05 ANÁLISIS DEL CURRÍCULO NACIONAL: CAPACIDADES, ESTÁNDARES Y DESEMPEÑOS

Curriculum Series: Chapter 5 Overview

Key Concepts in the National Curriculum of Peru

• The chapter focuses on three critical categories for teaching practice and curriculum implementation: capacities, standards, and performances.

• Capacities are defined as a set of resources; however, there is debate over whether these are inherited or learned. The speaker argues that they should be updated to reflect learned elements rather than genetic predispositions.

• Monereo (2000), an expert in learning psychology, distinguishes between capacities (genetic dispositions) and skills (learned abilities), emphasizing that educational curricula do not reside in genetic information.

Confusion Between Capacities and Skills

• The speaker highlights a common confusion where "skills" are often mistakenly equated with "capacities," leading to misinterpretations in educational contexts.

• It is asserted that all learning outcomes within the curriculum stem from socialization experiences rather than innate genetic factors.

Standards vs. Progress Maps

• A significant contradiction arises regarding the use of "standards" in the national curriculum, which actually refer to progress maps without technical justification for this terminology change made by Minedu in 2016.

• Progress maps originated from Australia and have been effectively implemented in Chile; however, Peru's arbitrary labeling of these tools as "standards" creates confusion among educators.

Comparison of Educational Tools

• The speaker presents examples of progress maps from Australia (2005), Chile (2008), and Peru's national curriculum, noting discrepancies in their application and presentation.

• In contrast to Chile’s comprehensive approach with multiple examples per level, Peru provides only one example for written production tasks, limiting clarity for educators.

Implications for Educators

• The lack of diverse examples in Peru's curriculum hampers effective teaching practices compared to Chile’s well-developed models that took years to create.

• This deficiency leads to inefficiencies within Peruvian education systems as teachers struggle with insufficient guidance on assessing student performance based on limited evidence provided.

Curricular Didactics and Performance Analysis

Understanding the Role of Performances in Education

• The discussion begins with the relationship between didactics and curricular technology, highlighting issues of decontextualization in performance categories.

• The speaker has experience identifying competencies across over 50 professional fields and more than 100 careers, emphasizing the importance of analyzing work to identify specific performances.

• In basic education, general competencies are emphasized, particularly those aligned with European standards, focusing on foundational learning that supports lifelong development.

Misapplication of Performance Categories

• Basic learning is defined as essential for all individuals to progress across various life domains; however, using performance categories inaccurately can lead to misunderstandings in educational contexts.

• The speaker argues that performances should not be applied in basic education since it does not aim to train professionals but rather focuses on citizenship skills which do not belong to any labor sector.

Critique of Curricular Standards

• Current curricular performances are arbitrarily detailed without empirical backing or valid analysis necessary for developing supposed competencies.

• There are significant gaps and contradictions within operational frameworks due to a lack of differentiation between inherited knowledge and learned curriculum categories.

Proposed Solutions for Educational Improvement

• Suggestions include updating categories based on evidence and providing clear explanations about what constitutes a competency, especially regarding genetic conditions influenced by culture through socialization.

• Emphasizing talent development over mere competency achievement is crucial; educational systems should focus on nurturing talents that exceed standard competencies.

Importance of Communication Competencies

• In the 21st century, attracting top talent will be vital for global economies; thus, understanding communication competencies becomes increasingly important.

• Effective communication relies on four fundamental skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. These must be developed holistically for true competency.

Assessment Techniques in Early Education

• The Ministry of Education's decision to merge comprehension with speaking highlights an evolving approach while maintaining separate recognition for reading and writing skills.

• Early Grade Reading Assessments evaluate children's language acquisition through five skill blocks: phonological awareness, alphabetic code handling, reading comprehension, fluency, and written production. This comprehensive assessment underscores the need for educators to understand that developing competence involves more than just content transmission.

Understanding Competencies in Education

The Role of Learning Activities in Developing Competencies

• The only way to develop competencies is through comprehensive learning activities that enhance various skills, which interact to produce specific competencies. Without a solid understanding of how skills support competencies, educators may continue to focus on content as the central element of teaching and learning processes.

Example of Literary Competence

• An example provided is the competency related to producing literary and non-literary texts using intentional strategies and resources. This illustrates how a specific competency can be targeted within educational frameworks.

Curriculum Mapping for Competency Development

• After identifying a terminal competency, educators apply a progress map as a curricular technology to break down this competency into smaller, manageable levels of complexity. This process helps in reaching the foundational stages of the educational itinerary.

• The breakdown allows for constructing competencies from early education levels by developing necessary skills outlined by the basic educational system.

Distinction Between Capacities, Skills, and Competencies

• A summary distinction is made: capacities are genetic conditions (e.g., seeing), while skills are learned conditions (e.g., reading). Competencies consist of integrated sets of skills.

• Standards are described as progress maps that require greater validity for effective implementation. Updating key categories in Peru's national curriculum remains an essential task for improving educational practices among teachers.

Conclusion and Further Research Opportunities

• The speaker invites interested parties to access their complete research electronically, which addresses limitations and technical improvement needs within Peru's national basic curriculum.