Susana Olmos Migueláñez

Mobile learning adoption from informal into formal: an extended TAM model to measure mobile acceptance among teachers

Mobile learning is currently spreading from the informal education field to the formal one. In this process, teacher involvement occupies a central role, and in order to ensure it is necessary to know the factors that lead to the acceptance of these technologies. The technology acceptance model (TAM) constitutes a suitable tool that has been frequently used when it comes to study the adoption process of information systems (SI) in educational and non-educational contexts. The present communication proposes an extended TAM model with constructs from other theories, designed for the evaluation of the acceptance of the mobile technologies by the teaching body.

Mobile learning: tendencies and lines of research

As mobile technologies have gained presence in all social groups, the interest for their applications in the educational field has grown steadily. The present article proposes an exploration of the concept of mobile learning with the intention of describing the possibilities of this methodology and establishing its development tendencies. To that end, we will focus in three key aspects: didactic uses, pedagogical criteria and lines of research. We will begin with a definition of the key concepts and an analysis of the features of the devices, addressing the didactical implications of each ones use. Secondly, we will address the pedagogical criteria for the integration of mobile learning (mLearning), and we will describe its connection with the different theories of education and we will establish the guidelines to follow when developing activities within this methodology. Lastly, we will present the main lines of research, with a particular focus on Europe and Spain. As a closure, we will pose a series of conclusions and proposals to improve the development of mobile learning as an educational solution. Currently, research on the possibilities of mobile terminals in the field of teaching is focusing particularly on the development of a pedagogical framework from which to elaborate a proper didactic methodology. This article aims to reflect this growing tendency.

ADOLESCENCIA, TIEMPO LIBRE Y EDUCACIÓN. UN ESTUDIO CON ALUMNOS DE LA ESO

We offer the results of a piece of research that had as aim to analyse the distribution and use of the free time among the E.S.O. students in Salamanca, as well as the values that support it. The data has been collected by means of a survey and by establishing a simple random sampling of units in conglomeration, arranged in educational

Assessment of a blended-learning methodology in engineering

The content of this presentation highlights the importance of an active learning methodology in engineering university degrees in Spain. We present some of the outcomes from an experimental study carried out during the academic years 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 with engineering students (Technical Industrial Engineering: Mechanics, Civical Design Engineering: Civical Building, Technical Architecture and Technical Engineering on Computer Management) at the University of Salamanca. In this research, we select a subject which is common for the four degrees: Computer Science. This study has the aim of contributing to the improvement of education and teaching methods for a better performance of students in engineering.

Evaluación de un programa de formación en competencias informacionales para el futuro profesorado de E.S.O.

espanolAnte la importancia creciente concedida a las competencias basicas en la educacion secundaria obligatoria, en concreto a las competencias informacionales, se presenta este estudio, cuyo objetivo ha sido la evaluacion de la eficacia de un programa de formacion especifica en competencias informacionales para futuros profesores de educacion secundaria. Metodologicamente, se planteo un diseno pre-experimental de control minimo con pretest y postest mediante la aplicacion de un instrumento de evaluacion del nivel real en competencias informacionales disenado ad hoc a una muestra representativa de futuros profesores de educacion secundaria de Castilla y Leon, estudiantes del Master de profesorado. En el contraste de las hipotesis planteadas, los resultados, a partir del calculo del tamano del efecto, muestran como el programa, de caracter online, fue muy eficaz en el aprendizaje de contenidos relacionados con el saber (g>1.15), moderadamente eficaz en la ensenanza de contenidos relacionados con el saber hacer (1.15>g>0.5) y poco eficaz en la adquisicion de actitudes o saber ser (g EnglishThis study is presented due to the increasing importance of basic skills in secondary education, specifically information literacy. The research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a specific training program in information literacy for future secondary school teachers. A pre-experimental design with minimal control and pretest-posttest was raised and a real information literacy competence evaluation instrument, designed ad hoc, was applied to a representative sample of secondary school teachers of Castilla y Leon, students of the Master in Secondary Education. In contrast to the hypotheses tested, the results of the calculation of the effect size show that the training program, in online mode, was very effective in teaching conceptual (or knowing) contents (g>1.15), moderately effective in teaching knowing-how contents (1.15>g>0.5) and ineffective in teaching attitudes or knowing how to be (g

Behavioral intention of use of mobile technologies among pre-service teachers: Implementation of a technology adoption model based on TAM with the constructs of compatibility and resistance to change

The knowledge of the process of accepting ICTs in formal education contexts entails an essential tool to achieve a successful incorporation of technologies in schools. This paper presents the results of a descriptive study on the behavioral intention of use of mobile learning among the students of the Primary Education Teacher Bachelors Degree. The population is composed of students from said degree from the University of Salamanca, who have completed a questionnaire based on the TAM model, expanded with the constructs of compatibility and resistance to change. 678 individuals participated in this study. Results show a moderately favourable disposition towards the future use of this methodology. Significant differences were found according to gender, especially in the constructs of compatibility and resistance to change.

Assessment of the Disposition of Future Secondary Education Teachers Towards Mobile Learning

Mobile technologies occupy an increasingly important place within the catalogue of didactic resources available to teachers, who play a key role in the success of innovation processes in the field of education. The research presented in this paper intends to contribute to the knowledge of the factors that condition the acceptance of mobile devices on the part of future secondary education teachers. To this end, we have elaborated a TAM-based model expanded with the constructs of perceived enjoyment and self-efficacy. The questionnaire for this model has been administered to 222 students from the Secondary Education Teacher Training Masters Degree of the University of Salamanca. The results of the study show a slightly positive attitude towards the use of mobile technologies on the part of the students. The hypothesis test reflects significant differences in the means of the construct perceived enjoyment according to gender.

Enjoyment, resistance to change and mlearning acceptance among pre-service teachers

This communication presents the results derived from a study carried out in the University of Salamanca to analyze the intention to use mobile devices in the future teaching practice of the student from the Pre-primary Education Teacher Bachelors Degree from said university. In order to do so, we developed a TAM model expanded with the constructs of perceived enjoyment and resistance to change, both adapted to the abovementioned object of study. The sample was composed of 382 students from the University of Salamanca who participated willingly. The results reflect a good disposition towards the use of mobile technology in the future teaching practice of the students. The hypothesis testing barely shows any significant differences according to the course year of the students, although we can observe some differences according to the branch of the university that the students attend to.

Subjective norm and behavioral intention to use mobile technologies: A descriptive study on the attitudes of future primary education teachers

The transformations fostered by the fast technological development, together with the social demand for the integration of new technologies in educational contexts, cause the study of the factors that promote the actual use of a given technology to be an essential element for the guidance of the innovation process. This research work presents the results of a descriptive study on the attitude of future teachers towards the didactic use of mobile devices when they are incorporated to their teaching practice. To this end, we have administered a questionnaire based on the TAM model, to which we have added the construct of subjective norm, to the first-year students from the Primary Education Teacher Bachelors Degree from the University of Salamanca, in its branches of Ávila, Salamanca and Zamora. A total of 177 students have participated in this research. The results of the hypothesis testing have yielded significant differences according to the branch of the University that the students are enrolled in, but not according to their gender.

Assessment of pre-primary education pre-service teachers dispositional resistance to change using RCS

Education constitutes a field subjected to a constant process of change in order to be adapted to the characteristics and requirements of society. This process requests from both present and future teachers the ability to be constantly updated and the disposition to face the changes in a positive way. Below we present the results of a descriptive study on the resistance to change among students from the Pre-primary Education Teacher Bachelors Degree of the University of Salamanca, in its branches of Salamanca, Ávila and Zamora. This study had 382 participant students, who were administered the Resistance to Change Scale, aiming to assess their dispositional resistance to change. The results of the descriptive analysis show moderate levels of resistance to change among students. The hypothesis testing barely shows any significant differences according to the year of the students and their branch.