Eduemotion. Fortalecimiento de las Competencias Socioemocionales Mediante la Implementación de una Herramienta Tecnológica Gamificada Como Estrategia Pedagógica y Didáctica para Estudiantes de Educación Media.

Abstract

In Colombia, a large number of educational institutions lack effective programs for the development of socio-emotional competencies, which negatively impacts students’ well-being and academic performance (Welbin y LEE, 2022). This issue is evident at the Agrícola de Unguía Educational Institution, where factors such as low economic development, scarcity of resources, and conflictive family relationships directly affect the emotional and social state of the students. Although there are some institutional initiatives, there are still significant shortcomings in defined intervention programs to strengthen emotional competencies. The assessment conducted with Goleman’s test (2012) revealed that students have an average level of emotional intelligence, with particular weaknesses in areas such as self-regulation, self-awareness, and social skills. In this context, the research becomes relevant as it responds to the need for innovative strategies that promote the comprehensive development of students. The inclusion of a gamified technological component is essential, as it allows for the implementation of innovative and creative methodologies that enhance participation and critical thinking (Quiroz et al., 2021) The main objective of this research is to strengthen socioemotional competencies through the implementation of a gamified technological tool aimed at high school students, specifically tenth graders at the Agricultural Educational Institution of Unguía (Chocó, Colombia). A concurrent mixed design was used, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample consisted of 44 tenth-grade students. The instruments applied included the “Socioemotional Assessment,” the “User Preferences” test, and the “Gamex Assessment.” Pretest and posttest measurements were conducted to evaluate the impact of the gamified intervention on the socioemotional competencies of the participants. Both quantitative and qualitative results showed that students initially had an intermediate level of socioemotional skills, with strengths in emotional regulation and basic social competencies but limitations in emotional awareness and autonomy. The gamified technological tool, designed through a user-centered process, met students’ expectations and facilitated the strengthening of their socioemotional competencies. A statistically significant improvement was observed between pretest and posttest results, confirming the effectiveness of the intervention. In conclusion, the intervention based on a gamified technological tool proved to be an effective and innovative strategy to enhance socioemotional development in high school students, contributing to the integral well-being and academic success of the participants.