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- Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factorsPublication . Antunes, Sandra; Maria João Alves; Inês Martelo; Marjorie Beeghly; Luísa Barros; Fuertes, MarinaA growing body of research shows that early attachment relationships are foundational for children's later developmental and psychosocial outcomes. However, findings are mixed regarding whether preterm birth predicts later attachment, but insecurity is generally more prevalent among infants at higher medical and/or social/familial risk. This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific relational, familial/demographic, and perinatal predictors of attachment in a sample of 63 Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm (VEPT, <32 gestational weeks) and their mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. One‐third of the mothers had social/family risk factors (e.g., single parent, immigrant, unemployed, low education, and/or low income). At 3 months (corrected age), dyads were observed during social interaction in the Face‐to‐Face Still‐Face paradigm (FFSF) and during free play. At 12 months, mother‐infant dyads were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Over half (58.7%) of the infants were classified as insecurely attached. Social‐Positive Oriented regulatory behavior pattern, higher maternal sensitivity, higher infant cooperation during free play, number of siblings and an absence of social/family risk factors were associated with attachment security. Perinatal variables were unrelated to attachment. Findings indicate that both relational and social contextual factors contribute to attachment in this biologically vulnerable sample.
- What do adults learn through play regarding interactions and communication with children?Publication . Fuertes, Marina; Isabel Fernandes; Ana Rita Azevedo; Inês Morais; Bárbara Tadeu; Tempera, Tiago Bruno CorreiaIt is well established that the amount of time children spend playing reflects on their learning, quality of exploration, and relationships. However, little is known about what the main benefits for adults are. In this study, we explore the association between the adults’ daily time spent playing with their children (in minutes) and the adults’ quality of interactive behavior and their amount of verbal behavior. Participants are 19 mothers, 17 fathers, 22 female preschool educators, 20 male educators, and 78 children (between 3 and 5 years old). Parents and educators were observed during a joint activity with a child. Results indicate that adults who spend more time playing with their children are more empathic, engaged, reciprocal, and changeling. Moreover, parents were also more positive in their communication with children. This research suggests that play offers individual and dyadic learning to children and adults.
- From social wires to neurobiological connections: a neuropsychobiological focus on parent-child interaction [editorial]Publication . Livio Provenzi; Fuertes, Marina; Isabella L. C. Mariani Wigley; Sarah NazzariThe early social interactions between parents and children are foundational to both the neurobiological development of the child and the establishment of parental mental health and wellbeing. These connections, forged through daily interactions, are much more than mere exchanges of affection or communication; they are integral to shaping the brain and behavior of both the parent and the child. This intricate interplay serves as a driving force behind critical developmental processes (Provenzi et al., 2018; Tronick and Hunter, 2024).
- It’s you and me: infants’ cross-modal communicative signals and mother-infant interactive behavior predict infant regulatory patterns in the still-face paradigm at 3 monthsPublication . Fuertes, Marina; Rita Almeida; Martelo Ribeiro, Inês; Miguel Barbosa; Beeghly, MarjorieInfant regulatory behavior develops since birth and impacts their early social interactions. Infants differ in the relative coherence and incoherence of their cross-modal communicative signals during en-face infant-caregiver interactions. We expand this research by evaluating whether different infant regulatory patterns observed during the Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) at 3 months are associated with the coherence or incoherence of infants’ cross-modal communicative behaviors during en-face interactions or with multiple dimensions of mother-infant interactive behavior during free-play. Analyses were based on data collected from 100 mother-infant dyads from urban, working- and middle-class backgrounds in Portugal who were videotaped during the FFSF and free play at 3 months. Results confirm that infants’ different regulatory behavior patterns in the FFSF at 3 months are associated with the coherence and incoherence of their crossmodal interactive behaviors and specific aspects of mother-infant interaction. Infants with a Social-Positive oriented regulatory pattern during the FFSF displayed more coherent and less incoherent communicative behaviors with their mothers and were more cooperative during free play. In turn, their mothers were more sensitive. Our findings support the perspective that infants’ regulatory behavior strategies in the context of caregiver regulatory support and sensitivity are likely to increase dyadic correspondence and infant ability to engage with the world.
- O processo de medir: utilização de três réguas distintas: um estudo no 3.º Ano de EscolaridadePublication . Meireles Teixeira, Marta Susana; Serrazina, Maria de LurdesEste artigo tem como objetivo compreender o processo de medir dos alunos, aquando da exploração de uma tarefa que inclui a utilização de três réguas distintas, régua com marcações da unidade de medida, régua partida e régua padrão, através da discussão das estratégias de resolução dos alunos e das ações do professor e da investigadora no momento de discussão coletiva. A tarefa apresentada, de natureza exploratória, faz parte de uma sequência de tarefas integrada numa experiência de ensino realizada no 3.º ano de escolaridade. Trata-se de um estudo de natureza qualitativa na modalidade de investigação baseada em design. A recolha de dados realizou-se em contexto educativo, através da observação participante, e envolvendo vários instrumentos: gravações vídeo, registos fotográficos, registos escritos dos alunos e notas de campo. A análise de dados é centrada na análise de conteúdo do momento de discussão coletiva da tarefa. São analisadas as resoluções dos alunos relativamente ao processo de medir e as ações do professor e da investigadora, na condução daquele momento. Dos resultados, conclui-se que houve alterações no conhecimento dos alunos, tanto a nível conceptual como processual, embora continuem a existir algumas fragilidades no conhecimento conceptual. Destaca-se a discussão coletiva como momento facilitador dessas alterações, assim como as ações do professor e da investigadora, como contributos para a aprendizagem.
- Iberian fauna perceived danger: a study with primary education studentsPublication . Almeida, António; Rato, ValterThe present study sought to verify, through a questionnaire, how 270 primary school students assessed the dangerousness of 16 animals from the Iberian fauna and whether, in danger of extinction, these species should be saved. The animals considered most dangerous were three invertebrates—the Mediterranean black widow, the scorpion, and the Portuguese man of war—and three vertebrates—the blue shark, the Montpellier snake, and the Iberian wolf. The justifications were related to morphological, physiological, and behavioral features and the damage they can cause to humans. Some misconceptions were detected, such as the underrated danger of the mosquito, because it is small, and the overrated danger of the vulture, because it is necrophagous, or the bat, because it is hematophagous. The generalization of danger to all species of a given taxonomic group occurred in the case of the blue shark and the Montpellier snake. Even so, the students supported the need to fight against the extinction of the dangerous animals because they all have a role in nature. No differences in the results concerning the sex of the students were found. A few strategies to approach the present issue in school are presented.
- The challenges of stillness: a longitudinal study about the associations between mothers’ violations of the still-face, infant patterns of regulatory behavior, mother-infant interactive behavior, and infant attachmentPublication . Miguel Barbosa; Joana Gonçalves; Marjorie Beeghly; Fuertes, MarinaBackground During the still-face (SF) episode of the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF), mothers are instructed to remain still, unresponsive, and silent. However, some participants do not comply with these instructions, and researchers typically exclude them from their analyses. These mothers report feelings of anxiety and discomfort during SF. However, little is known about maternal SF violations and whether they are associated with other aspects of the mother-infant relationship. Aims In this experimental and longitudinal study, we compared mothers who violated the SF instructions to mothers who complied with them. We then focused on the group of mothers who violated the SF instructions, to investigate whether the type (i.e., those meant to soothe the infant vs. other violations), intensity (severe vs. mild), and form (verbal and non-verbal) of mothers’ SF violations in the FFSF at 3 months postpartum were associated with infant regulatory behavior in FFSF, mother-infant free-play behavior at the same age, infant attachment at 12 months, or other infant or maternal/familial characteristics. Methods The participants included 54 mothers identified as violating the SF instructions at 3 months and their infants, and 296 mothers who did not violate the SF instructions. At 3 months, mother-infant dyads were videotaped during two successive interaction tasks: an unstructured free-play task followed by the FFSF paradigm. At 12 months, infant attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation. Results Mothers who violated the SF were less sensitive during mother-infant free play than mothers who complied with the SF instructions, and their infants were more cooperative and less likely to exhibit a disorganized/disoriented attachment. Among mothers who violated the SF instructions, those who did so to soothe their infant exhibited higher sensitivity during free play, and their infants were more likely to exhibit a Social Oriented pattern of regulatory behavior during the FFSF, than mothers who violated the SF for other reasons. Furthermore, their infants were more cooperative during free play, and at 12 months, more likely to have a secure attachment, and less likely to have a disorganized/disoriented attachment. Conclusion Possibly, mothers who violate the SF to soothe their infants are more empathic and more likely to be a “safe haven” in stressful situations, contributing to secure relationships. However, mothers who violated SF for other reasons need further investigation and are linked with disorganized/disoriented infant attachment.
- “Green Cities:” A Panel Discussion Activity for Promoting Pre-Service Teachers’ Skills Oriented toward Environmental EducationPublication . Cláudia Faria; Valente, Bianor; Hélia Oliveira; Cecília GalvãoThe purpose of this study was to analyze the potentialities of a learning module, created within an Erasmus+ project, which involved pre-service elementary teachers in a socio-scientific scenario related to green cities. The participants were involved in a panel discussion activity, with the main objective of discussing and reflecting on how to transform a particular city into a green city, taking into account the perspectives of the different stakeholders. A total of 60 pre-service teachers and one teacher educator were involved. In this case study, data were collected through a pre- and post-questionnaire, on the importance of a set of transversal skills at a professional and personal level, two focus-group interviews, and a panel discussion analysis. The results revealed that this activity has the potential to promote pre-service teachers’ competence to assume a holistic view of an environmental issue, contributing to the development of their capacity to make “justified decision-making.” It also allowed pre-service teachers to experience and reflect on new visions of science education from a learner’s perspective. These outcomings are extremely important for helping pre-service teachers to create innovative learning contexts capable of promoting more critical, responsible, and proenvironmental active citizens.
- Potentialities of science comics for science communication: lessons from the classroomPublication . Faria, Cláudia; Valente, Bianor; Torres, JoanaThe aim of this pilot study was to understand how the use of science comics, centred on complex scientific knowledge, can promote students’ engagement with science, in order to discuss its potentialities as a tool to communicate science for the general public. The qualitative study involved 175 students and 7 teachers. The results revealed that the use of comics significantly increases students’ motivation and commitment to the learning tasks. All participants highlighted that the narrative nature of comics, with a mixture of text and images, offering a story to follow, contributed to their engagement with the scientific topic, regardless of their complexity.
- Enhancing primary teacher education: research-based development of a pedagogical content knowledg rubricPublication . Valente, Bianor; Maurício, Paulo; Silva, Maria João; Melo, Nuno; Sarreira, PedroPedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), introduced by Shulman [1], is crucial for teaching quality and student outcomes [2]. Shulman [1], [3] highlighted PCK as the key difference between a subject matter expert and an effective teacher, requiring both deep content understanding and the ability to implement effective teaching strategies. Since its introduction, PCK has been further reconceptualized and developed by several authors [4]. However, its elusive nature [5] makes it necessary to develop instruments that make it visible. Developing robust tools to measure PCK is essential for improving teacher education programs. This study details the development and validation of a rubric designed to measure the PCK of preservice primary teachers. The development of the PCK rubric followed a systematic process involving several key steps. First, a comprehensive review of existing literature on PCK and related assessment tools was conducted. This review provided a foundation for identifying the key dimensions of PCK relevant to preservice primary teachers. Based on the literature review, the critical components of PCK were identified, including curricular knowledge, knowledge about students, knowledge about teaching strategies, and knowledge about assessment. For each dimension, specific performance criteria were established to capture the range of preservice teacher capabilities. The rubric's validation involved several phases to ensure its reliability and validity. An initial version of the rubric was reviewed by a panel of education experts, whose feedback guided the refinement of criteria and descriptors. The revised rubric was subsequently pilot tested with a sample of preservice teachers, using two different instruments for assessment: i) CoRe (Content Representation) [6], which requires preservice teachers to select and justify key ideas essential for teaching a specific topic; and ii) lesson plans, specifically for a one-and-a-half-hour lesson on the respiratory system for third-grade students. The topic was chosen based on its familiarity to students, its abstract nature, and its inclusion in the Portuguese curriculum [7]. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by having multiple evaluators use the rubric to score the same set of teaching artifacts. The consistency of scores across different raters was analysed to ensure the rubric's reliability. The validation process indicated that the PCK rubric requires further refinement to serve as a valid tool for assessing PCK.