The Training and Use of ICT in Teaching Perceptions of Melilla’s (Spain) Mathematics Teachers

Influence of motivation on the perception of mathematics by secondary school students

Motivation, the teacher-student relationship, the use of resources, and the time spent studying, in addition to the family economic and social context, are some of the factors that affect academic performance and directly influence student failure. This paper evaluates the motivation in mathematics students' performances by analyzing indicators of the mathematics learning dimensions. A total of 2,018 secondary students were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. Motivation, teaching, resources, and study time were analyzed with a validated 20-item questionnaire. Statistical analysis revealed that student motivation appears to be significantly related to perceptions of teaching practices and the use of resources for study. Students with high motivation have positive perceptions of teaching practices. Gender differences were not observed. In addition, the motivation indicator allowed for grouping students into various motivational profiles.

Assessment of Apps Aimed at Developing Basic Instrumental Skills in Autistic Children and Teenagers

It is crucial for families and professionals to promote basic instrumental skills in children with autism, as these skills can help with comprehensive growth and development, and are a starting point in acquiring the essential tools needed for one to live an independent and successful life. These skills include oral language, reading, writing, and mathematics. Therefore, given that ICT and mobile applications (apps) are effective tools that offer suitable content, and are designed exclusively for people with this disorder, working on these skills with apps is an interesting option that is worthy of our attention. We analyzed 88 apps that focused on these skills, through a duly validated system of indicators, calculating frequencies, percentages, measures of central tendency and dispersion, and non-parametric contrast statistics. The app search was carried out in the Google Play Store, with the keyword “autism”, in English and in Spanish. Most of the apps focused on aspects linked to oral language and reading, but few were aimed at reading and mathematics. In addition to the apps’ lack of specialization in the last two skills, the vast majority did not specify the age group for which their content was intended.