Marta Liesa-Orús

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered numerous changes in our lives. Digital tools have made it possible to continue with the development of tasks or activities of multiple kinds. This fact has not bypassed the elderly who often find themselves in a situation of inequality caused by the generational digital divide. Using a mixed methodology combining quantitative and qualitative techniques, this study aims to understand and analyze how this situation has influenced the use of ICT s and social networks by the elderly. The research participants are 415 students from the University of Experience of a Spanish university aged 55–84 years old. The results obtained show changes in the way participants relate to technology since the beginning of the pandemic in terms of time and purpose. It also highlights the need to take measures to combat the generational digital divide, a problem that older people recognize as their own.

Society is currently immersed in a highly digitalised panorama due to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The educational process is also in a period of constant technological change and renewal. The transformation of education and methodologies can bring positive benefits for students, but also inequalities. This study aims to analyse the perceptions of families of pupils aged 3–18 on how the use of technology influences their children’s education in terms of emotions, barriers and needs. It is also intended to study whether the perceived barriers are determined by the underlying needs of the households and/or the emotions they experience from the use of technological resources. Finally, the consequences of perceived barriers on needs are studied. For this purpose, 720 parents completed an online questionnaire. The application of the Structural Equation Model reveals that negative emotions have a positive and significant effect on perceived barriers. On the other hand, a positive and significant effect of perceived barriers on expressed needs is found. The results of the research show the inequalities that ICT generate in the school environment, which are determined by the characteristics of the pupils’ family context. Knowing about the situations and perceptions of families is a first step towards carrying out actions to break down barriers and meet needs, the ultimate goal of inclusive education.

This meta-analysis (random effects) studies the self-perceived digital competence of university lecturers in university teaching, using 7470 lecturers from Europe and Latin America collected in K = 31 samples, with teaching experience of between 6 and 15 years. The effect size obtained from a moderate random effects model of r = −0.21 with a 99% confidence interval is significant, negative, and moderate, confirming the low competence level. The meta-regression results show that the area of knowledge plays an important role. The systematic review of the literature shows that the perception of ICTs is positive, while the level of competence is low, and there are institutional and training challenges to be solved.

El sistema educativo español se encuentra inmerso en período de cambio que se inició hace años y que está orientado hacia una educación que garantice la equidad y la inclusión. Ofrecer a cada alumno y alumna lo que demandan sus características propias e individuales se ha instaurado como el principio rector de la educación del siglo 21 tras la reciente implantación de la ley LOMLOE. Sin embargo, la atención educativa al alumnado con necesidades educativas específicas es diversa y algunas modalidades de escolarización se alejan de este principio. En lo concerniente al alumnado con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) en la Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón coexisten diversas modalidades escolares: centros ordinarios, centros de educación especial y centros de atención preferente. Con el objetivo de conocer el estado actual de la inclusión del alumnado TEA en el sistema educativo aragonés se ha realizado este estudio fundamentado en una metodología cualitativa que analiza y compara, a partir de un total de 26 entrevistas, las percepciones y experiencias de 19 docentes con diferentes perfiles profesionales en las distintas modalidades escolares y las experiencias de 7 profesionales de la educación dedicados a la gestión, formación del profesorado y jefatura de programas. Los resultados más relevantes dejan entrever actitudes, experiencias y percepciones manifiestamente distintas por parte del profesorado ante la inclusión del alumnado con TEA en función del entorno escolar en el que desempeñan su labor profesional. El hallazgo más relevante alude a la necesidad de una restructuración general del sistema educativo a nivel organizativo y metodológico, así como la ampliación y actualización de la formación en inclusión para todo el profesorado independientemente de su especialidad.

Digital competence is considered to be a crucial learning outcome in education in the 21st century. In this context, research highlights the fact that the perceptions that instructors manifest about different aspects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) condition these professionals’ behaviour towards these learning resources. In the same line, this study aims to analyse the effects that exist between a series of dimensions related to the perception of university teaching staff on the capacity of ICTs to respond to different needs of students, on perceived efficacy and attitudes towards these tools and, lastly, on active behaviour towards their use. To do so, 345 university instructors from the Spanish educational system filled in an online questionnaire. The application of a Structural Equation Model underscores the fact that the ability of ICTs to respond to the different needs of students in the university classroom and their perceived efficacy in the teaching–learning process both exert a positive effect on attitudes in favour of their incorporation into the classroom. In turn, these attitudes also have a significant effect on active behaviour with ICT resources. In addition, various mediating effects are seen to influence an active behaviour. All this gives rise to a discussion on the implications of these results to encourage the training of university teaching staff in the knowledge and management of ICTs. Increasing confidence in ICTs as effective tools to respond to different needs could significantly favour positive attitudes and behaviour so that these resources are actively integrated into the classroom.

La formación inicial de los maestros es clave para su posterior desempeño laboral en cualquiera de sus destinos; sin embargo, la escuela rural sigue siendo la gran olvidada. Para atender esa realidad, en esta investigación se analizan los contenidos específicos sobre la escuela rural en la formación inicial. Se realizó una revisión exhaustiva de los planes de estudio, memorias de verificación y guías docentes de los grados de magisterio de universidades españolas, tanto públicas como privadas. Los resultados muestran que la escuela rural está ausente en las competencias educativas que debe adquirir un maestro en su formación universitaria, siendo escasas las asignaturas específicas sobre la temática. En las conclusiones destaca la formación en escuela rural como un elemento esencial por su especificidad y la necesidad de que se incorpore a la formación de maestros –como algunas universidades ya lo hacen.

The role of teachers is considered one of the most decisive factors in the success or failure of a child with Special Educational Needs being taught and learning alongside their peers in mainstream settings. The objective of this study is to analyse the perceived efficacy of inclusive practices in achieving quality educational inclusion, and the intensity with which they are implemented in mainstream schooling contexts. The aim is also to study whether there is a positive effect of this perceived efficacy in achieving quality inclusion on pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Similarly, it is analysed whether there is a mediating effect in this relationship of the variable related to the intensity of use (understood as the degree of use that teachers make of inclusive practices). To this end, 454 teachers from the Spanish education system completed an online questionnaire. Use of structural equation modelling reveals that the efficacy teachers perceive of the inclusive practices has positive effects on achieving the inclusion of these pupils. We found a mediating effect of the intensity with which the practices are implemented on this achievement of inclusion. The implications of these results are discussed with a view to introducing improvements in prior teacher-training programmes.

Technological resources have the potential to improve the quality of life in a context in which social pressure for the use of these tools is increasing. In this sense, the adoption of technological resources by the elderly is a highly complex issue because numerous and varied factors are involved. Precisely for this reason, this study aims to analyze the effects that exist between a series of dimensions related to the perception of older people regarding the ease of use, the perceived usefulness of technological tools, attitudes towards technology and their intention to use them in everyday life. To do this, 415 adults (M = 66.27 years) enrolled in a program at the University of Experience in the Spanish context completed an online questionnaire. The application of a Structural Equations Model for data analysis highlights that the perceived ease of use of the technology has a positive effect on the perceived usefulness of these resources. Similarly, an indirect effect of the perceived usefulness of technology on the intention to use these resources is observed through the manifestation of positive attitudes towards the use of digital tools.

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las percepciones que los estudiantes de cuarto curso de los Grados Universitarios de Magisterio en Educación Infantil y Primaria de la Universidad de Zaragoza reportan acerca de la formación inicial que han recibido y consideran que presentan para dar una respuesta educativa acorde a las necesidades del alumnado con altas capacidades que se van a encontrar en su futuro laboral. A partir de una muestra de 402 estudiantes que cursan el último curso de Magisterio, se analizan en términos de estadísticos descriptivos los datos obtenidos una vez aplicado el cuestionario que, previamente, se adaptó para este estudio. Los resultados señalan la existencia de diferencias en dichas percepciones en función de las especialidades elegidas (Menciones) y, consecuentemente, la necesidad de una formación más amplia en atención específica al alumnado con altas capacidades desde la Universidad. Esta investigación se apoya en una revisión teórica sobre los cambios acaecidos en la concepción del término de las altas capacidades, el recorrido legislativo de la atención educativa a los mismos a nivel nacional, el cual permite percibir que la atención al alumnado con altas capacidades ha sido tardía. Asimismo, también se tratan las percepciones de distintos autores sobre la escasa formación inicial sobre el alumnado con altas capacidades, que reciben los futuros docentes de las aulas de nuestro sistema educativo.