Lúcia Miranda

Open-cell photoacoustic radiation detector

A simple and inexpensive photoacoustic radiation detector requiring no cell machining and minimal preparation is proposed. It consists of the front air chamber of a commercial electret microphone used as the transducer medium itself. The measured noise-equivalent power (NEP) at a modulation frequency of 40 Hz was found to be of the order of 5*10-7 W Hz-1/2 for both black-body and visible illumination.

Atribuições causais para o sucesso e fracasso escolares

Abstract The causal attribution theory represents an interesting theoretical framework in which to analyze how students explain their academicsuccess or failure. This paper analyzes if the causal attributions are different according to gender and school grade. The samp lecomprised 868 students from 5 th to 9 grade. The evaluation of the attributions was conducted by means of a school resultsAttribution Questionnaire (known in Brazil as QARE), in which students rank six possible causes (effort, studying methods, acad emicbackground, teacher support, luck and ability) according to their importance in explaining personal academic successes andfailures. The data suggest that students, regardless of gender and grade, related their academic achievement (success and failu re)to effort, citing poor studying methods as a secondary reason to explain academic failure. Progressing through the school syste m,the academic knowledge base becomes more important when explaining success at school. On the other hand, male studentsresort more to ability to explain their academic success, while female students cite effort and existing academic knowledge. For theexplanation of failure at school, effort and studying methods are more significant than lack of ability as their education prog resses, whichseems to reinforce the students’ self-esteem.Uniterms

Open photoacoustic cell x-ray detection

A simple open-cell configuration photoacoustic x-ray detector is experimentally demonstrated. The front air chamber of a commercial electret microphone is used as the transducer medium of conventional photoacoustics. The observed signal is well described by the thermal diffusion model for the photoacoustic signal.

Atribuições causais e nível educativo familiar na compreensão do desempenho escolar em alunos portugueses

This paper analyzes the contribution of both family educational level and causal attributions in explaining students´ academic performance in Mathematics and Portuguese Language in a sample of 2.082 public school students from mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira regions. Causal attributions were assessed by the Causal Attributions Questionnaire for School Results (QARE). The family educational level was estimated taking into account the educational level of the parent with higher academic degree. The academic grades obtained by students in mathematics and portuguese language were also considered. The results show statistically significant correlations between variables. Internal causal attributions such as capacity and study methods were predominant to explain school performance in the sample and stood out in contrast to external attributions explanations. Regression analyses revealed that 34.5% of the variance in the combined achievement on Portuguese Language and Mathematics in primary education and 21.3% in secondary education could be explained by both the attributional dimensions and family education level. Some educational implications are present taking these data.This paper analyzes the contribution of both family educational level and causal attributions in explaining students´ academic performance in Mathematics and Portuguese Language in a sample of 2.082 public school students from mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira regions. Causal attributions were assessed by the Causal Attributions Questionnaire for School Results (QARE). The family educational level was estimated taking into account the educational level of the parent with higher academic degree. The academic grades obtained by students in mathematics and portuguese language were also considered. The results show statistically significant correlations between variables. Internal causal attributions such as capacity and study methods were predominant to explain school performance in the sample and stood out in contrast to external attributions explanations. Regression analyses revealed that 34.5% of the variance in the combined achievement on Portuguese Language and Mathematics in primary education and 21.3% in secondary education could be explained by both the attributional dimensions and family education level. Some educational implications are present taking these data.

Causal attributions and educational level of the family in understanding school performance in Portuguese students

This paper analyzes the contribution of both family educational level and causal attributions in explaining students´ academic performance in Mathematics and Portuguese Language in a sample of 2.082 public school students from mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira regions. Causal attributions were assessed by the Causal Attributions Questionnaire for School Results (QARE). The family educational level was estimated taking into account the educational level of the parent with higher academic degree. The academic grades obtained by students in mathematics and portuguese language were also considered. The results show statistically significant correlations between variables. Internal causal attributions such as capacity and study methods were predominant to explain school performance in the sample and stood out in contrast to external attributions explanations. Regression analyses revealed that 34.5% of the variance in the combined achievement on Portuguese Language and Mathematics in primary education and 21.3% in secondary education could be explained by both the attributional dimensions and family education level. Some educational implications are present taking these data.This paper analyzes the contribution of both family educational level and causal attributions in explaining students´ academic performance in Mathematics and Portuguese Language in a sample of 2.082 public school students from mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira regions. Causal attributions were assessed by the Causal Attributions Questionnaire for School Results (QARE). The family educational level was estimated taking into account the educational level of the parent with higher academic degree. The academic grades obtained by students in mathematics and portuguese language were also considered. The results show statistically significant correlations between variables. Internal causal attributions such as capacity and study methods were predominant to explain school performance in the sample and stood out in contrast to external attributions explanations. Regression analyses revealed that 34.5% of the variance in the combined achievement on Portuguese Language and Mathematics in primary education and 21.3% in secondary education could be explained by both the attributional dimensions and family education level. Some educational implications are present taking these data.

Atribuciones causales y nivel educativo familiar en la comprensión del desempeño escolar en alumnos portugueses

This paper analyzes the contribution of both family educational level and causal attributions in explaining students´ academic performance in Mathematics and Portuguese Language in a sample of 2.082 public school students from mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira regions. Causal attributions were assessed by the Causal Attributions Questionnaire for School Results (QARE). The family educational level was estimated taking into account the educational level of the parent with higher academic degree. The academic grades obtained by students in mathematics and portuguese language were also considered. The results show statistically significant correlations between variables. Internal causal attributions such as capacity and study methods were predominant to explain school performance in the sample and stood out in contrast to external attributions explanations. Regression analyses revealed that 34.5% of the variance in the combined achievement on Portuguese Language and Mathematics in primary education and 21.3% in secondary education could be explained by both the attributional dimensions and family education level. Some educational implications are present taking these data.This paper analyzes the contribution of both family educational level and causal attributions in explaining students´ academic performance in Mathematics and Portuguese Language in a sample of 2.082 public school students from mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira regions. Causal attributions were assessed by the Causal Attributions Questionnaire for School Results (QARE). The family educational level was estimated taking into account the educational level of the parent with higher academic degree. The academic grades obtained by students in mathematics and portuguese language were also considered. The results show statistically significant correlations between variables. Internal causal attributions such as capacity and study methods were predominant to explain school performance in the sample and stood out in contrast to external attributions explanations. Regression analyses revealed that 34.5% of the variance in the combined achievement on Portuguese Language and Mathematics in primary education and 21.3% in secondary education could be explained by both the attributional dimensions and family education level. Some educational implications are present taking these data.

Impacto de um programa de enriquecimento escolar em alunos do 2.º ciclo do ensino básico com altas capacidades

This paper describes the application of the Odisseia enrichment program in high ability students. This program was applied during two academic years and its theoretical framework is based on Renzulli´s school enrichment model. The experimental group included 64 students selected by their high cognitive aptitudes and school achievement (80 percentile) on the other hand, 94 students from the same school grade have been taken to integrate the comparison group. On reasoning tests both groups increased their performance from pre to post-test, despite the higher increment of experimental group students in some of those subtests, this was not statistically significant. On creativity tests, the experimental group increased from pre to pos-test on originality and elaboration parameters in the figural tasks, but these gains were not verified on verbal tasks. These results may suggest a larger impact of the program on contents less assumed by the academic curriculum (figural versus verbal) and on creativity dimensions more related with originality than with fluency or flexibility.