A Service-Learning Project for Mathematics Education with Spanish Preservice Teachers and Teachers from Rural Schools in Guatemala

Abstract

Mathematics Education in Teacher Education has served as the framework for an International Cooperation Project between Spain and Guatemala. Since 2016, Spanish preservice teachers have annually drafted a Training Plan for various mathematical contents for Primary Education, in order to boost their own teaching skills as well as those of rural in-service teachers in western Guatemala. Based on the Service-Learning methodology, this project has established a stable and solid relationship, and laid the foundations for a replicable and flexible model that works even in a pandemic. The Service-Learning approach has proved to be of use in overcoming many challenges that usually arise with international cooperation. Since the project’s inception, it has benefited 89 Spanish preservice teachers, 217 teachers from public schools in western Guatemala, and 5,424 Primary School students in mostly rural areas and ones with a significant indigenous population. For the purposes of analysing the project’s effectiveness, a study was conducted with first-year data on the two teacher groups involved in this project: Spanish preservice teachers (N=159) and Guatemalan in-service teachers (N=34). The statistically significant results of the study’s main variable highlight that there has been adequate development in teacher self-efficacy in both groups. In the case of the student teachers, two more aspects were considered: (a) self-efficacy in the creation of teaching materials and (b) socio-educational commitment. The results demonstrate sufficient empirical evidence in favour of those who participated in this Service-Learning Project for International Cooperation in Mathematics Education for both: (a) the self-efficacy variables (p<.01) and (b) the development of socio-educational commitment (p<.05).