1. INTRODUCTION:

In Mexican higher education institutions there is a lack of teacher training in socioemotional competencies that has been accentuated since the COVID-19 confinement. Professors in their teaching role show certain attitudes that sometimes are not aligned with the institutional values of their work center and that also have repercussions on their academic relationships with their academic peers and students.

In the university chosen to carry out the study, there are problems generated due to the lack of temperance, sense of justice and sense of humanity, which in turn generates conflicts and problems of an academic nature. The student becomes just another student with a myriad of obligations and ready to receive certain treatment from the teacher, which he/she must abide by and comply with, even if it is not in the appropriate manner.

Since entering the institution, students have been taught, during the induction course, what their role as a student is, what the educational model of the institution is and what the school regulations consist of, leaving aside the development of institutional values that should be reflected in the actions of both the student and the teacher, conduct that should prevail in the teacher as he/she is the daily role model for his/her students.

In 2022, based on the observation of various problems arising in the institution, a diagnosis was made on the type of training needed to remedy the problems detected. The institution, with the support of a civil association, generated an Instructional Manual supported by a Diploma in Educational Psychology for its teachers with the purpose of developing values called virtues, as well as their dimensions or strengths under the model of authors Peterson and Slingman with the PERMA methodology.

The objective of this study is to describe the training process oriented towards positive psychology as part of the internationalization of the curriculum for teachers in a Mexican public institution of higher education.

2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND:

Globalization is a phenomenon that led "to economic, technological and scientific trends that directly affect higher education and are inevitable in the contemporary world" (Altbach, et al., 2009: 23).

Derived from these trends, education was forced to make a change and include a new paradigm called internationalization of higher education defined by Knight (2008: 21) as "the process of integrating the international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions or outcomes of higher education''.

In 25 years, the international dimension has become a priority for national agencies, international organizations, NGOs and civil associations involved in higher education public policies. The internationalization of higher education is an issue that involves various social actors in the following contexts: political, economic, social, cultural and academic (De Wit and Jones, 2014).

Concepts and definitions of internationalization

The concept has undergone transformations from the contributions that each researcher has made in the last 30 years, starting from International Education, to International Dimension to the concept of Internationalization that is known today. The following authors and definitions were adapted from Aguilar-Castillo and Riveros- Angarita (2017):

Harari (1989) was able to define it as international education means not only being part of the curriculum, international student/academic exchange, cooperation programs with society, but also involvement, attitude, global understanding and orientation to dimensions that transcend institutions and form international ethics.

Arum and Van de Water (1992) considered it as a set of various activities, projects and services related to international research, educational exchange, international and technical cooperation. Knight (1994) stipulated that it allowed the integration of international and intercultural international and intercultural dimensions into the teaching, research and service functions of the institution.

Van der Wende (1996) distinguished the definition on two levels:

(a) Global: All efforts to respond to requirements and challenges posed by globalization.

b) Institutional: Curriculum development and curricular innovation aimed at integrating the International Dimension even in the teaching method.

For Ellingboe (1996) it was a multidimensional and interdisciplinary orientation that includes a dynamic management to respond and adapt accordingly in the context of changing globalization. Rudzki (1998) added that it was its presentation as a promoter of excellence in university functions. Continuous and integral process of its integration in all aspects of the university educational system as understood by Schöormann (1999).

De Wit (2001) considered it a strategic process that aims to integrate international and cross-cultural dimensions or perspectives in the material functions. And from the perspective of Gacel-Ávila (2009) conceptualized as an educational process that integrates global, international, intercultural, comparative and interdisciplinary dimensions is an essential function of the university in the educational process, providing students with a global perspective that sustains the values and attitudes of a responsible, humanistic and supportive global citizenship.

The internationalization of higher education continues to be in force after almost three decades that were forced by the phenomenon of globalization, turning the generation of knowledge into the new world economy supported by technology and the learning of a second language. This change in turn led to the adaptation of educational policies that meet three qualities: relevance, quality of education and education with expected results (Quinteiro Goris, 2020).

The quality of education also aims to ensure the effective performance of future professionals by defining quality cycles of efficiency, effectiveness, equity and relevance. The aim is to meet the needs of today's society by providing relevant, pertinent and complete knowledge in all fields of knowledge. In other words, to create favorable training spaces where teaching skills and knowledge can be improved as part of the personal, professional and institutional commitments of teachers (Cuevas Álvarez, et al, 2022).

Various authors over time set themselves the task of categorizing the process, as well as their internationalization strategies, Cuevas Álvarez and Pérez Mendoza (2020, p. 251) explained them in their document and present a conceptual model of internationalization of Mexican higher education:

-Internationalization at Home: international/intercultural dimension in the formal/non-formal curriculum for students immersed in domestic learning (Beelen and Jones, 2015).

-Internationalization of the Curriculum: student-centered, experience-focused learning that seeks to:

1) Connect with different cultures, perform in different disciplines with active participation of teachers in the internationalization of the curriculum;

2) Teachers with intercultural experience should also be involved (Leask, 2014).

-Internationalization by Competencies: development of new skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values in students, faculty, and administration. The more emphasis there is on education outcomes, the greater the interest in identifying and defining global/international competence (Knight, 2005) including Intercultural Competence that serves as an instrument of mediation and reconciliation, promotes integration and social cohesion. Currently, organizations need to train their staff in this competence.

For Deardoff (2004) it is the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes. It allows knowing and avoiding intercultural differences or clashes in interaction processes. This intercultural competence is an essential characteristic of an inclusive society and as a mediation/reconciliation tool, it also promotes integration and social cohesion (European Council, 2008). It involves encoding and decoding processes, including gestures, looks, postures, silences, clothing, use of space, among others (Rizo, 2009).

Deardoff's model of Intercultural Competence (2004) is a cyclical sequential model that considers four stages and three dimensions to evaluate this competence:

a) attitudes with its indicators: respect, openness, curiosity and discovery,

b) knowledge and understanding, where the person demonstrates cultural self-awareness, deep cultural knowledge and sociolinguistic awareness, as well as the ability to listen, observe, analyze, interpret, evaluate and interact

c) in the desired external outcome, the person is expected to observe that he/she can maintain effective and appropriate communication and behavior in an intercultural situation.

This Intercultural Competence can be studied qualitatively, making use of the following data collection tools: a) case studies, b) interviews, c) narrative diaries, d) self-report instruments, e) observation by others, f) judgment of self and others, g) with indicators or h) triangulation. It is worth mentioning that the techniques of narrative diaries and self-reporting should be reviewed and analyzed by an expert in Intercultural Competence.

-Comprehensive internationalization: commitment through action, thus creating an institutional ethos and values in university life. Supported by the leadership and institutional governance of the entire university community, a desirable requirement (Hudzik, 2011).

Internationalization of the Curriculum

This concept arose from the process of globalization and internationalization of higher education and was included in the educational programs of higher education institutions (Gacel-Ávila, 2009). This began with the adaptation in the wording of the units or learning outcomes of university educational programs for students to develop competencies during their professional training (Kennedy, 2007).

Tobón (2008) defined competencies as the skills that allow activities to be carried out and problems to be solved in order to contribute to personal development and the construction of the social fabric. This type of skills combined with the experience and interaction with people from other cultures has allowed students to experience and awaken a global awareness (Hernández, 2009).

These competencies, named by De Zan, et al. (2011) as international competencies, are necessary to face problems specific to the disciplinary field in a creative and innovative manner, but which in turn, according to Fantini (2009), allow students to behave or conduct themselves as responsible citizens with a commitment to society.

The internationalization of the curriculum indicates the conditions to create their own learning scenarios for those who have not had the opportunity to live an intercultural experience and develop a global competence (McGill & Matross, 2013). Leask (2014) defined this concept as the way to engage students in internationally informed, linguistically and culturally diverse citizens to perform effectively as global professionals.

The internationalization of the curriculum is a phenomenon that arises from the internationalization of higher education with the aim of training graduates prepared to face the new social and market reality derived from the globalization process (Betancour and Farfán, 2015).

In Mexico, higher education institutions [HEIs] have made efforts to develop cultural awareness through the internationalization of the curriculum by implementing academic and student exchange programs (Cuevas Álvarez, 2018).

Deficiencies in reading and comprehension skills have also been detected (Velázquez Martínez and Pimienta Rosales (2018). As well as the need to train teachers in international competencies, also called global, and in intercultural ones (Salazar Ibarra and Cervantes Holguín, 2018).

Strategies for the internationalization of the curriculum

Among the strategies that can be implemented are five that are explained below (UV, 2022):

1. Comparative evaluation or benchmarking: It consists of being attentive to the changes that arise in the different areas: both of knowledge and of the environment in general at local, national and international levels in order to compare and evaluate themselves in order to adapt the contents aligned to this new global reality.

2. International and intercultural competencies in the graduate profile: Allows teachers to instruct their students to identify different, creative or innovative solutions through international documentary review, exchange information with professionals of the same discipline and appreciate the cultural differences among them.

3. Virtual collaboration: Development of global competencies and learning alternatives with the inclusion of technology that in turn allows the establishment of intercultural relationships in other contexts.

4. Curricular flexibility: Including transferable credit system, dual degree programs and mobility.

5. Language learning: Using the available resources of the institution, such as: language center, self-access center, conferences, seminars, courses and international internships.

From this last strategy, intercultural competencies are derived, which a graduate of tertiary education requires to be considered a citizen of the world, as well as a series of transversal competencies, (Deardoff, 2011) that allow having knowledge about other cultures to be able to interact in such a context, with a receptive attitude that stimulates the establishment of lasting relationships (UNESCO, 2013).

These competencies have become required to the point that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] to mention one example, has included the assessment of global competencies in the guidelines of the international PISA test (OECD, 2018). However, Germany like other countries decided not to assess the competency in the next cycle due to the fact that they require preparing their students to be able to meet the set quality standards (Sälzer and Roczen, 2018).

Positive Psychology

Mental health is not reduced to a happy life, but to a bittersweet process; a life that does not avoid pain, but faces it and gives it a constructive meaning, making the painful and contradictory aspects of life good and worth living (Cuadra and Florenzano, 2003).

Positive psychology arises from the ravages of the Second World War, being the creator of the concept Seligman in 1998. He argues that character traits can be improved through empirical or conceptual tools functioning as an organizing principle of the individual and social being. Virtues are core characteristics or universal values that whoever possesses them, demonstrates them above a certain value.

Strengths are the psychological aspects that define virtues. The model proposed by the authors mentions six virtues with 24 strengths (Peterson and Seligman, 2004).

Figure 1.

Educational Psychology Model

Note: Adapted from Peterson and Seligman (2004).

This approach seeks to achieve a balance by understanding the positive aspects of human beings and helping to repair or alleviate their discomforts (Martínez Martí, 2006). Character strengths are often described as universal or generalized in all people, regardless of ethnicity, culture or religion (Niemiec, et al., 2012).

However, a particular strength expressed in a cultural setting can often provide a unique expression of strength. Many times character strength is different for different purposes depending on culture, cultural norms and rituals. It is relevant to keep in mind possible ethnocentric biases in wanting to apply Peterson and Seligman's classification only from an imposed perspective (Christopher and Hickinbottom, 2008; Rashid, et al., 2013, Snyder et al., 2011).

To understand how to achieve wellness pathways or PERMA (Seligman, 2012), which is an acronym that encompasses the five main factors around which the theory revolves. Developing and refining each of these will go a long way in improving personal satisfaction and motivation.

Figure 2.

PERMA Model

Source: Castro (2020).

1) Positive emotions: This means increasing the number of positive emotions, not as compensation or exchange of negative emotions, but as a means to cope with negative emotions.

Positive emotions allow us to experience happiness in our lives, such as peace, gratitude, satisfaction, joy, inspiration, hope, curiosity or love.

2) Commitment: It is a pact or personal agreement to achieve harmony between the two to be in a state of harmony, affinity, fluidity of consciousness. That is, a commitment to find actions that lead to optimal flow or activation. When we commit to a task or project, we experience a state of flow in which time seems to stop and we lose our sense of identity and focus on the present.

3) Relationships: Given the circumstances of undeniable social existence, it is clear that this factor can be confirmed as essential to well-being. It is a protective and supportive factor which makes it relvant. Therefore, enhancing this aspect can improve personal wellbeing, which also implies improving interpersonal skills.

4) Purpose: It refers to the search of belonging to something bigger than oneself. Its idea is that the meaning of our life transcends ourselves. Thus, the realization of each objective gives it a transcendent meaning based on the relevant meaning. We all need to give meaning to our lives in order to be happy.

5) Achievement: This means setting goals that, if achieved, will make people feel empowered and promote autonomy, in other words, achieving the goal in addition to personal improvements.

Literature review

Among the studies identified, seven descriptive quantitative studies were found with samples ranging from 159 to 590 users, in which the aim was to verify whether virtues, as well as strengths, depend on the following aspects: age, gender or educational level. In addition, other studies used Seligman's inventory based on his 6-dimensional model with 24 items.

Of the other three papers found, one of them is a mixed study with 378 people of Argentine nationality and adult age, where neither age nor gender was an aspect that impacted the study, however, the results suggest that the VIA instrument be adjusted according to cultural variables. In the last two cases, the two papers mention that they were qualitative studies, of which one is a theoretical review on the topic and the second is about a positive psychology program or training.

The theoretical review concludes that for an efficient emotional education program to exist, the following phases must be followed: analysis of the context, identification of needs, formulation of objectives, planning, execution and evaluation. It emphasizes that teachers should be trained in emotional competencies.

In the case of the Happy Classrooms program, it confirms the development of certain virtues or values in students: solidarity, respect and cooperation; and recommends that in order to form global citizens, teachers must understand how the world in which they live works in order to prepare their students with the vision of a fair and supportive world.

3. RESULTS:

Table 1. State of the art

Author Year Approach Results/Findings

Autor

Año

Enfoque

Resultados/Hallazgos

Castro Solano

2017

Estudio mixto

Fortaleza frecuentes: integridad, persistencia, bondad y amor. No se encontraron diferencias según sexo y edad. Y la clasificación VIA debe ajustarse en función de variables culturales.

Muñoz Campos, et al.

2018

Cuantitativo descriptivo

Los resultados mostraron una correlación significativa entre la satisfacción vital y el bienestar subjetivo en profesores.

Bisquerra y García

2018

Cualitativo, revisión teórica

Para la eficiencia de los programas de educación emocional se recomienda seguir 6 fases. La puesta en práctica de una educación emocional eficiente requiere de una formación del profesorado: es imprescindible que el profesorado desarrolle sus competencias emocionales.

Santamaría-Cárdaba

2018

Cualitativo, observación participante

El programa Aulas Felices funcionó adecuadamente despertando los siguientes valores: solidaridad, respeto y cooperación.

García, et al.

2019

Cuantitativo descriptivo

Adecuada satisfacción con la capacitación desarrollando 5 virtudes: excepto justicia.

Laudadío y Mazzitelli

2019

Cuantitativo descriptivo

El grado de habilidades emocionales es medio-bajo. En la formación docente será necesario que puedan identificar sus habilidades emocionales como punto de partida de su desarrollo profesional.

Barrientos, et al.

2019

Cuantitativo descriptivo

El profesorado tiene la percepción de no haber sido instruido en habilidades socioemocionales y siente la necesidad de ser formado en ellas para poder gestionar sus clases de manera positiva.

Cabrera-Gómez, et al.

2020

Cuantitativo descriptivo transversal

Las fortalezas detectadas en la población ecuatoriana fueron: perseverancia, amabilidad, espiritualidad y ánimo.

Llorente, et al.

2020

Cuantitativo descriptivo transversal

Las profesoras tuvieron más elevado el nivel de competencias socioemocionales que los profesores.

García Cruz, et al.

2022

Cualitativo,

Revisión teórica

Los docentes no han sido estudiados y que han sido afectados por la crisis sanitaria. Se propone incrementar factores positivos usando técnicas cognitivo-conductuales y de P.P. en una intervención para el funcionamiento psicológico positivo en docentes.

Castro Solano 2017 Mixed study Frequent strengths: integrity, persistence, kindness and love. No differences were found according to sex and age. And the VIA classification should be adjusted for cultural variables.

Muñoz Campos, et al. 2018 Quantitative descriptive The results showed a significant correlation between life satisfaction and subjective well-being in teachers.

Bisquerra and García 2018 Qualitative, theoretical review For the efficiency of emotional education programs it is recommended to follow 6 phases. The implementation of efficient emotional education requires teacher training: it is essential that teachers develop their emotional competencies.

Santamaría-Cárdaba 2018 Qualitative, participant observation The Aulas Felices program worked adequately awakening the following values: solidarity, respect and cooperation.

García, et al. 2019 Quantitative descriptive Adequate satisfaction with the training developing 5 virtues: except justice.

Laudadío and Mazzitelli 2019 Quantitative descriptive The degree of emotional skills is medium-low. In teacher training it will be necessary for them to be able to identify their emotional skills as a starting point for their professional development.

Barrientos, et al. 2019 Quantitative descriptive The teaching staff has the perception of not having been instructed in socioemotional skills and feels the need to be trained in them in order to manage their classes in a positive way.

Cabrera-Gómez, et al. 2020 Quantitative descriptive cross-sectional The strengths detected in the Ecuadorian population were: perseverance, kindness, spirituality and encouragement.

Llorente, et al. 2020 Cross-sectional descriptive quantitative Female teachers had higher levels of socioemotional competencies than male teachers.

García Cruz, et al. 2022 Qualitative, Theoretical review Teachers have not been studied and who have been affected by the health crisis. It is proposed to increase positive factors using cognitive-behavioral and P.P. techniques in an intervention for positive psychological functioning in teachers.

4. METHODOLOGY:

The ethnographic method in educational research allows for a description or reconstruction of a scenario or a cultural group (Goetz and Hansen, 1974; Wolcott, 1975, Spradley and McCurdy, 1972), which in turn provides a space for appreciation of the situation through a detailed description to be credible (Erickson, 1973).

The qualitative techniques used were documentary review (Restrepo and Tabares, 2000), literature review (Purdue, 2022) and participant observation with moderate gradient of observation (Spradley, 1980). The first technique was used to analyze information that would provide the theoretical basis for the concepts of internationalization of the curriculum, teacher training and positive psychology.

positive psychology. The second technique was used to review recent works or the state of the art on the subject, as other authors call it. With the last one, it was possible to know the topics addressed during the training, as well as the attitudes and behaviors of the teachers.

The objective of this study is to describe the training process oriented towards positive psychology as part of the internationalization of the curriculum aimed at teachers of a Mexican public institution of higher education.

Context

The Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco [UJAT] is located in southeastern Mexico. It is made up of 12 academic divisions located throughout the state of Tabasco, with its headquarters in the capital city of Villahermosa. It has approximately 2,500 professors, a number that is in constant change due to leaves by COVID-19 or for reasons of early or mandatory retirement.

In the second semester of the school year, during the August-December period, there is a high number of applications for admission, and after admission, an Induction Course is held. In 2022, the content of this course was modified to include the Positive Psychology approach, for which 159 teachers from the different divisions of the institution were trained by the Civil Association Ayudándoles a Triunfar (Helping Them Succeed).

Access to the field

The field encompasses "the physical and social context in which the phenomena under investigation take place" (Rodríguez et al., 1999, p.103). In this case, the observers were at the same time participants in the training, they had to carry out and deliver the activities as well as form a team with the other participants, so access to the field and to the participants occurred naturally.

Procedure

The researchers collected the information in a notebook or class diary because with this technique it is possible to write down what happens in each session (Zabalza, 2004). During the participant observation, the following ethical principles were kept in mind: ensuring the anonymity of all participants and the confidentiality or agreement of the purposes of administration and dissemination of identifying information. The information collected in the notebook or class diary was analyzed through categories detected by the researcher, based on the documentary review and literature review.

Excerpts of information shared by the participants in the written communication media of the Microsoft Teams platform, images of audiovisual and visual materials, as well as motivational messages to their fellow trainees are shared.

Learning and verbal comments made during the observed sessions are also shared and are presented as part of the analysis of the virtues detected: humanity, temperance, transcendence and justice.

In order to maintain the anonymity of the participants, only the messages and materials were shared without any method of identification. The participants were coded with the key PA, PB PC and so on.

Findings

The diploma course in Educational Psychology was conducted during the inter-semester period from June 20 to July 8, 2022 in virtual format (60 hrs.), from July 25 to August 8 in classroom format (42 hrs.) with additional hours for reading and individual work (18 hrs.), making a total of 120 hrs. prior to the start of the induction course in classroom format.

Contents of the Diploma in Educational Psychology

The format and topics addressed in the course for UJAT teachers are related to the development of virtues with their corresponding character strengths, which are detailed below:

Descripción de los contenidos temáticos del Diplomado en Psicología Positiva

Virtud	Fortaleza 1	Fortaleza 2	Fortaleza 3	Fortaleza 4	Fortaleza 5
Sabiduría y conocimiento	Creatividad	Curiosidad	Juicio	Amor al aprendizaje	Perspectiva
Coraje	Valentía	Perseverancia	Honestidad	Entusiasmo
Humanidad	Amor	Bondad	Inteligencia Social
Templanza	Humildad	Prudencia	Autorregulación	Perdón
Trascendencia	Apreciación de la belleza y la excelencia	Gratitud	Esperanza	Humor	Espiritualidad
Justicia	Trabajo en equipo	Equidad	Liderazgo

Nota: Adaptado de UJAT (2022).

The concepts of each of the virtues were defined in the class sessions and related to their corresponding strengths based on what is indicated in the Instructors Manual document, from which the following definitions were adapted:

(a) Wisdom: complete and deep knowledge acquired through study or experience enables a person to act correctly and wisely. It is also associated with emotions ranging from the simplest to the most complex, from curiosity about the world to a visionary vision of the world.

b) Courage: This emotional force means exercising the will to achieve objectives in difficult situations, whether external or internal. The person who acts with courage stands out for acting with determination and enthusiasm, especially in the face of danger or difficulty.

c) Humanity: It means caring for others by offering friendship and affection to others. It is the capacity to feel affection, understanding or solidarity with others. It involves demonstrating interpersonal strengths based on concern and intimacy through love, kindness and social intelligence, which lead to positive attitudes towards society in general.

d) Temperance: It is a human quality that makes one perform activities with moderation.

e) Transcendence: It is the connection with the vast universe and gives meaning to life. It implies daring to go out of ourselves and realizing that we are an integral part of a universe.

f) Justice: It is the civic power that ensures a healthy social life. It is the tendency to give to each one what is due to him. People with this virtue do what is just, equitable or lawful.

Attitudes of the participants at the beginning of the course

At the beginning, as in any process of change, there was some disagreement or resistance on the part of the teachers, not because of their age or gender, but because of their personal attitude. The change of paradigm of learning to unlearn and relearn, terms used during the training, is a gradual process that implies accompaniment and guidance so that participants do not give up throughout the program.

The change of the use of the word concept or dimension for virtue, as well as the term value for strength, caused discomfort and disagreement among the academic and scientific community, who were of the opinion that they were probably going to start singing, praying and even meditating and floating. This attitude is a typical reaction of defense or resistance to not accept the new learning and it is common to make jokes about it or to dismiss what they want to teach.

In the case of spirituality, which is a strength of the virtue of transcendence, there was tension when hearing from the participants that they were in a Juarista institution, that is, a secular institution; that education in Mexico is secular and that topics such as religion should not be mixed because it is controversial and is not allowed by statute, much less for moral and ethical issues.

There was also active participation by those participants who knew about the topic, who valued the information shared and created balance between the comments and restored control of the session both in writing in the chat and verbally during the first two sessions.

Subsequently, there was a change from jokes and dismissal to fear of participating or mockery of what was shared because it was time to open up to others and express feelings, emotions, challenges achieved or dangers overcome. Fear of crying in the middle of the storytelling, fear of being singled out or fear that the information would be used for other purposes contrary to the objective of the training.

Other participants did not wish to use their voice, but wanted to express their feelings through other formats: a poem, mentioning a song, through the story of a series, movie or simply in the obligatory activities or deliverables in which only the instructors had access.

Attitudes of the participants at the end of the diploma course

During the week of face-to-face activities, teachers were observed with the following attitudes that are not typical of the program, but are typical of the attitudes of intercultural competencies and that arose as a result of its implementation: openness, empathy, respect and tolerance. In the team activities, in the support with didactic materials, in the spaces for emotional expression and the great majority wanted to share their experiences without fear or embarrassment.

The change of attitude in the teachers was perceptible, contrary to the initial attitudes. Active participation, attentive listening, collaborative work, willingness to change, assertiveness, companionship and solidarity were observed.

PA: Good morning, could someone from the Justice team tell me what the assignment is please? There is the assignment but no instructions. Thank you for your attention.

PB: Good evening, excuse me, do you know which are the activities of module VIII, the assignment is only available to attach the document but it does not say what they consist of and I cannot access where the recording of the session was made.

PC: Check in archives. Inside your new group!

PA: Thank you very much, I will check it.

PB: Ok I am on 1 now I will check. Thank you very much.

Some more tech-savvy people were advising others to avoid damage to their computers:

PS: Hi, good afternoon, those files that start with dot and underscore, they are viruses, try not to download them or it will damage your compu, it is a bit cumbersome but don't download them all together, it worked for me downloading one by one and avoiding the probable viruses, greetings and happy afternoon!

Participants felt the confidence to share materials related to the diploma and their topics without the fear of others making fun or negative comments about it.

Figure 2.

Video shared by a participant

Figure 3.

Image shared by a participant

Figure 3.

Image shared by a participant

Based on Peterson and Slingman's model (2004), the virtues developed by the participants and detected at the end of the course are as follows

Humanity

Strengths: Love, kindness and social intelligence.

Participants shared their knowledge and life experiences by communicating in an empathetic and assertive manner.

Temperance

Strengths: Humility, prudence, self-regulation and forgiveness.

In this case it was not a matter of gender but a matter of academic nature and status as a researcher. It was a bit complicated to accept that one does not know

everything and that having a certain academic degree or status as a research professor does not exempt a person from making mistakes or not always being right. Sometimes the ego or embarrassment was present, the discomfort or shame of being labeled as someone who does not know was noticeable.

Transcendence

Strength: Gratitude

It is a word that the vast majority omitted even in the most everyday cases such as when they clear a doubt or answer a question, it is taken for granted that the other understands that they are being thanked, but the participants realized that in most occasions it should be verbalized not only to be perceived but also to register in the memory.

Justice

Strengths: Teamwork, fairness and leadership.

Although being a group of university professors, it would be inferred that they know how to work with the previously mentioned strengths, nevertheless, as mentioned in the virtue of temperance, ego or grief is present. It was difficult at the beginning to cede control or power to another person, even if it was for short-term activities. Consenting on decisions and delegating activities was done with fear at the beginning, a situation that gradually changed until they felt like equals when working together.

5. DISCUSSION

It is considered that the participants in this study developed attitudes of intercultural competence derived from the training received in the diploma course in Educational Psychology by continuously practicing the virtues of humanity, temperance, transcendence and justice.

In the case of the attitudes of openness and empathy, because in humanity we work on empathy and assertive communication. In temperance, prudence and self-regulation are worked on, which are related to the tolerance that must be shown to others. In justice, respect is put to the test when delegating activities and recognizing leadership in others, but also because in order to be equitable, the workload limits of each member of a work team must be respected.

The participants were simultaneously developing international, global, intercultural and socioemotional competencies based on the educational psychology model, without this being the intention of the course. The materials and activities used and implemented also influenced these findings. The audiovisual and visual materials were not exclusively from Latin America, they were materials from other cultural contexts and that conjugates with what was mentioned by Rashid (2013), the cultural context influences the type of strengths that are developed.

6. CONCLUSIONS:

The findings obtained allow understanding under what type of scheme a training for the development of socioemotional skills or competencies of educational psychology should be delivered, specifically with Peterson and Seligman's model.

It is suggested that to avoid resistance to change as observed in this study, from the beginning, instructors should use the concept of values instead of virtues, as well as that of dimensions over that of strengths and gradually modify the terms, this being a key recommendation expressed by some participants during the observations.

Another key suggestion is that certain language should be sought when covering spirituality as a strength. In this case, this institution is Juarista whose premise is that education is secular, in all of Mexico public education is secular, so avoid using vocabulary that refers to dogmas and limit yourself to concepts such as superior energy, superior being, or any other expression that refers to a deity without mentioning a particular name.

The participants demonstrated to have appropriated the virtues or socioemotional competencies by conducting themselves in the classroom with the expected performance, in the same way they conducted themselves in the corridors, in their interactions with classmates in spite of the number of hours of daily training and confined in the same space respecting the established social distance. We conclude by proposing a continuity to the observations to verify the duration of the effect of the training, who continue to demonstrate their skills, who would need reinforcement or new activities so that the effect does not fade with time.

7. REFERENCES:

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