University Of Chile Research Articles

About the Authors

About the Authors

Association between Sleep Quality and Physical Activity in Physical Education Students in Chile in the Pandemic Context: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Due to the health restrictions put in place to face the pandemic, a decrease in the levels of physical activity and an alteration in the quality of sleep have been observed. One group susceptible to these changes is represented by students of physical education pedagogy, who, under normal conditions, present high levels of physical activity. However, the correlation between these variables has not been studied in the context of a pandemic lockdown. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the quality of sleep and physical activity level as a function of gender and evaluate the association between quality of sleep and physical activity level in physical education pedagogy students during the COVID-19 pandemic considering sociodemographic and health characteristics. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was applied to 280 Chilean university students of physical education pedagogy. The survey considered sociodemographic information, healthy habits, and self-reported health and included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) for physical activity levels and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality. Results: The prevalence of good sleep quality was 20.4%. Furthermore, 52.9% of students had a high level of physical activity. Regression analysis between PSQI global score and age-adjusted physical activity levels indicated that being male and presenting a high level of physical activity favored a better PSQI global score. Conclusions: The prevalence of good sleep quality was low in general and significantly lower in women. Being male and having a high level of physical activity during quarantine benefits good sleep quality, regardless of age.

Emotion differentiation and negative emotional states: the mediating role of perceived academic control and the moderated effect of intrinsic motivation.

University students experience academic pressure, fatigue, and changes in their everyday and social lives during their transition into college. This study explored variables that influenced first-year students’ stress, anxiety, and depression at a university in Chile. The remnant of long-term social unrest, which emerged at the end of the dictatorship in 1990, has lasted for more than three decades. It is present in the education sector and might reflect the negative emotional states that Chilean students still experience. In this way, students' capacity to distinguish and to regulate stress, anxiety, and depression is crucial, especially in contexts where intense negative emotional states occur; thus, more research is needed to achieve a richer understanding in academic settings. The study involved testing hypotheses over 6 months to undertake a regression-based path analysis using simple mediation and moderated mediation analysis. Results revealed that students’ perceptions of their academic control mediated the relationship between their factor differentiation of emotional experiences and stress, anxiety, and depression. The indirect effect was statistically significantly moderated by intrinsic motivation. Consequently, the effect of their ability to differentiate emotions on stress, anxiety, and depression through the mediator changed due to the levels of intrinsic motivation. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

Mundo[>·<]interior// backup! v.3.1 Un ejercicio de archivo performativo para el patrimonio artístico digital latinoamericano

The present article addresses the exhibition mundo[>·<] interior// backup! v.3.1 [InsideWorld] which took place at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) of the Faculty of Arts, University of Chile, between October 2021 and March 2022. The exhibition took up the challenge of presenting a series of digital Works from the‘90 and early 2000, collected by artist Brian Mackern. In order to do so, the curatorial approach had to deal with problems such as the historiographical invisibility of Latin American artistic-digital production, the difficulty of collecting Works based on obsolete technologies, and its preservation problems. The exploration of mundo[>·<]interior allow us to discuss the notion of “archival performativity” as a creative and divergent strategy for the recognition and activation of the heritage of pioneering digital art projects/objects; which implies, additionally, the analysis of key issues in this field such as virtuality, materiality and digital memory.

Promoting pedagogy students’s scientific skills through critical thinking program

Introduction. Critical thinking is a highly-valued skill in higher education, even though there are few studies that demonstrate its effectiveness on scientific skills of pedagogy students. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of a critical thinking program (PENCRIT-RC) on inquiry and probabilistic reasoning skills in pedagogy students. Method. The method was based on a quasi-experimental design, with a control group and pre- and post-test application. The participants were 95 students of science and mathematics pedagogy from two Chilean universities. The instruments used were an inquiry scale adapted from a critical thinking test, and a scale of probabilistic reasoning adapted from the Lawson classroom test. Descriptive and bivariated analisys (ancova) was applied to calculate data. Results. The results showed a statistically significant difference in both variables for the experimental group, with a large effect in the inquiry variable, and a moderate effect in the probabilistic reasoning variable. Discussion and Conclusion. It is concluded that the program is effective for the development of inquiry skills in participants, but probabilistic reasoning skills require more work in professional training.

Ensuring Teaching Continuity: Chilean University Students’ Perception on Remote Teaching of English during COVID 19 Pandemic

<em>The objective of our study is to know the perception of Chilean university students toward the pedagogical methodologies in online English classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We applied a questionnaire (built by fifteen experts, validated through a pilot test of 34 students, and improved with licensed 21.0 version SPSS in terms of consistency) to 341 students from different university programs. We analyzed the responses quantitatively and qualitatively and found out that 75% of the 341 students surveyed have shown agreement with the pedagogical methodologies applied in online classes and motivation in learning due to the permanent concern and communication of the teacher in charge. Besides, the students have also yielded satisfactory learning outcomes. These results reveal that the online English teaching of Chilean higher education during the pandemic has been good and indirectly show the willingness of Chilean university teachers to receive relevant and continuous training to deliver quality education. In 2022, many countries have returned to face-to-face classes, but we believe that the pedagogical methodologies used in this research could serve as a reference for teachers or researchers worldwide who wish to incorporate into their face-to-face classes a part of online teaching and do research on online English teaching.</em>

Ximena Aguilera—guiding pandemic preparedness in Chile

Thanks to her early aptitude at reading, Ximena Aguilera skipped a year of primary school and started medical school at the University of Chile (Santiago, Chile), aged just 16 years. It was clear her talents lay in science and she decided on medicine (even though she was also a top 100 m sprinter in her youth). Today, she is Director of the Center of Epidemiology and Public Health Policies, and full professor at the Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile, and President of the Independent Advisory Board for the COVID-19 response, which has been working with the Chilean Ministry of Health since the beginning of the pandemic.

Assessing digital competence and its relationship with the socioeconomic level of Chilean university students

Digital competence (DC) is one of the key aspects in citizen development in the digital age. The DC is particularly important in forming university students and future teachers. This article presents the main results of a study to evaluate DC and its relationship with the socioeconomic level of first-year students of pedagogy in three Chilean public universities, located in the north, center, and south of the country. A quantitative research methodology was used, with a sample of 817 students, the data were collected through the DIGCOMP-PED evaluation instrument, which evaluates DC development using the DIGCOMP framework. The results were analyzed at the general and socioeconomic level on the variables of the educational establishment where they attended high school and the territorial area of the university they attended. The main results indicate that the level of DC achievement is intermediate, the areas with the highest levels of achievement were “network security” and “online communication and collaboration.” On the other hand, the lowest levels of achievement were reached in the areas “information and digital literacy,” “digital content creation,” and “problem solving.” The level of DC is higher among students of private establishments and those who attend universities located in the central area.

Imagined social capital in the transition from school to university in Chile: narratives of first generation university students

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to analyse first-generation Chilean students' transition experiences from secondary school to university.Design/methodology/approachThis article presents the analysis results of 12 visual narratives of first-generation Chilean university students, who provided an account of their transition experience from secondary school to university. Participants explored the connections between their most valuable learning experiences during photo-elicitation interviews. The study used Quinn's notion of imagined social capital to understand the transition experience.FindingsThe analysis reveals the significance of secondary school experiences in understanding students' attitudes toward the university. In an extremely segregated school system, participants' secondary school experiences demonstrated a strong bond with classmates from their social class and a feeling of distance from institutions and their hierarchical structure. In this context, the university space is symbolically recreated into a learning space consistent with their social background.Social implicationsThe research study highlights the need to increase understandings of school experiences and how these shape university transitions in order to effectively support students during the first years of university. In addition, it draws attention to the need to develop strategies that recognize the complex, collective and contextualized understandings of students' transition.Originality/valueThe research aimed to understand the experience of transition of first generation students from their own narratives and relational perspectives in contrast with the prevailing paradigms which are often individualized and linear.

Design and Study of the Psychometric Properties of a Professors’ Expectations of Virtual University Education Questionary

<p style="text-align:justify">This work describes the design and validation of a questionnaire to assess the expectations of higher education professors regarding virtual education (CEDVES). The sample included 546 professors, 299 men (54.66%) and 247 women (45.23%), from different scientific disciplines of a university in Chile. The final version consisted of 38 items answered using a five-point Likert scale. Nine factors were identified from the exploratory factor analysis. This configuration accounts for 75% of the variance. The structure of the instrument was studied using confirmatory factor analysis. It was found that nine factors produced a good fit, derived from a hierarchical solution in which all these factors depend on a factor of second general order. Each of the scales, like the general factor, present good indicators of reliability. The analysis indicates that this questionnaire has adequate validation and could be broadly used in higher education.</p>

The impact of non-cognitive factors on admission to selective universities: the case of Chile

ABSTRACT Some universities, often the most prestigious in a higher education system, select qualified applicants solely on the basis of their measured academic or cognitive abilities. The universities’ assumption is that these cognitive abilities are an accurate and complete measure of the applicants’ capacity to benefit from university study. This study assesses the extent to which the cognitive measures used are partially the result of other, non-cognitive factors unrelated to future academic performance. Sole reliance on cognitive measures skews university admission in favour of those of higher socioeconomic status. Data for the study were collected by the University of Chile’s Department of Evaluation, Measurement and Educational Registration (DEMRE) from 190,000 applicants seeking admission to Chile’s 39 selective universities in 2019. The analysis identifies the direct and indirect effects of variables measuring applicants’ cognitive and non-cognitive attributes. Logistic regression models were constructed to estimate the differential effect of the two types of factors on admission. The results indicate that non-cognitive factors have an indirect effect on admission through their effect on cognitive scores. Access to selective universities in Chile is partially influenced by students’ prior social, cultural, and economic conditions. As a consequence, university education is distributed partially on the basis of social origin and not just ability. The admission process should be changed to reduce discrimination against applicants based on their social origin.

Conocimiento de futuros profesores chilenos de matemática sobre los números decimales

Mathematics teachers' knowledge of the different numerical sets is essential for their appropriate teaching. We analysed and evaluated the knowledge of a group of 25 prospective mathematics teachers at a Chilean university about decimal numbers. Participants were given two tasks, adapted from previous research (Konic, 2011), to describe the strategies they use in relation to the concept and properties of decimal numbers. The study used some elements of the Didactic-Mathematical Knowledge Model proposed by Godino and cols. As results of the content analysis of the answers, the participants show a limited knowledge of common and specialised contents, and different semiotic conflicts are identified, such as the application of the idea of successor or the identification of the decimal number as a number expressed by writing with commas.

Exploring the relationship between L2 language proficiency, language learning strategies, and self-efficacy: evidence from chilean classrooms

Language learning strategy (LLS) use and L2 self-efficacy (SE) have been regarded as crucial for the development oflearners of a second language (Rose et al., 2018). Although the relationship between these two variables has been addressed in the literature, scant attention has been given to how L2 language proficiency is related to both constructs in EFL contexts. Therefore, the present quantitative study gathered questionnaire data to characterize the relationship between the LLSs, SE perceptions, and L2 language proficiency of 47 adult EFL learners at a Chilean university. Results revealed significant strong correlations between speaking SE and cognitive strategies, as well as between writing SE and memory strategies. Weak but significant correlations were found between language proficiency and receptive skills (listening and writing SE). Pedagogical implications refer to the ways in which EFL teachers can increase their learners’ use of metacognitive strategies and increase their SE.

Chilean University Students' Satisfaction With Online Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic: Demonstrating the Two-Layer Methodology.

Student satisfaction is a crucial determinant of success in online education, but studies on satisfaction with virtual classes during the COVID-19 outbreak are still scarce. This research contributes empirical evidence regarding the determinants of overall satisfaction with online classes and academic performance through the domain satisfaction approach. Additionally, we introduce to the psychological literature the two-layer model, a well-known econometric methodology, to estimate the effect of domain satisfaction while controlling the impact of unobserved individual differences. Our analyses are based on a cross-sectional sample of n = 648 Chilean university students (53.4% female) surveyed at the end of the first academic semester of 2021, during the lockdown mandated by the Chilean government due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that satisfaction with the support provided by the university, satisfaction with learning, and satisfaction with the perceived quality of the online classes significantly explain the 68% of the variance of satisfaction with the virtual classes experience. Furthermore, satisfaction with academic performance is significantly explained by satisfaction with grades, learning, and the perceived quality of the online classes (R2 = .65). We also explore heterogeneous effects, separating them by gender and geographic area, and find that domains that systematically impact students’ satisfaction with online education are satisfaction with grades, learning, and the quality of classes.

Teamwork competency scale (TCS) from the individual perspective in university students

The main purpose of this study was to design and validate a scale to evaluate the development of teamwork competence of undergraduate students (TCS, teamwork competence scale). The research instrument used for validation and design has nine specific dimensions: Collective efficacy, learning orientation, establishing group goals, planning and coordination, communication, conflict management, problem solving, performance monitoring and back-up behavior. The sample consisted of a total of 802 freshmen of a Chilean university. For the statistical analysis, the method of partial least squares (PLS) was approached within a structural equation modeling (SEM). Results show that the TCS is a valid and reliable research instrument to assess the level of development of teamwork competence in undergraduate students.

Lecturers’ Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Students’ Disposition towards Studying during Online Teaching in the COVID-19 Pandemic

When examining learning at university, especially in a pandemic context, it is important to analyze the actions taken by lecturers to promote students’ disposition towards studying. The objectives of this research project were to analyze the activities lecturers implement in class to promote their students’ disposition towards studying; examine lecturers’ basic psychological needs satisfaction levels; and determine the relationship between feedback, beliefs, and affect for self-regulation and lecturers’ basic psychological needs satisfaction. A quantitative methodological approach, with a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional design was used, with a sample of 97 lecturers from Chilean universities. Data collection took place through a battery of instruments: the promotion of disposition towards studying survey; the feedback scale for self-regulation; the beliefs and affect in self-regulation survey; the satisfaction of basic psychological needs survey; and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The results showed that the promotion of disposition towards studying was a key factor to face social distancing and the loss of self-regulation for learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a positive correlation was found between beliefs and affect in relation to self-regulation and satisfaction levels of basic psychological needs in the participating lecturers.

Civilizing mummies: an adventure of technicians in archaeological collections

ABSTRACT In this article, I follow the work of technicians organizing a collection of mummified materials in a university of Chile. In doing this, I translate some points of laboratory studies into another context: a deposit of archaeological collections. By following how technicians sort out the collections and exploring their roles in the making of knowledges tinged by hands-on experience, I unravel with a “Whiteheadean twist” how conservation practices are a matter of concern in archaeology. Insofar the mummies are preserved as “material heritages” and witnessed in public as “carriers of civilization,” these “ambassadors of the past” are haunted in turn by their histories. But in the hands of technicians, I speculate that mummified materials become archeological objects imbued with a particular mode of existence. Through their work, they get to know the life-histories of mummies and in such stories, I focus on a sense of permanence, felt as an ideal purpose of conservation in archaeological collections. I analyze this with Whitehead’s notion of civilization to underscore how conservation processes aim at attaining everlasting things. In this sense, I develop the point that civilizations function as lures for collecting and preserving things.

Exploring the Relationship between Metalinguistic Knowledge and Communicative Competence of Chilean EFL Teacher Trainees

There is enough evidence that Metalinguistic Knowledge (MK) benefits second language (SL) and foreign language (FL) learners’ communicative skills and SL and FL teachers’ classroom performance, therefore it should be an important component in SL and FL teacher training. Very little is known, however, about Chilean English as Foreign Language (EFL) teacher trainees, who are, at the same time, language learners. The study reported here aimed to find out the correlation and regression of future Chilean EFL teachers’ MK and their Communicative Competence (CC). In order to measure their MK, two tests were used: the Metalinguistic Knowledge Test and the Grammaticality Judgement Test. In regard to their CC, the grades of the English CC Development Course were considered. The participants were 59 first year EFL teacher trainees of an EFL teacher training program of a Chilean university. General results show that there is a positive moderate correlation between MK and CC and that the GJT and the MKT explain 26,5 % of the CC Final Grade.

E-Portfolio as an Evaluative Tool for Emergency Virtual Education: Analysis of the Case of the University Andres Bello (Chile) During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The pandemic had serious implications for university education, specifically due to the transition from face-to-face teaching to online methodologies. This article analyzes the perception of students undergoing speech therapy from a Chilean University about the E-portfolio incorporation as an evaluative tool during the emergency virtual teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From quantitative research, a survey of 38 questions based on Likert scales was applied to 108 penultimate year undergraduate students. The survey demonstrated that there is an improvement in the methodology and teaching support, as well as in the creativity and professionalism of the students.

Incentive Policies for Scientific Publications in the State Universities of Chile

Most state universities in Chile (15 out of 18) have monetary incentive policies for scientific publications, but they are based on criteria that do not necessarily aim to improve institutional performance in all disciplines. This work compares affinities and differences of these policies in three areas: (i) type of publications encouraged, (ii) beneficiaries, and (iii) monetary amounts per type of publication. It was found that the 15 universities encourage publications with WoS indexing, 13 do so for Scopus and SciELO, and 6 are open to other databases. Only seven institutions encourage the production of books and book chapters. As expected, the 15 universities direct the incentives to their academic staff, although with different requirements, six accept non-academic staff, and only one university considers its student body. In general, the highest monetary amounts are received by WoS publications, with differentiation by quartile or impact factor of the journal. All in all, there is a clear need to design incentive policies in universities that are more homogeneous and take into account the “quality” and “impact” of the research they publish based on different metrics that tend to provide robust analyses in the different areas of knowledge.