Los rediseños curriculares en las carreras: un
diálogo abierto en la Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación
Academic program redesigns in careers: an open dialogue in the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Education Sciences
Segundo Barreno-Freire
Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito,
Ecuador
sbarreno@uce.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0845-5360
Germania Borja-Naranjo
Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito,
Ecuador
gmborjan@uce.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0743-2450
Cecilia Jaramillo-Jaramillo
Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito,
Ecuador
cjaramilloj@uce.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4290-7674
(Received on: April 04, 2019; Accepted on: May
15,2019; Final version received on: July 10, 2019)
Suggested citation: Barreno-Freire, S;
Borja-Naranjo, G. and Jaramillo-Jaramillo, C. (2019). Academic program
redesigns in careers: Academic program redesigns in careers: an open dialogue in the Faculty
of Philosophy, Letters
and Education Sciences.
Revista Cátedra,
2(3), 106-125.
107
Resumen
El propósito del estudio fue identificar las percepciones
de estudiantes y docentes sobre las
dificultades de la implementación de los rediseños curriculares en la Facultad
de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias
de la Educación de la Universidad Central
del Ecuador, para lo cual se tomó como base para el análisis las funciones
sustantivas de la educación superior que son: docencia, investigación y vinculación con la sociedad.
La metodología contempló el enfoque naturalista
de carácter exploratorio y descriptivo, se utilizaron técnicas cualitativas y
cuantitativas para lo cual se elaboró un formulario de encuesta en escala de
Likert y una guía de grupo focal. La investigación consideró aspectos como:
participación de la comunidad educativa en la elaboración e implementación de
los rediseños curriculares; la docencia, la investigación y la práctica
preprofesional en los rediseños; el aporte del proyecto integrador de saberes y
las prácticas de aplicación y experimentación al perfil de egreso. Los
resultados evidenciaron que en la elaboración e implementación del rediseño existió
una limitada participación de los actores clave, además se evidencióuna
deficiente orientación pedagógica y curricular. Esto se expresa en debilidades
sustanciales en los campos de especialidad y de formación docente, en las
mallas curriculares con asignaturas de alta carga horaria, que no corresponden
al campo específico de la especialidad;así como también,la poca comprensión
sobre los alcances y objetivos del proyecto integrador de saberes.Una de las
conclusiones más importante apunta a una reforma integral a los rediseños
curriculares de las carreras que respondan al perfil de egreso en coherencia
con los lineamientos pedagógicos, epistémicos, metodológicos y axiológicos de
la Facultad.
Palabras clave
Carreras, docencia, especialidad, investigación, práctica
preprofesional, rediseño curricular.
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to identify the perceptions of students and teachers about the
implementation of the academic program redesigns of the Faculty of Philosophy,
Letters and Education Sciences of Universidad Central del Ecuador, considering
that the redesigns aim to develop
new capacities in the students
of the Faculty, framed in the three substantive
elements of education teaching, research, and connection with society, which
express serious limitations in the institutional intentionality of reorienting
the process of professional training in the eight education careers of the
faculty. The methodology used was qualitative, exploratory and descriptive,
qualitative and quantitative techniques were used, for which a Likert scale
survey form and a focal group guide were elaborated, aspects were considered as
participation of the educational community in the elaboration and
implementation of curricular redesigns; the development of teaching, research
and pre- professional practice in the
redesigns; the contribution of the integrating project of knowledge and the
practices of application and experimentation to the graduation profile. The
results show that there was limited participation of the actors, deficient
pedagogical and curricular orientation in the elaboration and implementation of the redesign,
expressed in substantial weaknesses in the fields of specialty and teacher training. There
are subjects in the curriculum with a high workload and without any
relationship in the specialization field, there is also evidence of a lack of
understanding of the scope and
objectives of the integrating knowledge project. One of the most important
conclusions points to an integral reform to the curricular redesign of the
careers that responds to the graduation profile in coherence with the
guidelines of the Faculty.
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Keywords
Teaching, research, pre-professional
practice, curricular redesign.
1. Introduction
This article aims to identify the perceptions and assessments of students and teachers regarding the
implementation of academic program redesigns at the end of the fourth semester
of their implementation. This study covered topics such as the participation of
authorities, teachers and students, the substantive functions of educational work: teaching, research,
and linkage, as well as the application of the knowledge-inclusive projects
(PIS) and the implementation and experimentation practices (PAE) that support the teaching and learning process
The Council for Higher Education (CES), the National Department for
Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (SENESCYT), in the
framework of public policies in higher education established the legal
regulations that required universities to restate educational processes under
the guidelines of these institutions. These provisions for the elaboration of
academic program redesigns were adapted almost literally by the Faculty of
Philosophy, Letters and Educational Sciences.
Although the careers have a limited pedagogical and curricular
orientation, they were in charge of planning the curriculum redesign oriented
by the guidelines determined by the
education agencies: CES and SENESCYT. For the education careers, a generic
curriculum model was established and was the mandatory guide for the development of redesigns. The generic model included curricular
units, fields of study and most of the subjects with their corresponding time
load in the curriculum. In this context, curricular redesigns are created and
approved in accordance with current legal regulations; firstly, the internal
bodies of Universidad Central del Ecuador (ECU), and then the external ones
constituted by CES and SENESCYT.
Due to the implementation of curricular redesigns, the Research Commission conducted this first
diagnostic study by the request of the faculty authorities, identifying the
main critical problems in the teaching-learning process. Situations such as
limited student participation in the implementation of the redesign, lack of
communication between actors, content of subjects and time load do not
contribute significantly to the professional profile. Thus, the results of the study will help the decision-making
of the authorities to make the necessary changes in the redesigns.
This article is structured as follows: the first part is purely
theoretical in which the main conceptual lines and characteristics of academic
program redesign in higher education are developed, taking as a case study the
careers of the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Educational Sciences; the
second part describes the methodology used in the study; the third part
presents the analysis, interpretation, and discussion of the results on the
implementation of curriculum redesigns; and ends with conclusions as
reflections to open the debate.
2.
The
curriculum in higher education
2.1 Curriculum, definition and relevant data
Higher education institutions (IES) aware of
their role and responsibility to society set the direction of the public
policies of education systems and the equity in which their benefits are shared
with the population. They are also the engine to address the effects of
109
globalization, the new social labor division, as well as the incorporation
of new metrics beyond the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that promote inclusion
and equality in a pluralistic and democratic political and sociocultural
context.
From this perspective, the University must be constantly renewed,
leading to a restructuring of careers, curriculums, their epistemic,
philosophical and methodological content in the framework of the development of
authentic, free and democratic thinking. This
will only be possible with relevant redesigns
created on the basis of the country's
social needs and development requirements.
Academic program design in higher education is
a process of organizing and planning
the training of professionals in the different
fields of knowledge, and it also responds to its own internal dynamics and the socio-cultural conditions of the country.
It requires deep analysis
and reflection by the educational community in order to enhance and strengthen
the individual capacities of the
student and to promote the productive, economic and social development of the country.
There are several conceptions on the curriculum in higher education
which depend on the strategic axes,
the purposes of education expressed in a pedagogical and training project that contributes to the transformation of society. This study refers
to the definition of Larrea (2015):
The higher education curriculum
is a social and collective construction, based on a continuous research and
evaluation process of trends in science, society, profession and the
construction of interactions of educational actors. It expresses and defines
the purposes of education, and promotes an action plan carried out in a
pedagogical and training, critical, dynamic, participatory and creative project,
oriented to generate learning experiences that
produce an approximation between knowledge, reality and the production of
meanings of the educational individual, developing a series of knowledge and
competencies that affect his/her personal, professional and citizen identity in
the framework of a particular productive, political, social, environmental and cultural context, leading to his/her transformation (p. 20).
The demands of today's society
in the training of professionals must respond to the highest levels of scientific knowledge,
the management of methods and methodologies that use information and communication technologies to support the teaching development process and the ability to respond to the demands of the
Ecuadorian education system. These requirements, are essential to guide reforms
and transformations in the curricular redesigns of the careers. Aspects that
are rescued by Carrión (2002), by stating "that the cornerstone of
substantive changes in education is in the conception of curriculum design"
(p. 21).
Likewise, Durán et al. (2018)
state that "the
curriculum must be conceived from a dialectical projection that responds to
the requirements of the social context through actions of teaching, research
and linkage, intervening rationally in the formation process of
professionals" (p. 7). In other words, the curriculum contains important
aspects for the academic and institutional life of the university, therefore
its design should encompass visionary strategies that in the long term are
reflected in products that account for comprehensive training, i.e., profiled
according to the demands of today's world.
110
The various proposals arising from the reflection and social commitment
attached to the curriculum from a globalized and interdisciplinary perspective
had as background the interest in achieving an integration of the various
fields of knowledge and educational practices that allowed for the more
thoughtful and critical understanding of reality. This implies an overcoming of
scientific and subject-based content in the transition to a dynamics
of processes that enable the creative appropriation of science and, at
the same time, the understanding of how knowledge is produced (appropriate) and
transformed. In this regard, Torres (1998) emphasizes that:
The globalized and
interdisciplinary curriculum becomes a category capable of grouping a wide
variety of educational practices developed in the classroom and is a
significant example to analyze the most appropriate contribution form to improving
teaching and learning processes (p. 31).
In other words,
the curricular models
made by the bureaucrats who lead education and who are outside
the concrete processes of daily educational work in the classroom, in the interrelationship
between teachers and students, are questioned. Therefore, the redesign has a globalizing nature
in which the orientations on the selection
of contents and their way of organization in areas and subjects
prevent reflection and debate, evidence of the influence of the scientific, bureaucratic and instrumental trend in the educational processes managed by the State. Torres (1998) shows other alternative ways of
conceiving the curriculum:
not only focused on subjects but
on planning that revolves around the problematic nuclei. Here the student is
forced to manage theoretical frameworks, concepts, procedures, skills of
different disciplines to understand or solve the issues and problems raised (p.
31).
2.2 Academic program
redesigns at the University
The construction of the University Academic Model starts from the
consideration of the State rectory
on public policy in higher education that sets out the strategic guidelines for
its design and implementation. The curriculum is addressed from a
multidisciplinary perspective that proposes the articulation of several
disciplines that respond to complex problems that cannot be solved in isolation
but in a dialogue between the knowledge. Also, a transdisciplinary logic that involves the integration of thought
styles that incorporate in a
transversal way new languages, problems, and purposes that exceed the
individual departmentalized assigned (Larrea, 2015, p. 9).
The Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and
Educational Sciences of the Central University of Ecuador started
the design and elaboration of the curricular redesigns from 2015, following
the provisions emanating directly from the Council of Higher Education (CES).
Curriculum fields are at the heart of all
the intervention to the student in which the actors and subjects, the
knowledge, the methods and methodologies, contexts and tensions to be
transformed are all together.
The field of study is understood as the set of integrated and coherently
organized knowledge oriented to the understanding of the problems and thematic
axes of the profession. These fields are as follows: (a) theoretical foundations; b) professional practice;
(c) epistemology and research methodology; (d)
integration of knowledge, contexts and culture; and, (e) communication and languages, the same that contribute to the integrative
111
chair and the PISa the pre-professional practice (Larrea, 2015, Comisión
de Innovación, 2019, p. 4).
The curricular fields stated in the redesigns group the subjects or
analysis units located in the nine semesters that last the professional training
of the career. Likewise, these fields are organized in the basic, professional
and titling curricular units. Achieving synchronized inertia of academic action
requires collaborative academic work among the actors in the educational
process.
According to Cisterna, Soto y Rojas (2016) to face the challenges of
modern education with a transformative vision that responds to the demands of
the knowledge society "requires a strong commitment of educational actors
that allow the harmonization in order to consolidate serious policies for educational strengthening at all levels" (p.305). This process of curricular redesigns for education careers
in universities aims at the professional training of qualified teachers to achieve
significant learning in the student.
2.3 Discipline and interdisciplinarity: associated
concepts in curriculum design There is no
agreement in the meaning of interdisciplinarity. For some people, interdisciplinarity
is considered as the search for a great theory, as a new stage for the
development of science, for the reunification of knowledge. For others, it is
the mechanism that allows defining the boundaries of their respective area of
knowledge, a criterion that has been surpassed in scientific reality by the creation of certain integrated
disciplines necessary for a more stable understanding of reality.
What worths showing is that the object of
knowledge varies over time depending on its context and the advancement of the
science, deepening this episteme, expanding on knowledge, while restricting it
because there is an uninterrupted differentiation process of the science, where
there was only one science before now there are several that allow deepening
that knowledge (Kopnin, 1966, p. 88).
Interdisciplinarity arises in the twentieth
century on the basis of the existence
of disciplines, mainly to
respond to the need to correct the mistakes of an overly compartmentalized
positivist vision without communication between its parts. This is surely due to its ambiguous limits that this conception generates
among the sciences
and, above all, to solve problems of reality that cannot be
achieved if an approximation is made from a single field. The purpose of this
is to have a multilateral view of the phenomena under study. Larrea (2015)
points out:
curricular redesigns must be
underpinned by the epistemological rupture in the conceptualization of the new
approach of knowledge organization to achieve
meaningful learning by implementing innovative integration forms of scientific
knowledge, incorporating inter and transdisciplinary models into the curriculum
structure that exceed the assignment of different subjects and the limits of
disciplines to build innovative strategies (p.
17).
Under this view arises the need to address curricular redesigns in higher
education from an inter and multidisciplinary approach
that sponsors the development of autonomous
and realistic thinking. In turn, this enables the articulation of the substantive functions of higher
education.
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2.4
The foundations of the curriculum in higher education institutions
2.4.1 Teaching
Teaching considers that not any methodology is
suitable to teach the different types of content since it is known that each discipline involves a method,
a methodology and specific
creative ways of developing the contents. In turn, dialogical and horizontal
relationships in ecological interaction contexts between different teaching and
learning systems. In this regard, Castillo (2010) says:
The teaching profession brings
together the deepest ethical sense of the concept, which is to perform or consecrate itself
to a cause of great social and human significance, where
action between teacher and student goes beyond self-interest and gives the
opportunity to give oneself seriously in an educational cause that transcends the one who plays
it (p. 902).
2.4.2 Research
Research is a key role in higher education.
Ander-Egg (1995) "defines it as a formal, systematic, rational,
methodical, and intentional process in which the scientific method is performed
as a thoughtful and critical procedure" (p. 71). In the context of
vocational training, formative research effectively contributes to the innovation
of the teaching and learning process.
Research is closely
linked to teacher
training so the building capacity
is strengthened by the
effective articulation between teaching and the systematic and thoughtful
application processes of the scientific method in research. However, in the
university context, goodwill is not enough to do research as part of the
curriculum, some mental barriers to traditional conceptions and practices need
to be overcome, such as the unwillingness of higher education authorities to
allocate sufficient budgets. In this regard, Ayala (2013) reports that:
We do not have the resources to
investigate, at least as we would or should do it, but that should not prevent
us from finding the courage to think first about our research needs from our
position in the world. Ecuador's university advanced not when it imitated
foreign models, but when it solved its growth and development problems. That's
our big challenge. Our main concern should be not depression or complacency.
Neither is the complaint against the government and its policies. It must be
the urgency to recover, from our own reflection, that the university is the
headquarters of the reason (p. 71).
2.4.3 Relationship with the society
The relevance of the university has to do with
the contribution it makes to society. We cannot speak of the quality of
academic training and scientific production under an investigative line,
without being inextricably linked to the sectors of social, economic and
productive development. In other words, bonding drives the relationship of the
university community with social actors in a permanent dialogue of knowledge
that bets on social transformation. Barreno et al. (2017)
define the relationship with
society with teaching and research as the three main foundations of any
University oriented towards the integral vocational training of students. This
type of activity is the result of a planned action with an ethical commitment,
and open to change (p. 34).
113
This definition is in agreement with the information presented by the
Academic Guideline when saying that the relationship with society is
articulated with teaching for the integral training of students, through
the promotion of spaces of experiential experience and critical reflection;
it also "articulates with research in the identification of needs and the
formulation of questions that power lines, programs, and research projects; and
by promoting the social use of scientific knowledge" (2019, Art, 4,
literal (c).
3.
Methodology
This study is qualitative since it tries to interpret the implementation reality
of the academic program redesigns of the Faculty,
according to the perceptions of students and teachers; i.e., that there was a clear
understanding of the existing theory. According to Hernandez et al. (2014)
"The qualitative approach, sometimes referred to as phenomenological,
interpretative or ethnographic research, is a kind of support (which includes a
variety of conceptions, visions, techniques, and non-quantitative
studies)" (p. 16).
The design of the research
is non-experimental and transversal since the variables
were not manipulated. The
relationships between the independent variable, curricular redesigns of the year 2016 and the
dependent variable were described, perception of the relevant
actors on the implementation in the period September 2018 – February
2019. This study was carried out in each of the careers of the Faculty of
Philosophy, Letters and Educational Science. Depending on the scope, the study
is descriptive, as the relevant aspects were examined following the steps of
the scientific method.
The research considered the student population
from the first to fourth semester, students who were coursing the redesign. The
sample considered the following criteria: apply the survey to third and
fourth-semester students of each career, alternating between morning and
evening. A total of 443 students, 65.7% of women and 34.3% of men participated.
To listen to the perceptions of the teaching staff, a focus group was organized
with teachers and professors members of the Career
Board and Redesign Commissions.
Two techniques were used in the collection of
information: the survey targeting third and fourth-semester students and the
focus group with teaching career representatives. The information provided was
saved stealthily by the research team, which is contained in the archives of
the Post-Graduate Office of the Faculty.
|
Sample per career
|
Frequency
|
Percentage -
%
|
|
Social science
|
86
|
19.4
|
|
Psychopedagogy
|
52
|
11.7
|
|
Informatics
|
31
|
7.0
|
|
Physics and maths
|
35
|
7.9
|
|
Languages
|
56
|
12.6
|
|
English
|
58
|
13.1
|
|
Initial Education
|
74
|
16.7
|
|
Natural
Science
|
51
|
11.5
|
|
Total
|
443
|
100.0
|
Table
1. Sample by Faculty careers
114
The processing and analysis of qualitative data used the discourse
analysis by categorizing the main elements defined in advance by the study. The
processing of quantitative data required the use of SPSS statistical software.
This study has semantic validity since the representation, relevance,
and plausibility of the data was observed; hermeneutic validity, i.e., it was
based on the theoretical basis of research, analysis, interpretation, and
pragmatic validity through the descriptive relational implementation dynamic of
the 2016 redesigns and their acceptance level of the students.
4.
Analysis and interpretation of the results
The results of the research respond to the
objectives set out in the study,
aspects such as: participation of educational actors in the redesign processes 2016 were taken into account; curricular content for teaching,
research and relationship with society, an integrative project of knowledge, and application and
experimentation practices as fundamental axes that are part of the university work.
The analysis and interpretation of the results
obtained in the survey consider as negative the alternatives: never, almost
never and sometimes; whereas alternatives are almost always and always
positive.
4.1
Participation of the educative community in the
development and implementation of academic program redesigns of the careers
The survey on students, Figure 1, states that a
considerable 86.45% did not participate in the discussions nor in the
decision-making of the implementation redesign process of their careers. This
response suggests that the traditional or vertical forms of educational
management have not yet been overcome. The student is still considered as the
object of intervention in which the responsibility of what, how and why the
educational processes are decided at the higher levels between authorities and
teachers. This intervention form has caused students not to take over the
project, and consequently, there is little understanding of the purpose of the
redesign.
In relation to the above, there was weak participation of teachers due
to little information and commitment to the implementation process of the
redesigns. However, in each of the careers, isolated efforts
have been made that have led to the "ghettos" formation of teachers without an adequate guideline to
guide the implementation process of the academic program redesign.
Also, the perception of students is confirmed, noting that students have
very little involvement in the implementation of the redesign, "but the
student claim is growing, because they feel that the subjects and the time load
of the redesign do not respond to the teaching specialization" (Grupo
focal, docentes, Enero 2019).
115
Figura
1. Participación activa del estudiantado en la implementación del rediseño
4.2
Teachers in
the redesign
4.2.1
Relationship of the redesign subjects with the
graduation profile
In relation to the subjects that students study in the redesign of the careers, if
considering the alternatives almost always and always sum 47.43% that indicates
that these do contribute to the graduation profile. However, 19.68% of students
indicate never or almost never, because for this group the analysis units do
not respond to the graduation profile of the careers (Figure 2).
From the beginning of the academic program implementation as expressed
by teachers in the focus group:
A number of inconsistencies and
weaknesses in the curriculum were observed, both in training fields, in the
logical sequence of the subjects and in the time load. It was even said that in some cases, the curriculums do not
respond to the career's graduation profile (Grupo focal, docentes, enero de
2019).
However, it was also said that
the redesign does respond to the graduation profile; however, many subjects are
new, with novel content but there are no specialists in these subjects. There
are some materials that are incompatible with what is required; there is
duplication of content; too many general subjects and few in the specific fields of the careers; in some cases,
pre-professional practice has been given greater importance without
an adequate conceptualization and understanding of changes
in redesigns, e.g. Integrative subject, PIS, PAE (Grupo focal, docentes, enero
de 2019).
116
Figure 2. The subjects that the students receive are
related to the graduation profile of the careers
4.2.2
Career specialization subjects in the academic program redesign
In Figure 3, the alternatives almost always and
always represent 45% of the responses of students that indicate that the
subjects of the curriculum redesign do respond to the specialization of the
careers. However, 21% of students point out that never and almost never these
subjects respond to the specialization, perhaps it should be asked about this,
whether the redesigns actually considered the relevance to their elaboration.
Figure 3. Curriculum redesign subjects respond to
career specialization
The perception of teaching is that the subjects respond
to the specific field of the profession. However, it was said that in
some careers the specialty starts only in the fifth semester, or that the time
load is lower for subjects in the specialty's own field, which does not allow
to deepen its contents.
On the other hand, it is found that the distribution of the time load,
both for teacher training and
for the specialty, does not satisfy the majority of students and teachers of
different careers. Generally, an insufficient number of hours is set for
specialty subjects. This situation limits the in-depth approach of the contents
of the different subjects.
117
4.2.3
Time load
for teacher training
If considering Figure 4, the trend is almost equal
in the first three alternatives for the time load assigned to the subjects of
teacher training, i.e., there are students who say that the time load is insufficient compared to others.
This takes to the common
point that the Faculty
must agree on to harmonize subjects, contents and time load for this field of
teacher training.
This agrees to the information presented in the focus group with
teachers, "pedagogy and didactics do not have sufficient teaching hours to
deepen the development of the contents" (Grupo focal, docentes, enero de
2019).
Figure 4. Time load distribution for the teacher
trainin
In addition, the use of traditional methodologies in the teaching and
learning process was found to persist.
With the implementation of the redesigns, the classroom work has not been
innovated and therefore pedagogical renewal
in methods and methodologies is insufficient.
The focus group reflected on this problem, since, in principle, a redesign changes methodologies, methods, contents, structures,
but in this case, no significant changes are observed.
Facing the alternative if the subjects respond to relevance, the answers
are very similar to the previous ones; it seems that redesigns respond weakly
to specialization and teacher training. The explanation may be, according to
what was expressed in the focus group, in the existence of general subjects
with contents that do not contribute to the two main training fields, namely:
specialization and pre-professional practice.
4.2.4
Application and experimentation
practices (PAE) in the teaching-learning process The Faculty's Innovation Committee notes that
"PAE is the time that prioritizes the application of knowledge"
(Comisión de Innovación, 2019, p.3). In other words, PAE hours are assumed as
an academic process of linking scientific theory with socio-educational
practice.
Under this consideration, students were asked whether PAE contribute to
the teaching and learning process; negative responses represent a little more
than half of the answers, as shown in Figure 5.
Unlike these student appreciations, professors see it as a positive
aspect to strengthen and feedback knowledge. How it is implemented depends on
the initiative and understanding they have about PAE in each career.
118
PAE hours have forced us, in some
cases, to think about how to organize ourselves in a more appropriate way in
the application of theory to reality; also, in other cases it has made it
possible for us to break with traditional pedagogical models that prevented
meaningful learning (Grupo focal, docentes, enero de 2019).
Figure 5. PAE hours contribute to the
teaching-learning process
4.3
Research on the redesign
Figure 6 shows a positive trend in assessing
research capacity development with the implementation of the redesign (46.15%)
compared to a negative 19%; however, there is 34.84% who doubt on the
contribution of the redesign to the development of investigative capabilities.
This result challenges the process being implemented, in the sense if students
are actually apprehending the theory and methodology of scientific research.
One wonders whether students feel part of the research process, whether they
have clarity on what they are going to investigate, why and what for.
Based on the perception of teachers who
participated in the focus group, curriculum redesign does contribute to
research training. It was further stated that if there was an initial effort to
produce and develop the research tools, the instruments already developed in
previous projects were being used in the following semesters. This causes the
investigative process to be instrumented, making students "operators"
of research, not active subjects prepared to build proposals for changing and
transforming the education system.
119
Figure 6. The implementation of the redesign
strengthens the development of research capabilities
Undoubtedly, research is the primary action in
higher education, as established by the World Conference on Higher
Education"no other time in history has been more important than investment
in higher education, because of its status of primary force for the
construction of knowledge societies... and to encourage research and
innovation" (UNESCO 2009, p. 2).
In the focus group, teaching also expressed that the challenge of
academia is to find strategies that allow the impetus of formative research in
all subjects. For example, it was emphasized in the development of research and
reading capacity in the students that allow them an adequate investigation and
interpretation of phenomena in the socio-educational context.
4.3.1 Integrator Knowledge
Project – PIS in the vocational
teacher training
PIS, as conceived by the CES, responds to the problems from an
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach that need the input of the
different training fields of the curriculum redesign. It should be noted that
each PIS responds to a systematic logic that starts from the most general fact
of the research of the educational contexts and their environment up to the
specificity of each career.
Figure 7. PIS contributes significantly to the
professional training of students
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On PIS contribution to vocational training, the perceptions of the
student are mostly negative, as shown in Figure 7. This assessment is explained
by the practice of no adequate treatment of
PIS as an innovative methodological strategy. There is a misguided
vision of looking at PIS in an isolated and fragmented manner, unrelated to its
next or previous PIS, thus limiting the articulation between semesters and
interdisciplinarity. In short, there is no adequate understanding of the
teaching or students of the
epistemological, psycho- pedagogical and didactic conception that will guide
the implementation of PIS.
These responses are corroborated by teachers who describe that the way the PIS is implemented does not
achieve a significant contribution to the vocational training of the future teacher. There are aspects
that do not contribute to the purposes of PIS,
such as misunderstanding of the scope and objectives of the PIS. In addition,
there is an overload of activities inherent in the development of PIS. It is
also necessary to design appropriate and consensus strategies and methodologies
to plan, implement and evaluate the PIS (Grupo focal, docentes, enero 2019).
In other words, "The development of PIS is not significant
research, instead, it relies on repetitive theoretical information, but as a
research contribution it is limited". In addition, it was said that it
should be asked: "whether the periodicity of the PIS is adequate or time-
extending is required" (Grupo focal, docentes, enero 2019).
It should also be noted that "educational institutions do not find
in PIS any contribution, it is seen as a distracting factor but the school´s
authorities must authorize their realization due to the provision of the
Ministry" (Grupo focal, docentes, enero de 2019). In addition, it was
suggested that from the experience of the PIS implementation of the previous
four semesters, a reform be carried out so the PIS in the first semesters is a
theoretical and methodological training. While the application in the
socio-educational reality context starts from the third or fourth semester.
Other proposals were: a) Reorienting the concept of PIS as an
articulating axis of inter- and multidisciplinary work; b) Problems should be
formulated according to the contextual and complex realities of educational
environments; c) Other spaces must be opened so that it is not only in the
educational institutions in which this activity is carried out but depending on
the specialty it can be incorporated into other institutions and organizations
that are linked to society; and, d). It is necessary to monitor the PIS to
understand its complexities and dynamics (Grupo focal, docentes, enero de
2019).
They also believed that the contents of the subjects did not contribute
to the realization of the PIS. There is poor articulation and little
contribution of the subjects, as there is still a departmentalized management
of each of the subjects, away from a comprehensive vision of the curriculum.
Interdisciplinary work on the curriculum contents of the subjects is not yet
achieved with the application of the redesigns.
4.4 Pre-profesional
practice in the redesign
The function of pre-professional practice is the application of
knowledge in the specific specialization field to strengthen skills in
professional practice in the educational field. In relation to this, the perception
of students is significant (55.05%), because they show that the practice that
develops in the curriculum redesign strengthens the teaching vocational
training in the development of their capacities (Figure 8).
121
Figure 8. The pre-professional
teaching practice in the curriculum redesign strengthens the teacher training
These assessments are also positively valued by
the teachers that participated in the focus group. It is worth noting that the
contribution perception of the pre-professional practice by the students is
still limited since they have not yet performed this activity by reaching the
fourth semester. Pre-professional practice develops more forcefully at higher
levels of career training; however, in the first semesters, they have an
initial approach through observation practices allowing them a better
understanding of the educational reality.
4.5 Reform of the academic
program redesign of the careers
When students were asked if they agree to
reform the academic programs of the careers, the answer shows a blunt yes to
reform to improve current redesigns. These responses reaffirm perceptions that
redesigns do not respond significantly to the career graduation profile, as
there was no prior understanding and training of the educational community.
In short, the educational community of the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Educational Science shares
the initiative to make improvements to academic program
redesigns in such a way that they respond strongly to professional
profiles of the careers. As well as the relevance of future education
professionals with the needs and requirements of the education system in the
different areas of knowledge.
4.6 Main difficulties in
the implementation of the career redesigns
·
The focus group
with teachers noted that the redesigns were imposed
by the CES to respond to
government policy on higher education. It was stated that they were even forced
"to assume by the name of the
careers, the curriculum, the time load, the problem, and even the same
curricular contents" (Grupo focal, docentes, enero de 2019). These answers
explain the inconsistencies found at the time of the implementation of the
redesigns in the careers.
·
It is worth mentioning that although the redesigns were created taking into account the traits of each career, there are cases that show
substantial weaknesses in the fields of vocational
teacher training and especially in the specific field of the profession. The subjects taught
with the curricular redesigns are not relevant to the
specialty of the career and the time
load does not respond to the reality of the learning process (Grupo focal,
docentes, enero de 2019).
·
Research is still very limited and anarchic, with the implementation of the redesigns it would seem that there is no
correspondence between research theory and
122
practice. Also, careers show serious
difficulties at the time of the organization and implementation of the PIS.
·
There
is a segmented view of educational work, subjects very often set boundaries
between one subject and another. An individualized work of teaching persists,
which prevents the development of an inter and multidisciplinary work necessary
for the realization of socio-educational studies that respond to the needs and
demands of citizens.
4.7 Guidelines for
improving academic program redesigns
According to the responses issued by students
and teachers, the following suggestions are found to improve academic program
redesigns.
·
Review
the curriculum and time load in the fields of theoretical training and
professional practice to respond to the graduation profile of the career.
·
Strengthen
the academic and administrative organization to improve the implementation of
academic program redesigns in the careers
·
Establish
conceptual and methodological strategies for the implementation of PIS and PAE
in careers.
·
Define
an administrative academic management system that optimizes the management of
pre-professional practice throughout the Faculty.
·
Promote
interaction spaces with the participation of students, teachers, and
authorities for the promotion of thoughtful and critical thinking in the
implementation of the redesigns.
·
Organize
permanent teaching update processes to respond to the new vocational training
challenges covered by curriculum redesigns.
·
Strengthen
scientific research processes that respond to the socio-educational problems of
the country that consider the strategic lines of the Faculty.
5. Conclusions
The results of the study of the
redesigns that began in the academic period 2017–2017, which is in the fourth
semester of implementation, allow the following to be concluded:
Academic program redesigns
need to be rethought with a comprehensive vision in order to
respond to the guiding principles of the Faculty. The needs and demands of
training of teaching professionals in the country must be considered to
demonstrate their relevance. As Larrea (2015) points out "There is no clear diagnosis of the needs of actors and productive,
political, social, environmental and cultural sectors for the organization of pre- professional practices, therefore, the
efforts that are made are not observed" (p. 11).
Poor participation of the educational community in the elaboration and
implementation of academic program redesigns of the careers. This situation is probably due it was imposed by the CES, therefore, it was
neither a necessity nor a demand from the University. For this reason, the
result of this is that there is no appropriation of it by the teachers and the
students. In this sense, Durán (2016) states that emancipatory education "is a participatory
process of social construction that breaks with those oppressive situations and colonization that prohibit being, saying
and doing..." (p. 38).
The curriculum of the careers mostly do not
respond to the graduation profile, the subjects do not reinforce the specific
field of the specialty or teacher training. This situation is explained because
CES designed a generic curriculum model with which guided redesigns
123
in education careers. However, it is necessary to review and make the
adjustments that are relevant, so that they respond to the professional profile
of the careers.
The PIS has not found an adequate way to be applied in the reality of
the educational context. Although SENESCYT (2013) states that "PIS is the
first educational experience that enables the student with the learning
research process..." (p.18). A weak conceptual and methodological
understanding of the purpose of teaching's development of integrative knowledge
projects still persists. The absence of a conductive line and the lack of
teaching experience in carrying out this activity has made it a useless and
unvalued work overload. In addition, the segmented and individualized teaching
work that prevents collaborative and interdisciplinary work in the development
of PIS.
PAE hours, as we know, are part of the activities carried out in the
classroom to fix knowledge in practice; it is the theoretical scientific
application in social practice. This fact agrees with Carrión et al. (2018)
"Practice as the starting point of knowledge, as a means of
testing theory and as a tool... to solve problems" (p. 27). The
application of PAE creates confusion
because it is believed to be an extracurricular activity, apart from the
teaching and learning process. It is vital to establish the relevant
pedagogical guidelines for their proper implementation in the different
subjects since this is an aspect that is positively valued by students and
teachers in vocational training.
In the work of the academy, research is one of the most important
functions that must be present throughout the educational process. The
incorrect practices that are happening in universities must be overcome, where
investigation only occurs by obligation. In this perspective, Barreno et al.
(2019) state that "The fundamental functions of the university are teaching, research and linkage
as a dynamic and integral
whole whose ultimate
purpose is vocational training, scientific production and contribution
to the problem solution of the society" (p. 38). In other words, academic
program redesigns should articulate these functions in order to strengthen and enhance research
capacities in the teaching profession.
Emphasis has been done in the need for
the updating of knowledge to teachers in the use of appropriate methodological strategies,
in the deepening of content in the specific field of the specialty, and in
totally new subjects that are not part of the expertise fields or the field of professional practice. These are aspects that must be considered from the authorities and teachers in order for the training of the student to be
integral and integrative of the
implementation process of the academic program
redesigns.
124
Acknowledgment
The authors thank the people who provided the information for conducting
this study; to the Innovation Commission and the authorities of the Faculty of
Philosophy, Letters and Educational Science.
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Authors
SEGUNDO BARRENO-FREIRE. Ph.D. in Educational Research
from Universidad de Alicante
(Spain) in 2018. Master in Educational and Social Project Management at
Universidad Central del Ecuador in 2003. Bachelor of Education Sciences at the
Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and
Educational Sciences at Universidad Central del Ecuador in 1997
Tenure professor from the career of Pedagogy of Computer Experimental
Sciences at Universidad Central del Ecuador; Professor and Thesis Advisor of
the Graduate Institute of the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Educational
Science. Researcher in the socio- educational fields, planning, execution, evaluation
of educational projects, among others. Author of published books and articles.
GERMANIA BORJA-NARANJO
has a Master in
Social Science, specialization in environmental studies by the Latin American
Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) headquartered in Ecuador (Ecuador)
in 2002; Specialist in Gender, Management and Public Policies
by the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) based in Ecuador in
1999; Graduated in Education Science, Professor of Middle Education in the
Specialization Philosophy and Socioeconomic Science by the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Educational
Sciences of Universidad Central del Ecuador in
1989.
She is currently a tenured professor at the Faculty of Philosophy,
Letters and Education Science of Universidad Central del Ecuador. Her main
research topics include education, gender and environment, planning and public
policies. She is the author of books, book chapters and articles published in
indexed journals.
CECILIA MAGDALENA
JARAMILLO-JARAMILLO has
a master in Higher Education Universidad Central del Ecuador (2016), Bachelor
of Education Sciences, specialization in Philosophy and Socioeconomic Sciences
from Universidad Central del Ecuador (2006). Specialist in gender, human
rights, and development. Author and co-author
of several books and articles in the fields of her specialty.
Currently,
she is a full-time professor at Universidad Central del Ecuador, Career in
Pedagogy of History and Social Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and
Educational Science. Teacher and tutor of different
postgraduate programs.