0000000000797546
AUTHOR
Olga Mayoral
showing 16 related works from this author
Training Secondary Education Teachers through the Prism of Sustainability: The Case of the Universitat de València
2018
Designing the training of future teachers through holistic and interdisciplinary visions is vital to developing coherent contents, epistemologies, and methodologies that put Education for Sustainability into action. The research presented here analyzes the teaching guides from the curriculum for the Master&rsquo
Addressing Complexity in Science|Environment|Health Pedagogy
2019
This paper aims to discuss complexity as a key feature for understanding the role of science knowledge in environmental and health contexts—a central issue in Science|Environment|Health pedagogy. Complex systems are, in principle, not predictable. In different contexts, ephemeral mechanisms produce different, sometimes completely unexpected results. The art of decision-making in complex contexts is to take scientific knowledge into account but to interpret its meaning in terms of concrete complex contexts. This is illustrated by four empirical studies on Science|Environment|Health issues, presented midway through this paper. The findings underscore the importance of introducing complexity i…
Inter- and intra-variability of seed germination traits of Carpobrotus edulis N.E.Br. and its hybrid C. affine acinaciformis.
2018
Invasions by alien Carpobrotus spp. have been recognised as one of the most severe threats to Mediterranean climate coastal ecosystems, and Carpobrotus is considered one of the most widespread invasive alien genera in the Mediterranean Basin. The aims of this study were to characterise seed germination of both C. edulis and its hybrid C. aff. acinaciformis, in terms of photoperiod, temperature and salinity. Inter- and intra-specific variability in the responses to photoperiod (12/12 h light and total darkness), constant temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 °C) and an alternating temperature regime (25/10 °C), salt stress (0, 125, 250, 500 mm NaCl) and the recovery of seed germination were evalua…
Development of environmental health competencies through compulsory education. A polyhedral approach based on the SDGs
2020
This paper focuses on the competencies in environmental health acquired by students during compulsory education. Questionnaires addressing environmental health problems were completed by 923 students of primary and secondary schools from five different Spanish regions. The results for five challenging situations related to hunger, consumerism, climate change, pollution in the cities and allergies are analysed according to the internal coherence of each sub-competency, i.e., addressing knowledge, skills and attitudes towards these topics. Our results show that problems related to air and water pollution were the most commonly described by the students. Focusing on competency achievement, the…
Prediction and Adaption in Science|Environment|Health Contexts
2021
The term Science|Environment|Health (S|E|H) stands for a pedagogy of mutual benefit between science education, environmental education, and health education. Complexity is an important aspect of most S|E|H issues. In the natural sciences, and thus in science education, prediction plays a central role. Yet, complex systems usually do not allow for full prediction. “Don’t predict, adapt!” is a famous slogan in complexity talk. But what does adaption look like in complex systems and what role can scientific knowledge play in it? This paper features a symposium where three S|E|H examples were presented in which the relationship between prediction and adaption is important. The paper also includ…
Native-Invasive Plants vs. Halophytes in Mediterranean Salt Marshes: Stress Tolerance Mechanisms in Two Related Species
2016
Dittrichia viscosa is a Mediterranean ruderal species that over the last decades has expanded into new habitats, including coastal salt marshes, ecosystems that are per se fragile and threatened by human activities. To assess the potential risk that this native-invasive species represents for the genuine salt marsh vegetation, we compared its distribution with that of Inula crithmoides, a taxonomically related halophyte, in three salt marshes located in “La Albufera” Natural Park, near the city of Valencia (East Spain). The presence of D. viscosa was restricted to areas of low and moderate salinity, while I. crithmoides was also present in the most saline zones of the salt marshes. Analyses…
The link between violence and suicidal behavior among female university students in Spain
2019
Objective: To explore the association between violence and suicidal behavior in female university students. Method: A convenience sample of 540 female students enrolled in the Nursing and Teacher Training Faculties at the University of Valencia was selected. Violence by partners, nonpartners, and both was compared with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. An adjusted logistic regression and the Wald Test were performed to explore whether the effect on student's suicidal behavior differed if a partner or others committed violence. Results: 18.1% reported suicidal thoughts in the last month and 2.4% had attempted suicide in the past five years. Suicidal behavior was significantly higher in…
Alien Plant Diversity in Mediterranean Wetlands: A Comparative Study within Valencian, Balearic and Sardinian Floras
2018
Although wetlands provide an important range of environmental, social and economic services, they are increasingly subjected to anthropogenic erturbations, amongst which invasion by alien plants is particularly alarming. This paper focuses on the alien flora of wetlands from three territories belonging to the western Mediterranean area: one continental (Valencian Community) and two insular (Balearic Islands and Sardinia), providing a complete checklist for the three territories and a general comparison. In total, 380 alien taxa from 89 families have been reported, being the Valencian Community the area richer in taxa (312), followed by the Balearic Islands (151) and Sardinia (134). The inva…
What has been thought and taught on the lunar influence on plants in agriculture? Perspective from physics and biology
2020
This paper reviews the beliefs which drive some agricultural sectors to consider the lunar influence as either a stress or a beneficial factor when it comes to organizing their tasks. To address the link between lunar phases and agriculture from a scientific perspective, we conducted a review of textbooks and monographs used to teach agronomy, botany, horticulture and plant physiology; we also consider the physics that address the e ects of the Moon on our planet. Finally, we review the scientific literature on plant development, specifically searching for any direct or indirect reference to the influence of the Moon on plant physiology. We found that there is no reliable, science-based evi…
Proyecto Quick Natura. Tecnologías móviles aplicadas a rutas botánicas urbanas
2017
[EN] The Quick Natura project aims to approach people of the city of Valencia to the green areas around them,in a fast and pleasant way. The initiative is based on the use of new technologies to connect the physicalwith the virtual world by placing QR codes (Quick Response code) on di erent plant species, located mainlyin gardens and parks to display information about each labelled species. Any user can scan the QR codelocated in labelled plants by using a smartphone or other mobile devices, enabling almost immediate accessto an information layer displayed in an enjoyable way, without using very technical language, facilitatinga quick understanding and assimilation by users. The method allo…
Visits to Natural Environments Improve State Body Appreciation: Evidence from Malaysia, Romania, and Spain
2020
Recent studies have reported that nature exposure is associated with more positive body image—a multifaceted construct that includes one's body-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—but these studies are constrained by a focus on limited national contexts and environment types. To rectify this, we examined the impact of nature exposure on state body image in diverse national contexts and across different environment types. In Study 1, 140 Romanian and 161 Spanish adults who visited botanic gardens were asked to complete a measure of state body appreciation on entry and again upon exit, as well as report their visit duration. Analyses indicated that there was a significant increase in bo…
¿Qué explica la Física sobre la influencia de la Luna en la Tierra? Una propuesta de enseñanza
2021
En este trabajo se abordan ideas pseudocientíficas en torno a la influencia de la Luna en nuestro planeta. Para ello se analiza si los libros de Física de Bachillerato y de Educación Superior tratan la influencia de la gravedad de la Luna en la Tierra y cómo lo hacen. Para el análisis se utiliza una muestra de 17 libros de textos de Física de Bachillerato y 17 utilizados en cursos de ciencia e ingeniería (13 de Física, 2 de Óptica y 2 de Astronomía) de distintos años de publicación. Los resultados revelan la escasa atención que prestan estos libros a los temas relacionados con la física de la Luna y su influencia sobre nuestro planeta, así como un enfoque descontextualizado de la enseñanza …
Seed germination, salt stress tolerance and seedling growth of Opuntia ficus - indica (Cactaceae), invasive species in the Mediterranean Basin
2017
Abstract The present study, focuses on seed germination ecology and seedling growth of Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae), a native species of arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and invasive in the Mediterranean Basin. Shortly after collecting seeds in December 2014, scarification as well as the intra-specific variability in the responses of germination to light, temperature, salt stress and germination recovery were evaluated among three naturalized populations of this species in the Mediterranean. Moreover, seedling biomass production and the growth rate were measured. The most suitable method of scarification resulted the nail-clippers chipping. For all the populations, the germination t…
Educación para la Sostenibilidad y Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS
2020
Desde las últimas décadas del siglo XX, se han realizado numerosos llamamientos al profesorado de todas las áreas y niveles, para que la educación preste atención a la preparación de la ciudadanía para hacer frente a la situación de crisis planetaria (Worldwatch Institute, 1984-2019; Naciones Unidas, 1992; Vilches y Gil-Pérez, 2009; Calero, Mayoral, Ull y Vilches, 2019). En ese marco, con el fin de contribuir a la educación ciudadana, esta línea de investigación se centra en analizar la atención, en las áreas de ciencias de los diferentes niveles educativos, a la Educación para la Sostenibilidad (EDS) y a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), aprobados por Naciones Unidas en 2015.
What are the main concerns in Secundary education? Exploring students´ knowledge on Sustainabilty and climate change
2021
The declaration of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005-2014) explicitly highlights the need to incorporate sustainability issues into the curriculum. In this context, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is seen as essential to promote changes in individual decisions and behaviour and to demand actions by the competent authorities in the educational, scientific-technical, political-economic, and social spheres. In addition to responding to international education requests, it is important to consider the interests and needs of students to make ESD a reality. Education is intended to contribute to the development of the right of the upcoming younger generat…
Competencias en salud ambiental de los jóvenes valencianos
2017
En esta comunicación se presentan los resultados de un estudio desarrollado con jóvenes valencianos para conocer las competencias en salud ambiental que adquieren en su paso por la educación obligatoria. Para ello se elaboró un cuestionario, validado por un grupo de expertos y sometido a una prueba piloto. El cuestionario aborda su concepto de salud, así como las relaciones que son capaces de establecer entre la salud y el medio ambiente y plantea cinco problemas de salud ambiental. El cuestionario fue sometido a un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo, considerando tres variables: tipología del centro (rural o urbano), nivel educativo y género. Los resultados muestran que el alumnado al fin…