Technical-professional education and citizenship competencies. the case of the municipalities of Concepción Province, Chile

Abstract

This study addresses the theme of civic competencies in technical professional secondary education in the municipalities of Concepción Province, Chile. The objectives are focused on analyzing the level of achievement with regards to the students' civic competencies in this educational modality, as well as analyzing the student's perceived importance of said competencies. The sequential explanatory model was used. The sample was non-probabilistic (n = 422) and, in the qualitative portion, a selection criteria for the informants was established (n = 34: 17 teachers and 17 students). The instruments used for the data collection were a questionnaire about self-perception of civic competencies and a semi-structured interview. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the students possess a high self-perception of their civic competencies (M = 3.34). This is complemented by the analysis of the interviews, where it is evidenced that the acquisition of these competencies is linked, on the one hand, to the development of the curriculum in this educational modality, which includes company internships, and, on the other hand, by the students' conduct and characteristics.