INVESTIGACIÓN CUALITATIVA APLICADA EN EL DESARROLLO DE LA PRÁCTICA PROFESIONAL SUPERVISADA

Se describen los procedimientos pedagógicos utilizados en el curso BGE215 Práctica Profesional Supervisada, en la Escuela de Bibliotecología, Documentación e Información (EBDI) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA) en Costa Rica y se comparan con los métodos, técnicas e instrumentos utilizados en la investigación cualitativa. Además, se aplica la triangulación para determinar la validez de las técnicas utilizadas para evaluar la práctica profesional supervisada, realizada en la Escuela.Los Sujetos de esta investigación fueron: 22 estudiantes de bibliotecología de tercer año, 20 encargados directos y dos académicas. Los objetos analizados fueron 22 tipos diferentes de productos elaborados en la práctica, 40 Informes de estudiantes y supervisores, las fichas catalográficas elaboradas, las bases de datos actualizadas. Además, se utilizaron como instrumentos en la recolección de la información hojas de cotejo, diario de visitas, entrevistas, informes impresos y orales, opiniones y la observación. 

A Pedagogical Strategy for Integrated Education of Spanish in the 4th to 6th Grades of the General Basic Education

Language teaching has become a priority in the Costa Rican educational system, considering it as a tool for communication and development of thought. Without language, there is no access to other curriculum disciplinary knowledge. A successful experience conducted some years ago, with students from 4th to 6th grade, was the basis for the design and implementation of a professional development activity addressed to promoting an integration strategy previously adjusted according to the Ministry’s requirements and the existing national regulations. This study is developed in the framework of a qualitative paradigm including research-action and systematization. A purposive sample was selected based on a suitability factor, through which individuals are informed about the strategy, and then the strategy is applied to a group of students from urban-marginal areas. The techniques used include literature review, analysis of curriculum and Ministry’s regulations, application of an in-depth interview, discussions from the course’s participant in a portfolio, and discussions from students to whom the strategy was applied. We analyzed the considerations of teachers and students, as well as the theoretical and regulatory information by triangulation. The study’s conclusion is the necessity of a communicative approach in language teaching and our recommendation is to implement the strategy developed in the Costa Rican classrooms as provided in this paper.

Educational Inclusion in the Regular Classroom: an Asperger Syndrome Case

The following paper resulted from the final research project conducted for my Master’s Degree in Teacher Training for Teachers of Primary Education (1st – 6th grade of the Basic General Education). This research project was conducted under the supervision of the Rural Education Division of the Center for Research and Teaching in Education (CIDE-UNA, Spanish acronym), in coordination with the Central America Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC). The research is qualitative with an interpretative approach. Our main objective was to analyze the process of inclusive education in the regular classroom for a person with Asperger’s Syndrome, defined as a type of social impairment. The case study method was used in this research, as it allows a deeper study. A girl was chosen from a public school in an urban area of San José, Costa Rica. Three techniques were used to obtain information: interviews, questionnaires and documentation (personal file, behavior record, and psychological assessment) related to the girl with Asperger. The triangulation of sources was used as a method of analysis. The conclusion of the project was that regular schools may have children miss-diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and that our schools are still far from achieving inclusive education, but efforts are being made to achieve it. For a more opportune intervention, some recommendations based on this study were provided to the family and the school of the girl with Asperger.