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Education is a main issue in all countries. Policy makers, educators, families, students and, in a more general way, societies expect schools to provide a high quality education. They also expect students to be able to achieve and to become active and critical citizens. As senior researchers in education, we address some of the most complex and demanding research questions: How does learning affect identity? How does participation to educational settings, scenarios and situations impact the way we are or became? Can changes in how we perceive our Selves be considered as part of the learning process?This book attempts to outline some answers to such broad questions using a very robust and updated theoretical frame: the dialogical approach. In these chapters very well-known international authors from different continents and countries analyze school and educational situations through new lens: by considering the teaching and learning processes as multi-voiced and socially complex and considering identity development as a true leverage for development.The focus on the dialogical nature of both learning and identities makes this book interesting not only for educators and educational researchers but also for anyone interested in human sciences, policy makers, students and their families. We also aimed at producing a book that can be useful for different cultures and educational systems. Thus, in this book there are researches and comments from different cultural perspectives, making it appealing for a very large target-public.

There have been deep changes in societies during the last decade. As a result, schools face new challenges, such as avoiding exclusion by promoting inclusion. In this paper we present the findings of our efforts to use collaborative work as a mediation tool in order to achieve more inclusive learning settings. This work starts from the assumption that learning should be seen as a communicative process. This builds on the ideas of Vygotsky, who stressed the importance of social interactions in the development of complex functions and of working in the zone of proximal development in order to promote children's development. The study used a critical and ethnographic approach and thus peer interactions were implemented as a daily practice. Data were collected through participant observation (audio and videotaped), questionnaires, tasks inspired in projective techniques, interviews, reports, and sets of materials gathered by the teachers. The findings illuminate the role of collaboration in facilitating more positive attitudes towards academic learning and mathematics, promoting students' socialisation, their socio-cognitive and affective development, and their school achievement. Pendant les dernières années la société a changé et les écoles doivent répondre à des nouveaux défis, comme par exemple éviter l'exclusion en favorisant l'intégration. Dans cet article nous présentons les résultats de nos efforts pour utiliser le travail collaboratif comme médiateur pour accomplir des scenarios d'apprentissage plus inclusives. Ce travail est basé sur le fait que nous considérons l'apprentissage comme un processus de communication. Cette conception a origine dans les travaux de Vygotsky qui a signalé l'importance des interactions sociales dans le développement des fonctions complexes et le rôle de la zone proximale de développement dans le développement des enfants. Notre but est l'étude de ce travail de collaboration entre pairs dans la promotion de séances d'apprentissage qui favorisent l'intégration. La recherche comprend une approche critique et ethnographique et les interactions entre pairs ont été mises en pratique quotidiennement. Les données ont été recueillies à partir de séances d'observation (enregistrées et vidéoscopiées), questionnaires, tâches d'inspiration projective, interviews, rapports et documents rassemblés par les enseignants. Les résultats illuminent le rôle du travail collaboratif dans le développement d'attitudes académiques plus positives, de la socialisation des élèves, de leur développement sociocognitif et émotionnel et de leur succès scolaire.

A museum is valued according to its collections, communication and knowledge exchange with visitors (Primo, 1999). Museums should be in dialogue with the public, contributing to their development (Skramstad, 2004) and collective memory (Wertsch, 2004). Social interactions and working in participants' zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1934/1962) play an important role in non-formal learning opportunities that take place at museums. The National Museum of Natural History and Science (Lisbon University) offers weekly holiday programmes for children and teenagers, aiming at developing scientific literacy in intercultural and inclusive spaces and times, facilitating knowledge appropriation and social participation. We studied these programmes, assuming an interpretive approach (Denzin, 2002) and developing an intrinsic case study (Stake, 1995). The main participants were these children and teenagers, their parents, and museum educational agents. Data collecting instruments included observation, interviews, questionnaires, children and teenagers' protocols and tasks inspired in projective techniques. Data treatment and analysis was based on a narrative content analysis (Clandinin & Connelly, 1998) from which inductive categories emerged (Hamido & César, 2009). Some examples illuminate participants' expectancies, their engagement in activities, and the contributions of social interactions and non-formal education to the development of scientific literacy.

Collaborative project work facilitates social interactions among peers and between them and their teachers. It allows students to work in their zone of proximal development (ZPD), promoting their knowledge appropriation. It empowers adult students, allowing them to express their voices and their cultures. Inter-empowerment mechanisms are part of this process, facilitating the internalization of intra-empowerment mechanisms. Both of them shape students' life trajectories of participation (César, 2013a). This work is part of the Interaction and Knowledge (IK) project. During 12 years (1994/1995-2005/2006) we studied and promoted social interactions in formal educational scenarios. We assumed an interpretative paradigm and developed an action-research project (three-year alternative curriculum, 7th-9th grades) and a 10-year follow up. The participants were the seven students who completed this course, their teachers, and other educational and social agents. Data collecting instruments included observation, interviews, informal conversations, tasks inspired by projective techniques, students' protocols, and documents. Data treatment and analysis were based on a narrative content analysis. The results are mainly focused on one student: Ernesto. His legitimate participation in this course facilitated his inclusion in school and in society. It promoted his socio-cognitive and emotional development and allowed him to internalize intra-empowerment mechanisms. This enabled him to improve his life trajectory of participation.

Portuguese schools in urban areas became multicultural during the 90s. Some students are quite distanced from the school culture. Many repeat grades. The curriculum emerges as a means of (re)organizing school practice, so that it is designed to foster inclusion. It is a tool for social mediation between the culture and knowledge of teenagers, and academic ones. It shapes the interactions between participants, cultural tools and knowledge. The principles of inclusive schooling promote the respect for diversity, underlining the need to listen to all voices of a learning community. According to the sociocultural approach appropriating knowledge and developing competencies is a complex process. Interactive practices shape students' academic performances. Collaborative project work has been used to promote students' engagement. This action-research project developed an alternative curriculum in a class (grades 5 and 6) from a poor and multicultural school in Lisbon. A follow-up investigated the impact of the educational changes on the learners' participation in school and in social practices, and on their future life. We aim at analyzing this alternative curriculum process by focussing on students' narratives. Results highlight improvements in students' academic and social competencies. Changing practices during compulsory education facilitated achievement and resulted in a better socialization. Au cours des années 90, les écoles portugaises des villes sont devenues multiculturelles. Certains élèves sont assez éloignés de la culture de l'école et échouent. Le curriculum apparaît comme un moyen de (ré)organiser les pratiques, favorisant l'intégration. C'est un outil pour la médiation sociale entre la culture, les savoirs des adolescents, et ceux de l'école. Il configure les interactions entre les participants, les outils culturels et les savoirs. Les principes de l'intégration au respect de la diversité soulignent la nécéssité de prendre en compte les voix de toutes les communautés. Selon l'approche socio-culturelle, l'appropriation des savoirs et le développement des compétences sont des processus complexes. Les pratiques interactionelles configurent les performances scolaires. Le travail collaboratif autour de projets a été choisi pour favoriser l'implication des élèves. Nous avons développé un curriculum alternatif dans une classe (5ème et 6ème années), d'une école pauvre et multiculturelle de Lisbonne. Un suivi de trois ans a étudié l'impact des changements dans la participation des élèves, les pratiques sociales et leur avenir. Nous analysons ici cette expérience à travers les récits des élèves. Les résultats éclaire le développement de leurs compétences académiques et sociales. Le changement des pratiques scolaires a favorisé leur réussite scolaire, ainsi qu 'une socialisation plus adaptée.

Throughout the pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, university students were considered a vulnerable risk group for mental health impairment and wellbeing deterioration. This study aimed at evaluating the pandemic’s impact on the physical and mental health and wellbeing among students of a Portuguese university. This cross-sectional study included 913 participants and ran from June to October 2020. Data collected included sociodemographics, three mental health self-report questionnaires (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and Brief COPE) and lifestyle practices (eating and sleeping patterns, media, and entertainment habits) during the first months of the pandemic, which included a 72-day full national lockdown. Descriptive and correlational statistical analysis were conducted. Students’ food habits changed during the pandemic, namely on the consumption of snacks and fast food and, overall, less balanced meals became more prevalent. Additionally, almost 70% of the students reported Body Mass Index changes, while 59% went through sleep pattern changes–these were more pronounced in women and younger students. Over half (67%) of the inquirees exhibited an increase in their stress, depression, and generalized anxiety symptoms. Also, the study demonstrates that students’ lifestyles trended negatively during the pandemic and highlights how important regular psychological, health monitoring and emotional support is, amongst this somehow overlooked population throughout the pandemic. Universities should provide support to overcome challenges in future stressful situations. This study might have an impact on how universities and higher education systems approach their students in terms of mental and physical health monitoring and promotion in future situations, non-related with COVID. Moreover, it has a large sample of students well characterized in terms of mental and physical health, which might be of interest for future comparison with other worldwide group of students throughout stressful situations, such as tragic events, wars, pandemics.