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Publications

Publications by LIAAD

2017

Insights into the expectations of mobility students: the impact of Erasmus in their future professional careers

Authors
Simoes, D; Pinheiro, M; Santos, CA; Filipe, S; Barbosa, B; Dias, GP;

Publication
PROCEEDINGS OF THE HEAD'17 - 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES

Abstract
At the celebration of its 30th anniversary, Erasmus is recognised as the most successful exchange program ever implemented. The prospects of attaining a common European consciousness challenged the program's ability to blend together knowledge, attitudes and skills in a winning combination. It is no longer sufficient to communicate and integrate: mobility should actively foster skills to support students's professional career at national and international levels. Although literature on mobility is vast and interesting, studies on the impact of the mobility experience in the students' future employability profile rarely provide first-hand data on their expectations in this regard. This exploratory research comprises a qualitative focus group approach with Erasmus students during their exchange period in a Portuguese university and collected some insightful data on how students consider their mobility in terms of new learning outcomes, the professional value of the experience and the development of new skills. Results indicate that students seem to be quite aware of the positive implications of mobility in their professional careers and of the set of skills developed during that period. Overall, this article contributes to demonstrating the importance of assessing skills development during Erasmus mobility experiences. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

2017

Could I do it again? One time experiences of Erasmus mobility teachers

Authors
Santos, CA; Barbosa, B; Filipe, S; Pinheiro, MM; Simoes, D; Dias, GP;

Publication
3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LIFELONG LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP FOR ALL (ICLEL 2017)

Abstract
This study aims to contribute to the growing literature on teachers' mobility by exploring perceptions and motivations to join these activities, in particular through the collection of evidence on the impact a first and only exchange experience has had on the participants. The research adopts a qualitative methodology in the form of phenomenological interviews with 6 teachers that engaged on only one mobility initiative. The interviewees shared their personal impressions on mobility, including reasons, facilitators, and outcomes of the experience. Bureaucratic, financial and residual professional impact, are among the most cited inhibitors for repeating the initiative. However, most of the participants expect to be become involved again on mobility assignments someday, especially teachers that identified greater impact from this first experience. The analysis provides interesting clues for international offices, Erasmus coordinators and university top managers, who devote considerable effort to the promotion and support of mobility practices.

2017

TEACHER MOBILITY THROUGH THE LENS OF THE THEORIES OF REASONED ACTION AND PLANNED BEHAVIOR

Authors
Barbosa, B; Santos, CA; Filipe, S; Pinheiro, MM; Simoes, D; Dias, GP;

Publication
10TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (ICERI2017)

Abstract
Internationalization is a broad concept encompassing multiple facets. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) collaborators are key actors of the internationalization process and outcomes, being essential for education managers to promote internationalization initiatives, namely among their teachers. Nevertheless, the literature indicates that the number of teachers involved in those initiatives is still modest. It is therefore of utmost importance to understand how teachers initiate and maintain mobility assignments, so that HEI can implement effective strategies to promote this facet of internationalization. In this paper, we explore the teacher mobility topic through the lens of the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior. These two theories have been widely used to explain how people initiate and maintain behaviors, and are particularly relevant to understand teacher mobility. The paper includes results from phenomenological interviews with teachers that had one or more mobility experience under the Erasmus programme. The narratives of the participants in the study evidence the importance of prior intentions, attitudes and subjective norms in the resolution to undertake international assignments. Self-efficacy was also shown as determinant in the decision process of first and subsequent mobility initiatives. This paper also provides cues on how HEI can facilitate and encourage mobility experiences amongst their teaching staff.

2017

WHAT MAKES A MOBILITY CHAMPION? QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS ON TEACHERS' MOBILITY EXPERIENCES

Authors
Barbosa, B; Santos, CA; Filipe, S; Pinheiro, MM; Simoes, D; Dias, GP;

Publication
9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION AND NEW LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES (EDULEARN17)

Abstract
Teachers’ mobility is one of the facets of Higher Education Institutions internationalization, and despite its importance in implementing the program's purposes it is still disregarded by researchers, with most mobility studies focusing on students. This research concentrates on highly active mobility teachers and aims to delve into their experiences, namely by identifying facilitators and goals for this repeated internationalization and by analyzing the outcomes of these initiatives in their personal lives, professional activity, home and host students, and for their Universities as a whole. This study adopts a qualitative exploratory approach. Having as sample universe the teachers of one Portuguese University that in a 7-year period (2009-2016) engaged in mobility experiences under the Erasmus program (N = 107), 8 were identified as having the highest number of initiatives and were invited to participate in this study. From these mobility champions, 5 accepted, resulting in 5 phenomenological interviews. Data was collected in January 2017. The participants shared an integrated view of the Erasmus mobility, being essential for its success the additional opportunities of joint research and the strengthening of international relationships and networks. Prior relations with teachers from the host University and ongoing research projects stood out among the facilitators. The opportunity to observe and get to know other cultural settings was also mentioned as one determinant stimulus. Still, the outcomes in terms of teaching methodologies and best practices as well an effective impact in home students seemed residual. Moreover, the ability to encourage other teachers to join the program was very limited, often confined to close colleagues and research partners. Despite its exploratory nature, this study demonstrates the relevance of further research on mobility champions to assess the success and possible pitfalls of repeated mobility experiences in terms of extended institutional outcomes and well as individual gratification of the teachers involved. Based on the results, we suggest the consideration of a wider set of outcomes in the appraisal of mobility initiatives, as well as the widespread of champions’ insights on the topic in order to motivate inexperienced teachers to embrace internationalization. Hopefully this paper is able to inspire not only research but also teaching mobility initiatives.

2017

STUDY AND TRAVEL: STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM IN MOBILITY

Authors
Filipe, S; Barbosa, B; Santos, CA; Pinheiro, M; Simoes, D; Dias, GP;

Publication
INTED2017: 11TH INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

Abstract
This research aims to explore the importance of tourism activities for student mobility, considering the decision process, the experience of the students while on mobility, and their loyalty to the host region, including their cooperation in promoting local attractions among relatives and friends. We present qualitative results obtained from focus groups with Erasmus students from diverse countries inside and outside Europe, who spent at least one semester in the University of Aveiro, Portugal. The discussions explored students' perceptions, experiences and practices before and during the mobility. Our results include evidence on how traveling opportunities are an inherent part of Erasmus students' mobility. Overall, their tourist activities are shown as strong enhancers of the learning process while on mobility, despite competing with limited resources of time and money. Traveling is also an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, namely with other mobility students at the same host university, fostering integration and a higher degree of satisfaction with the mobility experience. In turn, the extended exposure to a different language and culture transform mobility students into ideal ambassadors of the host country, contributing significantly to the promotion of their mobility destinations.

2017

HOW FAR CAN WE GO WITHOUT LEAVING THE CLASSROOM? RESULTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION EXPERIENCE WITH STUDENTS IN MEXICO AND PORTUGAL

Authors
Barbosa, B; Prado Meza, CM;

Publication
9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION AND NEW LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES (EDULEARN17)

Abstract

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