Minerva

Information and Communication Technologies as a Strategy for Developing Critical Thinkers

2026-09-10T22:51:58+00:00

Critical thinking is an essential competence in contemporary education, which has driven the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into teaching and learning processes. This study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on ICT-based strategies that foster the development of critical thinking. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines using the Scopus and SciELO databases, resulting in the selection of 20 studies published between 2023 and 2026. The findings indicate that artificial intelligence, collaborative platforms, gamification, and virtual learning environments strengthen critical thinking when integrated through active learning methodologies and supported by adequate teacher digital competence. Barriers related to teacher trai-ning, the digital divide, and institutional constraints were also identified. The study concludes that the educational impact of ICT depends more on pedagogical integration than on technological availability.

Operational Efficiency and Persistence of Capital Adequacy in Peruvian Microfinance Institutions

2026-09-14T08:27:18+00:00

This study analyzed the relationship between operational efficiency and the persistence of capital adequacy in Peruvian microfinance institutions. A quantitative, longitudinal, and non-experimental approach was employed using monthly financial information from 15 institutions supervised by the Superintendency of Banking, Insurance and Private Pension Fund Administrators. The dataset comprised 2,519 observations for the 2010–2023 period, and a dynamic fixed-effects model with institution-clustered robust standard errors was estimated. The results showed a high degree of persistence in the Capital Adequacy Ratio (ρ = 0.9407; p < 0.001). Likewise, the ratio of administrative expenses to financial income exhibited a negative and statistically significant association with capital adequacy (β = −0.0056; p = 0.002). It is concluded that operational efficiency constitutes a factor associated with capital strength and that capital adequacy follows a markedly persistent adjustment process.

Water Justice and Conflicts over Water in the Kichwa Community of La Calera, Ecuador

2026-09-15T08:27:30+00:00

This study examines the demand for water justice in the Kichwa community of La Calera, Ecuador, through the external and internal conflicts it faces regarding the use, distribution, and gover-nance of water resources. An interpretive qualitative methodology was employed, based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentary analysis, with the data analyzed according to grounded theory principles. The findings show that water is conceived as an essential common good with symbolic and identity-forming significance, thereby strengthening the community's social and cultural cohesion. They also reveal the persistence of centralized water-governance structures that hinder the recognition of existing community practices and norms. The study concludes that Indigenous worldviews and rights must be considered in the formulation of public water policies in order to promote water governance that is more just, equitable, and responsive to local contexts.

Relationship Between Purchasing Management and Internal Control in Public Hospitals: The Case of Huaycán, Peru

2026-10-16T16:47:42+00:00

This study examined the relationship between purchasing management and internal control at Huaycán Hospital, Peru, considering purchasing planning, supplier selection, and contract management. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational design was employed using a mixed-methods approach with quantitative predominance. Participants included 50 employees and three interviewed specialists. A 31-item Likert-scale questionnaire was administered, and Spearman’s rank correlations were calculated. Results revealed a strong positive association between purchasing management and internal control (Rho = 0.806; p < 0.001). Contract management exhibited the strongest correlation (Rho = 0.792), followed by purchasing planning (Rho = 0.663) and supplier selection (Rho = 0.438). Interviews highlighted staff training, correction of deficiencies, integrity, and operational efficiency. The findings indicate that the strength of the relationship varies across purchasing management dimensions.

Executive Functions as Cognitive Factors Associated with Reading Comprehension in Primary Education: A Systematic Review

2026-10-17T05:43:21+00:00

This systematic review analyzed recent evidence on the relationship between executive functions and reading comprehension among primary school students. Sixteen primary studies published between 2021 and 2026 were included, assessing working memory, inhibitory control, or cognitive flexibility. Working memory showed the most consistent association with reading comprehension, whereas inhibition and cognitive flexibility yielded more variable results depending on task characteristics, reader profiles, and assessment procedures. Indirect relationships were also identified through decoding, fluency, vocabulary, lexical processing, and language comprehension. The findings support a multicomponent interpretation of reading comprehension in which executive processes interact with linguistic and reading skills rather than replacing them.

Service Quality as a Catalyst for Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery in Micro and Small Enterprises: A PLS-SEM Multigroup Analysis

2026-10-20T00:42:11+00:00

Micro and small enterprises face conditions of vulnerability that limit their capacity for recovery and growth, so it is relevant to identify the factors that favor their economic reactivation. In this context, the study analyzes the role of service quality as a predictor of business performance and examines whether its effect varies according to the size of the productive unit. Using a quantitative approach and an explanatory-predictive model, the results show a positive relationship between service quality and economic reactivation, as well as differences between micro and small enterprises. The findings suggest that the availability of complementary resources conditions the ability to transform intangible assets into better economic results.

Confinement quality and mechanical coupling associated with seismic vulnerability

2026-10-21T09:18:41+00:00

The seismic vulnerability of confined masonry houses is a relevant problem in developing regions, especially in self-managed constructions, whose structural performance depends on the quality of the confinement. This research evaluated the influence of this quality on seismic vulnerability, considering the moderating effect of mechanical coupling of the interface. To this end, 326 houses were analyzed through technical inspections and a model of structural equations by partial least squares, complemented with statistical validation procedures. The results showed that a higher quality of confinement significantly reduces seismic vulnerability (β = −0.469; p < 0.001), an effect that intensifies when the mechanical coupling between structural elements improves. It is concluded that the effectiveness of confinement does not depend exclusively on its construction characteristics, but also on the integrity of the interface, whose evaluation is essential to properly guide seismic reinforcement strategies.

Urban-rural gap in mathematics achievement: problem comprehension and linguistic barriers

2026-10-21T09:18:32+00:00

Learning inequalities between students from urban and rural institutions are accentuated when the language of instruction differs from the mother tongue. This research analyzed the gaps in mathematical problem solving and the associated linguistic factors, through an explanatory cross-sectional study with 395 secondary school students from public institutions in Ayacucho, Peru. A confirmatory factor analysis and a hierarchical regression by ordinary least squares with robust standard errors were applied. The results showed that the rural context is associated with lower mathematical performance, although this disadvantage disappears when the difficulties of linguistic decoding are reduced and increases as they intensify. Likewise, the comprehension of mathematical statements contributes to attenuating inequality, instead of acting as a transmission mechanism. It is concluded that strengthening language skills is essential to reduce learning gaps between urban and rural contexts.

Allometric trajectories of clonal growth in Dipteryx ferrea: serial mediation and provenance

2026-10-22T09:19:25+00:00

Clonal growth of Amazonian timber species is selected on height, on the assumption that this trait anticipates later performance. This study examined whether height, diameter and branching form a developmental chain, and whether genetic provenance modifies that trajectory. Thirty clones of Dipteryx ferrea from four provenances, established in an Amazonian clonal garden, were measured monthly on fourteen occasions. Linear mixed models, generalised models for the count traits and a within-clone path analysis with contemporaneous and lagged specifications were fitted. The chain held only when temporal precedence between traits was respected, and even then it was partial. The covariation between height and diameter was strong within clones and null between clones. The provenance effect could not be resolved with the available information, and the study specifies how many clones its resolution would require. The findings provide selection criteria for restoration and bound the reach of the evidence.