The use of formative and shared or co-assessment has been shown to improve the motivation, involvement and learning of university students. The aim of this study is to analyse the effect that implementing these processes has on university students’ perception of their acquisition of transversal competences. The participants in the study were 1021 students from five Spanish universities taking degree courses in primary education or physical education and sport science. They all experienced formative and shared or co-assessment throughout a complete academic year of their courses. For the data collection, a Self-Perception Scale of Transversal Competences was created, which had adequate values of reliability and validity. Using a transversal design (inter-subjects), inferential statistical analysis was undertaken of the differences in means between the perception of a range of transversal competences before and after the course. The results show significant perceived improvements at the end of the course for most of the competences analysed, which indicates, among other thing, the value and importance of this type of assessment for the educational process.

Attitudes Towards Mathematics: Construction and Validation of a Measurement Instrument // Las actitudes hacia las matemáticas: Construcción y validación de un instrumento para su medida

Research on the relationships between the main constructs underlying inquiry-based learning is rarely reported in mathematics education research. Considering this as a complex problem which is worth to be investigated, the present study aims to provide some empirical evidences that might serve as an insight to support further investigations on the relationships between attitudes towards mathematics and inquiry-based learning approaches. Thus, this study adopts a descriptive research design where no variables are manipulated but observed and measured in order to identify changes depicted in data collection. An instructional design focusing on the nature of mathematical inquiry is carried out with the participation of 304 secondary and high school students, and a clustering approach is used to look at how participants are grouped around certain attitudinal profiles before and after such mathematical practice. The results show how the heterogeneity of attitudinal profiles present in the classroom evolves positively in terms of perceived usefulness of mathematics and mathematical self-concept as perception of competence in mathematics. This fact provides some basis that might be used for further research on the idea that certain forms of development in inquiry-based mathematics education (IBME) based on greater immersion in the nature and culture of mathematics can help students to improve their attitudes towards mathematics.

Este artículo describe el proceso de validación de una escala para conocer las percepciones sobre metodologías participativas y de evaluación formativa de estudiantes universitarios de titulaciones de Educación Física. Se ha realizado un proceso de validación de contenido, comprensión y fiabilidad del cuestionario en tres fases: En la primera, de validación de expertos con seis jueces expertos en evaluación universitaria; en la segunda, de validación de la comprensión, con una muestra de 50 estudiantes; en la tercera, de fiabilidad y validación general, con 892 estudiantes universitarios de 10 universidades españolas. Los resultados han mostrado la fiabilidad del instrumento y la confirmación con el análisis factorial. La escala resulta ser un instrumento válido para ayudar al profesorado a analizar las percepciones de los estudiantes en relación con las metodologías participativas y la evaluación formativa. Se espera que sea una herramienta eficaz para orientar el cambio y la mejora en la docencia universitaria.   PALABRAS CLAVE: Cuestionario, Validación, Evaluación formativa, Metodología participativa, Formación inicial, Educación física, Educación superior.   ABSTRACT This article describes the validation process of a scale aimed at knowing the perceptions regarding participative methodologies and the formative evaluation of Physical Education university students. We have undertaken a process of validation of the contents, comprehensibility and reliability of the questionnaire in three stages: In the first one, expert validation with six expert judges in university evaluation; in the second, comprehensibility validation with a sample of 50 students; in the third, reliability and general validation, with 892 university students from 10 Spanish universities. Results show the reliability of the instrument and the confirmation with the factorial analysis. The scale has turned out to be a useful instrument to help teachers analyse students' perceptions regarding participative methodologies and formative evaluation. We hope it becomes a useful tool to redirect modifications and improvements in university teaching.  KEYWORDS: Questionnaire, Validation, Formative assessment, Participative methodology, Initial training, Physical education, Higher education.