Growing pains: can family policies revert the decline of fertility in Spain?

This article aims to analyze the capability of family policies to reverse the sharp decline in fertility that has been observed in Spain in recent decades. The analysis was carried out by applying two mathematical techniques: the genetic algorithm and the strategic scenarios. Firstly, a mathematical model was designed and validated adjusting the combined performance of fertility and family policies during the 2008–2019 period. Subsequently, this model was applied to the future (2020–2060) to extrapolate the evolution of fertility considering different models of family policies. The results demonstrate that a model of family policies that is coherent with other socially desirable objectives, such as gender and social equality, will be insufficient to reverse the current downward trend in fertility. Therefore, these outcomes point to the need to articulate and harmonize diverse public policies considering the principles of equality and well‐being to modify the recent decline in fertility. An increase in fertility must therefore be identified as a socially desirable goal and public policies must be adapted to this objective, in the understanding that fertility not only requires family policies but also their coherence with the employment and educational policies and work–life balance mechanisms offered by public institutions.This study was conducted under the competitive research project Problemas no Lineales en Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias Sociales (Nonlinear Problems in Natural Sciences and Social Sciences; PID2020- 112517GB-I00), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Sciences and Innovation. It was also supported by the Department of Social Analysis of the Carlos III University of Madrid

Statistic in primary level through game based learning

Son muchos los estereotipos que definen a la disciplina de Matemáticas como un área de múltiples problemas para su proceso de enseñanzaaprendizaje. Por este motivo, se presentan el proceso y los resultados de una investigación para aportar evidencias de la necesidad de un cambio metodológico en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de los contenidos estadísticos: media, moda, mediana y rango. Con tal fin se utiliza una enseñanza basada en el aprendizaje a través del juego y se analizan los conocimientos del alumnado antes y después de una intervención. Los resultados muestran evidencias significativas acerca de la eficacia de dicha metodología frente al modelo didáctico tradicional.There are many stereotypes that define the Mathematics discipline as an area of multiple problems for the teaching and learning process. For this reason, this research is presented to provide evidence of the need for a methodological change in the teaching-learning process of statistical content: mean, trend, median and range. To this end, play-based learning is used and the students' knowledge is analyzed, before and after an intervention. The results show significant evidence about the effectiveness of mentioned methodology compared with the formal teaching system

A stochastic dynamical social model involving a human happiness index

This paper presents a new human happiness index built through five dimensions: development, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace. These five dimensions are evaluated through quantitative variables obtained from the Human Development Reports, World Data Bank and Eurostat. The new happiness index has been built following the guidelines set by the Human Development Reports of the UN for the construction of quality indices, and it has been compared on a set of 13 EU countries with the Overall Life Satisfaction Index, which is used by the UN. Moreover, the new index has been included in a dynamic mathematical model through the demographic rates to study the evolution of the population. The obtained model has been calibrated for the period 2004-2009 and validated for the period 2010-2015 for the case of Spain. Finally, the model has been used to maximize the happiness index in Spain for the period 2016-2030, with the conclusion that to achieve this purpose, it is necessary to invest in education, research and development

Las fracciones, habilidades de alumnos de 15 a 16 años

The study described in this paper is part of a research project whose aim is to identify the relationship between skills that 15-18-year-olds show when using fractions and their performance to solve descriptive problems involving iterative computing processes of a part of a part of a whole. Results presented come from the analysis of 198 students’ answers to a test about previous knowledge of fractions. The test consists of seven tasks to evaluate three types of skills: Graphic representation, Computation with fractions, and Solving problems. The test was designed considering: a) components of previous studies; b) the curriculum of the first grade of high school (ESO 4th grade in Spain), and c) Mathematics issues necessary to solve such problems. To process data, methodologies for quantitative and qualitative analyses were considered. Quantitative results show low rates of success when using fractions related to the three skills. Concerning the qualitative aspect, it highlights the difficulties with graphic representation in a discrete context; the representation “of what is left” –i.e., part of parts of a whole– and with numerical computation.La indagación descrita es parte de un proyecto de investigación cuyo propósito es identificar relaciones existentes entre habilidades que los alumnos, de entre 15 y 18 años de edad, manifiestan al usar fracciones y su desempeño al resolver problemas descriptivos que involucran procesos iterativos de cálculo de parte del complemento de parte. Los resultados expuestos provienen del análisis de las respuestas de 198 alumnos a un cuestionario sobre conocimientos previos de fracciones. El test consta de siete tareas para evaluar tres tipos de habilidades: Representación gráfica, Cálculo con fracciones y Resolución de problemas. El cuestionario se diseñó considerando: a) componentes de estudios precedentes; b) el currículum del curso de primero de Preparatoria (4º de ESO en España), y c) elementos matemáticos necesarios para resolver dichos problemas. Para tratar los datos se consideraron metodologías propias de análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo. Los resultados cuantitativos muestran bajos porcentajes de éxito al usar fracciones en relación con las tres habilidades. En cuanto a lo cualitativo, destaca la dificultad de representar gráficamente situaciones en un contexto discreto, con la representación de “de lo que queda” –es decir, de parte de parte de una parte del todo–, y con el cálculo numérico