Building paths to success: a multilevel analysis of the effects of an emotional intelligence development program on the academic achievement of future teachers.

Introduction: The situation generated by the recent pandemic has had several effects on education, one of them being the necessary but hasty efforts of teachers and students to adapt to the demands of a virtual classroom environment. Thus, it is essential to promote the development of digital competencies in future teachers, enabling them to create effective learning situations in the digital medium. Moreover, the European university curriculum includes a set of specific competencies (specific to each degree) and a series of generic competencies, many of which are related to emotional intelligence. Our work emerges from these specific premises and the more general need to develop emotional skills and learning abilities in virtual environments for future educators. Methods: The sample comprised 240 students in higher education, pursuing a bachelor's degree in education at the University of Alicante, Spain (68.3% were female and average age of the participants was 19.43 years SD = 4.127). Using a quasi-experimental design with pretests, posttests, and a control group, we present the effects of an online program aimed at improving the emotional skills and academic achievement of future teachers in higher education. In this study, a 30-h emotional intelligence training program was implemented. Since the student sample was grouped into different classes, we analyzed, using a generalized linear mixed-effects model, whether students who took the program showed a significant improvement in their academic achievement at the end of their studies, compared to those who did not take it. Results: The findings show a significant improvement in the academic achievement at the end of the bachelor's degree studies of the students in the experimental group. Discussion: These results open up a field of possibilities for the implementation of this type of training using virtual environments, enabling interventions to enhance the emotional development of the teaching staff (and, subsequently, in their students), develop their teaching careers adequately, and employ the ideal strategies to address educational programs. Looking ahead, the integration of emotional development programs that incorporate emerging technology into university curricula could enhance the preparation of educators profoundly and create adaptable learning environments for contemporary students.

Revamping Teacher Training for Challenging Times: Teachers' Well-Being, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, and Innovative Methodologies as Key Teaching Competencies.

Purpose: This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a teacher training program to improve the quality and innovation of teaching practice. The program was designed to protect teachers' mental health and well-being, and increase their resilience and emotional competence while introducing innovative educational methodologies. Participants and Methods: An experimental design using a control group and pre-/post-test empirical data was adopted to determine the effects of the 14-week teacher training program. The sample comprised 141 teachers with mean teaching experience of 13.1 years (SD = 6.84, 54.6% women). Results: The program had a positive impact on teacher well-being, resilience, emotional competence, and self-efficacy, linked to the innovative and effective teacher methodologies included in the training. Conclusion: More research is needed to expand on the findings and optimize teacher training implementation. The training provided in this study is evidence of the commitment to overcoming current educational framework challenges. The training contributes to teacher empowerment and provides knowledge, strategies, and resources for greater innovation and quality in the classroom - key to creating educational synergies for the emergence of stronger teachers in the face of adversity. We discuss future research directions for a better understanding of teacher training in the 21st century.

Caloric adequacy of parenteral nutrition and its influence on the clinical outcome of hospitalised patients.

Background: The adaptation of Parenteral Nutrition (PN) to actual energy requirements of hospitalised patients is essential, since excessive and insufficient nutritional intake have been associated with poor clinical outcomes. Aim: To evaluate the adaptation of prescribed PN to the estimated nutritional requirements using three predictive equations and the influence of excessive/insufficient nutrient intake on patient clinical outcomes (nutritional parameters, metabolic and infectious complications). Methods: Prospective, observational study in hospitalised patients nutritionally assessed. Data was collected the first and fifth/sixth day of PN with clinical (infection, length of hospital stay), biochemical (visceral proteins, cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides, lymphocytes, CRP) and anthropometric parameters (skin folds, height, weight). Theoretical requirements were calculated using Harris-Benedict (HB), Mifflin-St Jeor (MF) and 25 Kcal/Kg/day formulas. The HB formula was used to compare estimated and provided requirements. Results: A total of 94 patients (mean: 72 ± 13.7 years old) were included with initial mean weight and height of 69.2 Kg and 162.8 cm, respectively (mean BMI: 26.1 Kg/m2). No statistically significant differences were found between the actual (1620 Kcal/day) and estimated caloric mean calculated with HB (1643 Kcal/day) and MF (1628 Kcal/day). When comparing with the caloric estimation, 31.9% of patients were underfed, while 14.9% were overfed. Intergroup analysis demonstrated significant variations in albumin, prealbumin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and MUAC, with a significant increase of hyperglycaemia (+37.86; p < 0.05) and hypertriglyceridemia (+63.10; p < 0.05), being higher in overfed patients. Conclusion: In our study, inadequate nutrient intake was associated with a higher degree of hyperglycaemia and hypertriglyceridemia, without positive impact on anthropometric parameters.

Teaching Socio-Emotional Competencies Among Primary School Students: Improving Conflict Resolution and Promoting Democratic Co-existence in Schools.

Teaching socio-emotional skills among primary school students is the key to creating a climate of cooperation in classrooms and reducing disruptive or aggressive behaviors among students. The primary goal of this research is to present an educational proposal for imparting socio-emotional competencies among primary school students. We attempt to impart socio-emotional competencies based on: (1) fostering self-knowledge, self-esteem, and respect for others among students; (2) developing behaviors that allow them to perceive and express feelings and self-regulating emotions; and (3) developing assertive communication skills aimed at improving conflict resolution. This program has been designed in such a way that it is implemented throughout the academic year by organizing bi-monthly sessions of 45 min each, held until the completion of 15 sessions. The sample consists of 100 students in the third grade, with the control and experimental groups having an equal number of students (50 each). The instruments used for this research are: (a) BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (Youth Version [BarOn EQ-i:YV]): used for measuring emotional and social functioning; (b) the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY): used for assessing social skills; and (c) Questionnaire for the Assessment of School Violence in Preschool and Primary School Questionnaire. To check the effectiveness of the educational intervention, a quasi-experimental design, along with pretest-posttest control group design, is used in accordance with the general linear model. Its effectiveness is also checked using repeated measures analysis of variance. The results show that the program is useful in preventing violent behaviors in the educational field and promoting the development of socio-emotional skills among third grade students. Finally, the applicability of the program to other educational contexts is discussed to enhance students' personal development and decrease the levels of violence found in primary school.

Effects of Student Training in Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence on the Behaviour and Coexistence of Adolescents in the 21st Century.

In recent decades, efforts have been made to achieve a positive coexistence among adolescents in secondary schools and create a healthy environment to prepare them to face the present-day challenges. Therefore, this study highlights the educational purpose of improving emotional management and social skills as well as decreasing antisocial and criminal behaviour among secondary education students through an educational training programme. Accordingly, to verify the effectiveness of the project, a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test structure and a control group was adopted. To achieve this, a total of 141 Spanish secondary school students participated in this study and were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions. The first (experimental) group (n = 55) participated in the training programme; correspondingly, the second group (control) (n = 57) followed the usual mentoring activities planned for the entire educational centre. Of the total number of participants, 52.7% of the sample were men and 47.3% were women. The mean age of the participants was 13.01 years old (SD = 0.935). The results showed improvements in the environment with adequate training and the correct application of a programme involving emotional intelligence (EI) among secondary education students. Furthermore, a decrease in conflicts and enhanced relations between the members of the educational community was evidenced. Finally, the practical implications for improving coexistence in secondary schools are discussed.

Neural Network Model for Predicting Student Failure in the Academic Leveling Course of Escuela Politécnica Nacional.

The purpose of this study is to train an artificial neural network model for predicting student failure in the academic leveling course of the Escuela Politécnica Nacional of Ecuador, based on academic and socioeconomic information. For this, 1308 higher education students participated, 69.0% of whom failed the academic leveling course; besides, 93.7% of the students self-identified as mestizo, 83.9% came from the province of Pichincha, and 92.4% belonged to general population. As a first approximation, a neural network model was trained with twelve variables containing students' academic and socioeconomic information. Then, a dimensionality reduction process was performed from which a new neural network was modeled. This dimension reduced model was trained with the variables application score, vulnerability index, regime, gender, and population segment, which were the five variables that explained more than 80% of the first model. The classification accuracy of the dimension reduced model was 0.745, while precision and recall were 0.883 and 0.778, respectively. The area under ROC curve was 0.791. This model could be used as a guide to lead intervention policies so that the failure rate in the academic leveling course would decrease.

Teacher Training Can Make a Difference: Tools to Overcome the Impact of COVID-19 on Primary Schools. An Experimental Study.

Overcoming the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on primary schools is an emerging need and priority in the current social welfare system. Accordingly, this study presents an empirical learning package to support teachers, who perform frontline work in schools, in coping with stress, preventing burnout, improving their information and communications technology (ICT) competency, and introducing the principles of emotional intelligence (EI) in the classroom. The participants included 141 primary school teachers (M = 38.4 years, SD = 6.84; 54.6% women). They were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in the 14-week teacher training program, whereas the control group did not participate in the program or receive any other training during the intervention. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (time x group) was performed to identify the effects of the teacher training program. Teachers who participated in the training program evaluated it positively and showed significant differences compared to the control group in their abilities to cope with stress and avoid burnout, their ICT competency, and their introduction of EI in the classroom. Implications for supporting teachers are discussed.

University Entrance Examinations in Spain: Using the Construct Comparability Approach to Analyze Standards Quality.

In recent years, important methodological attempts have been made to explore the comparability of examination standards, especially in the context of certifications and university entrance. The present study aimed to explore the use of a construct comparability approach through a comparative analysis of the academic scores on 15 subjects from Spanish University Entrance Examinations in the Valencian Community, with a sample of 22,996 students in the call of June 2018. We employed the Rasch partial credit model as an estimation method, counting each subject as the item of an instrument related to academic achievement. The results confirmed the unidimensionality assumption and the goodness of fit of the model in relation to all subjects, although no discrimination between high and low ability students was detected because of the lack of monotonicity of the score categories. We observed that the level of difficulty of the subjects was appropriate to the students' ability levels. Important conclusions have been drawn for the improvement of the standard qualification process, and future research directions have been proposed.

Can emotional intelligence be improved? A randomized experimental study of a business-oriented EI training program for senior managers.

PURPOSE: This article presents the results of a training program in emotional intelligence. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Emotional Intelligence (EI) involves two important competencies: (1) the ability to recognize feelings and emotions in oneself and others, and (2) the ability to use that information to resolve conflicts and problems to improve interactions with others. We provided a 30-hour Training Course on Emotional Intelligence (TCEI) for 54 senior managers of a private company. A pretest-posttest design with a control group was adopted. FINDINGS: EI assessed using mixed and ability-based measures can be improved after training. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study's results revealed that EI can be improved within business environments. Results and implications of including EI training in professional development plans for private organizations are discussed.

Can Academic Achievement in Primary School Students Be Improved Through Teacher Training on Emotional Intelligence as a Key Academic Competency?

BACKGROUND: The primary aim of the current study was to develop a multi-methodological teacher training program based on emotional intelligence (EI) as a key competency in order to improve student academic achievement based on two methods: face-to-face instruction and game-based e-learning instruction. METHODS: Seventy-four primary education teachers and their 2069 students were randomly assigned to three groups. The first group of teachers (n = 23) were trained to use a face-to-face method. The objective of the training was that the teachers would be able to implement EI into their teaching to improve academic achievement in their students (n = 645) using face-to-face instruction. For the second group (n = 28), the teachers were trained to use an e-learning gamification method. Similar to the first group, the objective of the training was that the teachers would be able to implement EI into their teaching to improve academic achievement in their students (n = 758) using e-learning gamification instruction. The third group of teachers (n = 23) served as the controls and did not receive any special training, nor did they implement EI into their teaching (n = 666). RESULTS: Implementation of EI into classroom teaching effectively improved academic achievement in primary school students using both methods. However, there was a greater increase in academic achievement and higher teacher satisfaction in the game-based e-learning group. No significant differences in student achievement were observed in the control group. CONCLUSION: Emotional intelligence as a key academic competency.

Can Emotional Competence Be Taught in Higher Education? A Randomized Experimental Study of an Emotional Intelligence Training Program Using a Multimethodological Approach.

Since the introduction of the Bologna Process, the goal of education has been not only to acquire technical skills but also to master other skills, such as teamwork, effective communication skills, time optimization, and the ability to manage one's emotions. The present work describes a program to develop emotional intelligence in higher education, the "Emotional Intelligence Training Program," with a multimethodological approach that offers the opportunity for university students to develop their emotional intelligence. A total of 192 higher education students participated in this educational experience. Of the participants, 66% were women, and 34% were men; the average age of the sample was 18.83 years with a standard deviation of 2.73. The results indicate that our program can help improve emotional intelligence through three proposed methodologies: online, in the classroom, and coaching. It has been demonstrated that the program is effective in the three methodological modalities presented, offering a range of possibilities to future users because it is possible to select the most appropriate modality based on the resources and possibilities available in each situation. Finally, Future research should focus on the application of this program to assess the acquisition of emotional competences at the postgraduate level.

Emotional intelligence training intervention among trainee teachers: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Emotional intelligence (EI) has often been linked to improvements in professional performance. Indeed, generic competencies related to EI have been included in university curricula. However, learning EI involves significant time and effort on the part of students, and this may hinder the acquisition of specific content for each degree. In this study, an intervention to develop EI in higher education students is described and evaluated. METHODS: The intervention consisted of eight group sessions performed in a regular course aiming to increase EI. The sessions included strategies and training on perceiving and understanding one's own emotions and others' emotions, identifying and understanding the impact one's own feelings in adopting decisions, expressing one's own emotions and the stress experienced, and managing both one's own emotions and emotions of others. Participants were 192 students studying for a Master of Primary Education degree. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was adopted. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated using multi-level analyses. RESULTS: The results showed a significant improvement in the EI of students in the experimental group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates that it is possible to develop EI in higher education students, without hindering the acquisition of specific content competencies and, therefore, without interfering with their academic performance and without overburdening students with work outside the classroom. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The experiment has been registered in the Initial Deposit of the Spanish Center for Sociological Research (CIS). 7/6/2015. http://www.cis.es/cis/opencms/ES/index.html .

Emotional intelligence training intervention among trainee teachers: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) has often been linked to improvements in professional performance. Indeed, generic competencies related to EI have been included in university curricula. However, learning EI involves significant time and effort on the part of students, and this may hinder the acquisition of specific content for each degree. In this study, an intervention to develop EI in higher education students is described and evaluated. Methods: The intervention consisted of eight group sessions performed in a regular course aiming to increase EI. The sessions included strategies and training on perceiving and understanding one's own emotions and others' emotions, identifying and understanding the impact one's own feelings in adopting decisions, expressing one's own emotions and the stress experienced, and managing both one's own emotions and emotions of others. Participants were 192 students studying for a Master of Primary Education degree. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was adopted. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated using multi-level analyses. Results: The results showed a significant improvement in the EI of students in the experimental group compared with the control group. Conclusions: This research demonstrates that it is possible to develop EI in higher education students, without hindering the acquisition of specific content competencies and, therefore, without interfering with their academic performance and without overburdening students with work outside the classroom. Trial registration: The experiment has been registered in the Initial Deposit of the Spanish Center for Sociological Research (CIS). 7/6/2015. http://www.cis.es/cis/opencms/ES/index.html.

Consumo y abandono del tabaco en el embarazo: la importancia de la intervención mínima sistematizada / No disponible

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