Francisco Domingo Fernández Martín

Service-learning interventions have been proposed as a context for examining trait emotional intelligence, a core socioemotional competence associated with cognitive and behavioral outcomes. This pilot quasi-experimental study examined whether participation in a PLACE model (Prepare, Link, Action, Celebrate, Effect) service-learning program was associated with differences in trait emotional intelligence; civic engagement attitudes and behaviors; academic motivation and perseverance; learning mindset; school belonging; dropout intentions; and grade point average among secondary school students. Participants were assigned to an intervention group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 27). Data were collected using validated instruments, including the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, the Civic Engagement Scale, and the Students’ Engagement and Motivation Scale 3.0, along with a single-item measure of dropout intention and official grade point average records. Analyses of covariance, controlling for baseline scores, revealed no statistically significant group differences. Effect sizes showed a mixed pattern, with small effects favoring both groups depending on the outcome. These patterns should be interpreted cautiously, as the study was underpowered to detect small effects. Overall, the findings do not support intervention efficacy but may inform future research with larger samples.

Aims and objectives: To evaluate whether bilingual education predicts academic self-concept (capacity, work procedure, and class participation) in primary school students, comparing bilingual and non-bilingual schools, and to explore gender differences. Methodology: Ex post facto study with 93 fifth- and sixth-grade students ( M age = 10.93 years) from bilingual ( n = 49) and non-bilingual ( n = 44) schools in Spain. The Self-Concept Scale of Classroom Interaction was administered. Data and analysis: Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for differences by education type and gender; univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t -tests; multiple regressions predicting self-concept from education type, age, and gender. Analyses conducted in SPSS 28.0. Findings: Significant differences by education type (Pillai’s trace = 0.27, p < .001): bilingual students showed higher self-concept in capacity ( M = 5.35 vs. 4.34), participation ( M = 5.32 vs. 4.46), and work procedure ( M = 5.35 vs. 4.98; all p < .01). By gender, differences only in work procedure (females > males, p = .057). Education type predicted 22% of variance in capacity (β = .99, p < .001), 19% in participation (β = .85), and 11% in work procedure (β = .35). Originality: First study in a Spanish primary context linking bilingual education to academic self-concept in English as L2, using a validated classroom interaction scale. Significance: Bilingual education strengthens academic self-concept, supporting its use as an intervention in non-bilingual schools. Implications for plurilingual educational policies, emphasizing teacher training and family support.

INTRODUCCIÓN. La integración de la tecnología en el ámbito educativo ha experimentado un crecimiento sin precedentes, impulsando profundas transformaciones en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Como resultado, las habilidades, destrezas y comportamientos que conforman la competencia digital se han vuelto fundamentales para asegurar una educación de calidad. A pesar de la importancia de la competencia digital en la práctica educativa actual, los estudios continúan señalando la necesidad de realizar intervenciones en este ámbito debido a los bajos niveles de competencia digital que presentan los docentes. Por tanto, el objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el nivel de competencia digital de los maestros en formación del grado en educación primaria en la comunidad autónoma de Andalucía, identificando las principales problemáticas y dificultades. MÉTODO. La muestra estuvo formada por 2617 estudiantes universitarios del grado en educación primaria que cumplimentaron la Adaptación a Alumnado Universitario del Grado en Educación Primaria del Cuestionario “DigCompEdu Check-In”. RESULTADOS. Los resultados mostraron que el alumnado del grado en educación primaria de las universidades andaluzas presenta un bajo nivel de competencia digital, siendo las áreas más necesitadas de mejora aquellas relacionadas con el compromiso profesional (i.e., comunicación organizacional, colaboración profesional, práctica reflexiva y formación digital) y los recursos digitales (i.e., competencias de selección, creación y modificación, y administración, intercambio y protección). Asimismo, se encontraron diferencias en el nivel de competencia digital de los participantes en función de su universidad de procedencia, curso, edad y sexo, así como en las diferentes fortalezas y áreas de mejora. DISCUSIÓN. En consecuencia, se espera que este trabajo pueda servir de guía para la incorporación de estas competencias en los planes de estudiouniversitarios, garantizando una formación de alta calidad que prepare a los docentes del presente y del futuro.

Service-learning has emerged as a promising pedagogical approach to address social challenges while fostering students’ academic, socioemotional, and civic development. Despite the growing body of literature, there is a lack of systematic reviews evaluating its effectiveness in secondary education beyond the United States. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to synthesize the available empirical research on service-learning interventions implemented with secondary education students (grades 7–10) outside United States. Following The Campbell Collaboration guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across Web of Science and ProQuest, supplemented by other resources (general web search, hand searches, ongoing research, open access and relevant institutions and networks). Inclusion criteria required quantitative empirical studies (randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs, or pretest–posttest designs) published from 2008 to June 2025 that measured academic, cognitive, socio-emotional, civic, and community outcomes using quantitative procedures. After screening, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings indicate that service-learning programs can generate positive outcomes on academic performance and non-cognitive skills. Nevertheless, methodological weaknesses and heterogeneity across studies prevent drawing robust conclusions. The review highlights the need for more rigorous research to strengthen the evidence base for service-learning among adolescents in systems worldwide.

This study evaluates the impact of an educational robotics intervention on Computational Thinking (CT) development in pre-service Early Childhood Education teachers and its effect on disparities related to gender and family background. A quasi-experimental design with a control group was employed with 127 participants. The experimental group undertook a multi-session robotics program integrating theory and practice, while the control group received conventional instruction. Results indicate the intervention group achieved significantly higher and substantial gains across all five assessed CT dimensions: creativity, algorithmic thinking, cooperativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Importantly, a strong equalizing effect was observed. Performance gaps based on gender and the initial advantage for students with STEM-educated relatives, both present in the control group, were eliminated in the experimental cohort. These findings affirm educational robotics as a powerful pedagogical tool, effective both for building essential 21st-century competencies and for fostering greater equity in the foundational training of educators.

El artículo presenta los resultados de la evaluación del programa Digi-Life, desarrollado por la Plataforma del Voluntariado de España (PVE). El objetivo de este programa fue crear una formación en competencias digitales para personas mayores, impartida por alumnado universitario. Ante la creciente dependencia de la tecnología y la existencia de escenarios cada vez más digitalizados, se recomienda implementar programas que potencien el desarrollo de competencias en distintos perfiles poblacionales. La submuestra de personas mayores (n = 21) estuvo formada por un 66,7 % de mujeres y una edad media de 71 años. La submuestra de alumnado universitario (n = 18) contó con un 88,9 % de mujeres y una edad media de 21 años. La técnica de muestreo utilizada fue por conveniencia. Los resultados obtenidos confirman la efectividad del programa para mejorar la autonomía digital de las personas mayores tras su participación, y aumentar el grado de conocimiento de estas personas por parte del alumnado universitario. Finalmente, se identifican una serie de limitaciones y propuestas de mejora para futuras replicaciones.

Learning a foreign language can be a stressful experience that can provoke anxiety and impede the acquisition of the language in question. In this regard, although there is a lack of studies conducted in foreign language classrooms that have specifically demonstrated relationships between cognitive emotional regulation strategies and anxiety, the apparent correlation between cognitive emotional regulation strategies and anxiety in diverse contexts underscores the necessity for further research to clarify this association and ascertain their applicability to foreign language anxiety. Moreover, it is essential to investigate how the type of education (i.e., bilingual and non-bilingual) affects this relationship. To address these research gaps, multivariate regression models were constructed for several dependent variables with the same independent variables. The results revealed statistically significant associations between foreign language anxiety and the use of maladaptive and adaptive cognitive regulation strategies. The sole variable not found to be related to cognitive emotional regulation strategies was uncertainty. Additionally, a statistically significant relationship was observed between the type of education and levels of foreign language anxiety. Specifically, students in non-bilingual education settings exhibit heightened levels of communicative apprehension, negative attitudes, and anxiety, but not higher levels of uncertainty. This underscores the necessity of training students on adaptive strategies to enhance their ability to cope with potential foreign language anxiety in both bilingual and non-bilingual education classrooms. In this regard, educators and practitioners can benefit from a more supportive and emotionally resilient foreign language-learning environment.