She has a degree in Chemistry, a Master in Multimedia Education, a Ph.D., and a Habilitation in Science Education and Communication from the Faculty of Science of the University of Porto (FCUP). She is an Assistant Professor with Habilitation and a member of the Science Education Unit at the same Faculty. She is a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Chemistry Research Center of the University of Porto (CIQUP), and coordinates the research team “RT5: Education, Science Communication and Society”. She is additionally a member of the Associated Laboratory Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), where she represents CIQUP in the “LT: CHEMfocus (fundamentals and awareness)”. She is the director of the Doctoral Program in Science Education and Communication, and she was a member of the founding committee, as well as the first director of the Master in Science Education and Communication. She is the coordinator of the specialization in Education of the Master in Multimedia, and the tutor of the Education area of the Ph.D. Program in Digital Media of the University of Porto. She is a member of the Scientific Committee of those courses. She has supervised or co-supervised numerous dissertations in the areas of Science Education and Communication and Educational Technology. She is engaged, as a trainer, in the development of courses on Continuing Education for teachers. She has published articles in national and international journals and has presented lectures in schools, conferences, and scientific meetings in the field of Chemistry Education and Communication and the use of educational technologies. She is a co-author of textbooks, popular science books, and educational software for Chemistry and Physics teaching. Her areas of interest include professional development and pedagogic practices for Physics and Chemistry teachers; Communication models and processes for scientific knowledge and the involvement and participation of citizens in Science; technological and digital ecologies in Science Education and Communication.
2.1. The main biographical data are indicated in Table 1.
Table 1 – Biographical data.
| Name | Carla Susana Lopes Morais |
| Birth Date | 23/12/1980 |
| Parents | António Manuel Tiago Hermenegildo Morais Elvira Aurora Carvela Lopes Morais |
| Place of Birth | Valpaços |
| Nationality | Portuguesa |
| Marital status | Solteira |
3.3. Habilitation in Science Education and Communication, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (Unanimously approved). Lesson: Citizen Science in Science Education, 2022. Link
3.2. Post-Doctorate in Science Teaching, from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (final grade: Approved [highest grade]). Theme of the report: Promotion of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) approaches in Chemistry and Physics teaching, 2012. Link
3.1. The academic degrees obtained up to now are listed in Table 2.
Table 2 – Academic degrees awarded by the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto.
| Date | Degree | Specialization | Classification |
| 2011 | PhD in Science Education and Communication Link | Thesis: Production, Implementation and assessment of digital education resources for Chemistry teaching at the Secondary level (7th, 8th and 9th grades) Link | Approved with Distinction (by unanimity) |
| 2006 | MA in Multimedia Education Link | Dissertation: Digital Chemistry: Digital resources in Chemistry teaching: an experiment in the 7th grade Link | Very Good (by unanimity) |
| 2004 | Graduation in Chemistry Link | Pedagogical area | 15 |
4.5. Assistant Professor with Habilitation, Science Teaching Unit, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, tenure position (2022- …).
4.4. Assistant Professor, Science Teaching Unit, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, tenure position (2016-2022).
4.3. Invited Assistant Professor (100%), Science Teaching Unit, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (2012-2016).
4.2. Invited Assistant (14,3% and 17%), Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (2009-2012).
4.1. Teacher in the Physics and Chemistry group (510) in the 3rd cycle of Basic and High School (2003-2009).
5.1. SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
1. BOOKS
1.2. Morais, C. (2024). Ciência cidadã na Educação em Ciências [Citizen science in science education]. Porto: U. Porto Press. ISBN-13: 978-989-746-383-9. Link
1.1. Paiva, J. C., Morais, C., & Moreira, L. (2015). O Multimédia no Ensino das Ciências: cinco anos de investigação e ensino em Portugal [Multimedia in Science Teaching: five years of research and teaching in Portugal]. Lisbon: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos. ISBN: 978‑989‑8819‑17‑8 Link
2. BOOK CHAPTERS
2.4. Nascimento Junior, W., Girotto Júnior, G., Mirada, P. & Morais, C. (2025). “How to Use the Three Faces of Chemical Knowledge – Experiences, Models, and Visualizations – in Creating Educational Animations”. In: Auer, M.E., May, D. (eds) 2024 Yearbook Emerging Technologies in Learning. Learning and Analytics in Intelligent Systems (pp 301-316), vol 44. Springer, Cham. ISBN: 978-3-031-80388-8 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80388-8_16 Link (Indexado na Scopus)
2.3. Santos, D., & Morais, C. (2025). “Aprendendo sobre ciências jogando videojogos: Do divertimento à aprendizagem” [Learning about science by playing video games: From fun to learning]. Em A. Pinto Jr. & S. R. Consonni (Org.), Inteligência Artificial, Competências e Tecnologias Digitais na Educação Superior (pp. 37-53). Biblioteca Central de Ciências e Letras / Universidade Estadual de Campinas (BCCL/UNICAMP). ISBN: 978-65-88816-86-8 Link1 Link2
2.2. Setlik, J., & Morais, C. (2025). “Publicações conectadas com a temática do oceano no jornal brasileiro Folha de S. Paulo” [Publications related to the ocean in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo]. In M. C. Rosa, J. Setlik, & L. B. Pelissari (Orgs.), Popularizar a ciência: contribuições de estudos CTS (pp. 63–74). Curitiba: Editora CRV. ISBN: 978-65-251-7190-6. DOI: 10.24824/978652517190.6.63-74 Link
2.1. Morais, C., Moreira, L., Aguiar, T., & Teixeira, A. (2022). “A avaliação da comunicação de ciência em espaços não-formais: Perspetivas do projeto I SEA” [Assessing science communication in non-formal spaces: Perspectives from the I SEA project]. In Lara, I. & Vargas, M. (Ed.), Um Museu Interativo e a Educação em Ciências e Matemática: Algumas propostas de ensino com pesquisa [An Interactive Museum and Science and Maths Education: Some proposals for teaching with research] (pp. 183-208). ediPUCRS – Editora da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul. Link
3. ARTICLES
3.10. Santos, D., Morais, C. & Zagalo, N. (in press). Involving chemists in the development of a videogame that communicates scientific concepts about nanoparticles for drug delivery to a younger audience. International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement.
3.9. Morais, C., Aguiar, T., Atkison, L., Moreira, L. Teixeira, A. & Rosa, M. (in press). Diving into People’s Understanding of the Deep Sea: A Comparative Study from the East to the West of the Atlantic. International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2025.2550788
3.8. Setlik, J., Morais, C. & Santos, E. (2025). Ocean Science Coverage in Digital Journals in Portugal. Environmental Communication, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2025.2490077 (Scopus: Q1, SJR: 1.21; WoS – JCR: Q1, IF= 4,10) Link
3.7. Morais, C., André, C., Alves, J. & Girotto Júnior, G. (2024). Looking at Electrochemistry through a Concentration Cell: A High School Laboratory Activity Integrated into a Data Access System Explored with Preservice Chemistry Teachers. Journal of Chemical Education, 101, 11, 4580–4589. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00424 (Scopus: Q2, SJR: 0.60; WoS – JCR: Q1, IF= 2,90). Link
3.6. Nascimento Junior, W., Morais, C. & Girotto Júnior, G. (2024). Enhancing AI Responses in Chemistry: Integrating Text Generation, Image Creation, and Image Interpretation through Different Levels of Prompts. Journal of Chemical Education (special issue “Investigating the Uses and Impacts of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry Education”) 101 (9), 3767-3779. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00230 (Scopus: Q2, SJR: 0.54; WoS – JCR: Q2, IF= 2,50). Link
3.5. Spitha, N., Zhang, Y., Pazicni, S., Fullington, S., Morais, C., Buchberger, A. R. & Doolittle, P. (2024). Supporting Submicroscopic Reasoning in Students’ Explanations of Absorption Phenomena using a Simulation-Based Activity. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 25, 133-150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D3RP00153A (Scopus: Q1, SJR: 0.71; WoS – JCR: Q2, 3). Link
3.4. Morais, C., Moreira, L., Teixeira, A., Aguiar, T., Coelho, A., Pereira, V., Jacinto, A., Varzim, M., Paiva, J. C., & Rosa, M. (2022). Visitors come to experience science: Towards a non-obtrusive evaluation method based on immersive virtual reality. Journal of Science Communication, 21(01), A04. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/2.21010204 (Scopus: Q2, SJR: 0.42; WoS – JCI: Q2, 0.69) Link
3.3. Araújo, J. L., Morais, C., & Paiva, J. C. (2022). Student participation in a coastal water quality citizen science project and its contribution to the conceptual and procedural learning of chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 23(1), 100-112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RP00190F (Scopus: Q1, SJR: 0.71; WoS – JCR: Q2, IF: 3.00) Link
3.2. Oliveira, G., Grenha Teixeira, J., Torres, A., & Morais, C. (2021). An exploratory study on the emergency remote education experience of higher education students and teachers during the COVID‐19 pandemic. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52, 1357– 1376. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13112 (Scopus: Q1, SJR: 1.79; WoS – JCR: Q1, IF: 4.93) Link
3.1. Morais, C., Araújo, J. L., & Saúde, I. (2019). Awakening to chemistry through storytelling and practical activities: Middle school students interacting with pre-school children. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 20, 302-315. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C8RP00096D (Scopus: Q1, SJR: 0.77; WoS – JCR: Q2, IF: 1.90) Link
5.2. PEDAGOGICAL AND POPULAR SCIENCE PUBLICATIONS
1. Books
1.1. Ferreira, J. A., Tavares, F., Carvalho, P. S., Morais, C., Magalhães, A. L., Mota, A. R., Martins, A. S., Santos, A. I., & Araújo, J. L. (2021). ExperimentaCiências – Um guia para professores do primeiro ciclo [ExperimentaCiências – A guide to Basic School teachers]. Rev. Ciência Elem., V9(A). Casa das Ciências/ICETA. Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto. ISSN 2183-9697. Link
2. School books (textbooks, activity book and teacher’s book)
2.4. Paiva, J. C., Ferreira, A., Vale, J., & Morais, C. (2023). 12Q – Química, 12.º ano [12Q – Chemistry, 12th grade]. Lisboa: Texto Editores. Link
2.3. Costa, S., Fiolhais, C., Fiolhais, M., Morais, C., & Paiva, J. C. (2023). Universo FQ – Físico-Química, 9.º ano [PC Universe – Physics and Chemistry, 9th grade]. Lisboa: Texto Editores. Link1 Link2
2.2. Paiva, J. C., Matos, G., Morais, C., & Fiolhais, C. (2022). 11Q – Química, 11.º ano [11Q – Chemistry, 11th grade]. Lisboa: Texto Editores. Link1 Link2
2.1. Costa, S., Fiolhais, C., Fiolhais, M., Morais, C., & Paiva, J. C. (2022). Universo FQ – Físico-Química, 8.º ano [PC Universe – Physics and Chemistry, 8th grade]. Lisboa: Texto Editores. Link1 Link2 Link3
3. Science communication books
3.3. Paiva, J. C., Morais, C., Soares, M., Araújo, J., Vieira, H., & Moreira, L. (2021). Química ao pé da letra [Chemistry by the Letter]. Porto: U. Porto Press. ISBN: 978-989-746-297-9. Link1 Link2
Supported by the Chemistry Research Center in the University of Porto (CIQUP) and the Portuguese Chemistry Society (SPQ)
3.2. Morais, C., & Paiva, J. C. (2014). Porque pirilampiscam os pirilampos?… e muitas outras perguntas luminosas sobre química [Why do fireflies fire light?… and many other luminous questions about chemistry]. Lisboa: Gradiva. ISBN 978-989-616-570-3. Link1 Link2
3.1. Morais, C., & Teixeira, P. M. (2012). Histórias com Química [Stories with Chemistry]. Vila do Conde: QuidNovi. ISBN: 9789895549108. Link
This publication was part of the National Reading Plan [Plano Nacional de Leitura]. Link
6.1. INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS
Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto
Departamento de Química e Bioquímica
Unidade de Ensino das Ciências
Rua do Campo Alegre, 687
4169-007 Porto
6.2. CONTACTS
E-mail address: cmorais@fc.up.pt
Telephone: (+351) 220 402 529
Mobile phone: (+351) 93 833 1 777
6.3. ONLINE INFORMATION
6.4. TRAINER CERTIFICATE FROM THE SCIENTIFIC-PEDAGOGICAL COMMITEE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION
(CCPFC/RFO – 21089/06) in the following areas and domains: B05 – Education in (Chemistry), C08 – Experimental Pedagogy, C15 – Educational Technologies (Computing/Computing Application), C17 – Educational Technologies (registered in 2006, updated in 2014). Link