Analysis of Colombia’s Saber Pro results 2019 for natural science and environmental teachers training: Reflections and challenges in a higher education based in competences

Abstract

University students from all academic programs and institutions of higher education in Colombia are evaluated through standardized tests that measure general and specific competencies according to the academic level (professional, technical). One of these tests corresponds to the called Saber Pro, where undergraduate students from all disciplinary areas are evaluated in two modules: generic (or basic) and specific competencies, which are related to evaluation, learning and teaching. The objective of this study is to carry out an analysis of the characterization of the population and the results that took the exam in 2019. The group correspond to teachers training in academic undergraduate programs in natural sciences and environmental education. The methodology carried out was the documentary analysis of the databases where we can find the results of this test for the study of population, the analysis of the results was carried out by qualitative and quantitative approach. Seventeen universities in the country of official and private origin were found with distance and face-toface modalities; characteristics of those evaluated students were established and there was also an analysis based on the individual averages per university for the test components. The analysis of the results allowed identifying the characteristics of socio-demographics, all most of them are in vulnerable situations, the women have major access to internet and computer tools and the educational levels completed is major in the students´ mother. As for the module of generic and specific competences, the highest and lowest individual weights per university and gender were identified.