Comparative Analysis of Teaching at Public Universities in Sinaloa during Confinement Due to COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational institutions around the world. One partial solution for students and teachers to continue the academic process involved the use of software and hardware technologies via the internet. The main objective of this research was to analyze the actions carried out by computer science teachers (and teachers who taught related degrees) in Sinaloa, Mexico, during the COVID-19 confinement period, to determine if the working conditions were different at all educational institutions. Based on quantitative, descriptive–explanatory, correlational, field, and cross-sectional approaches to data collection—a survey was designed and sent to teachers who taught classes in computer science and related careers. The results showed that although teachers felt prepared in designing and implementing virtual courses (90.73%), 68.5% believed that virtual classes were not enough for students (i.e., regarding replacing the training being offered). Likewise, teachers observed that only 27.8% of their students showed real commitment to online classes. In the hypothesis test, a chi-squared value of 3.84 was obtained, with a significance (p-value) of 0.137. There was a probability of error of 13.7%; this is high, considering that the level of significance must be 0.05 (5%) or less. It was concluded that teachers must be permanently trained in the use of new digital technologies; in addition, they must continuously produce academic material and make it available to the educational community. It is necessary for universities to design plans for the regulated use of applications and devices for academic purposes, update study plans and programs, and train teachers and students beyond conventional education.

On the Influence of the University Tenure on the Digital Pandemic Stress in Higher Education Faculty

“…Therefore, it is advisable to intensify the efforts that both public and private universities make to improve the digital competence of teachers [ 26 ], to promote their pedagogical adaptation to various tools, platforms and applications, adapting to the particularities of each area of knowledge taught [ 64 ], as well as to develop interventions that promote the mental comfort of professors, facilitating emotional regulation and the development of digital skills [ 65 ]. This implies that educational administrations, governments, and authorities should seek funding options, both internal and external, to keep their technological infrastructures as up to date as possible for the benefit of students and professors [ 66 ].…”