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- GROUP WORK METHODOLOGY IN THE DIFFERENT SUBJECT AREAS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVEPublication . Santos, Joana; Rocha, João; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Costa Lopes, Ana MariaGroup work is a methodology that allows the student to learn in interaction with his/her peers, through active involvement and participation in the teaching-learning process. However, this teaching practice isn’t always welcome by all teachers, as it implies a pedagogical organization that contrasts in many ways to the traditional teaching model. In addition, there is still no common understanding of the age at which it should be implemented or of the actual benefits it can provide to students. Bearing this assumption in mind, our goal was to find out more about teachers and students’ perspectives on group work methodology and how it should be used in the different subject areas of primary education. Our main research objectives were to understand the importance attached to this methodology, the subjects in which this methodology is most frequently implemented, the subjects where students work better in group, and the kind of training in group work methodology received by teachers. A questionnaire was applied in three School Groupings located in Viseu (centre region of Portugal) to a sample composed of 42 primary teachers and to their 4th grade students (218 students). 4th grade was the school year selected because students had already developed group work assignments before. Consequently, they were able to reflect on that past practice. The data obtained showed that group work is felt to be particularly important, both to teachers and students. Differences are quite significant when it comes to express how often that methodology is implemented in the classroom, though. Environmental Studies, Physical Education, and Dramatic Expression are the subject areas where teachers claim to use this methodology on a more regular basis. It should also be noted that more than half of the teachers admit they had no training whatsoever in the field of group work. The conclusions of this study indicate that a more frequent use of this methodology in primary education is beneficial, and highlight the clear need to invest in teacher training, namely in a training plan that focuses on the organization and development of group work in the classroom as a means to improve pedagogical action.
- Increased risk of hepatitis E virus infection in workers occupationally exposed to sheepPublication . Mesquita, João; Santos-Ferreira, Nanci; Ferreira, Ana S.; Albuquerque, Carlos; Nóbrega, Carmen; Esteves, Fernando; Cruz, Rita; Vala, Helena; Nascimento, Maria S. J.Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an enteric RNA virus from the family Hepeviridae with five genotypes (genotypes 1–4 and 7) known to infect humans. HEV infection is known to have a zoonotic swine origin in industrialized countries. The role of pigs and wild boars as major reservoirs for human infection is today well-established; however, the list of new animal reservoirs is ever-expanding as new HEV strains are continuously being found in a broad host range. The recent detection of HEV in sheep stools brings concerns on the possibility of HEV transmission from these animals to humans, particularly in those occupationally exposed. The present work investigated the potential occupational risk of HEV infection in shepherds and sheep milk cheesemakers—workers occupationally exposed to ovine (WOEOs; N = 96)—from a region of the Centre of Portugal (‘Serra da Estrela’) based on the differences of anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence rates between these professionals and the general population (N = 192). The presence of HEV-specific antibodies in sheep (N = 90) from the same region was also evaluated. The HEV seroprevalence in WOEOs (29.3%) was found to be significantly higher (p = .0198) when compared with population controls (16.1%) which suggests an increased risk for HEV infection in these workers. HEV-specific antibodies were also found in 16.6% of the studied sheep showing that HEV circulates in these animals. Further studies are needed to confirm the zoonotic potential of sheep HEV.