FEP - Teses de Doutoramento / Doctoral Theses
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- Práticas e contextos de extensão : o (des)valor da extensão universitária em AngolaPublication . Morais, Tomásia Francisca Estevão; Palmeirão, CristinaA extensão universitária afigura-se como um dos pilares da missão das universidades, ao lado do ensino e da investigação, sendo reconhecida como espaço privilegiado de diálogo entre a academia e a comunidade. É considerada simultaneamente um instrumento de transformação social, de promoção da cidadania e de valorização dos saberes locais. Nas últimas décadas, tem-se verificado um crescente interesse, por parte das universidades e dos governos, em compreender, institucionalizar e avaliar as práticas de extensão universitária, ou, em outros contextos, da nomeada terceira missão, legitimando o seu papel central na articulação entre conhecimento, comunidade e desenvolvimento humano. Em Angola, o seu desenvolvimento vem desafiando limitações estruturais, financeiras, organizacionais e políticas, que obstruem a sua plena integração na vida universitária e reduzem o seu impacto nas comunidades. A ausência de políticas institucionais consistentes, de financiamento regular e de sistemas de avaliação, representa um dos principais entraves à consolidação da extensão como prática educativa transformadora. Essas dificuldades limitam o potencial transformador da extensão, contribuindo para o seu (des)valor no contexto universitário angolano. A metodologia adotada é de caráter plural, articulando uma scoping review, uma pesquisa arquivística e uma abordagem mista (qualitativa e quantitativa), o que possibilita uma análise multidimensional e contextualizada do fenómeno. Os resultados indicam que, apesar do reconhecimento discursivo da importância da extensão, esta continua a ser fragilmente integrada nas políticas e práticas institucionais. Esta tese inscreve-se no campo da investigação sobre políticas e práticas de extensão universitária, procurando contribuir para a teoria, a investigação e a ação no âmbito da terceira missão das universidades angolanas. Especificamente, pretende compreender em que medida a extensão universitária em Angola tem sido valorizada e efetivada como vetor de transformação educacional e social e, por essa via, alvitrar um possível Sistema Angolano de Avaliação do Impacto da Extensão (SAIEU). Com este intuito, a investigação desenvolve-se em três estudos articulados. O primeiro estudo, uma Scoping Review, sistematiza o conhecimento científico produzido sobre a extensão universitária, identificando tendências, lacunas e desafios, com particular atenção ao contexto angolano. O segundo estudo, de natureza documental, recorre ao modelo CIPP (Contexto, Input, Processo e Produto) para analisar os normativos legais, os planos institucionais e as práticas de gestão das universidades angolanas, revelando uma distância entre o discurso político e a prática efetiva. O terceiro, de carácter empírico, combina entrevistas semiestruturadas, questionários e análise qualitativa e quantitativa de dados, permitindo compreender as perceções e experiências de gestores, docentes e estudantes acerca dos projetos de extensão. Os resultados revelam que, embora a extensão seja reconhecida como uma dimensão essencial da missão universitária, a sua execução permanece fragilizada pela falta de regulamentação, recursos e reconhecimento institucional. Verifica-se ainda que as práticas existentes se concentram em ações pontuais, frequentemente sem articulação com os objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável. Em síntese, os resultados apontam para quatro linhas estruturantes para a valorização da extensão universitária em Angola: (i) fortalecimento e consolidação de políticas institucionais e de financiamento permanente; (ii) fortalecimento das práticas participativas e de coaprendizagem com as comunidades; (iii) promoção da integração coerente e igualitária do tripé ensino, pesquisa e extensão; e (iv) criação de mecanismos de monitorização e avaliação contínua que permitam aferir o impacto social e educativo das ações desenvolvidas. A pesquisa propõe, assim, um referencial conceptual e operativo – o SAIEU – que poderá servir como base para políticas públicas e estratégias institucionais de fortalecimento da extensão no ensino superior angolano e consolidá-la como um eixo estratégico de transformação social.
- Methodological innovations in multidisciplinary consumer research towards sustainable development : an applied psychology perspectivePublication . Ribeiro, Pedro Rodrigues; Oliveira-Silva, Patrícia; Tuncgenc, Bahar; Cifre, IgnacioThis thesis was motivated by the urgency of the climate crisis and the recognition of sustainability as a multidimensional, multi-stakeholder problem centered by the consumer. While decades of research have highlighted the interplay of several dimensions shaping consumer behavior, methodological approaches have often relied on self-report and isolated approaches. This thesis undertook as its primary aim to apply methodological pluralism to consumer research in sustainability, through the combination of novel instruments, behavioral segmentation, and mechanistic neuroscientific tools. The first study developed and applied a novel instrument meant to measure one’s perception of their close social circle’s environmental attitudes, modelling this dimension with regards to one’s own environmental attitudes in a cross-cultural context and a sample drawn from Portugal and Spain. This study found that social circle attitudes and demographics strongly predicted individual environmental attitudes, highlighting the role of proximal influence. The second study advanced consumer neuroscience by applying spectral source localization and functional connectivity analyses to EEG data collected during an unconstrained grocery shopping paradigm. Results revealed two distinct neural mechanisms underlying purchase and rejection, based upon mnemonic valuation and inhibitory control respectively, offering mechanistic insight into sustainable decision making. The third study applied latent class analysis to textile consumption practices, supported by exploratory factor analysis for dimensionality reduction. This study identified four distinct consumer classes and eight latent dimensions across the product lifecycle. The results showed the heterogeneity of sustainable consumption, moving beyond demographic segmentation. Together these studies demonstrate how methodological pluralism can extend frameworks of social norms and identity, reveal the neural bases of sustainable choice, and show the heterogenous profiles of consumers, offering practical implications for policy building, educational approaches, and social marketing campaigns.
- A whole-school approach to the promotion of psychological health and well-being, from pupils to headteachers : contributions to a universal screening process in schoolsPublication . Cunha, Maria do Rosário de Valadares Serrão Brito da; Andrés, Ana; Bowe, Mhairi; Dias, Pedro; Sumich, AlexPupils’ psychological health and well-being difficulties are a contemporary international concern, being schools an ideal context to identify and support these issues. School-based well-being intervention approaches currently privilege the Multi-Tiered System of Support model (MTSS) as an approach to support psychological health and well-being in tiers of response. One of the key components of this model is the using universal screening to make data-informed decisions, highlighting its potential for early identification of psychological health needs and strengths. However, this approach’s advantages typically benefit only pupils since most educational settings neither regularly survey their staff’s wellbeing nor engage in organisational well-being support practices for school employees. Concurrently, in different countries, teachers, headteachers and non-teaching staff progressively report increased stress, burnout, depression, and anxiety. Particularly related to teachers, the spotlight on their psychological health increased as well after the COVID-19 pandemic. The present doctoral research aimed to contribute to a whole-school approach to the promotion of psychological health and wellbeing, from pupils to headteachers, focusing specifically on the school-based universal well-being screening (SUWS) process in secondary schools. Two interconnected studies were conducted. The first study explored the perceptions of two panels of school professionals (one in Portugal with 9 participants and one in the UK with 8 participants) on the usability, appropriateness, and acceptability of the SUWS for pupils and school staff. A Policy Delphi technique was used with two rounds of data collection starting with individual interviews and finishing with a questionnaire. Participants in both countries had a positive perception of the social validity of the SUWS, considering it appropriate, usable, and acceptable by different stakeholders to be conducted in schools, both for pupils and school staff. Participants did though mention that it would be more challenging to have parental acceptability. Procedural considerations to increase the buy-in of the stakeholders were also explored, such as having clear communication with the school community about the process, its possible benefits and who would oversee data analysis. Also, within the first study, a reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse individual interviews focused on well-being priorities mentioned by participants for pupils and school staff through the lenses of the social identity approach to health. Results point to the importance given by participants on social indicators of psychological health and well-being. Three themes were defined: (i) the school community as a site for social interaction and connection; (ii) the power of social support; (iii) reinforcing the need for social belonging and group memberships. Through this analysis, the decision was made to include social indicators in the SUWS in the second study (social identity and social support). The second study aimed to conduct an initial validation of universal school-based screening tools for students’ well-being (in the 3rd cycle), their teachers, headteachers, and non-teaching staff in Portuguese schools. Only results referring to the universal screening for pupils are presented within this doctoral thesis. Following a dual-factor model of mental health, the proposed tool was constituted of different tools that collected information on key indicators of school subjective well-being and psychological difficulties. An adaptation to the Portuguese language and internal structure validation was conducted on the following tools: Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (Renshaw et al., 2015); Youth Internalizing+Externalizing Problems Screener (Renshaw & Cook, 2018a, 2019; Weeks et al., 2022); Group Identification Scale (Sani et al., 2015); Social Support scale (McNamara et al., 2021). A sample of 942 pupils in the secondary school (3rd cycle in Portugal) was split into two subsamples: subsample 1 (n= 453) for EFA and subsample 2 for CFA (n= 489). Results pointed to adequate psychometric properties of the tools in Portugal, however, changes had to be made in the original structure of SSWQ and YIEPS. In SSWQ one item was deleted in the Portuguese version, and another item was put with a different factor from the original version. In YIEPS, items pertaining to attention problems were deleted, and the final preferred model only included internalising and conduct problems. Altogether, results from the first study support the use of SUWS in schools and can help guide policies and practices on implementing SUWS and potentially improving whole-school well-being supports, as well as showed the importance of incorporating social indicators of health in SUWS efforts; results from the second study showed that the adapted tools can be used in Portuguese schools with the suggested adaptations for interpretation of scores. Further research is necessary on the technical adequacy of the chosen tools in Portuguese samples (e.g., test-retest reliability). This research is aligned with a perspective of service delivery reform through universal screening in school psychology, reinforcing a preventive approach and promoting psychological health and well-being. Suggestions for future research are proposed in the discussion section.
- A whole-school approach to the promotion of psychological health and well-being, from pupils to headteachers : contributions to a universal screening process in schoolsPublication . Cunha, Maria do Rosário de Valadares Serrão Brito da; Andrés, Ana; Bowe, Mhairi; Dias, Pedro; Sumich, AlexPupils’ psychological health and well-being difficulties are a contemporary international concern, being schools an ideal context to identify and support these issues. School-based well-being intervention approaches currently privilege the Multi-Tiered System of Support model (MTSS) as an approach to support psychological health and well-being in tiers of response. One of the key components of this model is the using universal screening to make data-informed decisions, highlighting its potential for early identification of psychological health needs and strengths. However, this approach’s advantages typically benefit only pupils since most educational settings neither regularly survey their staff’s wellbeing nor engage in organisational well-being support practices for school employees. Concurrently, in different countries, teachers, headteachers and non-teaching staff progressively report increased stress, burnout, depression, and anxiety. Particularly related to teachers, the spotlight on their psychological health increased as well after the COVID-19 pandemic. The present doctoral research aimed to contribute to a whole-school approach to the promotion of psychological health and wellbeing, from pupils to headteachers, focusing specifically on the school-based universal well-being screening (SUWS) process in secondary schools. Two interconnected studies were conducted. The first study explored the perceptions of two panels of school professionals (one in Portugal with 9 participants and one in the UK with 8 participants) on the usability, appropriateness, and acceptability of the SUWS for pupils and school staff. A Policy Delphi technique was used with two rounds of data collection starting with individual interviews and finishing with a questionnaire. Participants in both countries had a positive perception of the social validity of the SUWS, considering it appropriate, usable, and acceptable by different stakeholders to be conducted in schools, both for pupils and school staff. Participants did though mention that it would be more challenging to have parental acceptability. Procedural considerations to increase the buy-in of the stakeholders were also explored, such as having clear communication with the school community about the process, its possible benefits and who would oversee data analysis. Also, within the first study, a reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse individual interviews focused on well-being priorities mentioned by participants for pupils and school staff through the lenses of the social identity approach to health. Results point to the importance given by participants on social indicators of psychological health and well-being. Three themes were defined: (i) the school community as a site for social interaction and connection; (ii) the power of social support; (iii) reinforcing the need for social belonging and group memberships. Through this analysis, the decision was made to include social indicators in the SUWS in the second study (social identity and social support). The second study aimed to conduct an initial validation of universal school-based screening tools for students’ well-being (in the 3rd cycle), their teachers, headteachers, and non-teaching staff in Portuguese schools. Only results referring to the universal screening for pupils are presented within this doctoral thesis. Following a dual-factor model of mental health, the proposed tool was constituted of different tools that collected information on key indicators of school subjective well-being and psychological difficulties. An adaptation to the Portuguese language and internal structure validation was conducted on the following tools: Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (Renshaw et al., 2015); Youth Internalizing+Externalizing Problems Screener (Renshaw & Cook, 2018a, 2019; Weeks et al., 2022); Group Identification Scale (Sani et al., 2015); Social Support scale (McNamara et al., 2021). A sample of 942 pupils in the secondary school (3rd cycle in Portugal) was split into two subsamples: subsample 1 (n= 453) for EFA and subsample 2 for CFA (n= 489). Results pointed to adequate psychometric properties of the tools in Portugal, however, changes had to be made in the original structure of SSWQ and YIEPS. In SSWQ one item was deleted in the Portuguese version, and another item was put with a different factor from the original version. In YIEPS, items pertaining to attention problems were deleted, and the final preferred model only included internalising and conduct problems. Altogether, results from the first study support the use of SUWS in schools and can help guide policies and practices on implementing SUWS and potentially improving whole-school well-being supports, as well as showed the importance of incorporating social indicators of health in SUWS efforts; results from the second study showed that the adapted tools can be used in Portuguese schools with the suggested adaptations for interpretation of scores. Further research is necessary on the technical adequacy of the chosen tools in Portuguese samples (e.g., test-retest reliability). This research is aligned with a perspective of service delivery reform through universal screening in school psychology, reinforcing a preventive approach and promoting psychological health and well-being. Suggestions for future research are proposed in the discussion section.
- Formação contínua de professores : contributo para compreender as lógicas de ação dos centros de formação das associações de escolasPublication . Vicente, Lília Maria Lopes dos Santos; Alexandre, Fernando Manuel da Silva; Alves, José MatiasIn Portugal, attending CPD activities is a mandatory requirement for teachers to progress in their careers. But the need to obtain the necessary credits conferred by training activities seems to emerge as a factor that limits the purpose of CPD and can often override the real need for professional development. It is therefore unclear whether the objectives of CPD are limited by the career, or whether it is the teachers who, as a result of a context and/or career management practice, have given CPD a more reductive role. In this context, there seems to be a problem in the fact that the government's emphasis on CPD doesn't seem to be reflected in the effects it produces, either in terms of the needs defined by the teachers themselves or in terms of the more immediate objectives of education policy. This perception seems to stem from the choices made in the training plans drawn up by their promoters, which justifies, on the one hand, the need to know their role as inducers of training content and logic and, on the other hand, to know to whom and for what these organisations are accountable. Assuming that the CPD Plans designed by each School Training Centre (CFAE) are capable of merging the needs expressed by teachers, the school clusters, as well as those that emerge from educational policy frameworks (both nationally and internationally), this research aims to study (i) the process through which CPD needs are identified; (ii) how CFAE decode and merge the CPD needs identified by the different actors and stakeholders; (iii) how the CPD plans designed by CFAE operationalise the needs that emerge from the different levels of political decision making (e. g. national policies and international recommendations), and those identified by schools and teachers; and (iv) how effectively the CPD plans fulfil the needs identified at the various levels. This study was carried out within the framework of an interpretative paradigm, with a qualitative approach that sought to apprehend and explore the meanings attributed to the object of study by the different actors. The data collection process was based mainly on documentary analysis and a questionnaire survey. Document analysis was carried out using content analysis according to pre-defined categories. In order to increase the reliability of the analysis of the findings, the data was subjected to triangulation processes. Ethical considerations included informed consent and confidentiality. This study led to the conclusion that the CPD plans drawn up by the CFAE show a disconnect between discourse and practice. The factors that justify this incongruity are diverse in nature and deeply interconnected, highlighting political and bureaucratic regulatory logics that conflict with the real needs of teachers and schools. It was concluded that the CPD should not only be analysed as a set of administrative and political processes, but as an arena of interaction between various agents where tensions between normative prescriptions and institutional practices are manifested. Analysing the interrelations between the macro, meso and micro levels reveals that the coherence of the CPD system cannot be taken for granted, but rather requires an understanding of the dynamics that regulate its configuration and implementation. These dynamics allow us to foresee how the different players manage the tension between the ideal, the necessary and the possible.
- Eficácia e impacto do ensino : perspectivas de professores e alunosPublication . César, Bruno Miguel Santos; Soares, DianaTeaching effectiveness is widely recognized as an essential factor for educational success, with a direct impact on students' academic performance and the quality of the teaching-learning process. Teachers' ability to motivate, guide, and implement effective pedagogical strategies plays a crucial role in the learning process and the development of students' competencies. Thus, understanding the different elements that constitute teaching effectiveness is fundamental to improving educational practices and maximizing the positive effects of teaching. Based on this framework, this study aims to explore: "What are the main characteristics of teaching effectiveness, and how is it perceived by teachers and students?", more specifically, it addresses the following subquestions: What are the main characteristics of effective teachers?, What are the key dimensions associated with teacher self-efficacy, from the perspective of Portuguese teachers and in an international context?, What are students' perceptions of teaching effectiveness?, What are the divergences and convergences between teachers' and students' perceptions of teaching effectiveness? and How does students' academic performance influence their perception of teaching effectiveness?. The results highlight the multidimensional nature of teaching effectiveness, integrating three key aspects: student engagement, classroom management, and instructional practices. This concept is also perceived differently by teachers and students. While teachers assess their effectiveness based on the application of pedagogical strategies, students place greater value on the clarity of explanations, individualized support, and interpersonal relationships. Additionally, students' academic performance appears to influence their perception of teachers. High-achieving students tend to evaluate teachers more positively, whereas those facing academic difficulties present more critical perceptions. These findings reinforce the need for differentiated and inclusive pedagogical strategies that address students' individual needs and promote equitable teaching. Moreover, the results emphasize the importance of continuous teacher training to ensure the ongoing improvement of pedagogical practices, the implementation of innovative student-centered methodologies, and the strengthening of the teacher-student relationship.
- Fostering democratic learning environments. The role of leadership in the construction of the whole-school approach in Italy and PortugalPublication . Fioretti, Francesca; Agrusti, Gabriella; Cabral, Ilídia
- Por que razão as escolas (não) aprendem? Os fatores que ativam e os fatores que obstaculizam a aprendizagem organizacional da escolaPublication . Alexandre, Isabel Alexandra Martins Faria dos Santos; Mesquita, Diana Isabel de AraújoA concetualização da escola enquanto organização aprendente tem vindo a assumir-se como uma possibilidade de reforma dos sistemas educativos. Existe um vasto corpo de investigação que discute esta concetualização, tenta dissecar as inúmeras dimensões ou até mesmo avaliar modelos já largamente implementados. Apesar dos méritos reconhecidos, interessa estudar as minudências organizacionais que poderão ser indutoras de desigualdades dentro do sistema educativo alargado. Na busca destas minudências formulámos a nossa questão de partida: por que razão as escolas (não) aprendem? Interessava-nos desenvolver um estudo que permitisse responder às seguintes questões de investigação: 1) Quais os fatores que ativam a aprendizagem organizacional da escola? 2) Quais os fatores que obstaculizam a aprendizagem organizacional da escola? Apesar da simplicidade destes enunciados, estes deram-nos a conhecer uma realidade hipercomplexa, multiescalar e multidimensional. O estudo insere-se no paradigma fenomenológico-interpretativo, de natureza qualitativa, desenvolvendo-se em três fases distintas: um estudo exploratório, um estudo de caso intrínseco e um estudo extensivo. Atendendo à natureza do nosso problema de investigação mobilizámos a participação de lideranças, de professores, de assistentes técnicos e operacionais e de pais. A recolha de dados foi feita a partir de um período de observação não participante, de entrevistas semiestruturadas e de grupos de discussão focalizada. À medida que fomos tratando os dados, fizemos uma Revisão Sistemática da Literatura capaz de (des)construir concetualmente a problemática de investigação. Os dados recolhidos e as circunstâncias de tempo e de espaço que rodearam a nossa investigação, modelaram o trabalho e acrescentaram novas dimensões. Nomeadamente a urgência de uma ecologia amiga da aprendizagem, radicada em cada escola, fundada no desenvolvimento profissional contínuo e sustentável de todos (lideranças, professores e colaboradores não docentes), facilitando a emergência de uma liderança co-construída, congregando a ação de todos em prol de uma visão comum – a aprendizagem de todos os alunos, em especial os mais desfavorecidos.
- Aprendizagem organizacional em contexto de funcionamento de equipas educativas enquanto comunidades de aprendizagem : a progressiva emergência de uma metamorfose profissional e escolarPublication . Pinheiro, Generosa Pinto Silva Vilela; Alves, José MatiasA resposta aos desafios globais contemporâneos exige uma educação de qualidade, o que pressupõe uma transformação da estrutura organizacional da escola, a adoção de novos papéis e mentalidades dos seus atores e uma cultura de aprendizagem nos vários níveis da organização. Deste modo, as equipas educativas, a funcionar enquanto comunidades profissionais de aprendizagem, podem apresentar-se como uma mudança organizacional valiosa para a melhoria das escolas, configurando-se como um relevante objeto de estudo em educação. Embora, nas duas últimas décadas, tenha havido muita pesquisa sobre a temática das comunidades profissionais de aprendizagem, constata-se uma escassez de investigações que estudem tais comunidades como propulsoras da construção de organizações aprendentes, sendo, por isso, um campo que carece de aprofundamento. Esta tese inscreve-se nessa linha de investigação, procurando contribuir para a teoria, a investigação e a prática acerca da forma como a alteração de algumas estruturas organizacionais, nomeadamente a organização do ensino por equipas educativas, pode ter implicações na aprendizagem individual, coletiva e organizacional de uma escola. Neste sentido, adotamos um paradigma de investigação tendencialmente qualitativo, que operacionalizamos através de um estudo de caso instrumental, em que conjugamos uma abordagem quali-quanti. Articulamos uma estatística descritiva de dois questionários, objetos de uma descodificação e interpretação estrutural e semântica, com uma análise de conteúdo de entrevistas, grupos de discussão focalizada, notas de um diário de campo, para aprofundarmos alguns contextos singulares e a perspetiva de atores individuais. Apresentamos cinco estudos relacionados, centrados na análise das dinâmicas de funcionamento das equipas educativas e dos seus efeitos. O estudo 1 consiste numa revisão de literatura, do tipo scoping review, sobre as mudanças organizacionais, culturais e pedagógicas geradas pelas comunidades profissionais de aprendizagem em meio escolar. Este estudo dá suporte aos estudos 2, 3 e 4. O estudo 2 apresenta o funcionamento das equipas educativas enquanto comunidades profissionais de aprendizagem, assim como os seus efeitos nos seus membros, nas práticas de sala de aula e nas culturas de escola. No estudo 3, focamo-nos nestes mesmos efeitos despoletados, desta vez, pela atuação dos coordenadores das equipas educativas, enquanto líderes intermédios. O estudo 4 centra-se na análise das interações colaborativas entre os professores das equipas educativas e no seu contributo para a aprendizagem profunda dos mesmos. Com o estudo 5, um estudo guarda-chuva, procuramos focar-nos na metodologia usada na nossa investigação, para revelarmos a importância do diário de campo na desocultação de algumas tensões e no aprofundamento dos resultados apresentados. Estes estudos permitiram-nos concluir que uma alteração de estruturas organizacionais é uma condição imprescindível para a melhoria na educação, mas insuficiente. É necessária uma mudança de crenças dos atores e uma colaboração que proporcione uma aprendizagem profunda. Uma mudança substancial da educação, no âmbito da organização educativa, requer, pois, uma ação conjugada ao nível da estrutura, das lideranças intermédias, das crenças e das culturas profissionais.
- Novel non-linear approaches to understanding the dynamic brain : knowledge from rsfMRI and EEG studiesPublication . Sanchez, Lucía Penalba; Cifre, Ignacio; Silva, Patrícia Oliveira; Sumich, AlexanderAdvances in neuroimaging techniques have been critical to identifying new biomarkers for brain diseases. Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsfMRI) non-invasively quantifies the Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal across brain regions with high spatial resolution; whilst temporal resolution of Electroencephalography (EEG) in measuring the brain’s electrical response is unsurpassed. Most of the statistical and machine learning methods used to analyze rsfMRI and EEG data, are static and linear, fail to capture the dynamics and complexity of the brain, and are prone to residual noise. The general goals of this thesis dissertation are i) to provide methodological insight by proposing a statistical method namely point process analysis (PPA) and a machine learning (ML) multiband non-linear EEG method. These methods are especially useful to investigate the brain configuration of older participants and individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, and to predict age and sleep quality; and ii) to share biological insights about synchronization between brain regions (i.e., functional connectivity and dynamic functional connectivity) in different stages of mild cognitive impairment and in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, reported and discussed in this thesis, open a path for new research ideas such as applying PPA to EEG data, adjusting the non-linear ML algorithm to apply it to rsfMRI and use these methods to better understand other neurological diseases.