Validation of a self-perceived media competence instrument for pre-service teachers / Validación de un instrumento de autopercepción de competencia mediática para docentes en formación

Abstract

Key to guaranteeing the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and information is the development of media competence, particularly in schools. Training teachers in the area of media competence is particularly important for developing these skills in the broader citizenry. In order to provide educators and educational policymakers with a useful diagnostic tool, we have designed a self-perception questionnaire. The questionnaire was applied to a sample of Peruvian education students (N = 501). On the one hand, the results confirm the construct’s coherence, validity and instrumental reliability. On the other hand, they allow us to propose a theoretically based update to the way in which this construct is interpreted and applied, confirming the multidimensionality of media competence. Finally, we use this empirical evidence to discuss the integral, transversal and ecological status of media competence.     

Citing as a sourcing practice: students’ citing self-selected online sources in their essays (Las citas como práctica del uso de las fuentes: las citas de fuentes en línea seleccionados por los estudiantes en sus trabajos)

ABSTRACT

This study examined upper secondary school students’ citations of self-selected online sources in their essays. Students (n = 140) conducted online inquiry about either effects of social media on people’s quality of life (SM) or allowance of genetic manipulation of organisms (GMO). Students, working either individually or in pairs, explored online sources with the help of a graphic organizer, after which they composed their essays. To capture the quality of citations identified in the essays, they were evaluated in terms of accuracy and richness of source features. Further, regression analysis was used to examine the effect of topic, grade level and work mode on the number and quality of citations. Results showed that students seldom cited sources in their essays, and when they did, citations were mostly accurate but less often rich in source features. When writing about SM, students most frequently cited media sources, while sources with ideological, political or religious motives were frequently cited in GMO essays. Students’ grades and work modes predicted the number of citations and number of accurate citations.     

Quality of the early childhood education environment and interactions,and their relationship with time dedicated to free play (Calidad del entorno y de las interacciones en educación infantil y su relación con el tiempo dedicado al juego libre)

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the quality of early childhood education (ECE) environments, the quality of teacher-child interactions and the duration of free play in 22 ECE classrooms in the Valencian Community, Spain. Twenty-two ECE teachers of four- and five-year-old preschoolers participated in the study. The quality of ECE environments and teacher-child interactions were evaluated using the ECERS-3 and TSRS, respectively. The time children spent in free play and non-free play was also registered. The study concluded that the quality of ECE environments was minimal. The scores of teachers on emotional support were in the medium-high range and scores in instructional support were low, with direct instruction as the predominant teaching style. Indoor free play was positively related to the overall quality of ECE environments and the quality of teacher-child interactions. The findings of this study are discussed in relation to the results of other studies in the Spanish context.     

Teaching media in a ‘post-truth’ age: fake news,media bias and the challenge for media/digital literacy education / La enseñanza mediática en la era de la posverdad: fake news,sesgo mediático y el reto para la educación en materia de alfabetización mediática y digital

Abstract

Digital literacy is often proposed as a means of dealing with the problems apparently caused by ‘fake news’. This positioning article considers some of the difficulties with this approach. It argues that fake news is not an isolated phenomenon, but one that needs to be understood in a much broader social, economic and cultural context. It also addresses the practical possibilities and difficulties of teaching in this area. The notion of ‘digital literacy’ appears to define the phenomenon in technological terms. By contrast, this article suggests that we need a broader notion of media literacy, which is based on critical thinking about the economic, ideological and cultural dimensions of media. Even so, the article suggests, the broader problems that are at the root of the problem of ‘fake news’ are unlikely to be solved very easily.