Cultural Differences between University Students in Online Learning Quality and Psychological Profile during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational systems had to adapt to the social and health situation immediately. This led to the appearance of the asynchronous teaching model. Throughout the pandemic at an educational level, we can distinguish three phases, eminently online, hybrid, and face-to-face. However, the perception of educational quality in these three educational moments, considering the psychometric profile and cultural differences comparing Ibero-American countries, has not been studied. The study aims to analyze the psychological profile, and perception of quality in the teaching–learning processes at the university stage, during the three processes of educational transition during COVID-19: online, hybrid, and face-to-face. Thus, 1093 university students from Ibero-American countries were studied. Through a questionnaire, demographic, academic, and psychological variables were analyzed during three phases of the pandemic. Data suggest that Latin American students had higher levels of trait anxiety and stress perception, as well as higher levels of loneliness, during the online teaching phase (lockdown), but higher grades and higher levels of motivation compared to Europeans. Indeed, Latin Americans showed greater convenience, and preference for online learning methods. However, during the face-to-face teaching phase, European students presented greater motivation and grades, showing a greater preference for this method of learning than Latin American students. Factors such as resilience, a more unfavorable and pronounced pandemic evolution, and greater social inequities, may explain the present results. Furthermore, the present study suggests that despite the effect of the pandemic on mental health, online education is postulated as an effective teaching–learning alternative. Indeed, online teaching models have come to stay, not as a substitute, but as a tool, an essential focus of attention on these models should be conducted in European countries, while the governments of Latin American countries ensure that the infrastructures and resources are equitable to be able to correctly implement this teaching model

Gender Differences of University Students in the Online Teaching Quality and Psychological Profile during the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the arrival of COVID-19, educational systems have had to adapt to the social and health situation immediately. This led to the appearance of the asynchronous teaching model. Throughout the pandemic, at the educational level, we can distinguish three phases, eminently online, hybrid, and finally, face-to-face. However, the perception of educational quality in these three educational moments, taking into account the psychometric profile and gender, has not been studied. Thus, 1093 university students from Ibero-American countries were analyzed. Through a questionnaire, demographic, academic, and psychological variables were analyzed at three moments during the evolution of the pandemic. Data suggest that, during the lockdown phase, while teaching was eminently online, students presented higher levels of stress and higher difficulty of learning; class attendance, convenience, preferred method of learning, grading score, and motivation were lower, compared to other phases of teaching (hybrid and face-to-face). During this period, females presented higher stress levels than males, as well as higher levels of anxiety and loneliness, without gender differences among the other studied variables. During the hybrid and face-to-face phases, male students presented higher values in the results of difficulty learning and demanding activities. No differences were seen regarding motivation, synchronous class attendance, learning level, grades, convenience, or preferred learning method. The results from the present study suggest that, despite the effect of the pandemic on mental health, asynchronous education is postulated as an effective teaching–learning alternative. Yet, a special focus should be given to female students

Efeitos da shantala na interação entre mãe e criança com síndrome de down

O objetivo é verificar os efeitos da Shantala na interação entre mãe e criança com síndrome de Down. Utilizou-se por 60 dias, uma vez por semana, a técnica de massagem Shantala em três crianças com síndrome de Down, da instituição APAE, localizada em Itaquaquecetuba, SP, Brasil. Para a obtenção dos resultados foram aplicados dois questionários, um ao início, para se obter maiores informações sobre as crianças e outro ao final, para se verificar os resultados da técnica utilizada. Foi possível concluir que a Shantala beneficiou as crianças com síndrome de Down, proporcionando uma qualidade de vida melhor. Para as mães, a técnica permitiu uma melhor aceitação da doença e houve melhora no relacionamento entre as mães e as crianças.This study aimed to verify the effects of Shantala massage therapy on the interaction between mother and child with Down's syndrome. The methodology consisted in applying the massage technique "Shantala" for 60 days, once a week, on three children from APAE Institution, located at Itaquaquecetuba, SP, Brazil. At the beginning of the treatment we applied a questionnaire to obtain more information about the patient. At the end, it was applied another questionnaire to verify the results of the treatment. It was observed that Shantala benefited the kids with Down's syndrome, providing to them a better quality of life. For the mothers, the technique provided a better acceptability of the disease and an improvement in the relationship between mothers and kids

Gender Differences of University Students in the Online Teaching Quality and Psychological Profile during the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the arrival of COVID-19, educational systems have had to adapt to the social and health situation immediately. This led to the appearance of the asynchronous teaching model. Throughout the pandemic, at the educational level, we can distinguish three phases, eminently online, hybrid, and finally, face-to-face. However, the perception of educational quality in these three educational moments, taking into account the psychometric profile and gender, has not been studied. Thus, 1093 university students from Ibero-American countries were analyzed. Through a questionnaire, demographic, academic, and psychological variables were analyzed at three moments during the evolution of the pandemic. Data suggest that, during the lockdown phase, while teaching was eminently online, students presented higher levels of stress and higher difficulty of learning; class attendance, convenience, preferred method of learning, grading score, and motivation were lower, compared to other phases of teaching (hybrid and face-to-face). During this period, females presented higher stress levels than males, as well as higher levels of anxiety and loneliness, without gender differences among the other studied variables. During the hybrid and face-to-face phases, male students presented higher values in the results of difficulty learning and demanding activities. No differences were seen regarding motivation, synchronous class attendance, learning level, grades, convenience, or preferred learning method. The results from the present study suggest that, despite the effect of the pandemic on mental health, asynchronous education is postulated as an effective teaching–learning alternative. Yet, a special focus should be given to female students

Percepción de la calidad de la docencia virtual en el marco de la emergencia sanitaria por la COVID-19

Tesis inédita presentada en la Universidad Europea de Madrid. Escuela de Doctorado e Investigación. Programa de Doctorado en Biomedicina y Ciencias de la SaludEl 11 de marzo de 2020, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) declaró el estado de emergencia internacional de salud pública. La pandemia causada por el virus SARS COVID conocido como COVID-19, provocó el confinamiento generalizado de millones de personas en todo el mundo. Los gobiernos de diferentes países se vieron obligados a cerrar temporalmente los centros educativos, afectando a millones de estudiantes en todo el mundo. Desde la educación básica hasta la superior, se implementaron medidas intensivas para prevenir y proteger a estudiantes y miembros académicos, provocando que más de 1.300 millones de estudiantes asistieran a clases presenciales. Ante esta situación, la mayoría de las universidades en el mundo tuvieron que adaptar sus modelos presenciales a modelos de educación virtual. Durante el curso 2019/2020, las universidades mantuvieron algunas medidas para garantizar la seguridad en las aulas, proponiendo alternativas al modelo presencial en una modalidad virtual y se vieron obligadas a una readaptación de emergencia en todas las etapas educativas, lo que presupone grandes carencias. En muchas universidades, las clases virtuales pasaron a ser impartidas en formato síncrono, es decir, con el profesor y los estudiantes reunidos en el mismo horario que en sus clases presenciales, pero a través de una plataforma virtual. Las actividades prácticas fueron pospuestas o sustituidas cuando era posible. En los primeros seis meses, la mayoría de las clases se adaptaron completamente a esta modalidad 100% en línea. Dado que fue un cambio dramático de un modelo presencial a un modelo virtual, la presente tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo evaluar los factores condicionantes en la percepción de la calidad de la enseñanza-aprendizaje virtual en el contexto universitario iberoamericano, durante las distintas etapas de la pandemia de COVID-19, considerando variables de género, cultural, experiencia en entornos virtuales y perfil psicológico de estudiantes y docentes, así como el impacto de estos factores en las calificaciones de los estudiantes. Para ello, se realizó una encuesta a estudiantes y profesores de seis países iberoamericanos, durante los años 2021 y 2022. Posteriormente, se realizó un análisis estadístico y se comprobó la relación de las variables psicológicas, sociodemográficas, experiencia previa con recursos digitales y enseñanza virtual, con la percepción de calidad de la docencia virtual, durante el período de emergencia sanitaria causada por el COVID-19. Los resultados mostraron que el sexo femenino en el grupo de estudiantes experimentó niveles elevados de estrés durante el período de confinamiento, así como mayores niveles de ansiedad y soledad, principalmente en los países latinoamericanos. Además, los estudiantes varones presentaron mayores dificultades para aprender en la fase híbrida y presencial, así como una mayor dificultad para llevar a cabo las tareas académicas en la fase híbrida. La investigación también mostró que existen diferencias culturales, sociales y de salud entre países latinoamericanos y europeos, respecto a la percepción de calidad de la docencia virtual, durante las diferentes fases de la pandemia. La investigación sugiere que la soledad y el estrés, fueron mayores en los estudiantes y profesores latinoamericanos, durante la fase de confinamiento de la pandemia de COVID-19. América Latina mostró una mayor conveniencia y preferencia por el método de aprendizaje en línea que los europeos. Por otra parte, durante la fase de enseñanza presencial, los estudiantes y profesores europeos presentaron mayor preferencia por este método de aprendizaje que los latinoamericanos. De hecho, los estudiantes latinoamericanos mostraron calificaciones más altas en la fase de confinamiento, mientras que los estudiantes europeos obtuvieron calificaciones más elevadas en la fase presencial. Factores como la resiliencia, una evolución pandémica más desfavorable y pronunciada y mayores inequidades sociales, pueden explicar las diferencias en los resultados actuales. La investigación tambien indicó que los profesores latinoamericanos generalmente tenían una experiencia digital previa más alta en comparación con sus homólogos europeos. Además, los profesores europeos mostraron una mayor motivación para enseñar, mejor calidad percibida, conveniencia y una preferencia por la enseñanza durante la fase presencial. Este mismo grupo presentó mayores niveles de estrés durante la fase híbrida, así como mayor dificultad de enseñanza y tareas altamente exigentes durante la fase híbrida. A pesar del efecto de la pandemia en la salud mental, la educación en línea se postula como una alternativa efectiva de enseñanza-aprendizaje, sin embargo, la preferencia de los profesores por un modelo hibrido de enseñanza ha revelado mejor aceptabilidad, principalmente en áreas como Ciencias de la Salud, garantizando la adquisición de las habilidades, competencias profesionales y los beneficios de la interacción, a través de actividades prácticas presenciales, con la conveniencia del aprendizaje teórico en línea. La transición de la educación tradicional presencial al aprendizaje virtual, durante la pandemia, trae consigo grandes desafíos y oportunidades en el ámbito educativo, social, económico y de salud. Entre los factores que impactan sobre la educación se incluyen la adaptación pedagógica, barreras tecnológicas, métodos de enseñanza y evaluación, rendimiento académico, accesibilidad e inclusión digital, participación de los estudiantes, interacción social, motivación, bienestar general y los problemas de salud mental, tanto para estudiantes como para profesores. Sin embargo, la pandemia ha catalizado el desarrollo en el ámbito educativo de métodos de enseñanza innovadores, nuevos laboratorios virtuales, simulaciones de realidad aumentada, plataformas y una infinidad de recursos interactivos en el intento de sustituir o aumentar la capacitación práctica tradicional. Estos resultados revelan la importancia de tener en cuenta los aspectos psicológicos, el contexto social y económico, el campo profesional, los recursos digitales y la formación docente, al examinar los factores que influyen en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje en entornos virtuales. En última instancia, los resultados pueden apoyar a los gobiernos a que formulen políticas para garantizar un acceso equitativo a la educación en línea, prioridad al desarrollo de una infraestructura digital sólida y una conectividad a Internet segura y confiable. También pueden ayudar a las universidades a implementar estrategias para minimizar los factores que impactaron negativamente en este entorno virtual de aprendizaje. A medida que avanzamos en la era postpandemia, es vital integrar estas lecciones aprendidas para crear un entorno educativo que sea inclusivo y que esté preparado para desafíos futuros. Además, las futuras investigaciones contarán con datos comparativos para rastrear la evolución de la enseñanza virtual postpandemia, a modo de contribuir en la evolución de la educación superior.On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a state of international public health emergency. The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, known as COVID-19, led to the widespread lockdown of millions of people worldwide. Governments of different countries were forced to temporarily close educational institutions, affecting millions of students globally. From elementary to higher education, intensive measures were implemented to prevent and protect students and academic members, preventing 1.3 billion students from attending in-person classes. In response to this situation, most universities worldwide had to adapt their in-person models to virtual education models. During the 2020/2021 academic year, universities maintained some measures to ensure safety in classrooms, proposing alternatives to the in-person model in a virtual format and were forced to make emergency adaptations at all education levels, resulting in significant challenges. In many universities, virtual classes became synchronous, meaning that teachers and students were brought together at the same time as their in-person classes through a virtual platform. Practical activities were postponed orreplaced when possible. In the first six months, most classes transitioned to this 100% online modality. Given that it was a dramatic shift from an in-person to a virtual model, this doctoral tesis aims to analyze sociodemographic, psychological, previous experience with education and digital resources, and how they relate to the perception of the quality of virtual teaching during the pandemic period in higher education, in different phases (lockdown, hybrid, and in-person), contexts, and countries. To achieve this, a survey was conducted with students and professors from six Ibero-American countries during the years 2021 and 2022. Subsequently, a statistical análisis was performed, checking the relationship between psychological, gender, sociodemographic, knowledge area, previous experience with digital resources and virtual teaching variables with the perception of the quality of virtual teaching during the health emergency caused by COVID-19. The results showed that female students experienced elevated levels of stress during the lockdown period, as well as higher levels of anxiety and loneliness, mainly in Latin American countries. In addition, male students showed higher values in the results of difficulty learning and higher workload demand during the hybrid phase and difficulty learning during the in-person phase. This means that students during this period faced greater difficulties in learning, as well as greater difficulty in completing academic tasks. The research also showed that there are cultural, social, and health differences between Latin American and European countries about the perception of the quality of virtual teaching during the pandemic phases. The research suggests that the prevalence of mental health symptoms, such as loneliness and stress, was higher in Latin American students and professors during the lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Latin America showed a greater convenience and preference for the online learning than Europeans. However, during the in-person teaching phase, European students and professors showed a greater preference for this learning method than Latin Americans. In fact, Latin American students had higher grades during the lockdown phase, while European students achieved higher grades during the in-person phase. Factors such as resilience, a more unfavorable and pronounced pandemic evolution, and greatersocial inequalities can explain the differences in the current results. The research also showed that Latin American professors generally had higher previous digital experience compared to their European counterparts. Additionally, European professors showed greater motivation to teach, better perceived teaching quality, teaching convenience, and a preference for in-person teaching during the in-person phase. This same group presented higher stress levels during the hybrid phase, as well as greater teaching difficulty and highly demanding tasks during the hybrid phase. Despite the effect of the pandemic on mental health, online education is postulated as an effective teaching-learning alternative. However, professors' preference for a hybrid teaching model has revealed better acceptability, especially in areas like Health Sciences, ensuring the acquisition of skills, professional competencies, and the benefits of interaction through in-person practical activities with the convenience of online theoretical learning. The transition from traditional in-person education to virtual learning during the pandemic brings significant challenges and opportunities in the educational, social, economic, and health fields. The impacts on education include pedagogical adaptation, technological barriers, teaching and assessment methods, academic performance, accessibility, digital inclusion, student participation, social interaction, motivation, overall well-being, and mental health issues among students and professors. However, the pandemic has catalyzed development in the educational field with innovative teaching methods, new virtual laboratories, augmented reality simulations, and a myriad of interactive resources that attempt to replace or improve traditional practical training. These results reveal the importance of considering psychological aspects, social and economic context, professional field, digital resources, and teacher training when examining factors influencing the teaching-learning process in virtual environments. Ultimately, the results can support governments in formulating policies to ensure equitable access to online education, prioritizing the development of a robust digital infrastructure and secure and reliable internet connectivity. It can also assist universities in implementing strategies to minimize factors that negatively impacted this virtual learning environment. As we move into the post-pandemic era, it is vitalto integrate these lessons learned to create an inclusive educational environment that is prepared for future challenges. Furthermore, future research will have comparative data to track the evolution of post-pandemic virtual teaching, contributing to the evolution of higher education.No data 2022UE

Psychological Impacts of Teaching Models on Ibero-American Educators during COVID-19

Educational systems globally, and notably in the Ibero-American context, underwent significant adaptations in response to the myriad challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pedagogical evolution unfolded through three discernible phases: predominantly online, hybrid, and ultimately, a return to face-to-face instruction. While these phases were universally apparent, cultural, socio-economic, and health disparities across regions subtly influenced the quality and experiential aspects of teaching and learning within these models. This study seeks to illuminate the psychological profiles and evaluative perspectives regarding teaching and learning quality among university educators during COVID-19’s tri-phase educational transformation. Engaging 601 university instructors from various Ibero-American countries, a comprehensive questionnaire mapped demographic, academic, and psychological landscapes across the pandemic’s distinctive epochs. The pivot to online educational methodologies, supplanting traditional modalities, permeated numerous facets of the educational endeavor, particularly impacting faculty life and wellbeing. Data underscored a prevalent sentiment of loneliness, indicative of broader mental health challenges, especially pronounced among educators in Latin American nations. Notwithstanding these hurdles, Latin American educators demonstrated a predilection towards online instruction, in stark contrast to their European peers, who exhibited a preference for in-person pedagogy. This study unveils the divergent pedagogical preferences and mental health challenges among university educators in the Ibero-American realm during COVID-19’s educational shifts, underlining the need for adaptable educational frameworks and robust mental health support, attuned to the region’s distinct socio-cultural and economic contexts.Revisión por pare