Basic Competencies in High School Students in Panama: Perception of Students and Teachers

The article offers the results in the country on basic competencies in secondary school students in Panama, which becomes important as it is the first of its kind in the country. One of the objectives of the study was to assess the perception of high school students and teachers at the national level about the development of their basic competencies according to MEDUCA. Comparing the perceptions obtained between teachers and students allows decision-making regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the basic skills developed. Students perceive as their most developed competencies: Knowledge and interaction of the physical world, Autonomy and personal initiative and Learning to learn. One of the most relevant conclusions is that the results communicate different perceptions between students and teachers about the development of competences in the country, which merits field research in the classroom, in order to assess and observe the real development of competences that support the educational process. The importance of diagnostic and field research in making decisions of the Ministry of Education, to guide the Panamanian educational process, every five years.