Aula, democracia y pensamiento crítico: educación didáctica para fortalecer competencias ciudadanas en la educación media.

Abstract

This research project aims to design a didactic sequence oriented toward strengthening citizenship competencies in eleventh-grade students at Gimnasio San Diego School in Floridablanca, Santander. The proposal arises from the need to transform traditional teaching practices in the field of political and economic sciences, which are characterized by memorization and a limited problematization of reality, a situation widely documented in both national and international studies. In this sense, the project is grounded in constructivist, sociocultural, and critical approaches, drawing on contributions from authors such as Vygotsky, Dewey, Bruner, and Freire, who emphasize the importance of active participation, dialogue, and reflection in citizenship education. The research adopts a descriptive qualitative approach, supported by techniques such as participant observation, analysis of student productions, field journals, and formative rubrics. Its methodological design integrates Kemmis’ action research model (1988), allowing for the implementation and evaluation of the sequence in a real classroom context. The proposal is structured in three phases: activation and problematization, critical development, and reflective production, through activities such as debates, case analysis, critical reading, democratic simulations, and the development of a School Citizenship Action Project. The expected results aim to strengthen cognitive, communicative, emotional, and integrative skills, promoting democratic participation and critical thinking. Overall, this project seeks to contribute a situated pedagogical proposal for teaching citizenship competencies in Colombian secondary education.