Spanish Education Research Articles

Education policy reform and the impact of free preschool education on boys’ and girls’ reading competence

AbstractNumerous authors have reported a positive relationship between preschool enrolment and academic performance in later years, even helping to reduce the academic gap existing between students from different socio‐economic backgrounds. In this context, this paper goes further by analysing the impact that early childhood education (from 3 to 6 years) has on Spanish boys’ and girls’ reading achievement when they are in fourth grade (10 years). For this purpose, we take advantage of the 2006 Spanish education reform that promoted free second stage preschool education by using data from Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2011 and 2016 and an instrumental variable approach, in order to get closer to causality than previous literature for Spain. We find that attending preschool has a positive influence on reading achievement, well above the impact found when using simple ordinary least squares estimates, being higher for girls than for boys.

The Meaning of Successful School Leadership in Disadvantaged Contexts in Spain: Approach from the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP)

Successful school leadership in disadvantaged contexts is a topic of debate in the context of the Spanish education system. There needs to be clear identification of the concept of school success and what successful school leadership means. Thanks to the research carried out within the ISSPP project in Spain, we have been able to expand our knowledge on how success is defined in disadvantaged contexts: How have principals contributed to their school’s success? How has success grown and been sustained? And how have successful principals overcome internal and external factors to build a strong professional identity that enables them to fight for social justice? The ISSPP research in Spain finally concludes that the leadership variable may be considered decisive in the learning outcomes of pupils. It is not only the context variable that would be decisive in academic results, but rather leadership capable of making the moral purpose of education a reality.

Perceptions of future teachers of Therapeutic Pedagogy on an intercultural music workshop

ABSTRACT Pupils who are late entrants to the Spanish education system may require a response from Therapeutic Pedagogy. They, as children of immigrants, may have educational needs such as socio-cultural adaptation and the need for respect and non-discrimination of their culture and religion. From an intercultural approach, the music classroom could provide a scenario of coexistence based on social inclusion and cultural exchange. Based on these assumptions, the ‘Caribbean Music Workshop’ was developed within the framework of the subject ‘Physical, plastic and music education and its didactics in special educational needs’. It is a subject of the Therapeutic Pedagogy Major of the Primary Education Teacher Training Degree at the University of Valencia. With the aim of assessing the perceptions of the future Therapeutic Pedagogy teachers about the workshop, at the end of the activity the students filled in a questionnaire with their considerations about the relevance of the intervention and other benefits it could bring to the pedagogical and therapeutic work. After a mixed analysis, the results revealed that the workshop represents a valid intercultural proposal to promote the social inclusion of students who are children of immigrants, as well as to address other educational needs.

Medical Student Perceptions of Sociocultural Issues in Healthcare: A Multisite Study of Medical Spanish Education

Theory Cultural competence and humility are core elements of medical education in a diverse society. Language is inseparable from culture, as language informs, indexes, frames, and encodes both culture and worldview. Spanish is the most common non-English language taught in U.S. medical schools, yet medical Spanish courses tend to artificially separate language from culture. It is unknown to what extent medical Spanish courses advance students’ sociocultural knowledge or patient care skills. Hypotheses Based on current predominant pedagogy, medical Spanish classes may not adequately integrate sociocultural issues relevant to Hispanic/Latinx health. We hypothesized that students who completed a medical Spanish course would not demonstrate significant gains in sociocultural skills following the educational intervention. Method An interprofessional team developed a sociocultural questionnaire, and 15 medical schools invited their students to complete the questionnaire before and after completing a medical Spanish course. Of participating schools, 12 implemented a standardized medical Spanish course and three served as control sites. Survey data were analyzed regarding: (1) perceived sociocultural competence (recognition of common cultural beliefs, recognition of culturally normative non-verbal cues, gestures, and social behaviors, ability to address sociocultural issues in healthcare context, and knowledge of health disparities); (2) application of sociocultural knowledge; and (3) demographic factors and self-rated language proficiency (Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, or Excellent) on the Interagency Language Roundtable scale for healthcare (ILR-H). Results Overall, 610 students participated in sociocultural questionnaire between January 2020 and January 2022. After the course, participants reported an increased understanding of cultural aspects of communication with Spanish-speaking patients and the ability to apply sociocultural knowledge to patient care (all p < 0.001). When analyzed by demographic factors, students who identified as Hispanic/Latinx or as heritage speakers of Spanish tended to report increased sociocultural knowledge/skills following the course. When examined by Spanish proficiency, preliminary trends showed that students at both ILR-H Poor and Excellent levels did not demonstrate gains in sociocultural knowledge or ability to apply sociocultural skills. Students at sites with a standardized course were likely to improve sociocultural skills in mental health conversations (p < 0.001) while students at control sites were not (p = 0.05). Conclusions Medical Spanish educators may benefit from additional guidance on teaching sociocultural aspects of communication. Our findings support that students at ILR-H levels of Fair, Good, and Very Good are particularly well-suited for gaining sociocultural skills in current medical Spanish courses. Future studies should explore potential metrics to evaluate cultural humility/competence within actual interactions with patients.

Regional policy trajectories in the Spanish education system: Different uses of relative autonomy

Federal and highly decentralized political systems open different spaces to interpret, adapt, and enact international policy trends and ideas within the same territory. Spain, a country with a highly decentralized educational system and contentious territorial politics, is a very suitable case to analyze these dynamics. Spain and its different regions have not been immune to the influence of global policy ideas that gear around promoting private provision, school choice, and New Public Management (NPM) in education. However, the consolidation of the decentralization project, together with the fact that many regional governments have aimed to construct, for a variety of reasons, singular political profiles, have resulted in markedly different policy trajectories. To show this, this article pays particular attention to recent changes in the educational governance arrangements of two important Spanish regions, Madrid and Catalonia, as they have gone through differentiated processes of educational reform. Albeit the two regional education systems share important features (such as a historical and wide-scale public-private partnership for school provision), they have engaged with, combined, and mobilized exogenous and endogenous privatization policy ideas in remarkably different ways. The article delves into the political drivers behind this policy differentiation process by paying special attention to the relations of coordination, conflict, and competition that prevail within an incomplete federal system, such as the Spanish one.

Eficiencia y equidad educativa en España: un análisis comparativo a nivel regional

This paper provides evidence on the quality of the Spanish education system by measuring the efficiency and equity of each of the Autonomous Communities. To do so, we compare the productivity of each region by decomposing the gaps in terms of efficiency and technological change. Then, several dimensions of equity in terms of education are considered through multiple indicators used in the literature to measure the influence of students’ socio-economic status on their performance. Finally, we address the trade-off between educational efficiency and equity, and we discuss potential policies and interventions for improvement.

Which teachers were most affected in terms of mental health during the strict COVID-19 lockdown in Spain?

ABSTRACT This study looks at the effect that the compulsory COVID-19 lockdown restrictions introduced by the Spanish government had on the quality of life of teachers working in the Spanish education system, i.e. those teaching at early years, primary, secondary, tertiary vocational training and university education levels. Participants completed a questionnaire that included the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) along with other questions relating to their wellbeing from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS). A total of 668 teachers responded to the questionnaire, which was generated using Microsoft Forms and distributed in an online format. The results confirm significant levels of abnormal anxiety during prolonged lockdown. We perform a multivariate analysis that shows that, whatever the level of anxiety, two variables are always significant in all the contrast models: participants felt the effects of lockdown on a personal level and found it difficult to carry out their work. The results also indicate that teachers working in primary and secondary education were those most affected by the strict, prolonged lockdown and that female teachers suffered much higher levels of anxiety than male teachers.

Efectos de una instrucción estratégica-autorregulada en el proceso de comprensión y autoeficacia lectora del alumnado de educación primaria

Self-regulation is an important factor in achieving successful reading comprehension. This study analyses the effects of a self-regu¬lated strategy instruction programme versus a control group on reading comprehension performance, time spent applying strategies during the reading comprehension process and reading self-efficacy. The programme com¬prised two conditions (condition 1 and condi¬tion 2) in which the teachers provided direct and explicit teaching of self-regulation strategies before, during and after the reading process. In condition 2, explicit instruction in reading self-efficacy was added. In the control condi¬tion, teachers provided traditional instruction based on reading aloud, sequential reading, text questions and the use of dictionaries. A total of 180 Spanish primary school students from eight different Year 5 and 6 classes (aged 10-12 under the Spanish education system) were either assigned to one of the two experi¬mental conditions (Condition 1: N = 47. Con¬dition 2: N = 47) or to the control condition (N = 86). Pre-test/post-test/follow-up measures were taken (six weeks after the intervention) of reading performance, reading self-effica¬cy and time spent applying self-regulation strategies before, during and after reading through an online assessment. The results showed that the instructional programme had a positive and significant effect in the two ex¬perimental conditions compared to the control group in terms of reading performance and time spent applying self-regulation strategies before and after the reading process. Howev¬er, no statistically significant differences were observed in the time spent applying strategies during reading and in reading self-efficacy, neither between the two experimental condi¬tions nor between the experimental conditions and the control condition. The implications of these results and their contribution to educa¬tional practices are discussed.

Plant awareness disparity among students of different educational levels in Spain

Plant awareness disparity (PAD), formerly known as plant blindness, refers to the fact of overlooking or failing to perceive plants, perhaps due to poor ‘species literacy’. Despite numerous efforts made by scientists and educators over the years, PAD is still present in students at all educational levels. An assessment was carried out on 259 students from primary school to university in the Spanish education system to evaluate their species literacy, especially regarding local flora and fauna, its possible improvement across educational levels, and to assess whether PAD was a reality among students. A biased perception towards animals was confirmed with strong statistical support. Animals were recognized and identified more than plants at all educational levels. Even if a positive correlation for animal-plant literacy was found, the values were weak. Although the curricula set out content and learning outcomes related to local environment and flora, their teaching has been proven to be unsatisfactory. The recently implemented curricula have the mission to reverse this trend, which can be done by improving students’ interest in plants through specific educational programs and activities, as well as comprehensive training in the field of botany and the effective implementation of activities for current and future educators.

Medical Spanish in Pharmacy Education: A Call to Action

The Spanish-speaking population in the United States is large, growing, and diverse. There is an increasing need for pharmacists to be linguistically and culturally equipped to provide safe and effective care to this population. Therefore, pharmacy educators should help prepare and train students for this responsibility. Although there are a variety of noteworthy initiatives within pharmacy education relating to medical Spanish, a need exists for a more consistent, robust, and evidence-based approach. Collaboration and innovation are needed to overcome this challenge and meet this need. A call to action is issued for pharmacy education programs to evaluate the demographics, need, and feasibility of offering experiences in Spanish and other relevant foreign languages, expand opportunities in medical Spanish, emphasize key content areas within medical Spanish education, and encourage the use of evidence-based practices in language acquisition and professional use.

330 - Medical spanish education - a simulated patient video case as a new educational tool

330 - Medical spanish education - a simulated patient video case as a new educational tool

Ethnic stratification in the Spanish education system

The general academic disadvantage faced by children of immigrants is already a well-documented regularity in Spain. However, there is no reliable knowledge on how academic achievement is ethnically stratified and more research is needed to understand the determinants behind these achievement gaps. This study aims to further knowledge of both issues by using the Spanish General Educational Diagnostic Assessment data ( n = 22,267). Students originating from non-European developing countries and two European groups with a lower socioeconomic profile (Romanian and Portuguese) have the largest gap compared to native students, while Western Europeans equal the achievement of natives. Results from multilevel analyses show that social origin and the language spoken at home have a significant impact on the gaps, while the school factors have a limited impact.

Evaluation of Education in mathematical programming in students of 5th year of Primary Education in Spanish Educational Centers

Resumen Con esta investigación se ha perseguido conocer los beneficios de trabajar la Educación en programación matemática según el sexo de los estudiantes por medio de la creación de dos grupos de escolares, experimental y control, para los 3.795 alumnos de 147 centros educativos participantes, y realizando dos mediciones tras la administración de la Batería de Evaluación de la Competencia Matemática (Becoma On), pretest o inicio del proyecto y post-test o final de proyecto de Educación en programación matemática. Los resultados mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre grupo experimental y control y entre hombres y mujeres. La integración de la tecnología en Educación es una realidad y la promoción de la igualdad entre sexos en disciplinas científicas y técnicas se convierte en una premisa clave de un sistema educativo plenamente inclusivo.

Development and Effectiveness of a Rater Training Curriculum for Evaluating Student Medical Spanish Oral Proficiency Using the Physician Oral Language Observation Matrix

To improve language-concordant, equitable healthcare for Spanish speakers, many United States medical schools offer medical Spanish education. However, there is no clinically contextualized, standardized approach to medical student language assessment. This article reports on the development and effectiveness of a training curriculum to prepare raters to use a new rubric, the Physician Oral Language Observation Matrix (POLOM), to reliably rate medical student Spanish oral proficiency after observing videorecorded encounters between students and standardized patients. Curriculum effectiveness was primarily evaluated by examining each rater trainee’s level of agreement with expert consensus POLOM ratings (i.e., inter-rater reliability as measured by the generalizability theory dependability coefficient). Out of the study’s nine rater trainees, who were from either medical or linguistic professional backgrounds, five proceeded to the calibration phase, and four attained the reliability threshold required for calibration. The paper concludes that this rater training curriculum can successfully train raters to use the POLOM reliably when evaluating medical student Spanish oral proficiency during videorecorded healthcare encounters. To allow for improved assessment of student language skills prior to use in patient care, future efforts should focus on POLOM validity assessment and larger scale rater recruitment, training, calibration, and maintenance.

Exploring teachers’ perceptions of effective inclusive practices with students with ASD: a structural equation modelling approach

ABSTRACT 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.

Education, power, and segregation. The psychoeducational report as an obstacle to inclusive education

ABSTRACT This article is the result of research carried out by a group of activists who advocate for the rights of children with disabilities. They are exploring new approaches to both school counselling and the fight against segregation in order to improve the situation of children in the Spanish education system. It focuses on how the psychoeducational report is a key tool for legitimising school segregation, and how deconstructing it is essential for building inclusive schools. The data analysed were collected from 100 people from all over Spain who took part in a Participatory Action Research project focused on emerging narratives on inclusive schooling. The aim of the project was to gather accounts of the experiences of pupils, families, and activist professionals who are engaged in a determined struggle to make schools inclusive. Participants were able to share their experiences, conduct their analysis through assemblies and cooperative groups, and use networking to transform existing policies, cultures, and practices. The information obtained indicates that the labels used by current psychoeducational reports are based on a clinical model and are focused on children’s deficiencies. They provide limited knowledge about the individuals involved and exercise strong social and symbolic control over them and others.

HISTORY OF EDUCATION REFORMS IN SPAIN

This work provides a succinct historical overview of the history of the Spanish education system from 1812, date of the first Spanish Constitution, until 1970 at the end of the Francoist era in Spain, highlighting the legislative milestones and contextualising them within the larger political landscape in which they took place. The paper will go on to describe the basic legislation which has regulated the Spanish education system since 1970 describing some of their most significant aspects, from the General Education Law (LGE) of 1970 to the Organic Law Modifying the Organic Law for Education (LOMLOE) which came into force in 2020.

Gender Equity in Initial Teacher Training: Descriptive and Factorial Study of Students' Conceptions in a Spanish Educational Context.

In recent years, progress has been made to integrate the gender perspective into university curricula. Despite this, the lack in university degrees for initial teacher training is especially remarkable. This is because, together with families, teachers have the co-responsibility of educating new generations for the future. Issues such as the low presence of concepts related to gender in teaching guides or the lack of interest of teachers regarding their inclusion in classes lead to defining research to know and understand the conceptions of a sample of 162 teachers in the initial teacher training of a Bachelor’s degree on Early Childhood and Primary Education and a Master degree of Secondary Education on the incorporation of feminist thought in education. This research is a part of a broader doctoral dissertation and a research and development project. In general terms, from a quantitative, non-experimental approach, a questionnaire is designed and sent. The analysis includes a descriptive phase and a factorial phase that allows researchers to discover latent relationships between variables. Among the main conclusions, despite showing a relatively high knowledge of feminist theory, they confuse equity and equality. Students recognize the importance of having female references with whom to identify and they consider that feminist thought is a transversal content in education.

Development of a procrastination scale in Spanish and measurement of education students’ procrastination levels

INTRODUCTION. Academic procrastination is a widely extended phenomenon in education, especially among university students, which consists of deliberately putting off or completely avoiding an activity under one’s control. High levels of procrastination are related to poor academic performance and dropout intentions, as well as other psychological features such as impulsiveness, distractibility, depression and sensation-seeking, and a lack of self-control, of self-efficacy, of organization and of self-esteem. In Spain research on this topic is scarce and to date not a single validated and widely accepted instrument to measure academic procrastination levels at university level has been developed. The aim of this research study was 1) to develop a procrastionation scale in Spanish language to be used on college students, and 2) to measure theprocrastination levels of education students. METHOD. Data were collected from a sample of 499 Spanish education college students with a Likert scale. RESULTS. The results showed a 24-item version of the Escala de Procrastinación Académica en español (EPAE) with excellent reliability (.908), which may be used to measure students’ procrastination tendencies. Cluster analysis revealed four groups depending on students’ procrastination level (low, low-medium, medium, above medium). Over 76% of the sample had low and low-medium procrastination levels, whilemore than 23% reported medium levels, while not a single student showed higher procrastination levels. DISCUSSION. These results point at a need for further researching this topic in Spain by making use of the validated and reliable scale presented here, which may help to monitor student learning. By designing interventions targeted at high procrastinators, the risk of dropout and low academic performance may be reduced.

Analysis of the Attitude of Spanish Physical Education Teachers towards Students with Disabilities in Extremadura.

Inclusive education aims to eliminate barriers in the participation and performance of students, considering their diversity. In this sense, there is a regulation that governs the educational response, being different for each region. Therefore, this study aims to know the attitude of Physical Education teachers of different educational stages in Spain toward students with disabilities. A questionnaire was administered to 272 Physical Education teachers from public schools in a region of Spain. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to determine the relationships between items and dimensions according to sex or center location, and Spearman’s Rho was used to analyze the relationship between dimensions and years of experience. The main results showed that teachers do not feel prepared in terms of training, resources, and infrastructure, although they consider that the integration of students with disabilities in regular classes is beneficial for them.