Adaptation of a questionnaire to assess the epistemological beliefs of mathematics in secondary school teachers

The objective of the study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire on Mathematics. 171 Secondary School Mathematics Teachers of the Central Region of Cuba participated. The results show acceptable internal consistency. The factorial structure of the scale revealed three major factors, consistent with the Model of the Three Constructs: beliefs about knowledge, about learning and teaching. Irregular levels in the development of the epistemological belief system about mathematics of these teachers were shown, with a tendency among naivety and sophistication poles. In conclusion, the questionnaire is useful for evaluating teacher’s beliefs about mathematics.

Models of initial training of secondary school teachers in Spain from a European perspective

This paper seeks to analyse some key issues related to initial training models for secondary education teachers from an international perspective with more specific references to the Spanish model. First, we briefly mention secondary education and its training needs: purpose, organization, structure, character, duration, etc.. Secondly, the most typical models of initial training of these teachers: consecutive and simultaneous, academic and professional, are adressed. Thirdly, we analyse the structure of initial training containing more general scientific and professional knowledge, (its theoretical and practical components). Lastly, the relationship between initial training and access to the teaching profession will be established, as well as the possibility of academic and / or professional qualifications is analyzed. We then highlight the issue of "professional identity", which is closely linked to the initial training of future teachers and final conclusions are discussed.

Reflexive learning in pre-service training of primary school teachers: from experience to assimilation of contents

This article presents an educational experiment carried out in the Primary School Teaching Degree at the University of Barcelona. Specifically, the article analyses the application of the “Work Corners” approach in a core subject. In a three-year action research process, trainers put into practice an innovation which enabled them to boost cooperative work and reflexive learning among trainees. Firstly, the theoretical model underpinning the project and guiding many of the actions carried out by the training team is presented. After providing detailed information on the practical development of the experiment, the data-gathering process and its results are shown. Various information-gathering strategies were used in assessing the project, such as a questionnaire, participant observation, and teachers’ diaries. The results demonstrate, amongst other things, that “work corners” offer viable and appropriate educational conditions for the articulation of theoretical and practical knowledge, for building professional knowledge, and therefore, the beginnings of a reflexive teaching practice.

Citizenship training in school from the perspective of future primary education teachers

The aim of this paper is to recognize the images that prospective elementary school teachers have about citizenship and citizenship education in school. The qualitative methodology with an ethnographic approach is used for that deep interview of ethnographic kind and analysis of institutional documents, for example, curricula, course syllabus and graduated profi le. The revision of documents helps to a better understanding of discourses. The analysis of the corpus obtained after the application of the paradigm of codifi cation proposed in the established theory. As the principal fi ndings we way point out that the concept of citizens that is common among prospective elementary school teachers is reduced to the school environment because they consider that the promotion of citizenship helps to the incorporation of children to society, thus reproducing a propaedeutic view of education.

El razonamiento moral como elemento constitutivo de la competencia ética: dilemas reales e hipotéticos en profesores de educación secundaria en México

El objetivo del presente texto es la indagación del razonamiento moral en los profesores de secundaria como un elemento de la competencia ética. Se realizó con dilemas morales hipotéticos (analizados y probados previamente para su validación y cuya fiabilidad se obtuvo a través del alfa de Cronbach) y con dilemas reales. Se aplicó a 264 profesores, miembros de la comunidad académica de la Escuela Normal Superior de Michoacán, México. Se analizó a través del programa estadístico Aquad 6. Entre los descubrimientos se encuentra una presencia mayoritaria de conflictos entre las normas éticas interpersonales con las normas de conformidad social y con las normas institucionales particulares. También que la justicia y la protección contra daños a los alumnos son valores presentes en los dilemas reales y una prevalencia en el razonamiento convencional de los profesores

The in-service teacher trainer: profile, career path and duties

This article is the result of a doctoral thesis that aims to understand the reality of teacher trainers at a given moment, when their professional role changes from being a managing training advisor to a role that is more centred on process counselling. Using in-depth interviews, we defined the personal and professional profile of training counsellors in the Balearic Islands, their career path, the process for their inclusion in Teacher Centres (CEP) and, finally, the duties and skills that they perform as teacher trainers. The data that has been collected shows the coexistence of different professional roles in the group of education advisors. Moreover, it also indicates a lack of definition of the profile needed to access an advisor's position. There are indeed some coincidences determining the access route to such a position when it comes to the teaching profession since their leadership qualities and group dynamics expertise are a common indicator in most cases. The research also shows that they are subjected not only to a wide range of roles and tasks but also to a vast array of competences required to tackle the education advisor's tasks.

Creating replicas of scultural heritage through 3D reconstruction and low cost 3D printer in Education

The process of making replicas of heritage has traditionally been developed by public agencies, corporations and museums and is not commonly used in schools. Currently there are technologies that allow creating cheap replicas. The new 3D reconstruction software, based on photographs and low cost 3D printers allow to make replicas at a cost much lower than traditional. This article describes the process of creating replicas of the sculpture Goslar Warrior of artist Henry Moore, located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. To make this process, first, a digital model have been created using Autodesk Recap 360, Autodesk 123D Catch and Autodesk Meshmixer MarkerBot MakerWare applications. Physical replication, has been reproduced in polylactic acid (PLA) by MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer. In addition, a cost analysis using, in one hand, the printer mentioned, and in the other hand, 3D printing services both online and local, is included. Finally, there has been a specific action with 141 students and 12 high school teachers, who filled a questionnary about the use of sculptural replicas in education.

Ecuadorian migration and family strategies of social mobility: dialectic relation between emotional and financial capital

This text deals with transnational strategies of social mobility in Ecuadorian migrant households in Spain. We apply the capital accumulation model (Moser, 2009) for this purpose. The main target of this article is, beyond thinking in terms of capital stock and accumulation, the analysis in depth of the dynamics of the different types of capital, that is to say, how they interact with each other in the framework of the social mobility strategies of the migrants and their families. We are bringing into light the way some households adopt investing decisions in capitals that don't translate into any addition or earnings in all cases, on the contrary, concentrating all their efforts on the accumulation of a certain asset they may, in some cases, lead to a loss of another. We will concentrate our analysis primarily on the dynamics between the physical and financial capital and the social and emotional capital, showing the tensions produced between these two types of assets. At the same time, we will highlight how migrants negotiate their family strategies of social mobility in the transnational area. Our study is based in empirical material obtained from qualitative fieldwork (in-depth interviews) with families of migrants in the urban district of Turubamba Bajo -(south of Quito) and in Madrid. A series of households were selected where interviews were carried out in the country of origin as well as in the context of immigration, with different family members, analysing the transnational social and economic strategies of families of migrant members. Family members of migrants established in Spain were interviewed in Quito, as well as key informants in the district (school teachers, nursery members of the staff, etc.). The research was framed within the projects "Impact of migration on the development: gender and transnationalism", Ministry of Science and Innovation (SEJ2007/63179) (Laura Oso, dir. 2007-2010),"Gender, transnationalism and intergenerational strategies of social mobility", Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FEM2011/26210) (Laura Oso, dir. 201-1-2015) and “Gender, Crossed Mobilities and Transnational Dynamics”, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FEM2015-67164).

Los conocimientos mínimos de Geografía en los estudios de Grado en Educación Primaria

La asignatura Ciencias Sociales y su Didáctica I (Geografía) de los estudios de Grado en Educación Primaria es, en la Universitat de les Illes Balears y en la mayoría de universidades españolas, el único contacto académico que mantendrán los futuros maestros con la Geografía. Existe un ambiente de preocupación sobre la formación de los maestros en España, inquietud que no es exclusiva de los geógrafos ni de nuestro país. El presente trabajo indaga en los conocimientos mínimos de Geografía exigibles a los futuros docentes a través de una prueba de conocimientos basada, en gran parte, en el currículo de Ciencias Sociales de Educación Primaria de la Comunidad Autónoma de las Islas Baleares. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que el alumnado del Grado en Educación Primaria no ha interiorizado esos contenidos tras su dilatada trayectoria académica. Asimismo desvelan que aunque ninguna variable es determinante, el género, la escasa presencia de materias de Geografía en el sistema educativo español y el nivel de formación de los padres son algunos de los factores que inciden en los resultados alcanzados por los alumnos en una prueba piloto sobre la que se basa la investigación.

El profesorado de educación básica y su contribución a la enseñanza de las artes visuales en la escuela.

La construcción de experiencias formativas que repercuten en la asignatura de las artes visuales amplía en el alumnado su comprensión de la realidad, enriquece sus facultades creativas, imaginativas y simbólicas, lo que demanda un mejoramiento e integración de enfoques, métodos y prácticas innovadoras basados en la perspectiva pedagógica que abarcan las distintas disciplinas artísticas. El presente trabajo explora los conocimientos artísticos de un grupo de 10 docentes de Educación Básica en relación a la enseñanza de las bases curriculares de las artes visuales en los niveles de 1º a 6º año en distintas escuelas de la provincia de Bío Bío, al sur de Chile. A través de la metodología de estudio de caso, sobre la base de una entrevista semiestructurada y el análisis de contenido, permitió organizar la información recabada en dimensiones y categorías que evidencian como resultado, las complejidades, diferencias y contribuciones de las Artes Visuales en la formación integral de los niños y niñas del sistema escolar.

Profesionales de la educación en la Hispania romana

La epigrafía latina nos ha legado el recuerdo de doce docentes y un grupo de maestros de escuela en Hispania. Los diferentes textos, la mayoría de carácter funerario y procedente del ámbito urbano, nos aportan información acerca de las funciones que estos profesionales desempeñaron en la sociedad hispana, así como del contexto socio-jurídico del que provenían. En este sentido, la pieza más valiosa es la inscripción dedicada a un gramático llamado L. Memmius Probus en la antigua Tritium Magallum, gracias a la cual conocemos las circunstancias concretas en las que trabajó este educador.