Setting Ecuador's Educational Goals in Context: A Study based on School Funding Type, 2018–2019

Abstract

Educational aspirations are very significant as they can predict the actual decisions of students. This article provides a descriptive contextualization of the educational aspirations of Ecuadorian secondary school students, The aim of this article is to provide a descriptive contextualization of the educational aspirations of Ecuadorian secondary school students based on the funding received by the institutions they attend. To this end the study utilizes databases from the "Ser Bachiller" examination, compiled by Ecuador's National Institute for Educational Evaluation during the 2018–2019 academic year. The analysis is descriptive in nature and is based on figures and odds ratios. Variables associated with educational aspirations are analyzed and categorized into three factors: (i) student context, (ii) student milieu, and (iii) academic profile. The results indicate that students from both public and private institutions exhibit differences across all three factors. Students in public schools have limited resources at home and school, resulting in lower academic performance and, in line with theoretical expectations, report reduced educational aspirations. The article advocates for policies designed to guarantee equitable access to essential educational resources, as well as for future research that further explores the individual and contextual factors that influence and modify educational aspirations.