Concepciones sobre el Aprendizaje de Estudiantes de Pedagogía de la Universidad de Magallanes y Docentes en Ejercicio en la Educación Básica de la ciudad de Punta Arenas, Chile

The aim of the present study was to know and analyze the learning conceptions by students of the elementary school teacher’s program at University of Magallanes in Chile and teachers already working at elementary schools in the city of Punta Arenas. The non-random sample consisted of 121 participants, who answered a questionnaire with dilemmas. The dilemmas could be solved by choosing a direct, interpretative, constructivist, or postmodern learning conception. Learning conceptions were compared between young students, advanced students, recently graduated teachers and experimented teachers. Results show that all of the different conceptions were present when the subjects solved the problems from pedagogical praxis but that there was a predominance of the constructivist approach in senior students and teachers, who differed significantly from the freshmen students. The possible effects of higher education and teacher training programs on the current results and on the pedagogical knowledge of students and teachers are discussed.