Abstract:

This work presents the perception of students at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC) regarding the academic transition from technical-professional education to engineering programs.

The Chilean Higher Education Law of 2018 established a strategy to promote technical-professional education through the articulation between the educational system and Higher Education. This has facilitated the implementation of educational pathways that promote the continuity of studies, aligned with the needs of the industry and current society. In this context, UCSC has developed procedures that recognize students' prior knowledge, promoting the connection between some technical-professional high school specialties and related technical careers, as well as engineering programs. This approach has contributed to facilitating the academic transition of students to higher educational levels and emphasizing lifelong learning.

To gather students' perceptions about the benefits of academic transition, a questionnaire was designed and administered. The questions focused on areas such as the dissemination of information about mechanisms to articulate between different educational levels, available academic supports, and associated benefits. The sample consisted of 253 students who underwent the transition from a technical career to an Engineering degree.

The results highlight the importance of strengthening the effective dissemination of mechanisms that enable students to transition from one educational level to another, as well as procedures and benefits, ensuring that they are widely known by students before the process. Students emphasize the importance of evaluating the relevance and effectiveness of support and academic leveling strategies. Additionally, they highlight the commitment of students in instances of academic support for those who did not take advantage of these benefits.

Finally, it is relevant to promote identified best practices with the aim of maintaining a conducive environment that facilitates students' transition from one educational level to another, contributing to maximizing academic success in their educational journey.

Keywords:

Academic transition, Educational articulation, Recognition of prior learning, Training itineraries.