Article

Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

Investigación intercultural en la vinculación universitaria en Ecuador

Investigação intercultural na ligação universitária no Equador

Hugo David Tapia Sosa

M.Sc. Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas, Ecuador, hugo.tapia@utelvt.edu.ec,

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3265

Luzmila Valverde Medina

M.Sc. Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas, Ecuador,

luzmila.valverde@utelvt.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1476-8139

Kelly Estrada Realpe

M.Sc. Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas, Ecuador, kelly.estrada@utelvt.edu.ec,

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8723-8411

Juan Rivas Rosero

M.Sc. Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas, Ecuador, juan.rivas@utelvt.edu.ec,

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4925-9385

Received July 2021 - Accepted December 2021

Revista Iberoamericana de la Educación

Vol 5 – No 2, April - June 2022

e-ISSN: 2737-632x

Pgs 54 - 82

Abstract: The need for university-society linkage is internationally

recognized, the knowledge that is built contributes to the transformation and

development of the community in general. The study aims to analyze

intercultural research from the university linkage in Ecuador, specifically

addresses the pedagogical strategy that relates the appropriation of integrative

content in the transfer of knowledge at the high school level from teachers

and students of the Pedagogy of Experimental Sciences of Mathematics and

Physics of the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Technical University Luis Vargas

Torres of Esmeraldas-Ecuador. The results reveal an increase in the level of

intercultural investigative competence of the students who develop the pre-

professional practices of community service, located at the level of use of

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

technological applications, which made possible the improvement of the

academic performance of high school students from the execution of a

pedagogical strategy, in the same way, it was valued that its practical

implementation is a carrier of transformations that overcome the traditional

forms of teaching and learning. It is concluded that the university linkage can

be extensively implemented in the context of research-interculturality,

corroborating the purpose of overcoming the inadequacies presented in the

research-training-intercultural formation, as well as the competences of the

students involved in this research.

Key words: research; interculturality; knowledge transfer; pre-professional

practice; competencies.

Resumen: La necesidad de la vinculación universidad-sociedad es

reconocida a nivel internacional, los saberes que se construyen aportan a la

transformación y desarrollo de la comunidad en general. El estudio tiene

como objetivo analizar la investigación intercultural desde la vinculación

universitaria en Ecuador, específicamente se aborda la estrategia pedagógica

que relaciona la apropiación del contenido integrador en la transferencia de

saberes a nivel de bachillerato desde los profesores y estudiantes de la carrera

Pedagogía de las Ciencias Experimentales de Matemáticas y Física de la

Facultad de la Pedagogía de la Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de

Esmeraldas-Ecuador. Los resultados revelan un incremento del nivel de

competencia investigativa intercultural de los estudiantes que desarrollan las

prácticas preprofesionales de servicio comunitario, situado en el plano de uso

de aplicativos tecnológicos, lo que posibilitó el mejoramiento del desempeño

académico de los alumnos del bachillerato a partir de la ejecución de una

estrategia pedagógica, de igual manera, se valoró que su implementación

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

práctica es portadora de transformaciones que superan las formas

tradicionales de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje. Se concluye que la vinculación

universitaria puede ser instrumentada extensivamente en el contexto de

investigación-interculturalidad, se corrobora el fin de superar las

insuficiencias que se presenta en la formación investigativa - formativa -

intercultural, así como las competencias de los estudiantes involucrados en

esta investigación.

Palabras clave: investigación, interculturalidad; transferencia de saberes;

práctica preprofesional; competencias.

Resumo: A necessidade de ligações universidade-sociedade é reconhecida

internacionalmente; o conhecimento que é construído contribui para a

transformação e desenvolvimento da comunidade em geral. O estudo visa

analisar a investigação intercultural da ligação universitária no Equador,

abordando especificamente a estratégia pedagógica que relaciona a

apropriação de conteúdos integrativos na transferência de conhecimentos a

nível do ensino secundário de professores e alunos da Pedagogia das Ciências

Experimentais de Matemática e Física da Faculdade de Pedagogia da

Universidade Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas-Equador. Os

resultados revelam um aumento do nível de competência de investigação

intercultural dos estudantes que desenvolvem estágios de serviço comunitário

pré-profissional, localizados na utilização de aplicações tecnológicas, o que

permitiu melhorar o desempenho académico dos estudantes do ensino

secundário a partir da implementação de uma estratégia pedagógica, da

mesma forma que se avaliou que a sua implementação prática é portadora de

transformações que superam as formas tradicionais de ensino e

aprendizagem. Conclui-se que a ligação universitária pode ser amplamente

implementada no contexto da investigação-interculturalidade, corroborando

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

o objectivo de ultrapassar as insuficiências apresentadas na investigação-

formação-formação-intercultural, bem como as competências dos estudantes

envolvidos nesta investigação.

Palavras-chave: investigação, interculturalidade; transferência de

conhecimentos; prática pré-profissional; competências.

INTRODUCTION

The linkage constitutes a substantive function of higher education institutions

and a key component of the nation state. This process also shares the field of

international relations with increasingly powerful non-state actors, to whom

we often respond without objections, because this is imposed by lending

agencies when commitments are made to them.

Unfortunately, sometimes occurs through bonding a process of

recolonization, in which (Santos, 2018):

"Sovereignty is being eroded as powerful states and non-state actors

unite to seize control of natural resources and people's lives in poor

states. Capitalism today is experiencing one of the most destructive

moments in its recent history, as witnessed by new forms of

primitive accumulation by dispossession, the re-enactment of

colonial rapine, now spreading throughout the global South" (p. 26).

In this recolonizing scenario, apparently absent from the interests of teachers,

students and various social groups, there is an urgent need to develop

decolonizing pedagogical processes, in order to act with awareness of what is

established in the legal framework that currently regulates the operation of

Higher Education Institutions in the Republic of Ecuador.

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

In this regard, it is essential to pay attention to what is expressed in Art. 117

of the Organic Law of Higher Education (LOES), paragraph 3, which defines

as substantive functions of higher education institutions the teaching, research

and linkage with society (LOES, 2010). This entails, in a sustained manner,

the planning and execution of articulated actions to contribute to local and

national development on a permanent basis, through community service work

or linkage with society in Art.8, of the Law itself (LOES, 2010).

Likewise, the linkage and its adequate impact and quality are rights of the

students of Higher Education Institutions (HEI). In this regard, Art. 13,

paragraph a) LOES (2010) states that the right to Higher Education must be

guaranteed through teaching, research and its linkage with society, and ensure

increasing levels of quality, academic excellence and relevance.

It should be noted that the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador (2018)

also provides important guidelines regarding the purposes of the linkage

process. Article 343 states that the purpose of the national education system

shall be the development of individual and collective capacities and

potentialities of the population, which enable learning, and the generation and

use of knowledge, techniques, knowledge, arts and culture. Art. 350 states

that the purpose of the higher education system is academic and professional

training with a scientific and humanistic vision; scientific and technological

research; innovation, promotion, development and dissemination of

knowledge and culture; and the construction of solutions to the country's

problems, in relation to the objectives of the development regime.

Article 351 states that the higher education system shall be articulated with

the national education system and the National Development Plan, where the

principles of responsible autonomy, co-government, equal opportunities,

quality, relevance, comprehensiveness, self-determination for the production

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

of thought and knowledge, within the framework of the dialogue of

knowledge, universal thought and scientific, technological and global

production shall govern.

These aspects of the current legal framework reflect the importance of the

linkage process established between the university and society, and in

particular the importance of developing this process between careers and

educational units in the education system.

The transformations that are taking place globally and in Latin America affect

universities in their essence; the management of university processes is

confronted with new conditions, whose characteristics are the acceleration

and constant transformation of the environment in all aspects. Universities

must develop the management of their processes with the capacity to interpret

this complexity and to contribute to reconfigure the institutions and make

them more flexible to changing scenarios. Didriksson (2000)

The axis of these transformations is the articulation of the relationship

between the university and society, with the transfer of knowledge and

technologies of networks that go beyond campuses, institutes and faculties,

which are determined in the strategies of countries, regions and the world as

a whole. The contradictory dialectical relationship between the process of

linking a pedagogical career with the educational units of the education

system, are the expression of the dialectical relationship of the linking of the

University - Society at the level of the Education System.

The present study aims to analyze the intercultural research from the

university linkage in Ecuador, specifically the pedagogical strategy that

relates the appropriation of the integrative content in the transfer of

knowledge at the high school level, in teachers and students of the Pedagogy

of Experimental Sciences of Mathematics and Physics (CPCEMF), belonging

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

to the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Technical University Luis Vargas Torres of

Esmeraldas-Ecuador. This research was generated from the linkage project

entitled "The FACPED promoting educational development, culture,

ancestral knowledge and creation in the province of Esmeraldas.

Linking the university to society: A theoretical perspective

The needs of today's society are increasingly specific and concrete, which

means, as Guarnizo (2018) states, professional training must be consistent

with this reality. The university-community link must establish a social

commitment of the first category (integrative content), regarding the

satisfaction of the demand for people prepared and capable of facing the

social problems that affect and that integrates the second category (practical

linkage and transfer of knowledge).

In this sense, universities prioritize the training of professionals equipped not

only with adequate knowledge to understand the social reality but also with

competencies to transform it in favor of the development of society, hence,

the importance of training these competencies from pre-professional practices

(Guarnizo, 2018).

According to the Council of Higher Education (CES), in chapter 3, article 89

indicates that pre-professional internships are learning activities oriented to

the application of knowledge and the development of specific skills and

abilities that a student must acquire for an adequate performance in his/her

future profession (CES, 2013). These internships must be of research-action

and will be carried out in an institutional, business or community, public or

private environment, appropriate for the strengthening of learning; in

addition, they constitute a fundamental part of the curriculum.

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

Ecuadorian universities assume the execution of various projects of linkage

with the community as part of their social responsibility, in order to contribute

to the transformation of society. In this, the relationship between cultures and

the dialogue that involves cultural interaction subsists, which is a

transcendental element in education because according to (Rodríguez and

Fernández, 2017) interdisciplinary project proposals (integrative and

classroom) are channeled with the participation of Educational Units,

presupposes a qualitative leap oriented towards their constant improvement

of academic, research, intercultural performances; as well as, of specific

competencies, besides establishing the ways for the conception of these, in

correspondence with the new institutional objectives, which direct the lines

of linkage and domains. A key theoretical basis of this study is the

"Management Model for the linkage with society", called DVS-ULVR

(Pazmiño, Cortez and Maldonado, 2019). It gathers the necessary edges to

achieve quality standards of university linkage (university-educational units

integration), aligned with institutional objectives and attention to the needs of

society to achieve optimal academic performance. This model makes it

possible to understand the methodological and organizational structure,

which allows cohesion between society, public and private organizations, and

Higher Education Institutions (HEI), with respect to the achievements that are

reached both immediately through their results, as well as the impact

generated over time (Pazmiño, Cortez and Maldonado, 2019).

Another theoretical basis of the present study is the Collaborative Resonance

Model, which in the linkage practices bases the connection established

between the learning of students in university education, with experiences and

needs of the educational units; this connection is made through learning

communities mutually constructed between the university and the Unified

General Baccalaureate (BGU), having as a fundamental link the professional

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

practices (Sayago, 2006). This model brings together interests, knowledge

and university situations with needs that become spaces for learning, places

where permanent, systematic and critical inquiry takes place. Under this

perspective, internships promote lasting, coordinated relationships, not

exclusively to carry out occasional experiences but to originate research and

innovation projects, where the ideas of both teachers and students of the

Higher Education Institutions and the Unified General Baccalaureate

complement each other.

However, it is through research that teachers in training can approach the

experience of practice as an opportunity to deepen their self-knowledge and

to systematically seek solutions to professional problems that arise in the

educational environment in which they are immersed. This purpose

necessarily entails the development of investigative competencies by

practitioners in which diversity in their cultural identity must be recognized,

among which the following processes stand out: inquiry, observational,

reflective, propositional, technological, interpersonal, cognitive, procedural,

analytical and communicative (Buendía, Zambrano and Alirio, 2018). For

Arroyo (2016) and Walsh (2008), interculturality would be an

"epistemological alternative that leads us to consider the way in which we

relate to the other and the diverse, beyond fragmentations and in favor of an

ethnic, cultural and linguistic openness where new modes of social

relationship occur" (p.187).

Tapia (2020) contributes, from the approach of a Model of the Dynamics of

Intercultural Research Competence Formation. This model reveals the

systematization of the appropriation of intercultural research competence,

from considering the dialectical relationships between the intervening

practice of intercultural research in the intercontextuality and the

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

development of professional performance.As a fundamental methodological

basis, the present study was systematized from the pedagogical strategy of

appropriation of the integrating content for the practical linkage and transfer

of knowledge between the university and the educational units. (see figure 1).

Figure 1. Representation of the pedagogical strategy for the appropriation of

the integrating content for the practical linkage and transfer of knowledge

between the

university and

educational units towards academic performance [Own elaboration].

FEEDBACK

PHASE&OF&PRACTICAL&

LINKAGE&TO&THE&

EDUCATIONAL&UNIT&

Pedagogical*strategy*of*appropriation*of*the*integrating*content*for*the*practical*linkage*

and*transfer*of*knowledge*between*the*university*and*the*educational*unit.(

UNIVERSIT Y*

PROFESSORS*

►Objective►Actions►E

valuative

criteria►Patterns

of achievement.*

PHASE*OF*

INTEGRATED*

APPROPRIATION*OF*

THE*CURRICULAR*

CONTENT**

UNIVERSIT Y*STUDENTS*

►Objective►Actions►E

valuative

criteria►Patterns

of achievement.*

UNIVERSITY-EDUC ATIONAL&

UNIT&KNOWLEDGE&TRANSFER&

PHASE&

UNIVERSITY&PROFESSORS&

►Objective►Actions►Evalu

ative criteria►Patterns

of achievement.&

UNIVERSITY&PROFESSORS&

►Objective►Actions►Evalu

ative criteria►Patterns

of achievement.&

UNIVERSITY&STUDENTS&

►Objective►Actions►Evalu

ative criteria►Patterns

of achievement.&

UNIVERSITY&STUDENTS&

►Objective►Actions►Evalu

ative criteria►Patterns

of achievement.&

OBJECTIVE)

INTERCULTURA L *

INVESTIGATIVE*

COMPETENCE*

FOCUSED*ON*THE*

EDUCATIONAL*

DEVELOPMENT*OF*

EDUCATIONAL*UNITS.

OBJECTIVE)

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

The objective of this strategy is to orient university professors and students

of the Experimental Sciences Pedagogy of Mathematics and Physics career,

on the pedagogical ways that should be carried out for the formation of the

investigative competence focused on the educational development of the

General Unified High School (BGU) in the city of Esmeraldas-Ecuador.

The pedagogical strategy is structured in three phases, called: integrative

appropriation of curricular content, practical linkage to the educational unit

and transfer of knowledge between the university and the educational unit.

Each of them has a specific objective, a system of actions to be developed by

university professors and students, as well as evaluation criteria and

achievement standards for both types of actors. The efficient implementation

of the pedagogical strategy requires the following conditions and

requirements to be managed:

• Commitment of the teaching staff to understand and assimilate the

theoretical bases that support the pedagogical strategy, as well as its

structure and function.

• Correct implementation of the current legal framework for the

execution of the substantive functions of teaching, research and

liaison with society, in order to contribute to local and national

development on a permanent basis, through community service work

or liaison with society.

• Flexibility of the educational teaching process that facilitates the

introduction of new approaches to improve intercultural-research

pedagogical training oriented to the development of the practice of

community outreach.

• Existence of a Consulting Group (integrating project) in charge of the

correct application of the pedagogical strategy, which advises the rest

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

of the university professors and students regarding the objectives,

actions, evaluation criteria and achievement standards.

• Preparation of the teaching staff in charge of managing the pedagogical

training oriented to the community outreach practice, based on the

development of the three phases of the pedagogical strategy and the

evaluation of the intercultural investigative competence focused on

the educational units.

• Existence of minimum material resources, especially computers and a

technological infrastructure that guarantees the efficient use of

Innovation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that enable

students to design use processes to facilitate the understanding of the

relationship between mathematical or physical data in its dimension:

concrete-graphic-abstract.

• Working agreements in force with the educational units that allow an

adequate environment for the proper practical linkage of university

students, the diagnosis of needs, the transfer of knowledge and the

development of the community; from the guidance, accompaniment

and evaluation of university professors.

• Methodological work of the teaching staff that enables an adequate

transdisciplinary integration of the different curricular contents that

makes it possible to evaluate their functionality with respect to the

integrating and linking projects proposed by the students through the

use of ICTs.

The phase of integrating appropriation of the curricular content aims to

achieve a high level of learning of the curricular content in the university

student, establishing links between the different scientific disciplines and

evaluating its functionality in the resolution of the main problems existing in

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

the community context, from the use of ICTs, the methodology of scientific

research and its knowledge and experience base.

In order to achieve the stated objective, this phase contains several actions, as

well as evaluative criteria and achievement standards aimed at university

professors and students. The achievement standards for university students in

this phase are the following:

PL-1. Level of assimilation of functional curricular content: this is

determined by the student's mastery of those curricular contents that are

key to his or her pre-professional practical activity.

PL-2. Level of formation of professional pedagogical competencies: which is

verified from the self-regulation of the real and efficient performance

during their academic training, in correspondence with the desirable

performance model, socially constructed in a multicultural context.

PL-3. Level of integration of curricular contents: demonstrated in the

effectiveness of selecting the technological, communicational,

pedagogical and didactic contents for the satisfactory development of a

scientific task associated with its project of linking, use and application

of ICTs.

On the other hand, the practical linkage phase of the career aims to apply

scientific research and new knowledge to the educational practices of the

educational units from the linkage project, in order to diagnose their training

needs oriented to the educational, research and knowledge development that

are transferred to it mediated by the use of ICTs to promote the understanding

of the solution of mathematical and physical problems. Similarly, this phase

has several actions aimed at achieving the defined objective. In addition, it

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

contains the evaluation criteria and achievement standards for teachers and

university students.

The patterns of achievement for college students in this phase are as follows:

PL-4. Level of sensitivity and awareness of intercultural research:

demonstrated during the scientific inquiry in the execution of the

linkage project, based on criticism, tolerance and acceptance of the

educational needs of the actors of the educational units, within the

framework of the relations of culturally diverse groups.

PL-5. Level of intercultural knowledge apprehension: which is evidenced by

the level of recognition, resignification and integration of cultural and

scientific diversity, captured through the management of information

and knowledge in the career, by conceiving an adequate theoretical

design and applying an intercultural research methodology.

PL-6. Level of mastery of intercultural research: observed in the correct use

of a scientific methodology, consistent with intercultural pedagogy

(Tapia, Reyes and Frómeta, 2020), when applying relevant research

methods and techniques for the development of scientific tasks of the

pre-professional practice linkage project.

Finally, the university-educational units knowledge transfer phase aims to

evaluate the relevance and impact of the research solution proposed for the

development of the educational units, based on the management of

intercultural knowledge transfer associated with the solution between the

university and the community located in educational units to which solutions

to mathematical and physical problems are provided by means of software

applications.

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

This phase has numerous actions designed to achieve the stated objective. In

addition, it carries an evaluative criterion and achievement standards that are

intended for teachers and students of the baccalaureate.

The achievement patterns for baccalaureate students in this phase are as

follows:

PL-7. Relevance and intercultural coherence of the scientific solution: this is

demonstrated when the proposed research solution succeeds in

satisfying the various development needs of the actors of the

educational units, adjusted to the conditions of the intercultural

contexts, to the experiences and knowledge and to the existing

scientific-research diversity.

PL-8. Level of relevance of the research solution: demonstrated by the

intercultural solution proposed in the research project, in accordance

with the beneficiaries, by promoting the intercultural educational

development of multiple actors in the research context, educational

units and, if possible, other contexts.

PL-9. Level of effectiveness in intercultural scientific communication:

demonstrated in the efficiency and effectiveness of the intercultural

scientific messages associated with the research solution, supported by

different media to communicate the scientific results and findings of the

linkage project.

Table 1 was used to evaluate the formation and development of intercultural

investigative competence focused on the progress of the educational units.

Once the Total Sum of the Scores (STP) was obtained, the following decision

rule was used to establish the qualitative levels associated with this

competence:

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

§ If STP

∈

[9; 23)

⇒

does not have formed intercultural research

competence focused on the educational development of educational units,

although some of its characteristic features may be exhibited.

§ If STP

∈

[23; 38)

⇒

has formed a basic level of intercultural research

competence focused on the educational development of educational units.

§ If STP

∈

[38; 45]

⇒

has formed an advanced level of intercultural

research competence focused on the educational development of

educational units.

It should be noted that these achievement standards for university students

should be evaluated from the frame of reference provided by the objectives

and measurement criteria of the Program of Study of the degree program

under study.

Table 1. Patterns of achievement (PL) for PCEMF career students

associated with intercultural research competence focused on educational

development.

No.

Patterns of achievement for students of

the Pedagogy of Experimental Sciences

of Mathematics and Physics.

RATING

1 2

PL 1.1

Level of assimilation of functional

curriculum content

PL 1.2

Level of training of professional

pedagogical competences

PL 1.3

Level of integration of curricular contents

Average grade of the integrative

appropriation phase of the curricular

content

PL 2.1

Level of sensitivity and awareness of

cross-cultural research.

PL 2.2

Level of intercultural knowledge

acquisition

PL 2.3

Level of mastery of cross-cultural research

Average score of the practical linkage

phase to the educational unit

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

PL 3.1

Relevance and cross-cultural coherence of

the scientific solution

PL 3.2

Level of relevance of the research solution

PL 3.3

Level of effectiveness in cross-cultural

scientific communication

Average rating of the knowledge

transfer phase university-teaching unit

Total sum of scores:

Estimation of intercultural research competence

focused on the educational development of

educational units.

Source: own elaboration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population consisted of 14 teachers and 100 students of the

Pedagogy of Experimental Sciences of Mathematics and Physics during the

year 2021. A sample of 65 students (two teaching groups of 32 and 33

students) and 12 university professors were selected from this population.

The research hypothesis that guided the present study was the following: the

application of the pedagogical strategy of appropriation of the integrating

content for the practical linkage and transfer of knowledge between the

university and the educational units, favors the formation and development of

intercultural investigative competence focused on academic performance.

During two consecutive semesters (April-October 2021), the selected group

consisted of 33 students and six teachers. While the control group was

structured by 32 students and six professors, in which the dynamics of the

educational teaching process was developed in a traditional way, processes of

information collection with digital support due to the measures imposed by

Covid-19. The students were selected randomly.

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

The dependent variable (Y) was defined as: intercultural research competence

focused on career development; and the independent variable (X) as: the

pedagogical strategy of appropriation of the integrating content for the

practical linkage and transfer of knowledge between the university and the

educational units.

The logical link or relationship established between these variables was one

of cause-effect, that is, the presence of the independent variable X implies the

presence and increase of the dependent variable Y.

Variable X was operationalized in accordance with the three phases and

actions that make up the pedagogical strategy of appropriation of the

integrating content for the practical linkage and transfer of knowledge

between the university and the educational unit for the development of

academic performance. The variable Y, on the other hand, is a theoretical

construct that is not directly observable in the pedagogical reality. Instead, to

carry out the empirical evaluation of the research hypothesis, the dependent

operational variable (y) was used: total sum of the scores assigned to the

achievement patterns for university students, associated to the intercultural

research competence focused on the educational development of the career,

whose score ranges between 9 and 45 points, in correspondence with an

ordinal scale, given that the rating of each achievement pattern was defined

as: 5 (excellent), 4 (very good), 3 (good), 2 (regular) and 1 (bad). This variable

integrates a system of indicators of an additive nature based on the

achievement patterns that operationally reflect the Y variable, as shown in

Table 1.

Then, the following operational hypothesis was defined: the application of

the pedagogical strategy of appropriation of the integrating content for the

practical linkage and transfer of knowledge between the university and the

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

educational units increases the total sum of the scores assigned to the

achievement standards for university students, related to the intercultural

investigative competence focused on the academic development of high

school students.

In order to control, as far as possible, the sources of internal and external

invalidation, these were analyzed in detail according to the suggestions of

(Hernández, Fernández and Baptista, 1998). Although it was recognized that

the greatest bias that could affect its internal validity would be the source

associated with selection, since the control and experimental groups were

already formed when it was decided to carry out the quasi-experiment and

were not conceived by random assignment of their individuals.

The main stages of the methodology used to carry out the study are described

below:

1. To prepare methodologically the six professors in charge of university

teaching in the IV and V levels of the career in the experimental group,

taking into account the conditions and requirements of its application and

the assimilation of its application logic.

2. Prepare a new guide for students where they were provided with the

necessary orientations to carry out the linkage project in the educational

units, detailing the most important curricular contents to be taken into

account, the activities that should be developed in each stage of this

process during the IV and V levels of the career, as well as the objectives,

evaluation criteria and achievement standards to be taken into account in

each stage.

3. Supplying the independent variable X (the pedagogical strategy) to the

experimental group. This was done keeping under control the sources of

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

internal and external invalidation identified in the pedagogical quasi-

experiment. The supply of variable X in the experimental group, during

the integrative appropriation phase of the curricular content, was carried

out at level IV through the subjects: Physics III and Laboratory,

Mathematics IV, General Pedagogy and General Didactics; and at level

V through the subjects Physics IV and Laboratory, Mathematics V, and

Research Methodology.

4. Subsequently, the second and third phases of the pedagogical strategy

were continued. The experimental group was linked to the following

educational units: María Auxiliadora, Margarita Cortez, Eloy Alfaro. It

should be noted that the students of the experimental group were linked

to educational units with similar characteristics: 5 de Agosto, Fausto

Molina, Carlos Concha.

5. To evaluate the dependent variable and from the execution of the

"Linkage Project with Educational Units" through the presentation and

defense of the main results. Each student of the control group and the

experimental group was evaluated the total sum of the scores assigned to

the nine achievement standards, as an alternative to infer the level of

formation of the intercultural research competence focused on the

educational development of the career. The Consulting Group

participated in these evaluations and also advised the six teachers of the

control group in the evaluation of the achievement patterns of the

pedagogical strategy.

6. Apply the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks and Matched Pairs Test (Siegel, 1972)

to determine if there were significant differences in the dependent

operative variable y, between the control group and the experimental

group. This nonparametric statistical test was adjusted to the conditions

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

and requirements of the pedagogical quasi-experiment, since as there was

no random assignment, selection bias could be reduced by the matching

technique. Thus, 15 pairs of students as similar as possible were selected,

one from the control group and one from the experimental group.

7. The criteria taken into account for the matching were the following: a)

having a general academic index upon completion of the V level of the

PCEMF course with a difference less than or equal to 0.2; having

manifested an equivalent level of motivation towards intercultural

scientific research, classified in the following levels: high, medium, low.

A significance level was prefixed at α = 0.05 and the following statistical

hypotheses were formulated:

Null hypothesis: the sum total of the scores assigned to the nine achievement

patterns associated with the level of formation of intercultural investigative

competence focused on the development of student performance in the

PCEMF career, is lower or equal in the students of the experimental group

than in the students of the control group.

Alternative hypothesis: the total sum of the scores assigned to the nine

achievement patterns associated with the level of formation of intercultural

investigative competence focused on the performance development of

students in the PCEMF career, is higher in the students of the experimental

group than in the students of the control group.

RESULTS

In the data collection process, following the methodology presented in the

previous paragraphs, the results of the evaluation of the nine achievement

patterns were obtained for the 15 pairs of students formed from the control

group and the experimental group.

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

This comparison is shown by taking as a basis the mean value of the scores

associated with each of the nine achievement patterns.

As can be seen, the mean value of the scores associated with the nine patterns

of achievement was higher in the experimental group than in the control

group, which shows the effectiveness of the pedagogical strategy applied, the

comparison between the control group and the experimental group is

presented, but in this case it is made with respect to the mean value of each

phase of the strategy.

The average scores obtained in each phase of the strategy are also higher in

the experimental group than in the control group, which shows the superiority

of the application of the pedagogical strategy with respect to the traditional

way of integrating the appropriation of the curricular content, the practical

link to the career and the transfer of knowledge between the university and

the educational units.

The comparison between the control group and the experimental group with

respect to the levels of training and development of intercultural research

competence focused on the educational development of educational units.

In the control group it was more frequent to form the basic level of the referred

competence (80%) than in the experimental group (40%); while the advanced

level of this competence, that is, its development, was more frequent to reach

in the experimental group (60%) than in the control group (20%). It should

be noted that none of the students who made up the 15 pairs presented an

insufficient level of the competence under analysis.

The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks and Matched Pairs Test applied to determine

whether there were significant differences in the dependent operating variable

y, between the control group and the experimental group, showed that the

experimental probability was lower than the critical probability (p ≤ 0.05), so

the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternative hypothesis was accepted.

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

Therefore, it was concluded that, the sum total of the scores assigned to the

nine achievement patterns associated with the level of intercultural research

competence formation focused on the development of career performance is

higher in the students of the experimental group than in those of the control

group.

The acceptance of the alternative statistical hypothesis led to the acceptance

of the operational hypothesis for the data obtained through the pedagogical

quasi-experiment in the research context. Consequently, the validity of the

research hypothesis of the present study was also accepted.

However, the Consulting Group identified the following qualitative

transformations experienced by the university students in the experimental

group:

Assimilation of the curricular content and its functional integration according

to the tasks of the linkage project.

Recognition of the cultural and scientific diversity existing in the investigated

context, showing an adequate level of intercultural sensitivity.

Selection of a satisfactory cross-cultural research logic for the development

of research tasks.

Satisfactory interaction and integration to heterogeneous groups of the

teaching unit in order to develop intercultural research tasks, showing

commitment with the intercultural transformation and development of diverse

actors.

Effective communication of cross-cultural results and findings encountered

in developing the cross-cultural research task.

Management of pertinent and feasible research solutions, in correspondence

with the available sources of information, the conditions of the intercultural

contexts and the experiences and knowledge of its actors.

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

Assessment of the possibilities of generalizing the intercultural solutions

provided in the linkage project, in order to manage intercultural development

in various contexts.

It was evidenced that the proposed strategy can be used at the CPCEMF to

improve the training and development of intercultural research competence

focused on the educational development of the career and educational units,

since its application made it possible to increase the number of students who

achieved an advanced level in this competence.

There are several studies that have coincided in using the formation of

research competencies as a way to integrate the knowledge, skills, attitudes,

attitudes, skills and values that students should acquire during their process

of linking with educational units (Tapia 2020; Tapia, Frómeta and Suárez

2020, Vera 2018; Castillejo, et al., 2017).

In Buendía, Zambrano and Alirio (2018), a lack of articulation between

pedagogical practice and research in the context of pedagogical professional

practice was detected. However, in the present study, an adequate articulation

was detected in the students of the experimental group and a moderate

relationship in the control group, which coincides with results reported by

(Tapia 2020; and Pazmiño, Cortez and Maldonado (2019).

However, it should be noted that the results achieved in the present study have

a high coincidence with those reported by Tapia (2020), in the sense of having

used the same theoretical model but different practical instruments for its

pedagogical implementation. In (Tapia, 2020), a pedagogical strategy was

used, which emphasizes more on the intercultural aspect and focuses less on

the transfer of knowledge between the university and the educational units.

Precisely, in the present study, the transfer of knowledge between the

university and the educational units during the process of linkage that takes

place in the pre-professional internships is studied in greater depth. It is

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

conceived that this transfer occurs both from the university to the educational

units and from the educational units to the university. This implies

recognizing that knowledge is generated in all community scenarios, which

constitute valid learning sources for CPCEMF students and teachers.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis of the current situation of the linkage process of the Pedagogy

of Experimental Sciences of Mathematics and Physics Career with

Educational Units of the education system, allowed revealing that the linkage

process of the CPCEMF, with the educational units of the education system

is energized by the development and formation of the Intercultural

Investigative Competence, due to the pedagogical strategy used that allows

perfecting the linkage process studied.

The pedagogical strategy of appropriation of the integrating content for the

practical linkage and transfer of knowledge between the university and the

educational units, was directed with the objective of guiding university

professors and students of the Pedagogy Career of Experimental Sciences of

Mathematics and Physics, on the pedagogical ways that should be carried out

for the formation of the intercultural investigative competence focused on the

performance of the students. The feasibility and relevance of the proposed

pedagogical strategy was corroborated from the realization in the career under

study, and from the observation, by the Consulting Group, of the different

phases of the linkage process.

The application of the pedagogical strategy in the experimental group

increased the level of intercultural investigative competence in students of the

Pedagogy of Experimental Sciences of Mathematics and Physics, which was

also associated with various qualitative transformations experienced by them.

Therefore, it is considered that this strategy can be extensively applied in the

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Intercultural research in university linkage in Ecuador

research context, in order to dynamize the linkage process between CPCEMF

and the educational units measured by the development and intercultural

research training of the students of the aforementioned career.

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