Spanish Universities Research Articles

Inclusive practices among university teaching staff. Confirmation of a model based on personal predictors

ABSTRACT Different personal traits could predict not only prejudice, but also practices aimed at the inclusion of vulnerable minorities in higher education. On the basis of this assumption, the study presented here sets out to confirm a predictive model of inclusive practices among university teaching staff, incorporating variables of personality, ideological attitudes, perceived discrimination, and beliefs and attitudes towards diversity, hypothesising the pre-eminence of the predictive route anticipated by John Duckitt’s Dual-Process Motivational Model in the perception of disadvantaged groups. The research process involved collecting and analysing data from 613 university teachers at eight Spanish public universities, confirming the hypothetical model by means of structural equations. The study showed that personality, through ideological attitudes and, in turn, such attitudes together with perceived discrimination, had significant effects on the inclusive practices of teachers through the mediation of beliefs and attitudes towards diversity, and that agreeableness and social dominance orientation primarily anticipated beliefs, attitudes, and practices. The conclusions establish the relevance of personal competencies in the profile of teachers when addressing diversity, suggesting professional development in such competencies through reflexive, extensive training, and application in the classroom.

Multicultural Diversity in the Spanish Public University: An Ethnographic Case Study of Latin American, Latino, and Afro-Latin American Students

This article presents the preliminary findings of an ethnographic study about the presence and experiences of students of Latin American origin in Spanish universities. Our aim is to better understand the self-identification and ethnoracial formation processes observed in university-level students. We first reviewed the statistics on students with non-Spanish nationalities enrolled in public Spanish universities. We then analyze how the self-identification processes of Latin American, Latino, and Afro-Latin American students take place in public Spanish universities. We use an ethnographic approach that includes in-depth interviews and participant observation over a period of 9 months. We identified relevant identity markers such as accents and linguistic expressions, cultural practices, and color, as well as the coping and resistance strategies that these students developed to navigate these spaces when facing discrimination, racism, and othering.

Lights and shadows in the operationalization of sustainability through the 2030 Agenda in Spanish universities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze how sustainability was operationalized in the Spanish universities through plans and actions that contribute actively to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).Design/methodology/approachA systematic search and content analysis served to examine information available on websites belonging to the 76 universities listed in the Conference of Rectors of the Spanish Universities (CRUE).FindingsThe participation of Spanish universities on initiatives focused on sustainability is very limited, highlighting the negligible role of private institutions in which topics like sustainability and the 2030 Agenda/SDGs were scarcely addressed.Originality/valueThe study outlines the actual extent of the inclusion of sustainability in particular co-curricular actions toward the SDGs in the CRUE. The findings enable to define a long-term sustainability road map for the Spanish university system.

¿Ha aumentado el interés por estudiar Medicina tras la pandemia? Un análisis de los datos sobre solicitudes de admisión al grado universitario en Medicina en España

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought major changes to many aspects of our society. In order to find out if one of these changes has been the interest of young people in the medical profession, the main objective of this study is to analyze the evolution of the number of applications for a Bachelor's Degree in Medicine in Spanish universities before and after the pandemic. The study is complemented by an analysis of the evolution of the admission grade and gender differences. Material and methodsTo compare the proportion of students who applied to medical studies in Spain before and after the pandemic, the data on admission applications collected from the public access database of the Ministry of Universities of the Spanish Government, from the 2015-2016 to 2021-2022 academic year, were analyzed. ResultsIn the 2021-2022 academic year, there was a significant increase in pre-registration applications for the Medicine degree. Regarding the admission grade, in the 2015-2016 academic year, it stood at 12.47, while in 2021-2022 it reached 13.09. Furthermore, the increase in applications was slightly higher among females than males. ConclusionAfter the pandemic, in Spain, interest in obtaining an undergraduate medical degree increased, resulting in an increase in the admission score for this degree. Moreover, the findings confirm that the process of feminizing the medical profession is still ongoing.

Higher Education governance and policy in Spain

The knowledge society of the 21st century is undergoing important changes in the field of information, communication, and globalization, which has led Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to play a leading role in its sustainable development, based on three fundamental pillars: social, economic, and environmental, which go beyond its traditional role based on training students to obtain a professional degree. The need to address these significant changes and improve the quality and efficiency of HEIs has led to a reassessment of their governance structures, which require a more agile governance system that includes professionalized management. The most recent analyses on governance agree that the current mechanisms and systems of participation and decision making must be modified to guarantee greater effectiveness, and an improvement in transparency and accountability with the aim of contributing to promoting the role of the university in society, highlighting its contribution to innovation, research, generation and transmission of knowledge, and fostering collaboration with the business environment to promote the socioeconomic development of the surrounding area. This article analyses the role of the governing bodies in Spanish universities, highlighting the challenges and threats, and providing critical insights that result in improved self-governance.

Fear of COVID-19: the mediation role between the COVID-19 diagnosis and KAP in Spanish university students

BackgroundAlthough health public services recommend prevention strategies for COVID-19 some of these recommendations have not been taken seriously by young people. Understanding why some people comply with these recommendations and others do not seem to be crucial in helping public health services to predict behavior and compliance with rules, especially for young people. Previous studies suggest that knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) are useful to assess compliance with the preventive measures and public health policies. Being afraid has also been found to correlate with more engagement with preventive measures. This study aims to assess the KAP and fear of COVID-19 of Spanish university students and to understand the relation between diagnosis, KAP and the level of fear. MethodParticipants of this cross-sectional study were 598 college students (69.4% women) from different Spanish Universities. Data were collected for a month using an online questionnaire through Sphinx iQ2.ResultsLevels of KAP among Spanish students were satisfactory and results suggest the presence of fear among them. More importantly, fear of COVID-19 mediated the impact of the diagnosis on the KAP.ConclusionsFeeling fear seems to be the mechanism underlying the relationship between diagnosis and KAP. Diagnosis is associated with KAP when the diagnosis it is accompanied by measures of fear. KAP, diagnosis, or perceived fear of COVID must be taken together in consideration for health interventions and public health campaigns design.

Perception of care from the perspective of nursing students: A study using photovoice, storytelling and poetry

BackgroundThe Higher Education in Nursing requires providing students with skills such as critical and reflective thinking about the actions to be carried out so that they are capable of providing humanised and quality care in an increasingly complex and technified society. Participatory teaching methodologies promote the development of these skills. Objectivesto explore the potential of photovoice, storytelling and poetry as instruments capable of encouraging reflection. To identify through images (photovoice) and poetic narratives (storytelling and poetry) the perception that students of the nursing degree express about nursing care. Designqualitative study in the framework of the socio-critical paradigm, using photovoice, storytelling and poetry in the field of care. Participantsfirst-year undergraduate nursing students at two Spanish universities in the academic year 2021–2022. Methodology48 images were shown and students were asked to select one, write a narrative and generate a short poem connected to the image. Subsequently, a content analysis was conducted of those poems evoked by the five photographs most chosen by the students. The analysis was supported by qualitative data analysis software. A total of 67 contributions from 67 students were analysed. Resultsthe concepts addressed in the poems and the compositions generated reveal how critical humanist thinking and reflection on the subject of care developed. The topics identified were care, accompaniment throughout the life cycle, working on the basis of values and caring for small details as subcategories of nursing care. ConclusionThe combination of different tools in university education has encouraged reflection and enabled students to identify for themselves the importance of humanised care. Working on the theoretical foundation in an active way can reduce the gap between theory and practice and foster the empowerment of the nursing identity.

Impact of Digital Contexts in the Training of University Education Students

The Internet is an important source of information and is a real ecosystem for learning that has provided important advances in education, although it has also generated problems, especially in terms of data security, identity theft, and cyber-plagiarism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the opportunity to check levels of development in terms of infrastructures and digital competence, and subsequently detected serious problems in online assessment. In particular, the behaviour and digital competence of future teachers are essential, as they will inevitably be role models for their students. The present study analyses academic cyber-plagiarism derived from digital ecosystems during the pandemic in the academic work of pre-service teachers, advancing studies and warnings regarding Artificial Intelligence as a new learning ecosystem. A validated online questionnaire is used that considers the digital context surrounding training both during and after the pandemic. For the factor analysis, both descriptive and correlational, 324 responses from three Spanish universities are analysed. The confirmatory factor analysis reports four factors: the digital context of the pandemic as an opportunity for plagiarism, the response of the educational community to plagiarism, and both the unconscious and intentional misuse of sources. It is concluded that the digital context of the pandemic provided an opportunity for academic plagiarism, conscious or unconscious, with a clear distinction according to gender and the degree of reference. Finally, it is recommended to promote students’ digital skills to avoid risks such as cyber-plagiarism or authorship theft, using institutional repositories that can provide students with prominence by safely and ethically publishing their intellectual creations. Similarly, national policies are required to address advances in AI in education.

Influence of family relationships on the presence of clinical symptoms during emerging adulthood

The relationship between family and mental health has been one of the cornerstones of research into emerging adulthood over the last decade. In the present study, we analyze the relationship between variables linked to family functioning and the presence of clinical symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress during emerging adulthood in Spain. The study had a cross-sectional design and the sample comprised 1,502 students aged 18-29 years (M= 20,32, DT= 2,13) from two Spanish universities. Participants completed questionnaires in pencil-and-paper format. The results indicate that high levels of parental involvement, warmth and autonomy support are associated with a lower presence of clinical symptoms, whereas psychological control is associated with a higher level of said symptoms. These findings demonstrate the relationship between family functioning and the presence of clinical symptoms, as well as the protective -or risk enhancing- role played by family relationships during this life stage.

Effects of a Canine-Assisted Intervention in Perceived and Physiological Stress of Spanish University Students

Abstract Many universities, concerned with finding methods to improve the academic environment and support their students, carry out animal-assisted interventions. This study measured the effect of a canine-assisted intervention program on the stress of first-year university students at the Complutense University of Madrid. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was followed, with a follow-up measure. The instruments used were the Perceived Stress Questionnaire and salivary cortisol measures. The sample was 102 students. The program, called “Compludog,” consisted of one 45-minute session a week for three weeks. The results demonstrated significant improvements in physiological and perceived stress in the posttest and follow-up measure. In addition, analyses revealed that the sociodemographic variables had no influence on the effects of the program. It is concluded that a canine-assisted intervention program is effective. Therefore, Spanish universities should consider this kind of program to support their students and reduce their stress, even during exam time.

Reasons and External Factors That Influence Access to University and Job Placement Programs for Individuals with Intellectual Disability.

Despite the rapid growth in inclusive university programs, access to inclusive higher education is still limited for students with intellectual disability (ID). This article explores the perspectives of 34 students with ID on their motives for accessing the inclusion and job placement programs at three Spanish universities and the external factors that contributed to their studying at the university. The study used a qualitative methodology based on a phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews that had previously been validated and piloted. The data were analyzed using an inductive category and code system. The results addressed four questions: What is the participant's academic pathway? What is their job profile? What are their reasons for studying at the university? What are the external factors that influenced their studying at the university? The study concludes that higher education can be an invaluable tool to foster the workplace inclusion of individuals with ID and promote their independent living. Furthermore, the family, organizations, and third-sector entities, as well as collaboration among them, emerged as key contextual factors for access to higher education and the personal and professional development of individuals with ID.

Organ xenotransplantation acceptance in veterinary students: A multicentric opinion study in Spain.

The shortage of available transplant organs has made it necessary to search for alternatives, one of which is xenotransplantation. However, the use of animal organs could face rejection from society and the personnel involved in its implementation. (a) to analyze the attitudes of Veterinary Degree students in six Spanish Universities towards xenotransplantation; and (b) to determine the factors that affect its acceptance. Of the 2815 students surveyed in the degree program, 2683 valid surveys were obtained. Attitudes towards organ xenotransplantation were evaluated using a validated questionnaire of organ donation. If xenotransplantation was confirmed as a clinical reality, 93% (n=2493) of those surveyed would accept a xenotransplanted organ, whilst 7% would not. If the results of xenotransplantation were worse than those obtained with human donors and it entailed more risk, 12% (n=318) would be in favor. 56% (n=1497) of the students would accept a xenotransplantation provisionally pending the arrival of a human organ. Attitudes towards xenotransplantation were affected by the academic year in which a student was studying, with more favorable attitudes among students in the last year (88% in first year vs. 95% in fifth year; p<.001). More favorable attitudes are also observed depending on the attitude they have towards organ transplantation, with those students being more in favor of donating their organs when they die (94% vs. 88%; p<.001). Veterinary students would have a very favorable attitude toward xenotransplantation if these animal organs functioned as well as human organs. Therefore, these students could play an important role in the future promotion of this technique.

Evaluating the design of digital tools for the transition to an e-continuous assessment in higher education

Evaluation is a crucial part of the teaching and learning process in any higher education institution and one that has gone through a deep change. This has been particularly true since the Bologna Declaration (http://www.ehea.info/page-ministerial-conference-bologna-1999, 1999) ushered in the European higher education area, with the subsequent major rise in the employment of continuous assessment methods focused on student participation. This article analyses the impact on academic performance of e-continuous assessment based on e-tests on a virtual platform as a previous step towards the substitution of the traditional evaluation system, based on a final exam, with a continuous evaluation system, prescribed as an alternative preferred by the regulations of multiple Spanish universities. Microeconometric models have been applied to a database of 250 first-year students on the Business Administration and Management course at the University of Seville (Spain). Our findings show that e-tests could prevent the risk of students dropping out and could also provide a credible predictor of students’ academic marks in the theoretical contents of the subject, but not in those of a practical or applied nature. Based on the results of this evaluation, an e-continuous assessment has been developed in the subject, which has become the majority option for students, with 90% participation, while also increasing pass rates. Moreover, the positive effect of a computing environment does not appear to be limited to the classroom, but also extends to students’ home environments. This teaching experience shows that the swift feedback that e-tools provides, especially in especially in environments of large class size such as in the class evaluated, could support instructors’ personal tutoring of students’ progress and promote a greater implementation of e-continuous assessment in Spanish higher education.

Can public food procurement drive agroecological transitions? Pathways and barriers to sustainable food procurement in higher education institutions in Spain

ABSTRACT Public procurement can help drive a transition to a more sustainable food system based on local agroecological production. In countries with large public education systems, school and university canteen services can play a significant role by virtue of their enormous centralized purchasing power. In this study, we investigate the potential and feasibility of implementing an enduring transformation to a sustainable food procurement model in public higher education institutions based on agroecological principles for the case of Spain. To address our research questions, we employed participatory workshops and a questionnaire survey (1,058 respondents) to analyze perceptions and priorities around sustainable food practices on campus of the university community across three Spanish public universities. Workshop participants proposed and prioritized interventions aimed at improving the sustainability of on-campus food services. Some recommendations for action for policy makers are detailed in the Discussion section, as key actors in this process. Pathways toward a future transition to more sustainable practices included the importance of food services to the university community, the high level of understanding of food system impacts and demand for change from consumers on university campuses, the universities’ commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the potential of university networks as a powerful agent of social change and social innovation.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Family Nursing Practice Scale (FNPS) for use with Spanish-speaking Nursing Degree students

AimThe task proposed was to conduct a cultural adaptation of the Family Nursing Practice Scale and to assess the psychometric properties of the resulting instrument. BackgroundNursing students must obtain sufficient personal competence and confidence to act with patients and their families. For this purpose, an assessment scale is needed to inform teachers of the student’s progress and to determine whether further training or changes in teaching methods are required. DesignA cross-sectional study design was used. MethodsThe researchers conducted this study with 202 students of nursing at two Spanish universities. In the cultural adaptation, the following steps were followed: definition of concepts, translation, back translation, expert group review and implementation by a pilot group with a subsequent cognitive interview. Internal consistency was determined by Cronbach’s alpha. Reliability was verified by an initial application of the scale, followed by a repetition after seven days, analysing the results obtained in terms of the intraclass correlation coefficient, the construct validity (by Spearman’s non-parametric correlation test) and confirmatory factor analysis (using JASP 0.16.4 statistical software). ResultsCronbach’s alpha resulted in 0.95. Spearman's correlation coefficient Family Nursing Practice Scale total with the course year was –0.26 < 0.001. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the total score of the scale was 0.91. The confirmatory factor analysis was performed on a model in which the total score for the scale was considered in relation to the two subscales, and each subscale in relation to its constituent items. The p-value associated with the chi-square was 0.550. The root mean square error of approximation and comparative fit indices presented values of <0.001 (90 % C.I. <0.001–0.048) and 1.000, respectively. ConclusionsThese results indicate that the Spanish version presents good internal consistency, construct validity and reliability. Moreover, the confirmatory factor analysis confirms that it presents a good fit to the model initially proposed for this scale for Nursing Degree students.

Environmental values and education in Spanish universities: a questionnaire validation

Purpose To protect the environment and society, research on responsible behavior and personal values has increased. Values have been identified as important for understanding and predicting environmental preservation behaviors. The purpose of this study is to analyze the validity and reliability of the Environmental Portrait Value Questionnaire in the Spanish context. Design/methodology/approach The new version of this questionnaire was administered to 742 university students (46.4% male and 53.6% female) from 16 regions in Spain. Findings The results of adapting and testing the instrument’s psychometric properties were consistent with accepted criteria for validity and reliability. Therefore, this updated and contextualized instrument has the potential to contribute to academic advances in the sense of expanding the empirical practice of studying environmental values. Fifteen items from the original version were retained, grouped into four factors as in the original version: Altruistic – five items; Egoistic – four items; Biospheric – three items; and Hedonic – three items. The final version showed adequate fit indices and reliability measures. Originality/value This instrument is a powerful resource for the Spanish academic community because using this application it will be possible to assess the degree of commitment of young adults to the goals of sustainability and environmental protection.

Teaching interpreting in times of Covid: perspectives, experience and satisfaction

Technological tools have complemented face-to-face instructions at university from the beginning of the 21st century. However, COVID-19 pandemic forced many faculty members to switch rapidly, and without any specific training, to an emergency remote teaching. The aim of this paper is to analyse the impressions of Spanish faculty members teaching interpreting in an online mode. A total of 65 faculty members answered a semi-structured online survey, covering the 80.8% of all the Spanish universities where interpreting subjects are taught. The results revealed some pitfalls derived mainly from the lack of physical issues (booth, body language evaluation), absence of human contact, lack of suitable technology, more teaching hours, cognitive load, lack of concentration, and students monitoring. However, the benefits detected were more self-practice, more attendance to sessions, and the preparation of students for a remote interpreting, taking into account that this will be the future of professional language interpreting practice.

“What use is the legislation to me?” Contestations around the meanings of gender equality in legislation and its strategic use to drive structural change in university organizations

AbstractMultiple meanings of gender equality in the implementation process provide feminist actors in institutions with opportunities to contest these meanings to address resistance against gender equality policy implementation and drive structural change in organizations. Taking legislation as a key discursive resource and Spanish universities as a case study, this article analyzes how the meaning of gender equality is constructed in the relevant legislation and how feminist actors interpret and use it in their implementation efforts. Despite a women approach predominating in the legislation, feminist actors contest and reinterpret these meanings to push for a more transformative gender approach in their institutions. They strategically use the legislation, molding it to their preferred approach, to negotiate the meaning of gender equality and to drive structural gender equality actions and demand institutional compliance.

Gamification in thermal engineering: Does it encourage motivation and learning?

Gamification is considered as an approach to motivate and engage students in their learning process. An empirical study is carried out here on the use of gamification techniques in two engineering courses, in the field of Thermal Engineering, taught in two Spanish universities during several academic years. Both courses have similar syllabuses, and require the understanding and application of relatively complex concepts, related to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer. The aim of this work was to increase students´ motivation and to help them in the process of assimilating and establishing key concepts related to these courses. Students´ satisfaction with the activity was assessed by means of surveys designed and proposed according to the Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) model, using a statistical package. The students were quite satisfied with the participation in the activity, the teamwork, the organization, and the grades. However, they considered that the learning of concepts was stronger in traditional classes. No significant differences were found between degrees or group size. Incorporating gamification techniques has proved to have a motivating effect on students, getting them involved in learning and in the development of the course.

Becoming a techie and improving your English with audiovisual translation

Abstract Audiovisual translation (AVT) as a tool in the teaching/learning of a foreign language has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers in the latest years. The TRADILEX Project team is currently working on the pedagogic use of AVT in the teaching /learning of English as a Foreign language (EFL) in an online environment, in a good number of Spanish universities. This paper presents the results of the TRADILEX experience, carried out at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). The methodology designed and applied for that end has required the use of technological tools to guide students through different steps, from an Initial Test of Integrated Skills (ITIS) to a Final Test of Integrated Skills (FITIS), both designed by members of the team. On their way from the former to the latter, students were invited to carry out a series of B1-level tasks in five AVT modes. The materials previously designed and tested aimed at a progressive autonomy of the student in their advance in the lesson plans of each mode. The analysis of the results obtained in each of the AVT modes, as well as the comparative results between the ITIS and the FITIS will highlight the virtues of the methodology used.