Student Development in Educational Context

Objectives

1. To meta-reflect on the Portuguese education system in its multiple variables
2. To produce thought about the institutional and personal challenges facing pupils’ multidimensional development
3. To mobilize knowledge so as to reflect on primary and secondary education’s student as a learner and developing person
4. To critically analyze personal variables that are linked to the performance of academic tasks, including learning processes and styles, types of tasks, learning pace and resilience, and emotional inteligence
5. To mobilize knowledge of conflicts and their resolution in educational settings
6. To rethink informal learning through various sources, including the media and personal software, understanding their dynamics and drawing conclusions for the optimization of academic success
7. To understand academic excellence through a systemic and integrated approach.

Program

1. The education system and educational success

• The Portuguese system in an European context
• Analysis of the education system with a view to success
• Best practices of involvement in school and in learning
• Successful experiences

2. The primary and secondary education student as learner

• Motivation and Success
• Types of tasks and motivational processes
• Attention processes
• Learning styles
• Emotional intelligence and learning
• Assessment and success

3. The school as a developmental and learning context

• The school as an affective, cognitive and social space
• School organization (space and time) as a development promotion factor
• Classroom relationships and dynamics
• Class composition: complicity, emotions and behaviors

4. Coexistence and conflict in educational settings

5. The media and learning

6. The educational system, school, and academic excellence

• Concept of academic excellence
• Programs promoting academic excellence
• Excellent students and their relations

Teaching Methodologies

This c. u. is intended to prospectively contribute to students’ reflective and critical professional development. It optimizes a methodology that is both student-centered and grounded on interactive processes, which are regarded as major paths for student involvement in the learning process. Thus, the unit promotes questioning processes, individual and group reflective work, individual and small group research, and critical debate of the themes under focus. It brings national and international research into focus, highlighting issues in the field of student development in educational contexts.

Three assessment modes are proposed (to be discussed with the students:

i) Individual preparation of a critical review of an article which is relevant in the context of the c. unit;
ii) Either a research paper or a portfolio (to be chosen by the student);
iii) Continued participation during the classes. The weighting of the three assessment elements will be discussed with the students.

Bibliography

Caldeira, S.N., & Veiga, F.H. (2011). Intervir em situações de indisciplina, violência e conflito. Lx: Fim de Século.
Goleman, D. (1995). Inteligência emocional. Lisboa: Temas e Debates.
Medeiros, M. T., & Peixoto, E. (2005). Desenvolvimento e aprendizagem. P. D.: Univ. Açores e Dir. Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia.
Melo, P., & Medeiros, T. (2013). Padrões de utilização da internet na adolescência. In I. E. Rego & S. N. Caldeira,
Prevenir ou remediar? (pp. 43-72). Braga: Psiquilíbrios Ed.
Olson, M. (2008). Introd. to theories of learning. Pearson Higher Education.
Peixoto, E. (1995). Aprendizagem de mestria e resolução de problemas. Lx: McGraw-Hill.
Quaresma S. C. P. (2010). Excelência académica em estudantes no final do ens. secundário. Tese de Mestrado. Uac, P. Delgada.
Taveira, M. C. (2005). Temas de psicologia escolar. Coimbra: Quarteto Ed..
Joyce-Moniz, L. (2002). A modific. do comportamento. Lx: Livros Horizonte.
Shanks, D. (2008). Psychology of learning. London: Sage Publ.