La mejora de la comprensión lectora: un análisis interactivo

Resumen

El presente trabajo analiza, desde un enfoque interactivo, algunas características del texto y del lector. Desde esta perspectiva se revisan algunos de los modelos de intervención encaminados a facilitar en el sujeto el producto final de la comprensión lectora. Como es sabido, esta intervención puede introducirse tanto desde el mismo material escrito, a través de técnicas y recursos sobre planes de escritura que aplica el escritor, como desde las características del lector, como es el conocimiento previo y el uso de estrategias lectoras más eficaces en los sujetos. Desde esta última perspectiva incidimos especialmente en aquellos entrenamientos de estrategias encaminadas a potenciar un conocimiento y aplicación de la estructura organizativa de los textos.     

La influencia de variables cognitivas en el recuerdo de cuentos y su valoración en función de la edad

Resumen

Esta investigación analizó la memoria a través del recuerdo de cuentos bajo la manipulación de variables cognitivas en niños de 6, 8 y 10 años. Siguiendo la gramática de la historia según Stein y Glenn, se diseñaron tres cuentos sencillos con contenidos bien diferenciados. Cada historia poseía además dos finales (final feliz y final triste). Participaron un total de 108 niños y sus respuestas fueron registradas en un análisis factorial mixto con dos factores intersujetos (edad y sexo) y tres factores intrasujetos (contenido, final y categoría gramatical). Los resultados resaltan la importancia que el contenido ejerce no sólo en el recuerdo del mismo, sino también en los distintos finales presentados.     

La diferencia de sexo en la resolución de problemas aritméticos: un estudio transversal

Resumen

En este trabajo se estudia la diferencia entre los sexos en la resolución de problemas aritméticos verbales. Participaron 1.078 escolares de los grados 3.°, 4.°, 5.°, 6.° y 8.° de E.G.B. Se aplicó una prueba de 17 problemas aritméticos a los escolares de 3°, 4° y 5° en dos sesiones. También se aplicó una prueba de 4 problemas aritméticos a los escolares de 6.° y 8.° Los resultados indican que sólo en 8.° los varones son más hábiles que las mujeres resolviendo este tipo de problemas. Se hacen algunas consideraciones adicionales sobre los factores del contexto familiar y escolar que puedan incidir sobre los resultados.     

Pensamiento y acción en el profesor: de los estudios sobre la planificación al pensamiento práctico

Resumen

Este artículo presenta una revisión crítica de la literatura de los últimos diez años sobre el tema del pensamiento y la intervención práctica del profesor. Se analiza la evolución de los estudios e investigaciones desde los planteamientos más cercanos al paradigma proceso-producto y mediacional, de marcado carácter psicológico, a los estudios alternativos, con mayor influencia filosófica y sociológica y que conceden mayor importancia a las estructuras de los contenidos del pensamiento del profesor.     

Sex education in Spain: the relevance of teachers’ training and attitudes / Educación sexual en España: importancia de la formación y las actitudes del profesorado

Abstract

This research has two main aims: a) the study of Spanish teachers’ training and attitudes towards sex education, as well as the delivery of this subject in classrooms, while also exploring the existence of differences according to personal and professional characteristics; and b) to examine the association between teachers’ training and attitudes, and the extent to which these variables predict the delivery of sex education. A total of 3,695 Infant, Primary, Secondary and High school teachers (66.1% women, 33.9% men) throughout the country completed a voluntary online questionnaire that inquired about their training and attitudes towards sex education, their delivery or non-delivery of this subject in classrooms, and other personal and professional characteristics. Analyses indicate that participants show positive attitudes towards sex education, but that 43.3% are not trained in this issue, and 48.6% do not teach it at school. Some significant differences by sex, educational stage and type of school have been found. In addition, trained teachers show more positive attitudes to sex education. Finally, having more positive attitudes and, to a lesser extent, having prior training, positively predicts the delivery of sex education. These results highlight the importance of reviewing and improving teachers’ training on sexuality and sex education, with particular emphasis on attitudinal contents.     

Towards the construct of cyberconvivencia / Hacia el constructo ciberconvivencia

Abstract

The quality of social relationships in schools has been considered to be a relevant issue in the prevention of problems related to educational convivencia, such as bullying. Nowadays, these relationships have been enriched by digital devices, which not only offer new potentialities, but also new problems. In fact, convivencia has turned into cyber convivencia and some phenomena, such as bullying, have turned into cyberbullying. In this study, we analysed the possible relation between direct school convivencia and virtual life, and particularly, the predictive power of the school convivencia over cyberbullying. For these purposes, we surveyed 893 Compulsory Secondary Education students (45.9% girls) about the quality of the convivencia and the involvement in cyberbullying. The results offer a good fixed structural equation model in which the quality of the horizontal and vertical relationships is a predictor variable of cyberbullying. Therefore, the results in this study are proof of the relation between the quality of the direct school convivencia and the problems that arise in virtual environments.     

Grade level, study time, and grade retention and their effects on motivation, self-regulated learning strategies, and mathematics achievement: a structural equation model

The present study complements previous research findings with new data to improve our understanding of the relationship between motivational variables and academic performance in math mediated by self-regulated learning (SRL). A structural equation model with predictor (i.e., grade retention, grade level, and study time), process (i.e., perceived usefulness of SRL strategies, self-efficacy for the use of SRL strategies, and reported use of SRL), and product variables (i.e., academic achievement in mathematics) is proposed. The model was analyzed in two samples of data (calibration and validation samples). The first sample served to fit and respecify the model, and the second one was used to analyze the consistency of the findings of the first sample. A sample of 756 middle school Portuguese students participated in the current study. The results indicate that SRL is positively and significantly related to academic achievement and that the latter is, in turn, powerfully determined by perceived usefulness and self-efficacy, although students’ reported use of SRL strategies decreases from 7th to 9th grades. Self-efficacy and perceived usefulness of SRL strategies were also found to decrease as grade retention increased. These results are discussed with regard to the relevance of self-efficacy and perceived usefulness of SRL strategies in increasing academic achievement.     

Book reviews

Lifelong learning is recognized as an important tool to reduce social exclusion, but out of the many investigations into the provision of lifelong learning in Europe none has yet sought to examine the specific situation of mental health care service users. This study examines the provision of lifelong learning for this disadvantaged group; it identifies current policies and explores the access to, and nature of, lifelong learning practices for mental health care service users in eight European countries. Data have been collected through a literature and policy review and through questionnaires completed by mental health practitioners in the eight countries. The study found broad compliance amongst the eight countries with the Lisbon policy goals on lifelong learning, but evidence of specific lifelong learning provision for mental health care service users is patchy and sporadic. The study identified the main benefits of, and the barriers to, the participation in lifelong learning for mental health care service users from the viewpoint of mental health professionals and practitioners. The implications for practice were described, and suggestions for actions were made for improving the lifelong learning provision for the target group.     

Assessing twenty‐first century skills through a teacher created video game for high school biology students

As twenty‐first century skills become a greater focus in K‐12 education, an infusion of technology that meets the needs of today’s students is paramount. This study looks at the design and creation of a Multiplayer Educational Gaming Application (MEGA) for high school biology students. The quasi‐experimental, qualitative design assessed the twenty‐first century skills of digital age literacy, inventive thinking, high productivity, and effective communication techniques of the students exposed to a MEGA. Three factors, as they pertained to these skills, emerged from classroom observations. Interaction with the teacher, discussion with peers, and engagement/time‐on‐task while playing the MEGA suggested that students playing an educational video game exhibited all of the projected twenty‐first century skills while being engrossed in the embedded science content.