Biology Teaching Programme

Department: Natural Sciences
Duration: 8 semesters
Language: Portuguese
Schedule: Daytime/After-hours

Course Overview

The programme aims to train professionals in the field of Biology Teaching, who will deliver the curricular units included in the Secondary and Technical-Vocational Education curriculum plan, as well as to develop scientific and technical activities in related areas, with the following specific objectives:

To train professionals capable of meeting society’s demands in the field of education and, additionally, in the areas of natural resource conservation, the environment, public and community health, and related areas;
To develop research in the various areas of biological science that fosters a critical and reflective view of educational practice;
To develop investigative attitudes in order to encourage students to continually seek to update their scientific knowledge in the field;
To develop curricula, programmes and appropriate teaching and pedagogical resources for educational practice;
To work in multidisciplinary teams tasked with planning, coordinating, carrying out or evaluating activities related to Biology or related areas;
To emphasise cultural and humanistic education based on ethical and professional values.

Graduate Profile

Graduates may work as:

Understand contemporary scientific theories in the biological sciences, for the ongoing updating of Natural Sciences, Biology and other content in primary and secondary education, in line with the social context;
Demonstrate in-depth mastery of the theoretical and conceptual foundations for integrating context into the Biology teaching-learning process, from a curriculum contextualisation perspective; demonstrate mastery of the foundations of education and biological training, to solve professional problems in an interdisciplinary manner and using technologies that promote the student’s holistic development;
Be able to meet society’s demands in the areas of education, natural resource conservation, the environment, public and community health;
Have the skills to handle the instruments and teaching resources of their speciality;

Requirements to attend the programme:

Applicants who have completed Year 12 of the second cycle of secondary education in Physical and Biological Sciences, or Year 13 in teacher training schools, in Biology-Chemistry programmes;
Applicants who have completed technical-vocational upper secondary education in agriculture, environment and related fields;
Applicants who have passed the aptitude exam for the Biology Teaching Programme with a mark of 10 or higher;

Curriculum Structure

1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

4th Year

1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

COURSES – 1st Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH	COURSES – 2nd Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH
General Pedagogy	2	1		3	48	General Didactics	2	1		3	48
General Psychology	2	1		3	48	Developmental Psychology	2	1		3	48
General Mathematics		2	1	3	48	General Physics		2	1	3	48
General Chemistry		2	1	3	48	Organic Chemistry		2	1	3	48
Foreign Language I		2		2	32	Foreign Language I		2		2	32
Portuguese I		2		2	32	Portuguese I		2		2	32
Applied Computing		1	2	3	48	Applied Computing		1	2	3	48
Scientific Research Methodology	1	1	1	3	48	Scientific Research Methodology	1	1	1	3	48
Annelids and Chordates	2	1	1	4	64	Annelids and Chordates	2	1	1	4	64
Cytology		2	2	4	64	General Botany		2	2	4	64
Subtotal of hours	7	15	6	30	480	Subtotal of hours	7	16	8	30	480

COURSES – 1st Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH	COURSES – 2nd Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH
Educational Psychology	2	1		3	48
Research Methodology in Education	1	1	1	3	48	Statistics Applied to Education		2	1	3	48
Foreign Language II		2		2	32	Foreign Language II		2		2	32
Portuguese Language II		2		2	32	Portuguese Language II		2		2	32
General Histology	1	1	2	4	64	Biochemistry		2	2	4	64
Human Anatomy and Physiology	1	1	2	4	64	Human Anatomy and Physiology		2	2	4	64
Chordates	1	2	1	4	64	Chordates	1	2	1	4	64
Lower Plants	1	1	2	4	64	Higher Plants	1	1	2	4	64
Biology Didactics	2	1	1	4	64	Biology Didactics	2	1	1	4	64
Subtotal of hours	9	12	9	30	480	Subtotal of hours	4	14	9	27	432

COURSES – 1st Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH	COURSES – 2nd Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH
Management and Inspection in Education	1	1	1	3	48
Curriculum Theory and Development	2	1		3	48	Curriculum Theory and Development	2	1		3	48
Biophysics	1	2	1	4	64	General Ecology	2	2		4	64
Animal Physiology	1	2	1	4	64	Animal Physiology	1	2	1	4	64
Plant Physiology	1	2	1	4	64	Plant Physiology	1	2	1	4	64
Molecular and Classical Genetics		2	2	4	64	Molecular and Classical Genetics		2	2	4	64
Pedagogical Practice I		2	4	6	96	Pedagogical Practice I		2	4	6	96
Subtotal of hours	6	12	10	28	448	Subtotal of hours	6	11	8	25	400

COURSES – 1st Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH	COURSES – 2nd Semester	T	TP	P	WH	SH
Theory of Evolution	2	2		4	64
General Microbiology		2	2	4	64
Physical Anthropology	1	2	1	4	64
General Embryology	1	2	1	4	64
General Palaeontology	2	2		4	64
Pedagogical Practice II		2	4	6	96	Pedagogical Practice II		2	4	6	96
Bachelor’s Thesis		2	2	4	64	Bachelor’s Thesis		6	14	20	320
Subtotal of hours	6	14	10	30	416	Subtotal of hours		8	4	6	96