Catholic University of Braga Evaluates Multisensory Method That Impacts Educational Success
Celmira Macedo, the creator of the EKUI methodology, argued today that reversing the decline in PISA results requires structural investment in preschool education, basing her position on a scientific study conducted by the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) in Braga, in collaboration with the University of Beira Interior.
This warning comes following the release of PISA 2025 data by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which confirms a decline in the performance of 15-year-old Portuguese students in reading and mathematics to levels close to those of 2006, with approximately 28% of young people falling below the minimum proficiency level.
The research conducted by UCP Braga, focused on children aged three to five, demonstrated the decisive impact of a multisensory and inclusive methodology—which combines the phonetic alphabet, sign language, Braille, and motor skills—on child development. According to data compiled by the Braga-based university, the most significant improvement was observed at age five, when the group using the EKUI method progressed from 30.77 to 65.69 points on phonological awareness tests, representing an average increase of 34.92 points, compared to the 11 points recorded by the control group.
Researchers at the Catholic University of Braga also emphasize that the intervention led to a reduction in the variability of results, creating a “leveling effect” in which children with lower initial performance levels caught up with the rest. For Celmira Macedo, this scientific finding from Braga is particularly relevant in a context where PISA highlights a strong link between socioeconomic background and academic failure, demonstrating that the method paves the way for equal opportunities.
Furthermore, the assessment by the University of Beira Interior—which was part of the overall sample of more than 1,500 children analyzed by both institutions—revealed that communication and language development in preschool was more than double in the EKUI group, with an increase of 11.97 points compared to 5.3 in the control group; a similar trend was observed in elementary school, with 20.36 points versus 8.8.
Recognized in Finland as one of the world’s best educational innovations and supported by Portugal Inovação Social and Sonae, the methodology demonstrates the importance of intervening in the early years of schooling. As its founder summarizes, PISA highlights deficiencies at age 15, but the scientific research conducted by UCP Braga indicates that inequalities can be mitigated if investment in emerging literacy begins as early as preschool.
