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Artificial Intelligence (AI) brings enormous opportunities into learning, teaching, and assessment processes. Among them, it is convenient to explore its ability to channel students' creativity, which is described as a basic competence in the training of people with both the OECD and the recent Spanish LOMLOE law pointing to the need to foster it in educational settings. In this context, the objective of this research is to explore the creative potential of prospective elementary school teachers related to storytelling, via a project including the rational use of AI generative tools. A combination of qualitative and quantitative instruments was used to get insight on the implications of those AI tools in the creative process and to gain understanding on the concerns of prospective teachers about AI at both their training and future teaching practice. The results show the potential of AI from an educational point of view, specially in self-assessment and co-evaluation processes, since it allows confronting not only the result of the creative task, but also the process itself by reflecting on the asked questions. Finally, the importance of continuing research on the ability to ask questions (a creative skill in itself) in the new context of AI is discussed.

Environments or learning spaces in school classrooms contribute to the improvement of educational processes. Specifically, in the Early Childhood Education, teachers can design learning spaces, which fosters an environment of safety and autonomy for the students of the Early Childhood Education. This study explores the teachers' narratives concerning the meanings they assign to the school space, the criteria by which they design and transform it, and its connection to model of educational. We have collected 34 stories of pre-primary education teachers through a semi-structured interview in which they had to reflect on this pedagogical design. As most relevant result we identify a model sustained under constructivist or cognitive criteria, rather than a dialogical one. We conclude that this epistemological perspective of the construction of the school environment should be oriented towards a more participatory and co-constructed model of the educational space.

The needs of the digital revolution and the knowledge-based economy impose a transformation of traditional education to improve technical and scientific knowledge and include alternative abilities. This work presents a service-learning initiative with multiple goals: to improve scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) knowledge at school, to enhance students' engagement, and to make people aware of the repercussions of poor indoor air quality. The initiative involves four actors: the administration which steers the initiative, students who are the receivers of the knowledge, teachers as facilitators of the activity and research centers as expert references. Within this service-learning initiative, a real-life project has been proposed, focusing on measuring carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) levels in classrooms and correlating them with indoor airborne infection transmission. Reference experts have developed two systems provided to teachers and students for project implementation. The project involves an engineering step where students set up the systems, and a scientific step where students hypothesize, develop experiments, analyse data, and communicate results gaining experience with the scientific method. Through the combined efforts and appropriate allocation of responsibilities, this experience has yielded excellent results in STEM knowledge transmission and has proven effective in fostering student commitment to their learning process.

Digital competence stands as a pivotal element in educational training across all levels, notably within higher education and particularly within the realm of initial teacher training. As prospective educators, these individuals bear the crucial responsibility of championing digital competences and integrating them into their teaching curricula. However, for this integration to materialize effectively, it becomes imperative for them to establish a robust framework for digital competence training. The linchpin of this preparation lies in DigCompEdu. This study adopts a correlational approach with a retrospective ex-post-facto design aimed at scrutinizing the digital competences among future teachers within the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Granada. Notably, the research uncovers intriguing insights: self-perceived digital competence exhibits variations based on the gender of the students, with men tending to display a more positive self-assessment in contrast to findings suggesting otherwise. Diverse perspectives exist among authors, some advocating for correlation while others refute it. Conversely, factors such as the academic course or degree do not seem to exert significant influence. A critical revelation surfaces from the majority of students at the Faculty of Education: their self-assessed digital competence level hovers around B1, an assessment considered inadequate for effectively imparting knowledge to future generations. This deficiency persists partly due to the absence of dedicated spaces and training opportunities in this domain, as perceived by students. However, nuances emerge based on the degree pursued, highlighting disparities in perceptions regarding this aspect. Ultimately, this research underscores the urgency to enhance digital competence training within initial teacher education, advocating for a more comprehensive approach to bridge the gap between perceived competence and the actual proficiency required to navigate the digital landscape in education effectively.

In at-risk areas of social exclusion, a higher number of adolescents drop out of school. Dropout from compulsory education and early school leaving are associated with unemployment, poverty, and greater health problems, posing a significant threat to the youth's development and wellbeing. Nevertheless, some students manage to pursue formal education even in high-risk areas, exhibiting resilience. Interwoven between the processes of risk and resilience, the students' identity development plays a vital role. The present study aimed to analyze the learner identity of students who exhibit a resilience trajectory in areas at risk of social exclusion, and its relation to the degree of risk they face, their academic experience, and their gender. The sample consisted of 132 students from at-risk neighborhoods in Spain who successfully completed compulsory secondary education and continued beyond that level. To measure their academic selves, a modified version of the Twenty Statement Test (TST) was used, which was analyzed using a category system that included four dimensions: organization of the self, emotional valence, plane of action, and thematic reference. The results indicate the participants primarily used personal, positive, evaluative self-descriptions related to the academic world, mostly based on effort. A higher degree of risk was associated to more self-descriptions referring good relationships with others and class attendance, while higher academic experience was associated to more independent selves. The study also found several gender differences. The implications of these findings for research and social intervention in at-risk contexts are discussed.

Background: Social isolation measures by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted teaching work. In an "Emergency Remote Teaching" (ERT) context, it is relevant to investigate the factors that affect teachers' self-efficacy. Methods: A total of 289 teachers from schools in southern Spain have participated in this study. They have been asked about their levels of burnout, engagement, and resilience. Comparisons were made by groups in accordance with sex, type of center they belonged to, school social context, and educational level in which the teacher taught. Using a Structural Equations Model, the multivariate relationships between the variables related to burnout, engagement, and resilience were described. Results: During the ERT, teachers' self-efficacy was influenced by the 3 factors: burnout--exhaustion and cynicism--engagement, and resilience. During the ERT, the teachers in semi-private and private centers showed greater self-efficacy. In turn, the teachers in childhood and primary education showed a significantly higher level of work engagement than the teachers in compulsory and post-compulsory secondary education. Conclusions: The results in relation to ERT are discussed in the context of the exceptionality and universal globality of the pandemic phenomenon and the complex self-perception of the social value of the teaching function.

Identifying a society's perceptions and, by extension, opinions of a certain social movement can help to understand to what extent the movement has been successful in effecting change. When working to gain such an understanding, a focus on the student population is essential, as their opinions provide insight into the future conditions of society and, thus, into whether the movement has been successful in effecting lasting social change. The present work focusses on the feminist movements and, in line with the above, analyses the perceptions held by a sample of 600 Spanish students enrolled in compulsory secondary, pre-university, and university education. The method employed begins with the use of association tests to extract lexical networks. Then, following a theoretical transformation, the traditional lexical availability index is applied in combination with fuzzy set theory to the sample of lists obtained so as to map the structure of the collective network, a novel approach that results in different levels of compatibility. The highest levels of compatibility reveal the prototypical conceptualisation as well as the sample's shared cognitive perception. The results suggest that although the population under study may have absorbed the feminist movements' messages of equality and respect, distorted perceptions could still remain in certain groups analysed. This work therefore recommends that education centres may wish to consider communicating objective information on the feminist movements specifically to women, as this could ultimately lead to all students fully embracing a feminist awareness distanced from extreme ideologies.

STEM education is present in most recent curriculum reforms around the world. One of the main novelties of this educational movement is the integration of engineering practices into science education. In the Spanish educational context, this implies an important challenge for science teachers. So, this study analyzes whether secondary science teachers are sufficiently prepared for this purpose, as well as to find out their experiences, emotions, and appraisals in this regard. To this end, a questionnaire was designed and administered to 328 secondary science teachers as a representative sample of science teachers in Spain with a confidence level of just over 93%. The reliability of the questionnaire was evidenced by the high degree of internal consistency of the data ([alpha] = 0.88). And its validity was determined by means of an exploratory factor analysis. The results reveal that secondary science teachers, in general, have low levels of pedagogical preparation and self-efficacy to integrate engineering practices into science classes, as well as a predominant emotion of insecurity about it. There is also a strong preference among teachers for this to be done in technology subjects. It is concluded that the effective integration of engineering practices into science education is currently a complex challenge that requires ad hoc teacher training plans.

Over the last decade, various entrepreneurial school practices have proliferated, including the creation of mini-companies. In the Spanish context, the Empresa Joven Europea (EJE) program has been the most widely employed educative program in this respect. Empresa Joven Europea is an educational program that proposes that secondary education students create and manage their own mini-businesses, thereby taking the legal form of a cooperative society and facilitating the acquisition of all basic educational skills through the cultivation of entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, there is still a gap between the theory and the practice of entrepreneurship education which, together with the conceptual expansion experienced in recent years, increases the need to assess the effectiveness of this type of programs. By means of an explanatory and cross-sectional study, we evaluated the impact of the program on the configuration of the entrepreneurial potential of the participating adolescents (N = 270). The analysis has been carried out utilizing PLS-SEM with SmartPLS software version 3.3.9 and SPSS version 25. None of the six hypotheses formulated have been confirmed, which means that the desired effects have not been achieved in any of the three variables under study: attitudes, knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills. Such results may be related to aspects of curricular organization, the type of experiences based on cooperatives, a certain structural and conceptual lack of definition of the pedagogical methodology used, and the development of skills linked to identity. Moreover, it is possible that, although it is not evident in the competencies acquired, the program has influenced the apperception of what it means to be an entrepreneur and of the creation of critical awareness, which is associated with entrepreneurial potential. Our study, in addition to opening suggestions for further research along the same lines, presents several implications related to administrative and organizational aspects, to the design of the different pedagogical elements of the programs and to the evaluative criterion adopted.

From the perspective of positive psychology, the study and measurement of subjective well-being has popularized a growing interest towards variables such as affective perception. In an attempt to explain and evaluate the affective structure in positive terms (PA) and negative terms (NA), PANASN affect scale (Sandín, 2003) constitutes the version adapted for children and teenagers of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson et al., 1988). Opposite to the confirmatory study made in teenagers by Sandín (2003), this paper proceeds to analyse the internal structure and reliability of the above mentioned questionnaire after being administered to 636 students aged between 6 and 14 years. An instrumental type of research methodology was carried out. The instrument used was the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children and Adolescents (PANASN). While confirmatory and exploratory analysis show an appropriate adjustment, these properties tend to fade when three or four factors are considered. In response to this, we reflect on the need to consider certain aspects of improvement in content and form, which are essential if we want to use said instrument with primary education students.

This article focused on the distance-learning context created by the COVID-19. The objectives were to assess the differences between highly-structured cooperative learning (HSCL) and individual learning (IL) in university students' content knowledge, and to assess the impact of the teacher's highly-structured instruction on the variables that mediate CL. Students enrolled in a teacher training programme (n = 201, M[subscript age] = 20.38±4.97) were classified in two groups. Participants in the HSCL group showed higher academic achievement. It was also observed that the HSCL environment was related to the five variables that mediate CL. These results identified three important considerations in university teaching: CL is a key competence that can have an impact on the students' learning process and it should be a key element in teacher-training programs; this competence should be incorporated by lecturers to deliver a structured learning process; and these objectives can be achieved in an online learning environment.

A shift from teaching to learn to learning to think is necessary to promote critical thinkers. Since teachers tend to replicate the educational models they have experienced as students, new references are needed. In order to address these concerns, we present an interdisciplinary intervention in initial teacher education and analyse its impact on teachers' critical thinking and awareness of the importance to promote it. The intervention is based on the potential of socio-scientific issues to support argumentation and provide meaningful contexts for graph interpretation. The content analysis of participants' responses before and after inquiring about climate change shows an increase in the level of argumentation and the capacity to read beyond data, providing evidence of the development of critical thinking. In addition, pre-service teachers explicitly refer to their future responsibility in preparing students to face current challenges, demonstrating awareness of the need to promote critical thinking.

Introduction: This study investigated the possible existence of differences in several domains or traits of the general construct of emotional intelligence between highly able children and their normotypically developing peers. Method: A group of children with high abilities and a group of children with average intellectual development completed at two different times an emotional quotient assessment scale EQ-i:YV. BarOn Emotional Intelligence Inventory: youth version. The total sample consisted of 187 Spanish minors, aged between 8 and 17 years. Of these, 118 participants belonged to the high ability group, 38 females and 80 males, with a mean age of 11.2 years. The normotypical development group consisted of 69 participants, of whom 23 were female and 46 were male, with an average age of 11.7 years. Results: On the one hand, it was found that children with high abilities had higher scores than their peers in the Adaptability subscale, and at the same time showed lower scores in Intrapersonal Intelligence and Mood. No differences were found in either Stress Management or Interpersonal Intelligence. Importantly, when the results were analysed from a general perspective without delving into each trait, the polarity of these differences (some being positive and others negative) cancelled out the overall appearance of differences, giving rise to the erroneous consideration of the absence of differences between groups. Discussion or Conclusion: These findings provide great value for breaking myths about high abilities and for guiding educational practice towards the development of useful educational and social programmes for the affective development of the population with high abilities, taking into account emotional strengths and weaknesses.

The attitude of the teaching staff is positioned as a fundamental aspect for the development of good training practices. These good practices are essential when applied within an innovative techno-pedagogical methodology: augmented reality in education. The objectives of this study are to analyze the development of good teaching practices with augmented reality and to discover the factors that influence their quality. A descriptive and correlational design has been carried out. A total of 1490 Spanish Secondary Education teachers have participated. The instrument used was the adaptation to the Spanish context of the questionnaire of the Attitude Scale of Augmented Reality Applications. The results reveal that teachers show a positive attitude towards the use of augmented reality. As for the aspects that influence the good attitude of teachers are age, the number of devices teachers use, the time they dedicate to technological resources and teaching experience. However, ICT training is what determines a direct influence on the attitude of teachers, as well as satisfaction with reliability.

The current paper reports on the results of a national research project investigating the use of didactic audiovisual translation (DAT) in foreign language teaching. Although previous research in this field concludes that there are positive outcomes in students' learning, most studies rely on small samples and analyse one language skill only. The TRADILEX project aims at examining the effect of several modes of audiovisual translation (AVT) -i.e., subtitling, dubbing, subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing, audio description and voiceover- in oral and written skills of university students learning English as a foreign language. This article assesses the effectiveness of a didactic proposal that includes 30 lesson plans through an intervention carried out with 566 participants from eight universities in Spain. The study relies on a quantitative design, and statistical tests (descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Test) were carried out to estimate the effect of DAT on oral and written reception and oral and written production of the students. Our results underline that there are statistically significant differences that confirm students improved in the four communicative skills in the foreign language. Besides, there is a positive evolution in students' achievement during the study, and participants report a favourable perception of the didactic intervention.

The use of technology in education has modified teaching and learning processes. New concepts such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are changing traditional learning. The purpose of STEM education is to prepare students for university engineering courses and higher technical education. The main aim of the study reported on here was to understand the influence of a STEM-based teaching process in different socio-educational dimensions. This was done by comparing the results achieved with a traditional expository teaching process with different groups of students. A quasi-experimental design was applied. A sample of 231 Spanish students from the first year of secondary education (ESO) was chosen. The results show that the STEM approach was significant in all the dimensions of study and, according to teachers, was more influential for student motivation and grades. The results also show that the STEM teaching approach was significant in all the dimensions of study. These dimensions are motivation; teacher-student, student-content and student-student interactions; autonomy; collaboration; depth of content; resolution of problems; class time, student ratings; and teacher ratings. According to teachers, the strongest influence was on the students' motivation and qualifications.

This study examines future teachers' self-perception regarding competences related to the environmental impact of digital technologies. The sample includes 1948 participants (235 men and 1713 women) selected through incidental sampling from the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Seville. The validated instrument used was the Teacher's Digital Competence and Eco-responsible Use of Technology Scale. Results indicated that the participants had received less than optimal training and had limited knowledge about technologies and their environmental impact. The study concludes that it is necessary to establish training on the development of environmental competences and their link to educational technologies, starting from the institution, with the aim of guaranteeing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Inclusive education is a challenge that requires appropriate attitudes in trainee and working teachers. If the influential factors for these attitudes are known, it is possible to enhance them to achieve a training programme focused on quality professional activity. In this sense, the current study revealed and corroborated the attitudinal characterisation around educative inclusion of two groups that are traditionally not researched jointly: working teachers and students about to graduate as Preschool Education or Primary Education teachers. The quantitative method was employed for this purpose, delivering a multiple transversal study: firstly, descriptive, and secondly, relational. The data were compiled through two standardised and validated scales for the research context, determined by the location of the three campuses of the University of Granada. Through the statistical analysis, the results generally demonstrated that the attitudes were significantly different in both groups, although an acceptable attitude was inferred (and indubitably improvable) in both; it was more favourable among female participants, as well as among those who were specialising or were already specialists in Preschool Education. Therefore, it is imperative to develop optimal attitudes among the implicated agents in inclusive education.

Messaging platforms are applications, generally mediated by an app, desktop program or the web, mainly used for synchronous communication among users. As such, they have been widely adopted officially by higher education establishments, after little or no study of their impact and perception by the teachers. We think that the introduction of these new tools and the opportunities and challenges they have needs to be studied carefully in order to adopt the model, as well as the tool, that is the most adequate for all parties involved. We already studied the perception of these tools by students, in this paper we examine the teachers' experiences and perceptions through a survey that we validated with peers, and what they think these tools should make or serve so that it enhances students learning and helps them achieve their learning objectives. The survey has been distributed among tertiary education teachers, both in universitary and other kind of tertiary establishments, based in Spain (mainly) and Spanish-speaking countries. We have focused on collecting teachers' preferences and opinions on the introduction of messaging platforms in their day-to-day work, as well as other services attached to them, such as chatbots. What we intend with this survey is to understand their needs and to gather information about the various educational use cases where these tools could be valuable. In addition, an analysis of how and when teachers' opinions towards the use of these tools varies across gender, experience, and their discipline of specialization is presented. The key findings of this study highlight the factors that can contribute to the advancement of the adoption of messaging platforms and chatbots in higher education institutions to achieve the desired learning outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge to universities. It forced them to face the urgent need to rapidly transform their traditional onsite teaching into an emergency remote teaching (ERT) model rather than being able to gradually introduce an effective transition to an online model. Based on a sample of 505 students enrolled in the course on Work Organization at the University of Murcia in Spain, this study analyzes the impact of implementing an ERT model on students' academic performance. Results show that students display superior academic performance in an onsite teaching-learning model compared to the online ones adopted during COVID-19. Findings also reveal that students' self-assessment activities enhance their academic performance--both in onsite and online teaching contexts--which implies that ERT model performance can be alleviated by adequately planning self-assessment activities during the course.

Previous research has highlighted positive associations between teacher transformational leadership and student enjoyment in school. However, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the mediating effect that motivational orientation has on the relationships between transformational leadership and enjoyment in physical education classes. Given that an affinity for physical education fosters healthy behaviors among adolescents outside of school, this study explores the relationships between teachers' transformational leadership style and enjoyment experienced by students in physical education, examining the mediating role played by motivational orientation in these relationships. A total sample of 478 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (mean = 14.55; standard deviation = 1.11) participated. To assess the study variables, the Transformational Teaching Questionnaire, the Task and Ego Orientation in Sports Questionnaire, and the Sport Satisfaction Instrument in Physical Education were used. The findings from the applied structural equation model revealed a significant and positive relationship between teachers' transformational leadership style and students' perceived satisfaction, while negative relationships were observed with feelings of boredom. Additionally, positive connections were established between task orientation and enjoyment, along with negative associations with boredom. Indirect effects were also found between a transformational leadership style and both enjoyment and boredom, mediated by the variable task motivational orientation. These results underscore the importance of evaluating both students' motivational factors and their perceptions of teachers, since they may interact with each other to determine their school satisfaction. Consequently, teachers may need to modify their behavior to improve their interactions with students and increase the chances of adherence to physical activity.

Basic science process skills (SPSs) constitute a key dimension of the scientific competence that should be developed from an early age. Therefore, preservice elementary teachers (PETs) who are preparing to teach science should have a sufficient mastery about it. This study presents a questionnaire that allows gradual levels of performance in SPSs to be established regarding formulating questions and hypotheses, identifying variables, measurement, planning an inquiry, and interpreting data. The questionnaire was validated in three phases: 1) during its design, with the external collaboration of a panel of experts, 2) by piloting of a draft versions of the questionnaire on a small sample of PETs, and 3) by applying the questionnaire to a sample of 435 PETs. Data analysis indicated that these were acceptably reliable, and the validity of the questionnaire was also verified. They also revealed the PETs' deficient levels of SPSs. This was especially so regarding identifying suitable questions for school inquiry, understanding precision in measurement, and interpreting data in a table. There was further support for the validity of the questionnaire and the reliability of the outcomes in that it corroborated other results in the literature on the subject that were obtained with different tools and methods.

This work is devoted to exploring proof abilities in Graph Theory of undergraduate students of the Degree in Computer Engineering and Technology of the University of Seville. To do this, we have designed a questionnaire consisting of five open-ended items that serve as instrument to collect data concerning their proof skills when dealing with graphs. We have thus analysed them adapting the methodology for computing the degrees of acquisition of the Van Hiele levels. Our analysis leads to different proof profiles of Graph Theory students whose characteristics provide empirical support to consider proof levels in Graph Theory from the perspective of the Van Hiele model.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is being immersed in people's daily lives at an increasingly younger age. It has been key for adolescents to pursue distance education, and their use and mastery of technological means and tools with Internet access has increased. In this study, the motivation, specifically in the interest, digital competence, autonomy, and social interaction, generated by ICTs in the daily lives of adolescents during the pandemic caused by COVID-19 was analyzed. In the study, the objective was to study the motivation, use and commitment generated by ICTs in these students in relation to their gender and age after their confinement to the classroom caused by the first wave of incoming students. An experimental method of descriptive and correlative design was used along with a quantitative method to analyze the data. The data were obtained in the year 2020 through a validated questionnaire committed to the ICT scale used by PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). A total of 924 students from the sixth grade of primary education in the autonomous city of Ceuta (Spain), aged between 10 and 13, participated in the sample. The results reveal that the motivation and commitment to ICT in these age groups were medium in relation to the total mean of results on a Likert-5 scale. Boys scored higher in all the variables analyzed, and both age and gender show correlations, in addition to the factor of prediction. In conclusion, students in the sixth year of primary education, after the confinement period, were medium-high in their use and engagement of ICT. In addition, gender and age affected ICT use and engagement.

Background: The present study analyses the design of programming literacy in the sixth grade of Primary Education, starting from the use of simple activities with visual block-based programming, through "Scratch," and progressively linking difficulty to the use of the "Unity" engine, and the "C#" language, with simple activities identical to those created in "Scratch." Objectives: This research aims to evaluate future teachers' abilities and attitudes regarding programming and its educational possibilities. We intend to evaluate the viability of a teaching proposal that combines a visual block-based programming environment and a more advanced one, based on C#. Method: In the settings of two public Spanish universities, we analyse the possibilities in the training of future teachers who are studying for a degree in Primary Education Teaching and a degree in Pedagogy. Based on a test and three scales, descriptive data and statistical inference are detailed through a quasi-experimental design with a Student's t-test in the first dimension, and a Wilcoxon test in the second dimension. Results: The participants improved their performance and attitudes towards programming with the intervention of the study in the use of coding. Conclusions: It can be concluded that coding is essential in teacher training, and that a greater presence of programming training in higher education is essential. The benefits are visible in the pedagogical approach of coding related to creativity, innovation, motivation, an active approach and interest, highlighting the fact that the implementation of visual block-based programming by blocks and engines is feasible in Elementary Education. The training proposal--provided by appropriate progression, selection, and sequencing of content--fosters basic and practical teacher training, and this can be defined as an apt training solution.

The intent of this study was to determine the prevalence of formal lesson plan development as well as examine assessment practices (i.e. frequency of assessment; types of assessment tools most commonly utilized; aspects of physical education most commonly assessed) among physical education teachers in Spain. Furthermore, this study investigated relationships between physical educators' (1) years of teaching experience and (2) teaching level (primary school vs. secondary school), with both their frequency of formal lesson planning and their assessment practices. The standardized and validated PROAFIDE questionnaire was completed by 499 physical educators presently teaching at either the primary or secondary school level. Results indicated that the vast majority of study participants utilize detailed written lesson plans and perform regular assessments. The percentage of use was found to rise among teachers with increased teaching experience, and among those who were teaching at secondary school. The most commonly used assessment instruments were found to be tests, specifically personally made tests and pre-existing batteries of tests (e.g. Eurofit Fitness Testing Battery). The least used assessment instrument was found to be homework. For all the various assessment tools, it was found that attitudinal aspects were assessed more commonly than physical, cognitive, technical, and tactical aspects. Future research needs to investigate the implications of regular planning and assessment, or lack thereof, on actual practice.

A deeper understanding of what factors influence metacognition has never become more pressing than in today's digital era, in which information flows constantly and quickly. To this end, the present study explored the role of culture in mediating how individuals experience metacognitive phenomena. For this purpose, the International Group on Metacognition (IGM) developed a rigorous standard international protocol to measure metacognition in Spanish-speaking university students (N = 1,461) in 12 cultures in Latin-America and Spain, employing both a subjective measure of metacognitive awareness (the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory [MAI]) and various metrics of objective metacognitive monitoring across three domains of learning--vocabulary, probabilities (mathematical reasoning), and paper folding (visual-spatial reasoning). Data were subsequently compared across the various cultures with subjective metacognitive awareness and the raw frequencies of the four mutually exclusive cells of the 2 × 2 performance/judgment array as outcomes. Results revealed significant differences regarding both macro-level components of subjective metacognitive awareness, knowledge and regulation of cognition. Further, significant and meaningful differences emerged for the raw frequencies of the four mutually exclusive cells as a function of culture, especially for vocabulary, in which differences among cultures emerged for all four cells. Implications for metacognitive research, theory, and practice are discussed.

In recent years, the rapid growth of information and communication technologies and social networks has radically changed our lives. The digital revolution has had a positive impact on all areas of society, especially in education, allowing students to improve their communication and language skills. Today, knowledge is on the web and teachers are the ones in charge of guiding the students in their learning process. For this reason, the teachers' work is more important than ever; their role needs to be reconsidered and they must be ready for the challenges of a digital education. This study aims to be a tool to guide their steps towards a teaching prepared for society challenges, in which, as we have seen in recent years, at any time face-to-face teaching can falter. Teachers must make an effort and prepare themselves for the teaching of the future. Methodology, resources, tools and even evaluation must be adapted to the new era. This paper focuses on the integration of digital tools in English as a foreign language classroom. Its main objective is to design a program based on the development of digital competences of English language teachers. To this end, the evolution of the use of digital tools in the educational field and more specifically in the teaching of foreign languages will be scrutinized, analyzing the main advantages and disadvantages of their integration in the classroom. As for the program, the starting point will be an initial assessment based on the collection of information through a questionnaire to assess the digital competence of teachers. Moreover, activities aimed at teachers of our school English department are developed in order to put into practice the tools that will be analyzed throughout the program.

Different methodologies have arisen in the last century, and all of them advocate for a change of the traditional method. In this paper, Inquiry-Based Learning is introduced in an experimental group (17 students) to see the different results of children following this innovative method as compared to the control group (16 students) that followed the traditional method. The participants of the study are doing the third year of Primary Education in Spain. The assessment results showed that although just after the post-test both groups did not have significant differences, they became more prominent when the test was repeated in a couple of weeks. This suggests that inquiry-based learning is a better methodology to teach Science due to the students' significant learning, their interest and motivation, and the academic results achieved. The biggest problem we are concerned with is if children acquire the knowledge or it is just because they study to pass the exams.

The objective of this research was to analyze the mediation of academic engagement and the satisfaction of basic needs between teaching styles and academic confidence amongst teachers during initial training. The research design was observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and non-randomized. In total, 920 university students in initial teacher training participated (61.85% women) (M[subscript age] = 24.73; SD = 5.34). The scales of interpersonal teaching styles, the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, academic engagement, and academic confidence were used, and a structural equation analysis with latent variables was carried out. The results highlight the important mediating role played by the satisfaction of basic psychological needs between the autonomous support style and the academic confidence of the trainee teachers. This research also highlights the importance, both for teachers and researchers, of using an autonomous support style, as well as the creation of a context for encouraging the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, to promote academic confidence in initial teacher training programs at university.

Video game use is widespread among all age groups, from young children to older adults. The wide variety of video game genres, which are adapted to all tastes and needs, is one of the factors that makes them so attractive. In many cases, video games function as an outlet for stress associated with everyday life by providing an escape from reality. We took advantage of this recreational aspect of video games when investigating whether there are similarities between the procedures used to pass a video game level and those used to solve a mathematical problem. Moreover, we also questioned whether the use of video games can reduce the negative emotions generated by mathematical problems and logical-mathematical knowledge in general. To verify this, we used the Portal 2 video game as a research method or tool. This video game features concepts from the spatial-geometric field that the students must identify and relate in order to carry out the procedures required to solve challenges in each level. The procedures were recorded in a questionnaire that was separated into two blocks of content in order to compare them with the procedures used to solve mathematical problems. The first block pertains to the procedures employed and the second block to the emotions that the students experienced when playing the video game and when solving a mathematical problem. The results reveal that the recreational aspect of video games is more important than the educational aspect. However, the students were not aware of using the problem-solving procedures they learned at school to solve different challenges in the video games. Furthermore, overcoming video game challenges stimulates positive emotions as opposed to the negative emotions generated when solving mathematical problems.

Distributed and pedagogical leadership plays a key role in the creation and upholding of inclusive school practices as a strategy for improvement and success in the management of quality education for students. Aims: describe, through an inclusive perspective, the actions and initiatives implemented to promote attention to diversity by school leadership teams, from the point of view of families. Methodology: Descriptive-exploratory design with a cross-sectional, quantitative focus. Sample: 25 schools (public schools, N = 18, and charter schools, N = 7) with 631 families. These families completed the questionnaire, "Leading inclusive education in compulsory-education schools-families". Results: identifying actions and strategies aimed at the prevention of truancy through a school environment that generates respect, recognition and appreciation of the different needs of their students. Conclusions: Actions taken are advancing the development of a school culture where the family plays a key role. Some of the actions implemented focus on respecting the different needs of students and the educational community in order to develop an inclusive school climate. However, schools should both make families aware of the importance and benefits and promote the participation of students and the educational community in the school.

This research analyzes the level of social responsibility of undergraduate students in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from several Spanish universities (n=572). This analysis is considered a topic of interest for society which needs citizens who work ethically responsible and committed. Aspect that is especially relevant when it is talking about the teacher's professional work. The methodology used is quantitative, specifically, descriptive-correlational. In the collection of data, the research instrument is the 'Questionnaire of Social Responsibility of the University'. A descriptive analysis of data is performed; variables that predict the global evaluation of the student's level of social responsibility and a multiple linear regression are explored. Results show very positive values in all dimensions of the questionnaire (commitment to others and the environment, personal discovery of values, social responsibility training and approach to professional practice from social commitment). It is interesting to note that the level of global social responsibility of the student has been significantly associated with high levels of commitment to others and the environment, the personal discovery of values and the formation of social responsibility. Finally, social responsibility is necessary to legitimize the function of higher education and the knowledge it transmits to students.

The objective of this study was to promote the use of metaphorical stories based on classical Greek myths in academic teacher training. The aim is to favour processes of personal assemblage and the constitution of teacher identity. Based on 8 classical myths, 4 of them featuring a female character and another 4 a male character, the group of participants narrated positive as well as disappointing experiences they had lived through during their academic training. Moreover, they selected the myths, among those proposed, that provided the metaphors that best described their specific personal trajectories. Adopting a qualitative approach, we followed a narrative-biographical tradition and collected 37 stories. This narrative corpus was analysed using the AQUAD software. The results showed that classical Greek myths contain and provide a powerful and illuminating narrative scaffolding, helping students to adopt a different perspective in the narration of their own academic trajectories. The myths equally helped them to become more aware of the most genuine life and personal experiences that shaped their own teacher identity.

The contexts of social and political polarization are generating new forms of communication that affect the digital public sphere. In these environments, different social and political actors contribute to extreme their positions, using bots to create spaces for social distancing where hate speech and incivility have a place, a phenomenon that worries scientists and experts. The main objective of this research is to analyze the role that these automated agents played in the debate on social networks about the Spanish Government's management of the global COVID-19 pandemic. For this, "Social Big Data Analysis" techniques were applied: machine learning algorithms to know the positioning of users; bot detection algorithms; "topic modeling" techniques to learn about the topics of the debate on the web, and sentiment analysis. We used a database comprised of Twitter messages published during the confinement, as a result of the Spanish state of alarm. The main conclusion is that the bots could have served to design a political propaganda campaign initiated by traditional actors with the aim of increasing tension in an environment of social emergency. It is argued that, although these agents are not the only actors that increase polarization, they do contribute to deepening the debate on certain key issues, increasing negativity.

The increase in childhood obesity requires the incorporation of nutritional competence into school programs through appropriate activities, starting in the early years. In addition, it is important to promote scientific and cognitive skills during childhood education. The main objective of this study was the implementation of an instructional sequence focused on the learning of skills such as observation, measurement, or interpretation of data related to plants, their germination, and their growth, as well as its relation with the development of food competence. To do so, a set of differentiated activities, organized into several stages, was designed, starting from simple and concrete situations and progressively increasing in complexity and abstraction. The aims were to express ideas about known fruits, vegetables, and legumes in order to expand them by learning new information through student-centered activities, in which children were able to practice and talk about science. The activities were carried out in a class of 24 students aged 4-5 years and data were compared with a control group. The results revealed that the children were motivated in all the activities, which provided an excellent opportunity to initially develop an interest in science and to start to develop food competence in the early years.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyse comparatively, at regional level, the current state of a wide range of indicators of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Spain. This will make it possible to characterise and better understand the existence of a variety of regional VET systems, including the Initial VET and Continuous VET subsystems within Spain, doing so under a multidimensional approach examining VET supply and demand. Methods: Systemic analysis of Spanish VET indicators leads to a selection of 54 indicators, which are then compared at regional level using k-means clustering. This approach identifies similarities and differences (clusters) across all of Spain's 17 autonomous communities (Spanish regions). The correlation between the variables is then analysed to examine the interaction between the VET system's supply and demand dimensions. Findings: The results show that 19 indicators explain the main differences between autonomous communities, which form two distinct clusters. Both VET supply and VET environment and demand influence cluster formation and intercluster differences. In the set of indicators that differentiate the two clusters of autonomous communities, close interaction is detected between certain indicators of VET supply and demand, especially those referring to the STEM occupational group, which confirms the correlation between these dimensions, albeit to a limited extent. Conclusions: While it is necessary to analyse the differences between clusters in greater depth, the results suggest that Spain's regions are split into two distinct groups (clusters) in which the respective VET systems are developing and advancing differently. Moreover, there is evidence of a small number of significant interrelations between indicators of VET supply and demand, which point to both the VET system's specialisation and its inclusive nature.

Flipped learning is a didactic method that requires the teacher to have a series of competences for its application. The aim of this research is to analyse the abilities of Spanish teachers of Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) to develop good practices in flipped learning and to discover the factors which influence the development of good practices in these teachers. The research method is based on a quantitative methodology with a descriptive and correlational design. A total of 1,743 teachers in Spain participated in the study. The instrument used was the Flipped Classroom Teacher Scale (FCTS) questionnaire. The results show that 758 teachers, less than half the teachers surveyed, show competences to adequately develop a methodology based on flipped learning, where age, use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education, time spent using them in the personal sphere, number of devices and teaching experience have an influence on the application of the method. The conclusion reached is that there is a linear relationship between institutional support, technological self-efficacy, teaching beliefs and teaching strategies for the development of good practices in flipped learning in the teachers analysed, so these factors are postulated as conditioning factors.

The aims of this study were: (i) to provide evidence of reliability and validity regarding the dimensionality of the Spanish version of two correlated subscales measuring Academic Self-Concept (ASC); (ii) to analyze factorial invariance according to sex and the educational level; (iii) to analyze a higher-order model from the two ASC subscales; and (iv) to study the predictive relationship of the ASC to academic engagement. An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was designed in which 681 undergraduate university students (M[subscript age] = 24.55; SD[subscript age] = 5.35) (58% girls) and students of the Master's in Teacher Education participated. The scale's psychometric properties were analyzed using different exploratory and confirmatory analyses demonstrating that this instrument with two correlated factors (academic confidence and academic effort) is valid, reliable, and invariant in terms of gender and academic level. Higher-order factors from the two correlated factors showed an excellent goodness-of-fit. A regression model with latent variables was conducted showing a higher and positive prediction of academic self-concept for the two factors of academic engagement (willingness to study and satisfaction with studies). The ASC has shown itself to be a valid and reliable instrument for use with Spanish university students and may be of special interest, both to teachers and to the students themselves, as it allows us to reflect on the importance of developing confidence and effort during the students' academic lives.

Important factors in learning science include motivational variables (relevance of science learning for personal goals, self-efficacy for learning science, and interest in a scientific career), emotional variables (boredom and enjoyment in science classes), and engagement variables (vigor, dedication, and absorption towards science studies). Data from 3034 Chilean and Spanish compulsory secondary education students was used to study the relationships between these variables, by means of a self-report questionnaire analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The model, tested for goodness of fit, showed that motivational variables predict emotions in science classes and explained 43% of boredom variance and 67% of enjoyment variance. Motivational and emotional variables explained the 73% variance in engagement toward science studies. Also seen is the essential role played by emotions that mediate between motivational variables in science learning and engagement towards science studies. When promoting engagement towards science studies, these results can be used to increase relevance of science learning to personal goals, self-efficacy for learning science, and interest in a scientific career, besides reducing boredom, increasing enjoyment in science classes, and enhancing engagement towards science studies.

Background: Since its integration into the European Higher Education Area, the Spanish educational system has evolved, introducing innovations into university teaching methodologies. This new approach entails the development of capacities, competencies, and skills that enable students to develop their critical thinking. Objective: This work aims to present an innovation project conducted in a "History of Psychology" course, part of the Degree in Psychology in the Spanish university system. Method: The current study was launched to evaluate the effectiveness of the Teaching Innovation Project, which itself arose from the need for students to improve their critical essay writing skills, incorporating such evidence-based methodologies as explicit instructions, online platforms, collaborative peer work, and rubrics. Results: A comparison of outcomes among three cohorts showed a marked improvement in student performance on critical essays and final exam scores after implementing new methodologies. Conclusion: It is possible to improve students' critical essay writing skills in the context of the "History of Psychology" through the intentional implementation of evidence-based practices, changing the pedagogical focus from teacher-centered to student-centered. Teaching implications: Psychology instructors who teach courses with writing skill development as a course goal could consider incorporating elements of the Teaching Innovation Project program.

Social constructivism is a learning approach in which students actively construct their own knowledge by way of experiences and interactions with others. As such, it is important to highlight both individual and group-based reflection practices in pre-service teacher training as a key aspect for improving teaching practice. This paper presents the results of the design and implementation of a training programme of 7 sessions (8.5 h of class participation plus 25 h of personal homework) for pre-service secondary school science teachers, who were asked to design a gamification resource and an e-rubric to evaluate it. Subsequent improvement of this e-rubric was enhanced by performing different reflection activities at key moments. The programme was carried out by 50 Spanish pre-service teachers from Málaga (Spain). Data collection centred on the e-rubrics designed, the emotions experienced and the possible transfer to real-life practice performed six months later. The impact of reflections on the evaluation was studied by analysing the evolution of the categories proposed by the participants for the e-rubric at different times, with marked changes being found during design and preparation of the gamification resource, and only very minor changes post-implementation. In addition, a group-based criteria consensus session favoured a more in-depth reflection. Interest was the main emotion experienced by pre-service teachers, especially during preparation and use of the resource. The programme also had a marked impact on transfer of the e-rubric into practice, as did the designed resource, although to a lesser extent.

This study analyses the potential of a learning analytics (LA) based formative assessment to construct personalised teaching sequences in Mathematics for 5th-grade primary school students. A total of 127 students from Spanish public schools participated in the study. The quasi-experimental study was conducted over the course of six sessions, in which both control and experimental groups participated in a teaching sequence based on mathematical problems. In each session, both groups used audience response systems to record their responses to mathematical tasks about fractions. After each session, students from the control group were given generic homework on fractions--the same activities for all the participants--while students from the experimental group were given a personalised set of activities. The provision of personalised homework was based on the students' errors detected from the use of the LA-based formative assessment. After the intervention, the results indicate a higher student level of understanding of the concept of fractions in the experimental group compared to the control group. Related to motivational dimensions, results indicated that instruction using audience response systems has a positive effect compared to regular mathematics classes.

Flipped learning has emerged as a method that can facilitate practical learning supported by technology. This study analyzes the impact of the flipped approach on students' learning of prevention guidelines and socio-health regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 585 Spanish secondary education students participated, and three validated instruments were used to obtain information about their self-regulation, social competence, and decision-making. The results showed that the average scores achieved by all groups, both in the pre-test and the post-test measures, were similar, except those achieved by the experimental post-test group, where the average scores were higher than the rest. The study concludes that both traditional and flipped learning pedagogical applications for training students in the measures to prevent COVID-19 generate knowledge and improved skills. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, including the insight that active teaching methods promote greater improvement in student learning than traditional, expository methods.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are immersed in the teaching and learning processes. Specifically, educational robotics is a technology with great projection in learning spaces. This educational technology has revealed great potential in educational processes in the scientific literature. In this study, the Makey Makey device has been used to carry out a methodological contrast at the instructional level. The objective of this study is to verify if the use of the Makey Makey robotic device influences various psycho-social and educational dimensions in the subject of physical education. A quasi-experimental research design has been used in a sample of 177 students from secondary education. A questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. The results show the ratings made by the control group students are lower than those of the experimental group in all dimensions, although there is no relationship of significance in all dimensions. This fact only occurs in motivation, teacher-student, student-content, collaboration, resolution, and teacher-rating dimensions. Conclusions show that the teaching method in which robotics is used leads to more success in the field of physical education if we compared it to the more conventional method. The outstanding data show the teaching-learning process has the highest influence on motivation, teacher-student, student-content, collaboration, resolution, and teacher rating.

Adolescents' relationship with technology is controversial both because of the possibilities it offers and because of the risks it entails, even being perceived by them as a real need. In order to improve the knowledge about it, a non-experimental research of transversal style has been carried out using a methodology based on data mining. 1,048 students of Secondary Education participated and answered a questionnaire about their use of the Internet and social networks. Six factors were identified, which could be recognized as patterns of behavior in the network. They are grouped around: (1) the communicative and informative dimension of the resources; (2) the one related to the security in the network; (3) the risk and vulnerability; (4) the specialized information both general and specific, (5) the transfer and acquisition of goods; and (6) the leisure and parental surveillance. The main findings show that their habits are mostly oriented towards the transfer and transaction along with the maintenance of security, avoiding situations that could involve risk and vulnerability in navigation. The identification of these subgroups is timely to develop training and digital literacy actions.

Development and dissemination of innovative pedagogies continues to be one of the challenges of the 21st century. The visible deficiencies in the educational field have highlighted the need for other types of pedagogies that promote complete student development. Gardner's theory about multiple intelligences (MIs) has great potential that has not yet been realised in practice in school contexts. With this research we aimed to analyse the relationship between the intelligences that students develop in primary education and the increase in certain cognitive and academic capacities, and to demonstrate that a pedagogy based on Gardner's theory does more to promote creativity, maturation and school performance than traditional teaching-learning pedagogies. A total of 420 participants from 2 state-funded schools participated in this study (experimental group = EG; control group = CG). The EG (n = 230) was taught using Gardner's theory and the CG (n = 190) was taught according to traditional pedagogy. There was an association between the intelligences developed by the students and their academic, creative, and maturational levels. Finally, significant differences were found between the EG and CG, with the EG obtaining a higher mean in the variables analysed in favour of the EG. In conclusion, using MIs in classrooms allows for a more mature and creative development and greater academic performance.

The integration of Knowledge Management (KM) in various fields, including academia and business, has been fostered by the promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The aim of this study was, on the one hand, to understand the key processes of KM in students of the Faculty of Education and the School of Engineering in a Spanish university, and, on the other hand, to evaluate the extent to which ICTs serve as support to these processes. To this end, the designed and validated MAINGC questionnaire was administered to 200 students who entered university in the 2018-2019 academic year. Fourteen ICT tools and four dimensions of KM were analyzed: information management, transformation of information into knowledge, management of the resulting learning, and ICT tools for KM support. The results showed differentiated patterns of technology use and perceptions of KM according to sex, age and degree. Indeed, education degree students reported higher perceptions of competence in KM processes compared to engineering students. Participants' responses regarding ICT tools suggested that the use of these tools has not yet been fully integrated into KM processes and revealed that both groups of students showed different patterns of use within the academic environment.

Nowadays one of the main focuses of the Spanish University system is achieving the active learning paradigm in the context of its integration into the European Higher Education Area. This goal is being addressed by means of the application of novel teaching mechanisms. Among a wide variety of learning approaches, the present work focuses on peer review, understood as a collaborative learning technique where students assess other student's work and provide their own feedback. In this way, peer review has the overarching goal of improving the student learning during this process. Peer review has been successfully applied and analyzed in the literature. Indeed, many authors also recommend improving the design and implementation of self and peer review, which has been our main goal. This paper presents an empirical study based on the application of peer review assessment in different higher education BSc and MSc courses. In this way, six courses from different studies at the University of Malaga in Spain are subject to the application of peer review strategies to promote student learning and develop cross-wise skills such as critical thinking, autonomy and responsibility. Based on these experiences, a deep analysis of the results is performed, showing that a proper application of the peer review methodology provides reliable reviews (with close scores to the ones from the teacher) as well as an improvement in the students' performance.