The book “Una mirada femenina de la educación moral” has just been published by Desclée De Brouwer and edited by Dr Maria Rosa Buxarrais and Dr Isabel Vilafranca, both lecturers at the University of Barcelona.

Abstract:

El siglo XX ha sido el siglo de las mujeres, no solo por la masiva incorporación de la mujer al mercado laboral sino, también, por su visibilidad en la esfera pública. La mujer ha dado un paso adelante, dejando de centrarse exclusivamente en la vida privada –el cuidado de los menores, las personas dependientes y el hogar– y tomando cada vez mayor protagonismo en el escenario social, cívico, intelectual, en definitiva, público. Este fenómeno ha permitido gestar un nuevo paradigma pedagógico mundial que, avalado por instituciones educativas internacionales, reclama una educación para la igualdad.

Esta obra viene a cubrir varios vacíos: por una parte, la necesidad de una antología pedagógica de mujeres desde una sensibilidad femenina y, por otra, un homenaje a todas aquellas autoras que desde diferentes discursos, tiempos y espacios, han aportado cuestiones relevantes al ámbito de la Educación Moral. Un libro que pretende hacer visible que los discursos sobre educación moral no deben abordar únicamente una perspectiva de virtudes androcéntricas o universalistas, sino incorporar nuevas formas de argumentación moral que han quedado tradicionalmente desvalorizadas.

The table of contents cover these topics, analysed by the following authors:

– Foreword, by Marina Subirats.
– Introduction, by Isabel Vilafranca y Maria Rosa Buxarrais.
– 01. Edith Stein, by María Azevedo.
– 02. María Zambrano, by Antonieta Carreño.
– 03. Hannah Arendt, by Ingrid Agud y Ana Novella.
– 04. Astrid Lindgren, by Núria Obiols.
– 05. Simone Weil, by Marta Burguet Arfelis.
– 06. Nel Noddings, by María Rosa Buxarrais y Melania Muñoz.
– 07. Virginia Held, by Yolanda Montero y Maria Rosa Buxarrais.
– 08. Carol Gilligan, by Montserrat Payà Sánchez y Laura Rubio Serrano.
– 09. Victoria Camps, by Isabel Vilafranca.
– 10. Martha Nussbaum, by Amèlia Tey y Elena Noguera.
– 11. Amy Gutmann, by Ana Ayuste y Mariona Graell.
– 12. Seyla Benhabib, by Mónica Gijón y Xus Martín.
– 13. Judith Butler, by Raquel Cercós y Karina Rivas.

The table of contents, the prologue and the introduction can be freely downloaded in pdf here.

The book can be purchased in the editor’s website.

Last month, the article “Profile, Motivation and Academic Satisfaction of the Master Students: the Case of Social and Legal Sciences” was published in the journal Estudios sobre Educación. The authors of this article (written in Spanish) are Pilar Figuera, Maria Rosa Buxarrais, Juan Llanes and Marta Venceslao.

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research aimed at analysing the motivations and academic satisfaction in the transition to master’s studies in Social and Legal Sciences. A total of 453 students from 8 master’s degrees from the University of Barcelona and Autonomous University of Barcelona have participated. The results show differences between the typology of master and reasons for choice and satisfaction with studies and the relationship between academic satisfaction and the motives of choice. The specificity of the transition processes to these studies and the importance of establishing guiding actions are confirmed.

The article is available to download in the article section.

The article “Beyond Kohlberg: Ethical Learning for Coherence between Judgement, Feelings and Moral Actions”, written in Catalan by Dr. Amèlia Tey and Dr. Maria Rosa Buxarrais, has recently been published in the Anuari de Psicologia de la Societat Valenciana de Psicologia.

Abstract

Moral development is still a matter of concern within the educational community. Different education agents devote time and effort to a topic that currently shows a clear separation between theory and practice, between reasoning and moral actions. The objectives and intentions of schools and families are laudable, but children and teenagers act too impulsively and find it difficult to acquire certain behaviours.

Kohlberg’s approach, focuse don’t hedevelopment of judgement and moral reasoning, seems to provide students with formal discursive elements. However, there is not enough of the deep reflection that would make students adopt his approach as part of their own personalities. In other words, the evolution of the approach to analyse value-laden situations has no direct correlation with a real capability to take decisions at the same level.

Based on this analysis, we propose an inclusive view of the person in order to enhance their moral development. Ethical learning, like any other type of learning, implies a transformation of theway of interpreting and reacting to all that happens in the world. This transformation must take place in the superior psychological processes and in motivation, based on sensitivity and interiority, to promote awareness of the consequences of actions and their real scope.

The article is available to download in the article section.

The article “ICT Use and Parental Mediation Perceived by Chilean Children” has been recently published in the journal Comunicar (E-ISSN: 1988-3293 / ISSN: 1134-3478) written by Llarela Berríos Valenzuela, Maria Rosa Buxarrais Estrada and María Soledad Garcés.

Abstract:

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has extended to all contexts of our lives in the last few years, modifying our communication, learning, entertainment and socialization habits. The aim of the present research is to investigate about primary-age children’s habits with these tools, as well as these children’s perception of parental mediation in this area. In this study we used an ex post facto descriptive methodology by survey. A questionnaire was applied for data recollection to 422 children of private schools in Santiago de Chile aged between 9 and 12 years old. The results point to an early access to electronic devices and the transversal and homogeneous use during childhood. There is no doubt that ICTs play an active role in daily life for most of these children. No significant differences in age or sex were detected in our study, but we encountered risky behaviours in how children use ICTs and in their perception of parental mediation. The complexity becomes more evident the more time they have with electronic devices connected to the Internet without adult supervision. This finding raises the need for the application of intervention programs on parental mediation of children’s use of ICTs in order to promote a safe, responsible and ethical use of these tools.

The full article can be downloaded from the journal’s website, in pdf, eput or html format.

Octaedro Publishers have just published the book “Retos educativos para el siglo XXI. Autonomía, responsabilidad, neurociencia y aprendizaje” (184 p., ISBN: 9788499216553), edited by Maria Rosa Buxarrais and Miquel Martínez.

This work deals with two key values in education: autonomy and responsibility. The book consists of a group of studies about the relationshibs between both concepts from different points of view: philosophy, family, school, spaces generated by ICTs and contributions of neuroscience on learning and education. This book is addressed to both, academics and teachers and also to parents. Educators and families must establish alliances in order to promote optimal levels of autonomy and responsibility in younger generations. Both editors are professors at the Faculty of Education of the University of Barcelona, members of the Research Group in Moral Education (GREM in Catalan) and they coordinated the International Conference on Theory of Education, where the papers in this book were presented.

Table of contents:

Presentación (Maria Rosa Buxarrais, Miquel Martínez).
1. Autonomía relacional (Nel Noddings).
2. Aprendizaje y ciudadanía en las pedagogías del siglo XXI: entre la autonomía y la responsabilidad (Marta Burguet , Xavier Laudo).
3. Autonomía, responsabilidad y familias: conexiones y complejidades (Ruth Thomas).
4. Familia: algunas claves para fomentar la responsabilidad y la autonomía (Ana Maria Novella, Montserrat Payá).
5. ¿Qué queda de la responsabilidad y la autonomía en la escuela contemporánea? (Gabriela Diker).
6. ¿Qué escuela, qué autonomía y qué responsabilidad? (Laura Rubio, Francisco Esteban).
7. Autonomía y responsabilidad en el contexto de la sociedad de la información y las tecnologías (Enric Prats, Mariona Graell).
8. Plasticidad cerebral y experiencia: fundamentos neurobiológicos de la educación (Margalida Coll Andreu).
9. Neurociencia, aprendizaje y educación (Joaquín García Carrasco).
10. Neurociencia y educación: trazos para un tejido común hacia la autonomía y la responsabilidad (Mónica Gijón, Amèlia Tey).

The book can be purchased in Amazon.es clicking on the following botton: