Diseño de un instrumento de preferencias vocacionales en Administración, Materiales y Biotecnología/Design of an Instrument for Vocational Preferences in Administration, Materials and Biotechnology

Espanol Este estudio busco disenar y evaluar una prueba de preferencias vocacionales para las carreras de Administracion de Empresas, Ingenieria en Materiales e Ingenieria en Biotecnologia en el Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica (ITCR). Para ello, se construyo previamente el perfil vocacional de cada carrera a partir del cual se redactaron los items de la prueba. Participaron 480 estudiantes con una media de edad de 22.07 anos, 53.19% mujeres y 46.81% hombres. Se obtuvo informacion del perfil de cada carrera por parte de estudiantes y docentes. Posteriormente, la revisaron grupos de expertos. A partir del perfil definido, se redactaron los items de la prueba. Luego, se evaluaron sus caracteristicas psicometricas con analisis factoriales. Se obtuvieron adecuados indicadores de bondad de ajuste. La prueba vocacional incluyo tres escalas: habilidades, intereses y tareas vocacionales. La escala de habilidades evaluo seis factores: logico-matematica, fisica, quimica, biologica, liderazgo y autorregulacion-disciplina. Por su parte, las escalas de tareas e interes se utilizaron para definir las preferencias por los tres factores evaluados: Administracion, Materiales y Biotecnologia. Finalmente, se evidenciaron diferencias segun sexo, carrera y nivel de satisfaccion vocacional. English This study sought to design and evaluate a vocational preference test for Business Administration, Materials Engineering and Biotechnology Engineering majors at the Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica (ITCR). For this goal, first of all a vocational profile of each career was constructed, from which the test items were written. 480 students took part, with an average age of 22.07 years, 53.19% of them women and 46.81% men. Descriptions of the profile of each career were collected by students and teachers, and later analyzed by expert groups. From the defined profile, items were drawn up and later evaluated with factor analysis, for the selection of the items, obtaining adequate indicators of goodness of fit. The vocational test includes three factors: Skills, Interests and Vocational Tasks. In turn, the Skills scale evaluated six areas: Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Leadership and Self-regulationdiscipline. For its part, the scale of preferences contemplated the three areas evaluated: Administration, Materials and Biotechnology. On the other hand, there were differences according to sex, major and level of vocational satisfaction.