Motivational theories applied to assess EI programs: the EMOCARE’s Systematic Evaluation Model

Financial resources invested in treatment programs in Hospitals are limited; programs that work with the mental illness caregivers are not an exception. To prioritize those who will be included in programs is by establishing factors criteria: cognitive level, urgency, motivation to participate, intention to change and commitment to change. This chapter explores the adequacy of the EMOCARE’s Systematic Evaluation Model as a protocol to ensure that EMOCARE improves caregivers’ well-being as part of their education in Emotional Intelligence. The methodology follows a quasi-experimental pre-post design with two groups, one of them is a quasi-control group carried out during April to May of 2014. Sample size is 15 patients from the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital (Barcelona, Spain)-, 10 of them part of the experimental group (EG) -they attended the EMOCARE program for two months-. Results are discussed along with the theoretical framework, remarking EMOCARE’s Systematic Evaluation Model is adequate to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of the program; as well as EMOCARE improves caregivers’ well-being in terms of their satisfaction with life (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985)

Estrategias de aprendizaje del profesorado europeo: género y etapa educativa [Learning strategies of European teachers: gender and period of teaching]

INTRODUCTION. The lack of teaching professionals with continuous training affects quality in educational systems and quality of teaching. That is why we believe that teachers must increase or improve their professional competences once they have finished their initial training. To do so, learning strategies are needed, but they vary according to training aspirations and gender. OCDE (2007) and Quesada-Pallarès, Fernández-de-Álava and Rebollar-Sánchez (2015) show differences between men and women. METHOD. This article uses the last data collected with the PIAAC survey, administered in 2012. 23 countries participated in the PIAAC survey, obtaining a total of 157,000 responses. We opt for a quantitative methodology for determining if the use of learning strategies of European teachers varies according to gender, and period of teaching. RESULTS. The main results of this article show that men, compared to women, and university and higher education teachers, compared to those who teach in other teaching periods, make greater use of learning strategies. DISCUSSION. These outcomes help towards the building of a unified framework for continuous training and learning strategies; pointing out that learning strategies are determined by work demands, and activities carried out by teachers according to their period of teaching. Likewise, the results pose some challenges related to the teacher profile, and the non-use of learning strategies by women for self-promotion

¿Es eficaz la formación en la Administración pública española?: Evaluación de la transferencia de los aprendizajes con el modelo FET

Is training in Spanish Public Administration effective?: evaluation of transfer of learning using the FET model». This paper analyses the efficacy of the continuous training attended by the Spanish public administration employees, in terms of learning transfer at the work- place. The analysis was conducted using the FET (Factors to Evaluate Transfer) model. Two questionnaires were applied to 1.148 trainees of training actions organized by four Spanish public administration schools; the data analysis included testing hypothesis and multiple regression models. Main results demonstrate that learning transfer is related to factors of the training and workplace context, and not to variables related to trainees’ profile

Training for innovation in Spain

The capacity for innovation of an organisation largely depends on its ability to acquire and develop new knowledge. Training is particularly important in this process, as it allows employees to constantly acquire new competences. This study provides a preliminary picture of the situation of training for innovation in Spain, and identifies the characteristics of companies offering training for innovation. Results show that 35.3% of Spanish companies undertake innovation processes and 22.3% offer training related to these innovation processes. For the 82% of these companies training helped the innovation process, so training is an important tool for innovative changes

From discourse to action. How Engineering university teachers in Chile develop professionally and transfer their learning into practice

Pedagogical training is widely regarded as an important tool in academic development and a fundamental element for improving teaching quality. Yet little evidence exists of the real impact that such training has in further developing teachers' teaching conceptions and practices, improving students' learning and in changing the institution’s learning culture in Latin-American universities. The Faculties of Engineering of the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) in Chile have developed a new curricular model and, respectively, a training program aiming to support academics in its implementation. This article presents part of the outcomes of research aimed at examining teachers' motivation towards training, the training's impact on changed conceptions and practices and its transfer potential. Results show that teachers are highly motivated, but no fundamental changes in teachers’ approaches to teaching take place after the program. Challenges to transfer are encountered in the teachers' individual capacity to transfer and in the institutional recognition

Use of ICTs at work: an intergenerational analysis in Spain

From a comparative intergenerational analysis, this article examines the use of ICTs in the workplace by working-age Spaniards. To do so, it uses the 2012 PIAAC survey administered to 6,055 Spaniards on the variables related to the use of ICTs in the workplace. Descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out, taking the categories of digital immigrant and digital native as the reference, and adding another variable: pre-digital immigrant. Broadly speaking, the results show that ‘pre-digital immigrants’ (who started to use ICTs late) use ICTs less at work compared to ‘digital immigrants’ (who started to use ICTs via an adaptation process that began in their early or mid-adulthood), although they use them more than ‘digital natives’ (who started to use ICTs at a very young age). Finally, we discuss the implications of the results considering today’s society, and we offer potential avenues of future research

Leadership in Brazilian, Singaporean and Spanish Secondary Schools: an in-depth analysis based on the 2013 TALIS

This chapter provides an overview of leadership through an international lens that focuses on gender, leadership style, school climate, and job satisfaction. We considered a secondary data source collected through the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), administered in 2013; obtaining 1,531 responses. Descriptive, inferential and correlational analyses were performed according to items analysed and the research goals. Results show that: (i) distributed leadership is used more in Brazil and instructional leadership is used Singapore; (ii) distributed leadership is significantly higher in women than men; and (iii) both distributed and instructional leadership have a positive effect on school climate and on principals’ job satisfaction. Implications and directions for future research are discussed

The current situation of gender differences in non-formal and informal learning activities in the Spanish adult population

INTRODUCTION. The need of continuous and lifelong training is an issue that has prevailed since the last century (European Commission, 1995; European Council, 1975; Delors, 1996; Marsick & Watkins, 1990). In this regard, we obverse changes in the ways of learning highlighting those that take place outside formal educational and training institution and that do not depend directly on the trainer or structured processes. METHOD. This paper starts from the results obtained in the Adult Education Survey (EADA, by its Spanish acronym). Specifically, the collection method is a computer-assisted personal interview, through stratified random sampling, of 153 items to 17,829 Spanish persons. In this sense, it has a twofold aim (1) to analyze if there are gender differences in non-formal and informal activities carried out; and, if so, (2) to identify the variables associated with these differences. Therefore, we use descriptive and inferential statistics of the most important variables. RESULTS. The outcomes indicate significant differences between male and female sexes in regards to age, nationality and social class for taking part in non-formal and informal learning activities. DISCUSSION. Finally, we point out the limitations of these variables in women’s professional development, and we make proposals for progressing in the elimination of these differences

How do Spanish university teachers learn? Understanding the use of learning strategies

This paper examines how Spanish university teachers learn in the workplace and how, that being the case, the place of residence influences their use of learning strategies. Methodology: It draws on quantitative data from the 2012 PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) survey in a European sample of 276 respondents, comparing Spain with the other European countries participating in PIAAC (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Flanders, France, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, and Slovak Republic). Statistical analyses of a descriptive and inferential kind were performed, reporting its effect sizes. Results: On the one hand, results reveal that university teachers tend to use a high number and array of learning strategies, emphasising their ability to adapt to everyday work challenges. A better look, though, indicates that Spanish university teachers do not relate new learnings with those previously acquired in comparison with other European university teachers. On the other hand, university teachers show a medium-low level of learning at work, being Spain the country with the highest level of learning achieved -measured by learning from co-workers or supervisors, learning-by-doing from the tasks performed, and keeping up to date with new products or services. Discussion: Findings are discussed through the impact of learning strategies on university teachers’ performance, whereas new lines of research are opened up