INTRODUÇÃO A UMA ESPIRITUALIDADE SEM DEUS

Este ensaio procura definir o horizonte a partir do qual responde-se a três questões: pode-se viver sem religião? Deus existe? Qual é a espiritualidade para os ateus? Sem a pretensão de fazer uma abordagem profunda, apresento algumas notas de enfoque mais teológico, tomando como referência o livro de André Comte-Sponville, O Espirito do ateísmo. Situado nesse horizonte o ateísmo não se reduz à simplória negação da existência de Deus. Palavras-chave: Existência de Deus. Ateísmo. Espiritualidade. Abstract This essay seeks to define the horizon from which three questions are answered: can one live without religion? Does God exist? What is spirituality for atheists? Without the intention of taking a deep approach, I present some notes more on theological focus, taking as reference the book entitled of André Comte-Sponville, The Spirit of Atheism. Situated in this horizon, atheism is not reduced to the simple denial of God's existence. Keywords: Existence of God. Atheism. Spirituality.

Revisiting the relationship between constructive alignment and learning approaches: A perceived alignment perspective

The constructive alignment (CA) of university teaching is designed to encourage students to adopt a deep learning approach, which supports meaningful learning. The evidence is mixed, however, with some studies showing that students may adopt a surface approach even when teaching promotes deep learning. To add to the understanding of the relationships between CA and learning approaches, we explored with quantitative measures two potential implications from prior qualitative research. First, we assessed with a novel questionnaire if students’ CA perceptions predicted adaptation towards a deep learning approach. Second, we explored relationships between deep approach adaptation and learning motivation, as well as perceived mental workload. 56 students from two second-year courses in different study programmes completed a learning approach questionnaire in the second (T1), seventh (T2), and the final fourteenth (T3) course week. At T2 and T3, participants also rated the constructive alignment of the course, their learning motivation, and the mental workload. Regression analyses showed that ILO Clarity (i.e. being clear about the intended learning outcomes of the course) and receiving effective feedback were associated with a significant increase in deep approach scores from T2 to T3. That deep approach adaptation was in turn positively related to learning motivation in terms of higher ratings of one’s competence, the importance of high course performance, and course usefulness. Moreover, deep approach adaptation went with higher satisfaction of having accomplished one’s learning goals, but also with stronger feelings of insecurity and stress. Our findings suggest that students’ CA perceptions are meaningful predictors of learning approach adaptation that might eventually be developed into indicators of the effectiveness of CA implementation at the course level.

PRE-SERVICE ENGINEER EDUCATORS LEARNING MATHEMATICS: MAPPING THE LIVED COMPLEXITY

In this paper, we adopt a systemic perspective to investigate the teaching of mathematics in ASPETE, which is a tertiary education institute in Greece that offers a two-faceted degree: an engineer degree and a pedagogical degree as engineer educator. We focus on the complex lived reality of first year Electrical Engineers and Mechanical Engineers students through a multileveled affective mapping oftheir studying in ASPETE, including: approaches to study, confidence in learning mathematics, conceptions about mathematics and its role in their studies and career, and views about mathematics teaching effectiveness (considering both what they actually experienced and what they would prefer to experience). Thestudents were found to show a lack of preference for the surface approach (though not combined with a preference for a deep approach), a neutral-positive confidence in learning mathematics, and to be satisfied by the teachers’ effectiveness. Confidence in learning mathematics appeared to be central in the identified dynamic affect system, whilst their conceptions about mathematics seemed to be related with the desired characteristics of mathematics teaching. The students of the two departments differed in their levels of confidence in learning mathematics, which we posit that is linked with the qualitatively different affective complexity they experience.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Adopting Social Cognitive Career Theory at Student Employability in PLS-SEM: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Deep Approach to Learning

Unable to keep pace with the expectations of employers and societies that are constantly changing around the world, higher education policy and talent training have given rise to a gap between university education and employment. However, the higher education and industrial needs derived from technological progress have changed the development in country. This study aims to verify the learning method of Taiwanese vs. Malaysian university students and examines the relationship between teacher knowledge transfer and student employability from the perspective of a social cognitive career theory. In this study, 619 copies of questionnaires from the Taiwanese sample group and 443 copies of questionnaires from the Malaysian sample group were collected in total to compare the two sample groups in the development of student employability. The results indicate that teacher knowledge transfer has significant positive correlations with self-efficacy and a deep approach to learning and student employability, and the self-efficacy and a deep approach to learning have significant positive correlations with student employability in the Taiwanese sample. In Malaysia, except for the path between teacher knowledge transfer and student employability, all paths were significant and positively related. Finally, according to our results and findings, this study proposes several insights with practical and theoretical implications for future study.

Lithuanian undergraduate students' approaches to learning English for Specific Purposes

Aim. It has been established by research that the nature of students’ learning is closely related to their approach to learning and to the learning environment in which learning occurs. In higher education environments, students’ approaches to learning have been widely investigated across different fields of study, however, little known research has focused on students’ approaches to learning foreign languages. To contribute to knowledge in this field, the present research aims to establish undergraduate students’ approaches to learning English for Specific purposes (ESP) at a university in Lithuania. Method. The research was conducted with the participation of 111 undergraduate students, majors in 11 different study programmes, who took a mandatory course in ESP. The data were collected from the structured questionnaires; to carry out the research, quantitative methodology was used. Results. The analysis of students’ engagement in the study activities, their willingness to go beyond the task and their ability to self-regulate their learning revealed that the study participants demonstrated both surface approach and deep approach to learning ESP. Conclusion. The results indicate that to guide the students towards deep approach to learning ESP at the university, their engagement in study activities should be fostered.

PERBANDINGAN PERSEPSI TENTANG LINGKUNGAN PEMBELAJARAN KLINIK DAN STRATEGI BELAJAR MAHASISWA PENDIDIKAN PROFESI DOKTER DI RSUD SALATIGA

AbstrakPendidikan kedokteran dasar ditempuh melalui pendidikan preklinik dan pendidikan profesi. Perubahan pendidikan preklinik menjadi pendidikan profesi berkaitan dengan lingkungan baru meliputi lingkungan fisik, isi pembelajaran, dan budaya pembelajaran. Perubahan yang terjadi pada lingkungan pendidikan profesi sehingga perlu adanya studi mengenai perbandingan antara persepsi lingkungan pembelajaran klinik dan strategi belajar pada mahasiswa baru dan setelah 1 tahun. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan rancangan kohort retrospektif. Sebanyak 47 mahasiswa program profesi dokter Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto angkatan tahun 2014 mengisi kuisioner Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI) dan SPQ (Study Process Questionnaire). Analisis data dilakukan dengan dengan uji statistik komparatif parametrik t berpasangan dan non parametrik Wilcoxcon. Persepsi cukup baik tentang lingkungan pembelajaran klinik pada mahasiswa baru dan setelah 1 tahun sebanyak 64% dan 58%. Strategi belajar deep approach pada mahasiswa baru dan setelah 1 tahun sebanyak 95,7% dan 97,9%. Analisis uji t berpasangan menunjukan terdapat perbedaan yang tidak signifikan antara persepsi lingkungan pembelajaran klinik mahasiswa baru dan setelah 1 tahun (p=0,804). Analisis Wilcoxon menunjukan terdapat perbedaan yang tidak signifikan antara strategi belajar mahasiswa baru dan setelah 1 tahun (p=0,564). Terdapat perbedaan yang tidak signifikan antara persepsi lingkungan pembelajaran klinik dan strategi belajar pada mahasiswa baru dan setelah 1 tahun.

Personal Epistemic and Learning Approaches as Predictors of Pre-service Teachers use of Strategies to Counter Cognitive Dissonance from Supervisor Feedback

This study investigated how epistemic and learning approaches of pre-service teachers (PRESETs) in Obafemi Awolowo University, Southwestern Nigeria, predict their use of strategies to counteract cognitive dissonance arising from incongruent feedback from supervisors. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 192 PRESETs in the third and fourth year of their teacher training. Findings revealed that the PRESETs possessed sophisticated personal epistemic approaches and utilised the deep approach to learning more than the surface approach. It was also revealed that the PRESETs are likely to utilise multiple strategies to counteract cognitive dissonance that may arise from conflicting feedback from university assigned supervisors during teaching practice. Findings revealed a function with coefficients as follows: deep approach (0.78), simple knowledge (0.21), surface approach (0.22), innate ability (-0.015), quick learning (-0.09), omniscient authority (0.17) and certain knowledge (0.24). The structure was maximised for 77% of PRESETs with high use of strategies to counteract dissonance arising from incongruent supervisors’ feedback; 36.7% and 67.6% of PRESETs with moderate and low dissonance reduction strategy users respectively. The conclusion reached was that teacher educators and other stakeholders should be made aware of these findings. Also, these findings should be incorporated in the implementation of course contents on sources of cognitive dissonances during teaching practice and how to counter them.