Improving science and mathematics teaching in Colombian rural schools through Just-in-Time Teaching and research training

Abstract Teaching science and mathematics in rural schools in Colombia is shaped by restricted access to experimental laboratories, learning resources, technology, road infrastructure, and sustained academic support networks. This paper reports a descriptive implementation analysis of an institutional educational project conducted in four rural upper-secondary schools over one academic year. The project aimed to support mathematics, chemistry, and physics curricula for tenth- and eleventh-grade students through three components: teacher training, guided visits to university physics and chemistry laboratories, and a Moodle-based environment with content resources and session preparation questionnaires (SPQs) designed to support just-in-time teaching-oriented class preparation. We describe the implementation conditions, participation patterns, and barriers observed across the four schools, with emphasis on virtual-classroom deployment, SPQ completion, and average SPQ scores. The findings show substantial heterogeneity among schools, especially in relation to internet access and effective platform use. The study therefore contributes evidence on the practical conditions under which university-supported, technology-mediated teaching initiatives can be implemented in rural upper-secondary contexts, while recognizing that the available data do not establish causal effects on academic performance, Saber 11 outcomes, STEM aspirations, or access to higher education.