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

Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this research was to analyze the relationship between the professional competencies of early childhood educators, their teaching vocation, and their ethical training within the framework of Ecuador s prioritized curriculum to support and guide the design of an innovative pedagogical proposal tailored for the classroom. The study employed a quantitative approach with a non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational design. Field research was conducted with a sample of ten teachers from an early childhood education center located in the Muluncay Grande parish (Zaruma canton), who were administered the "Maestros 360º" (Teachers 360º) questionnaire. The results revealed favorable levels of professional competencies, teaching vocation, and ethical training, with a very strong positive correlation observed between vocation and ethical training. Furthermore, opportunities for improvement were identified regarding the use of innovative methodologies and digital tools, which justifies the development of the "Interactive Learning Apron" (*Mandil Interactivo de Aprendizaje*) proposal. These findings contribute to strengthening teaching practice and enhancing the quality of early childhood education.