Collaborative work in technological master’s programs and guidelines based on the zone of proximal development

Abstract

The objective was to analyze master’s students’ perceptions of collaborative work and identify guidelines for pedagogical support based on the zone of proximal development (ZPD). An exploratory descriptive analysis examined the available results of an educational diagnostic assessment conducted at the Instituto Superior Tecnológico de Formación Profesional, Administrativa y Comercial, Ecuador. Twenty-five students participated through nonprobability convenience sampling and voluntary participation. The assessment used the questionnaire Diagnóstico del trabajo colaborativo. This article examined the reported percentages without access to the complete instrument or individual response data. Individual activities were preferred by 52 % of participants, while 36 % preferred teams of three to five members. Teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking were rated positively by 88 %; the same percentage considered learning materials appropriate. Satisfaction with activities reached 84 %, whereas participation and interaction received 68 %. Active listening and joint agreement building stood out in the assessment of collaboration quality, with 84 %. These findings inform proposals for role rotation, feedback, and peer support to strengthen participation. The diagnostic assessment provides contextual information for planning collaborative support, but does not directly measure the ZPD or the effects of these strategies on learning.