A relevância da investigação centrada no bem-estar tem sido reforçada ao longo das últimas décadas, em especial após a emergência da Psicologia Positiva. Neste âmbito, é necessário investir na construção e validação de instrumentos adequados para avaliar as dimensões inerentes a um funcionamento psicológico saudável. Este estudo pretende adaptar e validar a Escala de Funcionamento Psicológico Positivo (EFPP; Merino & Privado, 2015) junto de uma amostra de universitários portugueses. Participaram no estudo 1131 estudantes de duas universidades, com média de idade de 19.6 anos. Além da EFPP, para efeitos de validade de critério foi aplicada a Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985). Os resultados evidenciam boas propriedades psicométricas da EFPP, tanto ao nível da fiabilidade como da validade. Dada a escassez de instrumentos de avaliação do funcionamento positivo que se tenham revelado satisfatórios no nosso país, a utilização desta escala poderá ser recomendada, particularmente com jovens universitários.

ResumoEste estudo explora diferentes recursos pessoais associados ao bem-estar e funcionamento psicológico positivo de estudantes universitários portugueses, tomando na sua análise as variáveis área de curso e género. Foi aplicada a Escala de Funcionamento Psicológico Positivo (EFPP) a 1070 estudantes de diferentes cursos. Observa-se um efeito da interação do género e área científica em 5 dimensões da EFPP. O género diferencia Autonomia, Autoestima e Otimismo (pontuações mais favoráveis nos homens), enquanto a área científica diferencia Resiliência, Autoestima, Propósito na Vida, Desfrute e Otimismo (pontuações superiores nos estudantes de Saúde). Discutem-se implicações para a intervenção no contexto do Ensino Superior. Palavras-chave: funcionamento psicológico positivo, bem-estar psicológico, ensino superior, sucesso educativo. AbstractThis study explores different personal resources related to well-being and positive psychological functioning of Portuguese university students. The analysis considers the field of studies and gender. The positive psychological functioning scale (FPP) was applied to a sample of 1070 students, who were attending the 1 st and 3 rd years of different courses. The findings suggest an effect of the interaction of gender and field of studies in 5 of the 11 dimensions of FPP. Higher scores were found in men in Resilience, Self-Esteem and Optimism. The field of studies differentiates Resilience, Self-Esteem, Purpose in Life, Enjoyment, and Optimism, with higher scores in the group of students in health sciences courses. The results are discussed regarding implications for intervention in Higher Education.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue comprobar si el "Test de creación de metáforas" sería realmente una medida con características únicas de la creatividad, o una manera diferente de evaluar constructos ya conocidos como la inteligencia. Se consideraron dos grupos diferenciados: el grupo 1 estaba formado por 90 estudiantes mayores en un programa de educación de adultos, y el grupo 2 incluyó a 73 estudiantes universitarios de las titulaciones de Arquitectura y Urbanismo. Los resultados mostraron correlaciones más bajas entre la producción de metáforas y el razonamiento abstracto (r =. 31) en comparación con la prueba de razonamiento verbal (r =.48). Las correlaciones entre los constructos concuerdan con las ya obtenidas en otros estudios, es decir, la inteligencia y la creatividad están relacionadas, aunque no con una intensidad, tal como, para afirmar que son el mismo constructo, por consiguiente, son constructos diferentes pero relacionados entre sí.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find appropriate forms of analysis of multiple-choice questions (MCQ) to obtain an assessment method, as fair as possible, for the students. The authors intend to ascertain if it is possible to control the quality of the MCQ contained in a bank of questions, implemented in Moodle, presenting some evidence with Item Response Theory (IRT) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). The used techniques can be considered a type of Descriptive Learning Analytics since they allow the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data generated from students’ assessment. Design/methodology/approach A representative data set of students’ grades from tests, randomly generated with a bank of questions implemented in Moodle, was used for analysis. The data were extracted from a Moodle database using MySQL with an ODBC connector, and collected in MS ExcelTM worksheets, and appropriate macros programmed with VBA were used. The analysis with the CTT was done through appropriate MS ExcelTM formulas, and the analysis with the IRT was approached with an MS ExcelTM add-in. Findings The Difficulty and Discrimination Indexes were calculated for all the questions having enough answers. It was found that the majority of the questions presented values for these indexes, which leads to a conclusion that they have quality. The analysis also showed that the bank of questions presents some internal consistency and, consequently, some reliability. Groups of questions with similar features were obtained, which is very important for the teacher to develop tests as fair as possible. Originality/value The main contribution and originality that can be found in this research is the definition of groups of questions with similar features, regarding their difficulty and discrimination properties. These groups allow the identification of difficulty levels in the questions on the bank of questions, thus allowing teachers to build tests, randomly generated with Moodle, that include questions with several difficulty levels in the tests, as it should be done. As far as the authors’ knowledge, there are no similar results in the literature.

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The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the assessment process is becoming an asset, giving rise to the so-called computer-based assessment or e-assessment. Nowadays, its use is becoming more usual in higher education institutions. Closed formats for questions, namely multiple choice, are the most commonly used. This chapter presents a literature review of the main aspects related to this topic, including the main modalities of assessment (summative assessment and continuous assessment). Issues related to multiple choice questions (MCQ) are discussed with more detail, referring to the various formats of MCQ, its advantages and limitations, with a particular focus on its use in mathematics tests. Also, some guidelines for the quality assurance of MCQ with quality are included.

Resumo. O processo formativo de um árbitro é longo, complexo e seletivo. Só um número reduzido de indivíduos atinge um patamar excelência que possibilita a direção de jogos nas grandes competições internacionais. Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar a carreira e o percurso dos árbitros portugueses de futebol que atingiram o nível de excelência e verificar as suas perceções sobre os fatores que estiveram na sua origem. Foram realizadas cinco entrevistas semiestruturadas junto de árbitros e ex-árbitros de futebol. Quatro deles atingiram a categoria de árbitro internacional de futebol e um deles, após ter abandonado a carreira de árbitro de futebol, atingiu a categoria de internacional no futsal. Foi adotado um design retrospetivo transversal. Após a recolha de dados procedeu-se a uma análise de conteúdo indutiva tendo emergido uma variedade de fatores pessoais e ambientais comuns a todos os participantes. Nos primeiros incluem-se os elementos de cariz: cognitivo, como o conhecimento do jogo, físicos, como a resistência ou a recuperação a fadiga, e psicológico, como a capacidade de regulação emocional. Nos fatores contextuais inserem-se, entre outros, a origem geográfica, a rede pessoal e institucional de apoio e o desenvolvimento de carreiras paralelas, como a académica ou a profissional. Os resultados sugerem que: 1) a carreira dos árbitros de futebol é marcada por quatro etapas distintas; 2) é possível identificar as exigências que definem a carreira de árbitros de futebol de excelência; 3) tendo por base as exigências identificadas, será possível melhorar o processo de formação e seleção dos árbitros de futebol.Resumen. La excelencia en el arbitraje del fútbol es un objetivo buscado apenas por un número reducido de árbitros. Para que un árbitro alcance este pedestal se enfrenta a una variedad de exigencias, dentro y fuera del campo, y supera innumerables etapas en una carrera con dos o tres décadas aproximadamente. Este estudio ha tenido como objetivo identificar, por un lado, la carrera y el trayecto de los árbitros de fútbol portugueses que consiguieron el nivel de excelencia y por otro verificar sus percepciones sobre los factores que les permitieron alcanzar este pedestal. Se realizaron cinco entrevistas semiestructuradas, adoptando un diseño retrospectivo trasversal, a árbitros y ex árbitros de fútbol que consiguieron la categoría de internacional de fútbol o de fútbol sala. Después de recoger los datos se procedió a un análisis inductivo y así emergieron una variedad de factores personales y ambientales comunes a todos los participantes. En los primeros se incluyen los elementos de carácter cognitivo, como el conocimiento del juego, físico y psicológico, como la capacidad de regulación emocional. En los factores contextuales se incluyen, entre otros, el origen geográfico, la red personal e institucional de apoyo y el desarrollo de carreras paralelas, como la académica o la profesional. Los resultados de la investigación: 1) Sugieren el dinamismo de la carrera de los árbitros de fútbol, a través de la influencia de los factores referidos, marcados por la exigencia de cuatro etapas distintas; 2) Permite una mejor caracterización de las exigencias que definen la carrera de un árbitro de fútbol; 3) Permiten ayudar a ajustar a las entidades que gestionan el arbitraje nacional el proceso de formación y selección de los árbitros de fútbol.Abstract. The excellence in soccer refereeing is a goal attained only by a small number of referees. For a referee to reach this level, he challenges several demands, both in and out of the field, and overcomes some stages in a career spanning approximately two to three decades. This study aimed to identify the career and the path/development of the Portuguese soccer referees who reached the level of excellence and assess their perceptions about the determinant/decisive factors to reach that level. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with referees and former soccer referees who reached the international category, in football or futsal, using a transverse retrospective design. After finishing the data collection, an inductive analysis was carried out and a several personal and environmental common factors were identified. A list of these include: cognitive elements as the game’s knowledge/laws of the game knowledge, physical elements, as endurance, recovery and tiredness, and psychological elements, as the ability/skill of emotional regulation. In the context factors are included, among others, region/place of origin, personal and institutional network of support and the development of parallel careers, such as academic or professional. The results suggest/state: 1) the presence of four different stages in a football referee career; 2) allow a better characterization of the requirements that define excellence in the context of a football referee career; 3) allow national entities, responsible for the selection and training of football referees, to improve their processes/methods.

The concern with the performance of football referees has opened lines of investigation in areas such as technical and physical performance. Theoretical and analytical gaps regarding the causes of their performances in a holistic perspective are scarce. The purpose of this study is to understand how various processes of personal, career development and contextual nature influences the classification of football referees. The literature review on excellence and the performance of the referees allowed to define a model that contemplates three distinct areas: 1) personal experience; 2) sports course; 3) surrounding context. The model to understand the causes of the performance of the Portuguese referees was obtained by comparing the classification of referees for national boards between the periods of 2009-10 and 2018-19 with the relative data to their age, experience as a federated player and referee, region density and proximity to peers of national board. The results show that the performance of the referees is influenced by a set of processes such as individual experience, sporting background and the context. This article opens a new perspective on the referees' training process. Its content may constitute an important insight for the implementation of referee training programs, namely at the base.