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This article aims to analyze the capability of family policies to reverse the sharp decline in fertility that has been observed in Spain in recent decades. The analysis was carried out by applying two mathematical techniques: the genetic algorithm and the strategic scenarios. Firstly, a mathematical model was designed and validated adjusting the combined performance of fertility and family policies during the 2008–2019 period. Subsequently, this model was applied to the future (2020–2060) to extrapolate the evolution of fertility considering different models of family policies. The results demonstrate that a model of family policies that is coherent with other socially desirable objectives, such as gender and social equality, will be insufficient to reverse the current downward trend in fertility. Therefore, these outcomes point to the need to articulate and harmonize diverse public policies considering the principles of equality and well‐being to modify the recent decline in fertility. An increase in fertility must therefore be identified as a socially desirable goal and public policies must be adapted to this objective, in the understanding that fertility not only requires family policies but also their coherence with the employment and educational policies and work–life balance mechanisms offered by public institutions.

This paper presents a study on the perceptions of primary school teachers regarding their knowledge, usefulness, and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education. Likewise, the relationship between sex, age, working time and the educational center in which it is found with the perceptions about ICT is obtained. To answer these questions, a battery of 14 categorical closed questions is designed, divided into four blocks: socio-demographic information; knowledge of ICT; usefulness of ICT; and use of ICT. In the context of measuring the knowledge, usefulness and use of ICT in education, the novelty of this work relies on the design of an indicator for each of the ICT-related blocks following the methodology of Human Development Indicators created by the United Nations Development Program. In this research, 119 teachers from Spanish primary schools were chosen as the study sample to answer the questions’ battery. The results show a direct relationship between knowledge, usefulness, and use, although not significant. Although teachers are aware of the usefulness of ICT, and the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the use of technological tools for planning teaching in blended or distance learning lessons, this does not mean teachers have a greater knowledge of ICT. In addition, the findings indicate a greater knowledge by teachers in public schools, which contrasts with the finding that teachers in grant-assisted schools make the most use of ICT and find it the most useful. Finally, it is also suggested that the study’s methodology and approach could be applied to other contexts or countries.

El presente estudio trata de explorar si la velocidad lectora de enunciados matemáticos es determinante como predictor del éxito de resolución de los mismos. Para tal fin se ha seleccionado una muestra de 19 estudiantes de entre 12 y 13 años. A partir de las resoluciones, a través de un software de investigación, Read&Learn, de cuatro problemas multiplicativos de 1 y 2 etapas que involucraban números naturales y fraccionarios, se concluye que las distribuciones de las velocidades lectoras en los diferentes problemas es la misma que las del porcentaje de éxito en la resolución. Así mismo, se corrobora la dificultad del uso de números fraccionarios y la introducción de nuevas etapas en los enunciados., The present study tries to explore if the reading speed of mathematical sentences is decisive as a predictor of the success of solving them. For this purpose, a sample of 19 students between 12 and 13 years old has been selected. The data were selected through a research software, Read&Learn, and paper-pencil support. Students solved four multiplicative problems of 1 and 2 stages that involved natural and fractional numbers. The results allowed to conclude that the distribution of the reading speeds in the different problems is the same as the percentage of success in the resolution. Likewise, the fractional numbers and the introduction of new steps in the statement increase the difficulty

An exploratory research is presented that seeks to detect the difficulties present in the development of one of the basic contents of Primary Education: the fraction as an operator. A group of 40 teachers recently graduated in Teaching participated in the study. Based on two specific tests, it was intended to inquire about their disciplinary knowledge in solving problems with fractions where they act as an operator, as well as about their didactic content knowledge about fractions. Better results were evidenced in the arithmetic resolution versus the graph and when the fraction operates on a natural number than when it operates on a fraction. Pedagogical content knowledge levels were very low, with percentages below 40%. From these results, the need to reconsider the functionality that is given to the mathematical content under study in the different curricula is suggested., Se presenta una investigación de carácter exploratorio que busca detectar las dificultades presentes en el desarrollo de uno de los contenidos básicos de la Educación Primaria: la fracción como operador. Participaron en el estudio un grupo de 40 docentes recién graduados en Magisterio. A partir de dos pruebas específicas se pretendió indagar acerca de su conocimiento disciplinar en resolución de problemas con fracciones donde estas actúan como operador, así como acerca de su conocimiento didáctico del contenido sobre fracciones. Se evidenciaron mejores resultados en la resolución aritmética frente a la gráfica y cuando la fracción opera sobre un número natural que cuando opera sobre un fraccionario. Los niveles de conocimiento didáctico del contenido fueron muy bajos, con porcentajes inferiores al 40%. A partir de estos resultados, se sugiere la necesidad de reconsiderar la funcionalidad que se le otorga al contenido matemático objeto de estudio en los diferentes currículos.

The use of technological environments in the field of education has been increased due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. These environments play a fundamental role in allowing the design of different activities for the monitoring and evaluation of students, as well as obtaining records whose analysis contributes to the study of student learning patterns and teaching practice. In this situation, it is worth reflecting on the possibilities of applying teaching methodologies in blended formats through tools integrated into platforms such as Moodle and the generation of educational data derived from teaching-learning processes. This work describes two blended learning models adapted to the COVID-19 scenario using the Moodle platform in a university course in 2019/2020 and analyzes the academic results of the students. On the other hand, Moodle data suggest that tools that sometimes do not work in purely face-toface teaching may have an interesting role in Blended learning., El uso de entornos tecnológicos en el ámbito de la educación se ha visto incrementado debido a la pandemia global provocada por la COVID-19. Estos entornos juegan un papel fundamental al permitir el diseño de diferentes actividades para el seguimiento y evaluación del alumnado, así como la obtención de registros cuyo análisis contribuye al estudio de los patrones de aprendizaje del estudiantado y de la práctica docente. En esta situación, cabe reflexionar sobre las posibilidades de aplicación de metodologías docentes en formatos semipresenciales mediante las herramientas integradas en plataformas como Moodle y la generación de datos educativos derivados de los procesos de enseñanzaaprendizaje. Este trabajo describe dos modelos de enseñanza semipresenciales adaptados ante el escenario de la COVID-19 utilizando Moodle con alumnado universitario en el curso 2019/2020 y analiza los resultados académicos del estudiantado. Por otro lado, los registros de Moodle sugieren que herramientas que en ocasiones no funcionan en una enseñanza puramente presencial, pueden tener un papel interesante en la docencia semipresencial.

[EN] This paper presents a new human happiness index built through five dimensions: development, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace. These five dimensions are evaluated through quantitative variables obtained from the Human Development Reports, World Data Bank and Eurostat. The new happiness index has been built following the guidelines set by the Human Development Reports of the UN for the construction of quality indices, and it has been compared on a set of 13 EU countries with the Overall Life Satisfaction Index, which is used by the UN. Moreover, the new index has been included in a dynamic mathematical model through the demographic rates to study the evolution of the population. The obtained model has been calibrated for the period 2004¿2009 and validated for the period 2010¿2015 for the case of Spain. Finally, the model has been used to maximize the happiness index in Spain for the period 2016¿2030, with the conclusion that to achieve this purpose, it is necessary to invest in education, research and development.

[EN] This paper presents a stochastic dynamic mathematical model to study the evolution of the unemployment rate and other relevant related variables in a country. This model is composed by three basic interrelated subsystems: demographic, economic and wellbeing ones. A key aspect of this model is that it considers three UN well-being variables simultaneously: Human Development Index, Gender Empowerment Index and Gender Differentiation Index. These variables involve key concepts for human development, as Health, Education, Economy and Female Labor. With this model, the most outstanding variables found in the literature in relation with unemployment control can be used to design strategies and scenarios to reduce the unemployment rate in the future. The model has been fitted for the case of Spain in the 2002¿2014 period, the largest one with information about all the variables involved in the model. Finally, several tentative scenarios and strategies have been tested to reduce the unemployment rate in Spain in the horizon of year 2025, and the corresponding forecast evolution of the Gender Differentiation Index, National income per capita, Public debt and the ratio between Public debt and Gross domestic product are shown.

[EN] A deterministic/stochastic model in which the demographic and the well-being subsystems of a country are involved and related is presented as a way to approach human development. The demographic subsystem is a side-by-side, single-gender, age-structured population dynamic model. The well-being subsystem states the dynamics of the United Nations Hybrid Human Development Index. The model has been validated in the case of Spain and Belgium. Some simulations have been performed with the model for the case of Spain in the 2009-2020 period to determine strategies and scenarios that could increase the life expectancy at birth per gender. Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

This article presents a stochastic dynamic model to study the demographic evolution per sexes and the corresponding well-being of a general human population. The main model variables are population per sexes and well-being. The considered well-being variable is the Gender-Related Development Index (GDI), a United Nations index. The model's objectives are to improve future well-being and to reach a stable population in a country. The application case consists of adapting, validating, and using the model for Spain in the 2000–2006 period. Some instance strategies have been tested in different scenarios for the 2006–2015 period to meet these objectives by calculating the reliability of the results. The optimal strategy is “government invests more in education and maintains the present health investment tendency.”