“Sembrar conciencia, cuidando la vida”: ecopedagogía como experiencia para la construcción de una conciencia ambiental crítica en la comunidad educativa

Abstract

This research is developed within the field of environmental education and seeks to understand students’ environmental conceptions beyond the environmental activities promoted by the school. Although the institution implements different environmental initiatives, these do not always become part of a shared and critical environmental culture among students. The study is conducted at Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento Teacher Training School, located in Puerto Gaitán, Meta, Colombia, with the participation of approximately 250 elementary and middle school students. Its main objective is to evaluate how a pedagogical proposal based on ecopedagogy contributes to the development of critical environmental awareness. The research follows a qualitative and interpretative approach aimed at understanding the meanings students assign to the environment. The process is organized into three stages: identifying students’ initial environmental conceptions, implementing a pedagogical proposal based on the 7E learning model, and analyzing the transformations that emerge throughout the experience. Data are collected through open-ended questionnaires and field diary records, allowing the identification of how students understand and value their relationship with the environment. Preliminary findings reveal that students’ conceptions are mainly associated with visible actions, such as avoiding littering and caring for school spaces, while critical and collective perspectives appear less frequently. In addition, tensions are observed between the environmental messages promoted by the institution and the ways students interpret them. During the implementation process, students have shown greater willingness to participate, express their opinions, and connect the activities with their own surroundings. These findings suggest that the development of critical environmental awareness is a gradual process that involves transforming the ideas and meanings students attribute to their relationship with the environment. In this context, ecopedagogy emerges as a valuable approach for strengthening environmental education and fostering critical reflection within the school setting.