Michaela Cocca

Relation Between Body Mass Index and Body Image in Spanish and Mexican Adolescents

ABSTRACT This article aims to study the relation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and body image in adolescents from two different social environments in Spain and Mexico, and to compare the construction of an appropriate body scheme in youth from these two countries. The majority of participants were found to be in the normal weight category of BMI. No significant differences were found in BMI or body image comparing Mexican and Spanish adolescents. Regardless of the country of origin, youth belonging to the weight deficit category of BMI overestimated their body shape, whereas those pertaining to overweight and obesity categories underestimated it. Both over- and underestimating own body shape imply higher risk to suffer from behavioral and psychological distresses, such as eating disorders. Further research is recommended in order to analyze the social, educational, and emotional patterns related to this occurrence and to improve their quality of life.

Correlation between Self-Efficacy Perception and Teaching Performance: The Case of Mexican Preschool and Primary School Teachers

Self-efficacy (SE) is a key factor of the teaching-learning process success. While literature on SE and its dimensions is rich in the field of education, still there is a lack of studies aiming to explore teachers’ SE in contrast with their actual teaching skills and their characteristics. For this reason, this study aims to respond to the following research questions: are there differences between perceived SE and actual teaching performance in preschool and primary school teachers? Which sources of SE can be considered as significant predictors of teachers’ SE? This work employs a quantitative approach based on the observational method. Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale and classroom observation frameworks were used to collect data from a sample of 24 teachers. Results show that there are high inconsistencies between self-judgments and actual teaching performance (p > .05). Experienced and medium experienced teachers show higher scores than novice teachers in several dimensions of SE (p < .05). However, teachers’ educational background is not significantly correlated with their SE (p > .05). Resource support is found as the only significant predictor of SE in our sample of teachers (p < .001; p 2 = .733). Our research suggests that teachers may have a distorted perception of their in-class performance, which could drive to lower quality of the teaching-learning process. Therefore, in the future, professional training programs should focus on promoting a more realistic understanding and awareness of teachers’ actions in the classroom as the first step of any intervention aiming to increase teaching quality.