The development of the reading competence in the University of Pinar del Río

Abstract

In the context of Cuban higher education, the promotion of reading has been the responsibility of the university extension process, one in the triad of the university substantive processes, together with teaching and research. Just as teaching preserves culture and research is responsible for developing it, it is the extension process that is in charge of promoting culture within and outside the framework of the University. Within the current Cuban social and educational project and, as part of that culture that is promoted, the treatment of reading competences acquire a special relevance, which is approached from this perspective, from a formative conception throughout the extension process. The objective of this research was to develop the reading competence from the university extension in students of the University “Hermana Saíz Montes de Oca” of Pinar del Río (UPR). The logic of this research transited, by means of diverse methods of investigation: from the initial diagnosis to the elaboration of the theoretical frame. As a theoretical contribution, a pedagogical conception was based on the method of cultural promotion, which allowed identifying four stages through which it takes place: Initial, Development, Consolidation and Control, and Followup, as well as the curricular and extracurricular dimensions in which it takes place. The scientific result of this work has a high potential for generalization to higher education institutions.