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Educational research has been highlighting the importance of defining key competencies and learning outcomes related to education for sustainability as a reference for the transparent evaluation of students' learning in this domain. Drawing on a reference framework that identifies five key competencies in sustainability (i.e., systems-thinking competency, anticipatory competency, normative competency, strategic competency, and interpersonal competency), the study reported in this paper aims to understand whether, how, and to what extent these competencies are present in doctoral theses in Higher Education published in Portugal in the past ten years. To address this objective, a qualitative study framed in an interpretative paradigm was conducted, and a literature review was used as a preferential research method to elicit meaning, gain understanding, and develop empirical knowledge. The retrieved documents were treated using deductive content analysis, which was performed using WebQDA software. Results of the analysis show that the competencies considered in the reference framework are present in research on education for sustainability carried out in recent years in Portugal, with a greater emphasis on strategic and anticipatory competencies. Findings suggest that it is important to continue to conduct research on these competencies to successfully integrate them into educational curricula and teacher education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shares the voices of six teachers regarding two language awareness projects carried out in one pre-primary and one primary school in Portugal. These projects present innovative practices in teaching young and very young learners to reflect upon language and linguistic diversity and to become aware of world issues (e.g. poverty, discrimination and climate changes). Based upon interviews conducted with the teachers after the staging of the two projects, we analyse teachers’ discourses regarding the learning outcomes of the activities, their beliefs and knowledge about language awareness and the possibilities for including this approach in the curriculum. Results suggest that teachers acknowledge the relevance of language awareness in the education of more engaged and respectful citizens; however, they feel insecure and unprepared to include it in their teaching practice and in their professional knowledge. Implications of these findings for pre-service and in-service teacher education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of a collaborative workshop, aimed to support teacher educators in embedding a “global outlook” in the curriculum on their perceived professional development.Design/methodology/approach The workshop included working sessions, during a period of 13 months, and was structured as participatory action research, according to which volunteer academics designed, developed and evaluated global education projects in their course units. Data were gathered through a focus group session, conducted with the teacher educators at a final stage of the workshop, and analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis.Findings Results of the analysis suggest that the workshop presented a meaningful opportunity for teacher educators to reconstruct their knowledge and teaching practice to (re)discover the importance of collaborative work and to assume new commitments to themselves and to others.Originality/value The study addresses a gap in the existing literature on academic staff development in internationalization of the curriculum, focusing on the perceptions of teacher educators’, whose voices have been largely silent in research in the field. The study concludes with a set of recommendations for a professional development program in internationalization of the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims at evaluating and understanding the effects of an awakening to languages (AtL) programme, carried out with a group of 21 Portuguese children aged three to six, in the development of phonological awareness (PA). Using mixed-methods research, data was gathered from video recordings of seven AtL sessions and PA tests for an experimental and a control group. Post-test results reveal that the experimental group increased their PA significantly, whereas the phonological abilities of the control group remained unaltered. Content analysis of the sessions supported these results, indicating that the experimental group was keen to observe, manipulate, and reflect upon languages and sounds. Findings suggest that exploring and working with linguistic diversity early on may develop metalinguistic skills conducive to literacy and language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of 'identity' in doctoral studies is widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, despite much research on what is involved in the process of identification with/as a researcher, very little attention has been devoted to understanding the effects of the internationalization of higher education in promoting feelings of belonging to a researcher community that goes beyond the national space. This qualitative case study aims to understand whether and how doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences develop a 'European' or 'international' researcher identity during their doctoral studies. To address this aim, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve home and international doctoral students from a Portuguese higher education institution. Results from thematic analysis suggest that although the dichotomy 'European'/'international' was not always clear in participants' minds, those students who undertook mobility experiences or took part in international research networks or supervisory teams were more likely to regard themselves as 'international' or 'European' researchers. The implications of these findings for doctoral programs in an era of internationalization are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto houses a collection of 45 models of fungi in papier-mâché from the 19th-century, which were used at the university until 2015 as didactic models. For the first time, the materials and techniques used in the production of a Boletus edulis model were studied (vernacular name: cep, porcini). These sculptures, made to life-size scale, are painted in colors similar to those of the represented species (white, brown, and light brown). They are fixed to a rectangular base, which is painted black, and to which moss has been pasted. To fully characterize each color, at the molecular level, a multi-analytical approach was used, combining energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (micro-XRF) with fingerprinting techniques of Raman microscopy (microRaman and handheld Raman) spectroscopy and microFourier transform infrared spectroscopy (microFTIR). The papier-mâché was prepared with a groundwood paper to which kaolin and a quartz-based material have been added to reinforce the structure. Raman microscopy also identified carbon black in it, which is possibly responsible for its grey color. The white color was unequivocally identified as lithopone by microRaman. This white paint was prepared in a proteinaceous tempera, with calcium carbonate having been identified as filler (by microFTIR). In the brown color, iron was identified by microXRF, pointing to the use of ocher, which was not possible to identify by microRaman and microFTIR. Regarding the black rectangular base, the moss was fixed using a collagen-based glue. The binding medium in this black is possibly a mixture of drying oil and protein. Again, XRF detected iron as the main element, but it was not possible to acquire a Raman spectrum due to the high fluorescence of the binder/varnish. Others, such as the writing inks, will also be discussed. The colors identified are in line with the best materials available for use by artists of that time. This new knowledge is fundamental to informing the choice of the best conservation strategies for the preservation of these extraordinary models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]