Competency-Based Curriculum Design Process from the Institutional Diagnosis

Abstract

Curriculum updates in Salvadoran Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) aim to generate a process that ensures the relevance of the comprehensive training of university graduates. This procedure involves the participation of stakeholders in educational processes and the creation of communication channels to encourage feedback and effective participation. The objective of this study is to understand the processes implemented for updating the curricula of an HEI. The research methodology is qualitative-descriptive, using an open-ended, self-administered questionnaire for data collection. This questionnaire was administered to four coordinators and one vice-dean participating in the HEI's curriculum update process. The results indicate that the representatives of the five faculties consulted respect and comply with the criteria stipulated in the manual of the National Directorate of Higher Education (DNES); however, during the implementation of the update process, institutional standardization regarding internal procedures was not evident. The conclusions point to the need to unify the curriculum update processes with the institution's educational model, establishing the requirements for the design, implementation, and evaluation of study plans to better guarantee an academic offering that meets the needs of the context.