Absentismo escolar y respuesta educativa análisis del programa de aprendizaje integral (PAI) en la Región de Murcia

Abstract

The Comprehensive Learning Program (PAI), regulated by the Resolution of June 15, 2016, emerged as one of the measures to remedy the problem of absenteeism and school dropouts in the Region of Murcia. This program was aimed at students in the second year of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), with a negative perception of the school environment and with serious difficulties in adapting to the environment, either due to personal conditions or previous experiences at school that hinder their integration and progress at this stage, seeking the promotion of students to other educational options. The general objective of this Doctoral Thesis is to analyze the operation and evaluation of said program implemented in Secondary Education centers in the Region of Murcia, focusing the research focus on professionals, given that the profile of the students is determined by the access requirements to the program. To this end, the specific objectives are to know the profile of the different professionals; check the actions carried out by these professionals in relation to the incorporation of the target students into the program and verify that they comply with the procedures explained in the regulatory regulations; to know the assessment of these professionals in terms of organizational aspects of the program as well as their appreciation of the methodologies, evaluation procedures, etc., most appropriate for improving the teaching-learning processes with these students and finally, to analyze the general assessment of these professionals on the PAI program in terms of an instrument for reducing absenteeism and improving academic performance. A descriptive research modality has been carried out, since the information has been collected through a questionnaire and the objective has been to describe how the PAI has been developed in the Region of Murcia. The questionnaire created has been evaluated by a group of experts and has the approval of the Ethics Committee and is aimed at the team of professionals in charge of both the selection procedure as well as direct intervention in the nine educational centers that have had the PAI Program during the 2022-2023 academic year (100% of the sample). For the analysis of the information, the R program has been used, and an analysis of segregated data is also carried out relating independent variables crossed with dependent variables by performing the Wilcoxon test, the p-value calculation and Cohen's D, providing a comprehensive view of the statistical analysis in this research. Likewise, documents from the PAI reports, prepared by each educational center, are analyzed, which allow descriptive information to be collected about it. From the results, the importance of professionals having previous experience, knowing in advance what the program consists of, the need for specific training in different areas such as emotional intelligence, school coexistence, mediation, active methodologies, etc., is highlighted, as well as the application of certain active methodological strategies, adequate evaluation systems and work by areas of knowledge, all of this to, on the one hand, effectively address the characteristics and needs of the target students and, on the other, improve the teaching-learning processes. Finally, the creation of a new program is proposed such as the “Professional Learning and Guidance Program (PAOP), which aims not only to reduce absenteeism and school dropouts, but also to provide adequate academic and professional guidance for students, helping them to continue in the educational system or enter the labor market through vocational training.