Teacher Training and Pedagogical Innovation in the Learning Process at BICU Laguna de Perlas

Abstract

Faculty pedagogical preparation is an important condition for developing relevant educational practices in community-based and intercultural universities. This study aimed to analyze teacher training and pedagogical innovation practices, as well as their perceived relationship with the learning process at BICU Laguna de Perlas. A qualitative, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted during the second semester of 2024. Participants comprised 10 teachers, 32 students, and 5 academic authorities from the campus's accessible population. Information was collected through structured interviews with open-ended questions, non-participant observation, and document analysis, and was subsequently organized through thematic coding and source triangulation. Frequencies were used only for participant characterization. Eight of the ten teachers held bachelor's degrees, while formal pedagogical preparation showed incomplete coverage. Teachers reported the use of digital resources, active methods, contextualized experiences, collaborative activities, and formative assessment, although these practices appeared fragmented. Students valued dialogue, collaboration, and teachers' technological updating; academic authorities, for their part, identified a gap between disciplinary qualifications, pedagogical preparation, and the sustained use of participatory methods. Convergence across sources suggests that innovation depends not on the tool itself, but on its didactic purpose, cultural relevance, and institutional support. The study concludes that BICU requires a continuing policy for teacher education, mentoring, and evaluation of teaching practices aligned with its community-based and intercultural model.