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The use of AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, has been widespread in recent years. Its application in education has been criticized by some and supported by others. In this article we present the case of a work carried out as part of a course unit in a computer science degree program in which the use of ChatGPT was not only encouraged but required. Students were asked to use this tool ethically and critically, comparing the results with bibliographical references. A questionnaire addressing students' perceptions about the work and ChatGPT usage was performed after delivering the task. Results showed that students were motivated to carry out the work and understood that its widespread use requires critical thinking and compliance with ethical principles. The teacher acknowledge that some students developed these competences while performing this task and were able to deliver a quality, well supported essay. The development of this competences was also identified by some students.

The phenomenon of student dropout in higher education presents significant challenges for students, higher education institutions, governments, and society. The present study focuses on the dropout rates within the engineering programmes at one school of engineering in Mexico. This study uses a quantitative approach with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. Exploratory, descriptive, and correlational analyses of historical data from the University Information and Administration Integral System were performed. A logistic regression model was applied to assess the influence of various demographic, academic, and socioeconomic factors on the likelihood of student dropout. The results show some predictive variables, namely, Gender, Displaced students from home, High school GPA, and Mathematical skills. In conclusion, the group of students identified as the most likely to drop out comprised males who were studying very far away from home, who studied in a private high school in a general programme (not technological), and who presented lower grades in math. Since most dropouts were identified in the first two semesters, students who perform poorly in these semesters and have the former characteristics could benefit from special attention.

The increasing flexibility and rapid, profound changes in the labor market require employability skills from graduates, dem1anding greater attention from higher education institutions to training opportunities that foster the development of these skills among their students. Using a sample of 373 first-year engineering students, this study analyzed, through regression analysis, the impact of sociodemographic (gender, age), academic (work, program choice, average grade), and psychological (life satisfaction, perseverance of effort, consistency of interests) variables on students’ confidence in achieving their professional career project after completing their degree. The results indicate that women and younger students show lower levels of confidence in achieving their future vocational projects, as do students with lower academic performance and those with less consistency in their interests. These findings suggest the need for specialized support services for students, starting from the first year, in career development provided by higher education institutions.

During 2020 and 2021, the world experienced a global change in everyone’s daily lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were confined in their homes but, luckily, had access to online classes. This study aims to assess the changes in self-efficacy perceived by engineering students in a school in Portugal. By helping to understand how students have changed their learning capacities, developed new strategies, and/or need more (or different) support to learn, teachers can target their teaching methods accordingly and contribute to a more sustainable education. A questionnaire was constructed and validated to assess students’ perceptions before and after the associated lockdowns. Five theoretically supported factors emerged from a statistical factor analysis: Communication and Empathy; Focus and Personal Organization; Teamwork and Individual Work Capacity; Technical and Cognitive Resources Management; and Emotional Resources Management. This work shows students’ percept that they improved their teamwork and individual work capacity and their technical and cognitive resources management. In general, students seem to have been able to be more autonomous as they managed to work and develop their cognitive resources; however, their emotional state and ability to focus decreased. Perceived self-efficacy was less affected in older students than in younger ones, suggesting that this group may have adapted better to the pandemic restrictions. Students who were already at university showed less impact than those moving from high school to university. There was also a difference between those who endured these changes at only one level of education and those who endured them at both levels (high school and university), with this last group being the most negatively affected.

With the substantial expansion of technology in education during the COVID-19 pandemic, with certain practices even demonstrating a positive impact on environmental sustainability, five years later, it has become pertinent to examine the current perceptions of teachers and students regarding its utilization. This work explores how students and teachers from different countries and academic cultures perceive and incorporate sustainable habits into their daily lives. The focus is on transportation choices, food consumption, and the use of resources. The results of an adapted questionnaire, which was distributed to 855 students and 124 teachers, reveal meaningful differences: students tend to adopt more sustainable transport habits. In contrast, teachers demonstrate a greater commitment to reducing food waste and conserving resources. Cross-country comparisons also highlight differences. When focusing on the major samples (Portugal and Mexico), Portuguese participants scored higher in terms of food and resource sustainability, whereas Mexican participants relied more on public transport. These insights shed light on how sustainability is shaped not only by individual awareness but also by context and educational culture. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the ongoing role of higher education institutions in inspiring meaningful change and fostering a mindset of sustainability in future generations.

Background/Objectives: Absenteeism refers to the frequent, often unplanned, absence from the workplace. This study examines the interrelations among job satisfaction, quality of life (QoL), and absenteeism among formal caregivers for elderly individuals. With the significant demographic shift toward an aging population, understanding these dynamics is increasingly important. Methods: A sample of 82 caregivers from Portuguese Private Social Solidarity Institutions was used, with QoL assessed through the WHOQOL-Bref and job satisfaction measured via the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). Results: The results reveal that higher levels of job satisfaction are associated with improved QoL and lower rates of absenteeism. Specifically, caregivers with higher satisfaction reported fewer sick leaves and a more favorable perception of their QoL. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for supportive workplace policies that enhance caregiver satisfaction, ultimately contributing to both caregiver well-being and the quality of care provided.

Este estudio presenta los resultados de una investigación sobre expectativas académicas de estudiantes universitarios de primer año de Enseñanza Superior (ES) pertenecientes al norte de Portugal y noroeste de España. Su objetivo es replicar las propiedades psicométricas del instrumento utilizado obtenidas con una versión anterior del mismo. La muestra está integrada por 1.268 estudiantes de primer año de ES con edades comprendidas entre los 17 y 52 años (Mdn = 18, siendo de más de 23 años el 7.4%). Proceden de la región noroeste de España 413 estudiantes (Galicia, Universidad de Vigo) y 855 de la región norte de Portugal (Minho, Universidade do Minho). El 58.1% del total de la muestra son mujeres. Por ámbito de estudio, el 58.4% cursa titulaciones del ámbito científico-tecnológico y los demás del ámbito jurídico-social. Se aplicó el Cuestionario de Percepciones Académicas-Expectativas (CPA-E), estructurado en siete dimensiones: Formación para el empleo/carrera, Desarrollo personal y social, Movilidad estudiantil, Implicación político/ciudadana, Presión social, Calidad de formación e Interacción social. La invarianza del modelo factorial oblicuo del CPA-E fue testada con el LISREL 8.80 mediante el método bivariado latente normal y la estimación de máxima verosimilitud, con la corrección de Satorra y Bentler (1994). Todos los ítems representaron bien a sus respectivos factores y los factores mostraron una buena validez y fiabilidad para los países y el género. Se obtuvo, por tanto, invarianza factorial del modelo para los países y el género. Se asume una versión final del cuestionario común para España y Portugal, así como para mujeres y hombres.

This paper aims to test the psychometric validity and reliability of a measure of first-year university students' expectations, based on a multidimensional conception of expectations. The sample consisted of 759 first-year students, attending various academic degrees at the Universities of Vigo - Ourense and University of Minho. The value Mdn age was 19, with only 5.3% with ages above 23 years. Participants answered a set of 56 items based on seven different dimensions of expectations. Results of confirmatory factor analysis, were carried out with LISREL. Factorial validity, and factors' convergent and discriminant validity were assured. These results, along with evidences reliability, suggest that the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire presents a final structure composed of seven expectation dimensions, including 42 items: Training for employment/career, Personal and social development, Student mobility, Political and citizenship involvement, Social pressure, Quality of education, and Social interaction. The equivalence of measurement model in the two languages and in two groups randomly derived from the full sample was also verified. The results of this structural validity study support the assessment of the expectations of first-year students in Higher Education with the questionnaire.