Desarrollo del pensamiento critico en los jovenes de la fundación Funmupaz de Valledupar del Cesar: un enfoque desde la identidad de género

Abstract

Critical thinking constitutes a fundamental competence for forming citizens capable of analyzing, questioning, and transforming their social realities, especially in vulnerable contexts where inequality, exclusion, and discrimination structure youth experiences. At Fundación FUNMUPAZ in Valledupar, Cesar, young people face conditions of poverty, violence, and limited educational access that hinder the development of reflective and participatory skills. Additionally, traditional pedagogical practices tend to reproduce hierarchical models that invisibilize youth experiences, particularly those related to gender identity, perpetuating stereotypes and limiting spaces for expression and critical questioning. This research emerges from the urgent need to transform these educational scenarios through inclusive strategies that recognize diversity as a fundamental axis for strengthening critical thinking in adolescents. The general objective of the study is to analyze, from a Participatory Action Research approach, the impact of co-construction and implementation of inclusive pedagogical strategies on strengthening critical thinking among 15 young people aged 14 to 18 belonging to Fundación FUNMUPAZ, promoting their active and reflective participation in transforming their social reality. The research adopts a qualitative methodological design grounded in the socio-critical paradigm and Participatory Action Research, privileging deep understanding of experiences and sociocultural contexts. Instruments include initial and final semi-structured interviews, diagnostic and closing focus groups, systematic participant observation, analysis of narrative productions, and three participatory workshops centered on identity, critical thinking, and coexistence. All instruments will be validated through expert judgment and pilot testing. Analysis will be conducted through thematic coding and multiple triangulation of sources, methods, and temporal data.