Factors influencing the selection of university studies in early childhood education
| Autor | Gustavo Toledo Lara |
| Cargo | 1 PhD in ICT and education from the Faculty of Education of the University of Salamanca. Professor, Faculty of Education, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid- Spain. |
| Páginas | 302-311 |
302
www .ama zoni ain vest iga. info IS SN 2 322 - 6307
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.62.02.30
How to Cite:
Toledo Lara, G. (2023). Factors influencing the selection of university studies in early childhood education. Amazonia
Investiga, 12(62), 302-311. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.62.02.30
Factors influencing the selection of university studies in early
childhood education
Factores que influyen en la elección de estudios universitarios de educación infantil
Received: December 20, 2022 Accepted: April 1, 2023
Written by:
Gustavo Toledo Lara1
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5104-9555
https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/F-1810-2018
Abstract
This research analyzes the factors that may
influence the moment in which students o pt for
university studies oriented to Early C hildhood
Education teaching. An exploratory and descriptive
cross-sectional research was designed, under a non-
experimental quantitative approach and with a non-
probabilistic convenience sampling. A total of 157
university studen ts from public and p rivate
institutions participated in the study, which was
conducted using a questionnaire with 4 dimensions
and 31 items. The vast majority agreed that the
Early Ch ildhood Education stage is important for
children's development, this being the most
important factor when opting for university stu dies
leading to teaching at this stage. It is concluded that
intrinsic motivations are the most influential on
students, although the family and close context can
also be determinant.
Keywords: Early childhood education, educational
qualifications, preschool teacher education,
preservice teacher education, university students.
Resumen
Esta investigación analiza los factores que pueden
influir en el momento en el que los estudiantes o pten
por estudios universitarios orientados a la docencia en
Educación Infantil. Se diseñó una investigación
transversal exploratoria y descriptiva, bajo un
enfoque cuantitativo no experimental y con un
muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia. Un total
de 157 estudiantes universitarios de instituciones
públicas y privadas participaron en el estudio, que se
realizó mediante un cuestionario de 4 dimensiones y
31 ítems. La gran mayoría coincidió en que la etapa
de Educación Infantil es importante para el desarrollo
de los niños, siendo éste el factor más destacado a la
hora de optar por estudios universitarios conducentes
a la docencia en esta etapa. Se concluye que las
motivaciones intrínsecas son las que más influyen en
los estudiantes, aunque el contexto familiar y cercano
también puede ser determinante.
Palabras clave: cualificación académica, educación
infantil, estudiante universitario, formación de
docentes de preescolar, formación preparatoria de
docentes.
Introduction
The selection of a particular degree to pursue
university studies includes a set of elements that
are interrelated and that are part of personal
identity. This selection is a process in which the
interested party reviews his or her professional
future and links it to his or her o wn interests and
aptitudes. In the case of teaching degrees, this
selection is influenced b y th e v alue attached to
teaching and by personal and vocational
inclinations (Stellmacher et al., 2020). Deciding
to pursue studies in the Bachelor's Degree in
Preschool Education (her einafter IE), is an
1
PhD in ICT and education from the Faculty of Education of the University of Salamanca. Professor, Faculty of Education, Camilo
José Cela University, Madrid- Spain.
opportunity to r eview the fac tors that may
influence when making this decision, since the
identification of these may allow a reading on
what the studen t really identifies as determining
elements or the motivations surrounding
professionalization for that educational stage and
hence the importance of recognizing the reasons
for selecting the IE degree. This can be identified
at the beginning of the studies (García-Poyato et
al., 2018) since, at that moment, students can
express with an important level of concreteness,
those aspects that have allowed them to
Toledo Lara, G. / Volume 12 - Issue 62: 302-311 / February, 2023
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