This article examines the phenomenon of neuromyths-misconceptions about the brain and its relationship with learning-which, despite being refuted by scientific evidence, continue to be accepted by teachers, prospective educators, and society at large. Among the most widespread neuromyths are the belief in dominant learning styles, the idea that we only use 10 % of our brain, and the classification of individuals based on hemispheric dominance. These myths, lacking scientific foundation, negatively influence educational practices and may hinder student development. The persistence of programs such as Brain Gym and others-claiming to enhance cognitive performance without empirical support-is also addressed. The article concludes by underscoring the need to confront the presence of these neuromyths in Education by promoting scientific literacy among teachers at all educational levels, with the aim of improving learning quality. Furthermore, a critical analysis of the approach known as neuroeducation is presented, highlighting its limitations and associated risks, as well as its potential contributions. In this context, the article advocates for a rigorous approach to educational practice through the adoption of methods grounded in scientific evidence.
Key competences have become the transversal axis of our educational system. After completing Compulsory Secondary Education, students must have acquired an average level in each of the competences. The purpose of the study is to discover the academic self-efficacy of students in Extremadura regarding the acquisition of key competences upon completion of compulsory secondary education by observing the differencesthat exist based on gender-male, female and non-binary. For this purpose, a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive-inferential study is presented, with a sample of 1,106 4th (final) year ESO [Compulsory Secondary Education] students from public and state-supported private schools in Extremadura (N = 11.10%) to whom the KEYCOMSE questionnaire was applied, which was designed ad hoc to meet the research objectives. The results indicate significant differences, with females declaring higher academic self-efficacy in linguistic competence, multilingual competence, digital competence, personal, social and learning to learn competence, and cultural awareness and expression competence. Conversely, the non-binary group presents low levels of academic self-efficacy in relation to the development of key competences as a whole, with the exception of multilingual competence. Finally, it is especially important to point out that obtaining students' views on their academic self-efficacy, observing gender differences, can contribute to identifying the most appropriate teaching-learning strategies for equitable education, thus improving educational quality.
Early school leaving is a complex and multicausal problem, which mainly affects vulnerable students. Therefore, the objective of this research is to present a path model of the impact of maternal educational attainment, mediated by academic goals, life satisfaction, attitudes towards authority and sense of belonging, on early-school-leaving risk. The sample comprised 510 students in third and fourth year of Compulsory Secondary Education from secondary schools located in the Poblados Mar & iacute;timos district of Valencia. The neighbourhoods forming this district, located around the port, have a large vulnerable, immigrant and Roma (Gitano) population. Four measurement instruments were used, and descriptive statistics and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were calculated. Finally, a path analysis was conducted to assess the fit of the theoretical model to the data. The results highlight the notable influence of maternal educational attainment on the risk of early school leaving. This is mediated by goals, sense of belonging, life satisfaction and attitudes towards authority. These results coincide with those obtained in other similar studies. Moreover, they could support the implementation of educational policies and actions to reduce school-leaving risk in vulnerable student populations.
This ethnographic study was conducted in a school located in a multicultural neighbourhood of Barcelona. The study examines local factors contributing to the disproportionate placement of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education. Drawing on participant observation, school document analysis, and interviews with twelve members of the team, including management, teachers, and social work and psychopedagogy professionals, this study examines how the categories of cultural difference and ability interact within institutional discourses and procedures. The findings reveal an ethnocentric notion of ability that pathologises cultural difference, framing it as a social marker of disability, and managing it through a form of "benevolent coloniality" that positions special education as a mechanism of restorative justice aimed at restoring educational opportunities. However, the study identifies, in the institution's use of 'special education,' an attempt to compensate for structural deficits and to meet the demands of a society driven by performance indicators-a society that tends to marginalise those who fail to meet its established standards.
The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), in particular ChatGPT, is reshaping higher education by offering personalised support, but it also presents challenges to academic integrity and responsible use. This exploratory-descriptive study analyses the impact of using ChatGPT in education on university-level education students' digital self-efficacy as well as on their perception of its educational value and convenience, their intention to use it, and their ethical perceptions. Sixty-eight students from a public university participated. They worked with three personalised chatbots over one semester and answered Likert-type questions before and after the intervention. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and pre-post changes using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. In addition, three open-ended questions and a focus group with six students were analysed through thematic coding guided by theTPACK and SAMR models. The results showsignificant increases with medium effect sizes in digital self-efficacy, perceived educational value, and intention to use, while perceived convenience remained high and stable. Qualitatively, positive perceptions predominate, albeit conditional on fulfilment of basic ethical criteria and a still superficial ethical comprehension. It is concluded that ChatGPT can boost the adoption of technology as long as it is accompanied by explicit training in the ethics of GenAI. The purposive and restricted character of the sample is a limitation and it opens lines for comparative and longitudinal studies.
