Spanish Secondary School Students Research Articles

Out-of-School Exposure to English in EFL Teenage Learners: Is It Related to Academic Performance?

Learning a Foreign Language (FL) beyond the classroom has become common practice thanks to advances in technology and the use of English as a Lingua Franca. This study explores the types and amount of out-of-school informal exposure to English that Spanish secondary school students typically receive in their daily lives. Informed by recent literature on the influence of extramural activities on FL proficiency, the second aim of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between out-of-school exposure and academic performance, as measured by English school grades. Data were obtained from a questionnaire answered by secondary school students aged 12–16 (N = 2015) regarding the different types and amounts of activities they perform in English outside school. Findings revealed that teenage learners were most frequently exposed to English through audiovisual input. Social media interaction, along with reading and writing (with or without digital support), were closely associated with their English marks. Other popular activities, such as listening to music or playing video games, were not found to be related to proficiency or even showed a negative correlation with it, while less popular activities, such as watching subtitled movies and series, could have greater potential for language learning. This study contributes to the understanding of informal practices in FL learning settings and provides insights that can help bridge interactive language practices and formal curriculum to create holistic learning experiences for language learners.

Effects of academic self-regulation on procrastination, academic stress and anxiety, resilience and academic performance in a sample of Spanish secondary school students.

One of the biggest challenges facing students today is procrastination, which is closely related to stress, anxiety and, in the most severe cases, depression. The aim of the present study is to analyze the influence of academic self-regulation on procrastination, academic anxiety and stress, academic resilience and academic performance. The sample consisted of 991 high school students aged between 16 and 19 years (M = 17.25; SD = 3.45). A structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between the study variables. Analyzes showed that academic self-regulation negatively predicted procrastination. In turn, procrastination positively predicted academic stress and anxiety. However, resilience exerted a protective influence by being positively related to academic stress and anxiety. Finally, resilience positively predicted academic performance, whereas stress and anxiety negatively predicted academic performance. Thus, the importance of generating strategies for students to learn to self-regulate in academic contexts, manage emotions, foster motivation and develop strategies to help them overcome the vicissitudes they face is emphasized.

Effective coping with cyberbullying in boys and girls: the mediating role of self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and social support

There is sufficient evidence on the negative consequences of cyberbullying victimisation depending on the coping styles. Social support seeking is among the most effective strategies for coping with cybervictimisation, but it is scarcely used. The robust Maximum Likelihood (ML) method was used to test the potential mediating role of individual (self-awareness, and responsible decision-making) and contextual variables (self-perceived parental and peer support) in the relationship between cybervictimisation and social support seeking in boys and girls. This cross-sectional study collected data from 1,276 Spanish secondary school students (51.2% boys, 48.8% girls) aged 11–18 (M = 13.88, SD = 1.42). Structural equation modelling (SEM) results pointed out responsible decision-making and self-perceived parental support as relevant mediating factors for girls. By contrast, the model was not significant for boys. These findings highlight the importance of both individual and contextual variables in helping adolescents cope with cyberaggressions, considering gender differences.

Design and validation of a questionnaire for the evaluation of educational experiences in the metaverse in Spanish students (METAEDU)

The aim of this study is to design and validate an instrument that allows the evaluation of educational experiences and formative assessment in the metaverse from a holistic perspective. Hence, a research design based on the development of a scale has been used. Three hundred and sixty-two Spanish secondary school students participated in the study, selected through purposive sampling. The instrument created has been subjected to an analysis of content validity, validity by expert judgment, construct validity, and reliability. For data analysis, the SPSS and AMOS programs have been used. An exploratory factor analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis have been performed to determine the construct validity. In addition, the Cronbach's alpha has been calculated to verify the internal consistency of the tool. The results reveal several findings that position the resulting questionnaire as a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate educational experiences and practices in the metaverse. In short, this study has led to the development of a comprehensive evaluation tool at the service of educators or any institution interested in implementing its educational praxis within the metaverse, a field of research that has yet to be explored.

Predictors of adolescent truancy: The importance of cyberbullying, peer behavior, and parenting style

This study extends the truancy literature by exploring correlates of both committing truancy and the numbers of days truant among Spanish secondary school students. The study incorporates cyberbullying, peer truancy and parenting style as key predictors. Several count data regression models are estimated using a nationally representative survey of Spanish students (N = 37,476; Mage = 15.73; 50.9 % females). The results suggest that cyberbullying and parenting style play a significant role in a student’s decision to commit truancy, while peer truancy plays a significant role in both the decision of whether or not to commit truancy (OR = 1.61) and the number of days truant (IRR = 1.41). These results suggest that reducing cyberbullying and promoting specific parenting styles may serve to reduce truancy, and that this direct effect or reduction could be further increased indirectly via peer or social multipliers.

From Secondary School to University: Associations Between Domain-Specific Sedentary Behaviors and Lifestyle Risk Behaviors.

This study examined associations between changes in domain-specific sedentary behaviors and changes in health-related lifestyles of Spanish secondary school students (n = 113) to their first year of university. During the transitions from the end of high school to the beginning of university, engagement in sedentary behaviors have emerged as potential additional behavioral risk factors. Understanding how sedentary behaviors interconnect with other (un)healthy behaviors will inform interventions on multiple risk behaviors across this critical life period. A 3-year longitudinal survey assessed associations between domain-specific sedentary behaviors and leisure time physical activity (IPAQ), alcohol and tobacco consumption, and fruit and vegetable intake (24-h dietary recall), using Generalized Estimating Equations. Spending time on sedentary transportation was associated with a greater likelihood of smoking, whereas sedentary weekend homework was associated with a reduced likelihood of consuming alcohol. The lowest and highest tertiles for sedentary screen use and leisure-time PA were also less likely not to meet the recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption. For specific sedentary behaviors, associations were gender-based or affected by leisure time physical activity. From secondary school to university, specific sedentary behaviors are linked to lifestyle risk factors. Over this transitional period, public health interventions targeting reduced sedentary behaviors may bring multiple benefits by also preventing other harmful behaviors.

Second language reading and self-efficacy in bilingual and musical instruction. A study of reading ability

ABSTRACT The connections between music and language are still to be clarified in educational terms; despite the great deal of literature on the common mechanisms underlying their working in learning, memory, and some other related factors, there is not robust research on their combined potential. Educational bilingualism and musical instruction have been shown to facilitate reading in a foreign language. Our study intends to throw light on their potential for reading in a second language and the relationship they keep to self-efficacy, a key factor in such a complex realm as learning a foreign language. The silent reading of 252 Spanish secondary school students was examined to show if bilingual instruction, music training, and self-efficacy influenced second language silent reading fluency (L2 SRF). Our ANOVA analysis shows bilingual instruction having the strongest influence of the three groups analysed, followed by the music training and the standard group. Self-efficacy was also included in the MANOVA model as a covariate and was shown to have an influence on L2 SRF. The study also revealed a significant influence of bilingual and musical instruction on self-efficacy, which may partially account for their effect on L2 SRF.

The Co-Development of Science, Math, and Language Interest Among Spanish and Finnish Secondary School Students

The present two studies with a 3-year longitudinal design examined the co-development of science, math, and language (e.g., Spanish/Finnish) interest among 1,317 Spanish and 804 Finnish secondary school students across their transition to post-compulsory secondary education, taking into account the role of gender, performance, and socioeconomic status (SES). The research questions were analyzed with parallel process latent growth curve (LGC) modeling. The results showed that Spanish students’ interest in each domain slightly decreased over time, whereas Finnish students experienced an overall high and relatively stable level of interest in all domains. Further, boys showed greater interest in math and science in both countries, whereas girls reported having a greater interest in languages. Moreover, Spanish and Finnish students with high academic achievement typically experienced high interest in different domains, however, some declines in their interest occurred later on.

Young people confronting the challenge of reading and interpreting a digital world

Critical citizenship education must consider the global and digital context in which we live. Digital media and global processes have a decisive influence on people’s daily lives. However, digital literacy programs rarely go beyond teaching technological skills. Similarly, critical thinking approaches to education focus on developing cognitive skills, omitting the weight of values and emotions in decision making. This research analyses Spanish secondary school students’ narratives and reflections about two publications on Twitter that present biased information to encourage undemocratic attitudes. The results show that most students are far from being critical of the information they read on the internet, and they easily fall into the trap of defending undemocratic discourses.

Effects of Student Training in Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence on the Behaviour and Coexistence of Adolescents in the 21st Century.

In recent decades, efforts have been made to achieve a positive coexistence among adolescents in secondary schools and create a healthy environment to prepare them to face the present-day challenges. Therefore, this study highlights the educational purpose of improving emotional management and social skills as well as decreasing antisocial and criminal behaviour among secondary education students through an educational training programme. Accordingly, to verify the effectiveness of the project, a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test structure and a control group was adopted. To achieve this, a total of 141 Spanish secondary school students participated in this study and were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions. The first (experimental) group (n = 55) participated in the training programme; correspondingly, the second group (control) (n = 57) followed the usual mentoring activities planned for the entire educational centre. Of the total number of participants, 52.7% of the sample were men and 47.3% were women. The mean age of the participants was 13.01 years old (SD = 0.935). The results showed improvements in the environment with adequate training and the correct application of a programme involving emotional intelligence (EI) among secondary education students. Furthermore, a decrease in conflicts and enhanced relations between the members of the educational community was evidenced. Finally, the practical implications for improving coexistence in secondary schools are discussed.

School Refusal Behavior and Aggression in Spanish Adolescents.

In order to reduce school attendance problems and aggressive behavior, it is essential to determine the relationship between both variables. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the mean differences in scores on aggression, based on school refusal behavior, and (2) to analyze the predictive capacity of high scores on aggression, based on school refusal behavior factors. The sample consisted of 1455 Spanish secondary school students, aged 13–17 (M = 14.85; SD = 1.56). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (I. Avoidance of negative affectivity, II. Escape from aversive social and/or evaluative situations, III. Pursuit of attention from significant others, and IV. Pursuit of tangible reinforcement outside of school) and the Aggression Questionnaire (I. Physical Aggression, II. Verbal Aggression, III. Anger, and IV. Hostility) were used. Results indicated that students having high levels of Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility received significantly higher scores on school refusal behavior. In most cases, school refusal behavior was found to be a positive and statistically significant predictor of aggression. Students that base their school refusal on the pursuit of tangible reinforcements outside of school earned higher scores, and other functional conditions underlying school refusal behavior were found to be associated with aggression issues. The role of aggression as a risk factor for school refusal behavior is discussed.

Academic Achievement in Spanish Secondary School Students: The Inter-Related Role of Executive Functions, Physical Activity and Gender.

There is a growing interest in determining which variables contribute to students’ academic performance, since this performance is associated with their wellbeing and with the progress of the nation. This study analyzed whether different variables (executive functions and physical activity levels, gender and academic year) of 177 Spanish Compulsory Secondary School students contributed to their academic performance. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2 (BRIEF-2), Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and an ad hoc questionnaire were used to determine the students’ executive functioning, physical activity level, gender and academic year, respectively. Students’ grades were considered to be indicators of their academic achievement. Seven multiple linear regression models were constructed using the R computing language to examine the association between academic achievement (considered in each of the 5 subjects: Language, Mathematics, Geography and History, English and Physical Education; the mean of the instrumental subjects—Language and Mathematics—and the mean of all the subjects) and the independent variables. The results indicated that executive functions, physical activity and gender contributed to academic performance, but academic year did not. This suggests that students with good executive functions, who perform physical activity and are female, would have better academic achievement. This information should be considered when designing interventions to improve student academic achievement.

Teaching the Plant Kingdom Using Cooperative Learning and Plants Elements: A Case Study with Spanish Secondary School Students

The learning of the plant kingdom can be achieved more successfully if tasks involved the direct contact with elements of the vegetal world where students have the possibility of working in small groups cooperatively within in the secondary classroom. This paper analyses the student’s understanding of the general and floral physiology of angiosperms within a teaching sequence where the cooperative learning was used with 74 Spanish secondary school students. The influence on learning of group work and the use of natural elements was assessed by comparing two tasks administered individually before and after the sequence. The Fisher exact test detected statistically significant differences between the two stages in favour of cooperative learning and the use of plants. We can conclude that this active method of learning the plant kingdom as it enables students to physically get closer to the subject of the plant kingdom whilst developing their scientific knowledge through group work.

Inter-Relations among Motivation, Self-Perceived Use of Strategies and Academic Achievement in Science: A Study with Spanish Secondary School Students

The relationship between motivation and the use of learning strategies is a focus of research in order to improve students’ learning. Meaningful learning requires a learner’s personal commitment to put forth the required effort needed to acquire new knowledge. This commitment involves emotional as well as cognitive and metacognitive factors, and requires the ability to manage different resources at hand, in order to achieve the proposed learning goals. The main objectives in the present study were to analyse: (a) Spanish secondary school students’ motivation and self-perception of using strategies when learning science; (b) the nature of the relationship between motivation and perceived use of learning strategies; (c) the influence of different motivational, cognitive, metacognitive and management strategies on students’ science achievement. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was administered to 364 middle and high-school students in grades 7–11. For each participant, the academic achievement was provided by the respective science teacher. The results obtained from the Pearson product-moment correlations between the study variables and a stepwise regression analysis suggested that: (1) motivation, cognitive and metacognitive, and resource management strategies, have a significant influence on students’ science achievement; (2) students’ motivation acts as a kind of enabling factor for the intellectual effort, which is assessed by the self-perceived use of learning strategies in science; and, (3) motivational components have a greater impact on students’ performance in science than cognitive and metacognitive strategies, with self-efficacy being the variable with the strongest influence. These results suggest a reflexion about the limited impact on science achievement of the self-perceived use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, and highlight the importance of students’ self-efficacy in science, in line with previous studies.

Validity and Reliability of the Interpersonal Behaviors Questionnaire in Physical Education With Spanish Secondary School Students.

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the objective of this study was to adapt the Interpersonal Behaviors Questionnaire (IBQ) to the Spanish physical education (PE) context and to examine its psychometric properties using a sample of Spanish secondary school students. The participants were 478 secondary school students (220 boys and 258 girls; Mage = 14.56, SDage = 1.06) who received two 60-minute compulsory PE classes per week. A confirmatory factor analysis psychometrically underpinned a 24-item six-factor correlated model (i.e. autonomy, competence and relatedness supportive and autonomy, competence and relatedness thwarting behaviors) that was invariant across gender and age. A reliability examination found appropriate levels of internal consistency and temporal stability for the instrument's six factors. A partial correlation analysis showed that while the three types of need-supportive behaviors from PE teachers were positively correlated with need satisfaction and autonomous motivation; the three types of need-thwarting behaviors from PE teachers were positively correlated with need frustration, controlled motivation and amotivation. Thus, this study showed that the Spanish version of the IBQ is valid and reliable for assessing PE students' perceptions of the six specific types of interpersonal behavior that may be adopted by PE teachers.

Motivation, Discipline, and Academic Performance in Physical Education: A Holistic Approach From Achievement Goal and Self-Determination Theories.

The analysis of disciplined behaviors and academic performance in a school context has become one of the main concerns within the educational community. Physical Education is highlighted as a key subject to analyze students’ behavior. Researchers and Physical Education teachers are interested on the motivational processes that predict positive student outcomes in order to support them. Thus, the main purpose was to determine a predictive model of disciplined behaviors and academic performance in Physical Education students. The Achievement Goal Theory and Self-Determination Theory acted as the theoretical framework. A total of 919 Spanish secondary school students participated in the study. The studied variables were task-oriented motivational climate, basic psychological needs, autonomous motivation, disciplined behavior, and academic performance. Data collection included Spanish validated questionnaires. The Mplus statistical program was used to perform a structural equation model of prediction. It included antecedents (task-oriented climate), motivational processes (basic psychological needs and autonomous motivation), and consequences (disciplined behavior, Physical Education and overall students’ performance). The results revealed that positive outcomes (discipline and academic performance in Physical Education) were positively predicted by autonomous motivation; autonomous motivation was positively predicted by basic psychological needs and these, in addition, by the task-oriented climate. The results highlighted the importance of the task-oriented motivational climate and the mediating role of the basic psychological needs and autonomous motivation in order to generate these positive student outcomes in Physical Education. This study could be a useful resource for teachers, since it offers the motivational variables that lead students to achieve disciplined behaviors and academic performance in Physical Education. Intervention programs based on the results of the present study could be applied in Physical Education classes in order to obtain better behavioral as well as cognitive positive student outcomes.

From secondary school to university: associations between sport participation and total and domain-specific sedentary behaviours in Spanish students.

Effective ways to reduce sedentary behaviour in adolescents are needed to mitigate the risk of chronic disease and poor mental health. Organised sport participation is the most practiced physical activity during adolescence. However, the influence sport participation has on sedentary behaviours remains unclear. This study investigated the associations between sport participation, total and domain-specific sedentary behaviour and physical activity during the transition from secondary school to university. A 3-year longitudinal survey followed Spanish secondary school students (n = 113) to their first year of university. Generalized linear models, adjusted by gender and year, assessed the relationships between sport participation, total and domain-specific sedentary behaviour and physical activity. Compared with non-sport participants, teenagers who played individual sports from baseline during secondary school spent significantly less total time sitting (- 110.5min/day at weekends), watching television (- 18.7min/day at weekends) or using the computer for leisure (- 37.4min/day weekdays). Those who played team sports from baseline at secondary school spent less time sitting (- 126.4min/day at weekends) or socialising (- 37min/day at weekends)Conclusion: From secondary school to university, sport participation-based interventions might be an effective strategy to reduce sitting time spent on some domain-specific behaviours. Promoting sports could reduce the rise of sedentary behaviour during adolescence, a stage where sedentary behaviour evolves. What is Known: • Sitting too much and for too long is an important risk factor during adolescence. • Replacing adolescent's sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity has been associated with a better quality of life. What is New: • Playing sport is associated with spending less time in total SB on the transition from high school to college. • Not all SB domains are linked to sport participation with associations differing from whether participants played individual or team sports.

Eudaimonic Well-Being in Adolescents: The Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence and Personality

Eudaimonic well-being is related to activities that lead to self-realization and personal development, goals and growth. Emotional intelligence and personality traits play a role in the perception of emotions, self-esteem and motivation and therefore in well-being. Although previous studies have analyzed the relationship among personality, emotional intelligence and well-being, the relationship between all three constructs and the predictive value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being in adolescents remains to be analyzed. This study evaluates this relationship and the predictive role of personality and emotional intelligence in eudaimonic well-being in 1031 Spanish secondary school students aged 12 to 17 (49.37% male, average age = 14.91 years). A quantitative field survey was conducted which included the distribution of the eudaimonic well-being questionnaire, the emotional intelligence questionnaire and the personality questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and correlations among eudaimonic well-being, emotional intelligence and personality well-being were calculated using SPSS Statistical Package software. Stepwise multiple regression was used to estimate the predictive value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being. Finally, a structural equations model was designed with AMOS software. The results show that these constructs are related and that personality and emotional intelligence are important variables for eudaimonic well-being. In addition, activity and anxiety factors (related to personality) and emotionality and well-being factors (related to trait emotional intelligence) have been shown to have predictive value in the study of eudaimonic well-being in adolescents. These results underline the value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being and present new research perspectives.

INCREMENTO DE SESIONES DE EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA, MOTIVACIÓN Y EFICACIA MOTRIZ PERCIBIDA EN ADOLESCENTES

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a school-based intervention with extra physical education (PE) lessons per week on intrinsic motivation and perceived motor self-efficacy among Spanish secondary school students. The study sample was comprised of 375 participants, first-year secondary school students from state schools located in Madrid. A quasi-experimental design was used in the study. Three control and three experimental schools were selected. Students from the control group (n=109) had two PE lessons per week while students from the experimental group (n=266) had four. The longitudinal study lasted five months and both groups were pre and post-tested. The results show that students from the experimental group had higher motivation for PE after the intervention and lower loss of perceived motor self-efficacy over time than those from the control group. The difference between groups was particularly obvious among girls.

Sexting Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Correlates in Spanish Secondary School Students

This research analyzes the prevalence of sexting and socio-demographic correlates in a sample of 647 adolescents administered a questionnaire at secondary schools in Valencia (Spain). The questionnaire results indicate that 61% of respondents reported being involved in at least one case of sexting, with 24, 58, and 18% reporting having sent a sext, received a sext, and forwarded a sext, respectively. More males and older adolescents reported having received and forwarded sexts than female and younger adolescents. Furthermore, time spent using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) devices, use and frequency of use of social media, grade repetition, low academic performance expectations in Math, and a single-parent family situation appear to correlate with an increase in the prevalence of sexting experiences. Our study also provides results that can support new lines of inquiry into analyzing the relationship between sexting and certain socio-demographic, family situation, and educational variables in relation to adolescents.