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- Interdisciplinarity in the 1st Cycle of Basic Education: Teachers’ perceptions and practicesPublication . Laranjeira, Vanessa; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Rocha, JoãoInterdisciplinarity is a complex and difficult concept to encapsulate. However, generally speaking, it is recognized to be characterized by a combination of knowledge from various areas, congregated to address a particular issue. Hence, it is particularly promising in the 1st cycle of basic education (CEB) [years 1-4 of schooling], at an educational level where a single teacher works different curricular areas. It is thus necessary to articulate the different content, in order to develop a more complete and whole view of knowledge. The purpose of this communication, therefore, is to reveal an empirical study whose aim is to understand the importance and the meaning that 1st CEB teachers give interdisciplinarity, how often it is carried out, the main difficulties encountered, experiences and the most widely used resources and the curriculum areas where interdisciplinary practices are most evident. For this, a descriptive methodology was used with a survey by questionnaire administered to a representative sample of 45 1st CEB teachers working in a school group in the municipality of Viseu (central region of Portugal). The vast majority are women with over twenty years of service and whose academic qualification is an honour’s degree. The data obtained indicate that teachers’ general understanding of interdisciplinarity is in line with what Pombo et al. (1994) refer, in particular, as a reciprocal exchange and integration between the various disciplines resulting in enriching all of them. It is also in line with Japissu (1976) as a process in which there is an interaction and corresponding influence of some subjects on others. Interdisciplinarity is considered very important by most responding teachers and taken into account in their teaching, although with variable frequency, and it is included in most group plans. Schools and teachers, in particular, are now faced with the need to help their students develop intelligibility frameworks of the real so that they can integrate the diversity of information from different media. The implementation of interdisciplinary practices appears as a relevant strategy, facilitating a more effective pedagogical action, able to respond to the current demands of society.
- Citizenship Education and teacher training: Implications for teaching practicePublication . Cardoso, Ana Paula; Costa, Ana Sofia; Rocha, João; Ferreira, Manuela; Campos, SofiaCitizenship Education is one of the main challenges faced in educating children and young people in societies undergoing a rapid process of globalization in this decade, and it requires that teachers marshal particular knowledge and skills. Although this is a subject area that is part of the curriculum, it is often undervalued in teaching practice in the 1st cycle of basic education (CEB) [years 1 - 4]. It is, therefore, important to know the degree to which teachers are prepared to address citizenship issues, the relevance they attach to initial and ongoing training in this area, as well as the topics and/or content they would like to see addressed in their ongoing training, with a view to developing competencies related to citizenship in schools. To achieve these objectives, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire survey as an instrument for data collection. The study covered a non-probabilistic sample of 91 mostly female 1st CEB teachers in the municipality of Viseu (Portugal), aged between 35 and 64 years. Regarding the results obtained, the overwhelming majority of teachers never attended training courses related to citizenship education, recognizing that there are aspects of their work that could be improved through attending such course, addressing issues related to teachers’ didactic knowledge and conflict management in the classroom. The suggestions made by the teachers to promote meaningful learning in this area are an important contribution of this research, highlighting the focus on training (teachers and parents/guardians) and in fostering initiatives that promote the involvement of the educational community and other stakeholders in a cooperative and/or collaborative framework. This study aims to raise the scientific community’s awareness of the importance of ongoing training in improvements and innovations in teaching in terms of citizenship education. In particular, the data presented enable policy makers, management bodies and teachers to reflect on the importance and implications that ongoing training has or may have on teaching practice for schools to be able to respond to the changing demands of today’s society.