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Visualization and argumentation are central processes in the learning of geometry, giving rise to specific lines of research in mathematics education. However, it is worth asking whether they should be developed independently or if it is possible and in what way an articulation between them can be promoted. The objective of this paper is to search for this articulation within the most recent advances in empirical research on the teaching and learning of geometry in Spain. The analysis is approached through the tasks used in research employing two theoretical frameworks which have been developed in Spain, the Onto-Semiotic Approach and Configurational Reasoning. Two main types of task were found in the selected studies: visual tasks and conjecture-and-proof tasks. The results show that in visual tasks the articulation between visualization and argumentation is only necessary in some tasks, in which argumentation aims to justify or to describe the external representation provided as a solution. However, in conjecture-and-proof tasks the articulation between visualization and argumentation must always be present to resolve the task. Analyzing this articulation helps to detect and gain a better understanding of the difficulties that students encounter in solving these types of task. In visual tasks, argumentation helps to understand difficulties associated with the use of visualization. In conjecture-and-proof tasks, visualization determines the argumentation followed, in such a way that many of the difficulties originate more from the visualization than from the process of argumentation.

Over the last 50 years, Higher Education has experienced significant development, which has been associated with challenges that have yet to be solved. In this sense, university dropout is a global phenomenon that worries universities all over the world. Many research studies describe the possible causes of this phenomenon, but the most interesting are those that, due to their predictive potential, have the possibility of preventing it. The aim of this article is to study how important students perceive the different reasons for dropout in relation to the idea of abandoning the degree. For this purpose, the Spanish version of the "Questionnaire of Motives for Higher Education Dropout" (QMA_es; Almeida et al., 2019) was applied to a sample of 927 first- and second-year university students. These data have been processed using educational data mining (EDM) techniques, obtaining a decision tree that correctly classifies the sample in 81.1%. The results show that variables related to student satisfaction (satisfaction with academic choice, satisfaction with performance, and satisfaction with the financial situation) and to the academic and social environments play a predominant role in the approach to dropout, above other institutional, financial, and wellbeing variables.

This study addresses the issue of preference for natural versus synthetic products in different contexts, specifically food, medicines, and cosmetics. Participants were 52 students aged 14-15 years from two schools. We analysed the choices and justifications offered by 28 students from one of the schools before and after receiving an instructional module (nine 60-minute lessons over three weeks) focused on decision-making about natural and processed foods. The goal of instruction was not to guide them towards a particular preference (natural or processed foods) but rather to enable them to make well-reasoned and more scientifically-informed decisions. Transfer of learning to the contexts of medicines and cosmetics was also examined. The responses of students in this experimental group were compared with those of 24 comparison students from the other school who did not receive the instruction. Results suggested that the teaching received by the comparison group (based solely on the standard science curriculum in Spain) does not encourage students to abandon assumptions regarding the inherent superiority of natural products, or to justify their preferences in ways that may be considered "on-target" with respect to the secondary-level science curriculum. By contrast, a shift towards more scientifically informed choices and reasoning was observed following participation in the instructional module. However, there was limited evidence of transfer of learning from the food context to the other two contexts considered. Only in the medicines context did the experimental group show minor improvements at post-test, suggesting that students perceive greater similarity between food and medicines than between food and cosmetics.

A questionnaire was recently developed for the use with the Spanish-speaking, and evidence have been provided about the construct internal validity by means of structural equation modelling. In this paper, two research questions were considered: (i) What new evidence does application of the Rasch model provide regarding the validity of this construct?; (ii) What cutoffs should be applied to the constructed scales in order to differentiate between acceptable and insufficient levels of the construct being measured? Participants were 1,272 Spanish at both high-school and college level. The instrument is a pencil and paper questionnaire written in Spanish, comprising 20 items (5-point Likert-type scale) distributed evenly across four scales: beyond exact replicas, purpose of models, multiple models, and changing models. Students' responses were coded on an ordinal scale from zero to four. We then conducted a Rasch analysis using both a multidimensional approach and a consecutive unidimensional approach for each dimension. Data provided new evidence regarding the internal validity of the four scales of the questionnaire. The Rasch analysis also allowed us to establish cutoffs for the constructed scales. The evidence provided by this, and the previous study suggest that the questionnaire may be useful as a diagnostic tool when applied to groups or populations of students. In addition, the identified cutoffs could, hypothetically, serve to differentiate between students with an adequate versus an insufficient understanding of the nature of models. [Note: The page range (344-359) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range for this article is 344-361.]

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.

Role-playing games (RPGs) are considered a useful way of addressing socioscientific issues (SSIs) in the science classroom insofar as they allow learners to engage with an issue and possibly change their opinions on it. This study analyses changes in preservice primary teachers (PPTs) personal positions on nuclear energy following participation in an RPG that simulated a televised debate about the proposal to close nuclear power plants in Spain. The 78 PPTs had to state their position on this issue both before and after the RPG, choosing from among the following three options:(1) immediate closure of nuclear plants, (2) gradual phasing out of nuclear plants or (3) continuing indefinitely with nuclear plants. The majority of students were initially against the future use of nuclear energy, but almost half changed their position following the RPG. Students' initial personal position and the extent to which this disagreed with the position they had to defend in role were factors related to opinion change, both in terms of its direction (towards a position more in favour of or more against nuclear power) and its magnitude (abrupt: from one extreme position to the other; or moderate: from the intermediate to an extreme position, or vice-versa). The analysis also showed that students' personal position after the RPG tended to be closer to that of the role they had portrayed. These aspects should be borne in mind when designing RPGs to address SSIs in the science classroom.

This paper is devoted to the design, description and validation of the Android application TEAtreves, which focuses on structured arithmetic problem-solving for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The application contains multiple adaptations to make it suitable for users with ASD. Validation was carried out with five students with ASD, obtaining positive results which confirm the strength of TEAtreves app for users with ASD. Results and future lines of work are discussed.

Background: Numerous investigations have highlighted the importance of examining teachers' responses to the curricular reforms in science teaching proposed by the educational authorities. Science teachers' responses are shaped by their perceptions of the new measures' intentions and their level of involvement. Purpose: This study analyses the evolution of the teachers´ beliefs and opinions to externally driven curriculum reform in Spain focused on developing key competences. Sample: Four secondary science teachers participated in a training programme in which a context-based approach to teaching scientific competences was implemented. Design and methods: The data analysis applied a scheme that differentiates the personal, internal and external focus of teachers' work. It also introduced the qualifier concept, whether their responses were seen as facilitating (F) or obstacles (O) the development of competence-based science education. The data was obtained from different settings: two individual interviews with each teacher and a focus group carried out with the four teachers Results: The teachers' perceptions cover many aspects (20), which have all been categorized into the 27 factors included in the scheme used. The teachers' perceptions were mainly on the personal focus at all training programme settings. However, their responses also reflected factors related to the internal and external focuses, though to a lesser extent. Conclusion: The study´s findings show the influence of reflection on the teachers' observations and impressions, helping them elicit many factors according to Ryder´s proposal. As for the qualifiers expressed by the teachers, the evaluations depended on the teacher profile and the settings used. These considerations highlight the influence of training and experiential knowledge on professional development.

Previous studies reported that a substantial number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encounter challenges in mathematics as they advance through their education. The present study evaluates the mathematical competence of 17 students diagnosed with ASD who were recruited from first through fourth grades in 12 different mainstream schools. The results were compared with those from other 17 students without ASD, matched one-to-one by sex and school (grade and classroom). In general, the students with ASD in this study exhibited greater difficulties in mathematics than their peers without ASD. These difficulties were particularly noticeable in fourth graders, although they could be observed earlier in informal skills. Many students with ASD in the sample struggled with informal calculation and concepts, as well as with all formal categories considered, particularly calculation and concepts. These findings may be relevant for early teaching interventions and for the development of future mathematical learning supports for students with ASD.

This research integrates context-based learning and modelling. It presents a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) about the dissolution of gases in liquids using carbonated drinks as the context. The impact of the TLS is analysed in a longitudinal short-term study involving two groups of learners aged 13-14 years old (n=53). The results led us to infer five models explaining how carbon dioxide is distributed in a carbonated soft drink, categorized and ordered by increasing complexity as follows: "Gas apart"; "Bubbles"; "Bubbles and something else"; "Dissolved gas"; and "Oversaturation." Some of these models reflected preconceived ideas based on students' personal experience, while others emerged from the teaching. Three clusters of students were identified based on the frequency with which their responses were included in the models "Dissolved gas or Oversaturation." Overall, the TLS shows potential as a framework for enhancing students' knowledge. This is reflected in the fact that more advanced models of dissolution became increasingly identifiable in their responses as they worked through the activities, while less sophisticated ones were observed less frequently. Overall, nearly two-thirds of them demonstrated that they had acquired an understanding of the concept of dissolved gas. Some of the activities used seem to be particularly helpful in this respect.

The lockdown caused by the pandemic resulted in the closure of schools and universities. Professors had to adapt their subjects to be taught remotely to continue their classes, and students had to cope with various personal situations such as isolation, and returning to their countries. Ensuring that the quality of teaching was maintained would usually have required months of planning and design. In contrast, these changes had to be made in a few days, which is why this situation could be considered as Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). The objective of this article is to evaluate the teaching of our faculty during this period using the CIPP model (Context, Input, Procedure and Product), which is especially focused on educational projects among others. The university was able to maintain teaching during this period despite the difficulties of the transition. In addition, evaluation surveys show that the satisfaction of professors and students was also maintained. This was possible thanks to the order and clarity transmitted from university authorities and the commitment of the professors, despite their increased workload. This knowledge is important to ensure a better response by universities in future emergencies.

The recent increase in the number of mathematics museums has given rise to a need for tools with which to design and assess mathematics educational proposals in this non-formal context. This study proposes the use of the van Hiele model, a benchmark in mathematics instruction, for the design of interactive museum models focusing on mathematics content in general. By way of example, the model is characterised for application to the Pythagorean theorem. An interactive module designed around the aforementioned characterisation for teaching the theorem at the Museo Didáctico e Interactivo de Ciencias [interactive science instruction museum, MUDIC] may serve as a reference for future interactive modules and workshops in museums dealing with any manner of mathematics content.

The importance of students being acquainted with algebraic ideas before secondary education has been revealed in the research literature. It is therefore essential that prospective elementary teachers (PTs) be prepared to instill an early algebra perspective in their teaching. However, PTs often show difficulties in algebra content knowledge, which need to be diagnosed aiming to assist them in developing the required knowledge to teach according to that perspective. This study aims to understand what aspects of functional thinking Spanish and Portuguese elementary PTs exhibit at the beginning of their teacher education program. The findings show that although PTs from both countries use different strategies to generalize functional relationships, the occurrence of successful strategies is low. Also, most participants provide local approaches in their interpretation of relationships between variables and reveal difficulties in understanding and connecting different representations of functions. These difficulties show that PTs lack important knowledge about functional thinking. By providing a framework concerning the functional thinking required for PTs to teach within an early algebra perspective, we shed light on a necessary step for teacher education programs to diagnose PTs' functional thinking and to assist them in developing the needed mathematical knowledge to teach accordingly.

Students with autism spectrum disorder frequently face challenges when learning mathematical concepts. For example, they may have difficulties solving mathematical word problems, in particular Cartesian product problems. This research is a case study with a multiple probe design in which the participants were three Spanish students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A conceptual model-based problem-solving approach adapted to the characteristics of the participants was used to teach them how to solve Cartesian product word problems introduced sequentially in the instruction (first multiplication, then division, and finally both operations). The results show a functional relationship between the intervention and the students' performance. The three participants generalized their learning to two-operation Cartesian product problems (an addition and a multiplication). Moreover, two of them retained what they learned 6 weeks after completing the instruction. The implications for teaching this and other mathematical content to students with autism are discussed.

Secondary education curricula highlight competence-based learning; although meaningful school-intervention habits have not yet been observed. The initiatives implemented have focused primarily on promoting the combined development of no more than three key competences. This article presents an international study under the Erasmus+ and H2020 programmes, for analysing the impact of the STEAM project-based learning approach with KIKS format (Kids Inspire Kids for STEAM) on the interwoven development of key competences. The sample included 267 high school students divided into 53 teams from 29 educational centres in Finland, England, Hungary, and Spain. Each team carried out several projects for no less than two academic years, by means of the following two approaches: STEAM project-based learning and KIKS. Data were collected from observations and interviews with students, teachers, and KIKS trainers. Analyses revealed that the combination of these two approaches facilitate the development of all eight key competences. The project-based learning focus essentially fostered the enhancement of the mathematical competence and in science, technology, and engineering, while KIKS format promoted literacy and multilingual competences. The remaining competences were encouraged by the combination of both approaches. It is noteworthy that prolonged participation in the programme, as it was implemented, was crucial to achieving the obtained outcomes.

The aim of this work is to study the knowledge that 11 to 12-year-old pupils have about the different meanings of fractions. For this purpose, an investigation about the ability that 11 to 12-year-old pupils have with fraction problems through problem posing is performed. In particular, we analyze if they pose different types of problems depending on the provided help and if they are able to solve the problems they pose. To do so, after making a classification about types of fractions problems, an instrument is designed to see if students are able to invent and solve problems with different conditions (no reference at all, reference to an image, reference to a graphic representation, and reference to an operation). The analysis of results shows that most of the students properly solve what they invent, and points out that they tend to pose part-whole and part-set problems, even when the given reference suggests another type of problem.

Implementing the inquiry approach in the science classroom represents a challenge for pre-service secondary science teachers due to the perceptions they build around inquiry and determine their future teaching practice. In this work, we analyse the perceptions of 46 students of the science specialties of the Master's Degree in Secondary Education Teaching, using the design of a questionnaire adapted from the PRIMAS project. The results obtained show some initial perceptions of the participants with a very homogeneous profile for the variables analysed, finding them favourable to the inquiry as a teaching approach, although showing some concrete difficulties. We also found some statistically significant differences regarding gender and previous academic and teaching experience. However, the prior research background associated with the science and technological degrees completed by the participants seemed not to affect their perception about inquiry. We finally raise some implications of the results obtained and give some orientation that might be useful for the initial training of secondary science teachers.

Modern society has plunged us into a maelstrom of telematics information with little control. Teachers from any field must be trained in order to pass on the confidence and values to withstand this media pressure to their students. To this end, one of the areas of knowledge on which greater emphasis should be placed is that related to emotional intelligence. The study reported on here focused on this type of knowledge among professional music studies teachers in conservatories, asking what the perception of this group on the aforementioned area of knowledge is and to what extent it has been received during their initial training. For this investigation we used a quantitative methodological approach, and via descriptive analysis, a non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and inferential analysis, we found significant differences regarding the two scales considered: level of agreement and emotional intelligence training received. Furthermore, regarding the descriptive variables, significant differences were also found through the application of the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test.

Introduction: The assessment of well-being is crucial for measuring the effects of psychosocial interventions in people with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate a measure of integrative well-being, the Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI) to use it specifically for this population. Methods: The Pemberton Happiness Index was first tailored to individuals with intellectual disabilities (PHI-Intellectual Disabilities). Then a sample of 130 adults with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities completed this adapted version alongside other well-being and affective measures. Results: The psychometric properties of this new PHI-Intellectual Disabilities were shown to be very good (i.e., internal consistency, convergent and incremental validity). Conclusion: The study provides initial evidence of the reliability and validity of a brief measure of well-being that can be used for both applied and research purposes specifically for adults with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities.

This article is aimed at educators concerned with curricular initiatives that foster STE(A)M projects in secondary education to promote mathematics competencies. Research has recently reported that these projects superficially address mathematics content, hampering the development of competencies the consensus deems necessary to prepare citizens for daily life. This study shows that learning goals may be achieved when teachers receive personalised training and sustained assistance in their project experiences. We examine how two Spanish teachers, with advisors' support, progress in exploiting mathematics competencies within the implementation of a single project each over a period of 3 years. Their evolution was not the result of minor recommendations but of continuous interactions with the advisors. These interactions intended to maintain a balance between teacher confidence and project enhancements, which required commitment and constancy. Four of the five competencies considered in the Spanish curriculum emerged powerfully after sustained refinement. The frequently mobilised competencies were intra-mathematics, representations, as well as collaborative work and positive identity, followed by modelling. The last of which was difficult to address, but when it was, the other three emerged more naturally. Computational thinking was poorly represented mainly because of the advisors' background and its recent incorporation into the reference curriculum. The teachers' progress was influenced by the advisor's academic background, pedagogical expertise, ability to transfer research outcomes into teaching, and experience supporting others.

Generalisation is a skill that enables learners to acquire knowledge in general, and mathematical knowledge in particular. It is a core aspect of algebraic thinking and, in particular, of functional thinking, as a type of algebraic thinking. Introducing primary school children to functional thinking fosters their ability to generalise, explain and reason with mathematical relationships. It also helps them overcome difficulties in understanding functions when they are exposed to the idea more formally in secondary education. Although more and more special education students are enrolled in mainstream schools, little is known about algebraic thinking in that community, especially in the case of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Students with ASD often exhibit deficits that interfere directly with mathematical learning. The study discussed here, which was conducted in the context of algebraic reasoning, was aimed primarily at identifying and describing the strategies and representations observed in 26 ASD primary education students when performing a task that involved a linear function, and describing the generalisations they performed. The 26 participants were enrolled in 19 mainstream Spanish schools. The tools used, a questionnaire and semi-structured interview, were designed to explore their ability to generalise in a problem involving the function f(x) = 2x + 2. The strategies identified included: (a) bald answering; (b) modelling with manipulatives; (c) drawing; (d) counting and (e) operating. The strategy most frequently observed was operating, represented verbally or symbolically, followed by drawing. Only three students generalised but did not reach the highest level of functional thinking, namely, 'functions as objects'. The results are compared with findings for mainstream students of similar ages. Conjectures around the possible relationships between some findings and the type of thinking characteristic of autism spectrum disorder are put forward. The results carry implications for research with and teaching of students with ASD.

The present study aims to understand the relationship between the big five factors of personality and academic motivation. In addition, the following variables are taken into consideration; sex, age and type of educational studies. A quantitative methodology is used, in base to a not experimental, correlational study. The sample is composed of 514 students of the Faculty of Education of Leon's University, between the three education degrees. To gather the information, participants were asked to complete the Learning and Motivation Strategies Questionnaire (CEAM) and the Personality Questionnaire Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). The results show the significant relationship between personality facets and motivation variables. It should be noted that female results were higher in the values of intrinsic motivation, motivation towards teamwork, neuroticism, and kindness, and the male results were higher in self-efficacy. Additionally, it was observed that intrinsic motivation decreases progressively from the first to the fourth year of the degree, the need for recognition decreases in the two last study years, and the openness to experiences is higher in the last year of the degree. Finally, Social Education students are those that show a higher intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, total motivation, openness to experiences, and neuroticism, while Primary Education students' results were higher in the need for recognition.

The existence of ethical and deontological codes is a reality integrated in highly competitive sectors, such as the medical sector or the legal profession. Most studies on ethics and deontology focus on the way in which they are communicated and their effectiveness. However, no special interest has been paid to the existence, application and content of ethics and deontology in the university sector and its relationship with the transmission of ethical and deontological principles to students. Professionals, employees and managers who will play their role in society, perform their work in companies or develop strategic plans, are trained at universities, which must play an important role in the ethical and deontological training of future social actors. Therefore, it is necessary to respond to whether public universities have codes of ethics and whether the fact of having these codes implies a greater commitment to the inclusion of ethical values in their training programs. To this end, Spanish public universities are analyzed and the results, which are grouped by areas of knowledge, are presented. The results achieved provide useful insight for university managers concerned with implementing ethical and responsible policies.

Projects have become an essential instrument for the success of universities. In a context of globalization and increasing complexity, they must sharpen their resourcefulness to face these challenges and adapt to this changing environment. To reach these objectives, they undertake a series of activities of a unique, concrete and temporary nature, not always technical but managerial ones. If universities work with people on projects in the production, transmission and dissemination of knowledge, then they link with society to solve its problems. For this reason, teaching and research staff (TRS) should promote a range of professional project management (PM) competences in different areas for the proper management of the projects in which they take part. Through a Delphi technique, a panel of twenty-four accredited teaching experts who are carrying out significant research and holding directive roles, measured the importance of acquiring and/or improving professional PM competences by their TRS. Consensus and stability reached after two rounds of consultation confirmed there are a series of crucial competences for the practice of relevant teaching and pioneer research. Results obtained are the basis for a gap plan that allows the TRS to participate in and/or lead university projects with greater self-confidence and personal motivation.

This research aims to portray the way young adult people interact with news and how their consumption is affected by advertising and personal data sharing. "Digital News Report Spain 2018", a questionnaire on the consumption of digital media undertaken by a national panel of 2,023 Internet users, is used as a main source. Among the users mentioned, there were 293 young people from 25 to 34 years old who belong to the Millennial generation. Data from this report was completed with a qualitative study in which two focus groups were held, featuring people of that age frame residing in Navarre. The paper concludes that young adult people are generally interested in news, which they access mainly via mobile devices. Their interest grows when the content affects them directly, but also if they empathize with the topic. On the other hand, their familiar background and social routines shape the way they receive information. Young adult people still make use of traditional media, although they consider it ideologically biased. Advertising is something annoying, although they generally have little knowledge and even less intention to use ad-blockers. Finally, their review of the personalized services is negative, but they tend to give away personal data to media if this facilitates their news access.

This paper discusses the phenomenon of teacher awards with particular reference to one bestowed in Spain. This phenomenon is analysed in line with the consequences of free market ideology in education and the ideology of influencers and followers. Drawing on qualitative research based in participant and non-participant observation, in-depth interviews and document analysis, the results show that education practice was determined by the award requirements, and complying with its criteria became the overriding objective. The need for recognition was highlighted but critical views were also brought to light in relation to the notions of microcelebrities, performativity, individualism and competitiveness. The paper contributes to critical reflections on the already existing controversies regarding awards in education and specifically those presented to individuals. School teachers' perceptions of and reasons for participating in these initiatives and the repercussions in their classrooms are examined.

With the purpose of promoting academic inclusion, it is essential for educators to understand the nature underlying poor reading comprehension in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, we examined the time course of anaphor resolution during text comprehension in children and adolescents with ASD and a group of children with Typical Development (TD) matched in chronological age (age range: 9-16) and non-verbal IQ. Their eye movements were monitored as they read short paragraphs in which two factors were manipulated: (1) the semantic typicality of an antecedent (e.g. shark vs. salmon) with regards to a category noun that serves as anaphor (e.g. fish) and (2) the distance between the antecedent and anaphor (e.g. near vs. far). Both, children with ASD and TD showed more and longer first fixations in the near anaphors than in the far anaphors but not in the post-anaphor region which suggests that the effect of distance on anaphor resolution was immediate. The reverse effect of distance indicated that the far condition was too demanding for students of these ages to occur online. Typical antecedents received fewer and shorter revisits than atypical antecedents but only for participants with TD. In contrast, ASD participants did not show such typicality facilitation. Finally, children with ASD made more but shorter fixations and revisits in general than their typical peers. Theoretical and applied implications of our results for the literacy training on ASD participants are discussed.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of unknown comorbid mental disorders in individuals with mild/moderate intellectual disability (ID) with/without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to compare the severity of challenging behavior with respect to the comorbidity of ASD and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 91 adults with mild or moderate ID with no previous psychiatric diagnosis (except ASD). The assessment tools were the PAS-ADD checklist, Mini-PAS-ADD, PAS-ADD clinical interview and the Inventory for Client and Agency Planning (ICAP). Results: A previously undiagnosed mental disorder was found in 23.81% of the individuals with ID and ASD and in 10.20% of the individuals without. The most prevalent mental disorder was major depressive disorder. An association between psychiatric comorbidity and challenging behavior was found in people with ID and ASD. Conclusions: The prevalence of underdiagnosed mental disorders in individuals with ASD and ID is high and is associated with challenging behavior.

Official documents in several educational systems reflect the importance of integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and consider project-based learning (PBL) as a way of integrating such disciplines in the classroom. Although STEAM-PBL has been characterized and evaluated in different ways, its impact on school mathematics teaching remains unclear. Mathematics is recognized as the fundamental basis of other disciplines; however, many students still perceive it as a difficult subject and abandon it. To analyze STEAM-PBL classroom implementation from a school mathematics standpoint, we examined 41 classroom experiences from 11 Spanish secondary education teachers (five in-field mathematics teachers), who participated in a STEAM training program for more than 4 years. To frame this study, Thibaut et al.'s (J STEM Educ 3(1):02, 2018) and Schoenfeld's (Educ Res 43(8):404-412, 2014) characterizations of well-designed and implemented projects, respectively, were employed. The results showed that in-field mathematics teachers avoided transdisciplinary projects in which school mathematics is difficult to address, while out-of-field teachers tended to overlook the mathematics in interdisciplinary projects. Unlike out-of-field teachers, mathematics teachers often eluded design-based learning processes for deeply exploiting school mathematics. The latter teachers promoted high cognitive demands and positive perceptions about mathematics in projects where formative environments were generated through discussion and a meaningful feedback loop.

Although many laboratory experiments are available to illustrate spectrophotometric or fluorometric methods, few of them introduce the use of luminometry to students. Bioluminescence, a subtype of chemiluminescence, is produced when an enzyme-catalyzed chemical reaction gives rise to light emission. Despite the advantages of bioluminescent methods, including sensitivity and specificity, and their increasing use in experimental sciences and biomedical laboratories, their presence in courses is almost nonexistent. The luciferase-catalyzed enzymatic reaction has generated a myriad of practical applications, including those derived from the measurement of the ATP consumed in the reaction. In particular, the measurement of ATP levels in drinking or stored waters directly correlates with their bacteria content, facilitating the development of rapid methods for detecting bacterial contamination. This avoids the long waiting time associated with traditional microbiological methods, based on the growth of the microorganisms in a suitable culture medium. Over the past two years at the University of Malaga, we have implemented a new laboratory experiment for undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry students. In this experiment, students detected bacterial contamination in water by quantifying ATP with the luciferase-catalyzed reaction. The experiment was successfully implemented in two different formats, either as a full project developed by students throughout the entire duration of the academic course, or as a short protocol, carried out in a single laboratory session. Between them, a whole range of intermediate options could be arranged by educators to suit their course requirements and the learning objectives to be achieved by students.

The relationship between science and society has, for many years, been the subject of debate in different fields, and various proposals have been made regarding the kind of science education that citizens require. The present study considers an understanding of the nature of science (NOS) to be one of the key competences that citizens should acquire as part of their science education. Hence, our aim was to identify NOS aspects among the key scientific competences for citizenship identified by a panel of Spanish experts. The analysis is based on a review of the recent literature on the NOS, and especially on the results of a previous Delphi study in which 31 experts were asked to propose key aspects of scientific competence for citizenship. The present study involved three stages: identification of NOS themes in the experts' initial proposals, analysis of how their importance ratings of these themes changed over the course of the Delphi rounds, and analysis of variability among the experts according to their professional group. We identified 12 NOS themes that, in line with recent publications in this field, included those related to the practice of science. A stable consensus was only observed for one theme: "critical attitude." These results provide further evidence of the well-documented difficulty of defining and selecting NOS themes. However, the analysis also suggests that "critical attitude" is one of the key themes that should form part of science education for citizens.

This article analyses the culture of evidence in university teaching and its implications in the professional training of teachers in higher education. The new culture of organisation and assessment introduced into university teaching has brought about the configuration of a management model geared towards results and accountability based on solid evidence. Its implementation means that both administrators and teachers are asking themselves: "what works?" This study shows that the implementation of a culture of evidence requires the adoption of a pluralist vision of evidence, as well as clear criteria for determining the validity of evidence. In addition, teachers should be trained to mobilise systematic pedagogic knowledge and transform their practice, using available institutional support, the systematic analysis of their own experience, and the promotion of best practice.

Introduction: Attitude, motivation and interests in reading are three fundamental aspects of reading as entertainment. ACTIM-LEC is an instrument designed to measure these components, and also includes other relevant factors in establishing a reading habit, such as attitude towards study and reading preferences. The objective of the present research was to validate the factor structure of this instrument in the pre-adolescent and adolescent population. Method: The ACTIM-LEC was applied to a sample of 1904 students (51% male), 525 sixth-graders and 1379 secondary students, with a mean age of 14.07 (SD = 1.48). The instrument's psychometric properties and factor structure were evaluated, as well as possible differences according to grade in school or gender. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the ACTIM-LEC shows adequate goodness of fit to the proposed five-factor model. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant main effect for both gender and school grade Conclusions: The ACTIM-LEC is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the proposed factors in forming a reading habit. Girls obtained higher overall scores, and scores decreased over progressive years of schooling.

Background: Previous literature highlights the importance of causal attributions in achievement and motivation. However, the studies about causal attributions in second language acquisition (SLA) are limited and scarce. Aims: This study was designed to determine the frequency of successful and unsuccessful activities per English level and to compare the causal attributions (explanations of outcomes) on successful and failure authentic tasks undertaken in the context of learning English as a foreign language (EFL) acquisition in an Official School of Languages (OSL).SampleTo this aim, 407 native Spanish students from levels A1 (n = 111), A2 (n = 113), B1 (n = 98), and B2 (n = 85) in OSL participated in this study. Method: Participants completed Attribution to Success and Failure Questionnaires (ASQ & AFQ). Results: Results of ANOVAs and Scheffe "post hoc" test show main significant differences between A1 and B2 students. Students at A1 level perceive their success in the foreign language (FL) as dependent on some internal but unstable controllable variables, such as effort and strategy, and to some external variables such as teacher influence, task difficulty, and class atmosphere. On the contrary, students at B2 level perceive that their successful outcomes in FL depend on ability, marks, class level, preparation, and enjoyment within the classroom, whereas they perceive that their failure outcomes are dependent on external factors such as luck, teacher influence, and/or task difficulty. Conclusions: Results provide evidence that students from OSL employ multiple causal attributions to explain their academic success and failure, which may also have educational implications for class teachers.

Ongoing technological progress in measurement systems triggered the development of an in­novative, hands-on teaching program to help students toward a fuller understanding of recent changes in the field. This paper presents a lab project that links theoretical principles with the practical issues of signal conditioning systems. This is accomplished in the context of a Master's Degree in Mechatronic Engineering, though the experience gained could be applied to other cur­ricula. Students designed and tested a signal conditioning circuit in order to acquire and monitor the electrical activity generated by the heart. This lab project contains most of the circuits studied in lectures and presents a general methodology for the design of signal conditioning systems. Five years of lab project work was compiled, and with the help of students' feedback, we were able to evaluate both the improvement in their knowledge and in their motivation.

This study concerns a framework for designing Teaching-Learning Sequences that aims to integrate the implementation of scientific practices in the context of daily problems. Said framework consists of three stages (formulation of the design principles, instructional design and design of the learning activities). It is based on four design principles: (1) the context-scientific model relationship as the axis around which the teaching-learning sequence is based, (2) scientific practices as tools for treating the problem and constructing the scientific model, (3) use of driven questions, and (4) promotion of knowledge transfer. Similarly, the choice of context, the proposal of questions, the drafting of objectives, selection of knowledge, design of the sequence of activities and design of the evaluation are important during instructional design. This framework has been used to design a teaching-learning sequence based on learning the lactic fermentation model in the context of yoghurt preparation such that argumentation, inquiry and modelling play a key role in the educational treatment. Implementation of this teaching-learning sequence has shown an improvement in the lactic fermentation models proposed by Spanish students aged 14-16 years. These findings are considered to be initial evidence for the utility of the teaching-learning sequence and the framework.

This study provides a systematic review on the Critical Thinking (CT) intervention studies reported in the national literature of the countries involved in the CRITHINKEDU project. The aim of this paper is to characterise critical thinking intervention studies in higher education institutions across different fields. The review process has been carried out by applying content analysis and it is comprised of five stages. A rubric was built in conjunction with a literature review on CT interventions and data analysis. Slight differences were identified among the examined fields. The main results show that immersion is the most frequent approach in all of the fields, followed by infusion, which is only implemented in STEM and social sciences. All of the interventions are short-term and address either CT skills exclusively, or deal with skills and dispositions together. Further research is needed in order to explore which aspects of the CT interventions are successful in the promotion of CT in higher education (HE), as well as the CT components, which are targeted during instruction.

This article focuses on the deconstruction of an inter-university action research project that has allowed us to rethink our teaching and research, questioning the social, political and ethical dimensions of the university. Following the pre-assembly proposal to promote participatory convergence, organized within the framework of the 1st Global Assembly for Knowledge Democracy (2017), an action research process was implemented in order to generate systematic inquiry around the current situation of the university and the need to act and rethink our commitment to promoting changes in this context. We have reflected on the meaning of democratization, rethinking the pedagogical relationship with our students and how we critically commit them to promote activism. We generated an environment where we look for the meaning of our practices by means of a visual narrative which has enabled us to weave and identify our own biography and become aware of where we are and why we act in one way or another. We have also focused on the search for the meaning of our actions in relation to the community we belong to and how to deal with the challenges of social justice, encouraging collaboration with other networks in a wider inter-university framework.

The enzymatic determination of glucose in soft drinks, based on the glucose concentration measurement by means of the coupled reactions of glucose oxidase and peroxidase, has been implemented at the University of Malaga and optimized according to the Biochemistry and Chemistry undergraduate students' results and feedback throughout the last few years. This traditional and robust laboratory practical has been reformed, in the light of inquiry-based and interdisciplinary learning approaches, in order to optimize the students' formative achievements that now are not restricted to the learning of enzymology, but also integrates cross-curricular knowledge from chemistry and mathematics. In this experiment, inexpensive and feasible to be carried out in a single laboratory session, students have to make the decision of what method is the most suitable for a given analytical problem, anticipating situations that they will probably face throughout their professional careers. It not only illustrates basic issues related to the use of enzymes as reagents for enzymatic analyses and its application to food chemistry, but it is also used to put into practice some principles of statistical analysis and analytical methods evaluation. This can be achieved because students get results from two different enzymatic analysis protocols (kinetic and end-point methods) using a single reaction mixture. The measurement of glucose concentration in four carbonated soft-drinks, regular or sugar-free colas and tonic waters makes students deal with the presence of color interferences that should be either avoided or eliminated. Undergraduate students, having performed this experiment, have found it formative, interesting, and challenging.

This paper investigates students' performance in content-subjects in the framework of CLIL programmes in Spain. So far, CLIL research has focused primarily on language attainment in the L2 and the L1, but students' achievements as regards content-subjects have been largely ignored. Competence in Science in the L1 is analysed by comparing pupils enrolled in mainstream schools with students in the so-called 'bilingual streams' offering CLIL-based approaches. The main objective is to assess if students learning Science through the L2 (English) outperform their counterparts studying in the L1 (Spanish) as regards content acquisition. The paper analyses a sample of 709 6th grade Primary Education students enrolled in public schools in the Principality of Asturias (Spain). A test to assess students' knowledge in Science and a context questionnaire (measuring participants' socio-economic status) were designed. The main finding is that students learning contents in their L1 perform slightly better than those studying Science through the L2. Furthermore, participants with lower socio-economic status obtain lower scores than those coming from more privileged backgrounds.

This paper presents the work done to support student dropout risk prevention in a real online e-learning environment: A Spanish distance university with thousands of undergraduate students. The main goal is to prevent students from abandoning the university by means of retention actions focused on the most at-risk students, trying to maximize the effectiveness of institutional efforts in this direction. With this purpose, we generated predictive models based on the C5.0 algorithm using data from more than 11,000 students collected along five years. Then, we developed SPA (Sistema de Predicciaen de Abandono, dropout prediction system in Spanish), an early warning system that uses these models to generate static early dropout-risk predictions and dynamic periodically updated ones. It also supports the recording of the resulting retention-oriented interventions for further analysis. SPA is in production since 2017 and is currently in its fourth semester of continuous use. It has calculated more than 117,000 risk scores to predict the dropout risk of more than 5700 students. About 13,000 retention actions have been recorded. The white-box predictive models used in production provided reasonably good results, very close to those obtained in the laboratory. On the way from research to production, we faced several challenges that needed to be effectively addressed in order to be successful. In this paper, we share the challenges faced and the lessons learnt during this process. We hope this helps those who wish to cross the road from predictive modeling with potential value to the exploitation of complete dropout prevention systems that provide sustained value in real production scenarios.

This paper shows an alternative to the traditional teaching approach, focusing on the application of a STE(A)M-based learning methodology. In particular, we present an engineering technology problem-solving approach to encourage and motivate the mathematics learning of high school students by promoting positive beliefs about this subject. We report on qualitative data from a group of seven students and two teachers, who developed high-tech engineering projects during a two-year period, applying mathematical concepts and procedures. This data is part of a quasi-experimental study carried out with more than one hundred Spanish students. The findings revealed that solving problems in an engineering technology context helps to develop a practical sense of the applicability of mathematics, generating students' positive beliefs about this discipline.

The recent literature has shown the importance of preservice elementary science teachers (PESTs) having a deep understanding of argumentation, as this factor may affect the nature of the class activities that are taught and what students learn. A lack of understanding of this factor may represent an obstacle in the development of science education programmes in line with the development of scientific competences. This paper presents the results of the design and implementation of a training programme of 6 sessions (12 h of class participation plus 8 h of personal homework) on argumentation. The programme was carried out by 57 Spanish PESTs from Malaga, Spain. The training programme incorporates the innovative use of certain strategies to improve competence in argumentation, such as teaching PESTs to identify the elements of arguments in order to design assessment rubrics or by including peer assessment during evaluation with and without rubrics. The results obtained on implementing the training programme were evaluated based on the development of PESTs' argumentation competence using Toulmin's argumentative model. Data collection methods involved two tasks carried out at the beginning and the end of the programme, i.e., pre- and post-test, respectively. The conclusion of the study is that students made significant progress in their argumentation competence on completing the course. In addition, PESTs who followed the training programme achieved statistically better results at the end than those in the control group (n = 41), who followed a traditional teaching programme. A 6-month transfer task showed a slight improvement for the PESTs of the experimental group in relation to the control group in their ability to transfer argumentation to practice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a social contact and education intervention to improve attitudes to mental illness in first-year social work students. This was a 3-month cluster randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: intervention (87) and control group (79). The intervention was a workshop led by an OBERTAMENT activist (a person with a mental illness trained in communication skills and empowerment by a social worker). We assessed intended future behavior toward people with mental illness, personal and perceived stigma, and mental health-related attitudes (self-reported questionnaire). The intervention improved social work students' attitudes (d ˜ 0.50, p < 0.05) and reduced personal stigma toward people with mental illness (d = 0.35, p = 0.04) as well as improving their future intended behavior 2 weeks after the intervention (d = 0.51, p = 0.01). The intervention impact on authoritarian attitudes toward people with schizophrenia was maintained after 3 months (d = 0.94, p = 0.01). Long-term impact needs to be improved.

Several developments during the last decades have provoked spectacular changes in both Mathematics Teaching and the Education of Mathematics Teachers. From this perspective of renovation, we wish to define a new context in mathematics teacher education in which we consider that "pedagogical content knowledge" (Shulman, 1993, Mellado, 1998; Blanco & Otano, 1999) has to be the knowledge base for the education of the future teachers. In the present work, using problem solving as reference, we explain our program and different types of activities which help to create learning environments referred to "learning to teach mathematics". These activities allow the prospective teachers to build up their own pedagogical content knowledge. (Contains 2 figures.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of Lesson Study (LS) as a tool for dealing with dilemmas in university teaching. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is the result of a LS project which was developed over two academic years (2015-2016 and 2016-2017) in the Faculties of Education and Teacher Training at the Universities of Cantabria and Oviedo (Spain). The research asked the question "How can better learning be achieved?" The starting point for the research methodology was the identification and analysis of teaching dilemmas. The whole process was based on the triangulation of perspectives through the collection of data using techniques such as peer observation, focus groups, interviews, and the writing of the Teacher's final report. The methodology the authors used was inspired by the Student Voice "movement." Findings: The findings show that the potential of LS methodology for professional development in higher education is very promising, enabling teachers to deal with the questions raised by practice collaboratively, broaden their professional knowledge, introduce improvements, and establish new ways of understanding the teaching profession based on a collegial approach. Originality/value: LS methodology is beginning to be known in Spain. Developments have only taken place very recently and there are still few experiences within the university context. It is not common practice for teaching in higher education to become a public space for reflection and research breaking from the traditional isolation between teachers and incorporating the voices of students.

The competence-based education recently launched in Spanish universities presents a set of abilities and skills that are difficult to teach to students in higher and more technologically-oriented grades. In this paper, a teaching intervention that is based on design methodologies is proposed, to upgrade the competitive capacities of computer engineering students. In particular, this intervention targets those aspects relating to working in multidisciplinary teams and to defining requirements based on the user's empathy and knowledge. The main idea inspiring this technique is that the underlying challenge is a communication problem. As Brooks (1995) states in his book "The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering," even a project having all of the prerequisites for success (a clear mission, manpower, materials, time and adequate technology) could fail as a Tower of Babel. The proposed technique through mixed methods has been evaluated with students enrolled in different courses, confirming the repeatability and validity of this method from quantitative measurement, from observation of the results, and from ascertaining the value perceived by students and their attitudes.

Modelling-based teaching activities have been designed and analysed from distinct theoretical perspectives. In this paper, we use one of them--the model of modelling diagram (MMD)--as an analytical tool in a regular classroom context. This paper examines the challenges that arise when the MMD is used as an analytical tool to characterise the modelling process experienced by students working in small groups aiming at creating and testing a model of a sedimentary basin from the information provided. The study was conducted in a regular Biology and Geology classroom (16-17 years old students). Data was collected through video recording of the classes, along with written reports and the material models made by each group. The results show the complexity of adapting MMD at two levels: the group modelling and the actual requirements for the activity. Our main challenges were to gather the modelling process of each individual and the group, as well as to identify, from students' speech, which stage of modelling they were performing at a given time. When facing such challenges, we propose some changes in the MMD so that it can be properly used to analyse students performing modelling activities in groups.

In this paper we explore the views and opinions of four secondary education science teachers regarding the teaching of scientific competences. Their views were gathered in the context of a training programme in which they had to design, implement, and assess their own teaching unit for developing students' scientific competences by means of context-based learning. Analysis of the data yielded a set of 14 categories distributed across 5 areas: scientific competence and context-based teaching; the teacher and his/her professional environment; implementation in the classroom; development of the teaching unit; and assessment. This process also identified the aspects which teachers believed either facilitated or acted as an obstacle to the development of scientific competences through context-based teaching. We discuss the implications of our findings and suggest ways in which a shift towards a context-based approach to teaching scientific competences can best be achieved, and consider a series of factors related to teachers' professional identity that may influence this process.