núm. 2 (1999)

The objective of this investigation was to comprehensively describe, characterize and analyze the relationship between the practical knowledge and the pedagogical practice of the professors at the Faculty of Psychology at the Universidad Católica de Colombia. The Hermeneutic Circle as a perspective of interpretative research was used. The sample group consisted of ten undergraduate and postgraduate teachers, both male and female, 24 to 44 years of age who were connected to the Psychology Faculty as full-time or part time professors for a period ranging from one to ten years. To collect data, participatory observation, semi-structured survey and the documen­tary files of the Curricular Planning and Evaluation Unit at the Faculty of Psychology, were used as instruments.The obtained data were grouped into the following catego­ries: planning, decision making, interactive thoughts and theories and beliefs. The principles identified in the contents of professors?practical thinking are . sharing power, progressive verification, suppression of emotion, practical principles, rule of the prac­tice, images, and imperative knowledge. In the sample group the application of the principle of compensation was not found and in some of the cases, the principle of closing was found. The knowledge structures showed by the professors studied corres­pond to a set of concepts and theories which are a product of their formative process in the field of Psychology as well as the subjects they deal with.    

New Computer Information-Communication Technology and Learning. Educational resources are considered as instructional tools daily used in classroom in order to improve the teaching efficiency. Because there is several teaching and learning tech­nological tools, we just consider some rising computer and communication tech­nologies. The purpose of this article is to analyze how important these new instruc­tional tools are optimizing the learning teaching procedures for. On this way, we expose some procedures that support the teaching al learning process, like intelli­gent tutoring systems, computer assisted teaching, computer simulation, and artificial intelligent. In addition, some psychological process involved on the new technolo­gies learning are also considered, particularly the organization, storage and retrieval knowledge.

The objective of this research was to relate socio-demographic factors, cognitive style and value system to the academic performance of Psychology students at the Católica University of Colombia, in the second term of 1997.The design used was a descrip­tive-correlational with a sample of 196 students in representation of the whole popu­lation of the Psychology department. The data collection instruments used were a socio demographic data survey, the Values System Test by Gordon, and the Cognitive Style Test validated by Hederich.The data base was conducted with the aid of the EXCEL program and the statistical analysis with the aid of the SPSS (Windows) statistics program.The results show that State test scores and interpersonal conformity values may predict the academic performance of students. It was also found an important asociation between high cognitive style and academic performance of students.  

Acta Colombiana de Psicología

In order to set out the apllication of psychological and cultural process in learning a second language from the perspective of an identity narrative construction. It is necessary start looking different aspects such as: language psychic activity, the instru­ment and cultural sign conception, the importantce of memory, meaning, speech and gesture. Learning a second language involves a subjective multiple transformation process in relationship with the cognitive, affective, pragmastic and communicative fields. In first place is necessary the assimilation of: scientific and daily concepts, thought patterns, cultural forms of behavior (linguistic, social, logic and mnemonic). Second, the construction of meanings and the narrative recreation of each person. Third, the apllication of comprehensive language models in order to use speech and writing efficiently. Finally, the second language speaker should compenétrate with the cultural narrative and the particular forms of individual communication without rest value to his or hers original culture.    

The present article discuss the role of culture in shaping cognitive processes in hu­man beings.Analyzing data fromTranscultural Psychology andAdult Literacy research we argue that theories which stress the role of maturation in the development of cognition fail in understanding the nature of human cognition. To support these ideas we conducted a research in an adult educational program to show that reason­ing skills develop with educational experience.We analyze the reasoning skill through debates, a kind of practice that allows us to study reasoning in a everyday setting. Data shows that reasoning skills change in a very wide way as the educational expe­rience of subject increase. Subjects more experienced in school tend to build argu­ments in the debate using a more decontextualized discourse and implementing explanations as structure of their reasoning process. Low experienced subjects show higher preferences to contextulaized forms of discourse and using descriptions as core of their arguments.These data are discussed in light of the heterogenity theory of verbal thinking.

The objective of this research was to propose educational strategies that facilitate the social school integration of students with Down's Syndrome, from the analysis of the experiences that had five handicapped children, 4 to 8 years old, at a preeschool setting. It was a qualitative-etnographic research. The data collection used were a participatory observation, a structured survey and a campus diary. The analysis of results used the following categories: interaction with others, participation in diffe­rent activities, and participation in the educational process. The categories are the product of content analysis methods and constant comparison. The process of trian­gulation used campus diary and observers.The conclusion is that social school inte­gration is a beneficial alternative to individuals with Down's Syndrome that requires a planed process and an active participation of the different educational agents.

This paper analyzes the conceptual relationship between learning process and devel­opment from Jean Piaget and lev S.Vigotsky's theories.Two theses guide the devel­opment of the paper: the first one points out that psychological and educational literature promotes an antinomy (a contradiction between two rational principles) when contrasting Piaget and Vigotsky ideas about learning process and development. It occurs as a consequence of the epistemological perspective prevailing in the re­searchers that work with the ideas of each author. The second thesis affirms that antinomy occur by the omission in the debate of historic and cultural circumstances involved in the development of Piaget and Vigotsky s theories; the oversimplification of their ideas; and, the distortion of their original ideas given the numerous and var­ied interpretations that they are going through. The author also, argues that the understanding of important convergence aspects for a pertinent and meaningful edu­cation is lintited.The paper concludes that Piaget and Vigotsky s ideas have antinomy omission, oversimplification and distortion. Therefore, they nourish antinomy and they are obstacles to a clear understanding of how culture and cognition emerge as an indivisible unity and the importance of this unity in the educational process.      

Revista Acta Colombiana de Psicología