Analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in saber
11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of Puerto Libertador
-Córdoba
..........................................
Análisis de los aspectos académicos asociados a los bajos resultados en pruebas saber 11
de la Institución Educativa Santa Teresita de Puerto Libertador -Córdoba
Diana Patricia Rivas Atencia
1
Flor Marina Rodríguez Jiménez
2
Luisa Fernanda Giraldo Torres
3
ABSTRACT
This work is the result of a research conducted
at the Santa Teresita de Puerto Libertador -
Córdoba Educational Institution. Its general
objective is to identify the academic aspects
that are associated with the low results in the
Saber 11 tests in this Educational Institution,
through a contextual analysis and thus allow
the improvement of the educational quality.
This research has a qualitative approach,
which is oriented to understand the
phenomena, exploring them from the
perspective of the participants in a natural
environment and in relation to their context.
According to Hernández, Fernández, and
Baptista, (2014), data collection occurs in the
natural and everyday environments of the
participants, using the interview as the main
instrument for data collection.
Keywords: Academic Aspects, Low Results,
Saber 11 Tests, Curriculum Adjustments,
Multimedia Resource
Received: November 23, 2022
Approved: May 10, 2023
...........................................
1
B.A. in Basic Education with emphasis
in Natural Sciences and Environmental
Education, Specialist in Recreational
Play, drivasat@ibero.edu.co Ibero-
American University Corporation,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0697-
8785
2 Professional in economics, Specialist in
Pedagogy and Teaching,
Frodi30@ibero.edu.co Ibero-American
University Corporation,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5904-
3078
3 Bachelor's Degree in Basic Education
with Enf in Mathematics, Humanities
and Spanish Language, Specialist in the
Integral Development of Children and
Adolescents, Lgiral17@ibero.edu.co
Ibero-American University
Corporation, https://orcid.org/0000-
0002-1059-7301
Analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of
Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
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2
Resumen
Este trabajo es resultado de una investigación
realizada en la Institución Educativa Santa
Teresita de Puerto Libertador - Córdoba, tiene
como objetivo general, identificar los aspectos
académicos que están asociados a los bajos
resultados en las pruebas Saber 11 en esta
Institución Educativa, mediante un análisis
contextual y con ello permitir el mejoramiento
de la calidad educativa. Esta investigación
tiene un enfoque cualitativo, la cual está
orientada en comprender los fenómenos,
explorándolos desde la perspectiva de los
participantes en un ambiente natural y en
relación con su contexto. En donde, según
Hernández, Fernández, y Baptista, (2014) La
recolección de datos ocurre en los ambientes
naturales y cotidianos de los participantes,
utilizando la entrevista como el principal
instrumento de recolección de información.
Palabras clave: Aspectos académicos, Bajos
Resultados, Pruebas Saber 11, Ajustes
curriculares, Recurso multimedial
Introduction
In recent decades, education in Colombia has undergone a series of transformations
aimed at improving the pedagogical processes in the classroom, which has led to the
design of a series of guidelines for educational institutions to adjust programs and
optimize their improvement plans.
In this sense, the Colombian Ministry of Education requires to follow up on these
processes, and one of these ways is through the census evaluations called Saber Tests;
which are applied in the 3rd, 5th, 9th and 11th grade and are done in all the official
establishments of the country. Regarding the results of the official educational
establishments of the municipality of Puerto Libertador, it can be observed that most
of the students are in the lowest and minimum levels, which means that they are low.
Analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of
Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
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This becomes the problem that this research addresses, emphasizing the analysis of
the academic aspects associated with the low results in the saber 11 tests of the
educational institution Santa Teresita of this municipality.
The main objective of this research is to identify the academic aspects that are
associated with the low results in the Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational
Institution of the municipality of Puerto Libertador, Córdoba-Colombia, through a
contextual analysis and thus allow the improvement of educational quality. According
to Hernandez, Fernandez & Baptista (2010), research with this approach uses data
collection without numerical measurement to discover or refine research questions in
the process of interpretation. Initially it will have an exploratory scope, to the extent
that it will study or know the conditions of the context where the present study will be
carried out, then it will enter into a descriptive approach, there it will describe the
situations and events of the context; finally it will land in the explanatory approach
because it will establish the causes that produce the identified associated factors, in
the adequate learning process of the students of Puerto Libertador.
Materials and methods
This research has a qualitative approach, which is oriented to understand the
phenomena, exploring them from the perspective of the participants in a natural
environment and in relation to their context. According to Hernández, Fernández, and
Baptista, (2014), data collection occurs in the natural and everyday environments of
the participants or units of analysis. These authors also state that researchers must
establish inclusive ways to discover the multiple visions of the participants and adopt
more personal and interactive roles with them, they must be sensitive, genuine and
open, and never forget why they are in the context, where Pallella and Martins, (2012)
argue that the researcher interprets how the social referents interrelate, their activities
and thoughts to the social and cultural environment where they develop and how they
manage their individual problems within it.
On the other hand, Cedeño (2001) maintains that qualitative research is considered as
an active, systematic and rigorous process of directed inquiry, in which decisions are
made about what can be investigated while in the field of study, where, according to
Colmenares (2008), narrative records are made of the phenomena studied through
techniques such as participant observation and unstructured interviews.
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Phase 1. Definition of the participant population
It is general knowledge that the population of a research is composed of all the
elements that participate in the research process that was defined and delimited in the
analysis of the problem to be investigated. Therefore, the population of the research
process entitled "analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in
the Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita de Puerto Libertador - Cordoba Educational
Institution", is made up of eleventh grade students and teachers who teach the areas
and/or subjects evaluated by the ICFES in the Saber 11 tests.
Regarding the selection and definition of the sample taking into account Hernandez
and Mendoza, (2018) state that, in a qualitative study, decisions regarding sampling
reflect the researcher's premises about what constitutes a credible, reliable and valid
data base to address the problem statement. Being a research with a qualitative
approach, the selection of the sample follows the non-probabilistic technique and is
conformed by eight (8) students, which corresponds to a little less than one third of
the students of eleventh grade totaling thirty-three (33) and seven (7) teachers of the
same grade, who work the areas evaluated by the Icfes in the Saber 11 tests. Taking
into account the conditions of the context and the population under study in this
research, a non-probabilistic sampling technique is used for convenience, due to the
fact that it will be chosen according to the cases available or accessible at the time when
it is required to apply the information collection instrument, in addition this contrasts
with what is expressed by Battaglia, (2008a), mentioned by Hernández and Mendoza,
(2018), who states that these samples are formed by the available cases to which we
have access. In this sense, Otzen, T. and Manterola, (2017), also argue that
convenience samples allow selecting those accessible cases that accept to be included.
This is based on the convenient accessibility and proximity of the subjects for the
researcher.
Phase 2. Instrument design
In the research project entitled analysis of the academic aspects associated with the
low results in Saber 11 tests at the Santa Teresita Educational Institution in Puerto
Libertador -Córdoba, the main information gathering instrument to be used is the
interview, which, according to De Tezano, (1998) is intended to give an exhaustive and
rigorous account of the thinking of the other, in this case of the 11th grade students
and teachers who teach this grade at the educational institution where the research is
carried out. Tezano also emphasizes that for this to be possible, it is necessary to build
a context of trust with the interviewee, a situation that allows establishing a dialogue
on general and relevant topics for the study. Furthermore, according to Gaskel (2000),
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mentioned by Bonilla and Rodriguez (2005), the qualitative interview is an exchange
of ideas, meanings and feelings about the world and events, whose main medium is
words.
Table 1: Types of instruments
Specific objective
Technique
Collection
instrument
Purpose
To identify some academic
aspects related to the low
results of the Saber tests of the
Santa Teresita Educational
Institution.
On-site
Interview
To inquire with grade 11 teachers
who work in the areas evaluated
by the ICFES about their
perceptions of the academic
aspects related to the results of
the Saber Tests.
To identify some academic
aspects related to the low
results of the Saber tests of the
Santa Teresita Educational
Institution.
On-site
Interview
To inquire with grade 11 students
about their perceptions of the
academic aspects related to the
results of the Icfes tests.
Source: Own elaboration
Phase 3. Application of instruments
For the application of the instruments and collection of information, the researchers
went to the educational institution where the project is being developed and after
having the respective consents of the school rector, teachers and parents of the
students to be interviewed, they proceeded to apply the interviews to the teachers and
students focused on.
Two types of interviews were applied: one to seven (7) eleventh grade teachers who
work in the subjects evaluated by the Icfes and the other to eight (8) eleventh grade
students.
Phase 4. Systematization of results
The interview was the main data collection instrument, the results were systematized
according to the aspects that were related to specific categories, the answers are
synthesized and the results are interpreted.
Phase 5. Analysis of results
In the collection of information, the sample consisted of both teachers and students,
who were asked for information related to the pedagogical process that takes place
within the Santa Teresita Educational Institution and the preparation of their students
for the presentation of the Icfes tests. In this order of ideas, this work presents the
Analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of
Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
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analysis of the results of these interviews and the importance of these to look for a
solution to the problem of this educational establishment:
Analysis of student interview results
Table 2: Analysis of student interview results
Project title
Context of
application
Method
Research
objective(s)
with which it
is associated
To whom it is
addressed
Purpose of the
interview
Date of
application
Category(ies) in
relation to which to
investigate
Summary of the response
(General)
Interpretation
of results
Emerging
categories
(Particular)
Academic
aspects
What activities
do you do at
home that help
you enhance
your academic
performance in
school and how
much time do
you spend on
them? If you do
not do any
activities,
explain why you
do not do them?
The activities carried out by the
students are:
• Performing the tasks
• Studying when there is an
evaluation
• Read some documents
sporadically
• Some work, so they do few
activities.
Time spent is related to the amount of
time spent doing the activities.
Homework,
Evaluation,
Reading
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What curricular
adjustments
should be made
by the
educational
establishment
to improve the
results in the
Saber 11 tests?
The adjustments to be made are:
• Train teachers in test
development.
• Conduct icfes type tests or
simulations with explanations
or socialization of the same.
• Design of tools to study from
home.
• Intensify in the subjects
evaluated by ICFES
• Motivating students for the
icfes tests
Simulations,
teacher training,
intensification in
the evaluated
subjects, student
motivation.
Saber 11 test
results
What activities
aimed at
improving
results in the
Icfes tests do
you carry out at
the school and
at what times do
you do it?
The activities carried out by the school
are:
• They perform some icfes-type
evaluations or simulations.
• In the explanations of the
topics, we are told that they are
important for the icfes.
Evaluations and
simulations
On a personal
level, what
activities have
you done or do
you do in order
to obtain a good
result in the
saber 11 tests?
On a personal level what students do
is:
• Most of them do nothing
because they do not have
material to study, do not know
how to study, or do not have a
device that allows them to do
so.
• Reading some documents
• A few consult on the Internet
Doing nothing,
reading some
documents and
consulting the
internet.
Educational
Quality
How is the
performance of
teachers in their
pedagogical
work, in terms
of class
preparation,
clarity of
explanations
and tools used?
According to the students, the
teachers' performance is good, the
materials they use on a daily basis
from highest to lowest is:
• Scoreboard - Board
• Copies -Books
• Video Bean
Good teachers
using only basic
materials.
What are the
spaces that the
school generates
for an adequate
pedagogical
process and
what others
The spaces provided by the school are
the teachers' class hours; a program
should be designed that leads to
improve these processes and that they
take place in a different time than the
class.
Spaces other than
the classroom
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Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
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should be
worked on?
Inter
categories
What are the
conditions you
require to
guarantee a
good result in
the Saber 11
tests?
The required conditions are:
• Access to icfes-type study
material
• Increased preparation of
teachers for the development of
icfes-type questions.
• Noise minimization
• Use of technological tools
Ease of access to
study materials,
Teacher training
How important
is it for you to
take the Icfes
tests and to
obtain a good
result in them?
They are important because a good
result can give you a better chance of
studying or getting a scholarship.
Importance of the
icfes tests
Source: Own elaboration
Analysis of results of teacher interviews
Table 3: Analysis of results of interviews with teachers
Project title
Analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in Saber 11
Tests at the Santa Teresita Educational Institution in Puerto Libertador -
Córdoba.
Context of
application
It will be applied in one of the playgrounds of the Santa Teresita Educational
Institution in the municipality of Puerto Libertador, which serves a student
population of 895 students, from preschool to eleventh grade.
Method
Semi-structured: the questions are formulated by the interviewer and are
open-ended and informative.
Research
objective(s) with
which it is
associated
To identify some academic aspects related to the low results of the Saber tests
of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution.
To whom it is
addressed
To 7 teachers of grade 11 who work in the areas evaluated by the Icfes of the
Santa Teresita Educational Institution of the municipality of Puerto
Libertador.
Purpose of the
interview
To inquire with grade 11 teachers who work in the areas evaluated by the
ICFES about their perceptions of the academic aspects related to the results
of the Saber Tests.
Date of
application
From September 19 to 23 - 2022
Category(ies) in relation to which to
investigate
Response Summary
(General)
Interpretation of results
Emerging categories
(Particular)
Academic
aspects
What are the
methodological,
Influencing aspects:
Motivation, flexible
curriculum, coherence
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pedagogical,
didactic and
curricular aspects
that, in your
opinion, influence
the improvement of
the results in the
saber 11 tests of the
Educational
Institution?
Channeling student
motivation
Design of pre-icfes
strategies or tools
Flexible curriculum,
according to the needs of
the students.
Coherence between the
competencies assessed by
icfes and those developed
by teachers.
Varied methodologies
between what is taught
and what is evaluated by
the ICFES.
What activities do
you carry out in
your classroom
practice to improve
pedagogical
processes and what
tools do you use?
The activities carried out
are:
Classroom practice
adjusted to the area plan.
Workshops or icfes-type
simulations
Activities focused on the
development of
communication skills
Teamwork
Presentation of videos
Different
methodologies
Saber 11 test
results
As a teacher, during
this year have you
designed and
implemented
pedagogical
activities to prepare
students for the
Saber 11 tests?
Explain.
Teachers consult icfes-type
questionnaires which are
applied and socialized, and
periodical evaluations are
elaborated to choose the
correct answer.
Periodic evaluations,
icfes-type
questionnaires.
Do you consider
that the
institution's
directors promote
or lead the planning
and design of the
necessary tools for
students to obtain a
good result in the
Saber 11 tests and
why?
Yes, the application of a
bimonthly periodic
evaluation was
implemented, planning is
oriented according to the
DBA and Basic
Competency Standards;
however, according to the
teachers, other strategies
can be implemented.
Planning adjusted to
the curricular
guidelines, Application
of periodic evaluations.
Educational
Quality
How is your
teaching
performance, in
terms of class
Teachers maintain that
they have a good
performance in their
pedagogical work, that
Teaching practices,
diverse methodologies
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Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
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preparation, clarity
of explanations and
tools used? Explain
they do their best to be
clear in their explanations
and look for strategies that
help students understand
the topics they are
explained, in addition to
the board and the marker,
they use copies, videos or
audios, among others.
What activities does
the school promote
to generate
educational
quality?
The activities promoted by
the school are:
Planning according to
curricular guidelines
Increased hourly intensity
in the subjects evaluated
by icfes
Clear evaluation criteria
Institutional work by
areas.
Area plans,
intensification in some
areas, Clearly defined
evaluation system
Inter
categories
What kind of
training has the
school had or
offered you for the
design and training
for the Saber 11
tests?
The Institution has not
offered any training;
however, it has created
spaces for dialogue among
teachers to share their
experiences and
knowledge.
The Institution to work
on teacher training,
since it does not do so.
What policies
should the
educational
institution adopt to
improve academic
processes and
Saber 11 test
results?
Policies to be
implemented:
Training teachers on test
development
Design pre-school courses
for students.
Developing critical
thinking in students
Vocational orientation
courses or workshops
Comprehensive reading
training
Training for teachers,
design of pre-vocational
courses, vocational
orientation,
development of reading
comprehension skills.
Source: Own elaboration
Results
The research work analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in
Saber 11 Tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of Puerto Libertador -
Córdoba, has a qualitative approach, which is oriented to understand the phenomena,
exploring them from the perspective of the participants in a natural environment and
Analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of
Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
Vol 3 - No 1 July - December e-ISSN 2745-1194 Pages 1- 26
11
in relation to their context. Where, according to Hernández, Fernández, and Baptista,
(2014) data collection occurs in the natural and everyday environments of the
participants or units of analysis. Said authors also state that researchers must establish
inclusive ways to discover the multiple visions of the participants and adopt more
personal and interactive roles with them, they must be sensitive, genuine and open,
and never forget why it is in the context, where Charres H et al, (2018) argue that the
researcher interprets how the social referents interrelate, their activities and thoughts
to the social and cultural environment where they develop and how they manage
within it their individual problems.
To analyze the interviews, a summary of the interviews is made, the emerging
categories that emerge are analyzed and finally it is verified whether these results are
related to the research objectives.
Table 4. The student interviews yield the following results
Interpretation
of results by
emerging
categories
(Particular)
Interpretation with documentary
review
Cross-analysis - findings
Homework,
Evaluation,
Reading
For students' academic performance to
have optimal results, in addition to the
different contextual reasons, students'
commitment and motivation are
required.
Students do not
adequately fulfill their
academic commitments,
which has a negative
impact on their academic
performance.
Training,
motivation
teacher training is a very important
part, since it provides teachers with the
necessary tools to solve the different
problems that arise in the classroom,
and if they do not have the necessary
knowledge, they will not be able to
transmit the knowledge they need to
their students.
It is necessary to prepare
teachers in the
elaboration of Icfes type
questions so that they can
effectively design or work
on the Pre-icfes training
simulations and, at the
Analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low results in saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of
Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
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Interpretation
of results by
emerging
categories
(Particular)
Interpretation with documentary
review
Cross-analysis - findings
same time, channel the
students' motivation.
Evaluations
and
simulations
Colombia, like most countries in the
world, in addition to the evaluation
that each educational establishment
makes of its pedagogical work, also
applies a series of exams or tests that
allow it to monitor the quality of the
teaching-learning process, in relation
to the standards established by the
Ministry of National Education,
through the saber tests.
Evaluation is an
instrument that allows us
to demonstrate the degree
to which students are
learning; however, at IE
Santa Teresita the
evaluations applied to
students are traditional,
most of them are not
focused on preparing
students to obtain good
results in the Saber 11
tests.
Spaces other
than the
classroom
ICTs are suitable to promote learning,
which can be used at any time or place;
therefore, Acevedo J., (2001) indicates
that "...ICTs are necessary in the 21st
century. However, their real and
effective implementation necessarily
involves modifying teaching practice
from two complementary points of
view: the role of the teacher and the
teaching and learning strategies" (p.1),
and Bates, (2001) points out that "The
success of the use of technology in
teaching and learning also depends on
the ability to introduce important
The spaces offered by the
educational
establishment to
strengthen its pedagogical
processes are mainly
framed in class time;
therefore, it is necessary
to create study programs
that help to counteract
this situation, which could
be the creation of a
resource through the web
that provides tools that
contribute to this.
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Interpretation
of results by
emerging
categories
(Particular)
Interpretation with documentary
review
Cross-analysis - findings
changes in the teaching and
organizational culture" (p.1). All this
shows that the teacher plays a
fundamental role in the teaching-
learning process and in the
introduction of ICT in his or her
teaching role to achieve meaningful
learning in students.
Access to
study material
One of the ways to introduce ICT in the
classroom is through Edublogs, which
are an agile and attractive medium,
where the teacher can offer updated
content, which contrasts with what is
expressed by Orihuela, (2004) who
argues that weblogs can be a great
working platform for students since
both they and teachers can have a
constant pedagogical communication
asynchronously, which is why they
have informative importance as
complementary, alternative and
critical sources to traditional media.
One of the conditions that
students require to have a
result in the icfes tests is
to have access to study
material, which could be
facilitated through an
educational blog
developed for this
purpose.
Importance of
the icfes tests
The saber 11 test is also one of the
requirements for admission to higher
education, and many institutions have
the result of this test as a method of
admission. However, in addition to
being a mandatory requirement, these
tests allow access to many benefits, in
Students are clear that the
icfes tests are very
important, since a good
result can provide them
with the opportunity to
obtain many benefits; for
this reason, the
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Puerto Libertador -Córdoba.
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Interpretation
of results by
emerging
categories
(Particular)
Interpretation with documentary
review
Cross-analysis - findings
case of obtaining a good score,
including receiving one of the Andrés
Bello distinctions, which are awarded
to the 50 best results in the country,
where the student receives 100% of
their college tuition in any accredited
program of high quality, regardless of
their social status and the university of
their choice, a high score also allows
access to scholarships or forgivable
credits Generation E, which are
awarded to about 80,000 students in
the country per year.
educational
establishment is in the
need to seek strategies or
design programs that
allow them to improve in
this aspect.
After analyzing the interviews conducted with the students, we observe the emergence
of other emerging categories that confirm the existing problems in the Santa Teresita
Educational Institution of the municipality of Puerto Libertador and that are related
to the low results of the icfes tests in this educational establishment. These evidences:
Students have little motivation towards their homework because they do not have easy
access to study or reference material to deepen what they have learned in class.
The educational establishment does not have a clear policy or has not created spaces
other than the classroom to strengthen the processes at the level of Icfes tests.
The students evidenced that most of their teachers do not have ample skills to
elaborate icfes type tests or questions.
It is necessary to establish spaces for dialogues with the students that are oriented to
motivate them and to discover their vocational profile.
All of the above leads to seek a solution to this situation, so the researchers of this
project believe that the creation of an Edublog designed to provide study tools to both
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students and teachers, will help improve the results in the Icfes tests of the students of
this educational institution and anyone else who has access to it.
The results of the interviews with the students have made it possible to meet two of
the specific objectives set out in this research, since through them it has been possible
to identify the adjustments that should be made to the curricular plans to make a
proposal aimed at achieving the improvement of the results of the Saber 11 tests and
to design a multimedia resource that provides tools conducive to the achievement of
good results in the Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of the
municipality of Puerto Libertador.
Table 5. The interviews with the teachers yielded the following results
Interpretation
of results by
emerging
categories
(Particular)
Interpretation with documentary
review
Cross-analysis - findings
Flexible
curriculum,
motivation
Curricular flexibility seeks to minimize
learning barriers by guaranteeing the
implementation of flexible strategies,
according to the diversity present,
favoring the formation processes of all
students and motivating them to
achieve the learning goals. A flexible
curriculum suggests the establishment
of objectives, methods, materials and
evaluation that respond to the needs of
all students.
According to the
teachers, a flexible
curriculum should be
developed, according to
the students' interests
and abilities, which could
possibly help to channel
their motivation. This is
in accordance with what
was evaluated by icfes.
Different
methodologies
In order to have successful pedagogical
processes the teacher must resort to
various methodologies that lead to
achieve student motivation, therefore
Lamas, (2015) argues that "we must bet
on flexible didactic interactions and
The teachers claim that
they use diverse
methodologies in their
pedagogical practice;
however, when
contrasting this with the
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methodologies, susceptible to
adaptation to students with very
different personalities". He also
believes that we must consider that
if impulsivity affects the ability to
learn, it is possible that only the
subject's crystallized intelligence is
affected, not fluid intelligence, since
the former depends to a greater extent
on the teaching-learning processes,
while fluid intelligence refers to the
ability to establish relationships
independently of prior acquired
knowledge. pp. 319
students' point of view, it
is evident that the
teachers' classes are
somewhat routine and
with commonly used
tools.
Evaluations
and
simulations
Colombia, like most countries in the
world, in addition to the evaluation
that each educational establishment
makes of its pedagogical work, also
applies a series of exams or tests that
allow it to monitor the quality of the
teaching-learning process in relation to
the standards established by the
Ministry of National Education,
through the saber tests.
Evaluation is an
instrument that allows us
to demonstrate the
degree to which students
are learning; however, at
IE Santa Teresita the
evaluations applied to
students are traditional,
most of them are not
focused on preparing
students to obtain good
results in the Saber 11
tests.
Curricular
guidelines
Educational institutions establish what
they are going to teach taking into
account their institutional horizon and
taking into account the curricular
guidelines, which are the referents that
support and guide this work together
with the contributions acquired by the
Despite the fact that the
Santa Teresita
Educational Institution
has organized its area
plans according to the
Curricular Guidelines
and works its pedagogical
practice adjusted to
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institutions and their teachers through
their experience, training and research.
them, the results in the
icfes tests are not as
expected, so it must look
for another strategy that
allows it to obtain good
results.
Teaching
practices,
diverse
methodologies
Teachers must resort to varied
pedagogical practices and one of these
ways is by introducing ICT in the
classroom is through Edublogs, which
are an agile and attractive medium,
where the teacher can offer updated
content, which contrasts with what is
expressed by Orihuela (2004), who
argues that weblogs can be a great
working platform for students since
both they and teachers can have
constant pedagogical communication
in an asynchronous way, (2004) who
argues that weblogs can be a
magnificent work platform for students
since both they and teachers can have a
constant pedagogical communication
in an asynchronous way, which is why
they have informative importance as
complementary, alternative and
critical sources to traditional media.
The creation of an
Edublog is a possibility
for the teachers of the
Santa Teresita
Educational Institution
to improve their
classroom practice and,
of course, to obtain better
academic results.
Training,
vocational
guidance
The educational establishment should
design policies aimed at enhancing the
pedagogical processes and for them
should be concerned about training for
teachers, since this provides them with
the necessary tools to provide solutions
to the different problems that arise in
the classroom and if they do not have
the necessary knowledge they will not
There is a need to adopt
policies aimed at
obtaining good results in
the icfes tests, which
could be achieved
through a web
application that, in
addition to being
enriched with
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be able to transmit to the students the
knowledge they require. In addition to
this work on the motivational aspect of
them.
simulations, is also aimed
at training teachers and
motivating students.
Source: Own elaboration
After analyzing the interviews conducted with teachers, other emerging categories
emerged that confirm the existing problems at the Santa Teresita Educational
Institution in the municipality of Puerto Libertador and that are related to the low
results of the icfes tests in this educational establishment. These evidences:
Teachers maintain that their pedagogical practices are adequate or very good;
however, students do not see it that way, believing that they are routine and a bit
boring.
The educational establishment is not concerned with or has not designed a policy
aimed at training teachers in the development of Icfes type tests or questions.
Teachers argue that students are not sufficiently motivated to carry out their academic
commitments.
There is a need to create courses designed to prepare students for the icfes tests, this
can be achieved through counter-day programs or with the help of multimedia
resources.
The above contrasts with the students' answers, as it confirms the existence of a
problem to which an immediate solution should be sought, so once again the
researchers of this project consider that through Edublogs, both teachers and students
can be trained and improve significantly through its guided use, the results of the
Saber 11 Tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution.
The results of the interviews with teachers have also made it possible to achieve two of
the specific objectives set out in this research, since through them it has been possible
to identify the adjustments that should be made to the curricular plans to make a
proposal aimed at achieving the improvement of the results of the Saber 11 tests and
to design a multimedia resource that provides tools conducive to achieving good
results in the Saber 11 tests at the Santa Teresita Educational Institution in the
municipality of Puerto Libertador.
Many authors argue that in the discussion of a research study, arguments are provided
from the point of view of the theory used to carry out the study, the results of the study
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are interpreted and their meaning is discussed. In this sense Abreu, (2012) states that
it is important that this analysis refers to the issues addressed in the problem
statement and research questions, since this presents the reasons for carrying out the
study and the results should provide more details about these points. In other words,
the arguments presented in this section should be linked to the study issues in the
problem statement.
By making a comparative framework between the results found throughout this
research, a close relationship with other research carried out by different authors was
evidenced, among them:
Determinants of academic achievement in Colombia. Tests ICFES - Saber 11o, 2009,
which is a work based on the results obtained by students in the Saber 11 tests,
corresponding to the second semester of 2009, which yielded the following results:
Having favorable economic conditions greatly affects the probability of not placing in
the low level in the areas evaluated by the icfes; since a favorable socioeconomic
environment allows the student to have the resources required for their academic
commitments. In this research it was found that many students of the Santa Teresita
educational institution do not respond effectively to their academic commitments
justifying that they do not have the necessary means to do so and that they must
contribute economically at home. Regarding the parents' level of schooling, the
analysis allowed inferring that as the parents' level of schooling increases, the
probability of being in the low level decreases; since parents with a higher level of
education can directly and favorably support the teaching-learning process of their
children, which is also related to the family context of the student population of the
institution where this research was carried out, most of the households have economic
deficiencies and most of them did not even finish high school.
Another research background related to the topic of this research is entitled
"Institutional factors associated with educational achievement in the Saber 11 natural
science tests in schools in the Caribbean Region", where one of the hypotheses put
forward by the researchers was "The characteristics of the academic institutions have
a positive impact on the results obtained by students in the Saber 11 tests in the area
of Natural Sciences", which led them to conclude that the results at the ICFES test level
depend mainly on the internal planning of the educational establishment and that
there is also another second level variable that influences, although not significantly,
the average ICFES scores, which is the elaboration and execution of the Pre-ICFES
courses. The results of the collection instruments in the research Analysis of the
academic aspects associated to the low results in saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita
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Educational Institution of Puerto Libertador -Córdoba, contrasts with this antecedent,
to the extent that in this educational institution there is no curricular planning aimed
at achieving good results at the ICFES test level and neither do they work in the design
of Pre-ICFES courses.
The thesis Factores determinantes del bajo rendimiento académico en educación
secundaria, final work as a requirement to obtain a PhD degree from the Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, where Coral G, (2003) argues that: The socioeconomic level
of the parents influences to some extent academic performance, as does the reading
routine in their immediate family nucleus, the control that parents exercise with
respect to the study habits of their children and the daily time that students spend on
the street during working days; substantially influences school success or failure, the
motivation the interests of the child guarantee his success as a student and as a future
professional. A large number of the students of the Santa Teresita Educational
Institution argue that they have to support their families economically, others that
they do not read on their own at home and of course they do not have defined academic
or professional interests for their future.
Another reference with which it is necessary to make a contrast in the discussion
section is the doctoral thesis: Analysis of the determining factors of the low quality of
Spanish language teaching in eighth grade, educational district 15-05, in the
Dominican Republic, which found that the low performance of the students under
study is due to many causes, among them the deficiency in the quality of the teaching
of the subject, physical environmental factors, planning, cooperation of the authorities
and the educational community in general. Accordingly, the author recommends
effective training for teachers in this area to improve their pedagogical practices, the
improvement of the physical environmental conditions of the educational centers to
provide an optimal and welcoming space for the teaching-learning process, and finally,
he recommends the design of strategies to analyze the motivation of students to learn
in this area. The aforementioned situation, when compared with the context of the
Santa Teresita educational institution and the results of the data collection
instruments, affirms the need to develop activities aimed at training its teaching staff
in the design of tests and the development of preparatory courses to face the Icfes tests.
The research question carried out by the researchers is: How to develop an action
research process that determines the academic aspects associated with the low results
in the saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita de Puerto Libertador - Córdoba educational
institution in order to propose pedagogical strategies to the educational establishment
that allow improving these results, where students in eleventh grade and teachers who
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work in this grade in the areas or subjects evaluated by the Icfes in this test were chosen
as the study population, a sample of 8 (eight) students and 7 (seven) teachers was
established by convenience, to whom an interview was applied in person with the
purpose of investigating the perceptions of the interviewees about the academic
aspects related to the results of the Saber 11 tests, when contrasting these results,
different situations are evidenced that lead the researchers to propose actions to
improve the results of the Saber 11 tests, through the development of a multimedia
application designed to: Channel the motivation of students towards their homework
because they do not have easy access to study or reference material to deepen what
they have learned in class, this contrasts with what was answered by teachers, who also
see it this way, provide the educational establishment with a space through the web for
students to strengthen, provide tools to teachers to adequately guide the pre-school
courses of the educational institution, motivate teachers to arrange spaces for
dialogues with students and that are oriented to motivate them and help them in their
vocational discovery.
The research analysis of the academic aspects associated to the low results in Saber 11
tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of Puerto Libertador -Córdoba. The
general objective is "To identify the academic aspects that are associated with the low
results in the Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of the
municipality of Puerto Libertador, Córdoba-Colombia", which performs a context
analysis to subsequently make a proposal that leads to the improvement of the
educational quality and the results of the Saber 11 tests. In this sense it was found that:
Students have little motivation towards their homework because they do not have easy
access to study or reference material to deepen what they have learned in class.
The students show that most of their teachers do not have ample skills to prepare icfes
type tests or questions; therefore, they should be trained in this regard.
It is necessary to establish spaces for dialogues with the students that are oriented to
motivate them and to discover their vocational profile.
Teachers maintain that their pedagogical practices are adequate; however, students do
not see it that way, believing that they are routine and a bit boring.
The educational establishment is not concerned with or has not designed a policy
aimed at training teachers in the preparation of Icfes type tests or questions. There is
a need to create courses designed for the preparation of students for Icfes tests; this
can be achieved through counter-day programs or with the help of multimedia
resources.
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It was previously established in the theoretical references that academic performance
is where the learning achieved by students is evidenced; this is closely related to
multiple variables that have to do with the context and their interests. Therefore, in
terms of school performance, it can be seen that in addition to those who are clear
about their interests and responsibilities, there are students who do not fulfill their
school obligations, who have no interest or attention to the activities that are
developed in class given by the teacher; which generally leads to low performance.
There the task of education ceases to be successful, since, according to Quintero and
Orozco, (2013) the task of education is to train human beings for the present, where
skills and abilities are acquired to develop and fight in the world in which one lives, as
operational resources and as an instrument in the realization of the educational task.
In the collection of information of the research "Analysis of the academic aspects
associated to the low results in tests saber 11 of the Educational Institution Santa
Teresita of Puerto Libertador -Córdoba" it was evidenced that a great number of
students do not fulfill in an adequate way their academic duties, at the same time that
there is no motivation in them towards learning.
The purpose of the SABER 11 tests is to monitor the quality of education in educational
institutions based on basic standards and to allow students to access higher education.
Additionally, they provide students with information about their competencies in each
of the evaluated areas, and support the processes of self-evaluation and permanent
improvement of the educational establishments. The rector of each educational
institution that offers grade 11 must present the total number of students enrolled in
the educational institution. The results of these tests in the educational institution
where this research was carried out show that in terms of quality, the Santa Teresita
educational institution needs to make some adjustments that lead to the improvement
of its pedagogical processes.
After applying the data collection instrument and analyzing the interviews conducted
with both students and teachers, other emerging categories emerged that confirm the
existing problems at the Santa Teresita Educational Institution in the municipality of
Puerto Libertador and that are related to the low results of the icfes tests in this
educational establishment. These show that:
Students have little motivation for their homework because they do not have easy
access to study or reference material to deepen what they have learned in class, which
contrasts with the answers given by teachers, who also see it this way.
The educational establishment does not have a clear policy or has not created spaces
other than the classroom to strengthen the processes at the level of Icfes tests.
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Therefore, there is a need to create courses designed to prepare students for Icfes tests,
which can be achieved through counter-day programs or with the help of multimedia
resources.
Teachers maintain that their pedagogical practices are good or very good; however,
students do not see it that way, they believe that they are routine and a bit boring, and
they are not skilled in preparing icfes type tests or questions.
It is necessary to establish spaces for dialogues with students that are oriented to
motivate them and help them recognize their professional interests.
Conclusions
The policies of the Ministry of National Education show that the educational quality
of an educational institution depends to a great extent on the statistics and results of
the Saber tests and the quality of its pedagogical processes. Accordingly, it is important
for educational institutions to design pedagogical strategies that allow them to obtain
excellent results in these tests, in order to maintain academic quality and enjoy the
benefits established by the national government.
In this sense, the research "analysis of the academic aspects associated with the low
results in Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of Puerto
Libertador -Córdoba" which had as general objective "to identify the academic aspects
that are associated with the low results in the Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita
Educational Institution of the municipality of Puerto Libertador, Córdoba-Colombia,
after analyzing the results of the research process, it became evident that there are
several phenomena that influence the low results of the Icfes or Saber 11 tests of this
educational establishment, it was possible to identify the need to make adjustments to
the curricular plans and establish a proposal aimed at achieving the improvement of
the results of the Saber 11 tests; For this, the researchers argue that the design of a
multimedia resource that provides tools conducive to the achievement of good results
in the Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational Institution of the municipality
of Puerto Libertador, will help solve or minimize this problem.
The above contrasts with what was stated in the specific objectives due to the
following: Adjustments should be made to the curricular plans taking into account the
topics evaluated by the ICFES in the Saber 11 test, because there is no program aimed
at preparing students to obtain good results in this test and teachers should be trained
for this purpose, the researchers propose that the multimedia resource with the web
address: https://laboratoriosaber11.blogspot.com/ is a tool aimed at achieving the
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improvement of the results of the Saber 11 tests of the Santa Teresita Educational
Institution of the municipality of Puerto Libertador.
This web-based multimedia resource or Edublog can be used by both students and
teachers and should be geared for:
a)To enhance students' reading skills.
b) Facilitate the location of study material for both teachers and students.
c) To make available to the students pre-test simulations of the different subjects.
d) Provide tools to teachers so that they can develop icfes type questions.
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