COVID-19, Didactic Practices, and Representations Assumed by Preservice Teachers at Universidad Técnica del Norte-Ecuador

Abstract

As an alternative for university students to continue their professional training during the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions implemented virtual learning modalities. In this context, it was proposed to determine the social representations assumed by university students who are pursuing their studies as future educators. It is presumed that representations related to didactic practices are composed of content (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and organization (central core and representational system). This is an ethnographic study, with an available nonprobabilistic sample of 227 students from the primary education major at Universidad Técnica del Norte. Verbal association techniques and documentary research were used for information collection. To analyze the data, the IRaMuTeQ software (R interface for texts and questionnaire multidimensional analysis) was used. Two types of analyses were conducted: hierarchical classification and factorial correspondence. In conclusion, a virtuality with difficulties and a careful and responsible face-to-face modality are expressed as meanings associated to the representations, both of which require qualitative changes. Regarding the organization, didactic practice complementarity is assumed to be integrated in a hybrid learning modality.

Enhancing forensic science communication through the jigsaw method

“…Students decreased in participation, leading to a loss of skills which are vital in any academic setting (oral skills, written skills, communication with peers, etc) (Dascalu et al, 2021). Getting students to re-engage, and ultimately advance these skills, is difficult to do using traditional methods, such as didactic teaching, or traditional oral presentations (Guerra-Reyes et al, 2023). The traditional didactic lecture-based approach, while informative, often falls short in adequately preparing students for the realworld minutiae of solving complex cases, as well as communicating cases (P. Parmar & Rathod, 2015).…”