Actions to Strengthen Agricultural Education by Linking Students with the Rural Community

Abstract

This study analyzes how to strengthen the Technical Agricultural High School (Bachillerato Técnico Agropecuario - BTA) through community engagement to reduce rural youth migration and inequality in Paraguay. The objective is to propose and empirically substantiate a model of innovative actions to reinforce the BTA through its connection with the rural community. The sample included third-year students selected through probabilistic sampling, a focus group of technical teachers, and interviews with directors of agricultural schools in Caazapá, Minga Guazú, and Villarrica. The method adopted a qualitative approach with quantitative support, under a non-experimental, cross-sectional design with a descriptive, analytical, comparative, and projective scope, applying methodological and source triangulation. The main findings reveal that while the BTA has a solid pedagogical foundation, it faces structural constraints, a lag in precision technology, and insufficient transversal skills that restrict territorial development. It is concluded that transforming educational management is essential to ensure youth retention, education for sustainable development, and sector modernization. To achieve this, a model of innovative actions based on a continuous improvement cycle (Group, Articulate, Strengthen, and Adapt) is proposed and structurally validated, focusing on digitalization with precision agriculture, institutionalization of alternating pedagogy, and the conversion of schools into regional innovation networks linked to the productive environment.