Vocación docente e identidad en educación a distancia

JOSE LUIS SEDAN CADENA

doi:10.22490/unad.27452115.11653

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026)

Published 2026-08-20

license

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Artículos de reflexión

Vocation and teaching identity in distance education

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22490/unad.27452115.11653

JOSE LUIS SEDAN CADENA Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

PDF (Spanish)

Abstract
References

This article develops a theoretical reflection on the configuration of teacher identity based on the relationship between vocation, faith, and education in the context of technology-mediated higher education, particularly in distance learning. From an analytical-interpretive approach, the study engages with contributions from critical pedagogy, complex systems thinking, the sociology of education, and logotherapy, articulated with the author’s educational background and professional experience in the university setting. The analysis is situated within the context of distance higher education in Colombia, using the academic experience developed at the National Open and Distance University (UNAD) as an interpretive framework. The aim is not to generalize, but rather to contribute a situated understanding of the construction of teacher identity. Furthermore, the reflection extends to Latin America, where distance education is consolidating as a strategy to promote inclusion, the democratization of knowledge, and the expansion of educational opportunities for historically excluded populations. Within this framework, the teaching vocation is understood as a dynamic and socio-historical process shaped by ethical, cultural, and existential dimensions, in which faith provides a horizon of meaning that strengthens pedagogical commitment and social responsibility. It is concluded that the integration of vocation, faith, and education fosters the consolidation of a teaching identity oriented toward holistic development, educational innovation, and social transformation in environments mediated by digital technologies.

keywords: teacher identity,, vocation,, distance education, teacher education, social transformation

Çakar Özkan, E. (2026). Dimensions of teacher professional identity: A scoping review. Encyclopedia, 6(5), 99. https://doi.org/10.3390/ encyclopedia6050099

Conceição, S. C. O., y Salto, D. J. (2026). Distance education in higher education in Latin America: Realities, opportunities, and challenges. Distance Education. https://doi.org/10.1145/3801089.3772205

Engeness, I. (2021). Developing teachers’ digital identity: Toward the pedagogic design principles of digital environments. European Journal of Teacher Education, 44(1), 96–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/0261976 8.2020.1849129

Finnigan, N. (2026). Exploring Catholic teacher identity: The intersection of personal, professional, and religious dimensions across generations (Doctoral thesis, University of Glasgow). https://theses.gla.ac.uk/85902/

Frankl, V. E. (2004). El hombre en busca de sentido. Herder.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Herder and Herder.

Halal Orfali, C., Arancibia Muñoz, M. L., Riquelme Plaza, I., y Unda Valenzuela, R. (2024). How higher education teachers see their professional identity. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1429847

Marroquín-Gutiérrez, N. C. (2020). Identidad profesional del docente en la educación a distancia. Dominio de las Ciencias, 6(1), 360–369. https://doi.org/10.23857/dc.v6i1.1442

Moore, M. G. (1993). Theory of transactional distance. En D. Keegan (Ed.), Theoretical principles of distance education (pp. 22–38). Routledge.

Morin, E. (1999). Los siete saberes necesarios para la educación del futuro. UNESCO.

Sánchez Moncayo, C. N., Bejarano Londoño, L. M., Toro, C. A., y Londoño Vásquez, D. A. (2023). Una mirada a la educación superior inclusiva en Latinoamérica. El Ágora USB, 23(2), 506–519. https://doi.org/10.21500/16578031.6230

Sime, J.-A., & Themelis, C. (2020). Educators’ perspectives on identity and teaching presence in distance education. Distance Education, 41(1), 57–78.

Toledo, N. L. U. (2025). Who do I say I am: A review of Catholic teachers’ spiritual identity and factors affecting its formation. Journal of Catholic Education, 28(2), 28–48. https://doi.org/10.15365/joce.2802022025

UNESCOIESALC. (2025). Inclusion 360°: Redefining higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean. https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/ inclusion-360

Ulla, M. B., Lemana, H. E., y Kohnke, L. (2024). The construction of teacher identity in digital contexts. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2024(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.84

license

How to Cite

SEDAN CADENA, J. L. (2026). Vocation and teaching identity in distance education. EducaT: Educación Virtual, Innovación Y Tecnologías, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.22490/unad.27452115.11653

Download Citation

Almétricas