Sociological Importance and Validation of a Questionnaire for the Sustainability of Personal Learning Environments (PLE) in 8th Grade Students of the Biobío Region in Chile

Abstract

Contemporary society is going through a cultural transition that leads to new conceptions about the ways in which human beings organize socially and communicate. This process of deep social and cultural transformations is characterized by a technological disruption, in which virtuality forms a new dimension that behaves as an extension of human intelligence. This new form of human interaction impacts on the social imagination, demanding one to rethink social and educational paradigms for the two-dimensional citizen. In this context, this research article describes the sociological importance and the process of social adaptation of users to a personal learning environment (PLE). It includes the validation process of an instrument for the study of the PLE of 8th grade students belonging to 15 schools in the Biobío Region of Chile. A PLE is a frame of reference that can help to understand how two-dimensional citizens socially adapt and influence the sustainability of local and global systems. The validation method for this instrument considered four stages: i) Expert judgment: considering the opinions of six educators and experts in information and communication technologies (ICT); ii) a pilot test: that included a non-probabilistic sample of 472 subjects; iii) a principal components analysis (PCA); and iv) a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The Questionnaire on Work Habits and Learning for Professional Futures and the Context Questionnaire SIMCE TIC were used as a reference. When performing a psychometric analysis, a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. This confirms that the adaptation of the instrument is good. The results of the dimensional analysis help us define a structure for the new instrument considering three components that explain 55% of the total variance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed adjustment indexes that support the theoretical model proposed for the PLE study. In conclusion, the instrument was composed of three latent variables: Open self-regulated learning (OSRL) with eight questions, information management (IM) with four questions, and creation and transfer of knowledge (CTK) with four questions.

Analysis of Psychometric Properties and Validation of the Personal Learning Environments Questionnaire (B-PLE) in Higher Education Students

“…The importance and international relevance of the PLE has led to a great deal of research. The PLE, according to the studies reviewed, makes the individual the protagonist of his or her own learning, allowing students to take on a new role because they have more control over what they learn and how they learn it in two-dimensional contexts, regardless of their geographic location [6,[17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…We are now in the process of a cultural shift that demands new ways of thinking about society, human cohabitation, and education. We are in the midst of a crisis of thought, of philosophical and scientific knowledge [1][2][3][4][5][6][7], which requires the development of new definitions.…”

Sociology of Education for a Sustainable Future

“…These questions pose challenges for education in this cultural transition. It is possible to confirm, according to different authors, that the formal education system" [14] (p. 11).…”

“…. ], [which is] a frame of reference that can help to understand how two-dimensional citizens socially adapt and influence the sustainability of local and global systems" [14] (p. 1). In this piece of research, the authors argue that "the sociological change is important when there are two-dimensional performances, i.e., performed in physical spaces and through digital interactions [1][2][3][4][5][6][7].…”

“…. ] This requires a new sociological conceptualization, since cultural processes such as transculturation, acculturation, and endoculturation have become more dynamic" [14] (p. 2). The paper concludes that "the digital citizens of the cultural transition are exposed to profound changes in their human behavior.…”