The activity is part of the actions to promote the production of research on education issues.

As a way to strengthen the initial training of teachers, taking into account the new criteria demanded by the accreditation process, the University of La Serena, through the Integrated Management Unit of Pedagogies (UGIP), considered within its focuses to promote Applied Pedagogical Research within the academic body of the house of studies. For this reason, last year the first Research Core, in which teachers from the different ULS pedagogy courses participate.

Thus, the main purpose of the Nucleus is to develop research focused on the initial training of teachers, which contributes to knowledge in the educational area and optimizes the levels of scientific productivity within pedagogy careers.

“In general, the social sciences present a research deficit, particularly in the area of ​​education. For this reason, the UGIP formed the Pedagogical Research Center in the Initial Training of Teachers, for the benefit of our knowledge and educational practices, and which we hope will grow and be incorporated into the teaching-learning processes of the institution's pedagogy careers. said Dr. Fabián Araya, Alternate Executive Director of the UGIP.

In this context, various professors met in a space for academic dialogue, which included the presence of Dr. Harry Polo Díaz, professor emeritus of the University of Regina (Canada), who shared the topic on Critical Realism, as an alternative to social research.

“I think it is essential to be critical, but not about what your colleague does, but about what you do; and being critical means asking to what extent what we do can have a social impact (...) I think it is essential to teach people to be more critical of what they are doing, I get the impression that many Sometimes we teach without helping the student understand the most underground processes,” emphasized Professor Díaz.

In this way, through the meeting, which was also part of the FACSE anniversary activities, the professors concluded that the position of critical realism should not be taken as a problem solver, but from the perspective of how through The work carried out is having an impact on social reality.

During the year, these academic meetings will continue to be held, in which different topics related to pedagogical research will be addressed.

Written by Daniela Ledezma, UGIP