Percepción de Estudiantes de Pregrado sobre la Formación Inicial Docente en la Pareja Pedagógica: Undergraduate Students' Perception of Initial Teacher Training in the Pedagogical Pair

This article analyzes undergraduate students' perception of pedagogical pair contributions during their pre-professional practice. It is based on the need to train qualified teachers for diverse educational contexts. Through a qualitative case study in an Ecuadorian higher education institution, data was collected from fourth and ninth-cycle students and graduates, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Results show that the pedagogical pair promotes the development of fundamental skills such as cooperation, fluid communication, organization, and professionalism. Essential qualities for effective teamwork were identified: responsibility, organization, punctuality, trust, communication, and commitment, which operate interdependently. Participants positively valued this training modality for their subsequent professional performance. The study concludes that training in pedagogical pairs contributes to generating teachers prepared to promote sustainable development through a collaborative work culture, equipped to face the challenges of heterogeneous educational communities.