Contributions of master’s degrees in arts to the improvement of educational quality

Study developed at the School of Graduate Studies of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of San Carlos de Guatemala

Abstract

The research focused on analyzing how the master's programs in arts at the Facultad de Humanidades de la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala have positively influenced the quality of education, specifically in the job performance of its graduates. Using a mixed and descriptive approach, surveys were conducted with eighty-nine graduates, six focus groups and interviews with seventeen authorities where Master of Arts graduate’s work. In addition, fifty-nine action research outcome reports produced by study participants were reviewed. The key results reveal that the graduates perceive significant improvements in communication, technological, research, leadership, professional ethics, and socioemotional competencies thanks to the training received in the master's program. They also highlight aspects that favored their training process, such as the schedule, class days, number of courses, virtual modality, teacher support and tutoring. The action research projects undertaken by the graduates had a notable impact on students and teachers, and to a lesser extent on the authorities of the institutions where they were carried out. In conclusion, it is determined that graduate programs have contributed significantly to the professional development and work performance of their graduates, generating beneficial changes that strengthen educational quality. These changes include the professionalization of teachers, the adoption of digital tools, innovation, participation in graduate programs and the promotion of educational research.