Contribuciones de la práctica pedagógica a la permanencia de los estudiantes de la educación media, en Bogotá-Colombia.

Abstract

This research was conducted within the framework of the Doctorate in Education at Universidad Santo Tomás, under the research line Organization, Educational Management, and Knowledge (OGEC). It is framed within the epistemic dialogue among three fundamental categories: student retention, upper secondary education, and teaching pedagogical practice. The general purpose was to analyze the pedagogical practices implemented by teachers in public schools in Bogotá and their influence on student retention in upper secondary education, corresponding to grades tenth (10th) and eleventh (11th). The study focused on public institutions in the Capital District, recognizing that upper secondary education represents a crucial stage for the construction of life projects and the educational continuity of young people. The study addressed three interrelated dimensions—pedagogical, social, and political—in order to understand how teaching practices affect school retention within diverse urban contexts. The state of the art revealed that student retention is influenced by multiple factors, including traditional teaching practices, limited use of information and communication technologies (ICT), and insufficient didactic innovation, which often lead to student demotivation and disconnection from their educational process. In response, the study highlights the need to transform pedagogical practices toward more inclusive, contextualized, and innovative approaches that strengthen young people's engagement with learning and their life projects. From a theoretical perspective, the research acknowledges the teacher’s role as a mediator of knowledge, promoter of meaningful learning, and key agent in the creation of relevant pedagogical environments. It emphasizes the importance of continuous professional development as a means for teachers to respond with flexibility and commitment to the social, cultural, and technological challenges faced by upper secondary education in Bogotá. Methodologically, the study followed a qualitative approach under a socio-critical paradigm. A documentary analysis of public policies related to school retention at international, national, and district levels was conducted, as well as an epistemological analysis of the concept of pedagogical practice. In addition, semi-structured interviews were carried out with teachers from public schools to characterize their pedagogical practices and to understand the meanings they attribute to their daily work. The findings show that the most significant pedagogical practices are those that foster deep, contextualized, and relevant learning based on active student participation and connection with their environment. In line with the general objective, the research concludes that meaningful pedagogical practices strengthen student retention by creating authentic links between school content, students’ interests, and their lived realities. Consequently, these practices are consolidated as an essential pedagogical strategy for comprehensive development and for building sustainable educational trajectories in Bogotá’s public upper secondary schools.