Digital competence is one of the eight key competences for life-long learning developed by the European Commission, and is a requisite for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion, and employment in a knowledge society. To accompany young learners in the development of competence, and to guarantee optimal implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs), it is necessary that teachers are, in turn, literate. We had 43 secondary school teachers in initial training to assess their own level of competence in 21 sub-competences in five areas identified by the DIGCOMP project, using the rubrics provided in the Common Digital Competence Framework for Teachers (Spanish Ministry of Education). Overall, pre-service teachers’ conceptions about their level of digital competence was low (Initial). Students scored highest in information, which refers mostly to the operations they performed while being students. Secondly, in safety and communication, excluding protection of digital data and preservation of digital identity. Lowest values were achieved in content creation and problem solving, the dimensions most closely related with the inclusion of ICTs to transform teaching-learning processes. The knowledge or skills they exhibit are largely self-taught and, so, we perceive an urgent need to purposefully incorporate relational and didactic aspects of ICT integration.

A striking increase in the use of new information and communication technology has come about in recent years. This study analysed the characteristics and habits of Internet use in a sample of pre-adolescents between 10 and 13 years of age, enrolled in the 6th grade of primary school in Navarra (Spain). Likewise, the existence of differential patterns in Internet use by sex was analysed, and risk behaviours were detected. The sample was composed of 364 students (206 boys and 158 girls) who were evaluated at their schools. Information about socio-demographic characteristics, Internet use habits, and online behaviours was collected using a data-gathering tool specifically designed for the study. The results demonstrated high Internet use by the adolescents studied. Girls used the Internet more for social relationships, whereas boys tended to use it differently, including accessing online games. Moreover, some risky behaviours were found, including interactions with strangers, giving out personal information, and sending photos and videos. Likewise, behaviours associated with «cyber-bullying» were detected. These results indicate the necessity of establishing prevention programs for safe and responsible Internet use. En los últimos años se ha producido un aumento espectacular del uso de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación. En este estudio se analizaron las características y el patrón del uso de Internet en una muestra de preadolescentes de entre 10 y 13 años, que cursan 6º curso de Educación Primaria en Navarra (España). Asimismo, se analizó la existencia de un perfil diferencial en el uso de Internet en función del sexo y se detectó la existencia de conductas de riesgo. La muestra estaba compuesta por 364 estudiantes (206 chicos y 158 chicas), que fueron evaluados en sus centros educativos. Se recogió información sobre las características sociodemográficas, los hábitos de uso de Internet y los comportamientos desarrollados en la Red a través de un instrumento de recogida de datos diseñado específicamente para la investigación. Los resultados mostraron un uso elevado de Internet por parte de los adolescentes estudiados. Las chicas usaban más Internet para las relaciones sociales, mientras que los chicos tendían a darle otro tipo de usos, como el acceso a juegos online. Además, se encontraron algunas conductas de riesgo, como quedar con desconocidos, dar datos personales o enviar fotos y vídeos. Asimismo, se encontraron comportamientos relacionados con el «ciberbullying». Estos resultados indican la necesidad de establecer programas de prevención para el uso seguro y responsable de Internet.

The increasing presence and relevance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in learning scenarios has imposed new demands on teachers, who must be able to design new learning situations while relying on the growing supply of available digital resources. One of the fields that more urgently needs to utilize the potential benefits of ICT to transform learning is sustainability, and more precisely the development of sustainability competences (SCs). Indeed, wider societal changes are needed that ensure a balance between economic growth, respect for the environment, and social justice, and these changes must start with individual action, knowledge, and the capacity and willingness to act (i.e., the definition of “competence”). However, although there is a wide consensus on the fact that education should ensure the acquisition of competences for life, making this a reality may be more problematic. This difficulty stems, partly, from a lack of a definition of the intervening elements (knowledge, skills, values, attitudes) that enables the integration of competences into specific learning sequences and activities. Taking into account all the above and the difficulties that teachers face in choosing relevant resources and incorporating competences into their planning, we propose a series of indicators that serve to characterize the four dimensions of scientific competence: contents of science, contents about science, the value of science, and the utility of science in educational materials. Although primarily intended for filtering multimedia resources in an educational platform, this instrument (as well as the indicators therein) can be extrapolated to the selection and management of a variety of resources and activities, eventually selecting those that are more useful for the acquisition of the scientific competence. They can also provide learning-managers with a common ground to work on by sharing the objectives and indicators related to the acquisition of competences.

La competencia investigativa es fundamental para construir una cultura científica básica. Trabajarla desde la primera infancia contribuye a desarrollar la capacidad de elaborar explicaciones a partir de la indagación y la construcción teórica. La mayoría de las investigaciones sobre la competencia investigativa del profesorado se enfocan desde un plano teórico. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las percepciones de 208 alumnos del Grado de Maestro sobre su propia competencia investigativa y contrastarlas con su desempeño real. Las percepciones se valoran mediante un cuestionario que toma en cuenta las habilidades y destrezas vinculadas a la competencia investigativa, ajustadas en una escala Likert. El desempeño se midió a partir de cuatro tareas que responden a los tipos de pensamiento exigidos para el desarrollo de esta competencia: comprensivo, crítico, creativo y metacognitivo. Los resultados muestran que el alumnado no es consciente de sus carencias ni de sus necesidades formativas, lo que es imprescindible para aprender a aprender.

La interculturalidad en la educación superior universitaria es un factor más de calidad educativa, que implica la introducción de aspectos como la convivencia, la valoración y validación del otro, y la interacción a través del mutuo reconocimiento. La formación inicial del profesorado debería desarrollar la competencia intercultural como combinación de capacidades específicas como: (1) las actitudes positivas hacia la diversidad cultural; (2) la capacidad comunicativa; (3) la capacidad de manejar conflictos en situaciones interculturales; y (4) la capacidad de tener conciencia sobre la propia cultura y sobre cómo esta influye en la visión e interpretación de la realidad. Los objetivos del estudio son analizar las actitudes de una muestra de alumnado sobre la inmigración en el contexto educativo, y sus percepciones sobre la interculturalidad como propuesta pedagógica. La muestra de alumnado pertenece a los grados de Magisterio en educación infantil, primaria y Pedagogía de dos universidades: Málaga y Pública de Navarra. Se adopta un enfoque de investigación de tipo descriptivo, y se emplea un cuestionario de evaluación diseñado ad hoc para este estudio comparativo. Los resultados indican que la muestra posee actitudes positivas hacia la interculturalidad, pero demanda más formación en el resto de capacidades que forman la competencia intercultural.

This study carried out an assessment of the effectiveness of a digital literacy programme for primary education students. A quasi-experimental design with repeated measures of assessment was used. The sample consisted of 364 students (206 male and 158 female) from the sixth year of primary education. The students were assessed in their own schools and the sample was divided into two groups: experimental group (N = 190) and control group (N = 174). The assessment was carried out in three sessions: pre-intervention, post-intervention and six-month follow-up. The programme was composed of three sessions aimed at improving digital literacy, as a way of developing a safe and responsible use of the internet. The results obtained after the intervention showed statistically significant differences in the comparison between the two groups. Specifically, the experimental group reached a significantly higher degree of digital literacy (conceptual, procedural and attitudinal) than the control group after passing through the programme.