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In many countries, English as a foreign/second language (L2) teaching has become compulsory in urban and rural public schools. In rural areas, the challenges for the implementation of this state-sanctioned policy have been explored among L2 teaching specialists. However, this mixed-methods study considered a different teacher group and examined the struggles and initiatives of generalist teachers who are obligated to teach English in rural schools. To this end, data were collected from 115 teachers in 17 rural secondary schools in the Southeast of Mexico. First, the participants completed a survey with closed-ended questions that elicited information about teacher education, teaching experience and knowledge of the rural school system. Then, a subsample of participants completed an individual thematized semi-structured interview. They were selected on the basis of L2 teacher education involvement. In the survey data, response patterns were identified using frequency analyses. The interview data were analyzed using categorical aggregation. The data revealed that the generalist teachers struggle with L2 professionalization, sociocultural and instructional challenges. Nonetheless, only few participants have been engaged in L2 teacher education which could help them overcome these challenges. Instead, they rely upon limited strategies to counteract the day-today challenges at the expense of effective L2 teaching practices.

Worldwide, curricular changes and financial investments are currently underway to promote the integration of technology in public education and English language learning at a young age. This study examines the ICTs that have become part of the daily instructional practices and educational settings of teachers of English who work with young learners in public schools. To this end, this mixed-methods study draws on a quantitative descriptive-exploratory design and a qualitative multiple-case study. The quantitative data were collected through a Likert questionnaire administered to 28 secondary school teachers of English across 17 municipalities in five regions of Southeast Mexico and 2,944 learners. The qualitative data were gathered from a subsample of six teachers through longitudinal classroom observations, teacher and administrator interviews, and school visits. The non-parametric analyses of the quantitative data and the categorical aggregation analyses of the qualitative data reveal that the use of some multimedia and mobile-assisted communication resources is emerging in the L2 public classrooms. In line with findings from other international contexts, variables that seem particular to public education for young learners and their school setting, however, led teachers to prefer using their own technological devices that included laptops, multimedia material, and cellphones, rather than those in the schools.

Introduction: Writing is a tool for constructing and modifying knowledge. However, it is not easy to evaluate spontaneous writing tasks. In the present study, we selected and analysed a series of quality indicators to assess spontaneous or productive writing, examining the level of difficulty of the indicators and the relationship between the application of metacognitive strategies when writing and the quality of spontaneous writing products. Method: Participants consisted of 480 Spanish students in their 5th and 6th years of primary education and 1st and 2nd years compulsory secondary education (40% females and 60% males). Several tests were administered: a PROESC subtest, EVAPROMES and story writing. In addition, we collected the marks obtained in the previous year for the subject of Spanish language. Results: Spontaneous writing product quality was related to academic achievement in Spanish language, and metacognition, as measured by EVAPROMES, was the underlying variable that explained differences in the difficulty of the quality indicators. Discussion and conclusions: The differences observed in an analysis of indicators by educational level (primary vs compulsory secondary education) appeared to be due to the methodology employed by teachers in class and the standards required. Implementing spontaneous writing tasks that involve the application of metacognitive strategies (meta-writing) would exert a positive impact on students' academic performance.

This study extends the previous research on the structure of the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory (CFNI-84) by applying the bifactor model. The CFNI was administered to a large sample of Spanish women. The Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CFA) study in Spain supported the results obtained in the USA. A brief measure of the instrument (the CFNI-45r) is developed by eliminating the items which have a content overlap or non-salient factorial loading. With this brief version a competition took place among theoretically plausible models (the one-dimensional model, the one for independent factors, the one for correlated factors, the second-order one and the bifactor), and it was seen that the best fit was obtained from the bifactor model, that is, the existence of a general factor where the construct measured is developed. There is a discussion on the theoretical implications of this bifactor model which would support the original structure of the instrument with facets of the conformity to feminine norms which contribute to a general factor., Author(s): Marta Evelia Aparicio-García [sup.1] , Jesús María Alvarado-Izquierdo [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 0001 2157 7667, grid.4795.f, Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment II (Individual Differences and Work [...]

This study examined multimedia instruction (MI) effects on the development of the French prototypical and non-prototypical past forms among Hispanophone learners. During 4 weeks of classroom instruction, participants were exposed to MI in one of 4 conditions: learners at early stages of past-tense development received MI including prototypical (n = 12) or non-prototypical past-tense (n = 12) forms, and learners at late developmental stages were exposed to MI including non-prototypical (n = 17) or prototypical forms (n = 13). Before, immediately after, and 3 weeks after the experiment, participants completed 1 paper-and-pencil and 2 computerized tests. ANOVAs revealed past-tense growth among learners at early developmental stages only. Neither prototypical nor non-prototypical growth was documented among learners at late developmental stages. These findings highlight the need to consider MI design variations as learners' L2 grammar evolves.

Educational reforms and educational policy changes have favored the learning of English as a foreign language (EFL) in public education. Empirical research has examined how EFL specialist teachers in urban public schools perceive these changes or the extent to which they adopt a new curriculum. Nonetheless, the new EFL policies have also had an impact on rural schools where generalist teachers are forced to teach English along with other areas of the curriculum. In this context, little research has explored teachers' perceptions and appropriation of ongoing curricular changes. The present study explored this issue among generalist rural secondary school teachers in the southeast of Mexico. To this end, an explanatory sequential mixed method was adopted with a sample of 216 generalist teachers. During the quantitative phase, the participants completed two Likert scale questionnaires. Then, a semi-structured interview was conducted with a sub-sample of participants who obtained high (n = 7) or low (n = 7) results in the perceptions and appropriation questionnaires. The statistical analyses showed a weak but positive correlation between perceptions and appropriation. The qualitative data provide some insights that explain the weakness of the correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second language learning investment relates to the willingness and effort of learners to develop language competencies which will give them a good return in terms of personal or professional benefits. Research has often explored learning investment through learners in the target language context or language teachers. This study, however, explores learning investment with undergraduate learners who are obligated to learn English as a foreign language, regardless of their future profession. To this end, a Likert-scale questionnaire was first designed to examine four investment dimensions which have been identified in previous qualitative research: motivation, necessity, engagement and agency. For validity and reliability purposes, the questionnaire was administered to six second language research professors and 41 students who completed three compulsory English courses in a BA in Inclusive Education. Content, construct and convergent validity procedures were implemented to test the investment dimensions. Regarding reliability, equivalent forms were used to check the stability of answers and to avoid primacy and fatigue effects. In addition, internal consistency and inter-item correlations were checked through Cronbach Alpha coefficients. After the validity and reliability procedures, the four dimensions of learning investment were explored among the language learners. The statistical analyses revealed favorable motivation and engagement results. Nonetheless, they raised some concerns regarding necessity and agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Íkala: Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Alternativas: Cuadernos de Trabajo Social is the property of Alternativas: Cuadernos de Trabajo Social and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In many countries, English as a foreign/second language (L2) teaching has become compulsory in urban and rural public schools. In rural areas, the challenges for the implementation of this state-sanctioned policy have been explored among L2 teaching specialists. However, this mixed-methods study considered a different teacher group and examined the struggles and initiatives of generalist teachers who are obligated to teach English in rural schools. To this end, data were collected from 115 teachers in 17 rural secondary schools in the Southeast of Mexico. First, the participants completed a survey with closed-ended questions that elicited information about teacher education, teaching experience and knowledge of the rural school system. Then, a subsample of participants completed an individual thematized semi-structured interview. They were selected on the basis of L2 teacher education involvement. In the survey data, response patterns were identified using frequency analyses. The interview data were analyzed using categorical aggregation. The data revealed that the generalist teachers struggle with L2 professionalization, sociocultural and instructional challenges. Nonetheless, only few participants have been engaged in L2 teacher education which could help them overcome these challenges. Instead, they rely upon limited strategies to counteract the day-today challenges at the expense of effective L2 teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research has examined the classroom-based technologies that promote L2 learning among learners, who can be considered digital migrants. This mixed-method study, however, was conducted with digital natives and examined the technologies and technological features of educational resources appealing to them, in order to practice English outside of the classroom. The quantitative data were collected through a 35-question survey administered to 158 children (aged 9-11); they were enrolled in a private school in the Southeast of Mexico. The qualitative data were collected through individual interviews from a subsample of 15 learners, who exhibited positive or negative attitudes for technology in the survey. The data analyses revealed that children felt confident using a wide variety of technologies. Nonetheless, they rarely related the use of technology for L2 learning outside of the class. They opted for technological features that fostered L2 learning in line with the cognitive processes that characterize their age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The real time photodissociation dynamics of CH3I from the A band has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Femtosecond pump-probe experiments in combination with velocity map imaging have been carried out to measure the reaction times (clocking) of the different (nonadiabatic) channels of this photodissociation reaction yielding ground and spin-orbit excited states of the I fragment and vibrationless and vibrationally excited (symmetric stretch and umbrella modes) CH3 fragments. The measured reaction times have been rationalized by means of a wave packet calculation on the available ab initio potential energy surfaces for the system using a reduced dimensionality model. A 40 fs delay time has been found experimentally between the channels yielding vibrationless CH3(ν=0) and I(2P3/2) and I*(2P1/2) that is well reproduced by the calculations. However, the observed reduction in delay time between the I and I* channels when the CH3 fragment appears with one or two quanta of vibrational excitation in the umbrella mode is not well accounted for by the theoretical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable test scores are essential to interpret the results obtained in statistical analyses correctly. In this study, we used the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) as an example of a widely applied assessment instrument to analyze its metric quality in what is known as reliability generalization (RG). In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis of the correlations between character strengths and life satisfaction to examine the potential relationship between the reliability of test scores and the intensity of these correlations. The overall variability of alpha coefficients supports the argument that reliability is sample dependent. Indeed, there were statistically significant mean reliability differences for scores across the 24 scales, with the highest level of reliability observed for Creativity and the lowest for scores on Self-regulation. Significant moderators such as the standard deviation of the scores and the sample type contribute to understand the high variability observed in the reliability estimation. The second meta-analysis showed that Zest, Hope, Gratitude, Curiosity, and Love were the character strengths that were highly related to life satisfaction, while Modesty and Prudence were less related to life satisfaction. Furthermore, the high heterogeneity between samples might be an indicator of the relationship between the variability of reliability of character strengths' scores and the intensity of their correlations with life satisfaction. Those character strengths with high-potential RG are related or unrelated to life satisfaction, whereas character strengths with less-potential RG showed unstable correlation patterns. The results of both studies point out the role of the relationship between the reliability of test scores and substantive studies, such as Pearson's correlations meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology is the property of Editorial of the University of Almeria (Spain) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Laser ablation has several advantages over the chemical synthesis of nanoparticles due to its simplicity and because it is a faster and cleaner process. In this paper, we use femtosecond laser ablation to generate highly concentrated silver colloidal nanoparticle solutions. Those high concentrations usually lead to agglomeration of the nanoparticles, rendering the solution nearly useless. We employ two different organic stabilizers (hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB, and polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP) to avoid this problem and study their effect on the nanoparticle size distribution, structural characteristics, and the solution concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directed assembly of gold nanorods through the use of dithiolated molecular linkers is one of the most efficient methodologies for the morphologically controlled tip-to-tip assembly of this type of anisotropic nanocrystals. However, in a direct analogy to molecular polymerization synthesis, this process is characterized by difficulties in chain-growth control over nanoparticle oligomers. In particular, it is nearly impossible to favor the formation of one type of oligomer, making the methodology hard to use for actual applications in nanoplasmonics. We propose here a light-controlled synthetic procedure that allows obtaining selected plasmonic oligomers in high yield and with reaction times in the scale of minutes by irradiation with low fluence near-infrared (NIR) femtosecond laser pulses. Selective inhibition of the formation of gold nanorod n-mers (trimers) with a longitudinal localized surface plasmon in resonance with a 800 nm Ti:sapphire laser, allowed efficient trapping of the (n - 1)-mers (dimers) by hot spot mediated photothermal decomposition of the interparticle molecular linkers. Laser irradiation at higher energies produced near-field enhancement at the interparticle gaps, which is large enough to melt gold nanorod tips, offering a new pathway toward tip-to-tip welding of gold nanorod oligomers with a plasmonic response at the NIR. Thorough optical and electron microscopy characterization indicates that plasmonic oligomers can be selectively trapped and welded, which has been analyzed in terms of a model that predicts with reasonable accuracy the relative concentrations of the main plasmonic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of two types of Multimedia Instruction (MI) and learners' second language (L2) proficiency on language learning attitudes. During four weeks, university learners of French received MI on the distinctive use of the perfective and the imperfective past in one of the four following conditions: learners with low L2 proficiency level exposed to MI with (n=17) or without language awareness tasks (n=17), and learners with intermediate L2 proficiency level exposed to MI with (n=14) or without language awareness tasks (n=28). Before and after the experiment, participants completed the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). Non-parametric analyses revealed a positive enhancement of classroom-related attitudes only among intermediate learners exposed to MI without Language Awareness Tasks. Nevertheless, the results showed similar as well as stable attitudes towards language learning in all the experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]