Due to COVID-19, many countries implemented emergency plans, such as lockdown and school closures. This new situation has significantly affected families, namely, the involvement required to support children’s learning at home. The current study aimed to analyze Portuguese parents’ perceptions of their home-based parental involvement in their children’s learning during the lockdown and school closures in 2020 due to COVID-19. An online survey, using a closed-ended questionnaire, was employed. Variables included parents’ sociodemographic and COVID-19 related characteristics; students’ sociodemographic characteristics; distance learning context; parental involvement; and students’ autonomy. Data were collected from a sample of 21,333 parents with children from elementary school to secondary education, and statistical data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Findings revealed that Portuguese parents supported their children during the pandemic mainly through the monitoring of attention in classes and task realization. However, several variables appear to significantly determine parental involvement time, which is higher when students attend public schools, when they are less autonomous and younger, when parents’ level of education is lower, when the child is a boy (except in secondary education where gender is not relevant), and when the online school time is higher. Findings highlight the need for a significant investment of time from parents, particularly of primary school children, making it difficult to cohere work or telework with school activities. Implications for policies, schools, families are discussed in order to promote children’s learning and success.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived impact of a Service-Learning (SL) experience titled “Educating for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” at the Porto campus of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), in which 15 university students from different programs were challenged to train other students about the SDGs. The main aim of the SL project was to raise awareness about the SDGs among the recipients (200 high school students, 20 students from a University in Angola and 40 from a University in Brazil). Besides the development of soft skills in UCP students, the learning objectives also focused on training socially responsible citizens who can take the SDGs into their future professions and help create a better and more sustainable world. UCP students were asked to reflect on their SL experience in the middle and at the end of the semester, based on structured reflection prompts. Based on these reflections, the present study aimed to understand the perceived impact of the SL experience on UCP students, particularly on their understanding of sustainable development (e.g., knowledge of SDGs), and the recipients (e.g., knowledge of strategies to achieve SDGs). Qualitative analysis was performed through NVIVO software. The results showed an impact not only on the academic learning and the UCP students’ personal and professional domains, but also on their literacy about the SDGs. According to the UCP students’ perceptions, the SL experience was particularly helpful in promoting SDGs awareness in the recipients and predisposing them to change attitudes and behaviors. Therefore, we conclude that the SL project accomplished its purpose of promoting awareness of the SDGs among the recipients. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the role of higher education institutions and SL experiences in sustainable development.

Admission procedures to elementary school in Music Conservatoires in Portugal consist in the assessment of aural aptitude. This investigation aims at assessing the power of aural aptitude at predicting future musical achievement as well as the assessment of two other variables for the same purpose: motivation and intentions of parental support. For that matter, our sample includes the cohort of the admitted candidates and their parents to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. We used a longitudinal approach that followed the musical achievement of the sample during the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 academic years. Questionnaires were administered to both children and parents to collect information on motivation to learn a musical instrument and anticipation of parental support provision. Our results point that, after 2 years of music education, neither of the tested variables were able to predict the students’ musical achievement. These results suggest that the model of admission procedures to Music Conservatoires based on aural aptitude must be rethought and that this line of investigation could be revisited later when our sample enters middle school to assess again the predicting power of motivation and parental support.

The current study analyzed university students’ purpose in life in the context of service-learning (SL) courses developed in a university in Portugal. Briefly, 112 graduation and master students, from different areas, involved in 15 SL courses (82 female; 73.2%; age ranging from 18 to 51; M = 23; SD = 6.51) participated in this study. Questionnaires included an open-ended question about students’ purpose in life. Four closed-ended questions were included to understand student’s perceptions of change in their purpose in life arising from the SL courses and other perceptions about their SL course. Qualitative data were analyzed via content analysis with NVivo. Results indicated that students’ purpose in life ranged from social-related goals, such as helping or caring for others, to personal-related goals, including personal growth and well-being. Most of the students (71.4%) reported that their purpose in life changed moderately or a lot after participating in a SL course. Findings are discussed in light of the literature, identifying implications for the development of SL courses in higher education, considering the contribution of this pedagogic methodology to the definition and reconfiguration of young people’s purpose in life.

Service-learning (SL) has emerged as a transformative pedagogy in higher education. While institutionalization in Europe remains incipient, case studies illustrate how universities can advance this process through intentional strategies. This paper presents a reflection on the journey of implementation and institutionalization of SL at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) between 2020 and 2025. Looking at the perspectives of students, faculty, and community partners, this work examines the extent to which UCP’s SL strategy aligns with global standards and contributes to a sustainable model of institutional integration. Throughout eight semesters, a total of 124 SL experiences were conducted, involving 147 curricular units, 24 extracurricular activities, and 9 interdisciplinary projects. These initiatives engaged 2 495 students, 62 faculty members, and 176 community partners, including 28 international organizations, and reached over 46 000 final beneficiaries. The results highlight key achievements while also identifying ongoing challenges related to quality assurance, faculty engagement, and long-term sustainability. Lessons learned underscore the importance of strategic alignment, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and evidence-based planning in embedding SL as a core institutional practice.