Attitude and commitment to school of successful secondary school students / Actitud y compromiso hacia la escuela en estudiantes de secundaria considerados de éxito escolar

In this article, we analyse the attitude toward school that successful students of post-compulsory education possess. We understand school success as a concept that takes into account academic results, but also includes the desire to continue studying, while often overcoming difficulties at school. The data were taken from a sample of 26 students (12 girls and 14 boys) enrolled in Baccalaureate studies and vocational training. It was collected from detailed interviews, context questionnaires and the photolanguage technique. The results show that students are clearly committed to education, which takes the form of positive attitudes toward schoolwork and tasks (perseverance, effort, respect for the rules) and to the development of a defined life project and a high-level of satisfaction with their education. Baccalaureate students, particularly girls, more clearly express these traits.     

Adopción internacional en Suecia: salud mental y adaptación social en adolescentes y jóvenes

Resumen

En este trabajo se analizan comparativamente las matrices interactivas de situaciones de enseñanza y aprendizaje en la escuela infantil y la escuela primaria (1° y 3° grado) con el objeto de identificar eventuales diferencias entre ellas, diferencias que puedan contribuir a dar cuenta de los problemas de articulación entre ambos niveles que con frecuencia se mencionan en el ámbito educativo. Los resultados mostraron continuidad en todas aquellas dimensiones que permiten caracterizar al discurso escolar como asimétrico y discontinuidad en las dimensiones que describen al proceso de elaboración de conocimiento: en la escuela infantil las matrices responden en mayor medida a un proceso de colaboración y en la escuela primaria, a un proceso de transmisión de información guiado por una secuencia iniciación-respuesta-evaluación más rígida. Las implicancias de estas diferencias entre las matrices de escuela infantil y primaria deben ser ponderadas en el marco de los datos que muestran que la complejidad sintáctica de las emisiones que los niños producen en las situaciones de la escuela infantil es mayor que la de los niños de escuela primaria.     

Las construcciones culturales sobre el éxito y el fracaso escolar y sus implicaciones sobre los modelos educativos en la Argentina

Resumen

En el presente trabajo analizamos la visión de padres y madres argentinos respecto del éxito y fracaso escolar de sus hijos. Se parte de la premisa de que ambos factores no están predeterminados, sino que son parte de un proceso en donde diferentes agentes contribuyen a su constitución. Se realizó una investigación en dos centros educativos de la provincia de Buenos Aires, pertenecientes a dos niveles socioeconómicos distintos, entrevistando a los padres de niños que cursaban 5° y 6° año de la Enseñanza General Básica. Los datos apuntan a que ambos grupos coinciden en señalar tres factores fundamentales para explicar el desempeño escolar de un niño: el apoyo de los padres, el esfuerzo del niño y lo que se hace en la escuela, pero divergen en su interpretación. Ambas muestras privilegian el apoyo de los padres, pero mientras que los padres del nivel bajo se ocupan de que sus hijos desarrollen su voluntad, los del alto se inclinan por privilegiar el desarrollo de su esfera emocional. Diferencias llamativas se advierten entre las responsabilidades atribuidas a la escuela respecto del mal desempeño escolar de un chico. Mientras que los padres de recursos altos responsabilizana la escuela por el eventualfracaso escolar de un niño, los padres del nivel socioeconómico bajo le atribuyen muy poca responsabilidad.     

El nuevo escenario de Internet: las relaciones para-sociales de adolescentes y jóvenes en la red

Resumen

Se realizó una investigación para analizar el nuevo tipo de relaciones parasociales que mantienen adolescentes y jóvenes españoles a través de chats juveniles. Fueron entrenados en el uso de la red 25 estudiantes de Psicopedagogía de ambos sexos, para realizar una entrevista semidirigida, que incluyó hábitos de uso de la red, actividades desplazadas, contactos virtuales y reales realizados e identidades adoptadas. Se obtuvieron 206 entrevistas a través de contacto directo en las charlas y se analizaron cualitativa y cuantitativamente los datos, entendiendo que se consideran sujetos virtuales, sin constancia de su identidad. Los resultados indican un uso principalmente social, de apoyo, consejo o nuevas relaciones. A pesar del anonimato, los sujetos manifestaron no cambiar normalmente de identidadpersonal o sexual y ser sinceros. No hubo diferencias entre hombres y mujeres, exceptuando la tendencia masculina a pasar más tiempo en la red y a utilizarla, en mayor medida que las mujeres, para resolver dudas técnicas sobre su funcionamiento. Estos datos nos conducen a reflexionar sobre el nuevo sujeto de estudio que significa el usuario de internet, la metodología que llevará su análisis y los fenómenos de relación parasocial que lleva aparejada la red.     

Peer bullying,self-serving cognitive distortions and school moral climate perception in Spanish and Dutch secondary school students / Acoso escolar,distorsiones cognitivas en beneficio propio y percepción del clima moral escolar en estudiantes de secundaria de España y Holanda

Students’ role in traditional bullying and cyberbullying was investigated in relation to self-serving cognitive distortions (SSCD), perception of school moral climate and bullying observation. Participants were secondary school students from Spain (n = 568; 286 girls) and the Netherlands (n = 421; 223 girls). The results demonstrated that in both country samples, bullies and bully-victims had higher levels of SSCD. Both Spanish and Dutch students who were directly involved in traditional bullying situations showed more negative perceptions of the school moral climate. In cyberbullying situations, bystanders scored higher on school moral climate perception than bullies and bully-victims. Furthermore, school moral climate perception was negatively associated with traditional bullying observation in the group of victims, and with cyberbullying observation in the case of victims and bystanders. The present findings suggest that future research should focus on the cause-effect relations of these factors, which could include measuring the effects on bullying prevalence of an intervention aimed at SSCD reduction in bullies and bystanders and the improvement of the school moral climate.     

Main determinants of immigrant families’ involvement and participation in school life / Principales determinantes de la implicación y participación de las familias inmigrantes en la escuela

This work is focused on deepening our understanding of family actions when participating in school life and of the intensity of their involvement with the school work that their children perform, or should perform, at home. Specifically, this study examines whether there is a relationship between family participation and involvement, what are the situations that characterize the differential performance of fathers and mothers; an analysis is also carried out of each situation to identify which elements determine their participation or involvement behaviour. To this end, the sample consisted of 279 subjects from Latin America with children enrolled in the fifth or sixth grades of primary education. The results show that involvement and participation are independent phenomena, that mothers are more involved and participate more in their children’s school life, and that the elements determining these two actions are different for both mothers and fathers.     

Teaching for understanding and school sport: a study in an intercultural context and situation of social risk / Enseñanza para la comprensión y deporte escolar: un estudio en contexto intercultural y situación de riesgo social

This study analyses the integration of Mapuche-Huilliche students who participate in a school sport programme based on the teaching for understanding model in a situation of social risk. In this context, 41 students (aged nine to 12) participate, 24 of whom are from the aforementioned ethnic group. To collect data, participant observation was conducted for eight months and group and individual interviews were held. The results show that the Mapuche-Huilliche students recognize themselves as members of the same collective when participating in games associated with their ethnic group. Their main motives for participating in school sport are the teaching approach and the acquisition of social capital. Cooperative learning activities are shown to foster positive interactions with non-Mapuche students.     

El proceso de composición escrita en alumnos con DA y/o BR: estudio instruccional con énfasis en la planificación

Resumen

En este artículo se presenta un estudio instruccional sobre composición escrita en el que se enfatizan los procesos de planificación de la escritura. Se compararon dos grupos de alumnos con dificultades de aprendizajey/o bajo rendimiento de 5° y 6° de Educación Primaria, procedentes de 10 centros educativos de León, con mediciones antes y después. El grupo experimental fue sometido a un programa instruccional de 25 sesiones durante tres meses, y el grupo control no recibió instrucción específica. Los resultados apoyan las hipótesis (i) de mejoría en productividady coherencia tras el entrenamiento y (ii) de mejoría en las habilidades de composición, tras el entrenamiento. Los datos indican que la secuencia instructiva resulta muy eficaz para desarrollar habilidades de escritura más parecidas a las de expertos en los alumnos con dificultades de aprendizajey/o bajo rendimiento entrenados.     

Structure of cartoons,narrative skills and perception of values/countervalues in primary school / Estructura de los dibujos animados,habilidades narrativas y percepción de valores/contravalores en Educación Primaria

Abstract

This study analyses whether narrative skill and the perception of values/countervalues among students in primary school vary according to the structure (narrative vs non-narrative) of the episodes of fiction viewed, the grade age (third and sixth, 8–12 years old), sex and attentional level. With this purpose in mind, quantitative and qualitative methodologies were implemented. The most noteworthy results include the higher narrative skill and perception of values/countervalues of students in the sixth grade of primary school and those who viewed an episode with a narrative structure. The conclusion is that when addressing narrative skills and the education in values/countervalues from the formal and informal spheres, special importance should be attached to the structure of the fiction contents, given that it can to some extent help students make the messages meaningful in terms of values and countervalues.     

Uso/adquisición de una lengua extranjera en el marco escolar entre los tres y los seis años

A partir de actividades organizadas en torno a la escenificación activa de cuentos por parte de toda la clase—maestra y alumnos—, y que funcionan como primer «territorio compartido» en la nueva lengua. Se presentan en este artículo un conjunto de materiales elaborados para la introducción escolar de una lengua extranjera entre los 3 y los 6 años (preescolar y primero de EGB). El diseño presentado se ha realizado partiendo de una doble hipótesis: en primer lugar, que, lejos de ser primero aprendida y posteriormente utilizada, la nueva lengua es adquirida a través de su propio uso; en segundo lugar, que este « uso/adquisición» de la lengua que aún no se conoce (suficientemente) es un proceso interactivo que, inevitablemente, sólo podrá construirse en colaboración con otros interlocutores.     

Primary school student and teacher perceptions of competency-based learning / Percepción de alumnado y profesorado de Educación Primaria sobre el aprendizaje de los estudiantes basado en competencias

In the search for an educational system that enables students to achieve the best academic results, it is extremely important to explore the perception of the main educational agents: students and teachers. Therefore, the objectives of this paper were: (a) to analyse primary school student and teacher perceptions of students’ competency-based learning; (b) to assess the possible differences between them; and (c) to test hypothetical models for predicting learning according to their perception. The participants were 8,513 students from 58 schools and 1,010 teachers from 110 schools. Overall, both teachers and students reported high scores of perception. However, the perception of the students was higher than that of the teachers, except for the digital competence. While the results showed differences in perception between both prediction models of competency-based learning, both groups perceived the competences of autonomy and personal initiative, digital competence, social competence and citizenship, and lifelong learning as core elements of their perception. In this regard, initial and ongoing teacher training in innovative pedagogical models is needed to enable the development of these competences, which are predictors of perceived learning.     

Children´s play and affective development: affect,school adjustment and learning in preschoolers / El juego infantil y el desarrollo afectivo: afecto,ajuste escolar y aprendizaje en la etapa preescolar

Preschool education is a privileged setting where social development and the progressive achievement of emotional adjustment occur. During this stage, affect plays an important role in social interaction. Furthermore, children’s play has been described as an activity with a great potential for promoting development. This article reports results from the systematic observation of 38 five- to six-year-old children in four different school activities on two separate occasions. A total number of 304 registries, totalling 1,520 minutes, were made during the observations, which were conducted with the objective of comparing affective expression in different activities and inquiring into its relationship to school adjustment and performance in preschoolers. It was found that affect’s intensity and quality is higher during play. Results are discussed taking into account positive relationships between affect and school adjustment and performance, concluding that children’s play is a privileged activity for affective development and should be promoted in preschool education.     

Orthography and the development of metalinguistic reflection in Portuguese primary school pupils / Ortografía y desarrollo de la reflexión metalingüística en alumnos portugueses en primaria

Abstract

Linguistic awareness is crucial in learning literacy. This project has a two-fold aim: to develop the students’ ability to think about language in order to write with accuracy and to lead teachers to promote students’ discussions about their writing difficulties. The study is part of a two-year action-research project developed in primary schools from the Lisbon area, with experimental and control groups. The starting point of the project was the analysis of the problems students of third and fourth grades showed in their writing. The scope of the project includes dictation tasks within an interactionist approach, favouring grammatical discussions leading to the observation and manipulation of linguistic data.     

Discursive strategies and learning of the school language: an ethnographic study in a classroom with high ethnic and linguistic diversity / Estrategias discursivas y aprendizaje de la lengua escolar: un estudio etnográfico en un aula de alta diversidad étnica y lingüística

Abstract

Research on the dialogic and intersubjective nature of children’s learning has emphasised the study of educational discourse and the semiotic mechanisms involved in understanding the students’ constructive activity. These studies have been carried out in classrooms where there was continuity between the language of instruction and the students’ first language. However, the number of classrooms in which students have an initial language which is not the language of instruction is increasing. This article analyses the educational discourse in a multilingual classroom when the teacher interacts with seven students in a teaching unit about language. The study uses interactional ethnography. The results show the use of teacher inquiry into the students’ beliefs about the task and the semiotic procedures used to construct a shared intersubjective framework. The discussion emphasises the similarity of some of these procedures with those used in the family in the initial stages of language acquisition, as well as the variations which the teacher uses of the social and specific framework of reference.     

Self-perception,self-esteem and life satisfaction in adopted and non-adopted children and adolescents / Autopercepción,autoestima y satisfacción vital en niños y adolescentes adoptados y no adoptados

This paper analyses whether the specific challenges of adolescence and adoption may affect the self-assessment of adopted adolescents. A total of 618 children and adolescents from Andalusia (southern Spain) between eight and 16 years of age (105 adopted and 513 non-adopted) participated in this study. For comparison purposes, different groups of non-adopted children (current classmates, children in residential care and children who have grown up with their biological families in socially disadvantaged areas) also participated. The Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) were utilized. The results reflect positive self-assessments on average at the beginning and during adolescence. There is a decline in self-perception, self-esteem and life satisfaction at around 11 or 12 years, with a slight recovery beginning at the age of 14. This trend occurs in adopted and non-adopted children and adolescents. Adopted children present self-assessments similar to children who live with their biological family. Children in residential care exhibit self-perception, self-esteem and life satisfaction that is well below the rest.     

Gender differences in social reputation and peer rejection at school / Diferencias de género en la reputación social y el rechazo entre iguales en la escuela

The objectives of this study are twofold: to see if gender differences in social reputation remain stable throughout schooling, and to analyse behavioural differences between boys and girls with rejected status. A sociometric test was carried out and the Allocation of Perceptive Attributes Method was applied to a sample of 777 students in the mid-cycle and upper-cycle of primary education (years three to six) and the first cycle of CSE (Compulsory Secondary Education). The results show that differences in social reputation remain stable throughout schooling, with the exception of a few trends. We also find that rejection in boys is characterized by behavioural attributes, while characteristics associated with rejection in girls seem to be more subtle. It is concluded that gender ought to be taken into account in the design and implementation of intervention programmes aimed at improving the social integration of students.     

Advertising and Sexism with focus groups of preadolescents / Publicidad y sexismo analizados en grupos de discusión de preadolescentes

The main aim of this research is to understand the way advertising and sexism are analyzed by focus groups of 11 and 12 year old preadolescents. In order to achieve this aim we used commercials that reproduce sexism situations and that are based on persuasive strategies where brands and products are associated with happiness and family well-being. The research was developed through six focus groups, whose results were analyzed from a qualitative approach in order to define the classification criteria. The level of skepticism shown by the preadolescents regarding the persuasive advertising techniques is associated with their capacity for detecting sexism. Both skills seem require a certain level (that is needed, but not sufficient) of character analysis. The results support the importance of focus groups both as an evaluation procedure and as advertising literacy context that should include not only cognitive components but also evaluative aspects, such as skepticism and rejection of sexism.     

Improving educational expectations in an Open Access Centre in Barcelona. An educational orientation project for young people at risk of social exclusion / La mejora de las expectativas educativas en un Centro Abierto de Barcelona. Un proyecto de orientación educativa para jóvenes en riesgo de exclusión social

This article presents the design, implementation and evaluation of an educational orientation project for young people at risk of social exclusion who attended an Open Access Centre in Barcelona (Spain). The project aimed to increase participants’ expectations of education in general, and of university and higher education in particular. A content analysis and a pre- and post-test design are used to evaluate the effects of the programme. The programme was developed during five sessions under the supervision of a psychologist researcher. The results show that young people adopt a new meaning in relation to higher education by appropriating a language that allows them to redefine its sense and the original meaning of the academic institution.     

Performance factors and immigration. Impact of individual and school variables / Factores de rendimiento e inmigración. Impacto de variables individuales y escolares

The way schools address migratory movements has a direct impact on integration and social cohesion, making the in-depth study of factors that affect the lower performance of immigrant students in comparison with non-immigrants essential. Using a methodology based on random coefficient models, this paper analyses the differential effect of individual level and school level variables on the estimation of mathematical competence in non-immigrant and immigrant populations. Data are extracted from an educational assessment programme carried out in the Basque Autonomous Community. The sample consists of 16,981 students with an average age of 13.7 years, of which 1,369 are immigrant students. The results reveal that individual and family-level variables show significantly higher impact on student performance than school-level variables. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of investing in policies to support diversity that work at family level, as a means to achieve fuller equity.     

Bimodal compositions of gesture and vocalization at the beginning of verbal communication / Composiciones bimodales de gesto y vocalización en el inicio de la comunicación verbal

Abstract

This study contributes empirical evidence regarding the central role that gesture plays in the general process of language acquisition. Previous studies have highlighted this factor during the holophrastic stage (12–18 months), however a void exists in relation to the stage immediately following and immediately preceding the appearance of grammatical structures, the two-word stage. A single case longitudinal study was performed using the constant comparative method. Frequency data were obtained, indicating a permanent choice of the oral communication modality over the gestural modality, while at the same time a prevalence of bimodal compositions (gesture-vocalization) over oral unimodal compositions was seen. This suggests that bimodal compositions function as a cognitive-communicative procedural antecedent of the exclusively oral compositions that will prevail with the arrival of two words before the handling of grammatical structures, in other words, before the (relative) unimodalization of verbal expression. These results subscribe to the non-modularistic theory of language from the role of gesture in the language acquisition process.