University of Porto

The University of Porto (UP) is the largest education and research institution in Portugal. ICETA is a non-profit institution supporting R&D programs of research groups from UP. It is host institution and core administration and project accounting facility for Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), the representative institution of this network, and the main research centre from InBIO Associate Laboratory. CIBIO/UP’s Science Communication unit aims at improving public understanding of evolution, biodiversity and environment-related areas. FCUP is a certified pre-service and continuing teacher training institution. IBMC/UP is a multidisciplinary research institution aimed at developing research in life and health sciences. IBMC/UP’s Office for Science Communication mediates science education and outreach initiatives, including accredited in-service biology teacher training courses.

These institutes have consistently taken part in an exceptionally diversified range of initiatives to promote scientific literacy with impact at local, national and international levels. CIBIO/UP has hosted the 2011 edition of the FIRST IV workshop, an initiative aimed at reforming undergraduate science education through professional development actions on inquiry-basededucation, and has been engaged in outreach activities to raise awareness about socio-scientific issues in the field of ecology and conservation. FCUP’s leading expertise in initial and continuing teacher education, and outreach activities on biology education stems from two master courses in biology teaching, a doctoral program in science education and communication, and a wealth of summer projects on cutting-edge science topics. IBMC/UP offers certified teacher training workshops on professional development and inquiry-based science education, and has organized meetings and exhibitions, in collaboration with museums and science centres.

Teacher Professional Development in SSIBL-Upper Secondary Education (WP4)

ICETA-UP local webpage [pt]

ICETA-UP PARRISE brochure [pt]

Maria João Fonseca, PhD in science education and communication, BSc in biology teaching and applied animal biology. As a member of CIBIO/UP’s Microbial Diversity and Evolution (MDE) group and in collaboration with IBMC/UP’s Office for Science Communication, she has been involved in the design and evaluation of educational interventions for secondary school students in formal and informal settings, namely in the scope of Porto’s Junior University (Eucu.Net partner), short-term initial teacher training, and science outreach initiatives.

Fernando Tavares, PhD in biology, Assistant Professor at FCUP, is the scientific coordinator of CIBIO/UP’s MDE group where, beyond the research on basic and applied microbiology, he is particularly interested in science education and communication. He has supervised Master and PhD thesis on biology teaching, and has coordinated the design, optimization and evaluation of laboratorial activities in formal and informal educational contexts. He is a member of FCUP’s natural sciences school textbooks Review Board.

Susana Pereira, PhD in biology, Associate Professor at FCUP, teaches cell and molecular biology, In silico analysis of genomes and proteomes, bioethics, biotechnology for school teachers (Master course in biology teaching), communication techniques in science outreach (PhD Course in science teaching and communication). She has supervised master dissertations in biology teaching, and organized continuous education courses for secondary school teachers, namely in collaboration with EMBO, EMBL, as well as internships for secondary school students. As a member of IBMC/UP’s Office for Science Communication, she is involved in science in society activities.

Júlio Borlido-Santos, MSc in molecular and cell biology, BSc in biology, post-graduate in communication sciences, is Head of the IBMC/UP’s Office for Science Communication, managing IBMC/UP’s representation in schools, fairs and other related events; mediating a closer link between the media and researchers; and organising short-term courses for teachers, scientists, journalists. He co-coordinates a PhD module on science, ethics and society at UP, and a molecular biology course for high school teachers, in collaboration with EMBO, EMBL, and collaborates with FCUP’s science teaching and divulgation PhD programme.  

Cristina Dias, BSc in biology/geology teaching. As a member of CIBIO/UP’s Microbial Diversity and Evolution (MDE), she has been involved in the implementation of experimental activities in high schools, and is particularly focused on teacher training assisting in the development of new activities and adapting the existing ones to meet the different frameworks in formal and informal education.  Cristina is also involved in the assessment of activities carried out through the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data and in teaching a microbiology training course for high school teachers.