Students’ increasing lack of interest in science has led to a disturbing situation that compels us to continue researching educational motivation, in this line, and within the framework provided by self-determination and achievement goal theories. The great importance of this variable can be attributed to its relevance in classes and its competence-related nature, which in principle makes it a motivating resource, as is the case with science textbooks. In particular, this study provides an in-depth understanding of motivation using various motivational predictors, while incorporating the motivational competence relevance of science books. One thousand students between the ages of 10 and 14 years participated. The research instrument used was a questionnaire consisting of 4 scales that measured the motivational competence relevance of science books, the task-oriented motivational climate, the basic psychological need for competence and the intrinsic motivation. Data were analyzed using correlation analysis and a structural equations model. The results showed that, among other aspects, motivation is influenced by competence, while competence is influenced by the task climate and the motivational competence relevance of science books. These findings suggest that in order to increase students’ intrinsic motivation, teachers must create a task-oriented climate, emphasize the value that student should attribute to science books from a motivational competence perspective, and satisfy the need for competence.

The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ), based on the control-value theory of achievement emotions, has been used in many fields of knowledge and has been translated into many languages. The main objective of this study was to adapt and validate it for the experimental sciences. A sample of 491 participants aged between 11 and 17 years (M = 13.73, SD = 1.19) from secondary schools in different localities in the provinces of Huelva and Lanzarote, Spain was used. The results obtained from the various statistical analyses showed that the questionnaire was valid and reliable. The main contribution of the work presented is to broaden the field of application of a test on emotions, AEQ-S, to experimental sciences. The AEQ-ES will allow us to learn the emotional profiles of students, thus providing information to teachers, and will be very useful for future research aimed at the study of emotions in experimental sciences.

Desde su implantación en el sistema educativo español, las competencias ocupan un lugar relevante, ya que son el eje en torno al cual giran el resto de elementos del currículo. Sin embargo, el desarrollo competencial del alumnado de Secundaria no parece ser el más deseable. En consecuencia, es primordial el estudio de los elementos involucrados en esta problemática como primer paso para invertir dicha situación. Entre estas variables, consideramos que el libro de texto es un elemento especialmente relevante debido a su importante presencia en las aulas y su, en principio obligado, carácter competencial. Por ello, el objetivo ha sido analizar si el desarrollo competencial del alumnado del primer ciclo de Secundaria se encuentra favorecido por los libros de texto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza. Para ello, se ha optado por una metodología con enfoque cualitativo-cuantitativo, ya que por un lado, se examinan las actividades de los manuales escolares de tres editoriales con gran presencia en las aulas y, por otro, las opiniones de un grupo de profesores como principales responsables de su uso. Los resultados muestran que la secuencia didáctica es inadecuada, falta de diversidad de recursos y el desarrollo cognitivo promovido por las actividades es bajo. Asimismo, los docentes manifiestan que no se favorecen las competencias debido entre otros factores, al aprendizaje memorístico promovido por dichos manuales, pese a lo cual continúa siendo un recurso de gran relevancia en sus clases. En consecuencia, sería necesario una revisión de éstos desde un enfoque competencial y de su uso en el aula, así como una reflexión acerca de los requisitos necesarios para que un cambio en la política educativa, como es la introducción de las competencias, revierta en el aula de forma adecuada.

The purpose of the research was to detect elements of specialised knowledge of an experimental sciences teacher in the design and implementation of a field trip in Secondary Education in order to draw pedagogical implications in initial teacher training. We developed a case study of a science teacher who carried out an educational intervention about heritage through a field trip. An interview and the field book design were used as instruments for data collection. Data were analysed using content analysis guided by a theoretical and methodological model of the specialized knowledge of teachers who teach experimental sciences, mathematics and social sciences. The results showed that the teacher has in-depth Content Knowledge, which allows him to characterise the river, an ecosystem and research in a heritage environment, as well as Pedagogical Content Knowledge using specific resources, methodological strategies and activities to teach science in Secondary Education. From these results, a series of implications have been drawn, such as the importance of an in-depth content knowledge related to topics to be taught and an interdisciplinary teacher training.

Introduction. The situation of lack of motivation in scientific education is increasingly worrying. Many and varied investigations have tried, under the approach of the Theory of Self-Determination, to approach a better understanding of motivation by studying different contextual variables. Among these variables, the textbook is an especially relevant element, given its important presence in the classrooms and its, in principle, competence character that, supposedly, makes them a motivating resource. Objetive. Therefore, it has been intended to design and validate a scale to measure the relevance of the science textbook, from this motivational competence perspective, for students aged between 10 and 14 years. Method. The design was made taking as reference the existing theoretical framework and for its validation a quantitative methodology has been used, using a survey technique. Results. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed the existence of a single factor, achieving adequate adjustment rates. Likewise, the instrument showed adequate internal consistency, temporal stability, composite reliability and convergent validity. Finally, the positive and significant correlations obtained with the educational motivations, as well as the inverse with the amotivación, evidenced the validity of the instrument externally. Conclusions. Consequently, it was concluded that the scale was valid and reliable.