Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

This article arises from an investigation whose main objective was to assess the effect of a physical activity program of 18 weeks on aerobic capacity, strength and body composition in sedentary older adults, taking in account that physical activity is fundamental for the development and maintenance of functional physical fitness in older adults. Excessive sedentary behavior can accelerate the early development of noncommunicable diseases and mortality in this population. Twenty-two elderly people participated in this research sedentary (age: 69 ± 6.05, BMI: 28.69 ± 4.75), who were selected to participate in a physical activity program at the University of Costa Rica. The program included aerobic activities such as walking, strength and flexibility. The subjects performed sessions of 1 hour 4 times per week on the campus of the university. Tests extracted from the Senior Fitness Test were included: body mass index (BMI), aerobic endurance (6MW), getting up and sitting on the chair in 30 seconds, bending in 30 seconds, flexibility in chair, waist circumference, in addition, body fat and lean mass were evaluated using a internal impedance scanner, Tanita Ironman BC558. The results showed statistically significant changes in the aerobic capacity (6MW) (595 ± 87.67 - 644 ± 90.75, t (2,538), p = .019), get up and sit on the chair in 30 seconds (22.18) ± 6.46 - 24.14 ± 5.90, t (2.262), p = .034) and arm flexion test in 30 seconds (21.27 ± 5.7 - 23.95 ± 4.51, t (4.173), p = .001). There were no significant changes in BMI, flexibility, body fat, lean mass and abdominal circumference (p≤0.05). The conclusion is that sedentary seniors who participate in long-term physical activity programs term can improve the functional physical capacity and therefore, their quality of life.

El presente artículo relata una práctica de enseñanza-aprendizaje de lectura en lengua inglesa desarrollada en una escuela pública y describe su proceso como medio de acceso al conocimiento y la interacción humana. Como una perspectiva sociocultural de la lectura, el objetivo de este estudio fue brindar a estos estudiantes el aprendizaje de la comprensión lectora en lengua inglesa como instrumento de inserción en el contexto mundial, de interacción y autonomía. El desarrollo de este estudio se dio, primero por medio de la revisión bibliográfica y, posteriormente, por la planificación y ejecución de las prácticas pedagógicas. Es posible afirmar que esta práctica ha desarrollado el aprendizaje de la lectura en lengua inglesa y el reconocimiento de su importancia como posibilidad de acceso al saber. El estudio apunta al entendimiento de que el aprendizaje de lectura en una lengua extranjera es un proceso que involucra al estudiante y sus experiencias de aprendizaje y que para que esto ocurra el profesor debería promover prácticas para hacer de esa lengua un instrumento de interacción humana y de acceso al conocimiento.Palabras claves: Enseñanza-aprendizaje, aprendizaje de la lectura Escuela pública, Lengua extranjera.

This article arises as a result of a qualitative research carried out with Elementary Education teachers and principals, and authorities of the Dirección Regional de Occidente; it discusses the teachers’ counseling needs related to the implementation of educational supports to respond to the policies of Inclusive Education. The study involved 204 teachers of twenty institutions approximately, 13 school principals and two education authorities of the Dirección Regional de Occidente. The main instruments used to gather data were non-participant observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and questionnaires. It was found that teachers have a great need for training, in terms of the theoretical foundation of Inclusive Education and attention to diversity. Exclusion events go unnoticed not only by teachers, principals and other members of the educational community, but often, by the teachers promotes and makes exclusion natural in the classroom, indirectly. Gifted students are not considered part of diversity; findings above displayed the urgent need to offer updating opportunities among the teachers participating in the study, which eventually could provide a better qualified education, as indicated by UNESCO

This research was carried out in 2007 in the educational forest of University of Costa Rica’s Western Branch. The research is titled “Assessment of the Habitat in the Educational Forest.” The educational forest is located between 10º 05’ 08.9’’ N y 84º 28’ 54.4 W in the pre-mountain life zone on the Northwest of the University of Costa Rica’s Western Branch in Alfaro, 1 Km. away from downtown San Ramon, Costa Rica. This research purported to identify the flora found in the educational forest. A total of 939 trees with diameter greater than 10cm DBH were labeled with numbered aluminum plates to determine the amount of tree species. The results obtained include the identification of 72 species of trees categorized in 30 families. The most predominant tree families were Sapindaceae (172), Fabaceae (133), Solanaceae (115), Myrtaceae (105) and Melastomataceae (101). All of those families of species host the fauna found in the educational forest and provide the shelter and nourishment required for their survival. The researchers greatly acknowledge Lic Sonia Delgado’s efforts to create the educational forest and to allow this research.

This article presents the relevant events in the history of conservation in Costa Rica, as a preamble to the creation of the biological reserve Alberto Manuel Brenes, Alajuela, Costa Rica, which was created in 1975 as a forest reserve, of the initiative of the Committee for University Development, in San Ramón, under a tripartite administration. In 1991, it goes to another category of management, Protective zone and since 1993 is a biological reserve. The main types of governance that exist in the management of protected areas are described. At the present, the shared governance of this reserve is in charge of the University of Costa Rica – Western headquarters and the Ministry of the Environment and energy – National system of Conservation Areas – (SINAC). Each of the two state agencies is responsible for different programs such as: Administrative and financial management, protection and control program, land tenure, research and restoration and monitoring of resources, teaching, community management, social action and environmental education.

The objective of this communication is to present experiences of pedagogical decolonies developed in schools of the state public network (RJ / São Gonçalo and Duque de Caxias), with new knowledge based on curricular “transgressions” and establishing new pedagogical possibilities in a perspective of intercultural education. These activities were marked out in Law 10.639 / 03, which determines the teaching of African History and Afro-Brazilian Culture in school space, as points of a Thought-Other for an anti-racist struggle and the dismantling of a perspective European hegemony in the curricula of school subjects. 

One of the aspects that more importance is taking in the evaluation of the quality of the universities, is the contribution and the work that these do in investigation. However, it is useless to carry out research processes if they are not disseminated through appropriate publication channels, since there is a risk that the contribution is ignored and really has little or no impact on the problems of the reality and the environment. Therefore, this article seeks to present the results of the generation and implementation of a research group within an academic department of a Mexican private university, demonstrating that with a five-step model, it is possible to detonate the academic production of its teachers.

The variation in the morphological characteristics of fruits from two tacaco [Sechium tacaco (Pittier) C. Jeffrey] progenies was measured with referent to fruits of the original plant. The study was developed in Costa Rica. Ten quantitative variables were evaluated. There were statistically significant differences between fruits of the original plant and those of at least one of its two progenies for the following fruit variables: weight, length, width, number of incomplete longitudinal sutures, number of spines, length/width ratio, and width/thickness ratio. Conversely, there were no significant differences for fruit thickness, number of complete longitudinal fruit sutures, and fruit length/thickness ratio. This investigation provides the first known report in the literature regarding morphological variability in fruits of progenies of tacaco. These results yield evidence of the gene flowmagnitude in this species.

In the present article the Latin text Heautontimorumenos is analyzed from a pragmatic vision, in the context of the enunciation of the dramatic scene. Some postulates of literary Pragmatics and Semiology offer a basis for an analysis from the comedy’s text (rhetorical prologue, dialogue, dramatic action, intrigue, characterization) towards its context (education during Republican Rome). It was possible to confirm that Terencio’s work entails, at the semantic level, the importance of dialogue and the characterization of the characters; while at the pragmatic level the value of the educational polemic seemed intriguing, in a society comedy.Key Words: Terence, literarian pragmatic, Heautontimorumenos, Rhetoric, education

This scientific article is the result of a qualitative research proposed to analyze the relationship manifested between the suicidal gesture and the process of resilience of a group of young gays and lesbians from the Greater Metropolitan Area in Costa Rica. Atotal of eight young people participated in this research (four women and four men. As the main data collection technique, the in-depth interview is used. Among the main findings it was possible to identify the relationship between the social homo-lesbophobia and the suicidal gesture underwent by gay and lesbian participants which is permeated by a process of self-acceptance overwhelmed by demands, speeches and concrete experiences involving stigmatization and discrimination. Particularly, situationslinked to internalized homo-lesbo phobia, subjective pain, depression, concealment of sexual orientation, social isolation, and self-destructive practices are evident. All of them explained from processes of social oppression featured in the social homolesbophobic and patriarchal society settled in the Costa Rican social formation. As an emerging element of this research, It was necessary to analyze the processes of resilience and resistance experienced by the population subject to study in order to findexpressions of strategies and mechanisms, both personal and from the immediate context, involved when facing experiences of violence. Among this strategies are included: participation in supportive and respectful groups of sexual diversity, de-construction and re-signification of spirituality, and encouragement of latent internal resources.Keywords: social homo-lesbo phobia, internalized homo-lesbo phobia, suicidal gesture, resilience, gay, lesbian.