
    This paper proposes an algorithm to design band-limited Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) pulses for accurate time-of-flight ranging in acoustic-based localization systems. The proposed algorithm is capable to generate OFDM pulses with higher energy when compared with other common pulse design approaches with similar characteristics. The results attained have shown that it is possible to design OFDM pulses with 17% more energy than a chirp or a BPSK pulse with the same characteristics. The proposed algorithm uses an iterative approach to increase the pulse energy while keeping the same amplitude, bandwidth and duration in each iteration. Two different OFDM pulses are provided and compared with two common pulses, namely chirp and BPSK pulses, with the same characteristics.
    2016-10Journal article Restricted access Show more
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  • Reassortment among picobirnaviruses found in wolves
    Publication . Conceição-Neto, Nádia; Mesquita, João R; Zeller, Mark; Yinda, Claude Kwe; Álvares, Francisco; Roque, Sara; Petrucci-Fonseca, Francisco; Godinho, Raquel; Heylen, Elisabeth; Van Ranst, Marc; Matthijnssens, Jelle
    We conducted a viral metagenomics study in diarrheic free-ranging wolves in Portugal, revealing for the first time the presence of reassortant picobirnaviruses. These viruses shared identical capsid segments together with diverse RNA-dependent RNA polymerase segments. Even though causality between these picobirnaviruses and diarrhea could not be established, the study nonetheless confirms for the first time that wolves are a potential reservoir for picobirnaviruses, which might play a role as enteric pathogens.
    2016-10Journal article Restricted access Show more
  • A influência dos recursos na qualidade do processo de treino de jovens - Estudo realizado no Distrito de Viseu
    Publication . Azevedo, António; Mendes Ribeiro Eira, Paulo Alexandre; Pereira, David; Lourenço, Micael
    O treino desportivo representa uma vertente cada vez mais importante na evolução da formação desportiva, proporcionando aos atletas o desenvolvimento das suas capacidades motoras e, paralelamente, contextos que visam estimular a tomada de decisão com vista à obtenção do sucesso nas diferentes modalidades desportivas. Com efeito, esta importância remete para o cuidado redobrado quando no domínio do treino de jovens, pelas especificidades que esta faixa etária apresenta, não apenas numa dimensão física ou tático-técnica, mas igualmente nos fatores psicológico e social. O presente estudo revela a perceção dos treinadores sobre a influência dos diferentes recursos na qualidade da condução do treino de jovens atletas de 3 modalidades desportivas. Identificaram-se 6 recursos que designamos de: materiais, espaciais, temporais, humanos, logísticos e financeiros. Para tal, utilizaram-se como instrumentos de recolha de dados um questionário, construído e previamente validado para o efeito, assim como uma entrevista semiestruturada. Participaram no estudo 51 Treinadores e 3 Coordenadores Técnicos pertencentes a clubes que treinam escalões de formação dos 8 aos 12 anos de idade, nas modalidades de Basquetebol, Futebol e Andebol, no Distrito de Viseu. Da simbiose entre as análises de índole quantitativa e qualitativa, os resultados revelaram influência relevante dos recursos materiais, espaciais e temporais, apontados pelos Treinadores e descritos como essenciais para a qualidade do processo do treino. Por seu lado, os recursos logísticos apresentam-se aquém das expetativas dos inquiridos, podendo aumentar a motivação e tempo dedicado ao treino, caso existisse maior apoio da estrutura organizacional. No que concerne aos recursos humanos, verificou-se diferença significante nas perceções dos inquiridos uma vez que existe, igualmente, uma discrepância relativa ao número e qualidade deste recurso, de acordo com os diferentes contextos desportivos. Não obstante, a heterogeneidade nas respostas é mais acentuada no referente ao fator financeiro.
    2016-10Conference object Open access Show more
  • Leadership and Pedagogical Interaction as Predictors of Learning Outcomes in Physical Education
    Publication . Araújo, Pedro Trigo; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Fidalgo, Susana
    Problem Statement: This research aims to understand the relative contribution of leadership styles and teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interaction concerning the learning performance and academic achievement in physical education. Research Questions: Are the teacher leadership style and the teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interaction related to the learning performance and academic achievement in physical education in basic schooling? Purpose of Study: There are several factors that contribute for the explanation of learning outcomes, namely teacher leadership styles in the classroom, as well as teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interactions. These factors are considered to be essential in the teaching-learning process and in the subsequent improvement of educational outcomes. Research Methods: A quantitative methodology was implemented, comprising a sample of 447 students attending a School Grouping located in the Central Region of Portugal. In order to verify the nature, the strength and the direction of the relations among the variables, correlation and multiple regression analyses were used. For this, scales already validated and used in other researches were applied. Findings: The results show that the learning performance and the academic achievement are significantly associated with teacher leadership styles and teacher-student and student-student pedagogical interaction. A stronger association was obtained with leadership styles, especially the democratic one. It should be mentioned that these factors provide a higher relative contribution to the learning performance than to the academic achievement. Conclusions: This study sought to deepen the understanding of the explanatory factors of academic success concerning the teaching-learning process in physical education. The analysis conducted highlights the importance of the democratic teacher leadership style and of the pedagogical interaction established within the classroom towards the improvement of students' ability to understand the gains and the effort made in learning.
    2016-10Conference object Open access Show more