University In Mexico Research Articles

A Comparative Study of Discussions, Debates, and Oral Presentations in Enhancing EFL Learners’ Oral Proficiency

This case study investigated the effects of different speaking activities (oral presentations, discussions, debates) on the speaking performance of 11 young adult EFL learners at a university in central Mexico. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and an online survey and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that combining socialization with varied speaking activities and incorporating popular culture topics relevant to students increased motivation, reduced the affective filter, boosted confidence, and improved fluency and accuracy. The integration of student interests and fostering of personal relationships promoted a holistic understanding of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, enhancing overall speaking skills. However, limitations include a small sample size from the same sociocultural context. Further research with a larger, more diverse sample is recommended for unbiased results. The study highlights the benefits of tailoring speaking activities to students' interests and encourages developing interpersonal relationships to facilitate language learning.

University Governance in the Legal Entrepreneurship of Intellectual Capital Around the Implementation of the SDGs

Aim. The study's objective is to compare a theoretical model of university governance in the COVID-19 era. Since the literature consulted warns of the pandemic's impact on university governance, the factor structure was confirmed. Method. An exploratory, cross-sectional, and correlational study was carried out with a sample of 180 administrators, teachers, and students from a university in central Mexico selected for their participation in the social service system and professional practices in community health institutions. The instrument was evaluated using the Delphi technique in three phases: qualifying, comparative, and reiterative- reconsidered. The University Governance Scale was applied via Zoom session. The data were captured in Excel and processed in JASP. Reliability, validity, adjustment, and residual coefficients were estimated to contrast hypotheses. Results. The three-factor structure was corroborated: identity, reputation, and image. Although the first factor explained the highest percentage of variance, only 12 of 18 indicators correlated with its factors. Conclusions. The study's contribution lies in contrasting the university governance model in a scenario of exposure to COVID-19. Still, the study's limit lies in the non-generalization of the results to the university community.

The impact of second language teacher education on the development of pre-service teachers’ pedagogical beliefs

The current study explores the impact of second language teacher education (SLTE) on the development of the pedagogic beliefs held by fifty student-teachers enrolled in a public university in central Mexico. Specifically, the research investigates the extent to which conceptions of effective teaching changed, or didn’t, over the course of a four-year BA. Repertory grid interviews were used as the primary method of data collection. The repertory grid technique is the best known of several data solicitation instruments associated with the field of personal construct psychology. Data was subjected to both qualitative and quantitative inspection, including an assessment of cognitive complexity and principal component analyses. Results suggest that the participants who were SLTE students did not appear to significantly change their pedagogic beliefs over the course of the educational intervention. However, graduates of the SLTE program were found to hold significantly different kinds of pedagogical beliefs than the participants still enrolled in the BA, particularly in terms of their beliefs about reflection, student autonomy, and student-centeredness. This suggests that with time, internalized learnings from the program may have an opportunity to come to the fore and positively impact teacher practice.

Examining COVID-19’s disruptive effect on education in Mexican universities

This paper estimates the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on new entry, enrollment, and graduation outcomes at universities in Mexico, which, prior to the pandemic, had an average enrollment of 1583 students. Using administrative data on all universities in Mexico and a difference-in-differences methodology, the results show that the pandemic had a negative effect on new entry (16 %), enrollment (2.5 %), and graduation (22 %). We explore heterogenous effects by funding source (public vs private), elite university status (top 20 vs non-top 20), delivery format (synchronous or in-person vs asynchronous), gender, and ten areas of study. The results show that: (1) the decline in graduation was mainly driven by public universities, (2) top 20 universities increased their new entry relative to their non-top 20 counterparts, (3) in-person programs did not display lower impacts than asynchronous ones, except for graduation rates, (4) men and women were equally impacted in terms of graduation, and (5) when considering academic areas of study, education-related majors suffered the highest decrease in new entry (25 %), and science-related majors observed the highest decrease in graduation (38 %).

Molecular misconceptions: A cross-national study on university students’ understanding of the mole concept

This study investigates university students’ understanding of the mole concept and its implications for chemistry education, highlighting the critical role of mathematical education. A questionnaire was administered to 303 students from universities in Panama, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, and Spain. The results reveal that only 29.7% of participants recognize the mole as a fundamental unit, while 20.8% confuse the amount of substance with a non-existent “Chemical System.” Only 18.5% correctly identified the substance quantity symbol as “n” and 32.7% were aware that Wilhelm Ostwald introduced the term mole, indicating deficiencies in historical knowledge. The significance of these findings highlights major misconceptions and gaps in both conceptual understanding and historical knowledge, underscoring the urgent need for revised teaching strategies. Addressing these issues is crucial for bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, thereby enhancing instructional methods and optimizing chemistry education to improve students’ comprehension of fundamental concepts.

Motivation of The Volunteer Participants for Social Action Projects in a Private University in Mexico

Motivation of The Volunteer Participants for Social Action Projects in a Private University in Mexico

Uso y aceptación del video como estrategia para mitigar el plagio

The present research aimed to determine the use and acceptance of video in the self-creation of assignments or evidence of learning as a strategy to mitigate plagiarism. This research adopted a mixed design, with an experimental, exploratory, and descriptive scope that reflects an innovative approach to meet this challenge. A non-probabilistic sample was considered, comprised of students in their first semester of higher education in the subject of Introduction to Programming at a public university in Mexico. The participants were divided into an intervention group and a control group. The acceptance of the use of the implemented strategy was evaluated using the Technology Acceptance Model and the results revealed the viability and usefulness of the strategy since the students in the intervention group stood out in the creation of their assignments compared to the control group. There was a positive and strong relationship between academic performance and the perceived usefulness of the strategy. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of teachers promoting the active role of students in the development of their work, to promote authentic learning and guarantee educational quality.

Complex thinking and adopting artificial intelligence tools: a study of university students

In the next 5 years, artificial intelligence (AI) tools are expected to become commonplace in people’s lives, especially in their work processes. Therefore, educational institutions feel intrinsically responsible for ensuring that their students acquire and develop competences associated with the appropriate use of this technology in their educational programs. However, what are the perceptions of students regarding the inclusion of artificial intelligence tools in their educational process and future careers, and what competencies can influence a greater adoption of this technology in the classroom? The objective of this article presents the results of an exploratory study in a sample population of students from a technological university in Mexico, in which their perception and openness toward the training and use of artificial intelligence tools for their professions was examined. Their perception of the development of complex thinking and its sub-competencies was evaluated, recognizing that complex thinking is a valuable cognitive skill to face changes in uncertain environments. The methodology of the study consisted of a multivariate descriptive statistical analysis using R software. The results determined a positive correlation between students’ perceived improvement in the achievement of complex thinking competence and their perception of the use of AI tools. In conclusion, participants perceived the use of these tools as a feature of their profession, although they questioned whether this knowledge is included in their professional training. This article presents several findings that offer ample opportunities for future research.

Using access to higher education to redress inequities: tensions between equity and excellence in the polytechnic universities in Mexico

ABSTRACT Despite the expansion of higher education and the growing number of students from disadvantaged socioeconomic background and/or from ethnic minorities who now access university places, inequalities in access to higher education based on social class and origin remain a challenge. This article analyses the Polytechnic Universities in Mexico, examining them as a public policy for democratising access to higher education. We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with the rectors and heads of the academic administration staff of 12 Polytechnic Universities, aiming to identify the limits and potential of the various strategies that make the PU model a policy of equity. These strategies include (i) the geographical decentralisation of university campuses, (ii) the scholarships and financial aid programmes, and (iii) the recruitment campaigns to attract new students. The interviews enable us to uncover the trade-off between equity and excellence and to observe how the PU model addresses it. While some of the responses and effects have already been examined in the literature, others highlight some nuanced specificities in the context of PUs in Mexico. Our results provide evidence that suggests a need to reconsider the most effective equity PUs strategies for enhancing access to higher education for disadvantaged populations in Mexico.

Factorial Structure of The Quality of Life and University Identity in Students from Northwestern Mexico

The objective of this work was to contrast the hypothesis of significant differences between the quality of university life reported in the literature with respect to the empirical observations in a university in northwestern Mexico. A cross-sectional, exploratory, correlational and psychometric study was carried out with a sample of intentionally selected students. A two-dimensional factorial structure related to quality of life and university identity was found that contravenes the theoretical structure reported in the state of the art, although the literature also suggests the modeling of actors in order to predict academic performance. In this sense, the inclusion of the third factor is recommended whenever the indicators are reduced, and that the adjustment and residual parameters indicate an amplification of the study to other samples, but a reduction of the features of the quality of university life.

Factors Affecting Researchers’ Incentive Preferences: A Cross Sectional Study of Private Universities in Mexico

Factors Affecting Researchers’ Incentive Preferences: A Cross Sectional Study of Private Universities in Mexico

Higher Education in the New Reality: A Study of Students’ Preferences About Digital Learning in Mexico

ABSTRACT Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education students had to switch to online classes to avoid infections, so universities had to adapt to a situation known as emergency remote education and had to provide digital content to simulate the traditional classroom experience. Now, as we transition from the pandemic, returning to in-person education has been a challenge. This period, often referred to as the “new normal,” is characterized by a mix of in-person and digital learning. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate students’ preferences for digital education in this new educational landscape. In this exploratory empirical study, the preferences of undergraduate students at a private university in Mexico were evaluated through a survey. This survey was applied by the Directorate of Educational Innovation and Digital Learning through institutional means in September 2022. It had multiple-choice questions and an open final question. A total of 2725 responses were obtained. Student responses were analyzed using a mixed methods methodology. Responses to multiple-choice questions were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics, while responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis. The results show that although students prefer academic programs with 80 to 100% in-person, they also prefer digital or remote classes. This preference is highlighted by students who work and study simultaneously. These studies show that the hybrid and flexible format (HyFlex) can take off in this new normal. However, more studies are required to demonstrate its effectiveness in learning.

Risk Conditions for Stress, its Coping and its Relationship with Trait-State Anxiety in Nursing Students of a Public University in Guadalajara, Mexico

The level of demand during the academic training of nursing students is high and when there is the presence of risk conditions for stress together with the lack of adequate coping styles, it is very likely that they may present high levels of trait-state anxiety, which can affect the academic performance and health of these students, Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish two multiple regression models, one to analyze the relationship of Trait-State Anxiety and the other for Trait-State Anxiety and its relationship with stress risk conditions and coping styles in nursing students at a public university in Mexico. A total of 740 students were assessed, the models were determined by multiple regression analysis. This study established that nursing students at a public university in Mexico, who make negative evaluations have a higher risk of presenting A-State, and that students who present type A behavior and make positive evaluations, as well as those who consume tobacco, alcohol and/or drugs, increase the risk of A-Trait, Therefore, it is recommended to implement educational programs aimed at providing coping strategies that help to lower the levels of Trait-State Anxiety, as well as to create the choice of healthy practices through the use of protective coping styles to prevent these conditions before they have a negative impact on the health, academic performance and university dropout of nursing students in Mexico.

Teaching English in a Mexican intercultural university: analyzing teacher discourses and practices from ELF perspectives

The purpose of this article is to show how English teachers have integrated the concept of interculturality and how they have affected the teaching of English in an intercultural university in southeastern Mexico. Based on the contributions of the ELF approach, biographical interviews with five English teachers were analyzed to explore their discourses on the educational model and its relationship with the sociocultural context of the Yucatan Peninsula. Interviews were analyzed through discourse analysis and three categories were obtained by which teachers make sense of their current professional practice: (1) the creation of intercultural relationships, (2) the interculturalization of ELT, and (3) discursive tensions towards an intercultural approach. Different positions and definitions about interculturality and its implications in the English classroom were found. Through an ELF approach, emphasis is placed on taking advantage of the diversity present in the classroom to develop intercultural awareness. It also explores the need to pay attention to communicative needs rather than continuing with traditional communication patterns and developing critical thinking in their students.

Government Challenges and Financial Strengthening of Higher Education in Mexico

The allocation of public resources can either enhance or hinder a nation’s educational development at any level. This research examines the direction of international commitmentto education, the role of Higher Education Institutions, and the capture and implementation of funding sources. The text discusses education as a human right and a mechanism forphysical, social, emotional, creative, and humanistic development within socio‑political precepts. The analysis focuses on 13 State Public Universities in Mexico, examiningbudgetary variations and their impact on students and institutions. The text contrasts discursive and factual information. Among the main findings, Mexican Higher Education has the highest budget allocation. However, the sources of financing do not fully cover citizen demand. Operating expenses include the equipment of classrooms, maintenance of buildings, and salary payments. They represent a symbolic and tangible investment inthe talent and development of a historically vulnerable sector that governments should prioritize In conclusion, the consolidation of Higher Education and its universities mustadhere to national and international requirements. This includes expanding the level of education, achieving upward social mobility, and improving the living conditions ofMexicans, regardless of their place of residence or educational environment.

The role of the tutor in the consumption of psychoactive substances in times of pandemic within technological universities

At the end of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a scenario is observed that leaves repercussions in the Universities, among them it affected the students both in their performance, as well as in the social field, to cover these deficiencies, the role of the professor and the tutors was decisive. Therefore, the objective of this article is to describe the influence of the communication and motivation of the tutor on the consumption of psychoactive substances in times of pandemic. The research was quantitative, non-experimental, longitudinal, a data collection instrument with a Likert scale was used through digital media to students of the system of technological universities in Mexico. A descriptive evaluation was carried out and the Spearman test was applied to determine the correlation between communication and motivation on drug use, as results it was possible to define that both have a very strong positive correlation (r=0.83).

Satisfaction in university students: a study of library services

The university library is a fundamental element in the mission of Higher Education Institutions since it provides a space to obtain information that serves as a basis for scientific knowledge. The objective of this research was to measure the satisfaction of students in the areas of Engineering and Technological Development with library services in a public university in southeastern Mexico. The method was quantitative, descriptive and correlational, with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. The population was 5,278 students and through simple random sampling with 95 % confidence and 5 % error, a sample of 360 students was obtained. The instrument reported a reliability through Cronbach's Alpha of α=0,896. The exploratory factor analysis showed a KMO of ,907, Barlett's test of sphericity gave significant values (X2= 2356,439, gl= 171, p≤ ,000) explaining a total variance of 55,517 % which demonstrates a valid and reliable instrument to measure student satisfaction with library services, the data evidenced a sustainable factor model to measure the construct in four dimensions: accessibility, services, human resources and functionality. The results reported that 25,8 % of the students were dissatisfied, indicating the highest degree of dissatisfaction in the availability of computers and Internet access. This research provides data to be considered for the continuous improvement of library services and contributes with methodological aspects that can be extrapolated to other contexts

Effects of environmental, sexual and religious education on abortion intention in a public university in central Mexico

Sexual and reproductive health is often seen as distant from the Sustainable Development Goals and opposed to the religious worldview. The objective of this work was to empirically test an educational workshop with these dimensions in order to promote the use of condoms as an indicator of intellectual capital formation. Four studies were conducted over a subsequent three months. in the same sample of 100 students enrolled in a public university in central Mexico. The results demonstrate a growth curve in learning to use condoms, even though the course contents included the teaching of religious meanings around abortion, the promotion of family planning as a factor of sustainability and the reduction of inexperience. contraceptive as a determining factor of unwanted pregnancy. In relation to the state of the art, the results were discussed, and the extension of the study and the model was recommended in order to establish the compatibility of the three dimensions in the formation of intellectual capital from the framework of the SDGs.

Ethics, transparency and finances in state public universities in Mexico

The UPE in Mexico are entities that financially operate by means of subsidies granted by the federation and the federal entities, which are used to fulfill their substantive and administrative functions; the subsidies are public resources subject to auditing according to various federal provisions; This article highlights the importance of ethics, transparency and accountability in state public universities in Mexico, by means of a non-experimental analysis of quantitative and correlational type and having as results those issued by the Superior Audit Office of the Federation (ASF) in the fiscal year 2020 where it made an average of 20 observations for each UPE of which 3. In addition, there is a moderate correlation between observations made and observations not solved, concluding that ethics, transparency and accountability are determining factors in the efficient use of financial resources in the UPE in Mexico.

A Pilot Study of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Resilience Training on Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation Among Students of a Selected University in Mexico

ABSTRACT Mental distress burdens student populations; meanwhile, intervention-based studies are insufficient. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of cognitive resilience training (CRT) in enhancing students’ mental health. This experimental design study recruited 29 participants (mean age = 21.70; SD = 2.55) from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez (UACJ) in northern Mexico. A questionnaire pack containing the General Anxiety Disorder-2, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale was utilized. At the pretest, there was no significant difference between the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). At the posttest, the CG scored higher on anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation compared to its EG counterparts. However, the EG’s participants exhibited higher resilience, leading to a reduction in mental distress compared to their control group counterparts. The study concluded that CRT is an effective intervention for enhancing students’ mental health. Therefore, it is recommended for use in university clinical settings.