The underlying structure of the Revised Two Factor version of the Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F), a 20-item instrument for the evaluation of students' approaches to learning (SAL), was examined at item level using two independent groups of undergraduate students enrolled in the first (n=314) and last (n=522) years of their studies. The methods used were (a) Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) assisted by rigorous procedures such as Velicer's MAP test, parallel analysis and the Schmid Leiman solution with the first sample; and (b) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the second sample. The results of EFA indicated that the latent structure of the R-SPQ-2F is best described by two factors and the results of CFA suggested that out of four a priori structural models, the best fit was achieved by a simple first-order two-factor model. Taken together, these results seemed to converge, suggesting (a) that SAL might be defined as a co-variation between a motive and its intended strategy, these not necessarily being divided into separate first-order factors (subscales), and (b) that the underlying structure of the R-SPQ-2F is apparently non-hierarchical, being best described by a parsimonious first-order two-factor model in which Deep and Surface learning approaches are each measured by their ten corresponding items. IntroductionThe students' approaches to learning (SAL) is a research perspective that originated in Europe and Australia with the aim of understanding how students set about the task of learning. SAL comprise both a motive (why they learn) and a related learning strategy (what they do)

The Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) has been used in psychology research during the last decade. The instrument has been used in a variety of life domains: psychological well-being, dispositional happiness, depressive symptoms and career adaptability. This investigation studies the factor structure and internal consistency of the SRQ, extracting a short version in the Spanish context and examining its relation to academic variables (self-regulated learning and grades). The analysis started from a version with 63 items, representing seven conceptual dimensions. This version was administered to a sample of 834 students from Education and Psychology. The data from the above-mentioned sample were randomly divided into two sets, each containing 50% of the students (n = 417): exploratory and confirmatory. In the exploratory sample, exploratory factor analysis findings suggested a more parsimonious measurement model, with 17 items and 4 first-order factors. The confirmatory sample was used in the confirmatory factor analysis. The results show evidence for the internal consistency of the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ) in the Spanish context, with indices greater than .90 and errors around .05. Regarding academic variables, both versions are related to self-regulated learning (r = .40, p < .01) and students' grades (r = .15, p < .01). Differences from other studies done in North America are discussed, as well as similarities to a study from North-West University (in South Africa).

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El artículo pretende ser, a la vez que una presentación de este Monográfico sobre Maltrato entre Iguales (Bullying), un artículo introductorio que permita tener a los lectores una visión actualizada del fenómeno que será tratado desde diferentes perspectivas por investiga-dores del ámbito nacional e internacional. Con este propósito, presentamos aspectos que han generado controversia entre los investigadores del fenómeno bullying relacionados con la definición, la incidencia y prevalencia del fenómeno o la influencia de determinadas variables como la edad y el sexo. Al mismo tiempo, se realiza una revisión de los tipos de maltrato más comunes, una caracterización de los agentes implicados, así como un análisis de los factores de riesgo más importantes en la génesis del problema. El objetivo último es proporcionar información sobre el fenómeno bullying que permita caracterizar y entender de una forma más específica la realidad de un problema de interés e importancia en el seno de los centros educativos.