Ajuste escolar, empatía y conectividad con el medio ambiente natural en el marco de la educación ambiental en educación secundaria en España / School adjustment, empathy and connectedness with the natural environment in environmental education in Spanish secondary education

Resumen En investigaciones recientes se ha constatado que la empatía y la conectividad con el medioambiente natural son variables predictoras de la conducta proambiental. Sin embargo, no se han realizado trabajos en los que se analicen las relaciones entre estas dimensiones y el ajuste en la escuela, un escenario en el que tienen lugar gran parte de los programas relacionados con la educación ambiental y cuya finalidad es la de promover conductas proambientales. Con el presente trabajo se pretende analizar las relaciones entre el ajuste escolar, la empatía y la conectividad con el medioambiente natural en función del género. La muestra estuvo constituida por 881 estudiantes (47.2 % chicos), escolarizados en centros de educación secundaria (España), con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 17 años (M = 13.67 y SD = 1.32). Se administró una batería de instrumentos para medir el ajuste escolar, la empatía y la conectividad con el medioambiente natural. Se realizó un MANOVA para el análisis de los datos. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que el ajuste escolar, la empatía y la conectividad se relacionan significativamente y que el género desempeña un rol significativo en estas relaciones. También se observó que chicos y chicas con alto ajuste escolar diferían en empatía emocional, pero no en conectividad. Se discuten los resultados obtenidos y se recomienda la incorporación del ajuste escolar en los estudios y programas relacionados con la educación ambiental.

Abstract In recent research it has been observed that empathy and connectedness with the natural environment are relevant predictive variables of pro-environmental behaviour. However, no work has been done in which the relationships between these dimensions and the adjustment in the school are analysed, a context in which most of the programs related to environmental education, whose purpose is to promote pro-environmental behaviours, take place. The general aim of this paper is to analyse the relationships between school adjustment, empathy and connectedness with the natural environment according to gender. School adjustment is defined as the adolescent's ability to adapt to this context and includes aspects such as academic performance, adaptation to school rules, respect for the teacher as an authority figure, the student's attitude towards school and participation in school activities. Empathy is conceptualized as the awareness of the emotions and cognitions of others, and it is important in the school context for the promotion of coexistence and prevention of aggressive behaviors. Like empathy with people, empathy with the natural environment is a social-emotional process. It is a process that focuses on the ability to feel and understand everything related to that medium. In this line, an essential aspect of empathy is its influence on the attitudes and behaviors of people in general and towards the natural environment. An aspect related to empathy is connectedness which refers to the identification of human beings with the natural environment and the relationships they establish with it. In such a way that to study the connection with nature is to try to understand how people build their relationships and identify themselves with it. Connectedness to the natural environment is related in a negative sense to selfish beliefs and attitudes and in a positive sense to the development of attitudes towards the natural environment and ecological behavior in general. These aspects are taken into account in this work. The sample was composed of 881 students (47.2 % boys), enrolled in secondary education (Spain), aged between 12 and 17 (M = 13.67 y SD = 1.32). A battery of instruments to measure school adjustment, empathy and connectedness with the natural environment was administered. A MANOVA was used for data analysis. The results showed that the school adjustment, empathy and connectedness were significantly related and that gender had a significant role in these relationships. It was also observed that boys and girls with high school adjustment differed in emotional empathy, but not in connectedness. Results obtained are discussed and the inclusion of the school adjustment in the studies and programs related to environmental education is recommended. These results raise the idea that school adjustment, connectedness and empathy should be the subject of further analysis because their results would help to incorporate new ideas and proposals into education and intervention programs regarding the natural environment. It was expected that environmental connectedness in adolescents had the same sign as their connectedness with school, family, etc. because many studies have observed that girls have greater connectedness in these scenarios than boys; however, this result deserves a greater exploration regarding gender and its relationships with other connectedness It is recommended that the results presented be considered in future environmental education programs, mainly aimed at students and their families. All this will benefit these educational programs and interventions aimed at enhancing respect and awareness of the natural environment. In short, the promotion of pro-environmental behaviors should be defended through environmental education that seeks to ensure the health and well-being of all citizens.

Repercusiones multiculturales en el desarrollo lingüístico: efectos en el rendimiento / Repercussões multiculturais no desenvolvimento linguístico: efeitos no desempenho acadêmico / Multicultural repercussions in linguistic development: effectson academic performance

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo verificar las diferencias de rendimiento académico del alumnado de segundo ciclo de Educación Infantil que pertenecen a un contexto multicultural en el que coexisten una lengua oficial (castellano) y un dialecto cultural (darija). La muestra la componen un total de 501 alumnos cristianos y musulmanes del tercer curso a los que se les aplicó un cuestionario que evalúa el grado de adquisición de los aspectos competenciales de las áreas de comunicación y lenguaje, social y motriz. Para el análisis del conjunto de los datos se utilizaron pruebas estadísticas descriptivas y de contraste de variables. Los resultados demuestran como la lengua materna es un factor principal de diferenciación en todas las áreas del desempeño académico en este periodo, destacando las dimensiones comunicativas. Estas diferencias tienen una relación directa con la adhesión identitaria de los musulmanes a un dialecto cultural. (AU)

Este trabalho tem como objetivo verificar as diferenças no desempenho acadêmico dos alunos em segundo ciclo de Educação Infantil pertencentes a um contexto multicultural em que coexistem uma língua oficial (castelhano) e um dialeto cultural (Darija). A amostra foi composta por um total de 501 estudantes cristãos e muçulmanos no terceiro ano em que foram aplicados um questionário que avalia o grau de aquisição de questões jurisdicionais nas áreas de comunicação e linguagem, social e motor. Para a análise do conjunto de dados, foram utilizados testes descritivos e de contraste das variáveis. Os resultados mostram como a língua materna é um importante fator de diferenciação em todas as áreas de desempenho acadêmico durante este período, com destaque para a dimensão de comunicação. Essas diferenças têm uma relação direta com a adesão dos muçulmanos a um dialeto cultural. (AU)

The objective of this work is to verify the differences in the academic performance of students in the second cycle of Early Childhood Education who belong to a multicultural context in which an official language (Castilian) and a cultural dialect (darija) coexist. The sample is made up of a total of 501 Christian and Muslim students of the third year who were given a questionnaire that assesses the degree of acquisition of the competence aspects of the areas of communication and language, social and motor. For the analysis of the data set, descriptive and contrast tests of variables were used. The results demonstrate how the mother tongue is a main factor of differentiation in all areas of academic performance in this period, highlighting the communicative dimensions. These differences have a direct relationship with the adherence of Muslims to a cultural dialect. (AU)

Relationships between Parental Socialization Styles, Empathy and Connectedness with Nature: Their Implications in Environmentalism.

Parents exert a strong influence on several adjustment outcomes. However, little is known about their influence on adolescents' connectedness with the environment. This study examined the relationships between parenting styles, empathy and connectedness with the environment. The two-dimensional socialization model was used with four resulting styles: Indulgent, authoritative, neglectful and authoritarian. The sample comprised 797 adolescents (52.7% girls) from six public secondary schools who were aged between 12 and 16 years (M = 13.94, SD = 1.28). The results showed significant relationships between parental socialization styles, empathy and connectedness with nature. It was also observed that adolescents from indulgent and authoritative families showed higher levels of empathy and connectedness with the environment than adolescents raised by authoritarian and neglectful parents, with males from such families consistently presenting the lowest levels of empathy and connectedness, which was not the case among women. Additionally, women, regardless of the parental style in which they had been educated, showed greater cognitive and emotional empathy with the natural environment, while adolescents raised in indulgent and authoritative families displayed higher levels of empathy and connectedness than those with authoritarian and neglectful parents. These results suggest that indulgent and authoritative styles are stronger enablers of empathy and connectedness with nature.

Is school adjustment related to environmental empathy and connectedness to nature? / ¿Se relaciona el ajuste escolar con la empatía ambiental y la conexión con la naturaleza?

Environmental empathy and connectedness to nature are two main constructs that explain variations in pro-environmental behavior. However, little is known about whether environmental (cognitive and emotional) empathy and connectedness to nature might vary as a function of school adjustment. Participants were 881 Spanish adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (47.2% males). The design was a 2 × 2 MANOVA (school adjustment × sex). Results of the CFA analysis confirmed the theoretical assumptions about two different but related aspects of environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and connectedness to nature as a unidimensional construct. Overall, results showed that high school adjustment was related to higher environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and greater connectedness to nature. Moreover, interactions were found between school adjustment and sex. Females reported the highest levels of environmental emotional empathy and connectedness to nature (regardless of their school adjustment). By contrast, males with both low and high school adjustment reported lower environmental emotional empathy than females with high school adjustment. Furthermore, only males with high school adjustment reported similar connectedness to nature to that of females (regardless of their school adjustment). Implications of these findings for research and psychosocial interventions in environmental education are discussed

La empatía ambiental y la conexión con la naturaleza son dos constructos relevantes para explicar las variaciones en el comportamiento proambiental. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de si la empatía ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y la conexión con la naturaleza pueden variar en función del ajuste escolar. Los participantes fueron 881 adolescentes españoles de 12 a 17 años (47.2% hombres). El diseño fue un MANOVA 2 × 2 (ajuste escolar × sexo). Los resultados del análisis de CFA confirmaron los supuestos teóricos sobre dos dimensiones diferentes pero relacionadas de la empatía ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y la conectividad con la naturaleza como un constructo unidimensional. En general, los resultados mostraron que un alto ajuste escolar se relacionaba con una mayor empatía ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y una mayor conexión con la naturaleza. Además, se observó interacción entre el ajuste escolar y el sexo. Las mujeres reportaron un nivel más alto de empatía emocional ambiental y conexión con la naturaleza (independientemente de su ajuste escolar). En contraste, los hombres con ajuste escolar bajo y alto reportaron menor empatía emocional ambiental que las mujeres con ajuste escolar alto. Además, solo los hombres con alto ajuste en la escuela informaron de una conexión similar con la naturaleza que las mujeres (independientemente de su ajuste escolar). Se discuten las implicaciones de estos hallazgos para la investigación y la intervención psicosocial en el ámbito de la educación ambiental