Chemistry teaching is still based on traditional methods of memorization and repetition, a consequence of students' difficulty in understanding chemical models when contextualized pedagogical strategies are not employed. In this context, digital games emerge as a promising alternative to make teaching more dynamic, interactive, and accessible. This qualitative study aimed to analyze how digital games are perceived and used by undergraduate chemistry students during their training, understanding how this knowledge is articulated with academic productions on the subject. The research was conducted through a bibliographic survey, with a time frame from 2014 to 2024, using the Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations as a database. Additionally, a questionnaire was applied to 72 students of the Chemistry undergraduate course at a Federal University in the Northeast region of Brazil to understand their perceptions of digital games in the educational context. The results indicate that 98.6% of the students recognize the potential of digital games in chemistry learning. According to this result, 69.4% have already used these cultural artifacts to learn chemical concepts, which justifies 79.2% of respondents feeling familiar with this technology, emphasizing the emergence of a more connected society. Conversely, a significant lack of training on the use of Digital Games was identified, due to the absence of subjects addressing this topic in the curricula of Chemistry undergraduate courses that adhere to the Unified Selection System. It is concluded that this study highlights how Digital Games can significantly contribute to improving Chemistry teaching, provided there is adequate teacher training. Thus, it is essential that undergraduate courses include the pedagogical use of Digital Games in their curricula, promoting an educational practice aligned with contemporary demands and available technological possibilities.
This article analyzes Brazilian academic production on Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) and teacher education based on theses and dissertations available in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, published between 2006 and 2024. The review was conducted in seven stages and used content analysis to investigate the selected studies. The results highlight the contribution of different fields of knowledge to the area, with a predominance of female researchers holding degrees in Nutrition or teacher education programs. Most studies focused on Elementary Education, particularly within the Natural Sciences curriculum, and employed participatory methodologies such as action research and ethnography. The teacher education initiatives analyzed were generally grounded in the Reference Framework for Food and Nutrition Education and the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, fostering reflective and contextualized approaches. Thus, the present study found that teacher education in Food and Nutrition Education should promote autonomy, critical reflection, and the collective construction of knowledge, in line with contemporary educational perspectives.
In the contemporary context, there is an increasing demand for learning strategies that enable students to develop competencies as well as effectively apply theoretical knowledge in practice. Consequently, the need to adopt Active Methodologies has become more evident. Among the available options are the Open Digital Learning Pathways for Neolearning (TDAN), which focus on the education of young adults and professional learners, aiming to empower them to transfer acquired learning to their current and/or future professional practices. To design these pathways, instructors may draw upon the guidelines provided by the NeoPath Thinking Conceptual Framework, which offers support for the development of TDAN. However, it is important to understand how higher education instructors perceive this strategy, as well as their views regarding the potential of TDAN for learning in university settings. Therefore, the objective of this study is to understand the potential contributions and challenges associated with the application of NeoPath Thinking in the design and implementation of Open Digital Learning Pathways for Neolearning, from the perspective of higher education instructors. Through a questionnaire administered to 86 professors from different fields of knowledge, whose responses were analyzed using Discursive Textual Analysis, it was found that NeoPath Thinking serves as a valuable support resource for educators in planning, implementing, and evaluating teaching-learning processes. Furthermore, the Framework and the TDAN enable both teachers and students to experience learning and develop competencies that are essential in contemporary society.
Chronobiology studies indicate that individuals are regulated by three timers: social, solar, and biological. Environmental and behavioral changes can modify the sleep–wake cycle. Many university students adopt nighttime study habits, interfering with the circadian rhythm. Sleep restriction or poor sleep quality compromises memory and significantly reduces academic performance. This study aimed to verify whether there is an association between sleep quality and academic performance among nursing and medical students at a public university in Alagoas, Brazil. This is an observational, cross-sectional, and quantitative study conducted with 137 Nursing and Medical students, selected through stratified probabilistic sampling. Data collection included a sociodemographic questionnaire to characterize the sample, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), and academic self-assessment. Data were analyzed for normality, and associations were tested using Pearson and Spearman correlations (SciPy – Python). Among the 137 students, 65.7% were women, 70.1% were between 19 and 24 years old, 67.9% rated their academic performance between 7.0 and 8.9, and 66.4% presented poor sleep quality. Negative correlations between the PSQI and self-assessment variables (r = -0.368; p < 0.001 for Pearson; r = -0.360; p < 0.001 for Spearman) reinforce the importance of sleep quality in the academic context. The findings highlight the urgency of interventions that promote sleep hygiene education and strategies to improve rest quality, reducing the likelihood of problems that may negatively impact students’ academic performance.
