Colombian High School Research Articles

Socio-emotional competencies of Colombian high school students in face-to-face and virtual environments

Introduction: Socio-emotional competencies in face-to-face communication are an essential tool for personal and social adjustment from an early age. Online communication has become equally important, especially in adolescence. It is known that its characteristics require specific skills, but there is a lack of studies that analyse the relationship that exists between generally acquired socio-emotional skills and those necessary for online communication. Hence, this research is focused on analysing how offline socio-emotional skills predict these online competencies in girls and boys in a differentiated way. Method: This study included 478 Secondary Education students between 10 and 14 years of age. This is a cross-sectional study that used Path Analysis differentiated by sex, with intentional and non-probabilistic sampling. To assess socio-emotional competencies, we used the ESCQ-21 instrument for generally assessed socio-emotional competencies and the e-COM questionnaire to quantify online socio-emotional competencies. Results: The explanatory model indicates that socio-emotional competencies are partially transferred to the online environment in both sexes, especially Perception and comprehension. Furthermore, it is suggested that E-self-control of impulsiveness and E-emotional autonomy require specific development in that environment. Conclusions: It seems reasonable to include online experiences that encourage development in online spaces. The repercussions for the educational field are analysed.

The influence of audiovisual materials as a teaching technique in seventh-grade students’ English learning process

This study aimed at analyzing the influence of audiovisual materials in the English learning process among seventh-grade students from a Colombian high school. To this end, a case study was conducted; this approach emphasized an exploration of the interactions, attitudes and behaviors of the students and the teacher inside the classroom. Data was collected through five non-participant observations, seven semi-structured interviews and sixteen open-ended questionnaires. The information comprised the opinions and the attitudes from the teacher and the students when audiovisual materials were used while learning English. The analysis of the data signaled a positive influence of audiovisual materials among the students, since it increased their vocabulary, pronunciation and motivation. Furthermore, it allowed the English teacher to explore innovative teaching techniques.

Exploring Culture as a Step in the Development of Intercultural Skills

Objective: This study aims to analyze the reflections of a group of ninth graders from a Colombian high school about their culture during the development of an intercultural-based classroom project. Method: This qualitative action research study was grounded in an intercultural approach for language teaching. The study used a questionnaire and the written production of students to collect data which were analyzed using thematic and frequency analyses. Results: The findings suggested that the inclusion of cultural topics motivated the students and enhanced their awareness of the value of their culture and the impact of racism and discrimination within their sociocultural context. Similarly, a few elements of culturally relevant pedagogies, such as factual knowledge about culture, cultural competence, and critical consciousness, emerged from the voices of the students. Discussion and conclusions: Addressing the local manifestations of culture in English as a Foreign Language classrooms open the path for discussions on social issues and recognize the relevance of one’s cultural landscape. Nevertheless, the systematic integration of culture in language teaching at the national level is a task that remains to be achieved.

Statistical Validation of the “ECODIES” Questionnaire to Measure the Digital Competence of Colombian High School Students in the Subject of Mathematics

Education in the 21st century faces the challenge of digitalization; therefore, the acquisition and development of digital skills in students is indispensable, not only for their learning processes but also for their lives. This study aims to validate the test “ECODIES”, which was used to assess the level of development of digital competence in students in a public high school in Bogotá (Colombia). The test is based on the DigCom model and was administered to a sample of 777 students aged between 11 and 18. The results obtained in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability analysis show the quality of the test. Therefore, in this study it is concluded that “ECODIES” is a test with the reliability and validity to assess digital competence in the Colombian context; in this way, we hope to gain enough research about this topic to contribute to the development of digital competence in Colombian students. We conducted an instrumental study for the analysis of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire.

The Impact of Computer and Internet at Home on Academic Results of the Saber 11 National Exam in Colombia

The use of a computer and internet connection allows high school and university students to access more relevant information. However, there is no consensus on the effects of the use of these tools on academic results. This work evaluates the impact of computers and the internet at home on the results of the Saber 11 test, a national exam taken by all students finishing their secondary education in Colombia, between 2017 and 2019. This impact was estimated from a pooled two-stage least squares (pooled 2SLS) model, applied to data from 1,578,460 Colombian high school students. We found that computers and the internet at home had a positive impact on English language performance in the Saber 11 test in Colombia. This work allows a better understanding of the technological effects on educational achievement and provides information for the design of public policies for education in developing countries.

Using Collaborative Action Research to Address Bullying and Violence in a Colombian High School EFLClassroom

This paper describes how a collaborative action research project implemented in an underprivileged high school in Bogotá helped an English teacher and her students discuss issues of social justice with a special focus on bullying. It also discusses how the English teacher used her class to connect global and local issues to sensitize students to their own social inequalities. To do this, the teacher used social justice, critical peace education, and globalization as a framework that guided her research and practices. The students, the teacher, and I, as a researcher, collaborated to cocreate lessons whereby students were conscientized about normalized aggression in the school. The findings of this research suggest the following (a) students became more sensitive to and aware of the violent culture that existed in the school, (b) the activities empowered them to become advocates for social change, and (c) the actions taken translated into the community becoming central as praxis. I conclude that the English classroom has the capacity for social transformation as it allows for alternative pedagogical approaches targetting the students’ needs.

Test Preparation and Students’ Performance: The Case of the Colombian High School Exit Exam

Standardized test scores play a central role in determining college admission decisions in both developed and emerging countries. For that reason, many courses are offered by schools and other educational institutions to prepare students for the exams. However, it is still unclear whether additional preparation has a positive and significant effect. The objective of this paper is to use the results of the Colombian high-school exit examination to gain a better understanding of the relationship between preparation and test results. Our results show that, on average, preparatory activities are associated with an increase of approximately 0.06 standard deviations in scores.

El conflicto social y político colombiano en los libros de texto escolar de ciencias sociales: representación, diversidad y narrativa

Se analiza el contenido y la representación del conflicto “social” y “político” que caracteriza a la sociedad colombiana, sobre cuya definición y carácter no existe consenso, en un “corpus” de libros de texto escolar de ciencias sociales de grados 9°, 10° y 11° de la escuela secundaria publicados en Colombia durante el periodo comprendido entre 1999 – 2011. Este análisis de contenido se realiza desde dos perspectivas: de una parte, especializada y académica, la segunda, sobre la definición y las diversas concepciones que so-<br />bre el “conflicto” colombiano en literatura académica y científica especializada, y de otra, desde el contenido de los libros de texto escolar colombianos de ciencias sociales. Se empleó una metodología de<br />análisis de contenido para contrastar la literatura especializada sobre el “conflicto” y la manera como los libros de texto narran y representan de manera diversa el conflicto.

A Widening Gap? A Gender-Based Analysis of Performance on the Colombian High School Exit Examination

En este artículo proveemos información sobre el menor desempeño de las niñas comparado con niños de similares características en las pruebas de salida del bachillerato colombianas, que son requeridas para el acceso a la Universidad. Usando la técnica de regresión cuantílica se encuentra que hay una brecha significativa a favor de los niños, que se incrementa a lo largo de la distribución. La descomposición de Juhn-Murphy-Pierce, muestra que las características personales, familiares y escolares explican una porción pequeña de las brechas, mientras que diferencias en los retornos juegan un papel importante. Adicionalmente, semuestra que la brecha observada difiere significativamente de acuerdo con la región; sugiriendo que características específicas de cada región como por ejemplo diferencias en la cultura relacionadas con el rol de la mujer- pueden estar influenciando el desempeño de las niñas.

Body composition and physical fitness in Colombian high school students from Ibagué

Body composition and other components of physical fitness have proved to be important markers of health condition. To analyze body composition and physical fitness in Colombian students from public high schools of Ibagué, as well as to study differences between sexes and age groups, and establish correlations between some of the variables. The sample consisted of 1,253 students (601 males; 652 females), with an age range of 10-20 years. The ALPHA-Fitness test (extended version) was applied. Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference and fat percentage were assessed. Differences between sexes were found in the variables studied, with greater BMI and fat percentage among females (20.6 kg/m2 vs. 19.4 kg/m2 and 26.1% vs. 16.8%, respectively); however, waist circumference was greater in males (69.6 cm vs. 67.9 cm), who also showed better fitness in the rest of the physical tests (p<0.05). In both sexes, age was associated to increases in BMI (p<0.05), and among females to fat percentage as well (p<0.05); among males it was the opposite, as in them, age was inversely associated to fat percentage (p<0.05). For the rest of the physical tests, age was positively associated to fitness both in men and women, except for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). Correlations were found between some of the variables studied. Adiposity was significantly greater in females than in males (p<0.05). Males showed better levels of aerobic, musculoskeletal and motor capacities.

The Consistency and Stability of School Effect in Colombian High School Education

Consistency and stability are considered scientific properties of school effect. These properties are important in determining if school effect is constant along subjects and are perdurable during the time. The purpose of this research is to estimate continuity and stability in Colombian high school education during seven years over the past decade for the four main subjects in Colombia: mathematics, language, natural and social science. With this purpose in mind, a retrospective ex post facto study was conducted. The analysis was done for 7, 626 schools and multilevel models of three levels and longitudinal multilevel models were used. As adjusted variables, socio-economic and sociocultural levels and gender of students were used. The school variable was the tuition. The results indicated that the correlation was over 0.39 for all the subjects; the higher correlations were found among language, natural and social science and the school effect showed change along the time for every subject and by the tuition. The Colombian educational system displays consistency within subjects, but its school effect is not stable and is dependent on the socio-economic variable. The paper discusses the implications of these results for the Colombian educational system and the effect for quality and equity, and their relationship with the development of the country.

Educational achievement at schools: Assessing the effect of the civil conflict using a pseudo-panel of schools

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between civil conflict and educational achievement in Colombia through the use of pseudo-panel analysis. We construct a pseudo-panel of schools using the Colombian high school exit examination (Saber11) results from the years 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2007. The results obtained in this research provide evidence of the negative repercussions that a civil conflict can have on human capital accumulation at the school level. Results show a negative and significant relation between the intensity and presence of conflict and the levels of performance in the mathematics and language examinations.

Initial Characterization of Colombian High School Physics Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge on Electric Fields

We explore the initial characterization of the pedagogical content knowledge of four, in-service, Colombian pre-university secondary education physics teachers on the concept of electric field. Two of them teach the content in English as a second language. The aim of the study was to obtain an image of the participants’ teaching of electric field and the inherent complexities that go with that. The results revealed that factors which involved their personal educational models, such as, how they interpret their school’s curriculum, the relationship they see between physics and mathematics, the most effective strategies for teaching physics, and the time they have available to develop the topic played a significant role. The teachers considered it essential to establish new strategies that would motivate the pupils by helping them visualize the electric field.

Análisis del Desempeño Estudiantil en las Pruebas de Estado para Educación Media en Colombia mediante Modelos Jerárquicos Lineales

&lt;p&gt;En este artículo se describe la utilización de los Modelos Jerárquicos Lineales para hallar los determinantes individuales de desempeño en las pruebas de estado para educación media en Colombia, con los datos del año 2009, que son los últimos disponibles públicamente y provistos por el Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior (ICFES).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Inicialmente se hace la presentación detallada de los datos así como de las exclusiones, consideraciones y justificación del subconjunto de datos finalmente procesados. Posteriormente se expone brevemente el marco teórico de los Modelos Jerárquicos Lineales, así como su aplicación concreta en la investigación de los determinantes de desempeño en las pruebas de estado. El análisis de los resultados permite concluir que existe una relación directa entre algunas características no académicas del estudiante y las competencias evaluadas en la prueba de estado al finalizar su formación media y que dichas características (sociales y económicas) difieren notoriamente entre colegios públicos y privados, y entre jornadas diurnas ordinarias y otras jornadas.&lt;/p&gt;

Daily cigarette smoking among colombian high school students: gender related psychosocial factors

This study aimed to establish the prevalence of daily cigarette smoking (DCS) and its gender correlated factors in high-school attending adolescents from Bucaramanga, Colombia. A random cluster sample was surveyed (N = 2291). The previous month DCS prevalence was 11.6% (95% CI 9.7-13.5) in boys and 4.4% (95% CI 3.3-5.5) in girls. In girls, DCS was associated with previous month illegal substance use (OR 8.13, 95%CI 3.52-18.87), abusive alcohol consumption (OR 5.88, 95% CI 2.54-13.70), being the best friend of a smoker (OR 3.25, 95% CI 1.38-7.63), and poor or mediocre academic achievement (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.25-4.85). In boys, DCS was related to previous month substance use (OR 6.23, 95% CI 3.62-10.71), being the best friend of a smoker (OR 5.87, 95% CI 2.93-11.76), poor or mediocre academic achievement (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.34-3.24), and being older than non-smokers (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.21-1.81). DCS presents associated factors very similar for girls and boys. Thus, more research is needed.

Asociación entre síntomas depresivos y consumo abusivo de alcohol en estudiantes de Bucaramanga, Colombia

Various studies have reported an important association between depressive symptoms and alcohol abuse. However, the topic had not been investigated in Colombian students. This study focused on the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol abuse among high school students in Bucaramanga, Colombia. A self-reported anonymous questionnaire was answered by 560 15-19-year-olds. The survey included the Zung Self-Reported Depression Scale, CAGE Questionnaire for Alcohol Use, and VESPA questionnaire (Epidemiological Surveillance of Psychoactive Drugs). Logistic regression was used to establish associations. Prevalence was 5.7% for alcohol dependence and 39.5% for depressive symptoms. Associations were found between alcohol abuse and depressive symptoms (PR = 3.33; 95%CI: 1.41-7.83), poor self-perceived academic achievement (PR = 2.59; 95%CI: 1.16-5.37), and smoking (PR = 2.47; 95%CI: 1.13-5.40). The authors conclude that there is a strong association between depressive symptoms and alcohol abuse in Colombian high school students. Preventive programs are needed to identify early depressive disorders and alcohol abuse.

Reproductive health risk behavior survey of Colombian high school students

Purpose: To establish rates of potentially risky sexual behaviors among Colombian adolescent students. Methods: A total of 230 9th and 11th graders at a Colombian high school (69% of enrolled students) were anonymously surveyed about selected reproductive health behaviors using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s self-administered Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results: The response rate was >90%. The group was demographically representative of students. Twenty-nine percent of the group had engaged in intercourse (13% of 9th and 43% of 11th graders). Male gender [β = 0.7873; odds ratio (OR) = 2.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.57–3.08] and increasing age (β = 0.3413; OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.02–1.93) were each significantly correlated with prior sexual activity. Compared with females, males initiated intercourse at a significantly earlier age (β = 0.284; p < .001) but did not report significantly more partners (means 2.1 vs. 1.4; χ 2 = 1.25; p = .262). Forty-eight percent of respondents used contraception during their last encounter. Sixty-three percent used oral contraceptives or condoms, while the remainder used less effective methods. Contraceptive use did not correlate with gender or age. Age was significantly and positively correlated with use of alcohol prior to sexual activity (B = 1.28; OR = 3.6; 95% CI = 1.49–8.44). Conclusions: Compared with U.S. populations of similar ages, the Colombian group surveyed had fewer sexually active members, reported fewer partners, and used contraception with lower frequency.