Revista Iberoamericana de educación

Computational Thinking and Programming Learning among University Students in Latin America: A Critical Review of Trends, Strategies, and Challenges in Higher Education

Andrea Carolina Moreira Cañizares — 2026-09-07

Computational thinking has become a relevant cognitive framework for problem solving in digitally mediated environments, while programming is one of its most visible means of externalization, practice, and assessment in higher education. In Latin America, the expansion of programs related to computing, engineering, science, education, and digital technologies has increased the need to understand how computational thinking development is connected with introductory programming learning, particularly among university students who move from heterogeneous school experiences to courses that demand abstraction, algorithmic reasoning, debugging, and modeling. This article aims to critically analyze recent literature on the relationship between computational thinking and programming learning among university students in Latin America, identifying conceptual trends, teaching strategies, empirical findings, tensions, and research gaps. A critical bibliographic review was conducted, mainly covering publications from 2021 to August 2026, prioritizing peer-reviewed articles, systematic reviews, Latin American empirical studies, and reports from international organizations. Findings indicate that instruction focused exclusively on syntax is insufficient; the most promising experiences shift attention toward problem solving, algorithm construction, active learning, visual programming, educational robotics, and formative feedback. Prior knowledge, self-efficacy, the quality of instructional scaffolding, and digital divides also condition learning outcomes. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence expands opportunities for personalized support but introduces risks of cognitive dependence and weakened reasoning processes when pedagogical mediation is absent. The review concludes that Latin American universities need curricular designs that explicitly integrate computational thinking and programming as related but non-equivalent processes, supported by multidimensional assessment, faculty development, and institutional policies focused on equity and deep understanding of code.

The Practice of Respect and Its Impact on School Coexistence Among Basic Education Students

Alisson Johanna Candelario Peña — 2026-09-07

This study analyzed the relationship between the practice of respect and school coexistence among third- and fourth-grade students at the Héroes de Paquisha School. It employed a quantitative approach with a descriptive-correlational scope, a non-experimental design, and a cross-sectional timeframe. The study population consisted of 58 students, selected via a census sampling method. Data were collected using a structured survey with a Likert-type scale designed to assess manifestations of respect toward peers and teachers, adherence to rules, acceptance of differences, interpersonal relationships, conflict resolution, school climate, cooperation, and participation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho coefficient. The results showed higher levels of favorable assessment regarding respect for peers, peaceful conflict resolution, and cooperation, whereas respect for teachers, adherence to rules, acceptance of differences, interpersonal relationships, and school climate showed predominantly intermediate levels. Inferential analysis identified a positive, statistically significant, yet weak relationship between respect and school coexistence. The study concludes that respect is a significant component of school coexistence, although its influence is intertwined with other factors present in daily school dynamics.

Soft Skills and Teacher Education in ICT-Mediated Environments in Latin American Higher Education: A Critical Literature Review

Gonzalo Alberto Orozco Vilema — 2026-09-07

The digital transformation of Latin American higher education has expanded the professional demands placed on university faculty and has shown that instrumental mastery of information and communication technologies (ICT) does not, by itself, ensure high-quality pedagogical mediation. In this context, soft skills become relevant as capacities that sustain communication, collaboration, critical thinking, emotional management, and teacher adaptability across face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid settings. This article aimed to critically analyze recent scientific literature on the relationship between soft skills and teacher education in ICT-mediated environments in Latin American higher education, identifying trends, tensions, findings, and research gaps. A critical literature review was conducted through a structured search of publications from 2021 to 2026, prioritizing peer-reviewed and indexed journal articles, systematic reviews, regional empirical studies, and reports from international organizations. Findings indicate that teachers’ digital competence and soft skills are closely related, although regional research frequently treats them as separate domains. Available evidence highlights that effective communication, collaborative work, critical thinking, emotional self-regulation, and adaptability shape the quality of educational interaction, methodological innovation, and student support in technology-mediated settings. Nevertheless, training approaches focused on tools, self-perception-based measurements, conceptual fragmentation, and limited longitudinal evaluation of training effects remain common. The review concludes that university teacher education requires comprehensive, continuous, contextualized, and assessable models that integrate digital, pedagogical, and socio-emotional capacities as an inseparable system for a humanly sustainable technological transformation.

Neurodidactic strategy to optimize the teaching-learning process in the fourth grade of Basic Education

Karen Andrea Paula Molina — 2026-09-07

The purpose of this study was to identify a neurodidactic strategy to optimize the teaching-learning process in the fourth grade of General Basic Education and to validate it through expert judgment. Using a mixed-methods approach and concurrent triangulation, a classroom observation form based on a Likert scale was combined with semi-structured interviews with teachers at an Ecuadorian institution. The results revealed a limited application of neurodidactic principles, with significant weaknesses in active strategies and multisensory stimulation, attributed to a lack of teacher training and limited institutional resources. Based on this diagnosis, a system of ten strategies was developed—categorized into motivational, cognitive, didactic, emotional, and evaluative components—and unanimously validated by five experts regarding clarity, coherence, relevance, sufficiency, and feasibility. The study concludes with a proposal addressing the neurocognitive needs of 8- to 9-year-old students, noting that its actual effectiveness requires subsequent experimental verification.