Competencias profesionales en Educación Inicial y su vínculo con la vocación y la formación ética

Abstract

Abstract: This research addressed the topic of professional competencies in early childhood education specifically their link to the teaching vocation and ethical training with the aim of analyzing the relationship between early childhood educators' professional competencies, their teaching vocation, and their ethical training within the framework of Ecuador's prioritized curriculum, in order to design an innovative pedagogical proposal. A mixed-methods approach was employed, utilizing a descriptive, non-experimental design. The sample consisted of 11 teachers from public and state-subsidized (fiscomisional) institutions who completed the "Teachers 360°: Vocation, Competencies, and Ethics" questionnaire. The results showed that socio-emotional competencies represented the most developed dimension (72.7%), while the most significant weaknesses were found in the area of digital competencies. It is concluded that there is a positive relationship between professional competencies, vocation, and ethics (p=0.935). Based on these findings, the pedagogical proposal "The Fantasy Chest" was designed, aimed at strengthening professional skills through playful, inclusive, and participatory strategies in early childhood education.