Open Access
Destrezas STEM a través del cuento Paco viaja a la Luna
(Graó, 2024-02-01) Napal Fraile, María; Ilundáin López de Muniáin, María; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
Esta propuesta parte de la toma de conciencia de una maestra en formación de la poca presencia de la ciencia en edades tempranas. De esta necesidad surgió la idea de utilizar un cuento, Paco viaja a la Luna, para vincular entre sí una serie de pequeñas propuestas de experimentación con las que desarrollar destrezas científicas. Estas propuestas, ligadas con una o varias destrezas y una temática diferente, se suceden unidas a cada escena del cuento, que se muestran en un kamishibai, ilustradas con pintura fluorescente y leídas bajo una lámpara de luz negra, creando un ambiente mágico donde todo puede pasar.
Open Access
Who do I look like more, mom or dad? An exploratory survey about primary students' ideas about heredity
(2024-06-21) Zudaire Ripa, María Isabel; Ayuso Fernández, Gabriel Enrique; Napal Fraile, María; Uriz Doray, Irantzu; Ciencias; Zientziak; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Unlike in other countries, heredity and genetics appear first in Spanish science standards in secondary levels. However, some researchers have suggested the need of progressively introducing some basic genetic ideas already from primary education levels. In this context of no formal instruction in early stages, the objectives of our work were to characterize the incipient heredity model of primary school pupils and to evaluate its progression, to identify the most appropriate time to introduce these ideas. We designed a 12-item questionnaire referred to two constructs: (1) the difference between biologically inherited and environmental acquired traits and (2) the mechanism of inheritance. 535 primary school pupils (6¿12 years; grades 1¿6) took part in the study. In addition, 1¿2 pupils per class were interviewed, totalling 30 interviewees. The results showed that pupils clearly identified physical resemblance as inheritable but had more difficulties in assessing physiological traits. Most pupils (84%) correctly identified that accidentally acquired traits were not transmitted to the descendance. However, only 32,2% of them use terms related to inheritance (77,1% of them in G4 ¿ G6). Regarding the mechanism of inheritance, the idea that siblings express traits of both parents becomes more prevalent from grade 3, even suggesting the appearance of new traits or the mixture of previous ones. Older pupils accepted that a trait could skip a generation, although most of them were unable to explain the mechanism, that involves the idea of dominance/ recessiveness. These results allow identifying key leverage points for constructing the inheritance model at Primary levels.
Open Access
Sustainability teaching tools in the digital age
(MDPI, 2020) Napal Fraile, María; Mendioroz Lacambra, Ana; Peñalva Vélez, Alicia; Ciencias; Zientziak; Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación; Giza eta Hezkuntza Zientziak; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The increasing presence and relevance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in learning scenarios has imposed new demands on teachers, who must be able to design new learning situations while relying on the growing supply of available digital resources. One of the fields that more urgently needs to utilize the potential benefits of ICT to transform learning is sustainability, and more precisely the development of sustainability competences (SCs). Indeed, wider societal changes are needed that ensure a balance between economic growth, respect for the environment, and social justice, and these changes must start with individual action, knowledge, and the capacity and willingness to act (i.e., the definition of 'competence'). However, although there is a wide consensus on the fact that education should ensure the acquisition of competences for life, making this a reality may be more problematic. This difficulty stems, partly, from a lack of a definition of the intervening elements (knowledge, skills, values, attitudes) that enables the integration of competences into specific learning sequences and activities. Taking into account all the above and the difficulties that teachers face in choosing relevant resources and incorporating competences into their planning, we propose a series of indicators that serve to characterize the four dimensions of scientific competence: contents of science, contents about science, the value of science, and the utility of science in educational materials. Although primarily intended for filtering multimedia resources in an educational platform, this instrument (as well as the indicators therein) can be extrapolated to the selection and management of a variety of resources and activities, eventually selecting those that are more useful for the acquisition of the scientific competence. They can also provide learning-managers with a common ground to work on by sharing the objectives and indicators related to the acquisition of competences.
Open Access
La intervención adulta determina el desarrollo de las destrezas científicas en la etapa de infantil
(Universitat de València, 2023) Napal Fraile, María; Vázquez Bienzobas, Lara; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
Los niños y niñas de edad preescolar alcanzan cierto dominio de las destrezas procedimentales científicas (SPS) al exponerse a contextos de aprendizaje ricos, donde la intervención adulta resulta determinante. Por ese motivo, esta investigación evaluó el impacto de diferentes estilos de intervención adulta en el aprendizaje y la participación de alumnado de infantil en tareas científicas destinadas a fomentar las SPS. 42 niños y niñas de 4 a 6 años se dividieron en tres grupos y participaron en actividades científicas bajo diferentes estilos de intervención adulta: liderazgo infantil, liderazgo adulto o exploración guiada. El grupo de liderazgo adulto demostró una comprensión más detallada de los conceptos, mientras que el de exploración guiada mejoró significativamente sus SPS básicas. La intervención con liderazgo infantil tuvo resultados menos favorables. Las preguntas formuladas por los adultos desempeñaron un papel fundamental, impulsando al alumnado a centrar su atención y encontrar soluciones, y resultando en respuestas más precisas y completas.
Open Access
The effect of adult intervention in the development of science process skills
(Springer, 2024) Napal Fraile, María; Vázquez Bienzobas, Lara; Zudaire Ripa, María Isabel; Uriz Doray, Irantzu; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
Contrary to the commonly held belief that preschool children are not prepared to understand certain scientific phenomena, studies have shown at least an incipient command of science process skills (SPS) whenever children are provided with various opportunities and contexts for learning. Specifically, the degree of adult intervention may strongly determine learning outcomes, especially if this role consists of guiding exploration with productive questions that help the children focus their attention on the phenomena of interest. This research was aimed at assessing the impact of different styles of adult intervention on the learning of and engagement with science tasks, in the context of a proposal intended to develop SPS among young children. Forty-two children aged 4-6 were subdivided in three groups and participated in various science proposals under different styles of adult intervention: children-led, adult-led or scaffolded exploration. While the adult-led group attained the most detailed learning of concepts, the scaffolded exploration group improved their basic SPS more. The children-led intervention had the poorest results. The type of questions proved crucial, with productive questions which prompt the children to focus their attention or find a solution leading to much more accurate and complete answers.
Open Access
Indagación en el aula de ciencias: talleres para la formación del profesorado en activo
(Educación Editora, 2023) Napal Fraile, María; Zudaire Ripa, María Isabel; Uriz Doray, Irantzu; Ciencias; Zientziak
Se presentan una serie de talleres destinados a docentes en activo de primaria y primeros cursos de secundaria, para completar su formación para la enseñanza de las ciencias experimentales. En cada uno de los talleres, que funcionan como un bloque de sesiones, se abordan secuencias de aprendizaje de temas científicos concretos: realización de un taller, adaptación individualizada al aula, implementación de las secuencias, evaluación y extracción de conclusiones que sean de aplicación en el siguiente seminario (investigación-acción). Cada bloque completo tiene una duración de un trimestre.
Open Access
STEM: la enseñanza de las ciencias en la actualidad
(Dextra, 2019) Napal Fraile, María; Zudaire Ripa, María Isabel; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
Open Access
Digital narratives for biology learning
(Springer, 2022) Napal Fraile, María; Zudaire Ripa, María Isabel; Uriz Doray, Irantzu; Calvelhe Panizo, Lander; Ciencias; Zientziak; Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación; Giza eta Hezkuntza Zientziak
Digital storytelling (DS) implies creating reflective or instructive stories, which engage the learner and may promote higher order thinking skills and deeper learning. Moreover, digital technology allows for creating meaningful and attractive stories at low cost and with little technical requirements, enhancing motivation and engagement with the task. However, successfully implementing DS requires good digital competence and sound content knowledge. Here we present the results of a five-session training programme that sought to provide specific instruction and to accompany teachers in the implementation of digital storytelling. It comprised tools for structuring scientific knowledge, ideas about good questions, representations of modes alternative to written language, and the integration of art and editing tools. The teachers had major difficulties in organizing information in meaningful ways and working with crosscutting concepts. From the analysis, it became evident that the complexity of the digital artifact attracted most of the time and effort, detracting from treatment of the scientific concepts; although the teacher attendees assimilated effectively the technical tips offered, there was considerable resistance to changing the way of teaching, which may preclude the implementation of innovative methodologies of this kind.
Open Access
Evolución de la formación docente en materia digital en Andalucía
(Dykinson, 2023) Contreras Cintado, Eduardo; Napal Fraile, María; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
El objetivo de este trabajo es llevar a cabo una caracterización de los cursos de formación en materia digital ofertada al profesorado en Andalucía, para ver si con el paso del tiempo la finalidad de las formaciones han contemplado que el profesorado, además de conocer las distintas herramientas tecnológicas del momento, puede llegar a utilizarlas de forma didáctica y pedagógica en las aulas, puesto que el nivel de competencia digital que presente está directamente relacionado con el nivel de integración tecnológica que tengan los centros educativos e impactan, a su vez, sobre la calidad de la enseñanza y los procesos de aprendizaje.
Open Access
Development of the digital competence in secondary education teachers' training
(MDPI, 2018) Napal Fraile, María; Peñalva Vélez, Alicia; Mendioroz Lacambra, Ana; Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación; Giza eta Hezkuntza Zientziak; Ciencias; Zientziak
Digital competence is one of the 8 key competences for life-long learning developed by the European Commission, and is requisite for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment in the knowledge society. To accompany young learners in the development of the competence, it is necessary that parents and teachers are, in turn, literate. The level of Teacher Digital Competence of 43 Secondary School teachers in initial training was evaluated using the Common Framework, a series of rubrics for 21 sub-competences in 5 areas. The overall level of competence was low (Basic). Students scored highest in Information, which refers mostly to the operations they performed while students. Secondly, in Safety and Communication, excluding Protection of Digital Data and preservation of the Digital Identity. Lowest values were achieved in Content Creation and Problem Solving, the dimensions most closely related with the inclusion of ICTs to transform teaching-learning processes. The knowledge or skills they exhibit are largely self-taught and, so, we perceive an urgent need to purposefully incorporate relational and didactic aspects of ICT integration.