Quality of a Master's Degree in Education in Ecuador

The study evaluates the quality of four Master's programs delivered in Ecuador (Education and Educational Guidance; Pedagogy of Language and Literature; Pedagogy of History and the Social Sciences; Pedagogy of the Experimental Sciences—Mathematics) jointly by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the National University of Education of Ecuador (UNAE), and the University of Barcelona (UB) between 2017 and 2019. Against the national policy backdrop of Buen Vivir (Good Living) and curriculum reforms initiated by MINEDUC, the programs were offered in blended mode (UB’s virtual campus plus face-to-face sessions in Ecuador) to in-service teachers. The research question asks whether the master's programs meet multidimensional quality criteria—organizational (external), teaching (internal), and satisfaction with professional development impact—within Ecuador’s educational context and the principles of Good Living. The purpose is to provide evidence of quality and areas for improvement, and to inform accountability and continuous enhancement of teacher education in Ecuador.

Quality in higher education is multifaceted, associated with exceptionality, standards, transformation, efficiency, and effectiveness (Harvey & Green, 1993; Schindler et al., 2015). The literature distinguishes external/organizational dimensions (autonomy, transparency, effectiveness) and internal/teaching dimensions (faculty, staff development, resources) (Mullins, 1973; Sahney et al., 2010; Welzant et al., 2015). Teaching quality relates to practical training that builds competencies and produces immediate classroom outcomes, influenced by content, delivery, course management, and innovation (Vizcarro, 2003; Castilla, 2011). Student satisfaction is consistently tied to perceived quality (Sakthivel et al., 2005). Program evaluation has evolved from focusing solely on teaching-learning to examining effectiveness, transfer, and impact, often framed by Kirkpatrick’s four levels: satisfaction, learning, transfer, and impact (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2000). Parra & Ruiz-Bueno (2020) describe models oriented to outcomes, processes, and integrated approaches, and propose six evaluation levels from pedagogical coherence to profitability; this study targets level 5 (impact/professional value). A comprehensive quality lens should include economic efficacy, administrative efficiency, pedagogical efficacy, and social efficacy (Harvey & Green, 1993; Núñez, 2002). Within Ecuador’s Good Living paradigm, education is both a right and a vehicle for social development, guiding program objectives and evaluation criteria.

Design: Cross-sectional evaluation using an online, self-administered survey to appraise program quality along organizational (external), teaching (internal), and professional value dimensions. Sample: 308 Ecuadorian in-service teachers enrolled in the UB double-degree phase (MFPESE-UB) from 2017–2019, who had previously passed the UNAE master’s (2018). Sampling was non-random; participation was voluntary and anonymous (April–May 2020). Demographics: 70.5% women; 95.1% had degree-equivalent prior training; age predominantly 45–54 (43%); teaching levels mainly secondary (65.23%) and primary (32.62%); 52% had 10–25 years’ experience; specializations: Language & Literature 32.5%, Educational Guidance 25.3%, Mathematics 22.7%, History & Social Sciences 19.5%. Instrument: Teacher-Training Master’s Degree Final Survey (2017–2019), validated by expert judges for content and coherence. Four dimensions aligned to the theoretical framework: (1) Demographics; (2) Academic and administrative organization (organizational quality; administrative structure; human resources and inter-institutional coordination); (3) Teaching quality and organization of material and human resources, including M.A. thesis guidance and perceived benefits; (4) Contributions to Good Living, transfer of learning, and satisfaction/professional value. Likert-type items with open-ended prompts captured qualitative justifications and improvement proposals. Reliability: High internal consistency (overall Cronbach’s alpha = 0.916, 95% CI; subscales: organizational structure alpha = 0.858; teaching quality alpha = 0.805; professional value alpha = 0.741). Procedure and analysis: Quantitative data analyzed descriptively (means, SDs, frequencies) in SPSS v27. Qualitative responses analyzed in NVivo12 using inductive-deductive coding based on internal/external quality and satisfaction/professional value categories; citations labeled by respondent ID and specialization, dimension, and question number. Ethical approvals were obtained; participation was authorized and anonymous.

• Organizational quality: Mean rating 9.72/10 (SD = 0.597); 77.9% rated 10, 17.86% rated 9. Trainees highlighted prompt, efficient management (e.g., registration, information access, apostilles), high human resource quality, and effective UNAE–UB coordination. Nearly all participants agreed human resources were adequate; 91.9% affirmed coordinating team offered quick, appropriate responses. Coherence and coordination between face-to-face and online phases and clarity in institutional competencies received 99.7% agreement, with the majority at the highest agreement level.
• Teaching quality: Mean rating 9.83/10 (SD = 0.429); 85.4% rated 10, 13% rated 9. Strengths included excellent trainers with strong content mastery and human qualities; high-quality materials and resources; student-centered, interactive methodologies; valued use of ICT and project-based learning.
• Improvement areas: Announcements and scheduling for face-to-face venues; increase face-to-face experiential sessions; reduce overly extensive materials in some cases; expand use/diversity of technological resources; enhance access to materials (summaries/coursebook, broader access to bibliographies and resources in Ecuador); adapt content more closely to Ecuadorian contexts to improve transfer; employ more dynamic, participatory methods and better pacing in long in-person sessions.
• Professional value and transfer: 91.5% strongly or fully agreed the degree improved their position in school and teaching practice; 88.7% affirmed extension of learning to colleagues. 92.5% perceived a strong relationship between the curriculum and Good Living principles (75% fully agree + 17.5% strongly agree). Qualitative evidence indicated innovations in methods, ICT use, assessment, and tutorial tools, with reported shifts from traditional methods to more engaging, student-centered practices that foster critical and creative thinking.
• Good Living alignment: Trainees associated the program with humanistic practices, social responsibility, collaborative learning, and commitment to justice, solidarity, and transparency, reinforcing identity and civic engagement consistent with Buen Vivir.
• Overall: The blended joint program achieved high standards across organization, teaching, and perceived professional impact, while revealing context-adaptation and organizational refinements to further enhance quality.

The findings directly address the research question by evidencing high quality across the specified dimensions. External/organizational quality was perceived as excellent, underscoring the critical role of inter-institutional coordination, efficient administration, and adequate resources in a cross-continental, blended program. Internal/teaching quality was also rated outstanding, with trainer expertise, human qualities, robust materials, and active methodologies aligning with literature that links practical, student-centered pedagogies to perceived quality and satisfaction. High levels of reported transfer and professional impact indicate the program achieved level-5 outcomes (impact) in evaluation frameworks, contributing to improved practice, peer diffusion, and alignment with Buen Vivir. At the same time, the identified need to contextualize content more closely to Ecuador’s realities and to refine face-to-face logistics highlights how local relevance and delivery structures mediate effective transfer. Collectively, the results affirm that joint, blended international programs can deliver substantial benefits in teacher professional development when supported by strong coordination, responsive administration, and pedagogy aligned with contemporary quality frameworks and national educational philosophies.

The study demonstrates that the Ecuador–Spain joint master’s degree attained high quality in organizational processes, teaching practices, and perceived professional value, strongly aligning with Ecuador’s Good Living principles. Recommendations include: (1) Structural reorganization to enhance coordination among institutions, faculty, and students—especially in the face-to-face phase—while leveraging the demonstrated benefits of blended learning and addressing infrastructure and access challenges; (2) Faculty selection and preparation that, beyond academic merit and motivation, includes seminars on Ecuador’s socio-cultural and educational contexts to improve curricular contextualization and transfer; (3) Establishment of an ongoing training network among graduates to sustain professional outcomes, promote innovation in schools, and connect practice with Buen Vivir; (4) Institutional self-evaluation mechanisms to embed continuous quality enhancement; (5) Sustained governmental support to continue and scale the initiative. Future research should include surveying trainers to triangulate perspectives and conducting longitudinal follow-ups to assess sustained impact and institutionalization of practices.

• Sampling was non-random and based on voluntary participation of trainees who had completed the UNAE master’s and enrolled in the UB phase, which may limit generalizability and introduce self-selection bias.
• Data were self-reported and cross-sectional, collected post-program (April–May 2020), without a control or comparison group.
• Only trainees’ perspectives were gathered; trainers and other stakeholders were not surveyed, potentially limiting triangulation (the authors recommend surveying trainers in future).
• The program’s suspension at the time of writing limited follow-up and assessment of longer-term impacts.
• Some content was perceived as insufficiently adapted to Ecuadorian contexts, which may have affected transferability; this indicates contextual limitations in program design during the studied period.