Funding and infrastructure as educational policy tools: Student perceptions at a technical high school in Nayarit, Mexico

Abstract

Funding allocated to school infrastructure constitutes a central component of education policy, particularly in upper-secondary technical education, where material conditions directly shape the educational experience. This study aims to analyze students’ perceptions of educational infrastructure conditions and describe the evolution of public funding allocated to facility maintenance in a campus of the Colegio de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos del Estado de Nayarit, Mexico. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive–analytical design is adopted. Infrastructure perception is measured using an original 10-item Likert-type questionnaire with five response levels, administered to a sample of 105 students in 2024; the instrument demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = .78). Funding is examined using documentary data for the period 2021–2024, adjusted for inflation, and through an analysis of real per-student expenditure. The results reveal heterogeneous assessments, with more favorable perceptions in general maintenance, sanitation services, lighting, and the overall physical condition of the campus. The overall Infrastructure Perception Index (IPI) was 3.17. Funding increased in real terms over the period, albeit with interannual variability. The findings indicate that increases in funding are not uniformly reflected in student perceptions, underscoring the relevance of incorporating such perceptions as a complementary diagnostic input in subnational educational infrastructure policy.