Construcción de un diseño pedagógico para las ciencias sociales escolares mediadas por redes virtuales de aprendizaje

Abstract

School-based social studies represent a central field of knowledge in students’ education, as they foster the development of skills that enable learners to understand the society in which they live. Through the curricular components of social studies established by the Ministry of National Education—history, geography, politics, economics, and cultures (MEN, 2016)—students are better equipped to engage with current social issues, approach cultural diversity from a rights-based perspective, understand alternative worldviews with empathy, and participate in democratic society in an informed and critical manner. However, scholars such as Córdoba and Gaviria (2019), Cervantes and Romero (2020), and López (2022) have identified current challenges in social studies education, including student demotivation, lack of interest, and disconnection from real-world issues beyond the classroom. In response to these concerns, there is a growing trend to effectively integrate digital tools to enrich the learning experience. In this context, Virtual Learning Networks (VLNs) are emerging as spaces that promote interaction and collaboration for pedagogical and professional development purposes. Consequently, this doctoral research adopts a phenomenological approach to analyze students’ learning experiences in social studies, focusing on the design and implementation of a pedagogical model that connects school knowledge with contemporary social phenomena through the technological mediation of Virtual Learning Networks (VLNs). The unit of analysis consists of three groups of tenth-grade students from educational institutions in Argentina, Colombia, and Singapore, enabling a comparative and context-sensitive exploration of learning dynamics across diverse sociocultural settings.