Evaluación de una intervención educativa en un modelo de formación de docentes: el caso del Proyecto de extensión y docencia en el Bachillerato  en Educación Comercial

This research aims at determine, in the opinion of significant actors, the perceived impact of an educational intervention, proposed as a social extension project in the Bachelor of Commercial Education of the Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica, in order to establish its relevance as part of an innovative model of teacher training.  Specifically, the objectives of the research are the following: 1. To valuate in a holistic way and in the opinion of significant actors, an educational intervention of social extension implemented in a model of teacher training at the university baccalaureate level, 2.1 To establish, according to the opinion of significant actors, the perceived impact of the development of pedagogical practices in educational interventions of social extension, in the training of teachers, 2.2 To assess, based on the opinion of significant actors, in terms of the perceived results of the development of pedagogical practices in educational interventions of social extension, the relevance of integrating this approach of practices into an innovative model of teacher training. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research is based on data from twenty-six semi-structured interviews conducted from March to April 2017: nineteen third and four-year student teachers of the Commercial Education programme, two university professors participating in the Project, two non-participating university professors and three university administrators who have mandates related to the Project. Participation to the research was voluntary under free acceptance in accordance to the rulings of the Interfaculty Ethics Committee of Université de Montréal. QdaMiner software was employed for the treatment and analysis of data. CIPP evaluation model (Stufflebeam, 2007) was the basis for the assessments of the strengths and liabilities of the Project. This highly participative model enables a quicker feedback: during the process of evaluation it is possible to solve difficulties or design new alternatives in view of attaining the sought objectives. Being an educational intervention of social outreach, there is an added value to practical experience. Data show several types of improvement among student teachers: at the personal level (qualities, skills, competences and values), at the professional one (programming, planning and management of participative and innovative classrooms), on their psychopedagogical skills (psychopedagogical theories, attention to individual differences, multiple intelligences, learning styles) and at the social level (social sensibility and engagement, empathy, solidarity, desire of contributing, mutual learning). Teacher training gains momentum because of practical processes within the Project, which improves the teacher training model itself. Results show the viability of the curricularization of social outreach as an educational intervention, allowing the insertion in the future college of educational professionals. The interactions with the community also promote mutual learning and an integral training. The research results obtained are relevant as they underscore the importance of integrating social outreach projects in university curricula conducive to a more integrated and humanistic training. The research has shown the functionality of an alternative training in the area of educational practice that could be tested in other disciplinary domains, thus confirming the importance of the enactment of integral models of teacher training.

Keyphrases: Recherche qualitative, Evaluation of educational projects, Models of teacher training, Educational interventions, Projects of social outreach, Qualitative research