Emotional Intelligence and Academic Self-Efficacy in Relation to the Psychological Well-Being of University Students During COVID-19 in Venezuela

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational centers and universities in Venezuela have closed their physical plants and are migrating to emergency remote education to continue with academic programs. This empirical study aimed to analyze the predictive capacity of academic self-efficacy and emotional intelligence skills on each of the dimensions of psychological well-being. We employed a cross-sectional predictive design. The sample comprised 277 university students, of which 252 were female (91.00%). Their ages ranged from 18 to 45 years, with a mean of 20.35 (SD = 2.29). Non-probabilistic chance sampling was used. For data collection, we used an anonymous online form, contacted students by mail, and invited them to participate in the study. Questionnaires were available between 217 and 227 days of decreed quarantine in Venezuela. The results indicated average levels of academic self-efficacy (Me = 4; IQR = 2), emotional intelligence: clarity (Me = 27; IQR = 10), attention (Me = 25; IQR = 10) y repair (Me = 25; IQR = 12), and psychological well-being (Me = 35; IQR = 5). We found differences according to sex and age, specifically in emotional regulation (z = 3.73, p < 0.001, d = 0.438) and in bonds of psychological well-being (z = 2.51, p = 0.012, d = 0.276) favoring men (Me = 33, IQR = 9; Me = 8, IQR = 1), respectively. Regarding age, statistically significant differences were found in the group of students older than 21 years with higher perception of psychological well-being (z = 3.69, p < 0.001, d = 0.43) and in each of its dimensions. Emotional intelligence and academic self-efficacy were found to be significant predictors of psychological well-being and its dimensions, specifically on control (R2-Cox = 0.25, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.34, 69.90% of total correct classification), links (R2-Cox = 0.09, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.12, 65.07% of total correct classification), projects (R2-Cox = 0.32, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.46, 78.40% of total correct classification), acceptance (R2-Cox = 0.17, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.23, 68.28% of total correct classification), and total well-being (R2-Cox = 0.52, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.71, 87.16% of total correct classification). It was concluded that emotional intelligence and academic self-efficacy are protective psychological resources of psychological well-being that should be promoted at university to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on the mental health of young people

Return to Face-to-Face Classrooms in Higher Education: Students Experiences in Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador

Emergency remote teaching (ERE) triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to higher education institutions worldwide. Although it had several negative consequences, it also enabled advances in the integration of technology into the teaching and learning process. The purpose of this study was to examine and characterize the key elements of the process of returning to face-to-face courses. The study was based on a mixed quantitative and qualitative design. 631 students from Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia were surveyed about their experiences returning to face-to-face classes (in terms of virtual tools, their feelings, and their expectations for academic success). The survey also included questions about the lockdown caused by the pandemic, specifically regarding instructional and didactic design, participation in online sessions, and the role of faculty during the pandemic. Descriptive and correlative analyses were performed to examine relationships among variables. Qualitative data were analyzed within a hermeneutically-oriented framework. Our analyses show that virtual classrooms or learning management systems (LMS) continued to be used after the pandemic. However, their use is strongly associated with a more traditional approach to teaching; LMSs and virtual classrooms are primarily used as filing locations and for receiving and storing homework assignments and assessments. In terms of interaction, qualitative analyses have shown that relationships with faculty and between students are better in face-to-face classes and that there is not much difference in perceptions of collaborative work in online learning compared to face-to-face classes. Finally, students' expectations of academic success are low in the short term, while they are higher in the long term. Students also indicated that it is important to them that teachers take care about the didactic design of the course, including strategies that encourage interaction and participation in both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. In addition, students mentioned that teachers should incorporate strategies to promote academic motivation, self-regulation, and a safe environment. An important finding of this study is that students prefer a blended learning format when comparing online and face-to-face instruction. This article also provides recommendations for the new post-pandemic education scenario. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-SIED2-017 Full Text: PD

Return to University Classrooms With Blended Learning: A Possible Post-pandemic COVID-19 Scenario

After more than 2 years of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, a gradual return to face-to-face teaching has been taking place. Therefore, administrators need to establish procedures to facilitate and ensure the quality of teaching during this process. The purpose of this article is to describe the strengths and challenges of implementing Blended Learning (BL). The design used is consistent with a secondary investigation of a narrative review. As a result, several recommendations are presented for building institutional frameworks that enable the implementation of high-quality BL models in the context of a gradual return to face-to-face courses in higher education. From a theoretical and contextual perspective, considerations for transitioning to this model are discussed, based on lessons learned from emergency remote education. We conclude that the present post-pandemic scenario constitutes a pivotal moment for determining the way education is delivered in higher education

Efectos del Programa Creciendo Fuertes sobre el bienestar psicológico y autoeficacia generalizada en adolescentes: estudio preliminar

Objetivo. El propósito de este artículo es dar a conocer el diseño, ejecución y determinación de los efectos preliminares de un programa basado en las fortalezas del carácter. Los objetivos de esta investigación son: a) caracterizar los niveles de bienestar psicológico y autoeficacia generalizada antes y después de la aplicación del Programa Creciendo Fuertes, b) determinar el efecto dicho programa sobre el bienestar psicológico y autoeficacia generalizada de adolescentes de secundaria y c) analizar la relación de la virtud del coraje con el bienestar psicológico y la autoeficacia generalizada luego de realizado el programa en los estudiantes participantes. Metodo. Metodológicamente, se ajusta a un diseño de investigación cuasi experimental de estudio pre - post con un solo grupo, compuesto por una muestra de veinticuatro adolescentes estudiantes de secundaria. Se emplearon instrumentos de recolección de datos con adecuada confiabilidad y validez. Resultados. Se presentaron incrementos estadísticamente significativos en los niveles de las variables de bienestar psicológico y autoeficacia generalizada luego de aplicar el programa. También se mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las puntuaciones de estas variables antes y después de aplicar el programa. A su vez, se presentaron correlaciones estadísticamente significativas entre la virtud del coraje, autoeficacia generalizada y bienestar psicológico. Conclusiones. De acuerdo con estos resultados preliminares, que el programa puede ser empleado a modo de refuerzo psicoeducativo para la promoción del bienestar en las escuelas secundarias

Lessons learned from the educational experience during COVID-19 from the perspective of Latin American university students

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational context. University students were exposed to an educational transition from a face-to-face context to emergency remote teaching (ERT). This change affected the educational experience of students and teachers in general, and impacted their educational performance, as well as their emotional and mental health, among other aspects. However, learning from the successes during the ERT and reflecting on good and bad practices will allow us to configure effective learning scenarios that respond to the new normal. The objective of this paper is to describe and present the lessons learned during ERT from the experience of university students in Latin America who have already returned to face-to-face instruction. The study used a qualitative inductive approach and a phenomenographic design. The sample consisted of 640 undergraduate students (63% women) of higher education who experienced online education during the year 2021 and a face-to-face modality during the first semester of 2022, belonging to universities in Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The results suggest that new learning scenarios should consider specific pedagogical practices, including active, collaborative, meaningful, and problem-based strategies, together with a diversity of feedback practices. It is concluded that the ERT brought good practices that should guide university educational policies

Academic emotions, college adjustment, and dropout intention in university students

IntroductionIn recent years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entrance and development of university life has become a complex process, making it relevant to investigate which variables could facilitate the adaptation of young people to university. This study aimed to analyze academic emotions and their prediction of university adaptation and intention to drop out.MethodsThe study was quantitative, explanatory, and cross-sectional. A total of 295 university students participated. Academic emotions were assessed with the short version of The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire, adaptation to university life with the reduced version of the Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire, and intention to drop out with three items designed to measure this variable.ResultsDifferences were identified in the emotions experienced during classes and study by students according to the year of entry. We found that males report experiencing emotions such as enjoyment and hope more during evaluations.DiscussionGenerally, students report positive emotions in their academic experience. Positive emotions predict adaptation to university life and the intention to study

Factors associated with victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression in Chilean university students

Introduction: Sexual aggression is a type of violence considered a public health problem that can affect people at any time of their lives. This investigation had three objectives: 1) to know the prevalence of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression and its subtypes in the Chilean university context, 2) to identify the association of sex on the prevalence of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression and its subtypes, and 3) to identify the association of alcohol consumption and victim-perpetrator relationship in the subtypes of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression based on sex. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study, with a sample of 1728 students (65.3% women) with a median age of 22 years. Results: 42.6% and 8.3% of the students reported at least one incident of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression respectively in the last 12 months; an association of sex with the victimization of sexual aggression χ2 (1, N = 1728) = 101,425, p &lt; .001 and its subtypes was identified; no sex association was identified with the perpetration of sexual aggression, but with sexual coercion χ2 (1, N = 1728) = 5,122, p &lt; .05. In the case of alcohol consumption and victim-perpetrator relationship, they were associated with some subtypes of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression. Conclusion: the findings contribute to the estimation of the magnitude of sexual aggression and associated factors in the university context, which should be explored in depth in order to create preventive programs for victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression.

Factors associated with victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression in Chilean university students

Introduction: Sexual aggression is a type of violence considered a public health problem that can affect people at any time of their lives. This investigation had three objectives: 1) to know the prevalence of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression and its subtypes in the Chilean university context, 2) to identify the association of sex on the prevalence of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression and its subtypes, and 3) to identify the association of alcohol consumption and victim-perpetrator relationship in the subtypes of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression based on sex. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study, with a sample of 1728 students (65.3% women) with a median age of 22 years. Results: 42.6% and 8.3% of the students reported at least one incident of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression respectively in the last 12 months; an association of sex with the victimization of sexual aggression χ2 (1, N = 1728) = 101,425, p &lt; .001 and its subtypes was identified; no sex association was identified with the perpetration of sexual aggression, but with sexual coercion χ2 (1, N = 1728) = 5,122, p &lt; .05. In the case of alcohol consumption and victim-perpetrator relationship, they were associated with some subtypes of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression. Conclusion: the findings contribute to the estimation of the magnitude of sexual aggression and associated factors in the university context, which should be explored in depth in order to create preventive programs for victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression.

Agresión sexual, problemas de salud mental y teorías para su comprensión

La agresión sexual es un problema de salud pública que puede afectar a las personas en cualquier momento de su vida, generando graves consecuencias a nivel psicológico entre las que destaca el trastorno de estrés postraumático (1) y la ideación suicida (2). Los estudios sobre esta problemática se han centrado principalmente en las victimas y las consecuencias que ocasiona, dejando muchas veces de lado los motivos por los cuales una persona agrede. Diferentes teorías especializadas de agresión sexual y violación han postulado que existen motivos para agredir sexualmente a una persona, donde el comportamiento sexual es un medio para otro fin; desde el punto de vista feminista, la agresión sexual es una estrategia destinada a mantener a la mujer en una posición de dominación social y económica, manteniendo las relaciones de poder asociadas con el patriarcado que se expresan en las relaciones de pareja al momento de la toma de decisiones a nivel económico cuando hay citas o cuando se debe tomar decisiones en el hogar (3). Desde esta perspectiva la dominación, el poder y el control son las principales motivaciones detrás de la agresión sexual donde los comportamientos sexuales contribuyen a acentuar la humillación y reforzar la opresión de la mujer; siendo la agresión sexual un proceso de intimidación por el cual los hombres mantienen a las mujeres en un estado de temor y sumisión. A partir de los diferentes postulados teóricos y las investigaciones realizadas sobre la etiología de la agresión sexual y la violación, a principios de los 80´s surgió una generación de estudios con un enfoque socio-legal para población general; este enfoque describía a los agresores sexuales como individuos racionales cuya agresión sexual no era ocasionada por una desviación sexual que requiriera intervención clínica, sino que estaba más asociada a influencias culturales que apoyaban el desarrollo de predisposiciones violentas particularmente hacia las mujeres y que, por lo tanto, requerían castigo y disuasión; desde este enfoque destaca el papel y la importancia de los factores contextuales y transitorios, como el consumo de alcohol y la intoxicación, la presencia y disponibilidad de material pornográfico, el apoyo de compañeros, los mitos de violación y las falsas creencias sobre las mujeres y la sexualidad (4). Desde la teoría integrada de Marshall y Barbaree (1990), los factores situacionales, como el consumo de alcohol, pueden convertirse en un factor que en el caso de los perpetradores favorece la desinhibición existiendo una mayor propensión a la agresión sexual; y el en caso de las víctimas incrementa la vulnerabilidad al no identificar las señales de riesgo previas a la agresión (5). Específicamente desde el enfoque socio-legal las influencias culturales que permiten la creación y naturalización de las falsas creencias sobre las mujeres, los estereotipos de género y los mitos de violación permiten que la persona agreda sexualmente a otra, considerándolo un comportamiento normal que permite satisfacer el deseo de dominación y satisfacción sexual inmediata (4). De igual manera la teoría integrada de delitos sexuales, hace énfasis en que la exposición continua a un entorno social caracterizado por actitudes sexistas y hostiles hacia las mujeres, donde existen normas sexuales disfuncionales, pueden ayudar a mantener y naturalizar la agresión sexual (6). La existencia de diferentes teorías que proponen características y factores de riesgo para la perpetración de agresión sexual facilitan escenarios para intervenciones tempranas basadas en la prevención de dicho comportamiento