Academic guidance

The recent publication of curricular norms has created new opportunities to help schools face challenges in education, namely:

• Exit profile for students leaving compulsory schooling – Despatch No 6478/2017, 26 July.

• Basic and upper secondary education curriculum – Decree-Law No 55/2018, 6 July.

• National Strategy for Citizenship Education (Estratégia Nacional de Educação para a Cidadania - ENEC).

• Curriculum Guidelines for Pre-school Education (Orientações Curriculares para a Educação Pré-Escolar - OCEPE).

• Essential Learning (Aprendizagens essenciais - AE) – Despatch No 6944-A/2018 and Despatch No 8476-A/2018.

• Legal framework for inclusive education - Decree-Law No 54/2018, 6 July, with amendments introduced by Law No 116/2019, 13 September).

This legislation is based on principles and strategies designed to support successful learning for every student. The response to diversity and different support needs for all students will be implemented using a multilevel approach that supports learning and inclusion. The focus on diversity will be operationalised within the teaching and learning process through universal, selective and additional measures.

As specialised staff and members of the multidisciplinary team to support inclusive education (Decree-Law No 54/2018, 6 July, with amendments introduced by Law No 116/2019, 13 September), psychologists play a key role in students’ holistic development, taking into account learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and to live with others and learning to be.

It is also worth mentioning the importance of psychologists in the field of prevention, whether related to violence and risky behaviour, as well as to issues related to learning and development.

The psychologist:

• provides school staff with technical and scientific support.

• works with families and other members of the community on child development issues.

• assesses and intervenes in psychological and psycho-pedagogical areas, proposing appropriate educational measures and responses regarding the development of the student, specifically in the following areas: personal, socio-emotional, behavioural, and academic, among others.

• intervenes in the areas of development and academic/career guidance.

Psychological counselling 

At school, pychologists undertake psychological and psycho-pedagogical counselling, involving a range of activities implemented throughout their school career that promote student’s development. It involves direct intervention with students, but, above all, collaborative work with teachers in the organisation of differentiated educational solutions and measures to support inclusive learning.

Career/vocational guidance

Career guidance is one of the three areas where educational psychologists intervene. The guidance focus has been changing from intervention based on support that is time specific and contextualised to one that is ongoing.

At school, alongside individual work, according to their specific responsible, complementary work is needed among psychologists, management, teachers, families and other members and bodies of the educational community that requires the commitment and involvement of everyone, leading to more varied, comprehensive and suitable responses.

Two guidance and counselling support mechanisms - The Professional World and Professions Kit - have been made available by ANQEP, I.P. since 2009.

The Professional World (Mundo das Profissões) is an online tool that allows independent research and, with the help of guidance professionals and parents, helps young people to clarify their doubts about professions they are interested in after finishing their professional training courses at upper secondary school level. It also helps them to create their own projects where they can manage their future careers based on expectations and interests.

The Professions Kit (Kit das Profissões) is an information and support tool for academic and career guidance and counselling. Analysing the professions (characteristics, tasks and duties), it helps to define the courses that lead to the job.

The Professions Kit consists of two tools: the Guide to the Professions and the Vocational Exploration Handbook. The former presents 100 professions/occupations grouped into five main areas (working with machines, working in technology, working in the arts, working with people, and working in management and the services). For each profession there is a description of main activities associated with it, the training needed, and certification attributed.

The Vocational Exploration Handbook is designed mainly for guidance counsellors and form tutors because it involves work exploring vocations, which may be done together with the young people themselves in the classroom or any other training. It allows them to obtain and explore information about career opportunities and the world of work.

In the field of career guidance, the psychology and guidance services (Serviços de Psicologia e Orientação- SPO) organise a range of activities in conjunction with other elements of the educational community, such as:

School management and administration bodies

• Collaborating and supporting schools’ education and training provision

Parents and guardians

• Running information sessions on education and training provision;
• Encouraging support for young people’s decision-making regarding education options;
• Running information and awareness-raising for parents and guardians and the community in general regarding career decisions.

Qualifica centres

• Participating in sessions and events in the area of education and training, and transition to the job market.
• Collaborating in transition processes between education and training pathways.

Local authorities

• Participating at events about education and training provision and other initiatives focussed on children and young people.

Higher education

• Collaborating in the organisation of activities that support the transition to higher education.

Business community

• Collaborating in the organisation of work-related training.
• Collaborating in the organisation of events in the field of school and student capacity building in terms of work.
• Collaborating in the organisation of internships.