Educational Innovation and Sustainable Development Goals in Latin American Medical Education: Faculty Perceptions

Garzón-López L.A.; Consuegra-Herrera D.E.; Bracho-Fuenmayor P.L.; Correa-Guarniz M.A.; Zaragoza-Alvarado G.A. · Revista Cubana de Educacion Medica Superior (2026)

Resumen

Introduction: Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into the training of medical science students is currently a priority; however, in Latin America, this remains an aspiration yet to be realized. Objective: To analyze perception comparatively of faculty members at medical science universities regarding the integration of Sustainable Development Goals into undergraduate curricula across five Latin American countries. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional, mixed-methods study with a multilevel comparative design. Participants included 784 faculty members from 25 medical schools in Mexico, Panama, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. A previously validated 28-item questionnaire was administered, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 52 faculty members. Confirmatory factor analysis, hierarchical linear modeling, and thematic analysis were also performed. Results: The overall perception was slightly negative (standardized mean =-0.12), with significant differences observed between countries. Chile showed the most favourable perception (0.34). Prior training in Sustainable Development Goals (β=0.42), explicit institutional policies (β=0.31), and national university networks (β=0.27) were the strongest predictors of a positive perception. The main barriers identified were a lack of curricular time (cited by 86.5% of faculty) and a lack of pedagogical knowledge (78.8%). Conclusions: A gap exists between the aspiration to integrate Sustainable Development Goals into these degree programs and the faculty's actual capacity to do so. Faculty development initiatives and changes in institutional policies are required.

Instituciones: Universidad César Vallejo