Validation of the Lasher and Faulkender Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS) for the Spanish Context

Increased longevity has led to concerns and fears among the population about the inexorable process of ageing. This process causes individuals to become more anxious about the physical and psychosocial changes caused by the passage of time. However, there are currently no scales in the Spanish context that analyse ageing. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to validate the Anxiety about Aging scale to the Spanish context. In the present study, 594 subjects between 25 and 64 years old participated. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. The results revealed that the factor structure of the questionnaire shows adequate psychometric properties, showing a four-factor factor structure

The Influence of the Scout Movement as a Free Time Option on Improving Academic Performance, Self-Esteem and Social Skills in Adolescents

The word scouting refers to the Scout movement, born more than a hundred years ago, which educates millions of young people between the ages of six and twenty-one in their leisure time. We aimed to study the effects of scouting on the academic results, social skills, and self-esteem of high school youths compared to a non-scout sample. The selected sample consisted of 430 secondary students aged between thirteen and seventeen. Self-esteem and social skills were measured, and the average mark of the total sample was analysed. After the study, it was shown that belonging to the scout movement significantly influences the improvement of academic results in formal education and conflict resolution; however, there are no statistically significant differences in self-esteem and other social skills

Testing the Factorial Validity of the Classroom Engagement Inventory with Spanish Students

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to test the factorial validity of Classroom Engagement Inventory of Wang, Bergin and Bergin with Spanish high school students. Methods: In this study, 546 students participated (mean = 13.27, standard deviation = 0.629), from several high schools in Andalusia. To analyze the psychometric properties of the scale, several analyses were carried out. Results: The results offered support for the five-factor structure. The analysis of invariance with respect to gender showed that the factor structure of the questionnaire was invariant. The Cronbach alpha values were higher than 0.70 in the subscales. Discussion: The results of this study demonstrated the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the Classroom Engagement Inventory with high school students

Shall we play together? Game-based learning for engagement and classroom climate in Spanish socially deprived communities

This research is part of the Educational Research Project entitled Instagamers (PIV-023/21), called under the Order of 14 January 2009 (BOJA No. 21, February 2, 2009).Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a game-based learning (GBL) program on the classroom climate and engagement of high schools in socially deprived communities in Spain. Methods: The study included 277 students from two secondary schools located in Southern Spain, situated in Zones in Need of Social Transformation. Sampling was non-probabilistic and accidental, based on the accessibility of the school and the willingness of the management and teaching staff to participate in the GBL program. The study employed a control group and two experimental groups (cooperative games group only and cooperative and competitive games group) to compare pre-test and post-test data in both groups. The Brief Class Climate Scale and Engagement Inventory, validated in academic literature, were used as assessment instruments. Results: The study used a series of ANOVA tests to compare the experimental groups with the control group. The results indicated statistically significant changes in all study variables. In all cases, the experimental groups demonstrated greater benefits than the control group. Discussion and conclusion: The study findings reveal that games can provide significant benefits to students, regardless of whether they are cooperative or competitive. The study provides evidence of the benefits of GBL in high schools located in socially deprived communities in Spain.Educational Research Project entitled Instagamers (PIV-023/21

Formación en la atención a la discapacidad: metodologías activas y aprendizaje basado en problemas

This paper describes the implementation of an innovation project based on the application of one of these active methodologies, Problem-Based Learning (PBL). In this experience, which targeted Education students enrolled in courses related to disability awareness, PBL was applied with a view to developing certain basic competences that would be useful in the students’ personal and professional lives. To determine whether this aim was met and to detect any possible rejection of the methodology used, various evaluation instruments were designed, such as rubrics and Likert-type questionnaires. The evaluation of the students revealed that the methodology appears to be valid for helping them develop these competences, although differences were observed in the extent to which the competences were acquired. In this regard, recognition of and respect towards disability is the competence in which the most students obtained the highest levels of performance. Finally, the positive assessment by students of the methodology and the teaching activity suggest that PBL is appropriate and that this type of experience should be continued.El presente trabajo describe la implementación de un proyecto de innovación basado en la aplicación de una de estas metodologías activas, el aprendizaje basado en problemas (ABP). En esta experiencia, dirigida a alumnado de educación que cursaba materias relacionadas con la atención a la discapacidad, se aplicó el ABP con objeto de favorecer el desarrollo de ciertas competencias básicas para su futuro personal y profesional. Para determinar el cumplimiento de este objetivo y conocer el posible rechazo a la metodología seguida, se diseñaron diferentes instrumentos de evaluación como rúbricas y cuestionarios con formato tipo Likert. Los resultados de la evaluación del aprendizaje muestran que la metodología utilizada parece ser válida en el desarrollo de estas competencias, si bien existen diferencias en el logro de las mismas. En este sentido, el reconocimiento y respeto hacia la discapacidad constituye la competencia en la que mayor número de estudiantes obtienen máximos niveles de desempeño. Finalmente, la valoración positiva del alumnado hacia la metodología y la labor docente justificarían la idoneidad del ABP y la continuación de este tipo de experiencias

Autonomous work and skill learning strategies applying problem-based learning: Experience of innovation in subjects related to disability

The present article seeks to discover the autonomous work strategies used by students studying different degrees: Social Education, Early Childhood Education and Pedagogy, applying the methodology of problem-based learning and determining student profiles according to their learning strategies. We also sought to explore the relationship between the strategies used and the level of achievement in the skills evaluated through self-assessment and teacher assessment. The Autonomous Work Strategies Questionnaire was applied to 239 students of the Faculty of Education Sciences of UGR. The results showed unequal use of learning strategies, with levels of use varying according to the degree studied. We also verified the existence of a profile of students who had made greater use of the autonomous learning strategies, which was associated with better results. The results are discussed and it is suggested that it would be advisable to continue with this methodology in other courses and degrees

Optimal generation scheduling in hydro-power plants with the Coral Reefs Optimization algorithm

Hydro-power plants are able to produce electrical energy in a sustainable way. A known format for producing energy is through generation scheduling, which is a task usually established as a Unit Commitment problem. The challenge in this process is to define the amount of energy that each turbine-generator needs to deliver to the plant, to fulfill the requested electrical dispatch commitment, while coping with the operational restrictions. An optimal generation scheduling for turbine-generators in hydro-power plants can offer a larger amount of energy to be generated with respect to non-optimized schedules, with significantly less water consumption. This work presents an efficient mathematical modelling for generation scheduling in a real hydro-power plant in Brazil. An optimization method based on different versions of the Coral Reefs Optimization algorithm with Substrate Layers (CRO) is proposed as an effective method to tackle this problem.This approach uses different search operators in a single population to refine the search for an optimal scheduling for this problem. We have shown that the solution obtained with the CRO using Gaussian search in exploration is able to produce competitive solutions in terms of energy production. The results obtained show a huge savings of 13.98 billion (liters of water) monthly projected versus the non-optimized scheduling.European CommissionMinisterio de Economía y CompetitividadComunidad de Madri

Afrontamiento, estrés y bienestar psicológico en estudiantes de educación social de nuevo ingreso

The aim of this study was to determine what coping strategies were used by a sample of 135 Social Education students in response to situations that generate stress during the first year of university studies. Also of interest was to determine the students' level of psychological wellbeing and the relation that this factor might have with their perceived coping efficacy. The findings indicate that difficulties related to the academic context produce more stress than do personal problems, and that social support and problem solving are the coping strategies most frequently used. The students show a moderate level of well-being and consider their coping strategies to be effective.El presente estudio pretendía determinar las estrategias de afrontamiento utilizadas por una muestra de 135 estudiantes de Educación Social ante las situaciones que generan más estrés en el primer curso de universidad. También se quiso conocer el nivel de bienestar psicológico del alumnado y su posible relación con la eficacia percibida en el afrontamiento. Los resultados indicaban que las dificultades relacionadas con el contexto académico producen más estrés que los problemas personales, siendo el apoyo social y la resolución de problemas las estrategias de afrontamiento más empleadas. El alumnado mostraba un nivel medio de bienestar y se percibe eficaz en el afrontamiento

An improved C-DEEPSO algorithm for optimal active-reactive power dispatch in microgrids with electric vehicles

In the last years, our society's high energy demand has led to the proposal of novel ways of consuming and producing electricity. In this sense, many countries have encouraged micro generation, including the use of renewable sources such as solar irradiation and wind generation, or considering the insertion of electric vehicles as dispatchable units on the grid. This work addresses the Optimal active&-reactive power dispatch (OARPD) problem (a type of optimal power flow (OPF) task) in microgrids considering electric vehicles. We used the modified IEEE 57 and IEEE 118 bus-systems test scenarios, in which thermoelectric generators were replaced by renewable generators. In particular, under the IEEE 118 bus system, electric vehicles were integrated into the grid. To solve the OARDP problem, we proposed the use and improvement of the Canonical Differential Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization (C-DEEPSO) algorithm. For further refinement in the search space, C-DEEPSO relies on local search operators. The results indicated that the proposed improved C-DEEPSO was able to show generation savings (in terms ofmillions of dollars) acting as a dispatch controller against two algorithms based on swarm intelligence.European CommissionAgencia Estatal de InvestigaciónComunidad de Madri

Self-perceptions of ageing and perceived health status: the mediating role of cognitive functioning and physical activity

There is evidence that perceived health status is relevant for older adults' wellbeing, and at the same time perceived health status can be influenced by self-perceptions of ageing. There is a lack of studies on the relationship between these variables. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards ageing and self-perceptions of ageing among Spanish middle-aged and older people, and to identify possible mediators in the relationship between self-perceptions of ageing on perceived health status. The sample comprised 1,124 individuals from 50 to 98 years old (mean = 64.84, standard deviation = 10.12) from the Ageing in Spain Longitudinal Study database, Pilot Survey (ELES-PS). Almost 70 per cent of the participants stated that old age begins at a specific chronological age and half of them considered that society treats older people with indifference. Self-perceptions of ageing, physical activity, cognitive functioning and age were significant predictors, and together these variables explained 15.9 per cent in the variance of perceived health status. The multiple mediation analysis revealed that self-perceptions of ageing predicted cognitive functioning (B = 0.848, p < 0.01) and physical activity (B = 2.9046, p < 0.001), and mediated the association between self-perceptions of ageing and perceived health status (B = 0.1144, standard error = 0.0147, p < 0.01). Results from this study highlight the importance of perceptions and attitudes towards ageing for older adults' health and wellbeing, thus this study contributes to a better understanding of how these variables are related. In this sense, results from this study can be useful for designing interventions for fostering wellbeing. Addressing negative self-perceptions of ageing and negative attitudes towards ageing can be particularly useful because they are associated with more pessimistic expectancies about the ageing process.Funding for open access charge: University of Granada.Programme of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CSO2009-06637-E/SOCI; CSO2009-06638-E/SOCI; CSO2009-08645-E/SOCI)SAIOTEK 2009 Programme of the Basque GovernmentObra Social Caja Madrid Foundatio