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Introduction Different international guidelines indicate the need for improving educational procedures. This study aims to contribute to the professional development training program of higher education professors from a Physical Education Teacher Education degree in México.Methodology This qualitative study used a participatory action research design through four cycles: (a) diagnosis; (b) elaboration of the action plan; (c) implementation and evaluation; and (d) feedback. The participants were the professor, six experts, and 17 students. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with students and the professor, the analysis of the class syllabus, and nonparticipatory observations.Findings The importance of carrying out a diagnostic cycle allowed us to identify the specific needs of the class. Similarly, the model of development and evaluation of academic competencies (M-DECA) allowed the professor to develop specific pedagogical and disciplinary competencies from the training program.Conclusion A continuous professional development training program for university professors in pedagogical and disciplinary strategies generates better learning results. The inclusion of innovative content in the class syllabus was also crucial.

The purpose of the study was to know which subjects in the curriculum best predict school satisfaction and boredom as well as the student’s academic grade. The sample was of 680 adolescents of physical education (339 males, 341 females) with age between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.83; SD= 1.45). We used a questionnaire composed of the satisfaction scales with the subjects, intrinsic satisfaction in the school and related to academic grades. Descriptive analyses, correlations, and structural regression models were performed. The high levels of satisfaction and academic performance in physical education stand out. In the structural model, English is the subject that most predicts academic grades, while language predicts satisfaction at school and physical education boredom at it.

The aim of this study is to analyze a set of socializing agents for sport and physical activities and to establish their relationship with leisure time sport and physical activities behaviors and practice patterns in samples of teenage students with different sociocultural backgrounds. The sample included 2168 students in their first year of secondary education, 423 of them being from Costa Rica, 408 from Mexico, and 1337 from Spain (1052 male students, 1037 female students, and 79 students who did not specify gender) aged 11–16 years old (M= 12.49; SD= .81). A validated questionnaire with questions about leisure time sport and physical activities and socializing agents was used. Descriptive, inferential, and multinomial logistic regression analyses were carried out with SPSS 17.0 to compare all three countries. Costa Rica had the most active students, best friends’ inactivity, and unsupportive parents being the agents predicting inactivity and a low level of sport and physical activities. Mexico has a high dropout rate and inactive students exceed active ones; no agent predicts inactivity or sport and physical activities pattern. Spain has the highest level of sport and physical activities practice, and parents, siblings, and friends are predicting agents of inactivity together with unsupportive parents and friends.

The aim of this paper is to know the relations between both theories through motivation, motivational climate and the importance of Physical Education (PE). The sample consisted of 1298 Spanish students (626 males = 48.2%; 672 females = 51.8%). Secondary schools students from the provinces of Almeria, Granada and Málaga participated. The age range was between 12 and 19 years (M = 15. 13) (SD=1.43), the boys’ age average being 15.26 (SD=1.42) and that of the girls being 15.01 (SD = 1.43) years. We used a questionnaire which included Sports Motivation Scale (SMS), Learning and Performance Orientations in Physical Education Classes Questionnaire (LAPOPECQ) and Importance of PE (IPE). MANOVA was performed. The results of this study show that PE students in high school have a higher intrinsic than extrinsic motivation, and that there is an even greater motivation among boys than among girls. Furthermore, among students, the perception of motivational climate for learning is greater than for performance, although the boys perceive a greater performance climate. Boys also ascribe greater importance and utility to PE.

The objective of this research was to study the predictive power of motivation and motivational climate with regard to the importance and usefulness awarded to Physical Education (PE). The sample consisted of 1298 Spanish students (626 males = 48.2%; 672 females = 51.8%) secondary schools students from provinces of Almeria, Granada and Málaga participated. The age range was between 12 and 19 years (M = 15. 13) (SD=1.43), with the median age for boys being 15.26 (SD=1.42) and that of girls 15.01 (SD = 1.43) years. We used a questionnaire composed of Sports Motivation Scale, Learning and Performance Orientations in Physical Education Classes Questionnaire and Importance of PE. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted with SPSS v.17.0. The results of this work show the importance of intrinsic motivation for both boys and girls as a predicting variable for greater importance and usefulness being ascribed to PE, while a greater number of variables have an effect among girls.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the goal orientation effects on the motivation and motivational climate perceived by elite female handball players. A sample was taken consisting of 63 players of ages ranging from 16 to 36 years. The instruments for data gathering were the Spanish versions of Perception of Success Questionnaire, Sport Motivation Scale and Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire. Data were statistically analyzed by descriptive and multivariate analyses (MANOVA 2x2). The main results show that high ego female players present a lower motivational climate for execution, and low ego ones an identified EM. On the other hand those with high task orientation show achievement as IM, stimulation as IM, identified EM and introjected EM, as well as a mastery-oriented motivational climate.

El Mindfulness es la cualidad de ser consciente del momento presente armonizando mente y cuerpo. Este estudio presenta un programa de intervención de seis semanas que se ha realizado en cuatro centros educativos de Granada con alumnado de 5° y 6° de Primaria y 1°, 2° y 3° de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria. El objetivo ha sido comprobar si el Mindfulness presenta efectos positivos en la mejora de la atención y la reducción del estrés del alumnado. La muestra es de 320 estudiantes y se ha utilizado un diseño cuasi-experimental de investigación. Se han recabado datos sociodemográficos y familiares, y se ha realizado un pre-test para medir la atenciónmediante el cuestionario d2y el estréscon el Inventory Questionnaire of Childhood Stress. Tras la intervención, se ha realizado un postest con los mismos instrumentos. Para analizar los efectos de la intervención se ha utilizado un modelo lineal mixto. Los resultados muestran que la aplicación de un programa de Mindfulness mejora la atención y reduce el estrés en estos estudiantes, con diferencias por sexo, centro educativo y edad.

Mindfulness is the quality of being conscious and aware of the present moment harmonizing mind and body. This study presents a six-week intervention program carried out in four educational establishments in Granada with 5thand 6thgrade primary school students and 1st, 2ndand 3rdyear secondary school students. The aim was to find out whether Mindfulness has positive effects in terms of improving students’ attention and reducing stress. The samples were 320 students; a quasi-experimental design was used. We collected socio-demographic and family data and carried out a pre-test to measure the attention variable by means of the d2questionnaire and the stress variable with the Inventory Questionnaire of Childhood Stress. Following the intervention, we carried out a post-test using the same instruments. A mixed linear model was used to study the effects of the Mindfulness program. The results show that applying a Mindfulness program improves attention and reduces stress in these students, with differences by sex, school- and ages.