Teacher Education. Theme: Special Education

Professor Maria João Mogarro
Professor Teresa Leite
Professor Ana Sofia Freire

This doctoral course is a specialized education offer in the field of Teacher Education in Special Education, geared towards education professionals intending to further their knowledge about the education of children and youth with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and about teacher education in this area. This course aims to develop research skills towards the fulfilment of a doctoral project.

The course addresses core problems of Teacher Education, specific aspects of the education of children and youth with SEN, and is organized into the following fields:

• Historical evolution of Special Education and Teacher Education in this context; education of children and youth with SEN, Inclusive School and educational responses in the Portuguese education system.
• Developmental and Learning Disorders in the pre-school and school context; characterization and referral and initial evaluation processes; definition, development and evaluation of curricular adjustments and specific curricula; technologies supporting communication; research in Special Education and Inclusive Education – the status quo.
• Teacher education conceptions and practices and teaching professionalism; analysis of initial and continuous training projects and practices of teachers and their relationship with the kindergarten basic and secondary teacher’s skills profile, with a view to the inclusion of students with SEN.
• Special Education teacher education in the inclusive perspective; articulation and collaboration of Special Education teachers with other education staff and medical and therapeutic teams; analysis of the different dimensions of specialized education curricula and of the professional identity construction processes of these teachers.

Masters in Education/Educational Sciences or Masters in other scientific fields with a scientific and professional curriculum related to the theme of the course, preferably Special Education, who are interested in developing their scientific knowledge and competences in the fields of teacher and trainer education.

Holders of a Master’s degree in Educational Sciences or in Education or in other areas may apply, as long as their professional and scientific curriculum is appropriate to the theme of the course. Exceptionally, holders of a Bachelor’s degree or legal equivalent may also apply, if they have a particularly relevant academic or scientific curriculum that is recognised by the Instituto de Educação as attesting their capacity to carry out doctoral studies.

In every case, it is required that the problematic suggested for investigation during the doctoral programme falls under the theme of Teacher Education in Special Education.

Attendance of this doctoral programme presupposes mastery of at least one foreign language (French or English) in terms of listening and writing.

The main way to enter the doctorate is by applying for an open tender for a Doctoral Programme according to the field and specialty, with the indication of the number of places available. This invitation to tender will be advertised through a public notice and is subject to compliance with specific rules and forms.

In the doctoral areas where there is no call for tender, candidates must send an application to the Scientific Council of the Instituto de Educação of the Universidade de Lisboa, formalizing their candidacy. Only in exceptional and duly justified cases may an individual candidacy enter the doctorate in a specialty area in years when an open tender took place.