“Tiempo de aprender. Un estudio sobre la organización del uso del tiempo en las escuelas mexicanas”

• In Event: Desafíos actuales del Sistema Educativo Mexicano (SEM)

Abstract

From more than 30 years in Mexico the way in which in-school time is organized in public elementary schools has not been studied. Educational Reform sets one of its biggest bets on increasing the school day. However, time in school and time spent on teaching and learning are not synonymous. In this research mixed methods are used to approach 1) the effective use of instructional time, 2) the educational practices managed for teachers inside the classroom, and 3) the associated factors that may explain the manner in which instructional time works for teachers and students on public elementary schools in Mexico. In order to do so, a complete school week was videotaped in each of the eight public schools selected in this study. Educational activities and teachers´ practices were observed and coded according designed protocols. Identifying and measuring the time teachers devote to educational activities compared to time spent on other tasks, such as administrative or disciplinary activities. These schools were chosen from low performance settings in Estado de México, one of the biggest cities in the country. The recorded teachers were selected by their own principals how the ones making better use of in-school time. In this research it is shown how the organization of instructional time is a key factor related to school effectiveness. The focus is beyond the length of school day, the emphasis is on how long students are exposed to high quality educational experiences at school.

Author

• Ana E Razo, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas