School environment refers to the set of relationships that occur among members of a school community that are determined by structural, personal, and functional factors of the educational institution, which provide distinctiveness to schools. The school environment is an important factor when evaluating student well-being. Previous findings have shown that variables such as physical, academic, and social dimensions influence school environments. This research seeks to explain the relationship between school environment and the well-being of primary education students. To carry out this research, a total of 405 students from four public elementary schools in northwestern Mexico were selected to participate. The instrument used to measure the variables and the relationship of school environment and well-being is based on the three dimensions of school environment proposed by Kutsyuruba et al. (2015): Physical, social, and academic. Statistical analyses were carried out to determine the reliability and validity of the measurement scales using SPSS V20 and EQS software. Confirmatory factor analysis models were tested to determine the construct validity of each scale; then, an analysis via structural equation modeling was made to form an explanatory model obtaining acceptable practical and statistical indicators. Among the relationships in this study, our research identified the variable of school environments as an outcome determined by physical, academic, and social factors. School environment and student well-being variables were also found to be correlated.

This study examines the relationship between connectedness to nature, spirituality, wellbeing and sustainable behaviour in two different cultural contexts: the cities of Nantes, France, and Hermosillo, Mexico. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), the results show that, in both places, connectedness to nature fosters spirituality and personal wellbeing, but that spirituality does not explain wellbeing. In the Mexican case studied, we observed that sustainable behaviour is explained by connectedness to nature and spirituality, and that this behaviour, in turn, favours personal wellbeing. The perspectives and limitations of the study are discussed.

Nature connectedness is determined by the representation individuals have about themselves within nature. This concept is often studied in relation to the direct contact individuals have with natural environment, which according to some studies have demonstrated to generate positive effects by fostering a feeling of connecting and bonding with nature, as well as improving their wellbeing. The main focus of this study was to calculate and assess the relation between Nature Connectedness and wellbeing of participants. The methodological approach of this research reaches quantitative data comparing results obtained from both samples, as well as correlations between the variables. The sample for this study was composed by two groups of university students (M = 25 years old). Both contrast group (n = 32) and experience group (n = 29) filled the questionnaire in two separate moments and in different environments. First data collection moment for both groups was held inside a university classroom. A second moment of data collection was carried out after a month from the first application, having the contrast group answer the questionnaire on a classroom again whilst the experience group responded it during an excursion to Isla Del Tiburon in Northwestern Mexico after performing some recreational activities being totally immersed in a local desertic environment. Questionnaire was composed by a 6 point Likert type scale measuring Nature Connectedness through concepts such as Nature relatedness and Love and care for the natural, as well as Subjective and Psychological Wellbeing of participants. Results show that both wellbeing and Nature Connectedness are positively influenced by performing activities out in the natural environment. This work was also conducted in response to the need to understand the full extent of Contact and Connectedness to nature, carrying out an exploratory study in desertic settings when much of the early work centers around the study of these variables in green nature environments.

Environmental psychology is a particular area or subfield of psychology, especially involved in the delimitation of the causes and solutions of environmental problems. This area deals with the study of the interactions between human behavior and the socio-physical components of the environment. The emphasis on the interrelationship of environment and behavior is important; not only physical settings affect people’s behavior, individuals actively influence the environment. Thus, several studies have proposed the existence of a series of predispositions which allow the appreciation of diversity and the interdependence of person–environment relationships, making it possible to adopt lifestyles that can guarantee the sustainability of socio-ecological systems for present and future generations. Therefore, in order to work towards the goals of sustainability, it is necessary to know which are the inclinations or dispositions that people present when caring for the environment. The objective of this research was to identify the association between the variables of psychosocial predispositions towards sustainability with environmental identity in a sample of higher education students from southern Sonora. Nine different scales to measure these predispositions were applied to 417 students, considering emotions towards the environment, environmental and socio-environmental actions, as well as a scale to measure environmental identity. Results revealed, on the one hand, that first-order factors emerged consistently, indicating the presence of a higher-order factor (psychosocial predispositions towards sustainability). On the other hand, we found this construct is related in a bidirectional way with environmental identity, that is, that both the emotions and actions carried out by the students in favor of the environment are related to the degree of identification they have with it, and vice versa, thereby demonstrating an interdependence relationship between these two variables. These findings suggest that the presence of certain psychological characteristics in people would promote a closer relationship with nature, which could encourage participation in caring for the environment.

The relationship between career choice and academic achievement associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has been extensively studied from the Educational Psychology Approach. The present study examined the impact of academic motivation on affective engagement, focusing on the mediating role of self-efficacy in pre-college students. A sample of 324 students between 17 and 19 years (M = 17.41; SD = 0.506; 51% females, 49% males) from different schools located in northwestern Mexico participated in completing a self-report questionnaire about math and science engagement, self-efficacy to science and math, and academic motivation. Statistical analyses were carried out to determine the reliability and validity of the measurement scale; posteriorly, a mediation analysis was used to determinate the direct and indirect effects of the structural model. The results revealed high correlations between the three study variables. Both mediation analysis and structural equation modeling indicated that academic motivation influences affective engagement through its relationship with self-efficacy. Although self-efficacy has a direct effect on affective engagement, it is also affected by academic motivation, so the interaction between these two generates an influence on affective engagement. In this research, a strong relationship was observed between academic motivation and self-efficacy, indicating that students who are motivated and enjoy performing activities related to their science and math classes have previous experiences of success in these tasks. These results provide new insights for the improvement of strategies regarding the training and performance of pre-university students in the areas of science and mathematics by considering their affective states.

Se desarrolló un estudio con el propósito de analizar cómo algunas variables ambientales (temperatura, hacinamiento, ruido, privacidad, profundidad, entre otras) de las viviendas influyen en los niveles de estrés percibido y en la violencia familiar. Para lo anterior se empleó un instrumento que evalúa algunas variables de habitabilidad y otro relacionado con la violencia intrafamiliar, en sus modalidades de violencia entre la pareja y abuso hacia los niños, así como una escala de estrés percibido, los cuales fueron aplicados a 200 amas de casa de la ciudad de Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Para el análisis de datos se obtuvieron estadísticas univariadas, una matriz de correlaciones entre las variables, a partir de la cual se generó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, conformado por tres factores primarios (Mala habitabilidad, Estrés y Violencia Intrafamiliar). Los resultados confirman que algunos de los aspectos ambientales de la vivienda afectan al estrés y éste influye en la violencia intrafamiliar.