Joana Torres

Non-anthropocentric Reasoning in Children: Its incidence when they are confronted with ecological dilemmas

This study used an individual structured interview to (1) verify the incidence of non-anthropocentric reasoning in 123 children attending the 3rd and 4th years in three primary schools in the Lisbon area (Portugal), when they are confronted with ecological dilemmas and (2) establish those places they frequented which permit animal contact. The results show a greater incidence of non-anthropocentric reasoning than that obtained in other international studies. This may be related to the focus of the questions asked, which invited children to imagine themselves as another animal or to present situations where human interaction is unfair. This incidence was found independently of gender, school origin and whether or not pets were owned, even with the more biologically complex animals. School year was the only variable proven to make a difference in conceptually more demanding questions. We also verified that the childrens general past experience of nature is essentially aligned to ‘controlled environments depending on ongoing human management’, confirming a decline in direct contact with ‘natural and semi-natural environments’. However, this type of experience does not seem to exert a negative influence on their non-anthropocentric reasoning.

Models in Geoscience Classes: How Can Teachers Use Them?

Scientific models are indispensable tools in scientific enterprise, having an essential role in scientific knowledge construction. Giving their relevance in science, it is currently advocated that models should be used in science classes. There are many studies which uncover the contributions models make to science education, highlighting different advantages of these tools. However, many studies also exhibit that students and even teachers do not reveal adequate views concerning models in science and for teaching. As a consequence, modelling activities are scarcely used in science classes, and when they happen to be, their use is limited, as the full potential of models is not taken into account. This chapter intends to analyse the relevance of models in science and for teaching and to provide some examples of activities which may be used to improve science teachers’ and students’ views about models. Some general results are also given towards the improvement of the views about models held by prospective science teachers in Portugal.

Heterosexual Dating Violence and Social Gender Relations: Voices of Young Portuguese Girls

This chapter aims to characterize dating violence and social gender relations through voices of young Portuguese girls. Considering that heterosexual dating violence is a widespread phenomenon in Portugal and Portuguese girls are generally described as both victims and offenders, a critical approach was developed to discuss how gender (re)constructs and (re)defines social practices and narratives about juvenile intimate partner violence. Using a focus-group method, we questioned 107 young Portuguese girls, aged between 11 and 17 years old (M = 13.38), about youth social relationships and intimate partner relationships among young people. Thirteen focus groups were conducted. The data was examined through thematic analysis. The results confirm that dating violence is present in teens’ lives, and is suffered and perpetrated by both girls and boys. Gender specificities are addressed concerning practices, attitudes and motives, with girls admitting to using violence towards boys as a right achieved by gender equality.

What happens to the boats? The 1755 Lisbon earthquake and Portuguese tsunami literacy

In A.D. 1755, an earthquake destroyed Lisbon, Portugal. The region was then hit forcefully by a tsunami and engulfed by an enormous fire. Thefts and destruction followed, damaging emblematic places of irreplaceable historical and spiritual value, especially churches. The occurrence of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake remains known by the eldest, but it has been forgotten and even unheard of by younger generations. Over the last decade there has been a considerable increase in the research, involving geologists, seismologists, and oceanographers, so as to better understand the processes and the complexity of seismic risks and tsunamis. However, little has been done to inform the population and policy makers about the options available to them to better prevent and respond to earthquake disasters. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the Portuguese citizens’ scientific literacy regarding tsunamis and to analyze their knowledge related to the 1755 earthquake. For this purpose, we conducted 206 structured interviews in a public place, and asked the general public to collaborate. At the beginning of the interviews people were shown a previously drawn scenario showing a tsunami epicenter and three boats in different places of the ocean. The sample comprised 107 females (52%) and 99 males (48%) (ages ranged from 12 to 85). The interviews were conducted by two members of the research team and were audiotaped for a better and more reliable transcription. Content analysis was subsequently established with the help of the QSR International NVivo 10 qualitative data analysis software package (www​.qsrinternational​.com​/nvivo​-product). Results showed that there is a wide lack of knowledge regarding tsunamis, including those that occurred in the past, and the majority of interviewees recognized the need to know more about these issues. This evidence indicates the importance of including these historical and social and scientific issues in geosciences programs, giving more relevance to teaching seismic risks, their prevention, and possible responses.

Education and Geoethics: Three Fictional Life Stories

It is undisputable that geology influences the economic growth and development of each country and thereby its cultural framework. If one acknowledges that geology influences these results, then one has also to recognise that fostering geoscience education may help to reduce regional disparities determined by geological specificities and with impacts on economic growth and social development. Geoethics may help to re-evaluate behaviours, to increase awareness for alternative human activities or even to redirect economic models of growth and development. Under this framework, three fictional stories were developed, describing different life experiences, educational discrepancies and modus faciendi of citizens from different fictional countries.

Geomedicine and History of Science: A Contribution to Scientific Culture

Geomedicine refers to a renewed field of science that deals with the relationship between distinct aspects of geology and human/animal health. In spite of its current relevance, it is believed that Hippocrates (460–377 BC) was the founder of this discipline, by recognizing the influence of environmental factors on health. History of geomedicine provides many other examples that may be effective to study history of science and to promote students’ scientific culture and health literacy. For example, Amato Lusitano (1511–1568), a Renaissance Portuguese physician, refers to the use of bezoar as antidote and of mercury to treat sexual diseases. In this research, the data were collected by document analysis of the works of Amato Lusitano, including the Seven Centuries of Medicinal Cures, edited by the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, in 1980. After a careful review of literature, the main objectives of this research are to enhance global knowledge of the history of geomedicine, pointing out the Amato Lusitano contribution and reflecting on the importance of geomedicine history curricula as a way to improve the scientific culture of the students. As a result, some strategies and examples to teach this thematic are provided, such as the interpretation and analysis of primary sources and historical controversies.

Questionamento em manuais escolares: um estudo no âmbito das Ciências Naturais

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is an Inquiry-Based Learning approach that aims to prompt the development of diverse competences that allow the stimulation of scientific reasoning, autonomy and the development of capacities like questioning and critical reflection. In this context, questioning is a useful tool in students’ knowledge construction and in the development of the mentioned competences. As textbooks are important in science classes, they must contribute relevantly to the learning process. Having this in mind, the textbooks most used in 7th, 8th and 9th grades were analyzed according to the function and location of questions, as well as their cognitive level. These textbooks present a different number of questions. Despite the fact that the majority of questions are of low cognitive level (encyclopedic), there are also a considerable number of questions of high cognitive level, which promote a more autonomous and self-regulated learning.