action research as a means to articulate curriculum development between public schools and...
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Action research as a means to articulate curriculum development between public schools and universities in Bogota-Colombia
Project 891
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT ANALYSISBogotá, Capital District, is the capital and largest city of Colombia;
it the most populous city in the country, with nearly 8 million inhabitants.
Located at 2,600 meters above sea level.
Founded in 1538.
It is considered as "The Athens of South America“ for its cultural, political and educational agenda.
25 universities
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT ANALYSISBogota is divided into 20 localities.
Education policies are regulated by the Ministry of Education throughout the country.
The office in charge of dducation policies is the District Secretary of Education –in Bogota- (DSE hereon)
By 2012 there were 359 Public Schools. This number has increased in about 400 hundred.
There are two main academic timetables to cover students population:
• Morning from 7am to 12 pm• Afternoon from 1 pm to 6 pm
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS
In 2012 there were about 2.267.490 million kids in Bogota -From 0 to 17 years old-
By 2012 1.048.811 children were part of the public school system (according to the DSE)
Low rates in students performance to enter higher education are due to:
• Socio-economic inequity to early childhood assistance.
• Limited time to cover the demand of students –a school day is divided into two “shifts” to cover the demand-
• The armed conflict• Low quality in teachers education• High teenage pregnancy rates
Age groups Total0-4 years 598.5345-9 years 595.216
10-14 years 618.73515-19 years 655.005
2.467.490
PROJECT 891 - DSE
In order to strengthen curriculum development within Schools Universities –public and private- were asked to be part of the solution.
• 40 hours of instruction in high school -10th and 11th grades-• School follow up to teachers practices• Analysis to current curricula within schools• School organization and management practices• Socio-demographic analysis in about 100 schools• Two levels of intervention
- Curriculum design- Curriculum implementation
• A proposal to have a 12th grade to be implemented.• La Salle has been appointed to support 30 public schools to develop the
above-mentioned.
La Salle’s proposal
With a project management approach to structure the proposal and by using action research as a methodology to intervene, a team of 25 people are supporting schools in order to:
• Understand cultural dynamics within schools (academic and administrative)
• Analyze students expectations, fears and problems regarding access to higher Education.
• Design –along with school teachers and academic coordinators- a sequenced curriculum to guarantee necessary skills to enter higher Education.
• Follow up in 4 areas of knowledge: biology, business administration & economic sciences, mathematics, languages and humanities.
La Salle’s proposal
ACTION RESEARCH AS A MEANS.
• According to the information provided by teachers –their problems, realities and expectations- curriculum development proposals are written according to context circumstances.
• The DSE receives reports by HEIs to foresee public policies and develop action plans to cover schools’ needs based on findings.
• An academic approach is used to build up academic capacities in order to have conducive curricula towards higher education.
• “Acompañamiento- going hand-by-hand” to School principals, teachers and students through an intensities rubrics to articulate action plans –for a 9-month term-
La Salle’s proposal
