Ecuadorian Students Research Articles

Los Estudiantes de Pregrado en Ecuador: Un Análisis de Datos

El objetivo del estudio es analizar y presentar características demográficas y sociales de los estudiantes de pregrado en Ecuador, para lo cual se ha realizado un análisis estadístico descriptivo y un análisis estadístico multidimensional utilizando datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Empleo, Desempleo y Subempleo del año 2017. El 86.26% de los estudiantes matriculados en Universidades del Ecuador vive en área urbana y el 13.74% en área rural; el 89.39% se consideran mestizos, el 3.35% indígenas, el 4.25% afroecuatorianos, negros o mulatos, el 1.67% se consideran montubios y el 1.29% blancos; el 66.60% de los alumnos de pregrado en Ecuador estudia en universidades públicas y el 32.54% en universidades particulares; el 8.27% se consideran pobres.

A Data Analysis of Social Characteristics of Basic and Secondary Education Students in Ecuador

The objective of the study is to examine the social profile of Basic and Secondary Education students in Ecuador by means of a statistical analysis of this sector of the Ecuadorian population based on data from the National Survey of Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment from 2015. The variables investigated were: area, sex, age, language spoken, ethnic self-identification, condition of activity and inactivity, school enrollment, use of smartphone, use of computer during the last months, use of internet during the last 12 months, natural region, income poverty, occupational group and the level of happiness at work. The results of the study may be used as a tool for the development of the Basic and Secondary Education studies in Ecuador in accordance with the social profile and the needs of the students in the country.

Can a Like Save the Planet? Comparing Antecedents of and Correlations Between Environmental Liking on Social Media, Money Donation, and Volunteering.

Due to the societal dissemination of digital technology, people are increasingly experiencing environmental topics through digital media channels such as social networks. Several researchers therefore have proposed these channels as a possibility to strengthen sustainable development based on their cost-efficient nature. But while prior studies have investigated isolated factors for understanding environmental social media behavior, there is still scarce understanding of the relevant underlying motivational factors and possible connections with more traditional environmental behaviors. Therefore, the present study applied the established socio-psychological model of goal-directed behavior and compared the desires for liking as a fundamental form of digital social media behavior with the desires for two traditional environmental behaviors (money donation and volunteering) in a cross-sectional research design. Within the biodiversity conservation case of the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in Ecuador, we compared the antecedents for the desires for the corresponding environmental behaviors (RQ1) as well as their connections between each other (RQ2). Within a sample of 407 Ecuadorian students (Mage = 20.94 years, SD = 2.25, 61.2% female), we found the marginal effect of perceived behavioral control on the desires for liking on social media as the main difference concerning the antecedents of the behaviors because money donation and volunteering largely depended on personal resources such as time or money. Furthermore, gender emerged as the second main difference between the behaviors due to it only being predictive for the liking motivation. Enjoyment was the only variable that coherently predicted all three behaviors. Finally, desires for liking on social media predicted both other behaviors in robust regression analyses, but were only predictive for volunteering in corresponding path models. The results illustrate how cost-efficient digital environmental behaviors such as liking may be suitable for sparking low-level environmental action, which may entail more pronounced forms of environmental activism, at least when they involve feasible personal costs. Overall, the findings are in line with prior research regarding the less demanding nature of liking, but further elaborate on the importance of gender for digital environmental behavior and correlates between digital and classical environmental behaviors.

Antibiotic susceptibility profile and prevalence of mecA and lukS-PV/lukF-PV genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal and pharyngeal sources of medical students in Ecuador.

BackgroundStaphylococcus aureus is a common nasal colonizer in 20–30% of the general population. When mucosal and cutaneous barriers are disrupted, S. aureus can cause severe infections. While MRSA nasal carriers have an increased risk of infections when compared to non-carriers, prolonged exposure to the hospital environment may cause an increase in carriage of MRSA.Materials and methodsA survey questionnaire was filled for analyzing risk factors of colonization. Swab isolates were identified as S. aureus by traditional microbiological assays. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles were performed following the CLSI standard guidelines. Multiplex PCR was conducted to determine the presence of genes mecA and lukS-PV/lukF-PV. Chi-squared, univariate, and multivariate logistic regressions were applied to find statistically significant associations between risk factors and the presence of S. aureus and MRSA.ResultsOne hundred and eighty-six isolates were identified as S. aureus. The strains showed high resistance to penicillin, oxacillin, azithromycin, erythromycin, clindamycin (inducible), and tetracycline. The overall prevalence of MRSA in medical students was 45.9% [40.4–51.6] 95% CI. PCR showed a prevalence of mecA gene in MRSA isolates of 6.1% while lukS-PV/lukF-PV gene was present in 3.2% [1.2–6.9] 95% CI of the S. aureus samples. The risk factors frequency of antibiotic intake and repeated visits to hospitals demonstrated statistical significance.ConclusionS. aureus and MRSA isolates have a high prevalence of colonization, and antibiotic resistance in the population studied. MRSA resistance was not related to the presence of the mecA gene. The prevalence of PVL genes was low, but it could represent a risk because they are circulating in the community.

Análisis comparativo de los estudiantes superdotados del Ecuador y Perú

Recibido: 13 de abril del 2018Aprobado: 20 de mayo del 2019Se generó un estudio comparativo entre estudiantes superdotados del Ecuador y del Perú, con la finalidad de conocer los estilos de aprendizaje prevalentes entre ambos. La investigación fue de tipo descriptiva, la población estuvo conformada 8 estudiantes de instituciones educativas del Ecuador y 8 estudiantes del Perú que poseen las características de superdotados, se les aplicó el test de Ned Herrmann para conocer el cuadrante predominante en su aprendizaje. Los estudiantes del Ecuador tienen mayor predominio en los hemisferios límbico derecho (LD) y límbico izquierdo (LI). Mientras que los estudiantes del Perú, tienen prevalencia en el cortical izquierdo (CI) y al segmento cortical derecho (CD). Esto implica que existe diversidad de aprendizajes en estudiantes superdotados, lo cual implica que deben promoverse estrategias pedagógicas que permitan integrar a los estudiantes superdotados con los que no son considerados con esta cualidad.

Perfectionism and school anxiety: More evidence about the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism in an Ecuadorian population

The purpose of this study was to examine the 2 × 2 model of dispositional perfectionism via a person-oriented approach in a sample of 1588 Ecuadorian students aged 12- to 18-years-old ( M = 14.83, SD = 1.86). The Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) and the School Anxiety Inventory (IAES) were employed. The statistical analysis included a non-hierarchical cluster analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), effect size (Cohen's d index), and bivariate and partial correlations. Four perfectionism profiles were obtained by using cluster analysis: Non-Perfectionism, Mixed Perfectionism, Pure Perfectionistic Strivings ( Pure PS) and Pure Perfectionistic Concerns ( Pure PC). Mixed Perfectionism and Pure Perfectionistic Strivings were the most maladaptive profiles whereas Non-Perfectionism was the most adaptive profile. Pure PC did not significantly differ from Mixed Perfectionism and Pure PS, with the exception of the mean scores on Anxiety about Academic Evaluation and Cognitive Anxiety. Results from bivariate and partial correlations revealed that both Perfectionistic Strivings and Perfectionistic Concerns showed shared relationships with all the dimensions of IAES. However, only Perfectionistic Concerns showed a consistent pattern of unique relationships with school anxiety. The current study provides evidenced about the importance of implementing strategies to prevent school anxiety in Ecuadorian population focused on Perfectionistic Concerns.

Neutrosophic model to determine the degree of comprehension of higher education students in Ecuador

En el proceso de comprension se utilizan los conocimientos previos que poseen los individuos para inferir el significado de la cosa determinada, este proceso es fundamental para el desarrollo de las habilidades y destrezas de los estudiantes. La neutrosofia y en particular un modelo basado en conjuntos neutrosoficos, utilizando resultados obtenidos a traves de terminos linguisticos, se utilizan para determinar el grado de comprension que deben tener los estudiantes de educacion superior.Por tanto, el objetivo que se persigue en este trabajo es determinar el grado de comprension que tienen los estudiantes de educacion superior en Ecuador, con el fin de favorecer el proceso de ensenanza-aprendizaje, con el objetivo especifico de encontrar, desde una perspectiva critica , nuevas metas docentes procesos basados ​​en una mejor comprension de los involucrados en la comprension, para incorporarlos al proceso de ensenanza educativa.

INTERÉS DE LOS BACHILLERES ECUATORIANOS POR ESTUDIAR NUEVAS CARRERAS UNIVERSITARIAS EN LA MODALIDAD ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA

The objective of this study was to identify the Ecuadorian students’ interest in taking new academic offers in Open and Distance Modalities at “Tecnica Particular de Loja” University (UTPL). This was a quantitative study, not experimental-descriptive, ex post-facto. An online questionnaire was administered, which was completed by 650 students of different high schools around the country. The results show that, currently, Ecuadorian high school graduates have a greater preference for studying traditional majors, in traditional classrooms, to new majors in distance education. Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that, in Ecuador, there is still a need to promote among high school graduates new academic offers which can meet the current global demand, as well as, new and modern learning methodologies through Open and Distance Education that, in an alternative way, allows them to have access to quality education.

Exploring LGBTQ Literature in Ecuador: Why it Matters

This study explored what university students in Ecuador learned in a first ever LGBTQ Literature course, as well as if the course helped to build LGBTQ allies. The research explores not only the pedagogical strategies used in the development of and during the course, but also proposes a LBGTQ+ ally development teaching framework that can guide teachers in developing curricula around LGBTQ literature that will not only work against homophobia, heteronormativity, and heterosexism, but also provide teachers with an ultimate goal of developing LGBTQ allies in their schools. The results of the qualitative phenomenological research suggest that students not only learned by reading LGBTQ Literature, they also learned to become active, to use their voices, to embrace themselves and others, and to become stronger LGBTQ allies.

Innovación educativa y uso de las TAC en el Máster de Secundaria: propuestas formativas para docentes ecuatorianos en el programa UB-UNAE / Educational Innovation and the use of LKT in the Master’s Degree in Secondary School: Teacher Training...

The use of Learning and Knowledge Technologies (LKT) along with educational innovation should be two central axes for the learning process o the Language and Literature specialty of the Master’s Degree in Secondary School Teacher Training (MAES). During the academic year 2017-2018, the University of Barcelona and the National University of Education in Ecuador (UB-UNAE) have launched an edition of the Master’s Degree in Secondary Education Teacher Training in Ecuador. Spanish and Ecuadorian lecturers teach in Ecuador and supervise the work of 150 Ecuadorian students distributed in 6 groups virtually. The axes of educational innovation and the use of LKT have been common to several of the subjects proposed. In this research we analyze practices of this edition through the didactic proposals of the Ecuadorian students of this Masters degree who already work as a teacher at present in different educational levels. A qualitative thematic analysis of the different didactic sequences and proposed LKT is carried out. The results show a growing interest in the use of LKT and an awareness of the concept of educational innovation.

Ecuadorian students’ perception on the use of translation in the EFL classroom

For over half a century, the upward trend to rather demonize the use of the first language (L1) has led to its complete disregard and interdiction by many language institutions around the world due to the ever-so-trendy idea that any use of the L1 will be seen as counter-productive and even damaging to one’s intent on the acquisition of the second language (L2) (Carreres, 2006). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate what students believe as beneficial or unfavorable when it comes to using translation in the classroom either by the teacher, the students themselves or within the lesson in general. A total of 115 Ecuadorian students were surveyed with simple true or false statements regarding their opinion on translation. The students were arranged in two groups: A1 level and B1 level students. The answers from the survey were then averaged out in percentage form. The study suggests that there are indeed different opinions as to the use of translation in class. However, in general, it is perceived that lower-level students believe that normal use of translation in the classroom is a good method of or essential to learning, while most upper-level students prefer either solo use of the L2 or at least minimal use of the L1 in class.

Competencias mediáticas de estudiantes de bachillerato en Ecuador frente al currículo escolar

This article is based on the diagnosis made of the competence levels of the Baccalaureate students in Ecuador in relation to the media. A qualitative study of content analysis in the baccalaureate curriculum following the dimensions of the concept of media competence of Ferrés and Piscitelli was carried out. The study made it possible to determine that 8% of the total skills contemplated in the baccalaureate contribute to the development of media skills, while 92% do not. This proves that the percentage is low compared to the total of skills worked, limiting with this the ability of students to perceive, analyze, discriminate and enjoy media communication.

Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Procrastinación Académica (EPA) en estudiantes de psicología de Ambato, Ecuador.

Objective: To know the psychometric properties of the APS in a sample of university students from the city of Ambato, Ecuador. Method: This is an instrumental research, which analyzes the factorial structure, reliability and temporal validity and convergence with the Castilian version of the Busko Academic Procrastination Scale. The sample was composed of 290 students (76.6% female) from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador - Ambato. Results: The Factorial Analysis shows the structure of the test with two factors that justifies 53.1 % of the variance with values of B-S X2 (53) = 119.1; p <0.001; CFI = 0.90; GFI = 0.92; AGFI = 0.89 and RMSEA = 0.076; IC: 90% [0.006 - 0.009]. In addition, it is reliable among the item scores (α =, 83) and stable in temporal terms (r =, 778) with three weeks of interval. It also converges moderately with the Tuckman Procrastination Scale (r =, 594). Conclusion: The academic procrastination test shows favorable results of validity and reliability in Ecuadorian students.

Análisis de la evolución de la administración pública y su aplicación en la UPEC

Partiendo de la historia y definición de la Administración Pública, resulta imprescindible analizar cómo es aplicada la administración pública en las instituciones del Estado, y más aún en aquellas en donde se desarrolla la profesionalización de tercer nivel de los estudiantes ecuatorianos en las universidades públicas del Ecuador. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar si la aplicación y desarrollo de la administración pública en la Universidad Politécnica Estatal del Carchi (UPEC) ha satisfecho las necesidades de la sociedad, siendo una de ellas la educación superior, por lo que se aplicó el método analítico sintético, como una forma idónea del pensamiento y de la complementación de las acciones bibliográficos y documentales y una investigación documental primaria y secundaria de libros, artículos académicos y científicos, partiendo desde el inicio formal de la administración pública, sustentado en autores especialistas dentro de esta ciencia social, así también los aportes de diferentes autores desde el enfoque de la educación superior pública en nuestro país.

Paraphrasing Strategy in EFL Ecuadorian B1 Students and Implications on Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension in Ecuadorian students has been mostly managed at a literal comprehension level, leaving out inferential and critical comprehension. This is because most of the articles students read require a high level of literacy and a good domain of comprehension strategies. One of these strategies is paraphrasing; therefore, the purpose of this research was to analyze the effects of paraphrasing and its implications on reading comprehension skills in English as a foreign language. This study was developed in B1 students enrolled at the 6th level of English at Linguistics Competence Department at Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo UNACH with a sample of 50 students. A base-line pre-test and a posttest to an experimental and control group were applied. The project implementation took ten sessions and students learned the techniques to effectively paraphrase and the pitfalls they should avoid when applying this strategy. The analysis of T-student test yielded that the experimental group outperformed the control group. The main results showed that once students learn the techniques and correctly apply them, it helped them out to go beyond the literacy level, applying an authentic reading comprehension of the text. Pedagogical implications about paraphrasing and reading comprehension are presented in the discussion.

Mode of Commuting to School and Its Association with Physical Activity and Sedentary Habits in Young Ecuadorian Students.

Active commuting to and from school (ACS) could help to increase daily physical activity levels in youth; however, this association remains unknown in Ecuadorian youth. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to determine the patterns of commuting to and from school and (2) to analyze the associations between ACS, physical activity (PA), and sedentary habits in Ecuadorian youth. A total of 732 students (65.3% males), aged 10–18 years (children = 246, young adolescents = 310, older adolescents = 162) from the central region of Ecuador participated in this study. A self-report questionnaire, including the usual mode and frequency of commuting, distance from home to school (PACO-Questionnaire), and PA and sedentary habits (YAP-Questionnaire), was used. Most of the sample lived ≤2 km from school; however, they were mainly passive commuters (96%). The most common mode of commuting was by car (to school = 43.4%, from school = 31.6%; p < 0.001). Children presented significantly higher scores (0–4) in PA outside school and total PA compared with older adolescents (2.20 ± 0.97 vs. 1.97 ± 0.96; p = 0.013 and 2.30 ± 0.76 vs. 2.09 ± 0.74, p = 0.019, respectively), as well as the lowest scores in sedentary habits (1.51 ± 0.65, p < 0.001). PA at school and total PA were positively associated with ACS (OR 3.137; 95% CI, 1.918 to 5.131; p < 0.001, and OR 2.543; 95% CI, 1.428 to 4.527; p = 0.002, respectively). In conclusion, passive modes of transportation were the most frequently used to commute to and from school in young Ecuadorians. PA at school and total PA were positively associated with ACS. Thus, interventions at school setting could be an opportunity to improve PA levels and additionally ACS in youth from the central region of Ecuador.

Traumatic experiences and dissociation in a non-clinical group of university students in Ecuador: a cross-sectional study

Background: In Ecuador, as in most Latin American countries, scientific research on trauma and dissociation is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of potentially traumatic experiences and dissociative symptoms in adolescents and young adults who were students at the Central University in Quito, Ecuador.Methods: A cross-sectional study in which 144 students completed a self-administrated questionnaire consisting of Linköping Youth Life Experience Scale (LYLES), Adolescent-Dissociation Experience Scale (A-DES ) and background variables. Data collection was conducted in autumn 2012. Standard multiple regression analysis was used to analyse the data.Results: All students reported a history of a minimum of five potentially traumatic experiences with a mean of 14.8. Eight participants (5.6%) scored above 3.7 on the Adolescent-Dissociation Experience Scale, which is considered clinically significant dissociation. No correlation was found between high scores on LYLES and A-DES.Conclusions: The prevalence of potentially traumatic experiences in the study population is very high compared to studies conducted in high-income settings. The low prevalence of dissociation suggests high resilience in the study population but more research on morbidity is needed to draw conclusions about mental health outcomes. Further research should include study populations in less advantageous contexts.

Psychological Predictors of Cyberbullying According to Ethnic-Cultural Origin in Adolescents: A National Study in Spain

Studying the predictors of cyberbullying is of great research interest; however, little is known about how these relationships function in different ethno-cultural groups within a similar context. Our study examines levels of cyber victimization, cyber aggression, self-esteem, empathy, and social skills as possible predictors of cyberbullying in various ethno-cultural groups: Moroccan, Romanian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Spanish. A multicultural sample that was representative of students in their first through fourth year of Compulsory Secondary Education in Spain ( N = 25,684, age M = 13.94; SD = 1.396) participated by completing an online self-report survey. No differences were found between levels of cyber aggression according to ethno-cultural group. However, there were differences between the levels of cyber victimization between Romanians and Spaniards. Multiple linear regression analyses performed for each of the ethno-cultural groups with respect to cyber aggression and cyber victimization revealed that the presence and weight of the explanatory factors were different according to ethno-cultural origin. The best predictor of cyber victimization in the five ethno-cultural groups was cyber aggression, and vice versa. Among Columbian, Romanian, and Spanish students, cyber victimization was also predicted by self-esteem, empathy, or social skills, with predictive power of these variables differing across ethno-cultural groups. However, these variables were not predictive of cyber victimization among Moroccan or Ecuadorian students. Cyber aggression was also predicted in all ethno-cultural groups by self-esteem, empathy, or social skills. Common and unique patterns of prediction are presented and discussed to improve psychoeducational programs that prevent and mitigate cyberbullying.

Propuesta de un modelo para analizar y medir la percepción de la calidad de servicio en los programas de cuarto nivel.

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo proponer un modelo para analizar la percepción y eficacia de la calidad de servicio de los estudiantes en programas de cuarto nivel en el Ecuador, actualmente las instituciones gubernamentales han aumentado sus reglamentos para evaluar los establecimientos que ofrecen una educación superior. La metodología que se tomó para realizar este trabajo fue la de observación, se revisaron varios artículos de autores que se centraron en elaborar diferentes tipos de modelos enfocados a la evaluación de la calidad de servicio de las instituciones educativas existentes como: Serqual, servperf y DIHEQS. El modelo que se propone es “Calidad percibida en posgrado” (CPEP). Este modelo está compuesto por las siguientes dimensiones: a) Profesores y enseñanza; b) Malla curricular; c) Tecnología y comunicación; d) Actividades adicionales; y d) Administración y organización, que se dirige a la lealtad y convirtiéndose en una ventaja competitiva hacia la institución educativa

Cuatro estudiantes ecuatorianos de la universidad Yachay Tech fueron invitados a la Youth Winter Assembly 2018 en las Naciones Unidas

Cuatro estudiantes ecuatorianos de la universidad Yachay Tech fueron invitados a la Youth Winter Assembly 2018 en las Naciones Unidas