Buenos docentes universitarios: ¿Qué dicen los estudiantes?

Abstract

The historical processes of transformation that the education system is experiencing are the result of the social needs that are driving the changes and the reformulation of established systems. From this perspective, teaching practices at the University level must consider the new responsibilities that transcend the role of the teacher, in order to improve the processes of teaching and learning in an efficient manner and with quality. The objective of this research is to identify the characteristics of a good University faculty member according to the perception of the students. This research was based on a case study with students from the Faculty of education at Autonoma University of Chile, Talca headquarters. The methodology used in this study is mixed, with qualitative and quantitative instruments that helped to collect data through questionnaires of open questions and interviews in depth, giving account of the results with complementary perspectives that identify the most relevant characteristics, according to the students' perceptions, of the performance of good university teachers. Through an analysis of frequency, in the quantitative phase, and another one about the content of the speeches in the qualitative phase, the student's identified the most important aspects when evaluating a good faculty member. The most outstanding results indicate that the interpersonal aspect of the teacher is the most frequent category, along with the domain of the content of teaching. It is concluded that the students value a good teacher when he has features that are combined in the pedagogical, human, and ideological aspects and, those teachers that prioritize the learning process of the students at all times.