Natalia Suárez

The way a student approaches his or her schoolwork has important consequences for learning and academic performance. The objective of the present study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Homework Approach Scale (HAS) in Spanish students in the last cycle of primary education (5th and 6th grade) and the two cycles of compulsory secondary education (7th to 10th grade). The interest of this study lies in the fact that the HAS scale was designed with students from China, but has not been validated in other contexts that may differ culturally, such as Spain. From various schools in northern Spain (Principality of Asturias), 1,024 students participated in the study. The results indicated that the HAS scale for a western population also comprises two factors, a deep approach and a surface approach (to doing homework). The relationship between the two approaches was significant and negative. The HAS structure was invariant for gender and grade. The results confirm the relationships between motivational orientation, study approach, and academic performance, but only partially when we look at the relationship between motivational orientation and study approach. We found that a deep approach, although mainly linked to a motivational orientation towards learning, was also linked to a performance orientation. However, preferential use of a surface approach was only promoted by a performance goal orientation. In conclusion, it seems that being motivated preferentially towards learning is a protective factor against the use of a surface approach when working on homework and a promoter of a deep approach. El modo en que los estudiantes abordan sus tareas escolares tiene importantes consecuencias para el aprendizaje y rendimiento académico. El objetivo del presente estudio fue examinar la validez y fiabilidad de la Homework Approach Scale (HAS) en estudiantes españoles del último ciclo de Educación Primaria (5º y 6º EP) y de los dos ciclos de Educa-ción Secundaria Obligatoria –ESO-(1º a 4º ESO). El interés de este estu-dio radica en que la escala HAS fue diseñada con estudiantes de China, pero no ha sido validada en otros contextos que pueden diferir culturalmente, como España. En el estudio participaron 1.024 alumnos del norte de España (Principado de Asturias). Los resultados indicaron que para una población occidental HAS también identifica dos factores: un enfoque profundo y un enfoque superficial (a la hora de trabajar sobre los deberes). La relación entre ambos enfoques fue significativa y negativa. La estructura HAS fue invariante para género y curso. Los resultados confirman las relaciones entre la orientación motivacional, el enfoque de estudio y el rendimiento académico (aunque sólo parcialmente si observamos la relación entre la orientación motivacional y el enfoque de studio). Encontramos que un enfoque profundo, aunque principalmente vinculado a una orientación motivacional hacia el aprendizaje, también estaba vinculado a una orientación al desempeño. Sin embargo, el uso preferencial de un enfoque superficial sólo fue promovido por una orientación hacia objetivos de desempeño. En conclusión, parece que estar motivado preferentemente hacia el aprendizaje es un factor protector frente al uso de un enfoque superficial a la hora de trabajar en los deberes.

Promoting effective learning strategy use is an important educational issue. Research studies have shown that deep-processing strategies lead to better academic performance than shallower strategies. However, students in reality encounter various types of learning demands, some of which do not necessarily require deep processing. Thus, it is worth examining whether students metacognitively adapt their strategy use to meet such demands. Here we show (i) the extent to which students adapt their use of deep/shallow strategies depending on learning demands, and (ii) how such adaptation relates to their test performance. Three hundred and four 8th- and 9th-grade students were asked to learn English vocabulary words and to report the strategies they used for each specified learning component (i.e. learning spelling/pronunciation, definition, and usage). Students then took a vocabulary test. Cluster analysis showed that there were roughly three types of learning approaches: learners who adapted their use of deep/shallow learning strategies to the task demands, ones who held fast to using deep or shallow strategies, and ones who did not use strategies in a metacognitive way. ANOVA showed that the ones who used various strategies in an adaptive way got higher scores than the others, in this case because the test itself was comprised of components requiring both deep and shallow processing. This finding suggests that in advising students about strategy use, it is important to consider the learning demands of tasks we assign, rather than just emphasising the importance of deep-processing strategy use. The findings indicate the importance of metacognition in strategy use for effective learning performance.

Currently, there is much debate about the value of assigning homework. Organizations such as the OECD have concluded that doing more homework is not synonymous with better performance. This study was designed to analyze the mediating role of student motivation in the relationship between the involvement of parents and teachers in homework and the engagement of students in these tasks. Seven hundred and thirty students in Compulsory Secondary Education (7th–10th grade) participated from 14 schools in the north of Spain. Three competing models were developed and tested to study motivational mediation: a non-motivational mediation model (direct effects model); a total motivational mediation model (indirect effects model); and a partial motivational mediation model (mixed effects model). The best model was adjusted according to gender and school year variables. The total mediation motivational model demonstrated the best fit (indirect effects model). The results suggest the total mediation of student motivation in the relationship between the perception of parents’ and teachers’ involvement in homework and student cognitive engagement in these tasks. Some differences, albeit slight, were observed with respect to gender and school year. The results have clear theoretical and educational implications.

Superior (IPE-ES). Para ello, se aplicó esta escala, junto con otras dos de evaluación de los procesos auto-regulatorios (IPAA y ARATEX-R), a estudiantes universitarios de varias titulaciones de la Universidad de Oviedo en dos ocasiones con tres meses de distancia entre ambas aplicaciones. Asimismo, se tomaron medidas de rendimiento académico antes (PAU y curso anterior) y después del pase de las escalas (calificaciones finales del curso actual). La muestra total utilizada fue de 917 sujetos, todos ellos alumnos de varias Titulaciones de la Universidad de Oviedo (Psicología, Logopedia, Educación Infantil, Educación Primaria y Relaciones Laborales). Del total de la muestra el 84% (n = 770) son mujeres. En general, los resultados obtenidos mostraron que el IPE-ES dispone de una fiabilidad moderada en cuanto a consistencia interna de la escala, pero una buena respecto de su estabilidad temporal. Asimismo, los datos obtenidos apoyan claramente la validez de la escala, tanto de constructo como predictiva. En conclusión, los datos obtenidos en este estudio parecen sugerir que el IPE-ES es una escala suficientemente fiable y válida para la evaluación de los enfoques de aprendizaje en Enseñanza Superior.

El objetivo de este artículo de investigación fue analizar la relación entre enfoque de trabajo, implicación en los deberes escolares y rendimiento académico en matemáticas. Partici­paron 897 estudiantes de 5º y 6º curso de Educación Prima­ria (50,2% chicos y 49,8% chicas). Los resultados indican que a mayor rendimiento académico mayor enfoque profundo en la realización de los deberes escolares, mayor cantidad de deberes realizados y mejor aprovechamiento del tiempo. No obstante, el tiempo que los estudiantes dedican a realizar los deberes es mayor cuando el rendimiento es bajo o medio. Se discuten implicaciones educativas.

Homework is a debated issue in society and its relationship with academic achievement has been deeply studied in the last years. Nowadays, schools are multicultural stages in which students from different cultures and ethnicities work together. In this sense, the present study aims to compare homework involvement and academic achievement in a sample of native and immigrant students, as well as to study immigrant students’ relationship between homework involvement and Math achievement. The sample included 1328 students, 10 to 16 years old from Spanish families (85.6%) or are immigrant students or students of immigrant origin (14.4%) from South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The study was developed considering three informants: elementary and secondary students, their parents and their teachers. Results showed higher involvement in homework in native students than in immigrant. Between immigrants students, those who are more involved in homework have better academic achievement in Math at secondary grades. There weren’t found gender differences on homework involvement but age differences were reported. Immigrant students are less involved in homework at secondary grades that students in elementary grades. The study highlights the relevance of homework involvement in academic achievement in immigrant students.

This paper tests the efficacy of an intervention program in virtual format intended to train studying and self-regulation strategies in university students. The aim of this intervention is to promote a series of strategies which allow students to manage their learning processes in a more proficient and autonomous way. The program has been developed in Moodle format and hosted by the Virtual Campus of the University of Oviedo. The present study had a semi-experimental design, included an experimental group (n=167) and a control one (n=206), and used pretest and posttest measures (self-regulated learning strategies' declarative knowledge, self-regulated learning macro-strategy planning-execution-assessment, self-regulated learning strategies on text, surface and deep learning approaches, and academic achievement). Data suggest that the students enrolled in the training program, comparing with students in the control group, showed a significant improvement in their declarative knowledge, general and on text use of learning strategies, increased their deep approach to learning, decreased their use of a surface approach and, in what concerns to academic achievement, statistically significant differences have been found in favour of the experimental group.