KIX LAC and the Honduran Ministry of Education launch a diploma program to strengthen educational research

As part of a joint work agenda, KIX LAC and the Honduran Ministry of Education have been developing various actions to strengthen the education system, including curriculum validation, the implementation of alternative modalities, and the formulation of a national education research policy.

To strengthen the institutional capacities of the Honduran education system, the Honduran Ministry of Education (SEDUC) launched an International Diploma in Educational Research Methodologies, developed in conjunction with the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange Hub (KIX) for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and with the academic collaboration of the Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE) of Peru.

The diploma course is a response to the need to strengthen the research training of technical staff to ensure more solid processes within the ministerial units. Honduras has been working with KIX LAC through its Country Support mechanism, which allowed the design of this proposal aimed at directly influencing the improvement of educational policies and practices. The selection process concluded with the selection of 67 people from the country’s 18 departments, including departmental coordinators, technical advisors and outstanding teachers with experience and a vocation for educational research.

On Tuesday, April 22, the official launch of the diploma course was held at a meeting that brought together national authorities, technical teams and representatives of partner organizations. During the event, the importance of promoting a culture of educational research in the country was highlighted as a pillar for a higher quality public education.

Present at the launch were Daniel Sponda, Ministry of Education of Honduras; Javier González, director of SUMMA; Raúl Chacón, director of the KIX LAC Hub and, on behalf of the Honduran institutions, Juan Vicente Rodríguez, director of the General Directorate of Professional Development, Esthefani Cerrato, of the General Subdirectorate of Educational Research, and Ilich Valladares, representative of the Undersecretariat of Technical Pedagogical Affairs. Also present were Alejandro Garrido, Coordinator of the Projects and Professional Development Unit of GRADE; Florencio Ceballos from IDRC, and Rosa Moncada, from the KIX LAC team. The event was moderated by Erick Perdomo, Member of the Research team.

The minister Daniel Sponda, was in charge of officially launching the diploma course, expressing his enthusiasm for the articulated work with KIX LAC and SUMMA and underlining the relevance of strengthening teacher training and research. In this regard, the minister stressed the need for educators to take an active role in the generation of knowledge, researching and proposing solutions to the common challenges faced by education systems in the region: 

“It is not only about research, but also about doing relevant research that contributes to finding solutions to the problems faced by education systems in the region”.

This proposal marks a milestone for the country and represents a key step towards the strengthening of a research culture within the public education system, with a territorial, methodological, and long-term perspective.