Search

This study investigates the reasons behind the decision to send children aged under three to ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) and the causes that may explain why some families send their child to ECEC once they reach the age of two while others decide to do so at an earlier age. To answer the first question posed a probit model is used, while to answer the second query a Heckprobit model is estimated to take into account possible selection bias. The data for this study was taken from an unpublished database compiled by the Spanish National Institute for Educational Evaluation, which gathers information from 1,166 children schooled in the Infant Education stage. The results of our estimations show that the decision to enroll children under three in ECEC services depends fundamentally on the sociodemographic characteristics of the mother (educational level, employment situation and age), on household size (if it is a large family) and on the availability of ECEC services in the area in which the child lives. Our study has also shown that the only variable regarding factors that explain the differences in the age of access to ECEC services, two or under two, is the importance that parents place on their children developing empathy towards others. On the basis of our results, the study offers recommendations aimed at the progressive universalization of this initial educational stage.

Digital literacy has moved away from its traditional instrumental conception, to be nourished by critical perspectives that have been increasingly adopted in all areas of the analysis of technology and education. The importance of generating educational models that contribute to the emancipation of people in a post-digital and highly complex world is an increasingly evident challenge. However, it is still difficult to find concrete examples of pedagogical strategies specifically devised to foster digital literacy in line with this much needed emerging critical lens. This paper presents a case study of a set of learning experiences integrated into a compulsory module for students in the 1st year of a degree in education sciences, which leads to the qualification required to teach at primary schools in Spain. The results highlight the importance of providing students with learning opportunities conceived to help them become future teachers ready to have a transversal impact on education for the emancipation of people in the post-digital world, rather than simply training them as operators who use technology to enhance skills.

Currently, the higher education sector can be considered a marketplace, within which university education is considered a marketable service in the literature on higher education management. The analysis of the variables that generate university image has been the subject of numerous studies on higher education institutions (HEIs). The purpose of this study was to analyse the comparative weightage of these variables to increase the robustness of the model developed in a previous study by Alcaide-Pulido et al. (2017) for the purpose of identifying the variables with greater explanatory power of the image that undergraduate students have of their universities. This work uses a sample of 438 undergraduate students (Spain and Portugal), using a support vector machine to classify them and conduct sensitivity analysis to detect key variables with greater weights. The findings reveal four determining variables: 'value for money', 'ethical values and social responsibility', 'social networks', and 'university rankings'.

This study analysed the teachers and hearing and speech specialists' (HSSs) attitudes towards and knowledge of sustainable inclusive education for children with hearing loss in the Canary Islands. The study sample comprised 297 teachers and HSSs. The authors designed the Inclusion Questionnaire (InQ). It was found that teachers and HSSs' attitudes and knowledge centred on seven attitudes: sustainable professional development, self-efficacy in teaching competencies, inclusive leadership, assistive electronic technology, challenges around family involvement, embedding and sustaining reflexive practice, and technological usability and universal accessibility. The alpha coefficient for the total InQ was 0.841. These InQ factors have been developed with reliability and logical validity. There were differences in items under three factors among female and male teachers and HSSs. Teachers and HSSs also showed differences in the variables of age, work experience, and professional experience with students using hearing devices. Recommendations for inclusive values and sustainable educational change are suggested.

This study looks at OpenCourseWare (OCW) in Spain, a country where most public universities have tried to promote that particular model of open educational resources (OER) provision among academics. Using three universities with varying levels of OCW activity as a case study, this article examines key drivers behind the implementation of OCW initiatives and unpacks what it means, as an academic practice, to engage in OCW authoring. Following a qualitative case study approach and a multi-methods design, this study offers a basis for theoretical generalisations that can be useful for understanding similar dynamics taking place within different organisational contexts in Spain and beyond. The findings reveal a major disconnect between the drive to implement OCW initiatives in Spain and actual opportunities for academics to engage with them as part of their work. The author concludes that the extrapolation of a highly prescriptive model of OER provision into institutional realities different from the context where it was originally devised--in this case, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States--is rather problematic. The article also provides some recommendations to university leaders and policy makers, encouraging the creation of alternative models that are mindful of the institutional and cultural specificities of their own contexts and also to take into consideration the social and material realities of the communities they aim to provide with lifelong learning opportunities.

This paper studies undergraduate student attitudes towards team-based projects, connecting those attitudes to challenges and overall perception of this work. This study was conducted with 220 students in the context of three subjects taught at a Spanish University, that included collaborative projects as mandatory assignments to be developed over the course of the subject. The instrument was a Likert scale-based questionnaire. As a methodology, the Rasch model was used, making it possible to apply indirect measuring of students' development level of various skills. The findings point to the difficulty in solving specific communication needs and managing students' involvement and commitment to the project. The results obtained through Differential Item Functioning analysis (DIF) show that gender, year of study, students' age, academic degrees, and the context of curricular subjects influence significantly the acquisition of skills related to collaborative work, facilitating or hindering their development among university students. These results have practical implications for the design of collaborative projects within higher education academic programs. They also suggest that the way collaborative work is usually planned is not very effective and should be reconsidered.

This paper examines initial teacher training policies in the context of youth digitalisation. Based on international ICT competency frameworks for teachers (UNESCO, 2008, 2019) and information literacy, MIL (UNESCO, 2011), we analyse how Spanish (public and private) universities represent digital innovation, and the identity practices of young people, linked to hyperconnectivity. Focusing on initial training received by future secondary teachers, the sample was selected according to the criteria of non-presential learning (online, distance, blended) applied in the teacher training process. Results confirm ongoing deficiencies in critical teacher digitalisation management, highlighting certain asymmetries between the categories constructed. Data reveals the prevalence of intervention more geared towards formal knowledge than towards decoding digital grammar (which is how digitalisation is used in education). The paper concludes by advocating convergence strategies as a circular mechanism that must underpin all teacher training policies in the age of hyperconnectivity.

Today, the higher education sector can be considered a market and, within it, private university education is a common marketable service in the literature on higher education management. Research on the analysis of the variables that generate the university image has been the subject of numerous investigations. Although there is no generally accepted definition, most authors approach the measurement of image through multi-factor scales, with variables relating to functional and psychological elements. This research aims to contribute to study of the most determinant variables in measuring a product's image, assessing especially the effect of the reputation construct. This was done through measuring the image of the "private university" product as perceived by citizens of Andalusia, based on a standardized model with three dimensions--functional and affective aspects and reputation. After adapting and validating the questionnaire, a two-phase procedure is performed with double validation through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results show an adapted scale valid for measuring the image of a generic product; with presentation and discussion of a series of advantages of incorporating reputation and measuring image through models with three dimensions. This article goes deeper into the possible influence of reputation as a determinant factor in measuring image, an assumption arising from some models for measuring image, something that so far has not been sufficiently contrasted.

Background: The growth of teaching practices conducted to promote cognitive activation and active participation in the classroom in recent years has become the epicentre of an active debate regarding their effectiveness. Objectives: This study is aimed to shed some light on this topic by empirically analysing the causes and consequences of more modern strategies in Spanish secondary schools. Methods: The database used in the study was PISA 2018. In order to analyse the causes behind the teaching style followed by teachers, a logit model was used. Likewise, to analyze the consequences that a modern teaching style has on students at the age of 15, we used propensity score analysis techniques. Results and Conclusions: Regarding the results obtained through a logit model, it is shown that the likelihood of a modern teaching style decreases if teachers work for a state school or if they usually apply traditional strategies. Similarly, this series of practices are shown to be more common in schools where teachers and students make greater use of digital devices. The second section of results, focused on analysing the effect this type of teaching strategies has on cognitive, non-cognitive and wellbeing among students, show that, on the one hand, modern teaching style negatively affects students' performance in mathematics, science or language. On the other hand, modern teaching style has been shown to contribute to improving the students' well-being, motivation and cooperation, only being significant the latter. Moreover, this teaching style contributes to reducing bullying among students.

This study aimed to evaluate two objectives: first, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and socio-demographic characteristics of children with cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs) on the Kid-KINDL[superscript R] _children_7-13 questionnaire, and second to analyze parental background factors and the perceptions of their children with CIs or HAs on the Kid_Kiddo-KINDL[superscript R] _Parents_ 7-17 questionnaire. The data consisted of 89 children with CIs and 63 children with HAs and their 89 parents, respectively. The characteristics of children and the parental factors included demographic and audiological variables. Student's "t"-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the two objectives. Children with CIs exhibited a perception of better HRQoL in comparison with children with HAs. Among other differences, children with CIs or HAs and their parents were significantly distinct in the variable "Setting" ("t" = 2.921, p < 0.010). Moreover, parents of children with CIs or HAs were significantly different among them in some background factors (i.e., age, socioeconomic status, and learning). Children with CIs and their parents demonstrated a perception of better HRQoL than children with HAs and their parents. These findings added to the existing knowledge about the benefits of CIs for children with hearing loss. Parents of children with CIs noted the significance of social and emotional development as a marker of well-being in their children's lives.

Background: This study raised the following problem: How reliable is the "Inclusion for Children and Adolescents Questionnaire" (ICAQ) when measuring the attitudes of students with hearing loss towards inclusive education (IE) in public schools in the Canary Islands? Methods: The sample consisted of 297 students from the province of Gran Canaria, and 137 students from the province of Tenerife, with an average age of 11 years old. An exploratory factor analysis determined the reliability and relevance of ICAQ. Results: The authors found four factors of students' attitudes towards IE: "Family involvement and use of technology, inclusion in the centre, communication with medical specialists, and assessment of the support technology." Conclusion: There were significant differences between the students with hearing loss in terms of the following factors: "Inclusion in the centre" and "assessment of the support technology." The total score of students' attitudes towards IE was high. This piece of research is very important for the governing body of any school administration, especially in relation to schools' educational planning and IE.

This study aims to investigate whether emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD) differ between children with cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs), according to multi-informant ratings. Methods: A battery of psychological measures (e.g., Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA), Peabody Image Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and Raven Progressive Matrices Test (RPM), was administered to children with CIs or HAs. The study involved 187 children with CIs, 113 children with HAs, 176 fathers and mothers, and 300 schoolteachers. Results: Significant disagreements were found between children, parents, and schoolteachers with regard to SDQ ratings. Total SDQ difficulties score correlated poorly with other outcomes (e.g., total ITPA, final PPVT, and final RPM). Regression linear analyses showed six socio-demographic and linguistic covariates that significantly predicted children's total SDQ difficulties score. Conclusion: Several independent variables were found to be associated with children's total EBD scores. This article highlights the importance of providing professionals with sufficient training so that they are knowledgeable about the procedures they are to use to support children with EBD (e.g., developing and implementing instructional approaches for school students with EBD).

This paper presents a case study of a Spanish university that sheds light on the precarious nature of many academic posts. It looks at how women academics build their careers in the current neoliberal university, which measures scholarly output through the indexing metric. Application of this yardstick renders many academic careers all the more precarious because it fails to take into account women's care commitments. Because the issue is 'hidden', it is one that is hard to remedy. Based on a quantitative and qualitative methodology, the study's empirical data revealed that the neoliberal university discriminates against women by overlooking the care burden they bear. We conclude that needs to base itself on non-androcentric principles in which care is a key component. This would avoid academia penalizing those people who either require or provide care -- especially women.

Introduction: Smart devices are here to stay, and in adolescence they have become the means of socialization par excellence, the fundamental instrument for communicating and relating to the world. While it is true that these types of devices offer innumerable advantages, improper use involves risks and dangers. One of these dangers is the furtherance of gender inequality, reinforcing existing social and cultural structures and provoking new types of patriarchal violence. The aim of this study was to identify behaviors of gender-based violence practiced by male and female adolescents in virtual environments, and to confirm whether there are significant differences based on the variables of gender or school grade. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive, ex post facto study was carried out in, involving 615 participating adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 years. The instrument used in this research was an ad hoc questionnaire developed for this study. Results: The results showed that behaviors of gender-based violence in virtual environments were carried out to a greater extent by the male adolescents, except in the case of behaviors related to myths of romantic love. This type of gender-based violence has been recognized by experts in the field and is carried out mainly by women. It was also observed that gender-based violence was practiced more by the 10th-graders. Discussion and conclusions: The results of this study reveal the need for educational interventions to prevent gender-based violence in virtual environments, as well as measures designed to treat the especially detrimental effects of this type of behavior in adolescence.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of a hybrid teaching games for understanding (TGfU) and sport education (SE) physical education unit on autonomy support, perceived motivational climate, enjoyment and perceived competence, in comparison to a unit delivered via a traditional direct instruction model. A crossover design was utilized. Participants were 55 students divided into two groups. One group experienced a hybrid TGfU/SE unit first, followed by a unit of direct instruction. A second group experienced the units in the opposite order. The hybrid unit was designed according to the characteristics of SE (e.g. formal competition, seasons, team identity, roles, etc.) and learning tasks were designed to integrate the pedagogical principles of TGfU. Dependent variables were measured using validated questionnaires. Results showed that regardless of the order of intervention, students in the two groups reported significantly higher mean scores in interest in athletes' input, praise for autonomous behavior, perceived competence, and enjoyment when they were taught using the hybrid TGfU/SE unit. The results demonstrate some initial evidence that a teacher's employment of a hybrid TGfU/SE unit can encourage students to assume responsibilities and make independent decisions, which leads to them reporting greater enjoyment and perceived competence when compared to physical education lessons delivered via a traditional direct instruction model.

Special education master's degrees are proliferating, most probably in response to the requirement for all special education teachers to be highly qualified. The aim of the study is to evaluate the 10-year Master's Degree "Educating in Diversity" (MDED) at the University of La Laguna (ULL) and to examine the extent to which the development of diversity competencies in graduates is related to their perceptions of the overall quality of the postgraduate program. Two hundred and eight University students and 235 part-time faculty members evaluated the basic program indicators. Finally, MDED results gathered from 135 postgraduates and 707 beneficiaries indicate high levels of purpose achievement and satisfaction with the program, the faculty, and the curricular content. The framework for improvement in which the MDED is viewed as compatible with national and regional evaluation and accrediting agencies is discussed. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)

Purpose: This study analysed the effects of a training intervention programme using principles of Non-Linear Pedagogy (NLP) on the decision making (DM) and performance behaviours (P) of youth footballers. Method: 19 footballers (U12 yrs) participated in 14 training sessions, spread over three phases: Pre-intervention, Intervention, Retention. The intervention was based on Small-Sided and Conditioned Games. We assessed progress during the intervention phase at two different points: intermediate and final. The GPET instrument was used to analyse the DM and P during the completion of 3208 passes in the intervention. Results: Results shown significant improvements in the DM and P after the intermediate and final points of the acquisition phase. Moreover, significantly higher values were also obtained in both variables in the retention, compared to the pre-intervention phase. Conclusion: Results indicated that the NLP intervention programme was effective in improving both aspects of team games performance in youth players, with effects consolidated over time.

The inclusion of an Environmental Awareness Module (EAM) within Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Spain is considered a factor of overriding importance due to the current need to incorporate environmental awareness within society as a whole but also within particular occupations and professional practices involved both in jobs relating to the environment and the entire system of production. In this study, we will tackle the changes in the educational system that are essential for sustainable development and for environmental education; we will also look at the equally essential changes that must be made to training in preparation for employment. We will analyse different dimensions of the EAM: its creation, development and evaluation, its set objectives, the function of Training Centres and the scope of students. Lastly, we shall propose a set of quality criteria. (Contains 6 tables, 1 figure and 3 footnotes.)

This study examines whether two online courses offering educational support for junior faculty have a positive effect on their attitudes and curriculum and teaching capacities (CTC) learning. The data used in the analysis are from two 2005 online University training courses. The tasks the online courses assign to faculty, the resources they provide, the learning environment they create, and the conversations they provoke proved to be consequential in shaping faculty's attitudes. The results also indicate that junior faculty who participate in individual and collective online developing activities, such as constructing teaching episodes and communicating with other colleagues, are more likely to gain a better understanding of how to teach their scientific disciplines.

The rapid growth of online learning has led to the development of faculty inservice evaluation models focused on quality improvement of degree programs. Based on current "best practices" of student online assessment, the Online Faculty Development and Assessment System (OFDAS), created at the Canary Islands, was designed to serve the dual purpose of faculty development and classroom learning environment assessment. Results, as illustrated in this paper, show that the OFDAS encouraged faculty to reflect on the professionalism of their teaching skills. Implications are discussed in terms of emphasizing the process of online teaching, knowledge acquisition, and incorporating varying perspectives, all which yielded a comprehensive view of faculty teaching attitudes and their relationship to student's perceptions of their classroom environment. (Contains 5 figures and 5 tables.)

Twelve instructors' reflections lead to engagement and proactivity in pedagogical knowledge, thus building an analytical approach which is fundamental to the development of university professional practice. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Education is considered a fundamental element in society's development, and higher education institutions (HEIs) must direct a part of their activity towards supporting countries' social, economic and cultural progress. It is crucial that HEIs develop diverse marketing and management strategies, above all image management, since this will make them competitive in the market and provide their managers with decision-making capacity. Regarding the image of HEIs, the literature presents different measurement models, with no consensus about the variables to include in them. The main aim of this research is to analyze studies presenting models of university image, search for synergies among the models' variables and develop a model that combines all of them. Other variables not found in these studies have been included, since the bibliography on the subject considers them relevant. The sample is formed of 438 students from two universities, a private university in Spain and a State university in Portugal. The results show that image has a conceptualization formed of four constructs: external communication and values, national and international recognition, economic value, and facilities. We conclude with confirmation of a model that measures university image with variables that are significant in previous studies, but with some added variables.

Older people's civic participation contributes to community development while at the same time providing opportunities for personal growth in later life. One important dimension of civic participation that has been largely underexplored is informal learning. The aim of this study is to explore the learnings experienced by Spanish older people through their participation in political organizations as one important type of participation that has received little attention in the literature to date. A total of 192 people aged 65 years and older and actively engaged in three kinds of political organizations participated in the study. Participants answered an open-ended question regarding learnings through political participation. Results show a range of informal learnings, relating to social, political, or instrumental domains. Both the type of organization and some sociodemographic and participatory characteristics are associated with the type of learnings experienced by participants. Implications for political organizations are discussed.

The aim of this study was to learn about the effectiveness of two dance teaching techniques, the creative examination technique and the direct instruction technique, on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the level of self-determination, the perception of usefulness, enjoyment and effort of physical education students. Likewise, it purports to analyze the gender difference in the psychological variables addressed in agreement with the teaching technique used, to guide and personalize the treatment of these contents in physical education. A quasi-experimental design was carried out with four natural groups from two school centers. The direct instruction technique was applied with two groups and the creative examination technique with the other two, in a total of 12 sessions. An initial and final measurement was taken in both groups, and the results revealed the complexity to motivate students after 12 sessions. However, the gender-dependent analyses offer methodological guidelines, as the creative technique causes adaptative consequences on the male gender and disadaptative consequences on the female gender. By way of conclusion, we can highlight the need to devote more sessions to dance teaching and to apply different treatments depending on the gender.

There is a gap in the Marriage and Family Therapy literature regarding clients', therapists', and family judges' theories of change in relational therapy for family violence. We conducted in-depth interviews with eleven court-referred families, their therapists, and two family judges in Bogota, Colombia. Interviews focused on their expectations of therapy outcomes, their understanding of change, and their evaluation of individual and relational therapy outcomes. We followed a grounded theory approach to data analysis. Analyses showed that therapists, family judges, and clients hold different expectations and theories regarding therapeutic change. Findings are discussed based on existing research on clients' and therapists' ideas about change. Implications for future research and practice are presented.

Introduction: Scientific and technological areas include tuition based on highly visuo-spatial specialization and problem solving. Spatial skills and problem solving are embedded in a curriculum that promotes understanding of Science and technical subjects. These abilities are related to the development of executive functions (EFs). We aim to assess whether students who have studied Science and Technology branches in the High School present improved EFs involved in spatial reasoning and problem solving. Method: We assessed six different EFs in two groups of students: Science and Technology students (ST group) and students enrolled in the first course of Psychology whose pre-university studies were not oriented towards science and technology (No-ST group). The EFs tests that we applied in the ST and No-ST groups assessed spatial working memory, planning, inhibition, mental flexibility, verbal and abstract reasoning. Results: The study revealed that spatial working memory and planning were significantly better in the ST group comparing with the No-ST group. The No-ST group presented more impulsivity. There were no differences between the groups in the rest of EFs assessed. Conclusion: Pre-university studies that include Science and Technology subjects can influence EFs by improving planning and spatial working memory, as well as leading to less impulsivity.

Based on the results of the authors' research using a case study of a Spanish university, the sociological component of gender is an important factor in building transitions at university. When the authors refer to university transitions they are talking about two periods. Firstly, they refer to the transition of undergraduate students from upper secondary education. The authors detect differences in the choices of studies, in the identification of professional models and in the university admission process. Secondly, they refer to the transition from research grant-holders to teaching and research staff. They explore the construction of social expectations and representations that research grant-holders make during their transitions to teaching and research staff. These two transition points are connected through the gender component, because in both, the authors have found gender differences that shape the transitions to a type of discourse and of behaviour. Therefore, university transitions are a broad field of study from a gender perspective.

This study aims to identify changes in adolescents' lives and in the relationships within the family when a family member has a dementia. Grandchildren living in Barcelona, Spain, participated in the study (N = 145). The data, based on both quantitative and qualitative information, showed that if the grandparent moved into the grandchildren's household, adolescents underwent changes in their daily activities and in their experience of caring for the grandparent. Participants showed mainly positive changes in their relationship with their parents and acknowledged the influences their parents have in their relationships with their cognitively impaired grandparent. Grandchildren experienced a closer relationship with the partner of the person with dementia, although they also mentioned difficulties in maintaining this relationship if this grandparent focuses his or her attention excessively on the care recipient. From a family systems perspective, we discuss the importance of the role of grandchildren in caring for a person with dementia. (Contains 3 tables.)

Few bullying studies focus on immigrant youths or acculturation stress as a risk factor for bullying and being bullied. Employing a sample of 1,157 foreign-born secondary students in Spain, we found that acculturation stress was widely experienced, although the average level of stress was moderate. Five percent of the sample reported being bully-victims; that is, simultaneously being a perpetrator and victim of bullying. Another 5% reported only victimization experience, and 12% reported only perpetration experience. Multinomial logistic regression results showed that acculturation stress was associated with increased odds of being a bully-victim but not with the odds of being just a victim or the odds of being just a perpetrator. The findings highlight areas for future research exploring the chronology of perpetration and victimization for bully-victims, whether bullies of immigrant youths are immigrants or natives, and relations between sources of acculturation stress and forms of bullying. (Contains 2 tables.)

The study explored goals in couple relationships, and determined their association with age and the level of satisfaction expressed with the relationship. The participants were made up of 355 volunteers, aged between 20 and 78, who had been in a relationship for more than 6 months. The sample was gathered to ensure an age and gender balance. Participants' goals were ascertained by means of three sentence stems that they completed by expressing a general expectation, a hope, and a concern as regards their relationship. Satisfaction with the relationship was measured by means of Hendrick's Relationship Assessment Scale. Responses to the open-ended sentences were content analyzed and categorized. The frequency of these categories was associated with age, which indicated that an orientation toward growth was less frequent and an orientation toward maintenance was more common in older groups. Except in the youngest group, satisfaction with the relationship was negatively correlated to gains, and positively to maintenance. The study emphasizes the changes experienced in couple-related goals across adulthood and their relevance to satisfaction with the relationship, issues which have received little research attention to date. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)

The aim of this paper is to study occupational segregation by gender in Spain, which is a country where occupational segregation explains a large part of the gender wage gap. As opposed to previous studies, this paper measures not only overall segregation, but also the segregation of several population subgroups. For this purpose, this paper uses new measures recently proposed by Alonso-Villar and Del Rio (Local versus overall segregation measures, Documento de Traballo 0802, Departamento de Economia Aplicada, Universidade de Vigo, 2008). Moreover, two decompositions of their local segregation curves are proposed, which allows us to go further in the empirical analysis.

The objective of this study was to explore what adolescent grandchildren have learned from having a grandparent who suffers dementia and what coping strategies they might recommend for other adolescents in similar situations. We also present information on background factors influencing lessons learned and coping strategies. Adolescent grandchildren living in Barcelona, Spain participated in the study (N = 138). Qualitative analysis was conducted on responses to 2 open-ended questions regarding lessons learned from having a grandparent with dementia and advice to other grandchildren facing similar situations. Five learning and 4 coping strategies emerged from the analysis. Adolescents reported about the value of life, the complexity of the life-span, and changes in personal characteristics such as patience and responsibility as a result of the experience. Advice to other adolescents primarily focused on accepting the dementia as well as acquiring behavioral coping strategies. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that type of care grandparent receives--day center versus nursing home--and age of the adolescent influenced lessons learned and coping strategies. Implications for the developmental tasks of the grandchild during adolescence are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

Online education is used for a variety of purposes in higher education. Two such purposes are improving one's performance over time and understanding one's professional development in the context of online teaching and learning. Relying on data from online staff development courses delivered in five Spanish universities, this article explores online faculty learning through the lens of staff development theory. This theoretical perspective emphasizes the universities' quality assurance contexts and offers an empirical examination of the ways in which faculty members learn curriculum and teaching competencies (CTCs) in online staff development programmes. At the core of this analysis is the contention that faculty members understand and respond to quality teaching lessons and activities. Finally, this study highlights the points deemed important when designing, implementing, and evaluating Internet CTC training courses. (Contains 1 figure.)

This article evaluates the role of the Online Faculty Development and Assessment System (OFDAS), created at universities in the Canary Islands, Spain, in staff development. The evaluation indicates that the system helped staff in learning to teach curriculum and teaching capacities. The tasks, online resources and opportunities for discussions provided within the learning environment created for the system helped shape their attitudes towards learning curriculum and teaching capacities and enabled them to share their concerns about students' classroom learning environment assessment. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

This study in Spain explored three aspects of older adult volunteering (motivations, satisfaction, and perceptions of benefits and drawbacks) and examines to what extent these aspects are influenced by the type of organization and other factors (sociodemographic variables and level of volunteering). The sample consisted of 88 older adults volunteering in 3 different organizations: management, cultural actions, and social care. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results show that volunteering is a satisfying activity for older adults. Participants perceived more benefits than drawbacks and had diverse motivations for volunteering. Volunteering in a management organization predicted less satisfaction and perception of benefits, as well as greater drawbacks. (Contains 4 tables.)

This article reports on a six-week online capacity learning and telementoring program at the Universities of the Canary Islands. Firstly, the authors give their view of online training and mentorship perspectives. They structure the argument introducing concepts about the mentor method. Simultaneously, the empirical project is illustrated with a case study: the University Teaching Professional Development (UTPD), a University training program for the development of curriculum and teaching capacities with reference to change within university teaching programs. Finally, the authors discuss the results, which lead to improvement, focusing on the difficulties of learning and practice of capacities within an online training course. (Contains 6 tables and 3 figures.)

This study examines whether two online courses offering educational support for junior faculty have a positive effect on their attitudes to learning and curriculum and teaching capacities (CTC). The data used in the analysis are from two 2005 online university training courses. The tasks the online courses assign to faculty, the resources they provide, the learning environment they create, and the conversations they provoke proved to be consequential in shaping faculty's attitudes. The results also indicate that junior faculty who participate in individual and collective online developing activities, such as constructing teaching episodes and communicating with other colleagues, are more likely to gain a better understanding of how to teach their scientific disciplines. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

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

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

Teachers' thought processes in interactive class situations were analyzed. Interactive decisions are those teachers make during interaction with students and are made on the spot with limited reaction time for the teacher. This study shows types of reflections-in-action by inservice teachers. (JD)