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Purpose: This article aims to analyze the anthropocentrism vs ethics of care positions of a group of undergraduate students at a private university in Mexico to test gender variable differences in their perspectives. There are two hypotheses: (1) there is a statistically significant difference between male and female genders related to anthropocentrism vs ethics of care positions, and if so, (2) the differences are attributable to women having a more ethics of care position than men. Participants were 561 undergraduate students from a private university in Mexico (257 female, 304 male). The findings demonstrated that both hypotheses were supported by the ethics of care, where the individual rights perspective is set aside to seek collective and holistic well-being. Design/methodology/approach: T-tests were performed to test gender differences in anthropocentrism and ethics of care. Findings: The results showed statistical differences based on gender (sig.000) and that women are less anthropocentric (or more oriented toward an ethics of care than men (female:1.64 and male:1.94). Ethics of care of female position is more defined than that of men. As a conclusion, men are more oriented to anthropocentrism, which reflects a lack of environmental connection by not assuming themselves as part of it and by defending the right of resources exploitation. On the contrary, women tend to respond from an ethic of care that means a more harmonious relationship with nature. In addition, women tend to assume a relationship with the environment, without hierarchy or supremacy towards it, and tend to reject the demand for the exploitation of the planet's resources as part of a right that human beings have historically assumed. Research limitations/implications: One of the limitations of this study is that it has been carried out in a university educational context with exclusively undergraduate students. It would be interesting to validate these anthropocentric vs ethics of care positions in different university groups, including professors and academic managers. Studying this concept in diverse contexts such as business, government and civil society would also be engaging. In addition, the authors recognize that the study is limited by its small population, which means that a balance between men and women or disciplines could not be guaranteed. However, the authors believe that although the results may not be considered exhaustive or conclusive, the results shed light for possible new studies in which the population is expanded. This is an exploratory study. Practical implications: These results have practical implications for universities. In the classroom and in the university environment, students can learn to question the way they relate to the environment. Anthropocentrism (more accentuated in men) is assumed to be separate from the environment and with the right to its exploitation. Contrary to anthropocentrism, it is necessary to explore other positions such as the ethics of care or feminine ethics, more pronounced in women. Universities can develop environmental sustainability projects under the leadership of women, without claiming to be exclusive to them. In this way, the ethic of care approach can be put into practice and thus begin the necessary change for a new environmental relationship perspective. Originality/value: Universities are required to provide an educational orientation towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) particularly those that respond to the climate crisis. To this end, it is necessary to promote a new environmental awareness that critically question anthropocentric models based on the supremacy over the environment. The ethics of care or feminine ethics, contrary to the previous position, assumes that the person is part of the environment and is oriented to its care and healing of the damage caused to restore this network of the human being with nature. The originality of this study lies in demonstrating how women exhibit a different relationship with the environment, oriented to the ethics of care, and how their posture shows a difference with anthropocentrism, which is stronger in men.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of multidisciplinary training in the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence. By means of a sample of an ethics class, this study seeks to argue the relevance of new social entrepreneurs having a broad training, beyond the knowledge they receive from the business area. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a quantitative analysis methodology. Based on the application of a validated questionnaire measuring the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence, a longitudinal measurement was carried out at two points in time, at the beginning and at the end of an ethics course, in a sample population of 132 undergraduate students. Based on these results, a multifactorial diagnosis was made using a Z-test. Findings: Overall, the sample results did not show a significant improvement in their level of perception of students' development of the social entrepreneurship competence. However, the individual results of the perceived development of sub-competences that make up this competence did reflect some development, especially the sub-competence of social innovation. Thus, this study demonstrates that there is a measurable impact of the contribution of other disciplines, in this case the ethical education, in the training of new entrepreneurs, arguing the importance of multidisciplinary training. Practical implications: The results of this study contribute to the work of universities in developing social entrepreneurship competence. Based on its findings, institutions will be able to recognize the relevance of multidisciplinary training in the generation of new social entrepreneurs, valuing other disciplinary areas, such as humanities and social sciences, beyond training based exclusively on business knowledge. A key point to capitalize on in training practices for social entrepreneurship is "social innovation", due to the sense of transcendence and impact that universities should seek, precisely because of their social responsibility to create value. Originality/value: This research provides empirical evidence of the impact of ethics education on social entrepreneurship education. It argues the importance of reflecting on multidisciplinary education as a complementary element in the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence in students.

Purpose: The objective of the study was to analyze the perception of knowledge and experience development in social entrepreneurship in students of a university certified by Ashoka as a Changemaker campus and to identify data that argue for equitable training among all students regardless of gender and discipline studied. Design/methodology/approach: The authors evaluated the perception of knowledge about social entrepreneurship of a group of students from a university certified as Ashoka Changemaker Campus to check if there are differences by gender and disciplinary area. The population was 140 students, to whom a validated instrument was applied. Findings: The results shed light on the few differences among students in the business, engineering and health sciences disciplines compared to those enrolled in the humanities and social sciences concerning knowledge and experience in social entrepreneurship. The findings also indicate gender equality in the perception of knowledge and experience of innovation and social entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications: The sample size in the different disciplinary areas is a limitation of this research. However, the findings are valuable in terms of gender and the study being conducted in the first university certified as a Changemaker Campus in Latin America. Practical implications: Underlying the statistics and the hypotheses is important in improving students' experience and expanding their equitable opportunities to learn about and implement innovative proposals for social entrepreneurship projects. Social implications: Training in equality and inclusion contributes to an equitable and socially just society, especially when this training aims to bring new possibilities to society. This study links with those that have been conducted in other institutions, where conscious efforts have been made to reduce the gender gap or differences by disciplinary area when undertaking social entrepreneurship projects that connect sectors for social benefit. This research also argues for the need to identify the impact of other cultural elements, in addition to the knowledge provided by universities, that reduce the gap among their students. Originality/value: This study is original because of its hypotheses about university students' social entrepreneurship projects, being conducted in a special environment (Ashoka Changemaker campus) in Latin America. The data were analyzed under hypothesis testing, contrasting the empirical evidence with the theoretical assumptions.

In Latin America, Universities recognize that it is not enough to ensure the participation of equal numbers of men and women in the classrooms. In this sense, promoting the inclusion of women in STEM areas is a relevant issue for the region. This article presents the results of measuring students’ perceived achievement of scientific-technological entrepreneurship and complex thinking competencies after participating in science club activities (Mexico). The analytical methodology included descriptive statistics and analyses performed with Minitab statistical software. The educational activities of science clubs impact the development of both competencies, showing a positive correlation regardless of the participant’s gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing focus of educational institutions on students' practical abilities beyond theoretical knowledge, the perception that students have of their competencies is crucial for their effective application in professional contexts. Accordingly, this paper reports a study of 435 university students attending ten universities in eight countries in the Americas (Chile, Colombia, Mexico), Asia (Pakistan and the Philippines), and Europe (Spain, Finland, and Serbia). The goal was to measure their perceptions of their achievement of complex thinking competency and its sub-competencies. The intention was to identify how cultural, educational, and socioeconomic differences among countries account for the variances in the students' self-assessment of competencies, impacting their professional preparedness. The study focused on the competency of complex thinking, considering its critical importance in solving current environmental problems. The analysis employed the non-parametric Brown–Forsythe statistical test and Bonferroni correction, given the non-normality and heteroscedasticity of the data. It was found that (i) there is no statistically significant difference by gender; (ii) there are statistically significant differences in all types of thinking per country, geographical area (continent), and Human Development Index (HDI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to present the results of an exploratory analysis of the level of perceived achievement of the complex thinking competency in a group of engineering students in their last semester at a university in Western Mexico. Its intention is to identify whether this population has the necessary skills to be able to meet challenges and solve problems related to the demands of their future professional environments. Specifically, it seeks to identify their level in the meta-competency of creative or innovative thinking, considering it a valuable skill for Industry 4.0. Methodologically, a descriptive statistical analysis focused on arithmetic means, standard deviations, boxplot, principal components and biplot has been performed. In conclusion, and from the results, it is possible to appreciate that sufficient data were found to confirm that the participants show a high level of perception of creative thinking performance, making them more suitable to the contemporary challenges that Industry 4.0 implies for their professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyse teachers' perceptions of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the effect they have on their students, comparing male and female teachers in rural and urban areas of Mexico. Design/methodology/approach: This is a quantitative study with a validated questionnaire that records the perception of school teachers from a state in the northeast of Mexico. The questionnaire was designed by interviewing 20 teachers who have had problematic situations in the use of technology by students. The main problems that were perceived in their students were cyberbullying, cyberviolence, online pornography, excessive use of videogames and also lack of ability to use digital technology. Hypothesis testing was applied to identify differences between gender (female or male) and region (rural or urban), considering these problems and the efforts made by the school to address these issues. Findings: Both the gender of the teaching staff and the region where the school is located are variables that are influencing the willingness to incorporate ICT issues that are affecting the well-being of students into the educational agenda. While teachers are the main actors in preparing their students on how to face these challenges, students in schools with mostly male teachers, or located in rural areas, will be in a situation of greater vulnerability to be victims of the problems that arise as part of ICT risks in a digital society. Research limitations/implications: This article only offers a first approach to ICT and teachers' perceptions. It is necessary to broaden the scope of this type of research to include different educational contexts and to ask questions that reveal in greater detail how schools are dealing with ICT and its possible risks and the factors that have influenced the successes or failures they are having in these attempts. Practical implications: This finding can help schools to promote programs focused to apply ICT for student flourishment and help them to deal with the risk that digital technology is generating in young students. Originality/value: Although multiple research have been conducted to address teachers' perception about diverse topics, there has been no specific research on the self-perception of teachers in dealing with technology and preparing students for the problems presented by ICT and its risks. This research contributes to the literature on the impact that teachers' perceptions can have on the adoption of technology in education, and how this can be different by gender and region.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze how university men and women in different disciplines of study in Mexico perceive social entrepreneurship competencies, using a multifactorial analysis to find possible areas of opportunity to reduce the gender gap in social-entrepreneurship-project proposals. Design/methodology/approach: This is a quantitative study with a validated questionnaire that records the perception levels of five social entrepreneurship subcompetencies. The survey, which includes 28 indicators, was applied to 140 university students from different disciplines. Hypothesis testing was applied to identify significant differences between men and women in each subcompetency by disciplinary area. Findings: In the global sample, significant differences by gender were observed only in the social value subcompetency. In the disciplinary analysis, significant differences were found in architecture and design, business, and engineering and science. Research limitations/implications: The questionnaire only gathered data about the students' perceptions. To the extent that perception is triangulated with other instruments, it is possible to increase knowledge regarding how to train in social entrepreneurship. Practical implications: The results can be useful for university training and increasing the envisioning and formulating of government projects by young people who create new businesses. Originality/value: This research contributes to the literature on the role of gender-specific perceptions of social entrepreneurship in Mexico.

This exploratory study aims to identify the state of well-being of a select group of women leaders in a Mexican university by analyzing the relationship between their perception of happiness and their satisfaction with their life and work. Through the application of a psychometric battery, this work examined how these leaders manage their well-being within an environment that is simultaneously empowering and demanding. Methodologically, a descriptive statistical analysis was performed, including a correlation analysis of all items. As a result, the research identified positive correlations between the variables age and positive perceptions of work and life, which are strongly associated with high personal and professional satisfaction. In addition, people who find their work rewarding and feel that their life is close to their ideal tend to be more satisfied in general. Although this study intended to be exploratory, it also sought to contribute a deeper understanding of the well-being status of women in university leadership positions in Mexico. In doing so, it filled an important gap in the literature on gender, leadership, and well-being in Latin American academia by highlighting the complexity of managing and supporting women in leadership positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undoubtedly, artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming increasingly common in people's lives. The educational field is one of the most reflective on the importance of its adoption. Universities have made great efforts to integrate these new technologies into their classrooms, considering that every future professional will need AI skills and competencies. This article examines the importance of student perception and acceptance in adopting AI tools in higher education effectively. It highlights how students' positive perceptions can significantly influence their motivation and commitment to learning. This research emphasizes that to integrate AI into university curricula successfully, it is essential to include its technologies in all areas of study and foster positivity among students regarding their use and training. This study's methodology applied the validated instrument "Perception of Adoption and Training in the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in the Profession" to a sample of Mexican students. This exploratory analysis highlights the need for educational institutions to understand and address student perceptions of AI to design educational strategies that incorporate technological advances, are pedagogically relevant, and align with the students' aspirations and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Going beyond teaching knowledge to develop students' competencies challenges contemporary universities because acquiring knowledge is insufficient without the capacity to implement it in real environments. Complex thinking is among the most valued competencies. It allows people to reason to solve problems, integrating their scientific, systemic, critical, and innovative skills. However, theoretically, there is a gender gap in the acquisition and development of complex thinking, suggesting inequity within the training processes. This article examines how acquiring and developing complex thinking are configured in a group of Mexican university students. Employing a multivariate descriptive statistical analysis, we intended our study to identify a possible gender gap and particular characteristics in the sample of female students to understand the formation of complex thinking considering the gender variable. Our conclusion found that, although the data suggests no statistically significant gap between the genders, it is still present in the unequal development of procedural knowledge in women, affecting their perception of their ability to implement what they know when solving problems. Practically, this text shows an area of opportunity for institutions that train complex thinking and establish educational policies to promote women's leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The purpose of this article is to present the results of a study conducted on a population of students from two technological universities in Mexico. The intention was to contrast the perceived achievement of the complex thinking competency and its sub-competencies among students in the last levels of their training. Then, to identify areas of opportunity for developing professional competencies it was applied a sample of 551 Engineering and Business school students from two higher education institutions in this Latin American country. In this manner, 60,61% corresponded to public universities while 39,39% remaining corresponded to private universities. Methodologically, a statistical descriptive analysis was carried out. The study was conducted with a convenience sample answered by students from technological universities located in western Mexico through Google Forms. After analyzing the results, it was possible to identify a gap in the students' perceived achievement in both institutions, with the private institution having a significantly higher mean. This study raises the importance of guaranteeing the development of professional competencies equitably among all students, intending to avoid differences that impact their perceptions of their abilities. All of this considering that complex thinking as a set of disciplinary and meta-competences should be similarly taught indifferent the type of university or higher education institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]