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This article demonstrates the validity and reliability of an instrument to evaluate the level of digital competence of Higher Education (HE) teachers in the use of digital resources in research work. The initial instrument was made up of a total of 22 items classified into four dimensions: (DIM. 1. Digital skills to search for information, manage it, analyze it and communicate results; DIM. 2. Digital ethics in digital research; DIM. 3. Digital flow in research work; DIM. 4. Anxiety towards the use of ICT resources for research). The instrument was applied to a final sample of 1709 teachers from different higher education institutions in Spain, from an initial sample of 1740. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha and composite reliability. To check the validity of the instrument, the validity of understanding and exploration of dimensionality was analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and the instrument was adjusted for the different models using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). IBM SPSS V.24 software was used for the AFE and AMOS V.24 software was used for the AFC. The result of the reliability analyzes were adequate and, in relation to construct validity, the results found a good fit of the model, both in internal validity and factorial invariance. The final version of the instrument consists of 12 items.

Over the past thirty years and with the rise of the digital society, the process of digital exclusion has become increasingly noticeable and represents a sub-type of social exclusion. Shaping digital competences in the era of the intensive development of the information society requires constant reflection on the effectiveness of such activities. This article looks at what kind of barriers are currently blocking the development of digital competences among older people. Using structured interviews, responses were obtained from 30 respondents in Poland, though the respondents themselves did not belong to the demographic of older people. The respondents identified eight main types of barriers to digital inclusion for older people: 1) Fear of new technologies, 2) No need to use ICT, 3) Self-marginalisation in the information society, 4) The characteristics of new media, 5) Attitude to Life-Long Learning, 6) Physical limitations, 7) Economic determinants, and 8) Infrastructural limitations. The results of the qualitative research provide a fresh look at the process of the formation of digital competence among vulnerable groups within the wider process of digital inclusion. This article is the result of an international project REMEDIS supported in Poland by the National Science Centre - NCN [021/03/Y/HS6/00275].

The Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS) is a self-report measure developed to identify the problematic use of mobile phones (PSU) among adults. The purpose of this study was to create an Italian version of this scale. A sample of 568 Italian adults completed the MPPUS, presented in association with another validated scale for the assessment of smartphone addiction.We carried out exploratory factor analyses on the MPPUS. Findings emphasised that the Italian version of the MPPUS fits a bi-factor model, in which the general factor ‘PSU’ was found, including two additional specific factors (i.e., ‘Withdrawal and social aspects’ and ‘Craving and escape from other problems’).The MPPUS was correlated with the Smartphone Addiction Scale short version. With respect to criterion-oriented validity, the MMPUS was also evaluated in relation to socio-demographic variables (i.e., age and gender). The internal consistency and temporal stability of the scales (test–retest assessment after three months) were confirmed.

Shaping the competences of future teachers in a way that is appropriate to the current stage of development of the information society is, in the post-COVID era, a topical and important subject. The accumulation of experience in recent years with the use of digital edtech has forced the search for optimal solutions to support the learning and teaching process. Among such (still undervalued) solutions are video tutorials. This article answers the three research questions: (1) What are the benefits of using video tutorials in education? (2) What difficulties do future teachers face when creating educational tutorials? (3) What key knowledge and skills are required of teachers who wish to create video tutorials? The study (qualitative, based on structured interviews) involved 16 pre-service teachers (Poland) who attended a course on the introduction to the use of information technology in 2022/2023 at one of the leading academic universities in Poland. The collected data, showing the complexity of the use of this type of edtech, provide not only a simple diagnosis regarding the processes of creating and using video tutorials by future generations of teachers, but also allow for the modernisation of academic programmes that prepare pedagogical graduates to work in an increasingly digitalised world of education.

The process of school digitalisation has been on the rise in recent years, but the relationship between technology and teachers has had a strong acceleration during the global pandemic due to the coronavirus disease 2019. 198 teachers from primary to high school fill a questionnaire about demographic variables (age, gender, education level, school level in which they teach and years of seniority at work), perceptions of using some digital tools and specific platforms before and during the pandemic (after the first lockdown), self-esteem, self-efficacy, cognitive flexibility, and burnout perceptions. A non-parametric analysis was first conducted with the application of the Wilcoxon test for paired measures. Subsequently, a MANOVA was applied to verify any differences between teachers belonging to different school levels and having different levels of seniority. According to literature we found that self-efficacy, self-esteem, cognitive flexibility, burnout and service seniority are influential factors for teachers' perceived digitalisation level.

Well-being is a multidimensional construct that affects various areas of a person’s life. In the university context, a student’s well-being can influence not only their academic and professional success but also the future development of society. This study aimed to evaluate how the interactions of time perspective (assessed by the Stanford Time Perspective Inventory—Short Form), self-efficacy (assessed by the General Self-efficacy Scale), self-regulation (assessed by the Self-regulated Knowledge Scale—University), and drop-out intention (assessed by the Intention to Drop-Out Scale) affect students’ perceptions of current and future well-being (assessed by the I COPPE Scale). Using a cross-sectional design, 192 students attending the University of Cagliari (Italy) were evaluated. A partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to examine the relationships among well-being and all the variables examined herein. The empirical findings highlighted the direct and indirect effects of the studied variables on students’ current and future well-being.

Preadolescence is a critical period, characterised by changes in physical, hormonal, cognitive, behavioural, and emotional development, as well as by changes in social and school relationships. These changes are accompanied by the transition from elementary school to middle school. The literature shows that this transition is one of the most stressful events for preadolescents, which can have a negative impact on their well-being. The main objectives of this review, focused on the school context, were to identify protective and risk factors influencing the well-being of preadolescent students and to describe the interventions implemented. A systematic search of peer-reviewed papers published between 2011 and 2021 was conducted following the PRISMA reporting guidelines. A total of 36 full-text articles met the inclusion criteria. Studies converge in identifying risk factors that may affect student well-being in this age group: individual factors (levels of emotional awareness and self-esteem) and relational factors (friendship, teachers’ and parents’ supporting actions and roles). Intervention programs are mainly focused on improving emotional and social regulation skills that also influence academic achievement. Our findings have important implications for both research and intervention in school settings.

Few studies have been conducted analyzing the experience of raising a gifted child. The present exploratory study focused on examining the profiles of a sample of 44 gifted children, exploring aspects related to health status, precociousness of development, and peculiarities of their potentiality and peculiar emotional profile. Through the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire and an in-depth interview, the experience of parents of gifted children was also analyzed, deepening the challenges they have to face and the educational strategies they implement. The evidence that emerged helps shed light on specific aspects that characterize gifted children and have implications for family educational practices.

What are the main learning difficulties or advantages encountered by students with learning disabilities (LDs) within e-environments? As a result of the Covid-19 emergency, e-learning is being increasingly used to support students’ learning processes. A number of countries closed their schools altogether, so face-to-face lessons were and have been replaced by distance lessons. A search of current literature via Scopus, Eric and Google Scholar electronic databases was conducted according to Prisma Guidelines. Other sources of literature were also considered, starting from the references in the full text of the articles consulted. We used the following search keywords: “LDs” combined with the “AND/OR” Boolean operator and “e-learning platforms,” “well-being,” “psychological factors,” “emotional distress,” and “self-regulation.” One body of literature highlights the lack of inclusive accessibility standards and a lack of attention to specific tools for addressing LDs, which causes students to develop high levels of stress/anxiety and emotional distress, in addition to low levels of well-being, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Another area of literature looks at how students can develop high levels of self-regulation and emotional awareness, as well as high levels of inclusion. Results are discussed in terms of the promotion of e-learning that focuses on the psychological well-being of students and teachers use of technological tools.

This study emphasizes the importance of analyzing factors that contribute to student well-being, as a result of the multiplicity of factors that can affect their quality of life (QoL). The literature indicates that, among these factors, emotional intelligence and self-regulation play a central role in influencing adolescents’ psychological and scholastic well-being. Technology is a fundamental aspect of adolescent life but addiction to the use of smartphones is increasing, which can affect both emotional intelligence and self-regulation, and in turn individual well-being and QoL. Therefore, this study explores the role of smartphone use with respect to these aspects. Participants were 215 Italian students attending middle school. By applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the results confirm that self-regulation affects the QoL of students, but its role varies according to the degree of smartphone addiction. In conclusion, we confirm the relevance of the relationship between self-regulation and smartphone addiction in teaching students to be aware of their time spent using smartphones. Emotional intelligence and, in general, self-regulation should be encouraged to support the well-being and QoL of students in their adolescence at school.

At the end of 2019, COVID-19 (an infective respiratory disease caused by SARSCoV-2) was discovered in Wuhan, China [...]