The complexity of environmental education: teaching ideas and strategies from teachers

Ponencia de 7th International Conference on Intercultural Education “Education, Health and ICT for a Transcultural World”, EDUHEM 2016The research presented tries to understand and analyze the conceptions that the teachers keep from different levels of education (primary, secondary, and higher education), about the paradigm in which are placed in the treatment of Environmental Education (EE ), as well as methodological strategies used and / or designed for practice. This work argues with the intention of detecting possible reductionism, determinism and fragmentation, in the conceptions of teachers. To do this quantitative techniques have been combined, by using a questionnaire, with qualitative techniques, through the interview in depth; which has allowed us to know and analyze the current situation of the participating teachers in their conceptions of EE, as well as methodological aspects used in its treatment. For this, it conducted an investigation of descriptive-interpretative type with 58 teaching participants, of different educational levels and they teach different subjects and / or disciplines. The results make visible that there is interest in a reflective view closer to the complex thought in the treatment of EE, howev er we check reductionism associated with the difficulties of their practic

Methodology to analyze the effectiveness of ESD in a higher degree in education: a case study

This paper presents a methodology to evaluate (1) to what extent students of a higher degree in the field of education acquire sustainability competencies, and (2) to determine whether the subjects that develop Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) achieve their learning objectives. The methodology is applied to a case study. The instruments used are the sustainability survey and the sustainability presence map developed by the EDINSOST project. The survey consists of 18 questions, and has been answered by 104 first-year students and 86 fourth-year students belonging to the Bachelor Degree in Primary Education Teaching at the University of Seville. The Mann-Whitney U test has been used to compare the results of the two students groups, and Cohen’s D has been used to measure the effect size. Students only obtain significant improvements, with 95% confidence, in three questions: Q4 (I know procedures and resources to integrate sustainability in the subjects), Q5 (I analyze the opportunities presented in the subjects to plan educational projects to integrate sustainability) and Q6 (I design educational projects from the perspective of sustainability), all concerning critical thinking and creativity. An improvement is also detected in question Q11 (I know how to develop myself satisfactorily in community educational projects, encouraging participation), with a confidence of 90%. Surprisingly, no subject in the curriculum develops the learning outcomes concerning questions Q4, Q5 and Q6, and only one subject develops the learning outcomes regarding question Q11. However, up to five subjects declare development of the learning outcomes regarding questions in which there is no improvement in student learning. These results suggest that the subjects are failing to reach their ESD learning objectives, and that the students are either trained in sustainability outside the university or the subject learning guides do not reflect the work done by the students throughout their studies.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Lysophosphatidic acid LPA1-3 receptors: signaling, regulation and in silico analysis of their putative phosphorylation sites

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid with a plethora of roles in the normal function of our organism as well as in the pathogenesis of many diseases. The actions of LPA are mainly mediated through a family of G protein-coupled receptors, which currently is composed of six members; other receptors might participate in LPA actions including a nuclear receptor. In this work, we mainly focus on three of these receptors, i. e.,  LPA1-3; those that were initially discovered which, have been more extensively studied and that are phylogenetically related among themselves,  as well as with receptors for other bioactive phospholipids, such as those for spingosine 1-phosphate.  The characteristics of these receptors, their patterns of tissue expression, and some of the actions in which they are involved are presented. Regulation of receptor function, including desensitization, internalization and phosphorylation has only been studied for the LPA1 subtype. However, in silico analysis of potential phosphorylation sites indicate that all of these three receptors are putatively regulated by agonist activation and heterologous stimuli. We think LPA1-3 receptor regulation constitutes a niche of investigation that is potentially of great importance considering the physiological and pathophysiological actions in which they are involved.&nbsp

El banco del tiempo como herramienta de mejora socio-educativa en el contexto universitario

Presentamos una iniciativa socio-educativa desarrollada desde la Universidad de Sevilla en colaboración con profesionales de la Universidad de Córdoba. Social Creativity, se lanza desde GIEPAD (Grupo de Investigación Educación de Personas Adultas y Desarrollo) del Departamento de Teoría e Historia de la Educación y Pedagogía Social de la Facultad de Educación. Este proyecto, surge ante la gran necesidad de mejorar las relaciones en la comunidad universitaria y propone como objetivo principal la posibilidad de aumentar la creatividad social y el apoyo mutuo y colaborativo de nuestra universidad solventando entre nosotr@s muchas de nuestras necesidades. Se trata de un Banco del Tiempo Universitario, una iniciativa para empoderarnos individual y colectivamente. Los resultados destacan las múltiples y diversas posibilidades de intercambio y apoyo mutuo entre los miembros de la comunidad universitaria

Methodology to Analyze the Effectiveness of ESD in a Higher Degree in Education. A Case Study

This paper presents a methodology to evaluate (1) to what extent students of a higher degree in the field of education acquire sustainability competencies, and (2) to determine whether the subjects that develop Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) achieve their learning objectives. The methodology is applied to a case study. The instruments used are the sustainability survey and the sustainability presence map developed by the EDINSOST project. The survey consists of 18 questions, and has been answered by 104 first-year students and 86 fourth-year students belonging to the Bachelor Degree in Primary Education Teaching at the University of Seville. The Mann-Whitney U test has been used to compare the results of the two students groups, and Cohen’s D has been used to measure the effect size. Students only obtain significant improvements, with 95% confidence, in three questions: Q4 (I know procedures and resources to integrate sustainability in the subjects), Q5 (I analyze the opportunities presented in the subjects to plan educational projects to integrate sustainability) and Q6 (I design educational projects from the perspective of sustainability), all concerning critical thinking and creativity. An improvement is also detected in question Q11 (I know how to develop myself satisfactorily in community educational projects, encouraging participation), with a confidence of 90%. Surprisingly, no subject in the curriculum develops the learning outcomes concerning questions Q4, Q5 and Q6, and only one subject develops the learning outcomes regarding question Q11. However, up to five subjects declare development of the learning outcomes regarding questions in which there is no improvement in student learning. These results suggest that the subjects are failing to reach their ESD learning objectives, and that the students are either trained in sustainability outside the university or the subject learning guides do not reflect the work done by the students throughout their studies

The implementation of the SDGs in universities: a systematic review

Currently, in the field of Sustainable Development (SD), one of the most significant debates is the necessary incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education and, specifically, in higher education institutions (HEIs). In the process of truly integrating the SDGs in HEIs, it is necessary to know and identify what is already being done and evaluate the efficacy or deficiency with which universities are carrying out studies and actions to integrate the SDGs. This systematic review aims to respond to this claim by analysing the most recent scientific evidence published in the period of 2015-2020 regarding SDGs in the university context at the international level. The results of this study identify: (1) a general approach on the SDGs from a global dimension in the reviewed studies, with SDG 4 (Education) being the most frequently referenced SDG; (2) the university area from which SDGs are addressed is research, followed by education; (3) the most frequent action gathered in the reviewed studies is the integration of the SDGs in the curricular schedule, in the area of education and learning; (4) with respect to the geographic and university context in which the SDGs are developed, the review showed studies in four geographic areas (Asia and the Pacific, America, Africa and Europe), with most studies being published from European and Latin American universities

¿Forma en sostenibilidad el sistema universitario español? Visión del alumnado de cuatro universidades

For more than a decade, various national and international initiatives have emerged so that universities can assume a leadership role in order to promote education for sustainable development and to respond to the global challenges of today’s society. It is necessary to analyze the effectiveness of these initiatives, and to ask ourselves whether or not universities are training their students to face these challenges with responsibility.This is one of the objectives of the EDINSOST project. Within the framework of EDINSOST, we have carried out qualitative research, developing focus groups with students in their final years at different universities and different academic profiles. This has allowed us to integrate the perspective of university students into our analysis. In this paper, we present the most relevant contributions in relation to the students’ vision of sustainability, their formative experience in the university and their opinion on how it could be improved. Results show that the sustainability training provided by university is insufficient: students do not feel prepared to integrate sustainability into their professional activity. However, they consider it essential that universities should include sustainability in their academic curricula, and they emphasize the importance of using active methodologies that connect students with reality and encourage reflection.The research shows that there is a lot of work to be done in order to integrate sustainability into university education. Students’ proposals are aligned with those of experts in education for sustainability. To carry them out requires both teacher training and commitment, as well as institutional involvement.Desde hace más de una década, existen diversas iniciativas internacionales y nacionales para que las universidades asuman un rol de liderazgo para promover una educación para el desarrollo sostenible y dar respuestas a los retos globales de la sociedad actual. Es preciso analizar la efectividad de esas iniciativas y preguntarnos si las universidades están formando a sus estudiantes para afrontar con responsabilidad dichos retos.Éste es uno de los objetivos del proyecto EDINSOST, dentro de cuyo marco hemos llevado a cabo una investigación de tipo cualitativa, desarrollando grupos de discusión con estudiantes de últimos cursos de distintas universidades y perfiles académicos. Esto nos ha permitido integrar en nuestros análisis la perspectiva del alumnado universitario.En este artículo se presentan las aportaciones más relevantes en relación a la visión de los estudiantes sobre la sostenibilidad, su experiencia formativa en la universidad y su opinión sobre cómo podría mejorarse. Los resultados muestran que la formación en sostenibilidad que aporta la universidad es insuficiente, y que los estudiantes no se sienten preparados para integrar la sostenibilidad en su actividad profesional. Sin embargo, consideran fundamental que la universidad incluya la sostenibilidad en sus currículos académicos, y enfatizan la importancia de emplear metodologías activas que conecten al alumnado con la realidad y fomenten la reflexión.La investigación muestra que queda mucho trabajo por hacer para integrar la sostenibilidad en la formación universitaria. Las propuestas del alumnado están alineadas con las de los expertos en educación para la sostenibilidad, y para llevarlas a cabo se requiere tanto la formación y compromiso del profesorado como la implicación institucional

Nitrogen and Phosphorous Retention in Tropical Eutrophic Reservoirs with Water Level Fluctuations: A Case Study Using Mass Balances on a Long-Term Series

Nitrogen and phosphorous loading drives eutrophication of aquatic systems. Lakes and reservoirs are often effective N and P sinks, but the variability of their biogeochemical dynamics is still poorly documented, particularly in tropical systems. To contribute to the extending of information on tropical reservoirs and to increase the insight on the factors affecting N and P cycling in aquatic ecosystems, we here report on a long-term N and P mass balance (2003–2018) in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, which showed that this tropical eutrophic reservoir lake acts as a net sink of N (−41.7 g N m y) and P (−2.7 g P m y), mainly occurring through net sedimentation, equivalent to 181% and 68% of their respective loading (23.0 g N m y and 4.2 g P m y). The N mass balance also showed that the Valle de Bravo reservoir has a high net N atmospheric influx (31.6 g N m y), which was 1.3 times the external load and likely dominated by N fixation. P flux was driven mainly by external load, while in the case of N, net fixation also contributed. During a period of high water level fluctuations, the net N atmospheric flux decreased by 50% compared to high level years. Our results outlining water regulation can be used as a useful management tool of water bodies, by decreasing anoxic conditions and net atmospheric fluxes, either through decreasing nitrogen fixation and/or promoting denitrification and other microbial processes that alleviate the N load. These findings also sustain the usefulness of long-term mass balances to assess biogeochemical dynamics and its variability.This research was funded by UNAM, PAPIIT-IN207702 and CONACYT-SEMARNAT, C01-1125 projects to M.M-

Izaña Atmospheric Research Center. Activity Report 2019-2020

Editors: Emilio Cuevas, Celia Milford and Oksana Tarasova.[EN]The Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), which is part of the State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), is a site of excellence in atmospheric science. It manages four observatories in Tenerife including the high altitude Izaña Atmospheric Observatory. The Izaña Atmospheric Observatory was inaugurated in 1916 and since that date has carried out uninterrupted meteorological and climatological observations, contributing towards a unique 100-year record in 2016. This reports are a summary of the many activities at the Izaña Atmospheric Research Center to the broader community. The combination of operational activities, research and development in state-of-the-art measurement techniques, calibration and validation and international cooperation encompass the vision of WMO to provide world leadership in expertise and international cooperation in weather, climate, hydrology and related environmental issues.[ES]El Centro de Investigación Atmosférica de Izaña (CIAI), que forma parte de la Agencia Estatal de Meteorología de España (AEMET), representa un centro de excelencia en ciencias atmosféricas. Gestiona cuatro observatorios en Tenerife, incluido el Observatorio de Izaña de gran altitud, inaugurado en 1916 y que desde entonces ha realizado observaciones meteorológicas y climatológicas ininterrumpidas y se ha convertido en una estación centenaria de la OMM. Estos informes resumen las múltiples actividades llevadas a cabo por el Centro de Investigación Atmosférica de Izaña. El liderazgo del Centro en materia de investigación y desarrollo con respecto a las técnicas de medición, calibración y validación de última generación, así como la cooperación internacional, le han otorgado una reputación sobresaliente en lo que se refiere al tiempo, el clima, la hidrología y otros temas ambientales afines