Practical guidance as a graduation modality and professional development in tourism: an Ecuadorian university case
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51798/sijis.v6i2.971Keywords:
Tour guides, practical guidance, experiential learning, holistic education, sustainabilityAbstract
This research analyzes the incidence of academic and professional training in integrating the degree modality: the practical guidance in students of the National Tourism Guide career at the University of Tourism Specialties (UDET) in Quito, Ecuador. It is based on Kolb's experiential learning theory, which establishes a four-stage learning cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The study evaluates how this approach strengthens theoretical understanding and practical application of knowledge in future tourism professionals. For this purpose, a Holistic and Experiential Learning Evaluation Instrument (HELEI) was designed, which combines quantitative and qualitative methods to present results that show that this approach fosters better integration of theoretical knowledge with practical experience, strengthening meaningful learning, sustainability, and intercultural education. The research highlights the importance of consolidating practical guidance as a central axis in training tourist guides in Ecuador.
References
Albrecht, J. N., Moscardo, G., & Dwyer, T. (2022). Learning about learning in tourism: Indigenous guide perspectives on their personal and professional development. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 46(2), 320-343. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348021997535
Barker, D. J., Lencucha, J., & Anderson, R. (2016). Kolb’s learning cycle as a framework for early fieldwork learning. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 72(1), 28-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/14473828.2016.1162373
Binbin, T., Sereerat, B. O., Songsiengchai, S., & Thongkumsuk, P. (2024). The Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage Curriculum Based on Experiential Learning Theory to Improve Undergraduate Students Understanding in Intangible Cultural Heritage. World Journal of Education, 14(1), 43-53.
Black, R., & Ham, S. (2005). Improving the quality of tour guiding: Towards a model for tour guide certification. Journal of Ecotourism, 4(3), 178-195. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724040608668442
Blau, M. L., & Panagopoulos, T. (2022). Designing healing destinations: A practical guide for eco-conscious tourism development. Land, 11(9), 1595. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091595
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-42. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X018001032 (Original work published 1989)
Bryce, T. G. K., & Blown, E. J. (2024). Ausubel’s meaningful learning re-visited. Current Psychology, 43(5), 4579-4598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04440-4
Casillo, M., Clarizia, F., Colace, F., Lombardi, M., Pascale, F., & Santaniello, D. (2019). An approach for recommending contextualized services in e-tourism. Information, 10(5), 180. https://doi.org/10.3390/info10050180
Cheverst, K., Davies, N., Mitchell, K., & Friday, A. (2000, August). Experiences of developing and deploying a context-aware tourist guide: the GUIDE project. In Proceedings of the 6th annual international conference on Mobile computing and networking (pp. 20-31).
Csapo, J. (2012). The role and importance of cultural tourism in modern tourism industry. Strategies for tourism industry-micro and macro perspectives, 10, 201-212.
Davies, N., Cheverst, K., Mitchell, K., & Efrat, A. (2002). Using and determining location in a context-sensitive tour guide. Computer, 34(8), 35-41.
Erlingsson, C., & Brysiewicz, P. (2017). A hands-on guide to doing content analysis. African journal of emergency medicine, 7(3), 93-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afjem.2017.08.001
Garland, R., & Batty, M. L. (2021). Moving beyond the rhetoric of social justice in nursing education: Practical guidance for nurse educators committed to anti-racist pedagogical practice. Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse, 3(1), 17-30. https://doi.org/10.25071/2291-5796.96
Higuchi, Y., & Yamanaka, Y. (2017). Knowledge sharing between academic researchers and tourism practitioners: A Japanese study of the practical value of embeddedness, trust and co-creation. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(10), 1456-1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2017.1288733
Jamal, T. B. (2004). Virtue ethics and sustainable tourism pedagogy: Phronesis, principles and practice. Journal of sustainable tourism, 12(6), 530-545. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669580408667252
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education. Academy of management learning & education, 4(2), 193-212. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2005.17268566
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2009). The learning way: Meta-cognitive aspects of experiential learning. Simulation & gaming, 40(3), 297-327. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878108325713
Kolb, A., & Kolb, D. A. (2003). Experiential learning theory bibliography. Experience Based Learning Systems Inc., Cleveland, OH.
Kustova, I., Hudenko, J., & Lace, N. (2024). A Systematic Review of Sustainability Criteria in Infrastructure Development. Sustainability, 16(11), 4564. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114564
Lashley, C., & Barron, P. (2006). The learning style preferences of hospitality and tourism students: Observations from an international and cross-cultural study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 25(4), 552-569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2005.03.006
Leite, N., & Graburn, N. (2009). Anthropological interventions in tourism studies. The Sage handbook of tourism studies, 35-64.
McKim, C. A. (2017). The value of mixed methods research: A mixed methods study. Journal of mixed methods research, 11(2), 202-222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689815607096
Morris, T. H. (2020). Experiential learning–a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interactive learning environments, 28(8), 1064-1077
Muscat, M., & Mollicone, P. (2012). Using Kolb's learning cycle to enhance the teaching and learning of mechanics of materials. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, 40(1), 66-78. https://doi.org/10.7227/IJMEE.40.1.10
Ng, K. Y., Van Dyne, L., & Ang, S. (2009). From experience to experiential learning: Cultural intelligence as a learning capability for global leader development. Academy of Management learning & education, 8(4), 511-526. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.8.4.zqr511
Ormond, M., & Vietti, F. (2022). Beyond multicultural ‘tolerance’: Guided tours and guidebooks as transformative tools for civic learning. In Peace Through Tourism (pp. 207-223). Routledge.
Passarelli, A. M., & Kolb, D. A. (2023). Using experiential learning theory to promote student learning and development in programs of education abroad. In Student learning abroad (pp. 137-161). Routledge.
Pu, P., Cheng, L., Samarathunga, W. H. M. S., & Wall, G. (2023). Tour guides’ sustainable tourism practices in host-guest interactions: when Tibet meets the west. Tourism Review, 78(3), 808-833. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-04-2022-0182
Robinson, J. (2024). Likert scale. In Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (pp. 3917-3918). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Sharma, A., & Sodani, P. (2024). Ethics in tourism: Responsibility toward balancing sustainability. In International Handbook of Skill, Education, Learning, and Research Development in Tourism and Hospitality (pp. 629-647). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Su, C. J., Lebrun, A. M., Bouchet, P., Wang, J. R., Lorgnier, N., & Yang, J. H. (2016). Tourists’ participation and preference-related belief in co-creating value of experience: a nature-based perspective. Service Business, 10, 823-846. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-015-0292-z
Taylor, J. (2021). Exploring Ethical Considerations in Educational Research. Frontiers of Educational Review, 3(2), 21. doi:10.69610/j.fer.20210830
Terry, M. (2001). Translating learning style theory into university teaching practices: an article based on Kolb's experiential learning model. Journal of college reading and learning, 32(1), 68-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2001.10850128
Walliman, N., & Walliman, N. (2021). Research Methods: The Basics (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003141693.
Wrenn, J., & Wrenn, B. (2009). Enhancing learning by integrating theory and practice. International Journal of Teaching and learning in higher education, 21(2), 258-265.
Ye, J., Qin, Y., & Wu, H. (2024). Cultural heritage and sustainable tourism: unveiling the positive correlations and economic impacts. Current Psychology, 43(47), 36393-36415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-07070-6
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sylvia del Pilar Herrera Díaz, Gonzalo Napoleón Cadena Echeverría, Orisvel Vega Hernández
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
