Resumen

GONZALEZ PENA, Carolina  y  MORALES, Oscar Alberto. Modern languages students and teachers’ conceptions about the international organizations option’s curricular design: case study. Educere [online]. 2006, vol.10, n.32, pp.139-148. ISSN 1316-4910.

This article shows the results of case studies about students and teachers’ conceptions carried out at the University of Los Andes (ULA). Its aim was to describe and analyse the participants’ conceptions about the design and execution of the International Organizations Professional Option (OOI), from the Modern Languages Undergraduate Degree Program at the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the University of Los Andes. Ethnographic tools were used for collecting data. The study Group was made out of OOI students and teachers involved in the option. It was found that students had a high aspiration level when they began their undergraduate course and major; however, once in it, they noticed that it was not what they expected, they were disappointed. Besides, their professional future was uncertain due to the job opportunities. The teachers claimed, contrary to what was established at the time of the project’s creation that the OOI did not educate for job opportunities. Also, they perceived that OOI was facing problems yet to be solved. It is concluded that the students’ expectations were not met, because of the incongruity between the Project and its execution. This is evidence of the need to evaluate in the process the new undergraduate courses and majors.

Palabras clave : conceptions; modern languages; International Organizations Professional Option; curricular design.