The study investigated the beliefs expressed by a sample of 206 Polish and Spanish teacher-trainees about the use of learners’ native language (L1) in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Quantitative and qualitative data from a questionnaire revealed considerable differences between the two nationality groups in their beliefs about both medium-oriented and framework-oriented functions of the L1 in an L2 classroom. Moreover, significant differences were found in the participants’ accounts of their prior EFL learning experience in terms of the L1–L2 proportion in teachers’ classroom language use. A possible interpretation of these findings relates trainees’ beliefs to the L2 educational cultures prevalent in different countries, pointing to a contextually-mediated complexity of teacher-trainees’ belief systems. The study adds to the existing research on the issues underlying L1 use in L2 teaching that are currently under debate by offering a cross-national comparison of teacher-trainees’ beliefs about the place of the L1 in L2 instruction.

Factores que influyen en los enfoques de aprendizaje universitario. Una revisión sistemática

Introducción: La investigación educativa de los últimos años ha explorado los enfoques de enseñanza de los profesores universitarios. Uno de los instrumentos más empleados para medir dichos enfoques es el Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI) (Trigwell y Prosser, 2004). Los objetivos de esta investigación fueron: a) analizar la fiabilidad y validez de dos versiones en castellano del ATI aplicadas en dos estudios independientes, y b) presentar una propuesta de cuestionario y analizar su consistencia interna y validez. Método: Las muestras estuvieron constituidas por docentes y profesores en formación de dos universidades españolas. Resultados: Se detectaron coincidencias en los resultados de sendas versiones en castellano del ATI en cuanto a la fiabilidad, estructura factorial, y cargas de ítems, lo que apuntó a la necesidad de desarrollar una nueva versión (S-ATI-20). Conclusiones: Los resultados destacan la importancia de traducir los cuestionarios adecuadamente y adaptarlos al contexto. La estructura factorial apoya el modelo de dos escalas del ATI, pero la falta de correlación entre escalas apunta a la posibilidad de considerar otros modelos para explicar los enfoques de enseñanza. Los resultados aquí presentados son preliminares, pero el S-ATI-20 podría emplearse para la auto-reflexión y auto-evaluación del profesorado.

Enfoques de aprendizaje y enfoques de enseñanza: origen y evolución

There is a growing importance of competences as an essential curricular element in higher education since they allow for the transfer of knowledge to diverse academic and professional contexts. For the foundation, taxonomy and classification of this study, we obtained ratings from 543 students at two prestigious Spanish universities. The different competences were grouped by management and planning, higher cognitive skills, quality management and innovation, expression and communication and knowledge acquisition. We evaluated the attitudes of university students regarding competences in a pedagogical design; it was expected that students valued the importance of competencies in pedagogical contexts and the skill in these competences. Students highlighted the importance of management and planning, higher cognitive skills, quality management and innovation, expression and communication, knowledge society and teamwork. A correlation analysis between the importance of and skill in the studied competences was also included. Obtained data detail the importance that students give to competences. The participants also detailed the deficiencies in their skill on most competences. The lack of correlation between importance and skill is detailed, as well as the importance of management and planning competences in curricular design in higher education.