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Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 20028

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Prof. Dr. Estefanía Estévez

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Guest Editor

Departament of Health Psychology, University of Miguel Hernandez, Edificio Altamira, 03202 Alicante, Spain
Interests: peer aggression; peer victimization; school violence, bullying, cyberbullying; school climate; school adjustment; psychosocial adjustment; emotional adjustment; emotional regulation; emotional intelligence; life satifaction
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Prof. Dr. Elisa Huéscar Hernández

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Guest Editor

Departament of Health Psychology, University of Miguel Hernández, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Edificio Altamira, 03202 Alicante, Spain
Interests: educational psychology, motivation analysis (SDT), physical education, psychosocial agents, adolescence, teachers’ motivational styles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This monograph seeks to deepen exploration of the broad world of adolescents in school from a psychological point of view. School coexistence implies a complex network of socio-emotional relationships between a large number of people with different characteristics (different ages, abilities, cultures...) defined by the fundamental roles of students and teachers. The growing complexity of our social reality is rapidly including new challenges in the lives of each other, and all this challenges influence, in turn, coexistence in a temporary space in which they have to stay together for several hours every date. Thus, for example, the incorporation of new technologies into the academic field has meant a considerable change compared to relatively few years ago with the consequent adaptation of schools for their proper use as a resource in the classroom, constituting nowadays an indispensable and essential tool for teaches to optimize learning through motivating and innovative teaching strategies. However, the use of new technologies at school also implies in some cases a misuse eventually leading to cyberbullying situations, or even addictions to new technologies or social networks.

In fact, bullying among peers is a growing challenge in schools that, far from being stopped, is a constant in the academic context towards with extremely negative consequences in some situations. In addition to these challenges, there are many children and adolescents who come to school with a backpack that is particularly unstable due to their experiences in other contexts of socialization such as the family, or those who present special educational needs which must address with new inclusive techniques. All these particularities are part of the day-to-day life in schools and directly influence the dynamics of relationships in the classroom, the motivation of students, their attitudes and behaviors, eventually affecting not only academic performance but also the psychological and emotional adjustment of all students involved. In this monograph we include these new challenges that can be addressed from a psychological approach and that can be addressed from the field of the educational guidance, and the developmental, social, clinical or educational psychology.

Prof. Dr. Estefanía Estévez
Prof. Dr. Elisa Huéscar Hernández
Guest Editor

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Keywords

School psychology
School climate
Bullying
Cyberbullying
School violence Peer relationships
Psychosocial influence
Teacher-student relation
School adjustment
Wellbeing
Emotional adjustment

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gender Equity in Initial Teacher Training: Descriptive and Factorial Study of Students’ Conceptions in a Spanish Educational Context

by Laura Lucas-Palacios, Antonia García-Luque and Emilio José Delgado-Algarra

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8369; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19148369 - 08 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1622

Abstract

In recent years, progress has been made to integrate the gender perspective into university curricula. Despite this, the lack in university degrees for initial teacher training is especially remarkable. This is because, together with families, teachers have the co-responsibility of educating new generations for the future. Issues such as the low presence of concepts related to gender in teaching guides or the lack of interest of teachers regarding their inclusion in classes lead to defining research to know and understand the conceptions of a sample of 162 teachers in the initial teacher training of a Bachelor’s degree on Early Childhood and Primary Education and a Master degree of Secondary Education on the incorporation of feminist thought in education. This research is a part of a broader doctoral dissertation and a research and development project. In general terms, from a quantitative, non-experimental approach, a questionnaire is designed and sent. The analysis includes a descriptive phase and a factorial phase that allows researchers to discover latent relationships between variables. Among the main conclusions, despite showing a relatively high knowledge of feminist theory, they confuse equity and equality. Students recognize the importance of having female references with whom to identify and they consider that feminist thought is a transversal content in education. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

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16 pages, 1463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Critical Thinking and Motivation in Vocational Training and Baccalaureate: A Comparison Study of Students of Spanish Nationality, Unaccompanied Foreign Minors and Young Care Leavers

by Noelia Parejo-Jiménez, Jorge Expósito-López, Ramón Chacón-Cuberos and Eva María Olmedo-Moreno

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5272; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19095272 - 26 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1949

Abstract

The present study analyzed academic motivation and its relationship with dispositions towards critical thinking in a sample of 131 students of Spanish nationality and 131 students of foreign nationality (unaccompanied foreign minors and foreign adolescents who had previously experienced the Andalusian care system). For this, an ex-post-facto study was conducted which was descriptive, comparative, and cross-sectional in nature. The main analyses carried out are of a descriptive and inferential nature, the latter to analyze the differences and associations between the variables of critical thinking and motivation (ANOVA test and an structural equations models) in both groups. Main outcomes included the lack of significant differences in dispositions towards critical thinking between Spanish and foreign students, alongside the existence of significant differences in academic motivation between both of these groups. In addition to this, significant differences were found within the group of Spanish nationality students in the dimensions of critical thinking as a function of intrinsic motivation, whilst such differences emerged in the foreign nationality group as a function of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and amotivation. Finally, within the group of Spanish students, a significant and positive relationship was found between motivation and critical thinking, being positive and non-significant in the foreign national group. In conclusion, it is necessary to improve dispositions towards critical thinking and educational motivation from the educational system for the inclusion of minors and youths in today’s society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

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18 pages, 2274 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Gamification on the Benefits of Student Response Systems in Learning of Human Anatomy: Three Experimental Studies

by Juan J. López-Jiménez, José L. Fernández-Alemán, José A. García-Berná, Laura López González, Ofelia González Sequeros, Joaquín Nicolás Ros, Juan M. Carrillo de Gea, Ali Idri and Ambrosio Toval

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13210; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182413210 - 15 Dec 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3121

Abstract

This paper presents three experiments to assess the impact of gamifying an audience response system on the perceptions and educational performance of students. An audience response system called SIDRA (Immediate Audience Response System in Spanish) and two audience response systems with gamification features, R-G-SIDRA (gamified SIDRA with ranking) and RB-G-SIDRA (gamified SIDRA with ranking and badges), were used in a General and Descriptive Human Anatomy course. Students participated in an empirical study. In the academic year 2019–2020, a total of 90 students used RB-G-SIDRA, 90 students employed R-G-SIDRA in the academic year 2018–2019, and 92 students used SIDRA in the academic year 2017–2018. Statistically significant differences were found between final exam grades obtained by using RB-G-SIDRA and SIDRA, U = 39.211 adjusted p = 0.001 and RB-G-SIDRA and R-G-SIDRA U = 31.157 adjusted p = 0.015, thus finding strong evidence with respect to the benefit of the badges used in RB-G-SIDRA. Moreover, in the students’ SIDRA systems scores, statistically significant differences were found between RB-G-SIDRA and SIDRA, U = −90.521 adjusted p < 0.001, and between R-G-SIDRA and SIDRA, U = −87.998 adjusted p < 0.001. Significant correlations between individual and team scores were also found in all of the tests in RB-G-SIDRA and G-SIDRA. The students expressed satisfaction, engagement, and motivation with SIDRA, R-G-SIDRA, and RB-G-SIDRA, thus obtaining a final average assessment of 4.28, 4.61, and 4.47 out of 5, respectively. Students perform better academically with gamified versus non-gamified audience response systems. Findings can be used to build a gamified adaptive learning system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

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12 pages, 2734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Controlled Motivation in the Self-Esteem of Adolescent Students in Physical Education Classes

by Alfonso Valero-Valenzuela, Elisa Huéscar, Juan L. Núñez, Jaime León, Luis Conte and Juan Antonio Moreno-Murcia

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11602; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182111602 - 04 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2445

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyse the relationships between the satisfaction of psychological basic needs, physical education, academic controlling motivation, and self-esteem, and to propose a prediction model in line with the postulates from the hierarchical model found in the self-determination theory. The participants were 618 physical education students from primary and secondary school (317 girls and 301 boys) aged between 10 and 14 years old (M = 11.62; SD = 0.94). The questionnaires basic psychological needs in exercise measurement scale (BPNES), perceived locus of causality scale (PLOC), the academic motivation scale (EME), and physical self-perception profile (PSPP) were used to measure the studied variables. The results showed that autonomy and relatedness significantly and negatively predicted physical education controlling motivation, which predicted a positive and significant academic controlling motivation. This, in turn, negatively and significantly predicted self-esteem. It is concluded that it is essential to avoid controlling motivation to promote the development of a positive self-perception in students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

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16 pages, 1369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Emotional Behaviour of Spanish, Chilean and England Adolescents, and Their Relationship with Effective Personality

by María Eugenia Martin-Palacio, Andrés Fernando Avilés-Dávila, Cristina Di-Giusto, José-Antonio Bueno-Álvarez, Marta Soledad García-Rodríguez and Jesus Manuel Cedeira-Costales

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8611; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18168611 - 15 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2232

Abstract

Analysing the emotional behaviour of adolescents is fundamental because of its relationship with maladaptive behaviour and even possible psychological maladjustments. For this reason, this study had two objectives: to analyse the existence of significant differences in socio-emotional behaviour in English, Spanish, and Chilean adolescents, taking gender into account, and to analyse the relationship between emotional behaviour and the effective personality model in the Spanish and Chilean samples. A total of 2534 adolescents participated (609 English, 1677 Spanish, and 248 Chilean). The Abbreviated Scale of Emotional Behaviour (ECEA_R: aggressive tendency, social reactivity, and social support) and the Effective Personality Questionnaire—Adolescents (CPE-A: academic self-realisation, socio-affective self-realisation, and resolute efficacy) were applied. A MANOVA was carried out to study the differences in adolescents’ socio-emotional behaviour, taking gender and nationality into account, and a correlational analysis was undertaken to explore the relationship between the variables of emotional behaviour (aggressive tendency, social reactivity, and social support) and effective personality (academic self-realisation, socio-affective self-realisation, and resolute efficacy). Regarding the first objective, for aggressive tendency, English male adolescents stood out, followed by Spanish and Chilean male adolescents and females of all nationalities. In terms of social reactivity, female adolescents stood out over male adolescents and, with regard to social support, Spanish adolescents (male and female) stood out over other nationalities, followed by Chilean and English adolescents (males and females). The results of the second objective indicated a negative relationship between aggressive tendency and academic self-realisation, but a positive relationship for social reactivity and social support (only in the Spanish sample) with most of the effective personality factors. The results are relevant for the application of prevention and intervention programs that improve or implement social and affective competencies in adolescents who develop the effective personality construct. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

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16 pages, 712 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Are University Professors’ Motivations? A Realistic Approach to Self-Perception of a Group of Spanish University Professors Belonging to the G-9 Group of Universities

by Luis Espejo-Antúnez, Mario Corrales-Serrano, Francisco Zamora-Polo, Miguel González-Velasco and María de los Ángeles Cardero-Durán

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 7976; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18157976 - 28 Jul 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1686

Abstract

Universities face challenges on a number of levels. In this scenario, university professors play an important role as facilitators of knowledge. The main objective of this study was to analyse the motivations that influence the professional performance in a sample of 102 university professors from nine Spanish public universities (Male: 54 (52.9%); Female: 48 (47.1%)). For this purpose, a questionnaire of 22 closed-ended Likert-type questions was designed, in which scores ranged from 0 to 10 (do not agree at all, strongly agree). Following analysis, the final questionnaire was composed of 17 items, and showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.858). The validity analysis showed a value of 0.822 (>0.5) in the sample adequacy measure of Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin and Bartlett’s sphericity test (p < 0.0001). The exploratory factor analysis showed a clustering in four factors (two for intrinsic motivations and two for extrinsic motivations), explaining 64.33% of the total variance. Comparisons between each factor score by gender (male and female) showed statistically significant differences for factor F1 (higher for females) and F2 (higher for males). Finally, Q1 and Q13 showed a statistically significant correlation (p ≤ 0.05) with years of teaching experience. The motivations of Spanish university professors appear to be associated with the age and gender of the teacher. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

20 pages, 646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proposal for Modeling Motivational Strategies for Autonomy Support in Physical Education

by Juan Antonio Moreno-Murcia, Julio Barrachina-Peris, Manuel Ballester Campillo, Estefanía Estévez and Elisa Huéscar

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7717; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18147717 - 20 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3492

Abstract

The motivational style that teachers adopt during their interactions with their students in class can have a significant influence on the search for optimal and balanced development. Knowing the role of motivation in generating positive change, the key is to define the strategies that constitute an adaptive motivational style of teaching. The aim of this study was to design and validate the set of motivational strategies to support autonomy that are framed within the Self-Determination Theory in the context of physical education classes. For this purpose, a five-phase process was designed and carried out in one study involving different samples of experts, teachers and students. On the one hand, 25 autonomy-supportive motivational strategies were obtained and organized according to their perceived difficulty. We also analyzed the importance attributed by teachers and the difficulty of implementing them, as well as the autonomy support perceived by students through these strategies. The results obtained made it possible to present a behavior-optimizing solution consisting of a progression of 25 autonomy support strategies. The results obtained are discussed in terms of their value in the design of educational scenarios that promote high-quality student motivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

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12 pages, 1717 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the Action for Neutralization of Bullying Program on Bullying in Spanish Schoolchildren

by Ana Martínez-Martínez, David Pineda, Manuel Galán, Juan C. Marzo and José A. Piqueras

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(13), 6898; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18136898 - 27 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2173

Abstract

Bullying can have serious physical and emotional consequences. In recent years, interest in this phenomenon has been growing, becoming a public health problem in the first world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the Action for Neutralization of Bullying Program (ANA) in Spanish children. This study used a quasi-experimental design that included a pre-test evaluation, 2 months of intervention, a post-test, and 3 months of follow-up. A sample of 330 children aged 7–12 years (M = 9.27; SD = 1.09) from third to sixth grade participated in the study. One hundred and fifty-nine were girls (48.2%). The program consisted of eight group sessions in which empathy, assertiveness, communication skills, conflict resolution, and group cohesion were worked on. The results showed statistically significant reductions in verbal abuse behaviors (t = 4.76, p < 0.001), direct social exclusion (t = 3.53, p < 0.001), threats (t = 2.04, p = 0.042), aggression with objects (t = 3.21, p < 0.001), and physical abuse (t = 4.41, p < 0.001). The differences were not statistically significant for indirect social exclusion behaviors (t = 1.86, p = 0.065) or cyberbullying (t = 0.31, p = 0.756). The effects in the reduction of the bullying behaviors decreased after the implementation of the program, achieving even greater reduction in victimization behaviors after 3 months than immediately after the end of the program. These results indicate that the ANA program is effective in reducing bullying behaviors in a group of children. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescence and Educational Context: New Challenges in a Changing World)

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