Análisis de un fragmento de clase de catalán (1.a lengua)

Se presenta aquí un caso de aplicación del «análisis del discurso» para la evaluación, los intercambios lingüísticos de profesores y alumnos en clase y, de este modo, de la calidad didáctica de las clases de lengua. El modelo se propone como técnica para la autoevaluación y optimización de las estrategias de instrucción…     

Effect of argumentative goals in the quality of argumentative dialogue and written argumentation / Efecto de la consigna argumentativa en la calidad del diálogo argumentativo y de la argumentación escrita

The inclusion of argumentative practices in classrooms as an epistemic tool to foster learning and reasoning has become widespread. However, studies on argumentation show that not all kinds of argumentation are equally effective in fostering this potential, and that argumentative goals are determining factors in the argumentative discourse — in particular, persuasive and deliberative goals, the latter posited as being the ones with the greatest epistemic potential. Eighty students in the Master in Secondary Teacher Training took up positions on an energy dilemma and wrote two argumentative texts, before and after a dialogue with a classmate who defended the opposite thesis. Of the total of 40 dyads, 21 conversed with a persuasive goal and 19 with a deliberative goal. The results show that the dialogue had a positive effect on the argumentative quality under both conditions. However, in the consensus group, the bias of the post-text diminished while meta-statements and counterarguments increased. A case study of one dyad under each condition illustrates these differences.     

Development and evaluation of a Portuguese early literacy programme / Desarrollo y evaluación de un programa portugués de alfabetización temprana

Abstract

Over the last three decades, research in this field has addressed different early literacy skills and studied the pedagogical practices that promote the initial learning of reading and writing skills. This study develops a programme that promotes early literacy skills, called Ouvir as Letras (Listen to the Letters). The efficacy of the programme was evaluated in comparison with two implementations of the Portuguese preschool education curriculum: one structured and the other semi-structured, in a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up. The study was carried out with the participation of 124 five- and six-year-old children who attended preschool in four schools in the north of Portugal. The results suggest that the Ouvir as Letras programme was more effective in facilitating the acquisition of basic skills to initiate children in the learning of written language.     

Application of a lexical-semantic intervention programme for students with Specific Language Impairment / Aplicación de un programa de intervención léxico-semántica en alumnado con Trastorno Específico del Lenguaje

The aim of this research has been to test the efficacy of an intervention programme on lexical-semantic problems in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). The sample consisted of 34 children diagnosed with SLI and 34 children with typical language development, all enrolled in different schools on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). For the selection of the sample, CELF-3, Peabody, ITPA Auditory Association and Visual Association subtests and the K-BIT IQ tests were used. The intervention programme consisted of 72 sessions of 30 minutes each, using noun and action naming activities along with conversation and categorization tasks in order to increase vocabulary and improve lexical semantic competence. Significant results were achieved in aspects related to the acquisition of vocabulary as well as in lexical semantics or related terms. The educational implications are clear insofar as lexical-semantic aspects are key in terms of activating other linguistic components and in improving the academic progress of SLI students.     

Translanguaging: towards a dynamic model of bilingualism at school / Translanguaging: hacia un modelo dinámico de bilingüismo en la escuela

Abstract

As a response to the trend of using school languages separately, this article puts forward a pedagogical strategy labelled translanguaging which fosters the dynamic and integrative use of bilingual students’ languages in order to create a space in which the incorporation of both languages is seen as natural and teachers accept it as a legitimate pedagogical practice. Thus, translanguaging becomes the process through which bilingual students create meaning while shaping their experiences and increasing their knowledge by using their linguistic and semiotic repertoire without arbitrary separation. After posing the theoretical framework underpinning translanguaging, an experience conducted in a secondary school institute is described, concluding with a specific example of translanguaging in a class activity.     

Exploratory factor analysis to construct a model of university teaching evaluation indicators / Un análisis factorial exploratorio para la construcción de un modelo de indicadores de evaluación docente universitaria

Abstract

This article is a practical application of the technique of factor analysis. Its uniqueness lies in the nature of the variables we set out to study (determinants of the quality of university teaching), the data collection instrument designed for the study (scale assessment questionnaire) and the basic goal of this study, which is simply to seek the views of a representative sample of university students on the elements that form a system of indicators for assessing teaching skills in order to establish a profile of the role of university professor.     

Production and evaluation of a Personal Learning Environment for faculty training: analysis of an experience / Producción y evaluación de un Entorno Personal de Aprendizaje para la formación universitaria: análisis de una experiencia

Abstract

The creation of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) process. The research project Dipro 2.0 had different objectives, one of which was the creation of a learning environment using Web 2.0 architecture. This was done in three stages: the design of a prototype, an analysis by members of the research team and its evaluation by experts and students. The first environment is a PLE and the second environment contains the learning materials distributed in 14 units. Fifty-seven educational technology experts from different Latin American countries participated in the evaluation of both environments; they were selected from the criterion of expert competence and 284 students from different Spanish universities. The instrument used was created ad hoc, and results confirmed that both environments are positively valued; it is recommended for teacher training.     

State school inspection policy in Norway and Sweden (2002–2012): a reconfiguration of governing modes?

There is growing research interest in school inspection throughout Europe; however, there have been few comparative studies between Swedish and Norwegian school inspectorates. Such a study is necessary since little is known about how inspection policies are shaped through ‘governing modes’ in the two Nordic countries. This paper explores the similarities and differences between state school inspection policies within the two countries from 2002 to 2012. Based on a rigorous, comparative document analysis of 23 policy documents, a particular focus is given to how school inspection adheres to professional-bureaucratic control as a mode of governing and/or details national expectations through performance audit, potentially intervening into school practices. We demonstrate that even if the cases of public administration seem to be somewhat homogenous from the outside, there is substantial evidence of major differences in the inspection policies of these two countries which can be explored by comparative analysis. Specifically, this paper contributes both conceptually and comparatively to understanding how a study of purposive and evaluative modes of governing can add to the field of school inspection studies.     

Studying culture-cognition relations in collective practices of daily life: a research framework / El estudio de las relaciones cultura-cognición en las prácticas colectivas cotidianas: un modelo de investigación

This article sketches a framework for the study and analysis of culture-cognition relations that I present in my recent book, Cultural Development of Mathematical Ideas: Papua New Guinea Studies. Taking an historical approach, I focus on the reproduction and alteration of representational forms for number and the functions that representational forms serve in collective practices in and out of school. My key argument is that, in the context of their goal-directed communicative activities in collective practices in daily life, people unwittingly reproduce and alter representational forms and the functions that these forms serve. The process leads to continuities and discontinuities in form-function relations in communities over historical time. To provide evidence for this process and its role in the cultural development of ideas, I report selected findings from research conducted in 1978, 1980 and 2001 in Oksapmin communities; I focus on historical shifts in the forms and functions of the Oksapmin body part counting system over time. I then update that body of research with a sketch of a recent 2014 follow-up study. I close with reflections on the utility of my framework for the study of culture-cognition relations in other communities and on cognitive domains other than mathematics.     

Charting the development of technology-enhanced learning developments across the UK higher education sector: a longitudinal perspective (2001–2012)

This article reviews key findings from six surveys of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) across the UK higher education (HE) sector, conducted by Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association in association with Jisc. Updating the findings presented by Jenkins, Browne, Walker, and Hewitt [2010. The development of technology enhanced learning: Findings from a 2008 survey of UK higher education institutions, Interactive Learning Environments. First published on: 22 January 2010 (iFirst)], the article reports on the emerging and planned patterns of TEL across the UK HE sector over the last decade. Our analysis shows that against the backdrop of Higher Education Funding Council for England capital funding, institutions have made considerable investments in technology and infrastructure to support learning and teaching – specifically in the domain of learning management and assessment systems. While the drivers for TEL development have consistently focused on enhancing teaching and learning over the years, the subject of this investment has been directed to the implementation of enterprise-wide systems to manage and control learning processes, delivering efficiencies of scale and standardised learning experiences through centrally managed solutions, rather than support for student-controlled tools. In contrast, the diffusion of technologies supporting collaborative learning and knowledge sharing has been more a feature of local TEL provision, as evidenced through the informal learning practice of students and departmental projects. The evolution of course delivery models and pedagogic developments supported through the use of technology have been noticeably much slower to realise; growth in “web-dependent” rather than “supplementary” course design models has been quite limited across the sector and we have observed negligible growth in distance learning provision over this period. The evidence suggests that challenges remain in developing course delivery models which focus on active student learning, maximising the opportunities that web and mobile technologies now offer for interactive student-centred learning design. We speculate that the recent upsurge of interest in Massive Open Online Courses may act as a catalyst in this respect, in driving campus-based courses to embrace new learning models supported by TEL tools.     

Teacher–student talk in Singapore Chinese language classrooms: a case study of initiation/response/follow-up (IRF)

In this article, I analyse the initiation/response/follow-up (IRF) exchanges between teachers and students in teacher-fronted instruction by using transcribed classroom data. Adopting a social constructivist position, I examine ways in which teachers construct or reduce students' learning opportunities in these communications. Furthermore, I demonstrate how language is used to serve the functions of mediation and to provide learning opportunities. Although teachers talk most of the time and control most of the turns, I argue that teachers can improve their talk and control in their fronted instruction to optimise student contributions and to facilitate students' learning.     

Review by (non)peers as an opportunity for learning: a case study on the editorial process of papers by junior researchers / La revisión por (im)pares como instancia de aprendizaje: un estudio de casos del proceso editorial de artículos de investigadoras noveles

Abstract

We analysed the editorial process of the four articles authored by junior researchers published in the special issue The peer review process as an opportunity for learning. Our aims were to study the unfolding of the main critiques and suggestions made by reviewers in the different review rounds, as well as to explore how both authors and reviewers experienced and valued the review process. Data sources include all review reports and letters where the authors explained the changes made, and questionnaires completed by all the authors and some reviewers. The most commonly identified critiques in the reports were related to content selection and elaboration (coherence and relevance), the own author’s voice (critical positioning and caution) and attention to the reader (precision and consistency in terms and concepts, methodological clarity, writing style, legibility and formal adequacy). All four authors stated that being part of this process was rewarding and educational, highlighting the development of academic writing skills. Some reviewers emphasized the importance of reading other reviewers’ reports. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of providing junior researchers with resources that support them in communicating their research to the academic community.     

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.     

Reading in pairs Network: a training model based on peer learning (pairs of teachers and school networks) for the sustainability of educational innovation / Red Leemos en pareja: un modelo de formación basado en el aprendizaje entre iguales (parejas de profesores y redes de centros) para la sostenibilidad de la innovación educativa

Abstract

This article presents a study on a Primary and Secondary Education teacher training network from Catalonia for the implementation of the Reading in pairs program. The goal is to describe, analyse, and assess the training model’s characteristics in relation to the learning promoted among participants, as well as the possibilities of actually incorporating educational innovation in the schools. The results suggest that this formative ecosystem permits a degree of learning and understanding of the program and its conceptual foundations that is relevant to the ability to implement it creatively and to adapt it to each school so that its sustainability is guaranteed.     

A questionnaire on mathematics learning strategies (CEAMA): measurement and properties of an adaptation into Spanish / Cuestionario de Estrategias de Aprendizaje para las Matemáticas (CEAMA): medida y propiedades de una adaptación en lengua castellana

Learning strategies are an essential tool to enable the autonomous and active learning of mathematics and it is therefore necessary to identify these strategies correctly. The objective of this research is to analyse the factorial structure of the Spanish version of a questionnaire that measures the use of these strategies in the subject of mathematics (Cuestionario de Estrategias de Aprendizaje para las Matemáticas [CEAMA]). We adapt a questionnaire based on the MSLQ (Motivated Strategy for Learning Questionnaire), since it is focused on the context of mathematics learning. The study has been conducted in different schools located in the Basque Country and collects data from 631 students of the second, third and fourth years of compulsory secondary education (ESO). The results show a hepta-scale structure compared to the six-scale structure proposed by the original English version. The difference is detected in the division of metacognitive strategies into two factors: planning and monitoring/regulation. This finding improves data on metacognition in mathematics teaching and learning, making it richer and more exhaustive. The suitability of certain items is discussed.     

Developmental changes (14–21 years old) in binge drinking patterns and their explanatory factors / Cambios evolutivos (14–21 años) en los patrones de ingesta puntual de alcohol en exceso y en sus factores explicativos

Abstract

In order to design prevention programs, it is important to understand the evolution of drinking behaviour patterns among adolescents and young people. The aim of this paper is to analyse the changes in these patterns based on age and their role in explaining this behaviour in the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. We used 273 participants divided into three sub-samples (3^rd and 4^th ESO [Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, ‘Compulsory Secondary Education’] students and university students). For older ages, the frequency of binge drinking is higher and the attitudes were also more positive towards alcohol consumption. Structural equation analyses show that drinking behaviour is explained by a different model in each age-group: in older groups, the role played by positive attitude and perceived control is more important than in the younger; by contrast, the influence of reference groups decreases with age. Results show significant differences between age groups regarding the reasons that young people report for engaging or not engaging in this behaviour.     

Assessment of subjective resilience: cross-cultural validity and educational implications / Evaluación de la resiliencia subjetiva: validez transcultural e implicaciones educativas del ‘Cuestionario de Resiliencia Subjetiva’ (SRQ)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to obtain evidence about the cross-cultural validity of the ‘Subjective Resilience Questionnaire’ (SRQ), comparing French and Spanish Secondary and High School students’ results. A total of 750 French students formed the sample. To validate the SRQ, confirmatory factor analyses, reliability and correlation and regression analyses were made. The validation process included the analysis of the generalizability of factor structure, and of relationships of resilience scores with different kinds of protective and vulnerability factors — success expectancies and learning-oriented classroom motivational climate (CMC). French results were similar to Spanish results, underlying the importance of considering variations in resilience as a function of the kinds of adversity experienced. Nevertheless, some differences between French and Spanish students were found in the degree they recognize to act in a resilient way in some of the situations covered by SRQ, differences whose theoretical and practical implications for education are discussed.     

Learning strategies: differences according to year of study in undergraduate psychology students and Master’s students / Estrategias de aprendizaje: diferencias por curso académico en estudiantes universitarios de psicología y máster

The strategies used by students are an important element of the teaching/learning process. The CEVEAPEU Questionnaire was administered to 310 students to analyse the use of 25 learning strategies in undergraduate psychology students and students of a Master’s in Education, and to explore any differences according to their year of study. Greater use of strategies was reported in the advanced years in comparison with the initial years, with the exception of strategies related to social skills and the transfer of knowledge, which were particularly notable in the third year in comparison with other years. Furthermore, no changes were noted between students of the first year and the second year, or between those of the third year and the fourth year. These findings indicate that the strategic profile of university students varies according to the academic year they are following and that, in general, it is better in the middle and advanced stages. This aspect should therefore be taken into account in order to improve the quality of teaching/learning processes in higher education.