Interculturality and TIC in postgraduate education proposals in Ecuador

Abstract

The research has highlighted the need to address the complex reality of culturally diverse societies, and importance of intertwining the multiplicity of knowledge and teaching-learning needs for this. Faced with this challenge, postgraduate courses in education constitute a highly relevant area where to value an interdisciplinary perspective, especially relating the intercultural approach and educational technologies. This study analyzes 18 postgraduate programs in Ecuador in order to make visible to what extent they respond to this approach. The qualitative research, on the one hand, selects postgraduate courses endorsed by the governing body of higher education in the country and in force. And on the other, it goes to the documentary analysis to review theoretical budgets in contrast to the designs of the selected offer. Results suggest that most of the postgraduate offer includes elements to promote a dialogue of respect, equity and social justice, in what we could consider a paradigm shift. Despite this, the results also reveal curricular gaps, which turn the intercultural and the digital into mere discursive elements instead of emerging and transversal components for education.