"Being a woman working in research and also in the scientific-technological field motivates me"

2018/05/04 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Giza zientziak
• Berdintasuna
• Ingeniaritza

Nerea López Salas is an engineer, professor and researcher. If nothing is said, one might think he is investigating in the field of engineering, but not in education. He studied engineering and, then, studied the Master in Secondary Education. He began working as a professor at Mondragón Unibertsitatea and then the desire to investigate in education arose: "Until then I had quite far from the world of formal education, and I was interested in understanding the processes that take place in teaching and learning."

Thus, he decided to integrate himself into research, in the educational world, "but linked to science and technology." In this way, the doctorate is being done. According to him, although much research has been done in Early and Primary Education, in Secondary Education there have not been so many studies on the teaching-learning process. Its purpose is, therefore, to clarify the same, especially in the field of science and technology: "I want to know how the professional and personal profile of the teacher is developed between secondary school teachers. Given that very specific issues are addressed in the PhD, I am investigating the influence that the change of model that is taking place in Vocational Training has had both in teaching staff and in educational centres, for example, the change in the conception of teaching staff regarding education and interaction in praxis".

Relationship between engineering and education

For many, engineering and education can be two different worlds. For López, however, his relationship is very natural: "It wasn't until High School when I called technology. Until then I did not know that there were areas of knowledge, and when I met the subject and knew that there were related higher studies, I was clear that I wanted to go that way to understand the world with the look of engineer."

In his opinion, he wanted to answer two questions with that look: how things work and what he could do to make things work as he wanted. These two were added another that was already coming: how to explain what they learned to other people. "Hence the linkage of both parties: engineering and education."

As a sign of this vocation, while studying engineering in art, he devoted himself fully to a non-formal education project: "I was an educator of Euskal Udalekuak in Goñi and I remain in it."

López represents his work and interests in the vertices of a triangle: an engineering, research in the other and education in the third. The research cycle, for its part, is presented in a circular form, relating research, teaching and transfer. The sum of both represents their activity: "Within that circle I would place the triangle, in which I also put myself." He lives, therefore, everything he is doing.

According to López, it is very motivating to be able to apply what he learns through research, for example in the transfer or training sessions carried out with the teachers of the centers. The lack of research in this field is also a cause of desire. In addition, another agent is the one that promotes progress on the path undertaken: the condition of woman in research, "also in the scientific-technological field". "In this field there are not many women, and for me it is a challenge to take steps on this path."

In any case, where it investigates, HUHEZI feels very protected: "We are a small group and we all understand that research cannot be done alone." In the future, his first goal is to finish the thesis and continue on the path he has broken in the future.