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Task modality (oral vs. writing) has been found to affect the production, nature and resolution of the language-related episodes (LREs) produced by adult learners in collaborative interaction, a finding also attested in very recent and still limited research with young learners, a population that deserves greater attention in the literature. Besides, previous research has not yet considered the incorporation of LREs in the final output of both oral and written tasks. Nor has it controlled for the differential levels of accuracy that the oral vs. the written modality demand, or the opportunity for revising the output equally in both modalities. Besides, little is known about learners' motivation towards tasks of different modality. This article fills these gaps by examining the effect of task-modality on the production of LREs by 10- to 12-year-old schoolchildren performing an oral+writing task and an oral+editing task, as well as its effect on their task motivation. Task modality effects were evinced in terms of nature and incorporation of LREs, the written mode leading to greater focus on form and incorporation of accurately resolved LREs. The possibility of editing the oral output resulted in enhanced target-likeness of resolved LREs. As for task motivation, learners perceived both tasks as equally motivating.

The objective of this study was to identify the impact of implementing English as a medium of instruction (EMI) drawing upon Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology in science for pre-service teachers. Lecturers specialized in modern languages and science education collaborated to design and implement the CLIL-izing EMI intervention. The sample was made up of 105 students, 55 of whom were given instruction in English, and 50 in their mother tongue, Spanish. Two instruments for motivation in English and science were applied before the intervention, two weeks and one year afterwards. Additionally, an open-ended questionnaire was used with the experimental group to gain a more in-depth insight into student perception of EMI. Results showed that the short intervention had a beneficial effect on motivation towards science content learning in the short and long term, although no differences were detected on motivation to English language learning. The student stance on the experimental instruction of science in English was highly positive.

This paper presents a competency-based curriculum redesign, whose pedagogical orientation is related to the development of a common training base for professional performance specialized in mathematics training and didactic-pedagogical training. The study contributes to the literature on quality assurance in Mathematics Education and provides empirical evidence of the success of a process implemented over five years and certified by an external body. Each of the stages of how this can be done in the classroom and what elements need to be considered for implementation are outlined.

Little is known about young CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) learners' attention to formal aspects of the target language when engaged in collaborative task-based interaction. Previous research on language-related episodes (LREs) with other populations indicates that certain variables (e.g. target language proficiency or pair formation method) may play a role in the production of LREs. This study investigates the amount, types and resolution of LREs produced by primary education CLIL learners in a collaborative picture-ordering + story-telling task depending on two variables - L2 English proficiency (grade 5 dyads vs. grade 6 dyads) and pairing method (proficiency-matched dyads vs. student self-selected dyads). Findings indicate that young CLIL learners' interactive behaviour in L2 English, at least in terms of LRE production, does not differ as a consequence of target language proficiency, whereas pair formation method exerts some influence, self-selected pairs producing and resolving more meaning-based LREs. No differences were found for form-focused LREs.

A mixed-method study about the perception of students and faculty around learning assessment practices was conducted in a multicampus competency-based approached Mexican private university. The objective was getting new knowledge about higher education community perception around learning assessment practices, learning outcomes production and how authentic assessment was driven while working on different modalities during the pandemic: remote learning, synchronous hybrid learning, alternate hybrid learning, and on-site modality. A questionnaire, and an interview for faculty and focus groups for students were designed, validated, and conducted. A total of 281 faculty and 908 students participated in this study. The main quantitative results indicate that students who took on-site classes evaluate the variables better than those who took hybrid classes. In addition, students who took remote classes evaluate the authenticity variable better than those who took it in alternate hybrid modality. In the case of the faculty, only the equality variable showed significant differences between the reported modalities. Besides, the main qualitative results indicate that perceptions are quite different between faculty and students while getting their perceptions from an evaluation standards scope. Thus, their perspectives around equality, authenticity, feasibility, reliability and ethics were obtained and discussed against literature. The main conclusions of the study remarked that students and faculty were positive towards most of the execution of learning assessment and learning outcomes practices during the pandemic. Nevertheless, students' preference of on-site modality was determined as the way they have more opportunities for interacting and learning more from assessment and feedback.

This article presents the assessment of two educational secondhand clothing markets developed at two high schools in Albacete. One of them involved money and the other was based on barter, and both included an awareness-raising phase to promote responsible consumption. Although all students were involved, only those who organized the experience were surveyed (N = 40, 21 females). Data were gathered after the experience, in student´s regular classrooms. A qualitative methodology was used, combining focus groups and an open-ended questionnaire. Findings were similar in both groups: the experience was positively perceived, although there was an initial stigmatized preconception surrounding secondhand clothing; it also helped students learn and become aware of the environmental impact of clothing, making them reflect on their consumption habits and change them. Students also perceived some barriers to reducing their consumption. Thus, secondhand markets can be powerful educational tools to raise awareness and change behaviors toward more pro-sustainable choices.

The virtualization of university teaching in Spain caused by the pandemic was a success, but the urgent nature of the transition from face-to-face teaching to online teaching meant that some peculiarities that should have been taken into account were omitted. Thus, in order to find out and analyze the factors causing the success of this virtualization and take measures to address the weak points of this process as teachers may want to maintain the use of online teaching as support for their face-to-face teaching, these factors were located through a literature review and were classified according to their level of importance in this success through a causal study carried out with the methodology of fuzzy cognitive maps. The results achieved indicated the determining factors in students, involving their attitude, aptitude and predisposition, which are factors where the work of the teacher is of main relevance (as it exerts the greatest influence on these factors). For this reason, technological attitude and aptitude, teaching style, and the creation and structuring of content should be reinforced in teachers.

The worldwide pandemic Coronavirus disease, affected every aspect of people's lives due to being locked at their homes, therefore many difficulties began to appear, especially in education. Scholars were the leading group that has been affected the most due to the online lessons that began from one day to another, without any kind of previous training specifically in these types of contexts at home. According to some national diagnostical studies, most of the students could not achieve the minimum educational objectives in mathematics and language, which are the essential subjects in Chilean education. In this study, in which qualitative phenomenology analysis was used, the aim was to reveal the current state of students after a whole year of online lessons in terms of personal technological use and personal perceptions about e-learning. In this study, in which the criterion sampling was used, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adolescents from different sorts of schools who experienced online lessons using their previous personal knowledge in Information and Communication Technologies. The data were analyzed in Nvivo node tree, which revealed six main themes that define the experience and personal perception of the participants: adaptation to the new order, learning by their own, how to use better the technology, use of social media, new ways of personal knowledge sharing, importance of classmates. It is believed that the results obtained from this study will contribute to schools' view of learning and teaching education in the 21st century and to improve students' experiences in online lessons.

Our contribution is based on the most noteworthy results of a research project focusing on teaching strategies at a time when the contents of the primary education curriculum are becoming digital. The expansion of the digital content industry is forcing a paradigm shift. In this paper we analyse the strategies implemented by teachers of the fifth and sixth year of primary school in relation with the digitisation of curricular content. With this aim, we planned our research following ethnographic methodology, analysing a period of two years of a case study. The main data collection tools we used are the analysis of the centre's documents and website, semi-structured interviews with different participants, and direct observation of fifth and sixth year primary education classrooms. We can infer from the analysis that technology facilitates processes of inclusion in the centre, enhancing collaborative and cooperative work. Furthermore, the use of digital devices promotes attention to diversity. The implementation of digital technologies in schools implies redefining teaching practices and teaching-learning processes. The results show that the addition of digital materials is a step forward in the centre's attention to diversity, improving accessibility and overcoming the digital gap thanks to schools' access to technological resources.

Background: In education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has gone from being a convenient option to a permanent necessity. For students and people with functional diversity, it is of seminal importance. It is therefore worth learning how professionals perceive digital tools and apps for people and students with functional diversity and autism: its requirements and potential. As no instrument to measure this exists, we have designed a questionnaire on the requirements and potentials of ICT and apps for assisting people with autism (DP-TIC-AUT). Methods: Our questionnaire has been subjected to content validity using a panel of experts, and construct validity, using Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Cronbach's alpha and Composite Reliability. Results: Optimal results were obtained in the above values, thus confirming the validity of DP-TIC-AUT for use in the contexts of its validation. Conclusions: DP-TIC-AUT is a valid instrument. This opens up a range of possibilities for research, firstly descriptive, then of other kinds, and for the adaptation of the instrument to other contexts. This is the first step in improving the creation and use of ICT for people with autism.

This study compares anatomy diagram production skills as a part of Visual Literacy competence in Biology Education in schoolchildren (n = 254) and pre-service teachers (n = 282). Both groups produced cross-sectional anatomy diagrams from knowledge acquired using frontal views and answered a questionnaire on their difficulties with the exercise. Overall, children performed better than teachers. However, both groups scored very low, revealing a lack of Visual Literacy, but also low content knowledge. Participants recognised their difficulty visualising the requested cross-section, especially with the distribution and size of organs. These results provide evidence of the need to improve anatomical knowledge and Visual Literacy skills in teacher training, since future teachers must teach these topics in schools.

The COVID-19 lockdowns forced environmental educators to increase the use of digital technologies, bringing to the forefront the need for critical research on the implications for teaching practice. Through interviews in Barcelona, we explore how environmental educators perceived related opportunities and difficulties and how these connect with their competencies in environmental education. Non-formal educators reported a more comprehensive range of digital tools than those in formal settings and particularly highlighted the difficulty of sustaining the impact on environmental learning when replacing face-to-face methods with digital technologies. Interviewees commonly perceived motivational challenges. We discuss how these experiences were less related to educators' previous use of digital technologies and more to mastering specific competencies that can help them deal with emotions.

Previous studies have reported that adolescents were at higher risk for mental health disorders during and after the COVID-19 pandemic due to the characteristics of their developmental period and to the impact of social and mobility restrictions on their daily routines. In response to these reports, we designed, implemented, and evaluated the impact of a brief positive psychological intervention in a high school setting to increase adolescents' psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. A pre-post experimental study was conducted to compare the levels of anxiety, academic motivation, and performance changes in an experimental and control group. A final sample of 148 students from two Spanish high schools of the Catalan region participated in the study (M[subscript age] = 12.45; 48% female). Results showed that participants in the experimental group reported a reduction in anxiety and an increase in global motivation levels compared to the control group. Regression analyses also revealed that the intervention was a significant predictor of reduced anxiety, increased motivation, and fewer failed subjects, while high anxiety predicted decreased performance and reduced motivation. These findings suggest that brief positive psychological interventions implemented in high school classrooms could be a cost-effective and systemic preventive measure for increasing adolescents' psychological well-being and strengthening their general mental health both during and after periods of pandemic restrictions.

Although xMOOCs have shown benefits due to their accessibility to expert knowledge, the quality of their pedagogical proposal remains contested. It has not yet been proven that online education's learner-learner interaction practices in xMOOCs generate an improvement in the quality of learning and academic achievement. Peer feedback is a practice that can enhance learning in an environment with diverse student profiles and limited instructor participation. The present mixed methods study was devoted to identifying the perceptions of xMOOC participants regarding learner-learner interaction and feedback practices. In the Energy Saving course on MexicoX platform, 1,176 participants answered an initial survey, 486 participants answered a final survey and 14 participants were interviewed after completing the course. Results show that most of the participants are willing to interact with their peers and participate in peer feedback activities. Although, in practice its value for summative assessment is an important factor that may predict involvement. It is found that diversity of expertise level is not an obstacle for participants to interact. Rather, participants consider that they may benefit from diversity by assessing their peer assignments and learning different alternatives and strategies in which a problem can be solved. Further, it is identified that peer assessment activities are more adequate for providing feedback than discussion forums, since the first promotes an environment in which participants can observe the performance of their peers showed in a more complex assignment. The findings of this study allow us to analyse inherent and external factors that configure learner-learner interaction and that affect peer feedback in xMOOCs. It is concluded that more research is needed in order to understand the effect of some factors that may affect peer interaction and peer feedback in xMOOCs and to propose better strategies to improve peer feedback effectiveness.

A considerable body of research within the interaction framework (Long, 1996) has centred on the language-related episodes (LREs) which occur when learners topicalize a specific linguistic item while they are engaged in meaning-focused tasks. Several studies have shown that the production of LREs may be influenced by the proficiency level of the learners (Kim & McDonough, 2008; Leeser, 2004). Sociocultural theory (Lantolf & Appel, 1994) has also explored collaborative work and the effect that pairing learners with the same proficiency levels or different "patterns of interaction" (Storch, 2002) has on the production of LREs (e.g., Mozaffari, 2017; Storch & Aldosari 2013), but little research has compared the effect of the pair formation method (student-selected vs. proficiency-matched) on young learners' production of LREs and pair dynamics. This study compares young CLIL learners (aged 10-12) in student-selected and proficiency-matched pairs in task-based interaction. Results indicate that learners produce more meaning-based than form-based LREs, regardless of their pair formation method. The percentage of meaning-based LREs which are resolved accurately is much higher in proficiency-matched dyads than in student-selected ones. As for the patterns of interaction (Storch, 2002), the dynamics of proficiency-matched dyads are of a more collaborative nature than those of self-selected pairs.

In recent decades, the increase in stress levels of university students has been seen as a serious threat. Due to this problem, the present investigation has been focused on studying how time management is linked to academic stress in university students. This research study of a basic/substantive non-experimental type and correlational level has been developed under a quantitative approach with a cross section. The sample consisted of 328 students of both genders, selected from a public university in the city of Lima. Two standardized tools were adapted for data collection. Two questionnaires were also applied: time management and academic stress. The results showed that there was an inverse correlation between time management and academic stress (Spearman's Rho = 0.413), as well as for the dimensions of academic stress: stressors (- 0.405), symptoms (-, 387) and coping (, 286). It was concluded that the inverse relationships between the parameters studied will be reflected in the values obtained. Furthermore, possible measures to mitigate the casuistry around academic stress are also discussed.

The Panama-Heritage University Indigenous Intercambio Program (PIIP) is a science and cultural exchange between participants from both the United States (US) and the Ngäbe and Buglé (NB) of Panama. This study abroad program is specifically designed to resonate with the cultural backgrounds of Latinx and Native American students together with the Indigenous community they work with. PIIP provides a model for developing a community-based study abroad experience that is empowering for both students and host communities. Data gathered from US students, the NB participants, and a PIIP professor were analyzed to examine questions exploring how taking underrepresented minority students on an international experience is different--both for the study abroad student and the host community. We explore how power dynamics are always at play and begin to redefine the purpose of study abroad. Mutual learning, an exchange of ideas, and a relationship built on reciprocity and respect form the foundation for a balanced and fair partnership. PIIP offers possibilities and hope for both students and the partnering community members.

This article reports on the perceptions and expectations of pre-service teachers (PSTs) on the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) taught as part of a teacher preparation course. The research was conducted across core units in first and fourth years of an undergraduate education degree in an Australian university. The researchers used a mixed method study. Online survey data from 208 students were analysed, using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for open-ended responses. Results indicate that PSTs' understandings of EI included awareness and management of emotions in oneself and others. They perceived EI as highly important to teachers in various aspects of teaching such as classroom management, student well-being and classroom pedagogy. Additionally, first year students stated that they expected to learn about EI in their teacher education program, however fourth year students expressed that they had not learnt about EI during their course.

Peer feedback has become a common practice in MOOCs for its capacity to scale formative assessment and feedback on higher-order abilities. Though many practices for improving peer assessment have been examined, there is a lack of knowledge of how instructional design and platform features affect the quality of peer assessment and the relative frequency of different types of peer feedback comments. This study aimed to improve understanding of the relationship between quality of feedback and peer-feedback' pedagogical design. Peer feedback instructional design and peer feedback comment data were examined from two MOOCS in a similar domain of personal relevance but with substantially different designs. Country of origin of the feedback provider was also examined to control for cultural/linguistic effects. Differences between the two courses were observed in both the pedagogical designs and in the focus of peer comments, suggesting that peer feedback design is an important guide for the focus of peer feedback comments. Furthermore, the results support the idea that instructional design features, mainly the guide' structure and focus, determine the type of comments that participants will produce and hence receive.

The objective of this research was to generate a theory about the Neoliberal Education Reform, undertaken since 1990 and developed with different aspects in the governmental periods, from Fujimori to Ollanta Humala. This study was developed within the qualitative paradigm, with grounded theory methodology and description of the phenomenal situation. The sample consisted of six informants, who provided the data through the in-depth interview technique. As a result, it was found that there was no explanatory theory that reveals the background of this Education Reform as well as teachers who do not identify with this reform, the successes and failures of it. The contributions broaden the reflexive theoretical universe of society, which has to do with Peruvian education.

To date, the knowledge and use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) has become an almost essential requirement when someone wants to find employment in our society. For this reason, this study aims to analyze the importance that students of the Faculty of Business Studies and Tourism of the University of Huelva (Spain) give to the acquisition of ICT skills for their future professional performance and the domain they have over them (achieved throughout their years of learning). This research is developed through a questionnaire completed by 90 students of the Faculty and concludes that in general they give these ICT skills the importance that they deserve and that their domain goes in parallel (except for some skills that show formative need), even being able to observe that in the majority of cases the dominion of these skills is tied to the importance that they give them.

Early science learning and, specifically, the development of scientific process skills are essential for children to understand the natural world around them. Question asking is a valuable tool to help children get information to organise and make sense of their environment. This research aims to find out whether pre-elementary children employ categorical questions on an information-seeking task and at what age they do so. It also intends to examine how this skill evolves just after an educational intervention, and two months later. The participants were 72 children from three early childhood education levels (ECE1: 3-4 years old; ECE2: 4-5 years old; and ECE3: 5-6 years old). Before the intervention, most of the children did not spontaneously ask categorical questions in the proposed task. Teaching this ability to them made them improve it, mainly in the ECE2 and ECE3 groups, and the acquired learning was maintained over time. However, the youngest children have considerable difficulties in using categorical questions. Thus, activities to model children's scientific skills, particularly those involving the formulation of categorical questions, could be included as part of the science teaching-learning process from 4 to 5 years of age.

Purpose: This paper focusses on the tutoring process developed by three teachers during the implementation of two lesson studies (LSs) by students of the Bachelor of in Primary Education as a methodological strategy to facilitate the reconstruction of the teachers' practical knowledge. Design/methodology/approach: The study is set within the framework of qualitative research and the methodology adopted is borne out by the case study. Findings: The analysis shows how an adequate process of tutoring and accompaniment during the design, development and evaluation of the LS assists students to reconstruct their practical knowledge through action and to reflect on their actions and to develop key professional competences for initial teacher training. Research limitations/implications: This study was constrained by the need to develop a particular methodology of the study over a single four-month period, given that this type of process requires some quiet time for analysis and reflection. And the time that the tutors could make available due to the high ratio and the need to provide continuity to these processes to allow the students to consciously modify the tutors' lessons plans and incorporate this vision of being a teacher. Practical implications: The paper advised to repeat the experience in successive courses, to accompany the students in order to analyse the educational value of LS and how educational value of LS affects the how the students reconstruct their practical knowledge. Originality/value: This paper shows the strategies adopted to promote the reconstruction of practical knowledge in initial teacher training.

The present study details the implementation of an improvement process for a gamification activity from a Calculus course for undergraduate students aimed to develop mathematical modeling competencies. The improvement process was studied taking into account three types of data: the results of the students' performance assessment, the meta-evaluation of the educational and proactive effects and gamification costs, and data on the level of satisfaction achieved on the educational activity. The results of 50 performance assessments were analyzed, as well as the results from the meta-evaluation process carried out by the course's teacher. The study concludes that while it is true that gamification is a strategy that introduces a high level of innovation and brings the type of motivation and emotion that encourages learning, its educational intent can be further strengthened by including performance assessment and meta-evaluation processes to better understand its function and make adjustments to its design in a timely manner.

The purpose of this research was aimed to establish a relationship between the level of collaborative work competency and the academic performance of students in an online master's degree program. An ex-post-facto investigation was conducted through a quantitative methodology and descriptive analysis. A collaborative competency checklist was designed to evaluate 46 teams in order to estimate their collaborative work competency level. This competency was assessed through interactions and performance, registered in discussion forums. Results confirmed a positive correlation between high level of collaborative work competency and academic achievement. Didactic recommendations of this study included collaborative learning activities as one way to promote useful academic and personal skills development. For future research, experimental approaches could be applied to get higher level of certainty about collaborative competency benefits.

Research Findings: Two hundred and sixty-seven Chilean children from grades 1-3, their fathers and their mothers completed measures of implicit and explicit math-related beliefs (math-gender stereotypes, math self-concepts) and feelings (math anxiety), as well as tests of mathematical achievement. Children, fathers, and mothers exhibited stereotypes that link math with males. More specifically, mothers identified more with language than with math, while fathers and children identified more with math than with language. Path analyses models revealed that children's explicit math self-concepts significantly predicted their actual math achievement. Children's explicit self-concept was, in turn, explained marginally by the mathematical anxiety of their mothers. Practice or Policy: These results contribute to our understanding of the relation between parental and children's beliefs and children's math achievement during early elementary school years. In countries such as Chile, with a significant gender gap in math achievement, these findings may highlight relevant aspects to consider when designing interventions aimed at educational equity and providing equal mathematical learning opportunities to boys and girls.

This essay describes the curriculum and implementation of the Hispanic Leadership Academy (HLA), designed to guide and mentor first generation, Hispanic students into becoming leaders in their community. The curriculum empowered students and encouraged them to take their developing leadership skills to the university. The authors believed that participation would assist in students' college success. Eleven undergraduate students from the University's College of Education and Social Sciences participated in a two-week intensive leadership academy in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. While in Mexico, students learned leadership skills, found their voice, and were able to gain an understanding of how culture defines them.

This paper reports on research into the study habits of-university students, their use digital technologies and how they communicate with each other and their professors. We conclude that most students feel comfortable with digital technologies and that they use social media for connecting and interacting with friends rather than for academic communication. Students prefer face-to-face communication for both academic/school and social communication and they prefer to learn by themselves, work independently and to study at home.

In this paper, we address the guidance of student teachers in initial training in schools as an invaluable opportunity to raise creative learning awareness. The objective of this present research is to develop guidance strategies for guiding the identification of creative practices and for analyzing that moment as a "way of knowing". We analyze how to mentor future teachers so they feel willing to promote student engagement and creative thinking through their own practices. We adopted a case study approach guided by multimodal principles. We found that triangulation of individual interviews, focus group discussions and a diary of class observation was a useful strategy in the guidance of student teachers in initial training in schools. Results show these strategies allowed them to become more accepting of unpredicted or undesired results, as they approached their sessions' designs as forms of experimentation. We argue it is essential to guide future educators in the critical analysis of the "standard classroom", helping them design creative alternatives through collaborative experimentation.

This article examines teachers' subject expertise in a context where geography could be considered a neglected school subject. Using an empirical approach to the problem, the article aims to provide a view on the dynamics of teaching primary geography in Chile, through considering teachers' narratives on curriculum making and their associated conceptualisations of the discipline. 21 rural educators were interviewed about geography education to gain a general view of primary geography in the country. Findings reveal the need to understand how teachers conceive of and accommodate geographical knowledge. Even though there is a recognised chain of pressures regarding curriculum changes and deficient initial teacher training, geography as a school subject is still in place because of teachers' practices. Recognising their dynamics will shed light on how to make geography sustainable as a school subject in the future.

Despite the great interest in student's attitude towards science (ATS) in the scientific community, little is known in the field of special education. This study uses a pre-post-analysis to examine how methodology influences the attitudes of 16 students with intellectual disabilities in the second cycle of Transition to adulthood. Results show a medium initial level of ATS that significantly improved after the intervention. In-depth interviews added that students' perception of science is something disconnected and unhelpful for their personal and professional future. This finding has important implications for this type of education, such as an urgent need to change school teaching to a style that is not only more active, but rooted in students' daily lives and interests. Steps must be taken to improve their awareness of the real importance that science has in the world and for their lives.

This paper elaborates three leadership roles to turn school networks into vehicles for powerful learning and democracy. These leadership roles were identified through a review of four school networks, three in the Global South and one in the English-speaking world. The networks were selected for the availability of case studies about their development and the existence of evidence suggesting impact on at least two of the following three areas: improved student learning, enhanced professional capacity, and improvement of the larger system where they operate. The case studies were reviewed with the explicit intention of eliciting the role of leadership in nurturing effective collaboration and advancing widespread cultural change in and through school networks. The three network leadership roles identified are: (1) Lead Learner (creating the conditions for people in the network to learn while learning alongside them about what works and what doesn't); (2) Culture shifter (transforming the culture of collaboration and learning in the network and its participating schools); and (3) System changer (influencing change in the larger educational system where the networks operate).

The "Self-Assessment Manikin" (SAM) is one of the most extensively used instruments in the situational assessment of the emotional state in experimental or clinical contexts of emotional induction. However, there is no instrument of this kind adapted for blind or visually impaired people. In this paper, we present the results of the preliminary validation of a tactile adaptation of the SAM, the "Tactile Self-Assessment Manikin" (T-SAM). For this purpose, 5 people with visual disabilities participated in a focus group in which the usability of this adaptation was evaluated, as well as its usefulness in representing the valence and arousal subscales of the original instrument. The analysis of the content of this focus group suggests a pertinent content validity, while the participants correctly understood both the purpose of the instrument, and the tactile representations of valence and activation constructs created by the research team. However, the difficulty of blind people from birth to understand the graphic representation of an emotional facial expression was detected, which represents a limitation to control in future steps in the validation of T-SAM.

This section discusses how the changing students' experiences necessitated a rethinking of the educational programme and the development of an active pedagogy. The reform used two powerful instruments: an adaptation of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which allows the language coordinator to evaluate the linguistic needs of students upon arrival (and the students to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses) and to design strategies that help them improve during the semester; and the new Common Framework for Intercultural Learning, inspired by the former, which allows students to acquire and improve behavioural intercultural skills through self-managed research practices. This section describes how the language teaching reform was carried out in the programme, the role of the Common Framework for Intercultural Learning, the role of the mentors who accompany students in their learning paths throughout the semester and describes the combined use of these tools.

The aim of this experimental study was to find out the potential of using mobile phones in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), specifically the use of Short Message Service (SMS) as a support tool in the EFL class. The research questions formulated for this project are the following: (1) Is using SMS messages via a mobile phone an effective tool in terms of motivation and engagement?; (2) What type of mini-lessons do subjects think are better to be sent via SMS in terms of effectiveness, engagement, and usefulness for their learning purposes?; (3) What is the appropriate timing for the activities to be sent?; and (4) Did students who participated in the project perform better than the control group? This experimental study lasted two academic years. As this was a preliminary study of the viability of the SMS methodology, it was conducted with a small group of students (n = 13) from the English Degree at the University Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain). Researchers designed various types of activities the first year, and used them though a period of 15 weeks. The aim of the first year was to answer research questions 1 through 3. The second year, a new set of exercises was created, with the aim of gathering data to be able to answer the fourth research question. Both qualitative data (from the first year) and quantitative data (from the second year) were analysed. Findings show that the subjects found the experience engaging. The subjects preferred receiving short and direct exercises which could be answered immediately. They preferred receiving the SMS in the afternoon or evening, and the results show that this methodology enhances the retrieval of memorized English language rules.

The aim of this study is to assess the self-perception of pre-service teachers on leadership after getting involved into a Cooperative Learning approach. For that purpose, a pre/post-test has been applied to 57 undergraduate students enrolled in a unit course on Natural and Social Science Education, compulsory in the curriculum of a degree in Primary Education. The inventory of the questionnaire included scales referring to the skills of teamwork, self-understanding, communication, decision making and leadership, regarded as essential for their future professional development. Results show that students perceive higher levels in all of them after a Cooperative Learning experience, which suggests the positive impact of cooperative student-centered teaching strategies to develop such important skills.

Misconceptions of science principles are frequent among university students. This is particularly problematic in teacher education, as these misconceptions can be passed on by teachers to pupils at school. In this study, 40 preservice teachers studied 8 common misconceptions by 3 different approaches: learning by teaching (LbT) and learning from peers (LfP; both organized in cooperative groups and using self-developed activities) and conventional lecturing. Participants' understanding was evaluated prior to, 1 month after, and 2 years after instruction, together with their views on the effectiveness of these methods for achieving learning. The 3 approaches improved scores on all posttests, but LbT achieved the best results. This coincided with perceptions of the participants who gave diverse reasons for the success of LbT. For lecturing, the longitudinal perspective showed that gains in student learning at 1 month had partially declined by 2 years, even though there was still a medium effect size compared to the pretest. However, for LbT and LfP gains remained statistically stable throughout. A combination of these methods might not only contribute efficiently to conceptual change for a good number of misconceptions but also connect teacher education to an almost real school classroom, giving opportunities to translate student learning into teaching practice.

The use of communication strategies (CSs) in oral and written second language (L2) production has been widely investigated (e.g. Muñoz, 2007). As for content and language integrated learning (CLIL) settings, learners seem to resort to the first language (L1) less often than in traditional foreign language instruction (e.g. Celaya & Ruiz de Zarobe, 2010). However, few studies have examined what L2 learners say about their use of CSs by means of questionnaires -- e.g. Ehrman & Oxford (1990), with adult English as a foreign language (EFL) learners -- and little is known about the reported use of CSs by young learners (Purdie & Oliver, 1999), and much less by young CLIL learners. This study examines learners' self-reported opinions about the use of CSs ("guessing," "miming," "morphological creativity," "dictionary," "predicting," "paraphrasing," "borrowing," "calque," "foreignizing," "avoidance" and "appeal for assistance"). An adapted survey (Kellerman, Bongaerts, & Poulisse, 1987; Oxford, 1989; O'Malley & Chamot, 1990; Yule & Tarone, 1990) was administered to CLIL learners of English in grades 5 and 6 of primary education. Quantitative differences in terms of the type of strategies used were explored. Analyses showed striking similarities between grades 5 and 6 as well as significant differences in the use of the different CSs, paraphrasing and appeal for assistance being the most frequent strategies, whereas morphological creativity and miming obtained the lowest frequency. Findings are discussed in the light of learners' age and the nature of CLIL instruction.

The relationship between "marginal" and "mainstream" science has, in recent decades, become a matter of discussion. Traditional perspectives must be reexamined in the wake of transformations in the international circulation of knowledge and the subsequent diversification of scientific "peripherality". Argentina represents an interesting case with which to explore the structure of "peripheral centres" and new forms of scientific development. While it has recently experienced an expansion in terms of institutionalization, professionalization, and internationalization, that process has been coupled with entrenchment of existing institutional asymmetries and persistent intra-national inequalities; academic prestige is distributed according to opposite principles of legitimation (local/international). Our main task is to explore the current state of research capacities pursuant to that expansion in order to analyze the diverse styles in which knowledge is produced. In our analysis, we make critical use of Bourdieu's concept of field and the Latin American category of "structural heterogeneity," while also focusing on the question of circulation. The paper outlines how professionalization has developed locally over time, and the historical tension between the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research and the public universities. It describes the current structure of the scientific field in terms of researchers, institutes, publishing circuits, and institutional evaluative cultures. It focuses on geographical asymmetries in order to assess the distribution of new human and material resources throughout the country. Finally, it addresses the current situation under the new government, and raises concern over recent regressive actions.

Does home-based family involvement influence academic performance? To answer this question, a case study research was carried out with 96 children from all six levels of primary education at a public school, and their families. Data regarding home-based family involvement were collected using a questionnaire. Academic achievement was measured from school marks. The results reveal that, apart from two of the factors considered, home-family involvement as a whole is not significantly related to academic achievement. These two factors are access to informal education resources and parents' employment. Family involvement related to the access of children to informal education resources is significantly related to a better academic achievement. Those students with both parents working perform best, and those with none working, worst. Although gender does not appear to significantly influence academic achievement and family involvement, the results show that girls attain better school performance and receive more family attention than boys.

Background: Microorganisms are very important in day-to-day life, but they are inadequately addressed in the Spanish educational system. It is essential that students are well informed about their characteristics and functions. Purpose: The study aims to find out primary school students' perceptions of microorganisms and to analyze whether theoretical or practical teaching interventions produce different levels in student's learning about this topic. Sample: The sample consisted of 199 primary students in 2nd (aged 7-8) and 6th (11-12) grades from two public schools in Albacete (Spain). Design and method: This study uses a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge of students on the issue of microorganisms. We compare differences by age and two teaching-learning intervention methodologies: theoretical and practical. Results: Results from the pre-test showed a poor understanding and several misconceptions. Children have a limited and negative view of microorganisms, mainly derived from non-formal learning. Both types of intervention provided an improvement in knowledge, but closed questions did not reveal clear statistically significant differences between methods. Open questions showed how the scientific use of the language and quality of verbalization is much better in the groups that received a practical intervention. Conclusion: The findings can be a starting point for curriculum planners and for teachers interested in engaging students in science learning.

Cinema can be considered a useful tool for understanding different geographic concepts, showing physical and human factors and the interactions between them. Andres Wood's film "Football Stories" explores the Chilean territory allowing the observation of the differences between the north and south of the country. Geographic components such as landscapes, architectures, the impact of anthropogenic activities, social inequalities, ways of life, and city and countryside differences are analyzed, as well as the importance of location, the spatial environment, and cinematic narration. The study of geography through films could contribute to understanding of our world and to spatial knowledge.

This paper analyses teachers' engagement with collaborative and open educational practices to develop their pedagogical expertise in the field of modern language (ML) learning and specific learning difficulties (SpLD). The study analyses the findings of a staff development initiative at the Department of Languages, Open University, UK, in 2013, that aimed to support language teachers in distance learning to develop a better understanding of key issues in relation to MLs and adult learners with SpLD and dyslexia in particular. It discusses the motivational benefits of online collaboration for teachers' professional development and explains the implications of using a range of network-based tools to facilitate the construction of active shared learning and the joint production of open-access learning resources aimed at supporting adult language learners with SpLD in distance learning settings.

Numerous studies have been published heralding the benefits of physical education in school education. Sport and physical activities form the major content in learning and the arrangement serves as the major source of development in students. This paper identifies "quality" as an internationally concerned issue and within the concept, the perceptual framework in learning is then placed with focus. To conduct this study, a sample of N = 799 ("11 Asian cities") physical education professionals working in different levels were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey with 37 items designed to forge the conceptualization of quality learning in physical education. Results from statistical analysis showed 24 items grouped in 3 subfactors being retained after EFA, of 37 items that were framed through content analysis to assess the quality physical education learning among the PE professionals. The retained three factors from the EFA were further assessed with robust confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The 3-factor model demonstrated a good fit with the data (CMIN/DF = 7.367, NFI = 0.888, CFI = 0.901, PCFI = 0.748, RMSEA = 0.089). In this sample, the QPEL demonstrated an acceptable three-factor structure, internal consistency and inter-factor correlation. These items were appropriate to provide the necessary understanding of the diversified practice in the learning of quality physical education.

This article examines how and under what conditions a new pedagogy can spread at scale using the Learning Community Project (LCP) in Mexico as a case study. Started as a small-scale, grassroots pedagogical change initiative in a handful of public schools, LCP evolved over an 8-year period into a national policy that spread its pedagogy of tutorial relationships to 9000 schools. The author conceptualizes large scale pedagogical transformation as a process of widespread cultural change that occurs when a new pedagogy developed by a critical community is adopted by movements who disseminate it in three arenas: the social, political, and pedagogical arenas. The author examines the scale reached by LCP relative to the dimensions of spread, depth, ownership, and sustainability proposed by Coburn ("Educ Res 32"(6):3-12, 2003). It then extracts seven principles to change pedagogy at scale: 1) Turn 'disadvantage' into possibility; 2) Establish a clear purpose centered on student learning and a compelling vision of effective pedagogy; 3) Directly change the instructional core; 4) Create multiple opportunities to observe, practice, and refine the new pedagogy; 5) Attract the support of system leaders, or become one; 6) Change the surrounding institutional environment from the inside out; and 7) Keep a strong link between design and execution.

Introduction: The main objective of the research was to analyze the existence of prejudice among university students of Melilla Campus (Spain) towards migrants who cross the border illegally. The role of educators and health professionals has a special interest in this context; they are who will have more contact with them. This requires the development of research on this subject. Method: The study focuses on knowing if there are prejudiced attitudes among university students, using the scale of subtle and blatant prejudice towards illegal immigrants in the Autonomous city of Melilla. The sample consists of 205 students. It has been used empirical-analytical methodology to be an ex post facto correlational study in which descriptive and inferential analyzes were performed. Results: The results show no significant differences regarding the prejudicial attitudes and gender variable. By contrast, the data indicates that the variable qualifications and culture of origin affect the attitudes which university students show about migrants. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of the study highlight the existence of college students with certain amount of prejudice against irregular migrants. Concerned that students with social qualifications, such as primary education and nursing show this type of ratings to people who, for various reasons, have had to emigrate from their countries (either by poverty, wars, political persecution or sexual orientation).

This paper presents a study on the reflections on their PLEs by student teachers in an ICT subject of the fourth degree course in Teacher Education (Early Childhood Teacher Training) at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). There were four student teacher groups (n = 117) participating in this project, from the three Balearic Islands' campuses (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza). The main research issues focused on in this study are: the topics highlighted from the reflections on the students' PLEs and the reflection level achieved. To explore these issues, a content analysis technique has been used to interpret their final assignment of the students' eportfolios, in which they had to carry out their reflections on their PLEs. For that purpose, two instruments have been designed: a system of categories and a rubric of assessment. Results show that the topics on which students reflect most are the conception of the PLE, its explicitness and its purpose. Although some improvement in students' reflective skills was observed, conclusions lead us to the necessity of working further on the depth of reflections in order to adequately support self-regulated learning.

In the Higher School of Agronomic and Forestry Engineering of the University of Cordoba, a collective project conceived as an 'ecosystem to support and accompany entrepreneurs' has been proposed. The approach aims to spread and consolidate the entrepreneurial spirit and to respond to the demands of possible stakeholders involved in the whole process of training, as well as the subsequent integration of graduates into the labour market. Putting into practice this initiative, which involves multiple actors, is a complex and difficult task. For this reason, prior to its implementation, the authors considered it necessary to listen to main stakeholders' opinions and evaluate their degree of commitment and the requirements they consider important for the viability and sustainability of the initiative. This paper focuses on the faculty's opinions, gathered by means of a survey conducted with the entire faculty (N = 128, response rate = 45%) and semi-structured interviews held with 20 members of the School board. The results suggest that there is a general consensus on the suitability of this collective project and that there is a core of teachers willing to get involved. Evidently, guidelines need to be produced to facilitate taking on such tasks. However, the main drawbacks are related with the conflict between formal requirements of professor professional profile and the steps needed to establish the ecosystem.