Beatriz García Fernández

Home-based family involvement and academic achievement: a case study in primary education

Abstract 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.

Conceptions and Perceptions of Primary School Teachers on Wetlands

Wetlands are valuable ecosystems that provide essential ecological functions. Research and education are the foundation supporting the sustainable management of these vulnerable and damaged environments. The objective of this study is to identify the conceptions and perceptions of 397 teachers in initial training and continuing education from Spain, Portugal, and Belgium using an ad hoc designed questionnaire. The results reveal that teachers from the sample lack knowledge on the value and functioning of wetland ecosystems, which translates to low competence to teach their students about these ecosystems. Nevertheless, teachers perceived wetlands positively as a featured didactic subject. These results have important implications as it is required that teachers need to be trained specifically in this type of ecosystems, as general science and environmental education programs in teacher training and the mere exposure to them in their ordinary life are not enough to make them competent in teaching them in primary schools.Wetlands are valuable ecosystems that provide essential ecological functions. Research and education are the foundation supporting the sustainable management of these vulnerable and damaged environments. The objective of this study is to identify the conceptions and perceptions of 397 teachers in initial training and continuing education from Spain, Portugal, and Belgium using an ad hoc designed questionnaire. The results reveal that teachers from the sample lack knowledge on the value and functioning of wetland ecosystems, which translates to low competence to teach their students about these ecosystems. Nevertheless, teachers perceived wetlands positively as a featured didactic subject. These results have important implications as it is required that teachers need to be trained specifically in this type of ecosystems, as general science and environmental education programs in teacher training and the mere exposure to them in their ordinary life are not enough to make them competent in teaching them in primary schools.

Construcción y validación de un instrumento para identificar las percepciones de los docentes de Ciencias sobre el modelo de enseñanza por competencias

espanolDesde el ano 2006, las distintas leyes educativas espanolas han tenido entre sus objetivos implantar y desarrollar el modelo de ensenanza por competencias. Sin embargo, no existian herramientas que permitiesen identificar la percepcion de los docentes sobre este modelo en el ambito concreto de las ciencias experimentales, mas aun cuando los profesores son una pieza clave en toda reforma educativa. El objetivo de este articulo es construir y validar un instrumento que permita identificar estas percepciones en docentes de Educacion Primaria y Secundaria. Los resultados de las pruebas de validacion, llevadas a cabo con una muestra de 250 docentes en activo de ambas etapas educativas en Espana, permiten presentar un instrumento compuesto por 16 items de sencilla aplicacion, fiable y valido, capaz de evaluar la percepcion de los docentes de educacion obligatoria sobre la competencia cientifica. EnglishIn Spain, since 2006 the different governments have considered, as one of their main objectives, to set up and develop the competency-based education model. Nevertheless, there were no instruments to identify the perception of teachers related to the competency-based education model in Science Education, even when teachers are known to be a key factor in every educational reform. The objective of this work has been to design and validate an instrument to investigate this perception in teachers of Primary and Secondary Education. The results of the validation tests, carried out with a sample of 250 teachers in Spain, allow to present an instrument composed by 16 items, reliable, valid, and easy to apply, and allows to identify the perception of teachers of compulsory education about scientific competence.

Children’s Opinions about Zoos: A Study of Portuguese and Spanish Pupils

ABSTRACT In this study, we analyzed the opinions of primary-school children from Portugal and Spain about zoos. The sample consisted of 560 pupils, mean age 11.38 years and in the 6th grade of schooling. For the purpose of this study, a two-part questionnaire was designed. In the first part, children were asked to name up to three positive and negative aspects of these institutions. Special attention was given to aspects related to animal welfare. In the second part, they had to express their opinion about 18 statements relating to different perspectives toward zoos: six were anthropocentric statements (in favor of zoos), six were biocentric (against zoos), and six ecocentric (partially supporting their existence). The results were analyzed for the whole sample but also according to the children’s country, gender, and type of visit (with school or exclusively with parents and relatives). Children tended to highlight the facilities and the amusements on offer, but the contact with animals and the way animals are treated were also in evidence. On the whole, the children supported the existence of zoos, and disagreed more often with the biocentric statements. Even so, the Spanish children, as compared with the Portuguese, were more in agreement with the biocentric perspective. However, children who went to zoos in a formal context (school visit) tended to be more anthropocentric than the ones who went with family/relatives. This tendency may be related to the fact that school contents tend to highlight the educational and conservationist roles of zoos and focus less on the controversial dimension associated with these places. But this tendency needs further research.

The predinatur project: educational resources for promoting pupils’ contact with nature

Projeto financiado no âmbito da 2a edicao do Concurso de Projetos de Investigacao, PREDINATUR (IDI&CA) financiados pelo Instituto Politecnico de Lisboa. IPL/2016/PREDINATUR_ESELx

La wiki como recurso didáctico-tecnológico en la formación docente femenina. Un estudio de caso en la Facultad de Educación de Ciudad Real (UCLM)

Se presenta una investigacion con perspectiva de genero centrada en el acceso de estudiantes femeninas a un recurso tecnologico llamado AulaCiencia. Se trata de una wiki didactica destinada a ser empleada en la formacion docente de dos areas de conocimiento Didactico-cientificas. Este recurso se creo en el marco de un proyecto innovador . La muestra participante ha sido de 281 estudiantes, un 69% eran alumnas. Interesaba saber en que medida las estudiantes se involucraban en un ambito, el cientifico-tecnologico, que se proyecta como masculinizado en los procesos formativos.

Assessment of pre-service teachers’ knowledge of the impact of livestock production on global warming: a comparative study between Portugal and Spain

In this study we assess how higher education students (pre-service teachers) value and understand the impact of livestock production on global warming. We used a questionnaire with 91 students from a Portuguese institution and 111 from a Spanish one. The students had to mention measures to fight global warming, to explain the relationship between livestock production and global warming and to rank the impact of this cause compared to others. The Portuguese students showed a better understanding of this issue. Even so, the majority of the students do not recognize the high impact of livestock on global warming and consider other causes more relevant.