Search Results (355)

This exploratory study examines how planetary climate regulation is addressed in 39 Compulsory Secondary Education and Bachillerato textbooks used in Spain, focusing on three key regulating factors, global ocean circulation, atmospheric circulation, and the greenhouse effect, and their integration into a coherent, interrelated model. Textbooks from Biology and Geology, Physics and Chemistry, Scientific Culture, and Earth and Environmental Sciences, published by three anonymised Spanish publishers, were analysed using two complementary instruments—a global presence grid and an analytical grid—examining explanation type, presentation format, didactic resources, and activities associated with each submodel. The results reveal a fragmented and largely disconnected treatment of the three factors across educational stages, with limited explicit articulation of their interrelationships. This fragmentation restricts students’ ability to understand the functioning of each factor, recognise their systemic interdependencies, and appreciate the role of human activity in climate regulation. Full article

Financial literacy is critical for individual well-being and sustainable economic development, yet significant gaps remain among Portuguese young adults. Using a two-phase design, this study combines a diagnostic assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis to identify and prioritise effective financial education strategies. In Phase 1, a diagnostic questionnaire administered to 172 first-year university students revealed pronounced deficiencies in core financial concepts. Only 29.1% correctly answered a question on compound interest, and almost half were unable to understand the concept of inflation. Additionally, 62.8% reported low exposure to financial education during compulsory schooling, and 59.9% strongly agreed that it should be included in the mandatory curriculum, indicating both unmet need and strong receptiveness. Phase 2 employed the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate five educational alternatives across four criteria. Engagement and motivation (0.32) and knowledge acquisition (0.31) were prioritised over behavioural impact (0.22) and accessibility (0.15). Based on expert assessments weighted by student preferences, in-person courses emerged as the most effective strategy (0.42), substantially outperforming online courses (0.22), videos and digital content (0.14), books (0.13), and games (0.10). The findings point to the need for policy-driven integration of structured, educator-led financial education within formal curricula, supported by approaches that prioritise active engagement and knowledge acquisition over convenience, with digital tools serving as complements rather than replacements. Full article

Universities play a dual role as sites of learning and as institutions that certify student competence through assessment. The rapid diffusion of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) challenges this certification function by altering the conditions under which assessment evidence is produced. When powerful AI tools are widely available, grades may increasingly reflect a combination of individual understanding and external cognitive support rather than solely independent competence. This study examines how changes in assessment format interact with GenAI availability to reshape observable performance outcomes in higher education. Using exam grade data from a compulsory undergraduate course delivered over five years (2021–2025; N = 1066), the study exploits a naturally occurring change in assessment conditions as a natural experiment. From 2021 to 2024, the course was assessed using an AI-permissive take-home examination, while in 2025 the assessment shifted to an AI-restricted, supervised in-person examination. Course content, intended learning outcomes, grading criteria, examiner continuity, and the structural design of the examination tasks remained stable across cohorts. The results reveal a pronounced shift in grade distributions coinciding with the format change. Failure rates increased sharply in 2025, mid-range grades declined, and the proportion of top grades remained largely unchanged. Statistical analysis indicates a significant association between examination period and grade outcomes (χ²(5, N = 1066) = 60.62, p < 0.001), with a small-to-moderate effect size (Cramér’s V = 0.24), driven primarily by the increase in failing grades. These findings suggest that AI-permissive and AI-restricted assessment formats may not be measurement-equivalent under conditions of widespread GenAI use. The results raise concerns about construct validity and the credibility of grades as signals of independent competence, while also highlighting tensions between certification credibility and assessment authenticity. Full article

As artificial intelligence (AI) drives significant challenges in education, understanding and addressing the training needs of in-service teachers has become a critical issue for ensuring a responsible and long-term technological transition. Framed within Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), teacher preparation in AI is increasingly recognized as a key mechanism for promoting ethical, equitable, and inclusive educational transformation. This study explores the influence of several key variables on intention and learning behaviors in relation to AI among a sample of 704 Spanish in-service teachers (71% women) from all compulsory educational levels. Using a validated questionnaire, this study assessed teachers’ anxiety towards AI, basic AI knowledge, personal relevance of AI, AI for social good, perceived self-efficacy, social pressure, and perceived usefulness of AI. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the direct and indirect relationships among these variables. The results indicate that the perceived usefulness of AI and self-efficacy directly and positively influence the behavioral intention to learn about AI. Furthermore, social pressure and basic AI knowledge indirectly influence this intention. In turn, both behavioral intention and social pressure significantly predicted AI learning behaviors. The model demonstrates strong explanatory power, accounting for 91% of the variance in the behavioral intention to learn about AI. These findings provide evidence to inform the design of teacher training initiatives and policies that promote responsible, ethical, and inclusive integration of AI in educational settings, contributing to sustainable development through education. Full article

This study addresses the growing vulnerability of societies to extreme weather events intensified by climate change and explores how Secondary Education can foster sustainability competences aligned with the European GreenComp framework. A mixed-methods design was used, combining a content analysis of 279 curricular units from educational legislation and STEM subjects in Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, a questionnaire administered to 190 students, and the design and classroom implementation of a GreenComp-based teaching intervention. The curricular analysis revealed uneven integration of sustainability competences across STEM disciplines, with stronger presence in Biology, Geology and Technology, and limited representation in Mathematics and Physics and Chemistry. Student perceptions showed fragmented understandings of extreme weather events, their causes and consequences, and limited awareness of global frameworks such as the SDGs and COP meetings. The implemented teaching sequence improved students’ knowledge of extreme events, strengthened their recognition of links with climate change, and increased awareness of mitigation, adaptation, and the role of education and political action. Overall, the findings highlight both opportunities and gaps in current curricula and demonstrate the potential of contextualized, inquiry-based STEM approaches to develop sustainability competences and better prepare students to face extreme weather events. Full article

This article explores what impact a program of IT programming (Scratch and Python) activities has on the logical-mathematical reasoning of high school children. The sample comprised a group of 388 high school students, spanning first-year compulsory education (12 years old) up to second-year upper secondary (17 years old) students who were given the Differential and General Skills Battery (BADyG) before and after intervention through a quasi-experimental design. Statistical analysis of data involved multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), taking education level and group as independent variables. Results showed a principal significant effect of the group, with greater gains amongst the experimental group in four factors of BADyG (logical reasoning, numerical reasoning, visual-spatial reasoning, and general intelligence). Significant differences were also found in terms of education level in the numerical, visual-spatial, and general intelligence factors, with higher gains observed in the early years of compulsory secondary education compared to upper secondary education. No significant effects were found in the interaction between level and group, such that the impact of intervention was consistent throughout all the school years. In sum, the results suggest that a program which promotes computational thinking can favor the development of certain skills related to logical-mathematical reasoning in high school education under the conditions of this study. Full article

The progressive digitalization of healthcare requires nursing students to develop digital competence to safely access, evaluate, and apply scientific information in clinical practice. This study described nursing students’ perceived digital competence and confidence in using digital resources to support evidence-based clinical decision-making after a structured educational seminar. A descriptive post-intervention, single-group study was conducted with 35 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a compulsory clinical nursing course. The two-hour seminar covered evidence-based websites and clinical guidelines, biomedical database searching, and use of a wound-management mobile application. Data were collected using an anonymous 12-item Likert-scale questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.935). Domain mean scores ranged from 4.19 (SD = 0.83) to 4.51 (SD = 0.67). The highest item mean was for continuous learning (M = 4.63, SD = 0.60) and the lowest was for statistical programs (M = 4.03, SD = 0.95); intellectual property protection was also lower (M = 4.17, SD = 0.89). Spearman correlations showed no significant associations between age and any item after Bonferroni correction (adjusted α = 0.0042; all p > 0.05). These findings describe high perceived digital competence and identify areas for further educational reinforcement. Full article

Digital escape rooms are increasingly used as active learning tools in higher education, yet evidence from preclinical biomedical subjects and comparisons across academic years remains limited. This study examined students’ perceptions of digital escape rooms implemented in four compulsory Biology courses: Cell Biology (Year 1), Histology (Year 2), General Immunology (Year 3) and Immunopathology (Year 4). A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was applied. Students completed an 11-item Likert-scale questionnaire assessing educational impact, interactivity, motivation and overall perception, together with one open-ended question. A total of 123 students participated. All dimensions received positive ratings, but differences emerged between courses. Histology obtained the highest scores across dimensions, Cell Biology the lowest, and the Immunology courses intermediate values. Significant differences were mainly observed between Histology and the other courses, and between Cell Biology and advanced subjects. Correlations between dimensions were moderate to strong (r = 0.54–0.67). Qualitative analysis identified five themes: deep but topic-specific learning, creativity and interactivity as motivational drivers, high workload relative to assessment weight, technical issues requiring clearer guidance, and variable group dynamics. Overall, digital escape rooms perceived usefulness depended on disciplinary alignment, academic level and workload. Structured scaffolding is essential for integration into biomedical curricula. Full article

This study aims to systematically evaluate the dynamic effects of rural–urban migration experiences during compulsory education on human capital accumulation in China from a life-course perspective, with a focus on both the short-term and long-term outcomes for migrant children and the spillover effects on left-behind children. From a life-course perspective, this study examines the nonlinear temporal effects of rural–urban migration experiences during compulsory education on the human capital accumulation of migrant children in China. Using a cohort of rural children recorded in the 2012 wave of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and their follow-up information in the 2020 wave, an endogenous switching model is constructed for empirical analysis. The results show that: (1) Rural–urban migration during compulsory schooling has a negative short-term impact on the human capital accumulation of migrant children, while its long-term effects remain positive. (2) Social integration difficulties, reflected in declines in self-efficacy and social trust, constitute the negative mechanism, although this influence weakens as migration duration increases. In contrast, improvements in public education quality, enhanced family educational processes such as increased parental time investment, and gains in non-cognitive abilities including higher self-educational expectations and better mental health serve as the positive mechanisms. (3) Rural migrant children cause negative spillover effects concerning the human capital accumulation of left-behind children because the outflow of students reduces the educational accessibility of left-behind children through distance effects and lowers the quality of rural primary and secondary schools through scale effects. Full article

This study explores how integrating digital technologies into STEM-based physics instruction can transform learning outcomes for adult learners in Greek Second Chance Schools, which provide educational opportunities for adults over 18 who have not completed compulsory education. In a comparative design, participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group experienced an innovative STEM approach, combining educational robotics, mobile sensing, and 3D printing within the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model; the control group received enriched lecture-based instruction. Learning gains were measured using a rigorously developed, psychometrically validated multiple-choice physics test administered before and after the intervention. Results reveal that adults exposed to technology-enhanced STEM lessons achieved statistically significant improvements, outperforming their peers in the lecture-based group, who showed no measurable progress. Notably, these gains were consistent across gender and age. The findings highlight the transformative potential of digital technologies and learner-centered STEM pedagogies in alternative education settings, offering new directions for adult education and lifelong learning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Teaching is a profession characterized by a high burden of stress. This study examined sex differences in autonomic regulation by analysing heart rate variability (HRV) and body fat percentage (BF%) in teachers, explicitly hypothesizing that the association between adiposity and autonomic modulation (HRV) would be more consistent in men. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 253 teachers from compulsory and university education during the 2022–2023 academic year. HRV was obtained from heart rate recordings, and body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Analyses were stratified by sex and, in addition to comparisons based on the sex-specific median of fat mass (kg), ANCOVA models were performed and adjusted for age, teaching experience, and educational level. Results: Teachers with higher BF% were older (43.46 vs. 40.65 years; p = 0.007) and reported higher perceived stress (7.60 vs. 6.83; p = 0.034). In men, HRV was lower in the ≥p50 adiposity group, with reductions in RMSSD and pNN50 (p = 0.015–0.016). In women, RMSSD and pNN50 were not significant (p > 0.20; small effect sizes). In adjusted analyses (ANCOVA), no significant differences were found in men for any index; in women, HRmax and the LF/HF ratio were significant (small effects), whereas the remaining indices were not. Conclusions: Greater adiposity was associated with higher stress and lower HRV, particularly in men. In women, the pattern was more heterogeneous, and significance after adjustment was limited to HRmax and the LF/HF ratio, suggesting the need for sex-specific approaches to the assessment and promotion of psychophysiological well-being in teachers. Full article

This study investigates how master’s student teachers (MSTs) conceptualize and integrate programming and computational thinking within mathematics education. Grounded in the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic, and specifically its notion of praxeology, the study analyses 39 written reflections produced by MSTs who completed a compulsory programming-based mathematics task. The analysis identifies both mathematical and didactic praxeologies, revealing how MSTs’ engagement with programming reflects their development both as learners and as future teachers. The findings demonstrate that MSTs’ personal learning strategies, such as exploration, iteration, and productive struggle, closely parallel their envisioned classroom practices. The findings also show that many participants framed programming itself as the central learning object, highlighting a need to develop confidence and competence before applying programming as a tool for mathematical inquiry. The study argues that programming tasks provide a productive arena for bridging theory and practice in teacher education by fostering an interplay between praxis (know-how) and logos (know-why). Finally, the results indicate that MSTs require institutional support specifically aimed at developing basic programming fluency (e.g., handling syntax, debugging, and programming environments), so that computational thinking can be mobilized for mathematical exploration rather than being overshadowed by technical challenges. Full article

The contribution that the inclusion of CS in the curriculum can make to address SDG 4—Quality Education—which fosters convergence between Science Education and Education for Sustainable Development, essential for addressing the sustainability challenges currently facing humanity, has been widely recognized. This recognition is driving the inclusion of CS in formal education. However, to ensure that the use of CS in formal education contributes to this objective, a systematic and rigorous evaluation of its benefits in terms of participants’ learning outcomes (LO) is necessary. This study presents a systematic review of the published literature on CS projects implemented in compulsory education to examine whether students’ LO from participation in CS projects are evaluated, and if so, how this evaluation is performed. The results indicate a lack of systematic evaluation of LO from participating in CS projects. Moreover, although in 79% of cases, where some LO is evaluated, the evaluation reported positive results, in most of them, the results may have been influenced by the voluntary or mandatory nature of participation in the projects and the design of the evaluation itself. This may bias the results, leading to an over-optimistic view of the contribution of CS to SDG 4. In order to obtain solid evidence of the benefits, or lack thereof, for learners of participation in CS activities, which can guide the designers and educators in improving the CS projects to maximize their educational and sustainability impacts, some recommendations for future studies are presented. Full article

From the perspective of educational inclusion proposed by Booth and Ainscow, the transformation of school systems revolves around three key dimensions: presence, participation and learning. These dimensions constitute the axes of the so-called Inclusion Index and allow for a holistic analysis of the barriers that limit equity and inclusion in school contexts. Based on this theoretical framework, this study aims to systematically map the barriers documented in recent academic literature (2000–2025) that affect these dimensions at the primary and compulsory secondary education levels, with a special focus on intersectional variables that amplify inequalities (gender, migration, disability, mental health, among others). Full article

This study examines patterns of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use during leisure time among non-university students in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain) and explores their potential to inform environmental education initiatives. Two research questions guided the study: (1) Which devices and usage times characterize students’ digital leisure according to gender and educational level? (2) How can these patterns inform the design of contextualized environmental education actions? A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted using a survey administered to 1251 students enrolled in Primary Education, Compulsory Secondary Education, Upper Secondary Education (Baccalaureate), and Vocational Training in the cities of Seville, Malaga, Cádiz, and Granada. The questionnaire, consisting of 49 items, assessed the use of television, tablets, mobile phones, computers, and video games during leisure time. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential analysis (ANOVA), and multivariate analysis (MANOVA). The results highlight the central role of the mobile phone as the dominant device across all educational stages, as well as significant age-related differences in the use of television, tablets, and video games. Gender differences were found only in the time devoted to video gaming. The main contribution of this study lies in providing updated empirical evidence on youth digital leisure within a specific geographical context, identifying opportunities to integrate digital resources into environmental education initiatives that are sensitive to educational stage and gender and aligned with sustainability goals. The use of ICTs is proposed to create interactive educational experiences that prepare students to address ecosocial challenges, promote sustainable development, and foster a stronger connection with the natural environment. Full article