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- Práticas atuais e ideais em intervenção precoce no Alentejo : Perceções dos profissionaisPublication . Augusto, Helena; Aguiar, Cecília; Carvalho, LeonorCom este estudo, pretendeu-se compreender as perceções que os profissionais das equipas locais de intervenção do Alentejo têm em relação às suas práticas típicas e às práticas que consideram ideais. Participaram 167 profissionais de 25 equipas de Portalegre, Évora, Beja e Alentejo Litoral. A recolha de dados foi realizada com base no Questionário aos Profissionais de Intervenção Precoce na Infância (IPI) e na Escala de Avaliação de Serviços: Famílias em Contextos Naturais (McWilliam, 2000/2008). De acordo com os resultados obtidos, (1) existem diferenças entre as perceções dos profissionais em relação às práticas típicas e às práticas ideais; (2) não existem diferenças na perceção dos mesmos profissionais em relação às práticas típicas e às práticas ideais, em função das variáveis idade, tempo de experiência profissional em IPI, formação de base e formação complementar; e (3) existem diferenças entre as perceções dos profissionais em relação às práticas típicas, em função das suas perceções acerca do tipo de funcionamento da equipa, com os profissionais que caracterizam a equipa como transdisciplinar a relatar práticas típicas mais próximas das práticas recomendadas. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade de promover a transdisciplinaridade das equipas de IPI bem como a qualidade das suas práticas.
- Effects of home environment and center-based child care quality on children’s language, communication, and literacy outcomesPublication . Pinto, Ana Isabel; Pessanha, Manuela; Aguiar, CecíliaThis study examined the joint effects of home environment and center-based child care quality on children’s language, communication, and early literacy development, while also considering prior developmental level. Participants were 95 children (46 boys), assessed as toddlers (mean age = 26.33 months; Time 1) and preschoolers (mean age = 68.71 months; Time 2) and their families. At both times, children attended center-based child care classrooms in the metropolitan area of Porto, Portugal. Results from hierarchical linear models indicated that home environment and preschool quality, but not center-based toddler child care quality, were associated with children’s language and literacy outcomes at Time 2. Moreover, the quality of preschool classrooms moderated the association between home environment quality and children’s language and early literacy skills – but not communication skills – at Time 2, suggesting the positive cumulative effects of home environment and preschool quality. Findings further support the existence of a detrimental effect of low preschool quality on children’s language and early literacy outcomes: positive associations among home environment quality and children’s developmental outcomes were found to reduce substantially when children attended low-quality preschool classrooms.
- Social experiences of children eith disabilities in inclusive portuguese preschool settingsPublication . Ferreira, Milene Alexandra Gregório; Aguiar, Cecília; Correia, Nadine; Fialho, Margarida; Pimentel, Júlia van Zeller de SerpaBased on peer sociometric reports, we examined how number of friendships, social acceptance, and characteristics of social networks vary as a function of disability profile. We also investigated teachers’ awareness of the sociometric status of young children with disabilities. Participants were 86 children with disabilities (63 boys) enrolled in inclusive preschool classrooms of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, Portugal (Mage = 67.33 months, SD = 10.54). Findings suggest that children with severe or sociobehavioral disabilities may be at increased risk of social rejection and isolation, having fewer friends and lower social network centrality than children with mild disabilities. Low agreement between teachers’ classifications of the social status of children with disabilities and classifications based on peer nominations raises concerns about their awareness of processes of social rejection and neglect. Findings highlight the need for interventions to support positive social experiences at the dyadic and group levels in Portuguese inclusive preschool classrooms.
- Consistency of toddler engagement across two settingsPublication . Aguiar, Cecília; McWilliam, Robin A.This study documented the consistency of child engagement across two settings, toddler child care classrooms and mother–child dyadic play. One hundred twelve children, aged 14–36 months (M = 25.17, SD = 6.06), randomly selected from 30 toddler child care classrooms from the district of Porto, Portugal, participated. Levels of engagement were coded, and sophisticated engagement, but not nonengagement, was consistent across settings. Consistency in children’s sophisticated engagement was primarily accounted for by chronological age. Children spent more time in sophisticated behaviors and less time nonengaged during mother–child dyadic play than in center-based child care. For sophisticated engagement, effects of child predictors were stronger than effects of environmental features; whereas for nonengagement, effects of environmental features were stronger than effects of child predictors. Findings suggest children’s sophisticated engagement may be generalizable across settings, as a function of age, whereas their nonengagement is most likely context dependent.
- Quality of individualized education program goals of preschoolers with disabilitiesPublication . Silva, Tânia Carina Boavida Domingues da; Aguiar, Cecília; McWilliam, Robin A.; Pimentel, Júlia van Zeller de SerpaIndividualized education programs (IEPs) are a fundamental mechanism for making special education services unique for the child and for enhancing the developmental outcomes of children with disabilities. If written IEP goals diverge, however, from recommended practices, they might result in ineffective interventions. This study investigated the quality of Portuguese IEP goals written for 83 preschoolers with disabilities attending public preschool classrooms from 21 school groups from the District of Lisbon, Portugal. The quality of IEP goals was measured using the Goal Functionality Scale III (R. A. McWilliam, 2009) and the IEP/Individualized Family Service Plan Goals and Objectives Rating Instrument (A. R. Notari, 1988). Results showed that IEP goals were too broad, lacked functionality and measurability, and did not appropriately address skills within the context of natural routines and settings. Moreover, findings indicate that measurability was slightly higher the more severe the children’s disabilities were and that autonomy (ie, self-help) goals were somewhat more functional and measurable than were social, language, cognitive, and motor goals. Findings raise concerns about the effectiveness of interventions based on such goals in enhancing children’s developmental outcomes and suggest the need for clear guidelines on the development of effective IEPs and teacher training on developing high-quality goals.
- Influence of structural features on portuguese toddler child care qualityPublication . Pessanha, Manuela; Aguiar, Cecília; Bairrão, JoaquimWhereas child care quality has been extensively studied in the U.S., there is much less information about the quality of child care in other countries.With one of the highest maternal employment rates in Europe, it is important to examine child care in Portugal. Thirty toddler classrooms in child care centers were observed. The purpose of this studywas to determine whether structural features account for overall toddler child care quality. Results showed younger and better-paid teachers provided better toddler child care quality. Space available per childwas not a statistically significant predictor of toddler child care quality.Overall quality results suggest some issues to be addressed by early education policy makers and indicate the need to promote quality in Portuguese toddler child care programs.
- Desenhos de investigação de sujeito único em educação especialPublication . Aguiar, Cecília; Moiteiro, Ana Rita; Correia, Nadine; Pimentel, Júlia van Zeller de SerpaDe carácter quantitativo e experimental, os desenhos de investigação de sujeito único constituem um conjunto de métodos científicos rigorosos, reconhecidos internacionalmente como fonte de evidências empíricas que permitem estabelecer a eficácia de práticas em educação especial. Este trabalho tem como objectivos descrever as principais características e critérios de qualidade deste tipo de desenhos de investigação, discutir a sua utilidade em educação especial e em intervenção precoce na infância e determinar a sua incidência no contexto da investigação nacional nestes domínios. Com base numa pesquisa bibliográfica sistemática nas publicações nacionais nos domínios da educação especial, educação e psicologia e em motores de busca online de carácter científico e generalista, foram identificadas apenas cinco teses de mestrado que recorreram a este tipo de métodos, sugerindo que, apesar do seu potencial, os desenhos de investigação de sujeito único não têm ainda expressão na investigação realizada em Portugal nos domínios da educação especial e da intervenção precoce na infância.
- Student–teacher closeness and conflict in students with and without special educational needsPublication . Rodrigues, Ana Sofia; Pipa, Joana; Aguiar, Cecília; Vaz da Silva, Francisco; Moreira, SérgioTeachers play a key role in creating effective conditions for students to succeed in school. The quality of student–teacher relationships is consistently associated with social, emotional, behavioural and academic adjustment, and this is even more relevant for students with special educational needs (SEN), considering these students’ emotional, social and learning vulnerabilities. This study aimed to examine the associations between students’ externalising and internalising behaviour, social skills and academic performance, and teachers’ perceptions of conflict and closeness in their relationships with students with and without SEN. Data regarding 360 students in Year 3, Year 5 and Year 7 (169 students with SEN) were collected. Teachers (n = 74) reported on the student–teacher relationship and students’ social skills, behaviour problems and academic performance. Special education teachers (n = 38) provided information regarding the diagnosis and profile of functioning of students with SEN. Results showed that teachers’ reports of students’ social skills and externalising problems were the strongest predictors of closeness and conflict. Internalising problems and SEN status also predicted decreased closeness, despite smaller effects. Taken together, findings support the importance of professional development opportunities focusing on facilitating teachers’ relationships with students with perceived challenging behaviour.
- Parents’ perceptions of student academic motivation during the COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-country comparisonPublication . Zaccoletti, Sonia; Camacho, Ana; Correia, Nadine; Aguiar, Cecília; Mason, Lucia; Alves, Rui A.; Daniel, JoãoThe COVID-19 outbreak has ravaged all societal domains, including education. Home confinement, school closures, and distance learning impacted students, teachers, and parents' lives worldwide. In this study, we aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19-related restrictions on Italian and Portuguese students' academic motivation as well as investigate the possible buffering role of extracurricular activities. Following a retrospective pretest-posttest design, 567 parents (n Italy = 173, n Portugal = 394) reported on their children's academic motivation and participation in extracurricular activities (grades 1 to 9). We used a multi-group latent change score model to compare Italian and Portuguese students': (1) pre-COVID mean motivation scores; (2) rate of change in motivation; (3) individual variation in the rate of change in motivation; and (4) dependence of the rate of change on initial motivation scores. Estimates of latent change score models showed a decrease in students' motivation both in Italy and in Portugal, although more pronounced in Italian students. Results also indicated that the decrease in students' participation in extracurricular activities was associated with changes in academic motivation (i.e., students with a lower decrease in participation in extracurricular activities had also a lower decrease in motivation). Furthermore, students' age was significantly associated with changes in motivation (i.e., older students had lower decrease). No significant associations were found for students' gender nor for parents' education. This study provides an important contribution to the study of students' academic motivation during home confinement, school closures, and distance learning as restrictive measures adopted to contain a worldwide health emergency. We contend that teachers need to adopt motivation-enhancing practices as means to prevent the decline in academic motivation during exceptional situations.
- Assessing the quality of portuguese child care programs for toddlersPublication . Barros, Sílvia; Aguiar, CecíliaThe purpose of this study was to describe the quality of toddler child care classrooms in the district of Porto, in the north of Portugal. One hundred and sixty classrooms for children between 1 and 3 years of age participated in this study. Results suggested the existence of poor average quality and absence of good-quality classrooms. Child–adult ratio was a statistically significant predictor of overall child care quality (with lower ratios associated with higher quality). The results of this study provide information on the applicability of ITERS-R to a new cultural and linguistic context, suggesting the need to enhance the quality of Portuguese programs serving toddlers.