Claudia Figueroa

La Escuela Normal Superior y los Institutos Anexos. Aportes pedagógicos, investigativos y de patrimonio histórico cultural en Colombia (1936-1951)

This research presents the educational, research, and cultural heritage contributions of the Normal School, for the creation, development and promotion of institutes that extended its influence in the period 1936 to 1951. This work is based on the historical document review along with the social history of this educational institutions, with primary and secondary sources such as files found in Tunja and Bogota, including: the General Archive of the Nation and the Historical Archive of the UPTC. In this context, the question guiding this research was as follows: What were the educational, research and cultural heritage contributions of the Higher Normal School, for the creation, development and promotion of educational institutes that extended their influence in Colombia? The conclusion is that the Higher Normal School acquired models from humanism and science, ie science associated with teaching and knowledge for life, in order to build its own eclectic pedagogical model, which influenced the formation of teachers able to face the field of pedagogy, research, and high culture in their daily work. These aspects are evident in the bachelor´s degree and annexed institutes, which extended their educational influence and existence for the construction of the Colombian nation in the mid-twentieth century.

LA ESCUELA NORMAL SUPERIOR Y LOS TEST EN COLOMBIA

In 1937, the Institute of Experimental Psychology, led by Leo Walther, began the psycho-technical application of tests, based on files and papers and on the social history of the institutions method which supports that in Colombia as well as in Latin America, Psychology arises from the pedagogy context. The basic interest of those psychological studies carried on in education is related, in a special way, to the diagnosis and selection of students from measurement and evaluation. That was the reason to apply the first IQ tests, such as Lewis Terman and Army’s. Furthermore, Dearborn Tests provide the fundamental frameworks to understand and deal with reading difficulties. Ballard hearing tests were also applied. At that time the first manuals on test application by Alejandro Cano, among others, and the normal school students’ first thesis about this subject appeared.