RESUMO
Resumen (analítico) Clasificar estudiantes según hábitos de vida saludable podría contribuir a optimizar programas de salud escolar, dado que existe escasa evidencia al respecto en Chile. Se determinaron grupos de estudiantes chilenos del sur, según hábitos de vida saludable. Se extrajeron datos de 1183 sujetos, desde una encuesta aplicada en 2017 en Lauta-ro. Se realizó un análisis de conglomerado jerárquico y se identificaron tres grupos. El primero presentó mayor actividad física y conducta alimentaria saludable (p < 0.05). El segundo presentó mayor tiempo de pantalla y conducta alimentaria menos saludable (p < 0.05). El tercero presentó menor tiempo de actividad física y menor conducta alimentaria (p < 0.05). Los estudiantes que practican más actividad física se alimentan mejor y quienes se mueven menos se alimentan menos. Estos hallazgos resultan útiles para el gobierno local.
Abstract (analytical) Classifying students according to healthy lifestyle could contribute to optimize school health programs, as there is little evidence in Chile regarding this topic. Groups of students from southern Chile were classified according to healthy lifestyle. Data of 1,183 subjects was extracted from a survey applied in 2017 in Lautaro. A hierarchical cluster analysis was carried out and three groups were identified. The first group presented greater physical activity and healthier eating behavior (p < 0.05). The second group presented more screen time and less healthy eating behavior (p < 0.05). The third group presented less time of physical activity and less healthy eating behavior (p<0.05). The students that practice more physical activity eat healthier and those who do less physical activity, eat less. These findings are useful for local government.
Resumo (analítico) Classificar os alunos de acordo com hábitos de vida saudável (HVS) pode ajudar a otimizar os programas de saúde escolar, pois há poucas evidências chilenas a esse respeito. Determinaram-se grupos de estudantes chilenos do sul, segundo HVS. Os dados de 1183 sujeitos foram extraídos de uma pesquisa aplicada em 2017 em Lautaro, realizando uma análise de cluster hierárquica, identificando três grupos. O primeiro grupo apresentou maior atividade física e comportamento alimentar saudável (p<0,05). O segundo grupo apresentou mais tempo de tela e comportamento alimentar menos saudável (p<0,05). O último grupo apresentou menor tempo de atividade física e menor comportamento alimentar (p<0,05). Os alunos que praticam mais atividade física comem melhor e os que se movimentam menos comem menos. Essas descobertas são úteis para o governo local.
Assuntos
Estudantes , Exercício FísicoRESUMO
En los últimos años ha surgido un creciente interés por indagar el rol de las habilidades no cognitivas, como la tenacidad, en el desempeño académico. Si bien la investigación sobre tenacidad no ha generado aún conclusiones definitivas, debe considerarse que ella no ha incluido a poblaciones latinoamericanas. Ante este panorama, este estudio inicial se propuso examinar en estudiantes universitarios chilenos de pedagogía en matemáticas: (1) la estructura interna de la tenacidad y (2) su posición en una red nomológica integrada por desempeño académico, sexo, edad y años en el programa educativo. Un total de 153 estudiantes de la Universidad de La Frontera, una institución estatal chilena, respondió la Escala Corta de Tenacidad y un cuestionario sociodemográfico. Análisis factoriales exploratorios revelaron que la tenacidad adquiere una configuración unidimensional que posee una adecuada consistencia interna. Además, adoptando una relación no lineal semejante a una curva hiperbólica, niveles altos de tenacidad se vincularon con desempeño académico alto, en tanto que niveles bajos o moderados se vincularon con desempeño bajo. Finalmente, la tenacidad apareció asociada con sexo (las mujeres mostraron más tenacidad que los hombres) y, en una relación directa, con los años en el programa. Tenacidad no correlacionó significativamente con edad. Este conjunto de hallazgos, que discrepan mayormente de aquellos reportados en la literatura, son discutidos principalmente en términos del dominio disciplinar previo de los participantes y/o de la dificultad del programa educativo. Se proponen explicaciones para estos hallazgos a fin de que sean evaluadas en estudios futuros, empleando un enfoque confirmatorio.
Traditionally, academic performance has been linked to intelligence and some other student´s cognitive abilities. However, in recent 4 years we have witnessed a growing interest in expanding this view by investigating the role that other non-cognitive skills, such as tenacity, may play in academic achievement. Grit can conceptually be conceived as perseverance and passion aimed at achieving long-term goals. A review of the literature shows that grit does not appear to be configured, as some authors claim, as a hierarchical structure with a general second-order construct and two first-order facets (perseverance of effort and consistency of interest). The literature also points out that grit is only a modest predictor of academic performance and that it presents a slightly positive correlation with age and a very weak one with sex and the students' number of years in an academic program. While research on grit has not yet generated any definitive conclusions, it must be considered that it has not included Latin American populations. Given this scenario, this initial study aimed to examine in mathematics teacher Chilean students (1) the internal structure of grit and (2) their position in a nomological network integrated by academic achievement, sex, age and years enrolled in the program. Participants consisted in the total population (n = 153) of students enrolled in a mathematics teacher program at Universidad de La Frontera, a public institution located in the Central-South area from Chile. The program was selected because it presents a high level of difficulty to its students and because it includes highly formalized tasks, as part of its disciplinary courses. Participants responded the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) and a demographic questionnaire. In this study, Grit-Swas previously translated and adapted into Spanish from the original English version. Grit-Scontains eight items intended to measure the two facets of grit. Exploratory factorial analysis revealed that, after excluding two items due to low factor loadings (items No. 1 and 2), grit presented a one-dimensional configuration, with an adequate internal consistency (ordinal Alpha: .80). A positive linear correlation, although marginally significant, was obtained between grit and academic achievement, r(143)= .12, p =.069, d = .24. However, a planned contrast revealed that a nonlinear relationship, similar to a hyperbolic curve, better explains the link between these two variables. Specifically, this analysis showed that students in the upper grit quintile obtained a significantly higher grade point average than the combined grade point average of the remaining grit quintiles, t(138) =1.87, p = .032, d = .32. This result suggests that academic achievement remains reduced when grit level is low or moderate and only increases when grit level is high. A multiple regression analysis indicated that sex, age and number of years in the program account for 12.6% of grit variance, F(3, 149) = 7.15, p < .001, d = .76. Sex significantly contributed to the prediction (β =.198, p = .011, d = .38) with women, (M = 3.77,dt = .61) reporting higher levels of grit than men (M = 3.53, dt = .69). Whereas age did not significantly contribute to the prediction (β =.102, p = .206), the number of years in the program showed a significant direct association with grit (β = .261, p = .001, d = .60. Due to the originality of these findings, most differing from those reported in the literature, this study offers tentative explanations that future research could use to formulate and empirically test new hypotheses using, hopefully, a confirmatory approach. These possible explanations mainly refer to the participants' previous level of mathematic mastery and/or the level of difficulty demanded by the educational program.
RESUMO
Este estudio examinó la validez estructural y confiabilidad de la Escala de Aprendizaje Auto-dirigido en una muestra representativa de estudiantes de pedagogía de una universidad chilena. Adicionalmente, este estudio estableció niveles de desempeño en la escala y exploró su variación según sexo y antigüedad en la carrera. Usando el análisis factorial exploratorio se retuvo una solución de 3 factores oblicuos (autocontrol, autogestión y deseos de aprender) muy semejante a, y teóricamente coherente con, la estructura original de la escala. Estos 3 factores y la escala total presentaron una adecuada consistencia interna. Las mujeres exhibieron niveles de desempeño significativamente mayores que los hombres en autogestión, sin diferencias en los otros factores. Las 3 dimensiones correlacionaron de modo directo y significativo con la antigüedad en la carrera. Se discuten estos resultados como evidencia inicial que respalda la validez y confiabilidad de la escala en esta población de estudiantes de pedagogía.
This study examined the structural validity and reliability of the Self-Directed Learning Scale, in a representative sample of student teachers enrolled at a Chilean university. Additionally, this study established performance levels within the scale and explored its variation in accordance to gender and the number of years spent in the program. Using exploratory factor analyses, an oblique 3-factor solution (self-control, self-management, and desire for learning) was retained, being very similar to-and theoretically coherent with- the original structure of the scale. Both the factors’ scores and the total scale score showed adequate indices of internal consistency. Women outperformed men in self-management, and no differences were observed in the other 2 factors. The 3 dimensions correlated directly and significantly with the number of years spent in the program. These results are discussed as initial evidence to support the validity and reliability of the scale in this population of student teachers.