Sensos-e is a multimedia journal in electronic format that publishes papers with a focus on research, innovation, and development/intervention in the area of Education. It is a very young journal, publishing now its second number of the first volume.
The present Sensos-e issue focuses on the theme “Education, Citizenship and Inclusion”, a priority theme considering the historical moment and the socio-economic framework of the European context in which our country is included.
Nine proposals were submitted for publication by authors from several centres for innovation and research in education, seven of which directly related to the theme Education, Citizenship and Inclusion and, as allowed by the Editorial Board, two focusing on other topics in education. These papers were sent for double-blind review by members of the Editorial Board or, in specific cases, by reviewers with recognized work in the papers’ specific scientific theme. This process resulted in the acceptance of four articles for publication. Additionally, this issue includes two invited papers.
The paper “Sexualities and diversity in contemporary society”, authored by Ana Bertão, Maria João Silva, Ana Castro and Carla Lima, integrates some of the presentations of the Scientific Meeting “Sexualities and Diversity in Contemporary Society” (held in June, 2014, at the School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto), which had as main goals to deepen knowledge on sexuality and reflect upon different ways of sexual expression, promoting discussion and debate among researchers and the public in general.
In “Practices of the Special Education teacher: another view”, Maria Concepcion Alves Mirassol e Susana Marinho present a study whose aim was to understand the educators’ and teachers’ ideas about the practices of special education teachers, before and after the development of an intervention project named Raising Awareness about Difference. Results indicated a change of perceptions about the Special Education Teacher. More comprehensive practices of awareness and mobilization of the educational community were emphasized.
In the article “Infant transition from home to childcare: professionals’ practices and ideas” Carla Peixoto, Vera Coelho, Ana Isabel Pinto, Joana Cadima, Sílvia Barros and Manuela Pessanha present a study whose main goals were to describe practices implemented in the period of baby transition from family context to child care, and to study the perceived usefulness of those practices for professionals who work in these settings. Results show the concerns of professionals with initiatives that promote the adaptation of infants and their families to child care. In addition, this article presents some guidelines concerning transition practices for the professionals who work in this field.
The paper “Teaching sciences using computer simulations – research in the context of teacher training for basic education”, authored by António Barbot, José Alexandre Pinto, Clara Viegas, Carla Santos and J. Bernardino Lopes, had as main goals to study the influence of teacher mediation in promoting students’ epistemic practices in the classroom environment, by focusing on the work of two teachers who explored the hydrodynamics topic, in the context of basic education teacher training. This study identified and illustrated some of the teacher mediation characteristics, dependent on the teachers’ intentionality, when using computer simulations able to promote various types of students’ epistemic practices.
As mentioned above, this issue includes two articles that were presented by invitation of the editors: (a) “The transition to the active life of young adults with disabilities: expectations, achievements/reality and challenges” and (b) “’The Revelation’ – a Forum Theatre experience within the area of social education”.
In the article “The transition to the active life of young adults with disabilities: expectations, achievements/reality and challenges”, Eliana Nunes and Manuela Sanches-Ferreira reflect upon the process of transition to the active life of five young adults with disabilities, based on the perceptions of parents, neighbours, teachers and the youngsters themselves regarding the expectations for the active life, for their daily lives and regarding the available supports for that transition. The authors point to the need for interdisciplinary work between school, local community and support services, to ensure a holistic and coordinated intervention with young people and their families, and to promote social and labour integration of young adults with disabilities.
In the article “’The Revelation’ – a Forum Theatre experience within the area of social education”, Ana Bertão, Carla Lima and Tânia Duarte discuss the potentialities of the Forum Theatre as a means of psychosocial intervention, and present an experience of a Forum Theatre’s play, created and performed by students of the Master in Social Education and Intervention of the School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. The authors highlight that this experience allowed the debate on the issues of sexual prejudice and homophobic behaviours and environments, and provided the space to try out new solutions for the problems experienced by the oppressed person.
The editors of the Sensos-e second issue of the first volume thank the authors who have submitted articles for publication in this issue, the reviewers, and readers interested in these themes in particular, hoping to contribute, with this issue, to the continuing pathway towards effective citizenship and inclusion, in the more formal educational settings as well as in society as a whole.
