Service-learning (SL) is a participatory teaching–learning methodology through which students learn certain content while also meeting a number of real social needs in their environment. The implementation of SL in different areas and educational stages has been extensively described. However, its potential as a community and intercultural development strategy at the local level has not been widely studied. Through a documentary analysis, the present work sought to understand the characteristics of socio-educational interventions, which, based on the service-learning methodology, aim at improving coexistence in local communities with a high degree of cultural diversity. A total of 18 projects were included in a community programme implemented in the municipality of Elche (Spain) between 2010 and 2016. They all focused or included the promotion of intercultural coexistence among their objectives. The study design was quantitative, with a descriptive and explanatory, univariate and bivariate analysis using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences 26. The results showed that service-learning can contribute to the improvement of intercultural coexistence. Moreover, a number of SL basic, pedagogical and organisational components are enhanced when integrated into broader community development processes.

Diversity is a characteristic inherent to the human species (Ramírez-Goicoechea, 2011), manifesting itself in a multitude of dimensions, from culture and language to different forms of economic org...

Debating represents an active teaching–learning method in higher education. Engaging in debates helps to acquire and develop transversal skills, which are essential to successfully function in personal, academic, and professional spheres. In this quantitative, descriptive, and explanatory study, we analyse how attitudes included within transversal competences were acquired through a debate activity conducted as a part of the social work programme at the University of Alicante. A total of 74 students participated, with an average age of 22.34 years, the majority of which were women. The students were divided into two evaluation groups: a peer evaluation group and a teacher evaluation group. Using an ad hoc questionnaire, three categories of variables were studied: sociodemographic variables; organisational and activity evaluation variables; and variables relating to the acquisition of attitudes. The results indicated that debating favoured communication, innovation and entrepreneurship, social commitment, critical thinking, information management, autonomy and self-regulation, as well as teamwork. Variations were also found according to the university admission modality and the evaluation agent. These results highlight not only how useful debating can be as a pedagogical tool, but also the need to consider different contextual factors when implementing debate activities in the context of university studies.

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue analizar el fenómeno de la participación comunitaria durante la pandemia causada por el COVID-19, contextualizándolo en el espacio geográfico de la provincia de Alicante (España). Los datos fueron recogidos mediante un cuestionario ad hoc autoadministrado. Participaron 260 personas residentes en la provincia de Alicante, seleccionadas mediante muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia. Los resultados mostraron el impacto de la enfermedad en la vida colectiva de las personas, en su identificación y pertenencia comunitarias, en su adhesión a proyectos comunes, así como en sus conductas altruistas. El trabajo concluye apuntando que: 1) El distanciamiento físico impuesto por la COVID-19 no necesaria ni automáticamente se traduce en distanciamiento social, puesto que durante la pandemia se desarrollan múltiples experiencias de colaboración y solidaridad ciudadana; 2) Las desigualdades sociales se mantienen en los ejes de género y procedencia cultural en lo referido a la participación, ya que son las mujeres y las personas extranjeras quienes afrontan mayores obstáculos; 3) Existe un alto nivel de desinformación sobre las actividades y decisiones que afectan a las comunidades, lo que concuerda con el bajo nivel de participación en estructuras y proyectos colectivos.

La elección de una carrera universitaria es una decisión que no solo determina el recorrido académico del estudiante, sino que también influye en sus oportunidades personales, sociales y laborales futuras. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo conocer las motivaciones que llevaron al alumnado del Grado en Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Alicante a optar por estos estudios. Para ello, se ha realizado un estudio de enfoque cuantitativo y diseño descriptivo-correlacional, con una muestra de 127 estudiantes. Los resultados muestran que la decisión está motivada por una combinación de factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos. Los primeros, como el compromiso con la justicia social, el deseo de ayudar a otras personas y la utilidad del Trabajo Social para el cambio social, son los más determinantes. Los segundos, como la diversidad de ámbitos profesionales o la estabilidad laboral, también influyen, aunque en menor medida. En conjunto, estos resultados permiten concluir que las motivaciones para estudiar Trabajo Social se relacionan principalmente con factores personales, sociales y altruistas, así como con el compromiso con la profesión, su recorrido académico y las expectativas laborales futuras.

Social Work is a discipline committed to the well-being of people and the planet. It is a profession that, over the years, has internalized environmental problems as part of its theoretical and practical dialectic. The global crises have brought about a paradigm shift that influences the approach to current social problems. Universities and social work training promote the incorporation of an environmental, critical, and sustainable approach to social and environmental problems. This empirical study of quantitative design and descriptive and explanatory purpose aims to understand the perceptions and attitudes towards the environment by students of the Degree in Social Work of the University of Alicante (Spain) and their perceptions and attitudes about the relationship between environment and social work. The study was carried out through an ad hoc questionnaire composed of 11 questions and 23 measurement variables. Data was analyzed through SPSS. A total of 102 students aged between 20 and 49 participated. The results show students' recognition of and concern for environmental problems, taking into account personal, cultural, and political factors that influence these perceptions, as well as the associations between their attitudes and perceptions and the perception of their own behavior towards the environment. It concludes with the need to strengthen ecosocial thinking in students of Social Work and incorporate their knowledge into professional practice.