Psychopedagogy of School Learning

Recommended Prerequisites

Learning Theories and Teaching Models.

Teaching Methods

Lecturing, presentation and discussion of assignments carried out by students, case studies, development of educational programs and educational materials

Learning Outcomes

This curricular unit focuses on subject matters such as reading, writing, comprehension and  written composition mathematics, sciences and social sciences. For each one of these specific school subject matter, cognitive processes involved in their learning are analysed as well as the factors that facilitate the acquisition of knowledge that are specific to them. Once reading is so crucial in school learning, it is particularly developed. Special attention is given to psychopedagogical methods and strategies that have proved to be more effective in promoting each one of these specific school subject matters.

At the end of this curricular unit, students should:

- know and understand the main cognitive processes involved in specific school subject matters, such as reading, writing,text composition,mathematic, science and social science

- know how to develop strategies to support the learning of specific school subject matters.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Reading as a cognitive process. The learning of reading: the importance of phonological knowledge; the influence of orthographic code. Reading methods. Reading difficulties’ prevention.

2. Learning how to write. Writing acquisition stages. Relation between writing and reading.

3. Comprehension and study of texts. Comprehension strategies. Study strategies.

4. Text composition. Processes involved in writing composition: planification, writing, revision. Text composition teaching.

5. Mathematics learning. Cognitive processes involved in mathematics learning. Teaching methods.

6. Science. Acquisition of scientific knowledge. Science teaching methods.

7. Science / Social studies. Social studies teaching methods.

Head Lecturer(s)

Maria Isabel Ferraz Festas

Assessment Methods

Continuous Assessment
Mini Tests: 50.0%
Frequency: 50.0%

Final Assessment
Exam: 100.0%

Bibliography

Festas, I., & Castro, S. L. (2013). Aprendizagem e cognição em áreas específicas: Leitura, escrita, compreensão, composição de textos, ciências e estudos sociais. In F. H. Veiga (Org.), Psicologia da educação: Teoria, investigação e aplicação (pp. 395-443). Lisboa: Editora Climepsi – Escolar Editora.

Festas, I., Oliveira, A., Rebelo, J. A., Damião, H., Harris, K., Graham, S. (2015). Professional development in Self-Regulated Strategy Development: Effects on the writing performance of eighth grade portuguese students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 40, 17-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.05.004

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (2008). Matemática. Ensino: Questões e soluções. Lisboa

Graham, S., Macarthur, C., & Fitzgerald (Eds.). (2007). Best practices in writing instruction. New York: The Guilford Press.

Morais, J. (1997). A arte de ler: Psicologia cognitiva da leitura. Lisboa: Edições Cosmos.