Search Results (7)

(1) Background: The development of professional identity in future educators is a dynamic and multifaceted process, shaped by personal experiences, interpersonal relationships, role models, and the values internalized across diverse learning ecologies. This identity formation is closely intertwined with academic achievement, socio-educational integration, peer interactions, and the underlying motivations for choosing a particular educational and professional trajectory. This study explores the connections between students’ educational experiences and their motivation to pursue careers in pedagogy and social education. (2) Methods: Based on 138 autoethnographic narratives written by undergraduate students enrolled in Anthropology of Education courses at two [Spanish] universities. (3) Results: The analysis reveals how reflective engagement with personal educational histories enables students to reconstruct the relational foundations of their learning paths. These reflections inform their academic and career choices, which are understood not as static decisions, but as evolving trajectories shaped by a generational context characterized by uncertainty and change. (4) Conclusions: The findings highlight how students, through their narratives, articulate both their professional aspirations and a vision of the educator as an agent of change—one who emerges in response to, and often in critique of, the educational structures and practices. Full article

The growing relevance of video games in the social landscape requires an in-depth evaluation of the bidirectional influences of these adjacent contexts, among which the educational and cultural contexts stand out. This permeability allows the study of the cultural aspects surrounding the production and use of video games as tools for cultural dissemination. Our research enunciates, recognises, analyses and evaluates the impact of these tools with the aim of being taken into consideration by the scientific community and the general population, who most frequently consume, use and socialise through video games around the world. Based on this, a systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out using the Prisma 2020 Protocol, using the WOS and SCOPUS databases as documentary sources, and the selection of research articles that explore the cultural aspects of video games according to pre-established criteria. The final sample (N = 45) was subjected to a study that posed 12 research questions around which this work is structured. As a result, it is evident that video games have a direct impact on the transmission of culture. Patterns and agents of cultural representation, transmission and communication were identified, allowing researchers to evaluate the impact of video games on culture and to approach this object of study from an academic perspective, helping to open up other lines of research related to the influence of video games on the assimilation of culture, the learning of relevant issues related to it or the transmission of specific cultural elements. Full article

This research investigates the socialisation agents older consumers use to learn about information and communication technologies (ICT). We surveyed 871 older consumers in Victoria, Australia, about whom they would most likely turn to for advice (i.e., their preferred socialisation agents) if they needed help using or fixing an ICT device. They were asked to identify the most and second most likely source of advice. Participants were also asked to assess the usefulness of the advice received from their preferred agents and to estimate their level of ICT knowledge. The findings reveal that older consumers tend to rely on younger family members. Still, the agency they receive from non-familial sources is essential when preparing for a digital consumer role. Surprisingly, ICT knowledge is determined by the socialisation agency received by older adults’ second advice option—which is less likely to be their own adult children. This research expands current knowledge about how older consumers perceive various ICT socialisation agents. Consumer socialisation theory suggests that socialisation agents impact how consumers function in the marketplace. Although the first choice of socialisation agent may be perceived as beneficial for older adults, the advice given does not relate to marketplace functioning regarding improved ICT knowledge. Full article

This study investigated students’ attitudes towards the use of outdoor open space in universities, identifying the most comfortable conditions and favourable factors, including urban layout, physical features, and outdoor thermal conditions, as well as the students’ needs and behaviour. A quasi-experiment was used to assess the quality of the outdoor spaces. Three outdoor open spaces on the university’s campus were used for the case study. A spatial analysis employing space syntax was used to determine the integration, agent, and connection factors. For the microclimate conditions, simulations were conducted. The students’ actions were recorded, and a questionnaire concerning their preferences was disseminated. According to the respondents, the key advantages of campus open spaces are that they provide places in which to socialise and rest and to pass by. The data revealed a correlation between microclimate conditions and the use of outdoor spaces. However, the students use outdoor venues even in unfavourable microclimates. The visual factor and spatial configuration of the site have a significant impact on the use of open spaces; hence, visibility is an important feature in campus layouts. This study established a baseline of data to integrate social and contextual factors for the creation of meaningful spaces in universities. Full article

The degree of homogeneity and heterogeneity among schools affects the comprehensiveness and inclusiveness of the school system and the type and scope of classroom interaction. Since the beginning of the 1980s, interest has gradually increased in the effects of homogeneity and heterogeneity of schools on classroom interactions; this research involves various disciplines and has different goals. The present paper contributes to academic debate on the often ignored consequences of socialisation of pupils with diversity. In particular, we revise the evidence on the effect of socialisation (or lack of it) with diversity resulting from the degree of homogeneity or heterogeneity to which school children are exposed through their interactions in the classroom. We aim, in particular, to shed light on what the assumed value of classroom interactions as an argument in favour or either heterogeneous or homogeneous groups. We review work analysing school homogeneity in relation to age, gender, ethnicity and disability and the effect on classroom interactions. Most studies concur with current achievement motivation theories, which highlight the important role of context and agents of socialisation, such as classroom peers, in the development of pupils’ beliefs and behaviours. Studies that find support for classroom homogeneity tend to focus narrowly on academic performance, whereas findings that support classroom heterogeneity tend to analyse higher order values such as equity and inclusiveness. The findings in the literature suggest, furthermore, that children’s experiences of exclusion and diversity influence their friendship decision-making, suggesting that heterogeneous schools promote a more inclusive society. Full article

Researching South Asian women who have departed social norms and married outside the social conventions of their culture widens our understanding and knowledge on the topic of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). This paper will investigate how the women participating in the research navigated the socialisation of arranged marriage and expectations on them as women, and how this influenced their decisions to remain in violent and abusive relationships. Often without family support or the “safety net” of an arranged marriage, the women stayed in abusive relationships longer than they would have done if the marriage had been arranged. The findings show that the women’s experiences of leaving the relationship are mediated by the context of forming an intimate relationship. A qualitative research approach using Black Feminist Standpoint Epistemology employed thematic analysis to give voice to South Asian women’s experiences and insights into their experiences of, and responses to, leaving abusive relationships. The analysis shows that women’s agentic act of choosing a partner became the very barrier to leaving the relationship if it turned violent and abusive. Full article

China, one of the most polluting countries in the world, is facing tremendous challenges in dealing with environmental problems. Although the government has implemented various regulations and introduced strong enforcement to reduce toxic emissions and encourage recycling, little is known about how parents in China socialise their children into environmentally responsible individuals. This article reports on what 267 Chinese parents do, as agents of environmental protection, to raise their children’s awareness of environmental issues, and how their environmental literacy affects these children’s attitudes and behaviours. A survey was developed to measure how parents engage their children in environmental literacy, how confident parents feel in their own environmental awareness, and whether this has an effect on their engagement with children. The participants were found to play an agentive socialisation role in their engagement with children on pro-environmentalism in terms of shaping their behaviours and attitudes and developing their knowledge and skills. Furthermore, the correlational analysis results reveal that engagement in some aspects of environmental literacy is related to parents’ socio-economic status (SES) and their age; namely, the lower the SES or age, the higher the engagement. The study serves as a baseline for parents’ engagement with environmental literacy in China and has important implications for a concerted action by schools, the government, and environmental organisations to empower parents to be true agents of environmental literacy. Full article