Actors and discourses in the educational policies of the Universidad Nacional de Agricultura of Honduras

Abstract

This article describes the actors and discourses involved in the educational policies of the Universidad Nacional de Agricultura (UNAG) in Honduras during the intervention process led by the Commission appointed by the National Congress from 2017 to 2020. The research employed a qualitative approach, using an exploratory case study method, framed by the policy cycle perspective and the inductive model of category formation for analysis. Data were collected between 2021 and 2022 through document analysis and semi-structured interviews and were examined using qualitative content analysis, supported by the ATLAS.ti software, version 8. The results identify multiple actors and discourses influencing UNAG’s educational policies at both international —United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Bank, European Union, Consejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano (CSUCA), Global and Regional Conferences on Higher Education— and national levels —Central Government, National Congress, political parties, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH). Additionally, the Intervention Commission promoted an institutional reform that sparked internal conflicts, particularly among faculty groups, over control of university governance and the establishment of new internal regulations. The study concludes that UNAG's educational policies, under the leadership of the Intervention Commission, were shaped by both international and national agendas, reflecting power dynamics and internal conflicts. While these measures improved certain administrative and academic structures, they also exacerbated political and generational divisions, particularly among the teaching staff.