Emotional intelligence (EI) enables teachers to manage their emotions effectively, make appropriate pedagogical decisions, and establish healthy relationships with their students and colleagues. Therefore, implementing solutions requires assessing their impact using the scientific method. In this regard, the objective Internacional of this study was to demonstrate that the development of strategies based on emotional intelligence improves the teaching/emotional performance of educators in an educational/sports institution. This quasi-experimental research, with a quantitative approach, analyzed a representative and sufficient sample (n=70) of teachers. An emotional intelligence-based strategy was implemented in the experimental group (n=39), while the control group continued with traditional teaching practices (n = 31). The internally validated dimensions (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.856) revealed intragroup homogeneity (p>0.05) in all variables analyzed (Emotional perception, Emotional understanding, Emotional regulation, and Emotional facilitation), whereas only the experimental group showed significant improvements in the post-test (p<0.05), as did intergroup comparisons. The dimensions assessed with the TECS instrument (Emotional perception, Emotional facilitation, Emotional understanding, and Emotional regulation) showed the same pattern as the internally validated questionnaire (Intragroup/homogeneity: p>0.05) and significant intergroup differences favoring the experimental group (p<0.001). The emotional intelligence-based strategy improved teaching/emotional performance, supporting the hypothesis and reinforcing the importance of emotional intelligence as an essential tool for enhancing teachers' professional performance.
This study addresses the problem of the exclusion of cybersport (e-Sport) from the Cuban university sports calendar, despite its global rise and potential as a tool for educational innovation and the development of cognitive and social skills. The research aimed to analyze the potential and challenges for the formal inclusion of this discipline in the national university context. A descriptive methodology with a mixed approach was employed, applying surveys to 120 students in technological and social careers, interviews with 15 Physical Education professors, and documentary analysis. The results revealed a high penetration of recreational video gaming (85%) and a notable interest in organized competition (79%), but contrasted with a widespread lack of knowledge about e-Sport as a sport (68%) and the existence of critical barriers: technological, normative, and related to teacher training. It is concluded that the inclusion of e-Sport is viable and necessary, requiring a systemic strategy that prioritizes its normative legitimization, infrastructure development, human capital training, and sustainable interinstitutional articulation. This integration represents a strategic opportunity to modernize the university sports offering and align it with the interests and digital competencies of new generations.
Physical activity is essential for health and disease prevention, but informal workers face unique challenges that limit their ability to engage in it. The objective of this research was to analize the barriers and opportunities for physical activity and sports among informal female workers in Quito's markets. A qualitative study was conducted using interviews, focus groups, and field diaries to analyze the participants' experiences. The results reveal that informal female workers face the following barriers to engaging in physical and sports activities: space, economic, social, gender stereotypes, psychological, safety, and biological. A minority of workers engage in various physical activities and sports, including walking, soccer, yoga, dancing, cycling, swimming, gym, and weigh training. The barriers identified in this study are consistent with those reported by several authors, who show that women do not engage in physical activity due lack of time because of long working hours, lack of adequate infrastructure, gender stereotypes, household and childcare responsibilities, fatigue, and lack of motivation. This scenario highlights the urgency of intervention by government, universities, and the private sector, which, through coordinated strategies, can plan and implement campaigns to promote physical activity, health, and well-being among informal female workers, reduce inequality, and incorporating healthy lifestyles into their social and work environments.
In U-15 youth football, ball possession depends on the synergy between explosive speed and efficiency in changes of direction. Traditional procedures and methods often isolate these physical capacities, limiting the response to real-game situations. To determine how a small-sided games (SSG) program influences speed, change of direction, and ball possession in the U-15 category. This is quantitative research with an explanatory scope, applying a pre-experimental design (pretest-posttest). The sample consists of 18 players. A 12-week intervention (3 sessions/week) was implemented through physical-technical circuits and games. The 20m Sprint Test, Illinois Agility Test, and systematic observation sheets were applied. Significant improvements were observed in linear speed, where 89% of the group achieved satisfactory levels. Agility results improved, eliminating the "Poor" level (which represented 34% in the initial diagnosis). Regarding the technical dimension, passing accuracy after a turn reached an increase in mean from 2.0 to 3.8. Small-sided games constitute a superior strategy for youth football, as they integrate physical demands with decision-making, optimizing the footballer's ability to maintain possession under competitive pressure.
The process of assessing the physical condition of older adults is of great importance, as it allows for the evaluation of the functional capacities and health status of this large group of people in our country. Thus, the general objective of this research was to diagnose the physical condition of older adults residing at the Cumanayagua Senior Center as an indicator of their quality of life. The study employed a non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive design. The population consisted of 38 older adults, from which a sample of 20 was selected using purposive non-probability sampling with specific inclusion criteria. Of these, 11 were female and 9 were male, ranging in age from 62 to 87 years. To achieve the proposed objectives, various methods and instruments were applied, including theoretical methods such as historical-logical, analytical-synthetic, and inductive-deductive reasoning, as well as empirical methods. Document analysis, unstructured observation, and measurement using a battery of tests to assess physical fitness were used. The results of the assessment applied to the older adults attending the senior center were favorable. The abilities that presented the most difficulties were active flexibility and aerobic endurance; therefore, the overall assessment of the older adults' physical fitness was rated as good.
