PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND ASPIRATIONS OF STUDENTS FROM EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITIES IN PARAGUAY

Abstract

The student’s perspectives, their personal and professional aspirations are key factors that encourage their achievement of learning objectives during the development of the subjects of the educational programs. All this from Hermans’ theory of the dialogic self, to understand how the processes of educational change are perceived, from the visions of their self-perception, using their digital narratives as border objects shared in virtual forums, as a reflective activity as a tool for introspection. We address the students’ experiences with questions related to their expectations, motivations, uncertainties and support mechanisms throughout their learning processes. The instrument was applied to two groups of Paraguayan students at critical moments of educational change, one starting a postgraduate degree and the other finishing a professional degree (n= 68). The results were analysed from a qualitative approach, making units of significance emerge and categorizing personal narratives through Atlas.ti. The results include Cognitive Development, commitment to Knowledge Transfer, preference for Practical Experiential Learning, professional improvement, self-improvement, family, academic and expert support and accompaniment; how they self-manage the process of uncertainty, self-regulation, innovation, commitment and satisfaction.