Short Bio
Achieved a Degree in Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto, where I also completed a Master in Psychological Intervention with Children and Adolescents and completed my doctoral studies in Psychology. My major interest research is "Children’s Time Use" which is the topic of my doctoral dissertation completed in 2010. Since 1996 I have been doing psychological intervention with children and adolescents, as a clinical child psychologist, in the Cooperative O Fio de Ariana in Porto, Portugal. After five years of teaching Psychology and Communication Skills at the University of Porto, I am now teaching as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education of the University of St. Joseph, Macau. I am handling modules related to childhood and clinical psychology. My other main interest is the theme of disability and inclusion, and I am a co-founder of the “IN-Associação para a Inclusão ao Longo da Vida” (Association for Lifelong Inclusion).
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications
Kuok, A.C.V., Teixeira, V. (in press). Adolescents’ Use of Electronic Devices, the Problematic Use of Internet, their Social and Life Satisfaction. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies.
Kuok, A.C.V., Teixeira, V., Forlin, C., Monteiro, E. & Correia, A. (2020). The effect of self-efficacy and role understanding on teachers’ emotional exhaustion and work engagement in inclusive education in Macao (SAR). International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education. DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2020.1808949
Correia, A; Monteiro, E., Teixeira, V., Kuok, A. & Forlin, C. (2019). The interplay between a Confucian-heritage culture and teachers’ sentiments and attitudes towards inclusion in Macau. European Journal of Special Education Research 5(2), Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu
Monteiro, E., Kuok, A., Correia, A. M., Forlin, C., Teixeira,V. (2018). Perceived efficacy of teachers in Macao and their alacrity to engage with inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1514762
Teixeira, V., Correia, A., Monteiro, E., Kuok, A., Forlin, C. (2018). Placement, inclusion, law and teachers’ perceptions in Macao’s schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(9), p.1014-1032. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2017.1414318
Correia, A., Teixeira, V. (2017) "The will and the way of inclusive education in Macao", Asian Education and Development Studies, Vol. 6 Issue: 4, pp.401-413, https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-05-2016-0040
Cunha, E., Teixeira, V., Pereira, M.L. (2016). Publicidade e programação infantil: caracterização dos conteúdos de promoção de saúde oral. Revista Portuguesa de Estomatologia e Medicina Dentária. 57(49). DOI: 10.1016/j.rpemd.2016.10.115
Silva, S., Teixeira, V., Pinhão Ferreira, A., Ustrell‐Torrent, M.J. (2016). A razão da Intervenção Psicológica na Deformidade Dento-Facial. Revista Portuguesa de Estomatologia, Medicina Dentária e Cirurgia Maxilofacial, 57 (3), p.171-176.
Silva, S., Teixeira, V., Pinhão Ferreira, A., Ustrell‐Torrent, M.J. (2016). Autoestima e deformidade dentofacial: um estudo comparativo com a escala de autoestima global de Rosenberg. Revista Portuguesa de Estomatologia, Medicina Dentária e Cirurgia Maxilofacial, 57 (2), p.171-176.
Reis, L., Pina-Vaz, I., Carvalho, M.F., Teixeira, V. (2014). Conhecimento dos estudantes de Medicina Dentária sobre o risco/controlo da infeção cruzada. Revista Portuguesa de Estomatologia, Medicina Dentária e Cirurgia Maxilofacial, 55 (E16). Doi:10.1016/j.rpemd.2014.11.144.
Books & Book Chapters
Correia, A., Teixeira, V., Monteiro, E. & Kuok, A. (2017). Inclusive education in Macau: Teachers' perceptions and attitudes. Macau: University of Saint Joseph Press. ISBN 978-99965-940-3-8
Neves, S.P., Teixeira, V., Corrêa, F., Guedes-Pinto, A., Andrade, J.C. (2017). Contributos da Psicologia para a Odontopediatria. In Andrade, C., Guedes-Pinto, A. Textos Escolhidos de Odontopediatria. p.103-116. U.Porto Edições:Porto. ISBN: ISBN 978-989-746-137-8 e-ISBN 978-989-746-138-5
Teixeira, V. & Cruz, O. (2005). Mother's education, school performance and use of time in a group of children 8 years of age. In Joaquim Bairrão (coord.). Development: Family and Educational Contexts (284-308). Porto -Livpsic.
Conference Proceedings
Lima, A., Teixeira, V., Serôdio, RG, & Cruz, O. (2008). Scale Behavior Problems in school children. Minute book of the XIII International Conference on Psychological Assessment: Forms and Contexts. Braga: University of Minho.
Teixeira, V., & Cruz, O. (2008). Children's time use - a comparative study between 1999 and 2006. Book of Proceedings of the First International Congress on Child Studies - Possible Childhoods, Real Worlds. Braga: University of Minho.
Teixeira, V., & Cruz, O. (2006). Children's Time Use and Social Skills - a Contribution to the development of social skills programs. Book of Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference on Time Use Research. Copenhagen: International Association of Time Use Research.
Teixeira, V., & Cruz, O. (2006). The "Time Diary" - A methodology to study the use of children's time. Book of Proceedings of the XI International Conference Psychological Evaluation: Forms and Contexts. Braga: University of Minho.
Teixeira, V., & Cruz, O. (2005). Socioeconomic status, academic achievement and time use in eight-year-old Portuguese children. Book of Proceedings of Time-Use in Daily Life Congress: The Content and Context of Human Behaviour. Halifax: International Association of Time Use Research.
Other Articles and Publications
Correia, A. M., & Teixeira, V. M. (2017). Catholic schools and inclusive education in Macao: A journey of a thousand miles. EDUCA – International Catholic Journal of Education, 3, 85-101.
Teixeira, V., Correia, A. M. (2016). Perceived competence and social acceptance of preschool children in Macao: a case study. International Journal of Learning and Teaching, 3(3), p.226-231.
Teixeira, V., Lima, A., & Cruz, O. (2008). Mãe para mim, pai para ti: O uso do tempo das crianças e as actividades de interacção com os pais. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology. 1 (4), 91-100.
Modules
Year 1 Doctorate
This module aims to introduce participants to key elements of doctoral research in the broad sense of an Academic framework. It focuses on providing an understanding of the research support Mechanisms at USJ and in overviews of the main research specialisation fields within the University of Saint Joseph, namely Business Administration; Education; Global Studies; Government Studies; History; Information Systems; Psychology; Religious Studies; Science. The course also provides an opportunity for the students to present and discuss their own work in a seminar environment.
This Module provides an initial experience of supervised research work where students will work with their intended supervisor in a collaborative tutorial model that resembles the practice of Thesis Supervision. During the Module the intended supervisor will guide the student trough multiple meetings (up to 15) during a full academic year The students will conduct autonomous research that should result in a preliminary literature review, research contextualisation and a thesis proposal completely finished and prepared to be submitted to the Foundation Year Final thesis proposal review and assessment instances.
Year 1 Master
This introductory course covers the basic principles of counseling and psychotherapy. The course introduces both the theoretical and empirical knowledge on which different therapeutic approaches are based. The course covers areas such as diagnosis, intervention techniques as well as an understanding of the dynamic nature of human behavior. Students will explore the meanings underlying the role of counselor and psychotherapist and what different characteristics and behaviors are needed to become an effective counselor and psychotherapist. The course emphasizes the requirement of all counselors to be willing to explore their own stereotypes and prejudices as a means to developing an understanding of client experiences. Issues relating to a culturally diverse client population will also be explored, as well as how the cultural context of clients should be considered in determining the appropriate interventions.
This course is focused on the practical aspects of providing counseling and psychotherapeutic services to clients. The course covers a variety of practical skills, such as empathic listening, dealing with client anxieties and general case management. The course covers how to develop strong person-to-person relationships with clients, at the same time being ever mindful of the professional responsibilities of counselors and psychotherapists. Other practical issues such as resistance, transference, confidentiality and conflicts of interest will also be covered. This course will also explain the ethical principles and issues that relate to the work of counselors and psychotherapists, giving students a sound basis on which to make ethical decisions and how to educate the client about their rights.
This course covers three of the most important mainstream approaches utilized in psychotherapy. Behavioral Therapy is based on psychological theories of learning and is most commonly used to treat individuals with highly specific behavioral problems, such as phobias and social anxiety disorders, through techniques such as systematic desensitization. Cognitive Therapy recognizes the importance of internal thought processes as a determinant of human behavior and its therapeutic approach focuses on examining and modifying these processes to achieve changes in behavior. Humanistic Therapy (or Client-Centered Therapy) emphasizes providing a supportive emotional climate within which the client can determine the pace and direction of the therapy. All three of these therapeutic approaches are examined in detailed in this course, with their relative strengths and weaknesses compared. The course will also provide students with the ability to decide which therapeutic approach may be most suitable for a particular client.
This module addresses internalising and externalising issues. It will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to interpret pupils’ behaviour in the classroom and school environment context, as well as their cognitive, social and emotional development. Participants will develop effective strategies to support pupils’ positive behavior, social integration and well-being. Great detail will be given to managing emotional problems such as depression and anxiety disorders and understanding how they can interfere with learning.
Participants will learn how to distinguish between Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, and Conduct Disorder, and to develop effective strategies to manage pupils’ challenging behaviours in the classroom. The module follows an ecological intervention, involving the family, extra-curricular activities, health professionals and other contexts of the pupils’ context.
"This course provides students with an understanding of the etiology, types and the demography of persons with disabilities in Macau. It seeks to familiarize students with policies and social services, particularly community-based services, provided to strengthen and support persons with disabilities. It also enables students to understand the needs, problems and adjustment of people with disabilities; and to familiarize students with the methods of assessment, intervention and prevention of disabilities. Approaches in working with both persons with disabilities and their families/carers will be studied.
The roles of social workers in a multi-disciplinary team and rehabilitation services will be examined. At the policy level, social workers as advocates will be studied. "
Year 2 Master
This course further develops the practical aspects of providing counseling and psychotherapeutic services to clients. The course will provide students with genuine, real-world experience of counseling and psychotherapy, both as a practitioner and as a client. To be an effective counselor or psychotherapist, it is important to learn and understand yourself, to be aware of how your life history has shaped your own opinions and even prejudices. During this course students will undergo a number of sessions of personal counseling within which they will have the opportunity to critically evaluate themselves in the structured context of a counseling session. For this we plan to work together with the Catholic Family Advisory Service and other organisations to allow the students to experience counseling and therapy from the ‘client’s point of view’. We believe that this understanding is a vital component of a prospective counselors training and development. The second component of this module will provide the students with real experience of listening to different individual’s problems, feelings and difficulties, and to provide them with appropriate advice and guidance. We plan to utilize our links with Caritas in Macau to provide access to ‘real’ clients initially over the telephone help lines that Caritas operate within Macau. Throughout this module students will meet to share and discuss their experiences with one another and with IIUM staff, to provide support for students and to facilitate the learning experience afforded by their real-world experiences.
Year 1 PGDE
This module will cover the most relevant theories of developmental psychology of infants and children and its relevance to teaching and learning as well as different strategies to support and enhance the infant and child’s social, emotional, psychological and cognitive skills. The module will then explore how both psychological and educational development can be disrupted by a range of problems associated with childhood. Students will learn how to identify pupils with learning difficulties and how to work with others to allow all pupils to achieve their full educational potential.
This module will cover the most relevant theories of developmental psychology of adolescents and its relevance to teaching and learning as well as different strategies to support and enhance the adolescents social, emotional, psychological and cognitive skills. Relevant issues associated with adolescence, such as friendships, peer cultures, bully/vitim problems at school, teens independence and autonomy within families, will be examined. The module will explore how both psychological and educational development can be disrupted by a range of problems related with adolescence. Students will learn how to identify pupils with learning difficulties and how to work with others to allow all pupils to achieve their full educational potential.
Year 1 Bachelor
This course is devoted to understanding basic developmental processes and the biological and experiential factors that influence children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. Research in the area of child development broadly focuses on three types of questions. One set of questions pertains to identifying and explaining the normative changes that all children experience (e.g., the acquisition of language). A second set of questions pertains to identifying and explaining individual differences in children’s development (e.g., why some children are more successful than others in their social relationships). The latter includes understanding why some children are at risk for developing psychopathology, as well as factors that affect obtaining treatment and outcomes of treatment. The third set of questions is aimed at understanding how cultural context influences developmental processes and child outcomes.
This course starts with a review of the main concepts, process and theories of Developmental Psychology. Then, assuming a lifespan perspective and a chronological organization of the information, it will provide a wide understanding of the first 3 periods of human development – infancy (birth to 3 years of age), early childhood (3 to 6 years) and childhood (6 to 12 years), in 4 main domains:
1. Ecological dimensions and important life events
2. Physical, perceptual and motor development
3. Cognitive development
4. Social and emotional development
Year 2 Bachelor
When we study child development, we study our personal and collective past, whereas the study of aging focuses on our future. This course will examine the nature and causes of the psychological changes that accompany human aging. Theories concerning the biological, social, and cultural influences on aging will be considered. The course will examine patterns of change and stability over the adult years. We will ask whether the changes that occur are inevitable and irreversible. Particular emphasis will be placed on the changes in mental life that accompany advancing age, both as viewed from without by observers (including researchers) and from within by aging individuals themselves (in autobiographical accounts). The course will emphasize the ways in which people compensate for the losses that come with added years (including the general slowing of mental and motor processes, the deaths of loved ones) by taking advantage of the gains (including accumulated wisdom and perspective, additional leisure time).
Assuming a lifespan perspective and a chronological organisation of the information, this module will provide a broad understanding of the last 3 periods of human development – adolescence, adulthood and old age, in 4 main domains:
1. Ecological dimensions and important life events;
2. Physical, perceptual and motor development;
3. Cognitive development
4. Social and emotional development
This course provides students with an understanding of the etiology, types and the demography of persons with disabilities in Macau. It seeks to familiarize students with policies and social services, particularly community-based services, provided to strengthen and support persons with disabilities. It also enables students to understand the needs, problems and adjustment of people with disabilities; and to familiarize students with the methods of assessment, intervention and prevention of disabilities. Approaches in working with both persons with disabilities and their families/carers will be studied.
Year 3 Bachelor
The psychological problems of children who have hearing, speech, mental and personality deficits and of children who are culturally disadvantaged are explored, as well as characteristics of children of superior abilities, gifts and talents. A major purpose is to gain a functional understanding of these problems and of the procedures for helping to cope with them. The student is given the opportunity to gain firsthand experience with exceptional children in an observation of a special class in schools.
Students will examine theories and research; aspects of literacy and stages of acquisition; cognitive pre-requisites for reading and writing; individual differences in learning and the problem of dyslexia. This course aims to provide a theoretical understanding of reading development and reading disorders in different writing systems, with a specific focus on alphabetic (English) and logographic (Chinese) writing systems. Through attending the course, students will be able to understand how different cognitive processes contribute to the development of skilled word reading and text comprehension and what problems children may encounter during the course of reading development. Effective treatment and instruction approaches will also be discussed.
The foundations of clinical psychology will be adressed in this module, in particular, what are its historical development, fields of action and main research methods. The principles of the major perspectives of psychotherapy in clinical psychology will be reviewed, including the psychodynamic, the phenomenological/humanist-existential, the behavioural and cognitive behavioural approach. A brief overview of the main features of group therapy, family therapy and couples therapy wil also be included.
Year 4 Bachelor
As an integral part of the Licenciate studies, all undergraduate students at IIUM are required to prepare and present a portfolio of their work. The portfolio is assembled over the entire duration of their undergraduate studies, and is to consist of selected pieces of work that they have produced during their studies. A student’s portfolio may contain examples of assignment work, tests and examination answer scripts, presentations and project reports, and other work done by the student during his or her studies.
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the conceptual theory, conceptualization, and techniques for treatment through psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy with adults. Empirically validated treatment of major disorders will be covered, including depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Through lectures, demonstrations, small-group discussions, experiential activities, readings, presentations, and writing of position papers, students are assisted to critically evaluate the practical applications of a variety of therapeutic perspectives. The aim is to develop a firm basic understanding of the approaches and techniques of psychological intervention used by psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals.
Building upon the students’ knowledge of research methods and the analaysis of data from research studies in psychology, this module will require students to conduct their own research project proposal to explore a research question selected from a range of different topics derived from the psychology literature. Students will be organised into groups under the leadership of a member of faculty who will guide them through the process of developing, conducting and reporting on their own research project. Students will need to submit a written project report and also to make an oral presentation of their project and answer questions related to their project.
Starting with a discussion of the concept of “normality”, this module will cover the important developmental disorders of childhood and adolescence, including intelectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy, physical disabilities and sensorial dissabilities. For each of these disorders, the causes, assessment and diagnosis will be evaluated and their developmental course as well as the most important principles and strategies for interventions will be discussed. Special attention to functionality and health will be given and how to promote an inclusive life for every child.
This module will provide students with experience of supervised professional practice in a clinical setting in a host organisation in Macau. In the host institution, students will experience real-life situations, with staff at the host institution functioning as a model and supporting the student’s increasing autonomy. In the faculty, the academic supervisor will help the student to conceptualise interventions and to integrate their experience with their academic learning. At the end of their internship, students will submit a report describing, explaining and reflecting on their experiences.
