State of the educational research project: “the efficacy and the quality of skill acquisition in rural education: is this model transferable to different types of schools?”

Abstract

The paper presents a State of the Art regarding the research project “the efficacy and the quality of skill acquisition in rural education: is this model transferable to different types of schools?” (EDU2009-13460, Subprograma EDUC). This 3-year project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, within the Work Programme of the National R&D&I Plan for Fundamental Oriented Research Projects. The study, now in its third year, was carried out in both Latin America and Europe. It analyses the skill acquisition of primary students in rural schools in Chile, Uruguay, France, Portugal and Spain, according to the active and participatory didactic methodologies that were applied in specific schools and in relation to the degree of influence each local territory has at a cultural-pedagogical level. This study uses an interpretive paradigm, combining quantitative methods such as the design and application of a survey, and qualitative techniques including semi-structured interviews and ethnography. The investigation is now in its last phase, during which we will carry out an analysis of documents and participant observation. The results intend to show whether the pedagogic model found in rural schools that use participatory and active didactic methodologies is transferable to urban schools, and will generate conclusions that will aid in improving the quality of education in schools of all types.