Loading...
5 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
- Can peer mediation foster migrant students’ inclusion in mainstream classrooms? An exploratory case studyPublication . Leite, Guilherme; Martins, M. A.; Gaitas, Sérgio; Laranjeira, Ricardo; Alves, Catarina; Sarabando, TiagoThe growth of migration brings new challenges to contemporary societies, especially regarding the inclusion of migrant students in the education system of the host countries. Peer mediation strategies are effective in promoting the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms, but evidence about its effects on migrant students is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore teaching practices which promote the inclusion of migrant students through peer mediation. A case study was designed which involved 17 native and non-native fifth-grade students and 4 teachers. Observations and interviews were used to comprehend classroom dynamics focusing on migrant-native interactions. Teachers hold different beliefs regarding the role of peer mediation strategies as a tool to foster inclusion in the classroom. Practices, in which the teachers had the explicit aim of creating a pedagogical supportive interaction between native and migrant students, were observed, peermentoring schemes being the most common. It was also observed that classroom organisation, task organisation and task structure have elicited informal supportive interactions between migrant and native peers. These results suggest that peer mediation strategies may be an important resource to promote the inclusion of migrant students.
- Teacher instructional arrangements for supporting social and academic needs of students with special educational needs in regular classroomsPublication . Gaitas, Sérgio; Sarabando, Tiago; Alves, Catarina; Martins, M. A.; Leite, Guilherme; Laranjeira, RicardoChanges in water temperature may have profound effects on physiology, metabolism, and fish behaviour. However, much of the existing research is based on relatively short-term experiments. In the context of climate change, where water temperatures are increasing seasonally, and the frequency and duration of extreme heatwave events are rising, incorporating longer exposure periods will provide a better understanding of the potential effects of warming on marine species. Here, we tested the effects of prolonged exposure to elevated temperature on broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle. Fish were exposed to ambient (20ºC) and high (24ºC) temperatures for a four-month period, during which activity levels, growth and survival were monitored. Fish under high temperature were less active when compared to fish under ambient temperature, grew less, and survival was dramatically decreased. These findings have significant implications for the long-term sustainability of broad-nosed pipefish populations, as the species may struggle to adapt to future ocean conditions.
- Differentiated instruction: ‘to be, or not to be, that is the question’Publication . Gaitas, Sérgio; Carêto, C.; Peixoto, Francisco; Silva, José CastroEducation systems around the world, faces the major challenge of including all children in schools. Differentiated instruction (DI) is proposed as a pedagogical approach that support social, emotional and academic success for all students in the context of heterogeneous classrooms. Although, recent research draws the attention to the inconsistent definitions and practices of DI. In this context, this qualitative study aimed at exploring the Portuguese teachers self-reported typical DI practices in mixed-ability classrooms. The participants were thirty-six teachers from kindergarten to middle school and came from a public-school cluster of five schools. The qualitative analysis carried out indicate a variety of practices under the concept of DI, ranging from practices aimed only at a group of students, based on low ability or special education needs, to practices aimed at building communities of learners. The majority of the self-reported practices described DI as simply giving one assignment to most pupils and fewer or easier activities to students who are struggling with their learning. Implications for initial teacher training and professional development programmes are discussed. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- A latent class analysis on students' beliefs about teachers' practices enhancing their well-beingPublication . Gaitas, Sérgio; Silva, José Castro; Poças, AntónioABSTRACT: Student well-being and student voice are two interrelated concepts that can play a critical role in education. While Student well-being refers to the overall state of students’ physical, mental, and emotional health, student voice represents the active involvement and participation of students in shaping their own educational experiences. Notwithstanding the intimate association, there is a limited body of research that explores how students’ distinct perceptions of teachers’ practices that promote their well-being influence students’ actual well-being levels. To address this research gap, a study was conducted involving 486 students. The participants, with an average age of 13.5 years, completed a questionnaire. Among the participants, 51.1% identified as female, and 13.6% had experienced academic retention. The latent class results classified the 7–9 grade student’s beliefs about teacher’s practices into “few times,” sometimes’ and “often.” The model fitting results were as follows: Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was 2,555.904, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) was 2,610.244, Adjusted Bayesian Information Criterion (aBIC) was 2,568.983, and Entropy was 0.802. Compared with the “few times” and “sometimes” class, the “often” class was more prevalent in 8th grade (p = 0.05) and among male students (p = 0.04). Findings show that class membership is a predictor of student well-being (interpersonal, life satisfaction and perceived competence). Students who feel that their teachers are attentive, supportive, and address their needs more frequently are more likely to experience enhanced well-being.
- Job demands and resources as predictors of well-being in portuguese teachersPublication . Castro Silva, J.; Peixoto, Francisco; Galhoz, Adriana; Gaitas, SérgioThis cross-sectional study sought to investigate job demands and resources as predictors of teacher well-being. Participants were 319 portuguese teachers in grades 1–11 (elementary up to secondary level). Data were analysed through confirmatory factorial analysis, structural equation modelling and mediation analysis. Main findings revealed that job demand variables are negative predictors of teacher well-being, whereas job resources variables predict positively teacher well-being. Additionally, the results showed two indirect mediation effects: job resources buffered the job demands and well-being relationship. In particular, support from colleagues and autonomy were identified as the main mediators of the relation between job demands and teacher well-being. Overall, the main results are consistent with the Job Demands-Resources model and contribute to the understanding of interplay between job resources and demands and their influence over teacher well-being.