Education In Chile Research Articles

Belonging to No One, to Everyone, and for Whom? Learnings from the Disputes about the Public Dimension of Education in Chile's Constitutional Convention

The public dimension of education is a key issue in democratic countries. However, in a time of conspicuous privatisation and pluralism, the value and meaning of the public sphere in education are in dispute with other value preferences. This paper offers a phenomenological account of the discussion that took place in Chile's Constitutional Convention, which represents an interesting case study due to the country's background of extensive privatisation of education. The main themes that revealed the spheres of values in dispute in this respect revolved around: the public function of the State, the public arena and its relationship with freedom of education and the diversity of educational projects, and finally the relationship between the public arena and the preferences of families. The paper describes the value controversies implicit in this debate and explains the philosophical foundations that enable us to continue questioning what constitutes the public dimension of education.

Spatial issues in social work education in Chile: curriculum analysis of universities and professional institutes

ABSTRACT In response to the growing use of spatial concepts in social work, this article addresses their incorporation in the curriculum of undergraduate programmes and the differences among diverse types of higher education institutions. The aims were 1) to identify how spatial issues are incorporated in social work curriculums in Chile and 2) to compare how this incorporation is made in social work programmes in different higher education institutions. The method was a quantitative and descriptive analysis of the curricula of the totality of the programmes in the country (N = 45). We defined 11 concepts to search: community, spatial concepts (territory, environment, place, space), spatial phenomena (city, rural, housing), and social concepts associated with spatial issues (networks, poverty, citizenship). The results show that community is the most relevant concept. Nevertheless, when viewed collectively, spatial concepts hold similar significance. However, there are noticeable differences in how different higher education institutions use spatial concepts. Professional institutes often overlook spatial concerns compared to universities. We recommend regulating social work education to incorporate a minimum curriculum that addresses these issues. Further research is needed to evaluate course content, references, and scientific publications in Chilean social work.

Scientific literacy in biology and attitudes towards science in the Chilean education system

ABSTRACT Background The development of scientific literacy in young people is seen as important in several countries. In recent decades, Chile’s educational reforms aimed at performance have led to a market-oriented funding and management system, worsening social inequality and segregation. Purpose The study looked at biology literacy and science attitudes in Chilean secondary school students, considering two aims: 1) to analyse the level of scientific literacy in biology and attitudes toward science posed by secondary school students, making comparisons by gender, age, socio-economic status (SES), and type of school; and 2) to evaluate the relationship between scientific literacy in biology and attitudes towards science. Sample 612 secondary school students in a central southern region of Chile, took part in the study. Design & Methods A quantitative method was used to analyse the students’ responses on two validated and adapted instruments; A test to measure biological knowledge (TOSLS) and Likert Scale Science-related (LSSr) to measure attitude towards science. These instruments were administered to secondary students, and descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted. Results The adapted TOSLS showed significant differences in SES, school type and slight variations by gender and age, although, no illiteracy level in biology was found among the Chilean students. The adapted LSSr showed significant differences concerning attitudes toward science were found in school type, and variations by SES and age, and gender. Also, the correlation analysis shows a weak positive relationship between scientific literacy in biology and attitudes towards science, although of moderate magnitude. Conclusion This study found that scientific literacy in biology does not necessarily impact attitudes towards science. However, SES and type of school can affect understanding and views of science and its role in society, which aligns with previous findings on social inequality in Chilean education.

How authentic are assessments in vocational education? An analysis from Chilean teachers, students, and examinations

Authentic assessment promotes professional skills, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world scenarios. Given the challenges faced by vocational education in Chile, there is a keen interest in assessment methods within both secondary schools and higher education institutions. A non-experimental quantitative design was employed. The methodological approach used was a cross-sectional survey. The study's sample included 244 students, 37 teachers, and a compilation of 905 questions sourced from written examinations. The findings reveal certain disparities in perspectives between teachers, students, and the examinations reviewed. On one hand, secondary vocational education teachers perceive the quality of assessments to exceed those of their counterparts in higher vocational education. Conversely, students in higher vocational education express a heightened sense of depth and engagement in their learning compared to their secondary vocational education peers. Upon examination of the assessments, it becomes evident that while written examinations are more prevalent in secondary vocational schools, these often involve open-ended and analytical inquiries. In contrast, higher vocational education institutions predominantly rely on closed-response questions that lean toward rote memorization. However, when these questions are open-ended, they are more oriented toward the transfer of knowledge compared to the secondary vocational education level. The level of realism is more pronounced in higher vocational education than in secondary vocational education. Both educational tiers exhibit gaps in attaining the principles of authentic assessment.

Caring leadership in early childhood education in Chile: tensions from a highly gendered context

ABSTRACT Educational leadership at early childhood education (ECE) has been extensively studied. However, evidence from Chile is still scarce. As with many parts of the world, the ECE workforce is very female-heavy and Chile is no exception to this. This situation presents an intriguing context for leadership studies as particularities of a gendered role for women as leaders in Chile has not been a matter of analysis. Leadership in ECE includes a sense of vocation or ‘passion’ for children’s care, development, and learning, called caring leadership. This concept highlights an ethical component, interpersonal relations and a concern for the well-being. This article presents the findings of a three-year study involving 12 women leaders in ECE who established a Professional Learning Community. They were interviewed throughout the research. Findings reveal three tensions. Firstly, leadership is associated with a maternal role, perpetuating gender stereotypes. The second tension addresses the dynamics of personal connections within ECE teams in terms of asymmetry or horizontality. The third tension arises from the significance of caring as a crucial aspect of working in ECE education. These tensions underscore the need for a critical analysis of leadership in ECE, as gender considerations may overlook the complexity of the leaders’ role.

Assessing the Distance Teaching-Learning Experience in Higher Technical-Vocational Education in Chile

This study aimed to validate a multidimensional instrument for assessing distance teaching-learning. It combined factors measuring motivation with instructional material and the teaching-learning experience with peers and teachers. The instrument was administered to 2,984 higher education students in Chile, demonstrating its statistical validity and adequate fit indicators. Consequently, this instrument can confidently evaluate online learning in higher education.

Systematic review of the challenges facing the development and integration of digital technologies in the Chilean school context, from the teaching perspective

This article is the result of research in which an analysis was made on the challenges faced by the development of teaching with digital technologies in the Chilean school context, given that it is a constantly changing scenario. From the examination of the scientific evidence collected, some elements were established to explain the scope of teaching with digital technologies in Chilean schools, factors that influence the effective integration of technologies, and how the integration of digital technologies in Initial Teacher Education has been developed. For this purpose, a systematic literature review study was designed, with a sample of 23 articles whose content was analyzed through a categorized classification based on the criteria suggested by the Prisma protocol. The results obtained allow the conclusion, among other aspects, that the integration of digital technologies in Chilean education is a relevant and dynamic issue and that several approaches and models have emerged in its implementation, highlighting the importance of educational policies in the promotion and monitoring of this process in the classroom.

Impact of university academic performance on financial returns to education in Chile

This article examines the relationship between graduates' academic performance and the financial returns of their university education in Chile. By Analyzing data from 784 students who graduated from 10 selected Chilean universities between 2010 and 2016, this study utilizes linear and quantile regression to estimate returns. The results indicate that returns range from 4.9% to 15.0%, depending on the specifications and estimation methods employed. While linear regression suggests no significant association between academic performance and returns, quantile regression reveals a positive impact for lower and medium salary ranges, reducing the income gap with higher earners. The results of this study can be helpful in achieving a better understanding of the factors that influence returns to education.

Examining the Access to Higher Education in Chile from an Equity Perspective

Examining the Access to Higher Education in Chile from an Equity Perspective

The Art of Not Belonging: Decolonising Intercultural Visual Arts Education in Chile

The Art of Not Belonging: Decolonising Intercultural Visual Arts Education in Chile

Equity of Access to Higher Education in Chile: A Comparative Analysis with Indian Higher Education

Equity of Access to Higher Education in Chile: A Comparative Analysis with Indian Higher Education

The Rural-Urban Divide in Transitions to Higher Education in Chile

The Rural-Urban Divide in Transitions to Higher Education in Chile

Políticas Públicas Educativas en Chile desde la Mirada de Profesores

ABSTRACT This qualitative study on teaching trajectories explores Chilean teachers’ perspectives on public policies implemented in the education system during the past two decades. Findings reveal that teachers interpret and adopt policies in unique ways, with a contextualized characterization of policies identified. Three major processes of educational policy were identified: Educational Reform, General Education Law, and Teacher Professional Development Law. The study underscores the complex relationship between public educational policies and teacher practices in the Chilean education system. This research can inform education stakeholders and policy-makers about teachers’ perspectives and experiences with policy implementation.

Enriching cross-sectoral collaboration to foster inclusive cultures in schools: a Model to address the needs of diverse Chilean Students.

Inclusive education involves the interaction of diverse actors from different societal sectors, such as education, health, and policy. Inclusion laws and regulations in Chile are relatively new and have been taken as a regional model. However, the efforts to implement them have revealed some structural difficulties that must be discussed. This conceptual analysis article aims to provide insights to enrich cross-sectoral collaboration to foster inclusive cultures in Chilean schools. Considering the OECD Analytical Framework, which describes a systemic approach, we provide definitions for the critical components of the model and discuss the advances and challenges of current Chilean public policies in this field -including the Chile Crece Contigo and the School Integration Programs (SIP)-, the Chilean education system functioning, the social contexts, and students' needs and supports based on the available evidence. Building from inclusive education literature and previous experiences, we delve into the model to address the needs of students with disabilities, social and cultural disadvantages, students belonging to the indigenous population, and students with a low socioeconomic level to propose action guidelines with a particular focus on integrating inclusive practices at the school level.

Intercultural Bilingual Education in Chile: The Challenge of a Traditional Educator

The educational policy related to the intercultural, in its aspect of recognition of the indigenous population, continues to be rooted in a functional and assimilationist approach, in which intercultural education is developed without touching the structures of power-knowledge, generating a hegemony of school learning. In this context, an ethnographic research is carried out, which was implemented in a school located in the commune of Alto Biobío, in Chile. Individual and group interviews, participant observation, audio and image records were used, in order to understand the experience of a traditional educator in an educational establishment, within the framework of the Intercultural Bilingual Education Program. The educator's stories were analyzed from the phenomenological perspective of inhabiting and identifying those categories that show how the traditional Educator promotes the recognition and self-creation of her own, that is, of the Pewenche. Among the findings, it is established that the main processes that the educator mobilizes to inhabit the school are translation-articulation. However, these processes are not exempt from the epistemological challenges originating from the school structure. It is concluded that intercultural education depends on the pedagogical practice of going to the community's own places, trying to rescue the meaning that the community in its materiality has given to the various experiences. Among the recommendations, it is suggested to consider in the pedagogical reflections the translation and articulation processes that make up the practices proposed by the traditional educator, in addition to making these processes explicit and problematizing, since they are not only important in intercultural education initiatives, but in all practices pedagogical that tries to be relevant and culturally sustainable.

Reflections about leadership in higher education: A Chilean case

In this article we present the reflections of the first author in relation to her experience in different leadership positions in higher education in Chile. We explore her 12 years of university leadership experience through the lens of significant activities and responsibilities in each of the positions she held, the main challenges encountered, lessons learned, and topics that can and should be addressed in leadership development programs. Based on these reflections, recommendations are made for successful leadership in higher education and topics for leadership development programs are identified.

Response to the letter of editor entitled: In response to: "The beginnings of pediatrics education in Chile and the foundation of children's hospitals". Foundation of children's hospitals and pediatric milestones beyond Santiago

Response to the letter of editor entitled: In response to: "The beginnings of pediatrics education in Chile and the foundation of children's hospitals". Foundation of children's hospitals and pediatric milestones beyond Santiago

In response to: "The beginnings of pediatrics education in Chile and the foundation of children's hospitals". Foundation of children's hospitals and pediatric milestones beyond Santiago

In response to: "The beginnings of pediatrics education in Chile and the foundation of children's hospitals". Foundation of children's hospitals and pediatric milestones beyond Santiago

Dictature militaire, réforme universitaire et formation des enseignants au Chili : l'émergence historique d'une structure dysfonctionnelle

The article deals with the evolution of public policies related to teacher education in Chile during the period of the military dictatorship (1973-1990), and the paradoxical impact on such education of a university reform at the end of the 1960s. Both processes are connected to examine the roots of the inability of the teacher education system to respond to the requirements of a reform of the structure of the school system that also took place at the end of the 1960s. This reform extended primary education by two grades, thereby broadening and complexifying both the curriculum and the needs of students. The response to this change on the part of teacher education policies, as well as the teacher preparation institutions themselves, did not take place either at the beginning of its implementation, which coincided with the political crisis that culminated in the coup d'état, nor during the following quarter of a century. Long duration that established a dysfunctional structure of teacher education, which did not respond to the structure of the school system it sought to serve. In terms of its analytical and interpretative purpose, the paper combines historical policy analysis, sociological interpretation of the dynamics of higher education, and categories and interpretation of the knowledge bases of the teaching profession.

Normative becoming in the digital sphere: WhatsApp parents’ groups in Chilean education

Digital communicational technologies, such as WhatsApp, have been part of schools both before and during the pandemic. This article explores the normative emergence of being a student, a parent, and a teacher in the use of parents’ WhatsApp groups. In Chile, this digital application is widely used by the population, and it is particularly important for school communities. Based on interviews conducted with teachers and parents, and a theoretical approach based on science and technology studies, the results show that students are constantly labeled as “good” or “bad” without nuance, which produces stereotypes, and parents are also labeled in a binary way, with one group of alarmists and one of relaxed parents, where counter criticisms emerge, while teachers are seen as an extension of the schools and are expected to be constantly present. Digital communication technologies mediate these interactions and open up a new level of interaction, with standards and meanings enabled by the features of the application. We discuss these results, emphasizing that the normativities of these becomings are intertwined in the digital sphere, and using a mapping visualization of the analysis, we show how normativity acts ubiquitously and produces constantly changing expectations of how one should be for those in the group. The mapping exercise shows that the main relationship between the three becomings is emotion, so we conclude that, on the understanding that affect exceeds individuality and represents intensities online, normativities are also incorporated as affective responses in the parents’ WhatsApp group.