Diseño de una Estrategia Educativa STEM que potencie el Pensamiento numérico en Estudiantes de Cuarto Grado con Diversos Estilos de Aprendizaje mediante el Uso de Material concreto.

Abstract

This research project aims to design an innovative educational strategy based on the STEM approach, focused on strengthening numerical thinking in fourth-grade students with diverse learning styles through the use of concrete materials. The study is conducted in two public schools in Colombia—one urban (Soledad, Atlántico) and one rural (Zapatoca, Santander)—whose student populations face socioeconomic vulnerability and low academic performance in mathematics, especially in solving problems related to multiplicative structures. Based on a diagnosis supported by Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, predominant learning styles (kinesthetic, visual, and auditory) were identified, highlighting the need for more inclusive methodologies. The proposed strategy integrates Kolb’s model, challenge-based learning, and the use of accessible manipulatives, allowing difficulties to be addressed through a contextualized and participatory approach. It also includes a “Mathematical Challenge Fair” that connects learning with the community. The proposal seeks not only to improve mathematical learning but also to foster 21st-century skills such as creativity, collaboration, and autonomy, thus contributing to a more equitable, meaningful, and transformative education.