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This research paper aims to show the panorama and scope of the current existing sex education practices carried out by the Costa Rican public universities. It analyzes different initiatives, its theoretical approaches that guide the actions, their purposes and other relevant aspects. The analysis includes secondary information as well as the point of view of students and university staff, as inputs for decision-making aimed at improving the overall education of young people. The findings take part of an exploratory research based on qualitative and quantitative methodologies based on gender and constructionism perspective. The information was gathered via the application of a questionnaire to a specific uneven stratified cluster groups, composed by 766 enrolled undergraduate students since first semester 2011 at Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. The statistical margin of error was 1.5% and the confidence level of 95%. In addition, two focus groups with students and depth interviews with 16 persons were made. Data were tabulated with CSPRO software and analyzed using R software. The findings suggest that Costa Rican universities recognize the importance of sex education as an essential part of overall development of students. Most of the initiatives are institutionalized; however, the lack of guidelines or policies on the subject, in most institutions, affects quality, consolidation and expansion of services. The need to strengthen and expand training activities on sexuality was identified as well. The students have a high opinion about the services offered, but few of them use these services, because they are perceived as less accessible and friendly. This paper concludes that it is a priority to maintain and strengthen existing initiatives on sexual education, so that they can effectively satisfy the needs of youth, with timely interventions and quality to enjoy a healthy and safe sexuality free from violence.

This research project revolves around the properties of text linguistics under a qualitative approach. The author analyzed drafts of a research paper by two university students as well as lesson plans and textbooks of high school Spanish Language and Literature courses and lesson plans of courses from the Licentiate degree in Education. According to the information from the drafts, students struggle with coherence and cohesion in writing; however, they succeed in choosing the correct language for the type of writing. Difficulties are most likely due to fact that this topic is not included in secondary education plans and is not commonly addressed in textbooks or university classes. In conclusion, teachers should include the properties of text linguistics in their lesson plans in order to help students overcome these difficulties.

Global trends in the 21st century highlight the importance and necessity of technology use for students to demonstrate their learning processes, thus facilitating their language learning in meaningful technological contexts (Eaton, 2010). This paper seeks to address some issues dealing with the importance of technology in relation to second language learning and teaching, including the benefits, challenges, considerations, and perceptions of teaching with technology. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it explores technology in education as it has been commonly construed, challenged, and used. Secondly, it presents technology in education ideas to second language learning, and discusses some benefits and challenges implicit in the interaction of both. Lastly, it shares ways in which the authors, all currently working in diverse educational contexts, have implemented some of the free resources that they collaboratively compiled in an online LiveBinder.

This project addresses the publications of a group of renowned authors in order to highlight important aspects to be considered by the Education Master’s Program in Higher Education and Teaching of the National University of Costa Rica as part of its improvement strategies in teacher education, taking into account the most recent tendencies related to internationalization, mobility, accreditation, academic management and shared leadership in higher education. The paper aims to portray a proposal that fulfills the needs of the Costa Rican master’s programs in higher education and teaching by approaching this country’s reality in terms of what the programs offer. It is a bibliographic research paper, which sources have been published for no longer than 10 years and are truly groundbreaking in regard to the graduate program trends that guide this production. Moreover, as part of the contextualization needed, all master’s degrees in higher education and teaching offered in the country are taken into consideration. As a result of this research, it can be concluded that these programs are pertinent, especially the one offered by the National University of Costa Rica, and it is evident that disseminating the program’s highlights and achievements through processes that respond to quality criteria for graduate programs truly needs to be encouraged.

This research paper aims to see to what extent a project of revitalization of playgrounds contributes to improving coexistence, conflict resolution, and the participation of boys and girls in sport and physical activities. The paper also aims to know the level of motivation and interest the project could have for the students. For this, after initial assessment, a project of revitalization of recreations was designed, and after a few days of training, it was implemented for a month in a primary school in Spain, with 179 students (98 boys and 81 girls) from 1 to 6 grades; it was carried out in the school playground during a 30-minute recess period. The project consisted of two phases of training; the first one explained different games through training days; the second phase featured free recreation and independent work. The project opted for a mixed methodology of collecting information; this methodology included an information questionnaire and participant observation. The study concludes by highlighting the students’ high interest and motivation, the increasing participation, both boys and girls in physical and sports activities, and the reduction of conflicts between students of the center.

From a critical and transformative approach, this essay presents inputs and relevant conclusions obtained during the first stage of the project Construyendo una propuesta de implementación del Programa Maestros Comunitarios (PMC), Code number 0166-15 DEB-UNA (UNA, DEB, s. f.), conducted in 2016. Considering our perspective as researchers and professors at División de Educación Básica, the paper addresses a current topic within the socio-educative field to face challenges of contemporary educational models in formal and non-formal areas of elementary education in the Costa Rican context. Our purpose is that students and teachers of the career program Pedagogía con énfasis en I y II ciclos de la Educación General Básica have an overview of the national, social, and educational reality in an attempt to involve them in applying pedagogical actions towards finding a solution to school dropouts at Escuela Finca Guararí, Heredia, Costa Rica. The essay describes the experience of teaching education students and their socio-educational action with the focus on the systematization of the experience in the initial stage of the project. Furthermore, the paper connects with emerging strategic knowledge areas at División de Educación Básica (DEB), such as social and community pedagogy in the context of the National University (UNA) of Costa Rica. It takes over a route already traced at DEB, which proposes more flexible and alternative pedagogic formats to promote educational equity and diversity issues. The paper describes the project background and a theoretical framework, as well as aspects that have been shared by the protagonist actors along the process: students-teachers, host teachers, supervisor professors, school children, and their parents at Escuela Finca Guararí. Conclusions address main results and facts during 2016 in order to show the viability of the project, which is conducted from a public university. Finally, the article also includes an overview of the project’s future in terms of its implementation in the Costa Rican context.

This paper studies the curricular orientation of technical and higher education focused on tourism in technical and public universities in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It also contrasts this orientation with the types of tourism development existing in that province. In addition, the article analyzes the existing relationship between the training, the teaching of tourism, the curricular contents at a technical and higher level, and the job possibilities of young people aged 16-25 in the labor market. Moreover, the paper contrasts the contents of tourism programs at a technical and higher level with the social needs of the region. This paper is based on the critical approaches to tourism development in Latin America and the sociocultural consequences on local people. Finally, it suggests some changes in the teaching of tourism in Guanacaste so that more critical and encompassing approaches to the study of the field can become possible.

This paper investigates the short and long-term pernicious impact of armed conflicts on education and educational agents (students, teachers and students’ parents), using a multivocal review by means of the integration and qualitative analysis of 60 research reports (voices) found in two databases: Web of Science and PROQUEST in the period between 1995 –date of the first founding paper- until 2014. Through the analysis of source data (voices) and taking the “multivocal review” as a method, the voices have been combined in nine categories, namely: a) Refusal and impediments to a return to education; b) Educational infrastructure damaged or destroyed; c) Cuts in or withdrawal of spending on education; d) Loss of the educational and protective functions of the family; e) Loss of the academic community; f) Non-qualified teaching staff; g) Drastic loss of skills; h) Abandoning school (population movements, destruction of networks and social environment); i) Behavioural problems: traumas, pedagogical roles and self-victimization. These categories have highlighted the serious consequences arising from conflicts, infringing as they do the most basic human rights and in particular the right to a sound education during childhood.

This paper aims to draw attention to the role that indigenous communities have historically fulfilled by practicing the values proposed in the Earth Charter upon its ancestral construction. The intention is to reflect on the fact that the principles stated in the Earth Charter have been intrinsically performed by these groups on a daily basis. That is, these groups become a role model because they respect life in all its diverse forms, promoting a democratic, participative, sustainable, and peaceful existence, which ensures, the balance of Earth to present and future generations. On the other hand, this paper analyzes the damage caused by human beings, through their unfriendly practices, to Latin American natural resources and therefore to the planet. Moreover, the human species is the only one able to reverse the damage caused. Based on this context, the hope is to place the human being as the center of the planetary system. This requires an education that raises awareness and contributes to the overall view of the problems and takes into account their short, medium, and long term consequences, not only for a community but also for the entire humankind.

The following paper is based on a research41 made on school environments that promote learning in children. Its objective was “to determine the physical and socio-emotional factors of school environments that promote learning.” To this end, the investigation had both an exploratory and descriptive approach in terms of the various physical and emotional elements that influence the classroom environment and, therefore, the learning process. In this paper, reference is made only to the data provided by the child population. Such group was comprised of 307 boys and girls of public schools from six provinces in the country, intentionally selected through coordination and negotiation with the authorities of schools that agreed to participate. The data collection instruments used were two questionnaires with closed and open questions, an anecdotal record, and a guide on which the observation technique was performed. The analysis of the information derived from the technique and instruments used was developed by complementing quantitative data with qualitative data. Emerging categories were created to interpret the latter. The information provided by the boys and girls will hopefully serve as input to raise awareness among universities, authorities and teachers about the imperative need for school environments that are aesthetic, pleasant, motivating, comfortable, clean and promote the emotional stability every human being requires for the learning process to be successful.

This paper points out the importance that, in the practice, the educational system gives to the academic talent, leaving in a second place other forms of talent, for example, those comprised in the multiple intelligence or emotional intelligence theories. The purpose of this paper is to present different underlying approaches of talent coexisting in education at various levels, demonstrating some of their potential implications in the educational practice and in the academic achievement of students. In this regard, the emergence of recent theories –as the multiple intelligence Gardner (2001), and the emotional intelligence Mayer and Salovey (1997) theories– has put into question the traditional intelligence approaches, which have influenced the concept and practice of teachers concerning a successful formal education. All of this tends to increase the gap between “smart” and “normal”, perpetuating the segregation culture through academic means. Based on this, this paper exposes the need to take into consideration the students’ different skills and talents when planning and evaluating the teaching-learning process, and enhance teaching training through didactic and evaluation methodologies to achieve such integration. For this, the present study provides some evaluation and classroom methodologies. The study also highlights the need to develop, systematize, and validate a broader range of teaching-learning methodologies that can be transmitted to the faculty, in order to gradually move towards a more inclusive, higher quality education.

This paper presents, as a reflective essay, the current educational situation of gifted students (with more intelligence than the average) in Latin America and the possibility of using skill-based education within differentiated programs (intended for gifted individuals), a sector where scarce scientific studies have been done and a consensus of an ideal educative model has not been reached yet. Currently these students, in general, lack of specialized educational assistance intended to identify and develop their cognitive abilities, so it is estimated that a high percentage (95%) of such population is not detected in the traditional education system. Although there are differentiated education models, they are rarely applied. A student-centered education program is a solution proposed to apply this pedagogical model and cover such population. The characteristics of this program that do support differentiated instruction for gifted individuals compatible with experiences in the US, Europe and Latin America are analyzed. Finally, this paper concludes with an analysis of possible research areas that, if explored in the future, would help us to find answers about the feasibility and relation between skill-based programs and differentiated education for gifted students.

Introduction. Sexuality and equality education are considered areas of relevant pedagogical research and intervention within current educational contexts in view of the violence and inequalities derived from the patriarchal system. Aims. This paper presents the main results of a research study that seeks to analyze the competence in sexuality and equality of university students during teacher training in Spain (Castilla la Mancha University). Method. For this, the study used a quantitative methodology and administered a nine-dimension questionnaire to 371 students. Results. The study revealed the weak acquisition of competence in sexuality and equality and the persistence of stereotyped images of sexualities. Furthermore, these findings show that future teachers have a weak equality-based professional practice due to an educational approach that lacks a gender perspective. Conclusions. The main conclusions highlight the evident formative needs in sexuality and equality and the absence of transforming feminist knowledge. All this can affect the development of quality education in sexuality and equality in students’ future educational practices.

Studies about school culture have made important contributions to understand what happens inside the school. Nevertheless, the way in which school culture is conceptualized varies significantly. Through a literature review from the 70s to the present day, this paper explores the different meanings adopted by the concept of school culture in the educational field. This paper is organized in four sections, and it begins with a description of the most common ways of defining school culture. This is followed by a review of the theoretical and methodological perspectives in which the concept is framed and used. Thirdly, the ways of organizing information on school culture used by researchers working from different theoretical perspectives are presented. Finally, two related concepts –school climate and school grammar, are reconsidered and compared to school culture. The information presented shows the different approaches used in studying school culture and the frequent overlapping with the concepts of school environment and school grammar. However, the ambiguity in the definition gives the concept of school culture a great theoretical potential by providing multiple tools to understand what happens inside schools.

These paper deals with peace education and the recognition of violence as a main problem towards the process of creating a culture of peace. The purpose of this essay is to generate a reflection about challenges –such as violence, faced by peace education in order to contribute to a process to create a culture of peace. It suggests peace education as a pedagogical process for learning how not to learn and practice violence and to practice how to live in peace in any kind of human relationship. This paper concludes that violence expressions –either structural, direct or cultural, that has affected children, women and young people in Latin America determine the achievement of their human rights and the creation of a Culture of Peace. Therefore, a transformation process becomes necessary -initially at individual level, in order to renew hope, recognize autonomy, construct life, think about the tenderness, and be solidary people.

This paper is a product of a research project conducted with the purpose of assessing the supervised practice that is part of the Pedagogy Study Programs (Camacho et al., 2014), and which involves faculty members, observers, and students. This paper focuses on the student point of view. The participants were students –of the Diploma Program in Preschool Education, Education for the 1st to 6th grades, and Teaching of English, and of the Bachelor’s Program in Special Education– who had just finished the supervised practice. A questionnaire was administered and a panel discussion was conducted to analyze the supervised practice from the student point of view. The main findings point out the importance of the process. The conclusions include a number of student concerns related to training requirements in order to undertake appropriately the supervised practice. In addition, student recommendations are provided to the study programs.

This paper is based on the premise that early stimulation is the appropriate program to start the integral care and education of newborns with Down Syndrome, with the primary objective being to optimize their cognitive, physical and socio-emotional capabilities. For this purpose, a naturalist paradigm and a descriptive case type approach were used, mainly with qualitative data related to the life stories of parents with Down Syndrome children. Parents (9 mothers and one father) participated voluntarily in the research project. One of the instruments used was the compilation of life histories, which were collected though interviews to parents and were systematized in the form of chronicles. Another instrument was phrases or sentences to fill in the blanks, which were used to know the deepest impressions experienced by parents before and after the birth of their Down Syndrome child. This paper is intended to provide support to those who experience daily situations similar to the ones mentioned here and, particularly to impact on the time management in the integral development of children with this condition.

This paper describes the action research process experienced with a family over one year and shows the work done by the father, the teacher and an autistic child. The question proposed was: How do parents and the teacher work together to have a positive impact on the humanizing educational process of an autistic child? The paper presents the reflections emerging from this experience, as well as the uncertainty and anxiety of a teacher who does not know where to start working with the family. The action research model was the means to work and find spaces to jointly search for an answer. Playing was the instrument used to mediate in these spaces between the teacher, the parent and the child. The analysis of the observations shows that joint learning is brought about in each session. This research project evidenced the importance of family involvement in educational environments, not merely as recipients but as participants in the process.

This paper is the result of a participatory action research project. It expresses my experiences with nine of the fourteen families of students attending the special education school where I work. Students are in Early Intervention (0-3 years old), Kinder Garden (3-6 and a half years old) and the first cycle of elementary school (6 years and 6 months to 9 years old). Six of the participating families included a father and a mother, while the other three only included the mother. I met six times with the families for afternoon coffee over the course of a year. These gatherings evidenced the need for synchronizing the work done at home with the work offered in the occupational therapy service of which I am in charge, in order to support families in developing their children’s every day skills. This involves a process of analysis and reflection, which leads to the transformation of those of us who lived this experience. The paper also presents the families’ reality first from their individual standpoint and later in synchronization with the group, change that was exhibited after sharing with the other families. Important findings include the need for having a stronger relationship between the school and the families, creating a space for emotional growth for parents, finding similarities between families that would motivate them to be more involved, taking advantage of time, creating personal space for reflection and, last but not least, daring to change.

This review paper discusses a topic of considerable importance for our society, which is environmental education and educational spaces, particularly when these elements are combined to achieve sustainability in society. The paper states that the current deterioration is guided by the countries’ urban and industrial progress and also indicates that it is in education, particularly in environmental education, and in educational spaces, where the medium will emerge to accommodate a social practice to achieve sustainable development.

This paper describes an action research process aimed at complementing the development of the project between the researcher and a team of 21 volunteers working with kids below the age of 9 at the Kadosh Ministry. The paper describes the journey taken, the actions accomplished, and the findings and learning experiences acquired regarding the integral development of children. The author also mentions the methodological implications of realizing this research project based on a naturalist paradigm stand point. Photo cameras, voice recorders and diverse written materials were used as instruments for collecting information. As part of the construction process associated to the researcher’s role, the process started from a vertical learning standpoint and later evolved towards an epistemological and ontological horizontal-circular relationship between participants, reflecting the new group intervention and interaction positions. These positions were not easy to establish but were achieved through dialog, friendship, conviviality and common interests. Acknowledging ourselves as participants of this process, as owners of knowledge and individuals capable of building paths has been the greatest learning experience and motivation to continue forward.

This paper is aimed at critically analyzing the implementation of a system based on competencies in the Spanish curriculum, more specifically in music education. Our current society, subject to vertiginous transformations, is demanding an effective educational response, as well as updated teaching and learning processes. In this context, this study has confirmed the need for both teachers and learners to acquire practical skills and to use active methodologies in the music field. Consequently, curricular contents will become of secondary importance and emphasis will be given to developing competencies that enable individuals to perform tasks and solve problems in real life situations. However, taking into account the importance still given to the traditional expository lecture approach, these changes raise questions about its viability in schools. Due to the inherent nature of music, working with competencies is more adequate in music than in other subjects, and, although its use is necessary to introduce students to music, reality is different than what is desired. The novelty of the topic and its practical implications make it a focus of interest for studies and reflections, like the one presented in this paper, in order to get a better understanding of this phenomenon and establish effective educational actions.

This paper shows the results of a diagnostic study conducted to learn the perceptions and opinions of a group of educators, families and child care centers about formal education during the first three years of life. The paper includes the pedagogic principles and practices considered important by the participants regarding attention, education and care for children 3 and younger. A qualitative approach was used to carry out the research because it allowed knowing the participants’ impressions and thoughts related to early education. Participants included pre-school and special education teachers with early stimulation expertise, families whose children were 0 to 3 years and child care centers that offer attention, education and care services for the aforementioned ages. The information was gathered through observation in the centers along with other instruments such as questionnaires and an observation guide with field notes. Data analysis has a descriptive scope and data triangulation of results is used to validate the study. Among the main conclusions it is determined that the educators, families and child care centers observed agree that quality affective and cognitive relations must be a priority within this age range. In addition, the educational environment must allow for the child’s development focusing on principles such as respect for his/her individual learning pace and daily life. This paper contributes to formulate pedagogic proposals for the education of children ages 0 to 3.

The following paper addresses, in an essay format, the topic of the emergence of a culture that includes the redeeming recreation of important elements such as freedom and responsibility from a practical point of view, as a collective life project, consistent with humanitarian ideals and values. This is an analytical paper based on questions pertaining to categories and assumptions such as leisure time, work, and capitalism, among others. The objective of this analysis is the deconstruction of myths that, in the light of the theory and the political philosophies resulting from the industrial revolution, subsume recreation as an activity. Myths do not only do this but limit recreation to time specificity, thwarting the possibility of happiness and the liberation of consciousness from a dehumanizing and dehumanized ideology.

This paper constitutes a literature review that evidences that competency acquisition in higher education has boomed in the XXI century and that one of the competencies developed is research. The objective of this paper is to prepare a theoretical systematization of the years 1999-2013 using the existing research projects regarding the acquisition and development of research competence in higher education, based on its concept and the relationships between each of its components and dimensions. The research methods used were historical-logical and analytic-synthetic and the technique used was the document analysis of 40 papers by authors from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The paper presents a pedagogical analysis of the results obtained, identifies strengths and weaknesses, and proposes a number of pedagogical considerations to be included in the acquisition and development of this competence. The main result obtained is that neither a professional nor a technological component has been fully integrated to the research competence structure.

This paper seeks to problematize some changes currently imposed on education, as part of the discussions on the deconstruction of colonized education versus a type of education denominated nurturing. From the perspective of the dialogue of knowledge and interculturality, the term nurturing highlights the mutual care and creation between human beings and uses a type of education that is developed in multiple spaces, as an expansion of knowledge conceived in the daily, social, historical and personal experience of the communities. From this premise, this paper has been woven using the threads of discourse, highlighting the words of Juan, a farmer in central Chile, since, from a Foucauldian proposition, strength and meaning of discourse are given by the positions of power; therefore, the authors take the challenge of putting into circulation the thought of a man immersed in the everyday world of the biotics.

This paper is based on the observation that fifth year Medicine students do not have enough skills in statistics, IT, or information management to adequately prepare and implement research projects. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to describe the experiences obtained by using the cooperative learning method and to present the results obtained by students in their research projects. In order to meet the proposed objectives the cooperative learning method was applied to several topics of the Public Health course in the Medical Program. Consequently, students were divided into five groups to interact with health care specialists and workers, workers from other sectors, and the general public. They identified the most urgent health problems in a participative manner and conducted a research project. The students’ acceptance of the method was evaluated using an exploratory statistical technique. As a result, students analyzed data, drew conclusions, and participated in debates having the professor as the facilitator and coordinator. All groups successfully presented the results of their research projects, which included 2 projects on the control of Dengue and the Aedes aegypti mosquito and 3 on potential maternal mortality risks. Surveys reflected acceptance of the method. The experiences obtained by using the cooperative learning technique and the results obtained by students in their projects are described; this experience should be systematized.

This article refers to the professional practice of Counseling with an intercultural perspective to face multicultural contexts. The paper reflects on coexistence as a social challenge in multicultural contexts and analyzes the importance of culture in the creation of personal identity, and the resulting need for it to be considered in every counseling action. Principles, purposes and characteristics of the intercultural perspective are presented as an integrative model for the attention of cultural diversity, as well as some arguments to define intercultural counseling. The attitude, knowledge and skills to be developed by counselors to be interculturally competent are also mentioned in the paper. In addition, the study lists all those skills that should be promoted in the counselor’s clients to create a positive coexisting interaction based on their differences.

This paper addresses a priority for student training in general and particularly for future engineers. Although this issue has been frequently addressed in recent years, proposals are still insufficient for engineering students. This paper is aimed at theoretically and empirically demonstrating the potential of continuing education as one of the key areas that engineering schools have for the comprehensive training of students. Preliminary results of a research project commissioned by the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica y Electrica-FIME) of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico, are presented to respond to the need to improve the learning process of students with a comprehensive approach. The research justification and some of the results obtained in the exploratory phase are also described.

The purpose of this paper is to explain a) the historical, organizational, and legislative efforts that have contributed to the development of the Rehabilitation Counseling profession, b) how these efforts have contributed to the development of the professional identity of the rehabilitation counselors and c) how these events have contributed to the development of programs and the provision of quality services to people with special needs in Puerto Rico. Through oral history and literature review, it is possible to recognize the importance of the establishment of the federal legislation that promoted the first program of services to people with special needs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Those legislative mandates have also promoted the development of the Rehabilitation Counseling profession in the 20th Century and the development of professional organizations that have been determinant for the professionalization. This paper illustrates how at the end of 1960, in Puerto Rico, the creation of the Rehabilitation Counselors Association (Asociación de Consejeros en Rehabilitación, ACER by its Spanish acronym) was critical for the transformation of the profession and for the creation of the Puerto Rico’s Professional Society of Rehabilitation Counselors (Colegio Profesional de los Consejeros en Rehabilitación de Puerto Rico) at the beginning of the 21st Century. The study refers to the subsequent legislative efforts and the approval of new mandates as the amendment to the Puerto Rican Law of Mental Health made to include the Rehabilitation Counseling professionals among the professionals authorized to provide such services to people with mental health conditions in the country. After this theoretical historical review, it is concluded that although more marketing is required in terms of promoting the profession, this innovative profession has kept up-to-date over time, and that is a guarantee of the professional commitment to continue providing quality services to the persons with special needs.Recibido 4 de julio de 2013 • Corregido 8 de agosto de 2013 • Aceptado 15 de agosto de 2013El propósito de este trabajo es presentar: a) los esfuerzos históricos, organizacionales y legislativos que han contribuido al desarrollo de la profesión de consejería en rehabilitación, b) cómo estos esfuerzos han aportado al desarrollo de la identidad profesional de los consejeros y consejeras en rehabilitación y c) cómo estos acontecimientos han contribuido a expandir el desarrollo de programas y la prestación de servicios de calidad para las personas con necesidades especiales en Puerto Rico. A través de la historia oral y la revisión de bibliografía se reconoce la importancia de la creación de la legislación federal que promovió el primer programa de servicios para personas con necesidades especiales en los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico. Estos mandatos legislativos también han promovido el desarrollo de la profesión de consejería en rehabilitación en el siglo XX y el desarrollo de las organizaciones profesionales determinantes en el establecimiento de la profesión. Se ilustra cómo, a finales de 1960 en Puerto Rico, la creación de la Asociación de Consejeros en Rehabilitación fue fundamental para la transformación de la profesión y la creación del Colegio de los Profesionales de la Consejería en Rehabilitación de Puerto Rico, a principios del siglo XXI, así como la contribución de un grupo de personas relacionadas con esta. Se presentan, además, los esfuerzos legislativos posteriores y la aprobación de nuevos mandatos, incluyendo la modificación de la Ley de Salud Mental de Puerto Rico para incorporar a este profesional entre los profesionales que prestan servicios a las personas con problemas de salud mental en el país. Después de esta revisión teórica e histórica se concluye que, si bien la profesión aún necesita más mercadeo, es una profesión de vanguardia que se ha ido actualizando con el tiempo, lo que garantiza el compromiso profesional de seguir ofreciendo servicios de calidad a las personas con necesidades especiales.

This scientific paper is the result of the pedagogical intervention process carried out as part of teacher training in the study programs of the Basic Education Division at Universidad Nacional (Costa Rica). It aims at bringing into focus the tasks of the supervised professional practice process conducted in the study program of “Pedagogy with a specialization in the 1st to 6th grades of the Basic General Education”, from the perspective of the coordinators of this process. The coordination tasks that are essential for the development and successful completion of the professional practice process are analyzed and systematized in three main areas: coordination, induction, and conclusion of the pedagogical intervention tasks. The opinions of students and faculty members are considered in the evaluation. One of the main contributions of this paper is calling attention to the pedagogical intervention process, which involves not only the joint preparation of a course program, but also a number of coordination strategies among the persons in charge of the pedagogical intervention to complete the process and take advantage of the practice to think carefully on the educational reality. This study has been also an opportunity of analysis and teamwork focused on continuous feedback to students and to the process itself, giving a new shape to the professional practice, and strengthening university training where the pedagogical intervention process of the Basic Education Division is a permanent research platform. Recibido 08 de abril de 2013 • Corregido 16 de agosto de 2013 • Aceptado 22 de agosto de 2013El presente artículo científico surge del proceso de intervención pedagógica (IP) que se realiza como parte de la formación docente en las carreras de la División de Educación Básica en la Universidad Nacional y pretende destacar las acciones del proceso de práctica profesional supervisada ejecutado en la carrera de Pedagogía con Énfasis en I y II Ciclo de la Educación General Básica, desde la visión de las académicas responsables de la coordinación de dicho proceso. Para ello, se comparte una serie de acciones de coordinación que requiere el proceso de práctica y que son fundamentales para su desarrollo y exitosa culminación. Se sistematizan en tres áreas principales con su correspondiente análisis: acciones de coordinación, acciones de inducción y acciones de cierre de la intervención pedagógica. Asimismo, se retoman las opiniones del estudiantado y profesorado de apoyo en la valoración de dichas acciones. Entre los principales aportes del artículo se destaca que el proceso de intervención pedagógica es mucho más que la formulación conjunta de un programa de curso o de instrumentos, ya que implica una serie de estrategias de coordinación entre las profesoras responsables de la intervención pedagógica, para complementar el proceso y permitir hacer de la práctica un espacio de aprovechamiento y reflexión sobre la realidad educativa. Se genera, además, el análisis y trabajo en equipo, para la constante retroalimentación del estudiantado y del mismo proceso, lo cual permite perfilar la práctica profesional renovada y fortalecer la formación universitaria, al ser el proceso de IP de la División de Educación Básica un espacio de investigación permanente.

Citizenship education is one of the most relevant topics in education. It comprises key aspects of the student’s personal and social behavior, and has significant points of convergence with other areas of the educational practice. Democracy is emphasized in this paper as an important feature of citizenship education, which requires special attention in terms of its socio-educational approach. Citizenship education may be studied from different scientific disciplines; in this case, the pedagogical approach is studied from the social perspective. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the theoretical basis on the subject matter of this project, through studies conducted in different contexts of the social sciences, underlining the importance of citizenship education today, regardless of the educational level in which it is taught. Analysis-synthesis and historical-logical methods were used to assess the background on the subject, obtaining results that could be developed in the educational institutions, in the future.Recibido 20 de mayo de 2012 • Corregido 17 de junio de 2013 • Aceptado 19 de junio de 2013La educación ciudadana es uno de los temas educativos de mayor actualidad, además de abordar aspectos esenciales de la dimensión personal y social del estudiante, posee puntos de contacto importantes con otras direcciones de la práctica educativa. En este artículo se enfatiza la democracia como cualidad importante de la educación ciudadana que requiere especial atención en su abordaje sociopedagógico. El tema de la educación ciudadana se afronta por diferentes disciplinas científicas, en este caso se acentúa el enfoque pedagógico desde una perspectiva social. El objetivo fundamental de este artículo de reflexión es argumentar los sustentos teóricos sobre esta temática, a través de estudios realizados en diferentes contextos desde el campo de las ciencias sociales, destacando la importancia que adquiere la educación ciudadana en la actualidad, independientemente del nivel educativo en el que se lleve a cabo. Para el cumplimiento del citado objetivo se usaron el método histórico-lógico y análisis-síntesis para valorar los antecedentes del tema abordado y de allí aportar elementos claves para su posible concreción en las instituciones educativas.

This paper refers to a crucial issue for higher education institutions. In Mexico, particularly, the collective work of academic bodies is an unresolved issue despite the efforts made in this regard. In this context, a well-founded systematic discussion is essential to understand the potential of these academic bodies on faculty strengthening and their subsequent impact on the quality of education. This paper presents the results of a research project conducted by FIME with the purpose of identifying the characteristics of its academic bodies as well as their current and potential condition. (1) Translator’s Note: FIME refers to the Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica (College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering).

This paper provides theoretical perspectives and the corresponding epistemological approaches on the study of disabilities. It explains diverse focuses to see disabilities from their different points of view; it also includes debates between those focuses. This paper contributes to a conceptual-theoretical clarification for the study and research on disabilities.

By presenting some of the ideas constructed on masculinity and femininity, this paper aims at clarifying such concepts, in plain language, from a critical –and gender-sensitive– point of view, and make such information available to a wider public, without undermining, however, the importance of conveying ideas in academic and scientific terms, as well. Therefore, its purpose is to clarify the nature of both concepts in the construction of the individual’s identity, particularly in the case of men whose identity is based on the rejection of femininity. This paper explains how such constructions are permeated by social mandates, which manifestation will depend on the culture. It also alerts us on the challenge of education in deconstructing gender-based stereotypes.

This paper analyzes the concept of constructive paranoia stated by journalist and author Andrés Oppenheimer to promote development in Latin America. Based on that concept, this paper discusses the effectiveness of current English Language Teaching, particularly, as well as what should be done in order to obtain better results. As a conclusion, a re-structure of approach, curriculum and methodology in teaching the language is proposed.

The purpose of this paper is to raise a debate on the urgent need for teachers to generate innovative situations in the teaching-learning process, in the field of Mathematics, as a way for students to develop logical reasoning and research skills applicable to everyday situations. It includes some statistical data and possible reasons for the poor performance and dissatisfaction of students towards Mathematics. Since teachers are called to offer meaningful and functional learning experiences to students, in order to promote the pleasure of learning, teacher training should include experiences that can be put into practice by teachers in the education centers. This paper includes a work proposal for Mathematics Teaching to generate discussion, curiosity and logical reasoning in students, together with the Mathematical problem solving study.

The ethical and social responsibility of citing the sources in a scientific or artistic work is undeniable. This paper explores, in a preliminary way, academic plagiarism in its various forms. It includes findings based on a forensic analysis. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness on the importance of considering these details when writing and publishing a text. Hopefully, this analysis may put the issue under discussion.

This paper explains how modernity develops its own form of education to achieve its objective of conquering nature, and the related environmental consequences. In this context, this paper proposes a new education nurtured from ecological knowledge, leaving behind the fragmentary and mechanic mission of the world –a characteristic of modernity– to promote an alternative awareness focused on a new way of relationships with our natural environment and other individuals.

This paper analyzes the political and ideological dimensions of disability, from a socio-critical approach, in order to identify key structural processes underlying the educational policies concerning disability. The paper compares the ideas and approaches of various authors, and points out the relevance of the topic to promote inclusive education in higher education.

En este artículo argumento, en primer lugar, que la identidad de quien investiga incide no solo en su forma de investigar, sino también en los procesos de formación de sus estudiantes y, por ende, en la formación de las futuras investigadoras y los futuros investigadores educativos. En segundo lugar, señalo que las instituciones educativas, así como sus docentes, juegan un rol central en la construcción de identidades. En tercer lugar, enfatizo que de esta responsabilidad no se eximen quienes se dedican a la investigación educativa, por lo que les invito a reflexionar sobre: ¿Cuáles son nuestras responsabilidades en el proceso de construcción de identidades? ¿Quién es el sujeto de la educación? ¿Quién es el sujeto de la investigación educativa y en ella?¿Cuán inclusivas son nuestras nociones de sujeto educativo y del sujeto empírico?Mediante el desarrollo y análisis de interrogantes sobre temas como: la relación sujeto-objeto; el sujeto en la investigación educativa; el aporte de la subjetividad; la contribución de la fenomenología; entre otros, argumento que: a) la autobiografía intelectual es un instrumento de gran potencialidad para comprender el tono y la dirección de un proceso investigativo y b) centrar la atención en las personas, en su historia, sus relaciones sociales y su ambiente, como sujetos actuantes y no solo como objetos de estudio es un movimiento epistémico, político y ético, puesto que reconoce la acción del sujeto en el mundo y sobre este. Por último, apelo a que las investigadoras y los investigadores cualitativos no solo deben comprender quiénes son, sino que también deben hacerlo explícito puesto que hay un condicionamiento ético que lo demanda. AbstractIn this paper I argue, first, that the identity of the researcher has an impact not only in the way she/he invThis article explains, in the first place, that the identity of the researcher not only influences his way to do research, but also the teaching processes and, therefore, training of future researchers. Secondly, it states that schools and teachers play a central role in the construction of identities. Third, this paper emphasizes that those engaged in educational research are not released from this responsibility, so this is an invitation to reflect on the following: What are our responsibilities in the process of identity construction? Who is the subject of education? Who is the subject of educational research? How inclusive is our notion of both the educational and the empirical subjects?Through the analysis of questions on topics such us: the subject-object relationship; the subject in educational research; the contribution of subjectivity; the contribution of phenomenology; among others, this paper explains that: a) the intellectual autobiography is a great potential instrument to understand the direction of a research process and b) focusing on people, their history, social relationships and environment, as subjects and not just as objects of study, is an epistemological, political and ethical movement, which recognizes the subject’s action in and on the world. Finally, this paper states that qualitative researchers should not only understand who they are, they are ethically obliged to make it explicitly.

In this paper I argue, first, that the identity of the researcher has an impact not only in the way she/he invThis article explains, in the first place, that the identity of the researcher not only influences his way to do research, but also the teaching processes and, therefore, training of future researchers. Secondly, it states that schools and teachers play a central role in the construction of identities. Third, this paper emphasizes that those engaged in educational research are not released from this responsibility, so this is an invitation to reflect on the following: What are our responsibilities in the process of identity construction? Who is the subject of education? Who is the subject of educational research? How inclusive is our notion of both the educational and the empirical subjects? Through the analysis of questions on topics such us: the subject-object relationship; the subject in educational research; the contribution of subjectivity; the contribution of phenomenology; among others, this paper explains that: a) the intellectual autobiography is a great potential instrument to understand the direction of a research process and b) focusing on people, their history, social relationships and environment, as subjects and not just as objects of study, is an epistemological, political and ethical movement, which recognizes the subject’s action in and on the world. Finally, this paper states that qualitative researchers should not only understand who they are, they are ethically obliged to make it explicitly.

The author develops the topic of appropriate teacher working conditions in the challenging 21st Century. The objective is the contextualization of the emergent society in the 21st Century; propose a review of the Latin American educational context and the working conditions of education professionals. Another objective is to review the working conditions of teachers in different educations systems, including Europe and Latin America, among others. The profile of the 21st Century educator is defined in this paper, in comparison to teachers in the traditional society. In addition, this paper includes some indicators of consensus in different educational realities, and their integration in the cognitive, operational and institutional areas. The main conclusions include the necessity of policy-making to support dignified teacher working conditions, which is basic for an inclusive education of quality, in accordance with the demands of a challenging emerging society. The author concludes that this issue does not come to an end; it must always be in the educational agenda of society.

Recibido 14 de abril de 2011 • Aceptado 26 de agosto de 2011 • Corregido 29 de agosto de 2011 Resumen. Se desarrolla el tema de las condiciones dignas de la labor docente en el desafiante siglo XXI. El objetivo recae en realizar una contextualización de la sociedad emergente en el siglo XXI, en general; así como plantear una revisión, en América Latina, del contexto educativo y de las mismas condiciones laborales del profesional de la educación. Otro objetivo es revisar las condiciones laborales en que se encuentran los educadores en distintos sistemas educativos, incluyendo realidades de Europa y América Latina, entre otras. En las principales ideas que se abordan, se define el perfil del educador de siglo XXI en comparación con el educador de la sociedad tradicional y se desarrollan algunos indicadores de consenso en distintas realidades educativas, así como su integración en tres grandes dimensiones: cognitivas, operativas e institucionales. Sobresale, entre las principales conclusiones, la determinación de políticas públicas que respalden las condiciones laborales en las que se desempeñe el docente de manera digna, lo cual se considera fundamental para una educación inclusiva de calidad, en armonía con las exigencias de la desafiante sociedad emergente. Concluye la autora que este tema es inacabado y debe ser una constante en las agendas educativas de las distintas sociedades. Abstract. The author develops the topic of appropriate teacher working conditions in the challenging 21st Century. The objective is the contextualization of the emergent society in the 21st Century; propose a review of the Latin American educational context and the working conditions of education professionals. Another objective is to review the working conditions of teachers in different educations systems, including Europe and Latin America, among others. The profile of the 21st Century educator is defined in this paper, in comparison to teachers in the traditional society. In addition, this paper includes some indicators of consensus in different educational realities, and their integration in the cognitive, operational and institutional areas. The main conclusions include the necessity of policy-making to support dignified teacher working conditions, which is basic for an inclusive education of quality, in accordance with the demands of a challenging emerging society. The author concludes that this issue does not come to an end; it must always be in the educational agenda of society.

This paper is about the Maleku, one of the indigenous languages that is still alive in the country; though the linguistic community that uses it, composed of less than 400 people, tends to reduce rapidly. There is a high risk that in the near future this language will disappear. This paper is the result of a research project that proposes the construction and implementation of learning strategies that would help to include the customs, traditions and the native language of the Malekus in the schools, to strengthen the identity and culture of this Costa Rican indigenous population. The research project includes a brief overview of the history and problems of the indigenous Maleku population, and an analysis on the importance of the language and oral expression. It also makes a review of how the indigenous languages in Costa Rican schools are currently taught. It later includes a diagnosis of the current situation of language from the perspective of different members of the Maleku community. This diagnosis is based on the research conducted and it will facilitate focusing on the integration of the Maleku and rural curriculums. Finally, there are some reflections about the bilingual intercultural education.

This paper summarizes the processes experienced and results obtained throughout a research-action carried out with professors, students and directors of the different areas of CEUArkos, a university center located in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México. Its purpose is building and taking into practice methodological strategies to put into operation transdisciplinarity and complexity in learning, teaching and research –as part of teaching– in all its baccalaureates, to set the wheels in motion for university education to move from disciplinarity to transdisciplinarity in all the study programs. The university curriculum is also analyzed in this paper.

Recibido 29 de noviembre de 2010 • Aceptado 09 de marzo de 2011 • Corregido 12 de abril de 2011 Resumen. El artículo resume los procesos vividos y los resultados obtenidos a través de una investigación-acción con actores (profesores, estudiantes y directivos) de las distintas áreas del CEUArkos de Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México. Su propósito es construir y llevar a la práctica estrategias metodológicas para operacionalizar la transdisciplinariedad y la complejidad en el aprendizaje, la enseñanza y la investigación –como parte de la docencia– en las licenciaturas de la institución, a fin de sentar las bases para el paso de una formación universitaria que transite de la disciplinariedad hacia la transdisciplinariedad en todas las carreras que la Universidad oferta. Aborda, asimismo, el tema del currículo universitario. Abstract. This paper summarizes the processes experienced and results obtained throughout a research-action carried out with professors, students and directors of the different areas of CEUArkos, a university center located in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México. Its purpose is building and taking into practice methodological strategies to put into operation transdisciplinarity and complexity in learning, teaching and research –as part of teaching– in all its baccalaureates, to set the wheels in motion for university education to move from disciplinarity to transdisciplinarity in all the study programs. The university curriculum is also analyzed in this paper.

This is a research-action type of experience in higher education lived by a “learning community” conformed by teachers and students whose aim is to become fostering agents for sustainable development. The experience was carried out as part of the plan for teacher training in Preschool Education. This paper is the authors' Final Graduation Paper, a requirement to obtain a Licentiate degree in Preschool Education at the University of Costa Rica. The research began with a diagnosis that would lead to the implementation of an action plan that was organized and carried out jointly by the students and their teachers. The project finished with the participants' acceptance of some “environmental commitments”.

This paper reflects on empirical elements derived from the work by Moreno, Torres and Jiménez (2014) entitled The Discourse of Dissertation Committee Members as a Means to Train Graduate Researchers, which is based on a research project whose object of study is the content and orientation of the messages received by doctoral education students from professors who made critical readings of their dissertation progress. This level of education was selected because practically all doctoral programs in Mexico are research oriented. Therefore, it is assumed that PhD students are trained to do research in a specific field of knowledge. Data, which was obtained from 101 reports written by 9 dissertation committee members for 60 students in two doctoral programs in education in Mexico, points out important matters that students can learn regarding how to conduct educational research and how to report it in a written text. These aspects are discussed in this paper in three areas of content, including parts of the discourse of the committee members.

During the last decade, higher education has tried to focus education on the achievement of professional skills. It is interesting to see how the learning strategies implemented may facilitate or make more difficult the achievement of competencies. By dealing with the challenge of a competency-based education approach, higher education points out the need of knowing how to build such competencies, i.e. how to design a learning strategy. Not much importance has been given to this issue, probably because the competencies can be confused with abilities, skills and attitudes and, therefore, the model can be associated to in- or out-of-classroom activities without a strategy to articulate the knowledge acquired with the cultural, social and economic contexts of the community and labor spheres, i.e., as a whole (Tobón, 2005). This paper analyzes the epistemological development of the competency-based approach in higher education, focusing on the implementation of professional competencies in the Sociology degree “Licenciatura en Sociología”, in two campuses of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California: Ensenada and Mexicali. This paper describes how competencies are built and explores different theoretical trends, their conceptualization and formation, based on in-depth interviews applied to students and teachers. It provides a mixed study to understand, based on the student’s point of view, the achievements of this study program in terms of professional competencies.