Authors:Olivia López Martínez, María Isabel de Vicente-Yagüe Jara, Antonio José Lorca Garrido Abstract: From the perspective of positive psychology, the study and measurement of subjective well-being has popularized a growing interest towards variables such as affective perception. In an attempt to explain and evaluate the affective structure in positive terms (PA) and negative terms (NA), PANASN affect scale (Sandín, 2003) constitutes the version adapted for children and teenagers of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson et al., 1988). Opposite to the confirmatory study made in teenagers by Sandín (2003), this paper proceeds to analyse the internal structure and reliability of the above-mentioned questionnaire after being administered to 636 students aged between 6 and 14 years. An instrumental type of research methodology was carried out. The instrument used was the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children and Adolescents (PANASN). While confirmatory and exploratory analysis show an appropriate adjustment, these properties tend to fade when three or four factors are considered. In response to this, we reflect on the need to consider certain aspects of improvement in content and form, which are essential if we want to use said instrument with primary education students. PubDate: 2023-02-24 DOI: 10.17583/ijep.9285 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 1 (2023)
Authors:Silvia Di Battista, Heather Smith, Lucia Mongelli, Chiara Berti Abstract: Students’ identification with schools or universities predicts many positive aspects such as cooperation and completion of studies. Two hundred and eleven Italian students and 226 U.S. students wrote responses to open-ended questions about a time that they either felt connected (identified) or disconnected to (not identified) with their university. In Italy, students prompted to identify with the university mainly focused their descriptions on didactical aspects such as academic training experiences. Italian students prompted not to identify with the university mainly described their experiences with the university’s organizational and administrative aspects. U.S. students prompted to identify or not with the university mainly focused on the social aspects of their university experience such as their involvement with fraternities and sororities. In both nations, students rarely mentioned instrumental aspects of their university experience such as the evaluation of how much the university matters for professional training. These qualitative results help to fully understand the contents of the experience of university students. Understanding students’ identification can be vital in order to improve the quality of university teaching and to support professors in developing their roles. PubDate: 2023-02-24 DOI: 10.17583/ijep.7980 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 1 (2023)
Authors:Mireia Faus, Francisco Alonso, Cristina Esteban, Sergio Useche Abstract: Road safety training programs are commonly used to raise awareness of risky attitudes and behaviors. The evaluation of road safety education courses aimed at children is carried out with some assiduity. However, this does not usually occur in courses aimed at young people and adults. The present systematic review aims to identify studies that evaluate the effectiveness of road safety training programs in this population group. This systematic review followed the PRISMA methodology, by which the relevant articles based on the research term were identified. A total number of 1,336 indexed articles were filtered, and a final selection of 22 articles directly addressing the issue was obtained. Search strategies were developed and conducted in WOS, Scopus, NCBI, Google Scholar and APA databases. The selected articles indicate that the effects of road safety training programs in adults are mild to moderate. Their effectiveness is substantially increased when they are aimed at improving risk perception and decision making rather than training in driving skills. In any case, more evaluations of these courses are needed to identify which tools are effective and which should be replaced by new behavior modification methods in the design of future driver education programs. PubDate: 2023-02-24 DOI: 10.17583/ijep.8805 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 1 (2023)
Authors:Marjo Katajisto, Satu Uusiautti, Sanna Hyvärinen Abstract: This article reports findings from a study among 9th-graders who participated in a strengths-based intervention in two West-Finnish comprehensive schools. The intervention pursued to develop the students’ psychological capital (PsyCap), awareness of their strengths, and experiences of student guidance. The following research question was set for this study: How do students perceive the change in themselves during a strengths-based intervention' This research used the phenomenographic approach. The students were chosen from the original group of students participating in the intervention so that those who showed highest increase in PowerZone during the initial and end measures of the intervention were invited to interviews. Altogether six girls and four boys were interviewed personally. The results showed how strengths boosted students’ optimism evincing changes in perceptions of one’s own strengths; changes in attitudes toward schoolwork; and changes in attitudes toward the future. This research contributed to the discussion a very important viewpoint, namely that of the young people themselves. Their experiences should be at the core and considered carefully when developing new methods and tools for student guidance and counseling. PubDate: 2023-02-24 DOI: 10.17583/ijep.10467 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 1 (2023)