Higher Education Practices in Different Areas of Knowledge: Challenges of the Bologna Process in Portugal

Author(s):

Cely do Socorro Costa Nunes(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 05 A, Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Higher Education

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-03

11:00-12:30

Room:

B020 Anfiteatro

Chair:

Margarida Chagas Lopes

Contribution

The need to establish innovative reforms in the context of the Portuguese higher education as a way to compete in the European higher education area has become a pressing challenge. Goals and recommendations stated on the Bologna Declaration (DB) (1999) also contributed for this press to reform, as well as the process of intellectualization of the contemporary world that created new demands to European higher education institutions and to teachers and students in terms of teaching, learning and vocational training as a way to build and retain human capital. According to Robertson (2009), this is an ambitious, competitive and political project, supposedly attractive, that was invented to the world aiming at globalizing higher education beyond the borders of the old world, becoming a model to be followed by the global educational market. Therefore, its implications for other national economies, among which Portugal, need to be analyzed. In the Portuguese case, not developing educative reforms aligned to such recommendations means not being able to leave the European periphery (Landes, 2001) at least for a long time. This could undermine the historic European project of becoming the more competitive knowledge-based economy of the world on the 21st century, which makes higher education a core element for the resumption of economic growth. The compliance of the Portuguese State with DB enacted reforms in higher education institutions’ curricular structure, organization and pedagogics in order to facilitate adaptation to a new curricular tradition. The Decree-Law No. 42/2005; n° 74/2006 and Decree-Law No. 107/2008 determine that it is necessary to answer the central question of DB: to change from a passive model of teaching, based on the acquisition of knowledge, to a model founded on the development of competencies by the students themselves. Leite (2011a, b) states that despite many teaching practices in higher education were already organized according to this shifting paradigm, pedagogical-didactic issues have gained greater attention and projection after DB. In this perspective the problem under study is the contribution of DB for promoting change in Portuguese higher education institutions related to teaching, learning, assessment and the roles of students and teachers. This communication aims at characterizing higher education by identifying its challenges to meet the objectives of the BD. Its core questions are: 1) How does as higher education develop in different areas of knowledge? b) What challenges does the Portuguese higher education face in order to meet the recommendations of the Bologna Declaration?

Method

This communication is part of a research project (started on April 2011) and it aims at understanding the processes of teaching, assessment and learning in a variety of courses in Portuguese universities 4 (Lisbon, Coimbra, Minho and Évora) and 3 in Brazil (Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade do Estado do Pará and University of Amazon); these institutions make up the work environment of the research team. The innovative nature of this study stems from the intent to analyze such processes inseparably, as well as by the fact that the investigation will be carried on in a variety of courses, such as in the areas of social sciences, arts and Humanities, engineering and technologies and health sciences. The axes of analysis (teaching, learning and assessment) were detailed in a Research Framework that guided the construction of the instruments of production, organization, systematization and data analysis. This qualitative research involves documentary analysis and empirical work. Documentary analysis allowed substantiating the analysis of empirical data. The empirical data were obtained through the application of an on-line questionnaire, whose respondents totaled 6,433 1,218 students and teachers; individual interviews to 62 teachers and focus groups interviews to 192 students of the observed courses (UC). These students were volunteer; each courses (UC) were observed during 20 hours. This option resulted in the choice of 2 Courses per area of knowledge by each of the participating universities, totaling 56 courses studied. In each course was chosen 1 structural UC of the last year of the 1° cycle, totaling 56 disciplines studied, too. Through observation, proceeded to an immersion in 56 classrooms (1,120 h) and an interaction with the participants in order to understand the meanings they attribute to higher education in which were involved. The systematization of the empirical data resulted in narratives, initially for each UC for each instrument data production; subsequently, narratives were grouped by area of knowledge from each participating University and, finally, from them, metanarratives were built for each of the four areas of knowledge including data from all the respective universities by country. This is an ongoing research and this communication discusses results of the metanarratives of 4 Portuguese universities and reflects on the Portuguese higher education.

Expected Outcomes

Implantation of DB in most Portuguese courses in study little altered the conceptions and practices of production and socialization of knowledge, as well as, the hierarchical relationships and power materialized in the teaching-learning process. The main argument was nobody wanted to give up their privileges and to abandon certain traditions of teaching. So, in those courses the idea that it is difficult and complex to change has crystallized. The perceived understanding of the limitation to implement new curricular changes contributes to maintain obsolete teaching and scientific traditions. These findings are sustained by Nóvoa (Santos, 2012) when he states that the process of DB in higher education's is facing some difficulties. Indeed, the main focus was kept untouched: a new organization of the University work, centered on studies, on learning and in the close proximity to research practices. In general, data of this research reveal that traditional pedagogical practices still predominate, involving little changes in the organization, content and methods; despite some pedagogical practices aligned with the DB are eventually apparent. In fact, as already underlined by Fernandes (2013), it is noticeable in this research that when teachers of higher education use diversified and dynamic teaching methods, and different tasks focused on students, students tend to be more motivated and involved in activities of learning, teaching and assessment. Therefore it is likely that they learn better if given the conditions to do so. The change of a paradigm of teaching from a passive model to a model founded on the development of competencies by the students themselves, in that the teaching should be centered on the students in learning and in their autonomy and not on the teachers, are goals strongly highlighted by Bologna and, still, a great challenge for the Portuguese higher education and in need of an urgent debate.

References

Declaração de Bolonha (1999). In: Serralheiro, J. P. (org) (2005). O Processo de Bolonha e a formação dos educadores e professores portugueses. Braga: Editora Profedições. Fernandes, D. (2013).Práticas de ensino e avaliação de dois docentes universitários: pesquisa utilizando narrativas a partir de observações e entrevistas. Anais do III CIDU, Vigo. Landes, D. S. (2001). A riqueza e a pobreza das nações: porque são algumas tão ricas e outras tão pobres. Lisboa: Gradiva. Leite, C. (org) (2011). Sentidos da pedagogia no ensino superior. Porto: CIIE/Livpsic. Leite, C. (2011). Questões do currículo no ensino universitário: o que distingue a organização e o desenvolvimento do currículo deste nível de ensino? In: Leite, C. et all (orgs). Políticas, fundamentos e práticas do currículo. Porto: Porto Editora. Portugal (2013). Decreto-lei n.° 42/2005, de 22 de fevereiro. Institui os princípios reguladores dos instrumentos para a criação do espaço europeu de ensino superior. Portugal: Diário da República. Disponível em: http://www.dges.mctes.pt. Acesso em: 23 jan. 2013. Portugal (2013). Decreto-lei n.° 74/2006, de 24 de março. Aprova o regime jurídico dos graus e diplomas do ensino superior. Portugal: Diário da República. Disponível em: http://www.dges.mctes.pt. Acesso em: 23 jan. 2013. Portugal (2013). Decreto-lei n.° 107/2008, de 25 de junho. Institui os princípios reguladores dos instrumentos para a criação do espaço europeu de ensino superior. Portugal: Diário da República. Disponível em: http://www.dges.mctes.pt. Acesso em: 23 jan. 2013. Robertson, S. (2009). O processo de Bolonha da Europa tornar-se global: modelo, mercado, mobilidade, força intelectual ou estratégia para construção do estado? Revista Brasileira de Educação, Rio de Janeiro: ANPEd; Campinas: Autores Associados, v.14, n. 42, p. 407-422, set/dez. Santos, L. L.de C. P (2012). Entrevista com o Prof. António Nóvoa. Revista Educ.Soc., Campinas: CEDES, v.33, n.119, p. 633-645, abr/jun. Teodoro, A. (2005). Bolonha e a reforma universitária: dos riscos potenciais às possibilidades de mudança. In: Serralheiro, J. P. (org). O processo de Bolonha e a formação dos educadores e professores portugueses. Lisboa: Profedições.

Author Information

Cely do Socorro Costa Nunes (presenting / submitting)

Universidade de Lisboa

Instituto de Educação

Lisboa

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