University Education in an Indigenous Context: the Mapuche case in Chile

Abstract

The article presents research results on the strengths and limitations of university teaching in an indigenous context, according to the voices of the teaching staff in Araucanía, Chile. The methodology is qualitative and uses grounded theory in conjunction with content analysis. The main results reveal an urgency to increase awareness and training among university teaching staff to articulate western and indigenous knowledge in professional training. We conclude that there is an urgent need to incorporate the intercultural educational approach in higher education to move past standardization in teaching processes from an intercultural epistemological pluralism.