Mamakuna

Transforming teaching practices in Early Childhood Education. Experiences with the NéoPass@ction methodology

2025-04-21T16:47:18+00:00

This research aims to analyse how the implementation of the NéoPass@ction methodology has contributed to transforming teaching practices in Early Childhood Education, with a particular focus on teaching-learning dynamics and teacher-student interaction. The study also explores the application of this methodology in an educational centre, focusing on innovative teaching strategies. At the same time, the importance of this methodology in promoting reflection on teaching practice is emphasised by identifying critical moments and typical situations through class recordings. Subsequently, analysis and reflection are encouraged through individual, group and educational expert feedback, which is then provided to the teacher. To gain insight into the results of the methodology, interviews were conducted with teachers and experts to collect data on its implementation. Significant improvements in the pedagogical practices of teachers who participated in the study were evident. Finally, the effectiveness of this methodology in promoting teacher reflection and improving the teaching and learning process in Early Childhood Education is emphasised.

Effects of didactic games on reading comprehension in fifth-grade students at a municipal school in Castro, Chile

2025-06-13T15:27:39+00:00

This study analyzed the influence of didactic games on reading comprehension among fifth-grade students at a municipal school in Castro, Chiloé. The research was motivated by low results in standardized test SIMCE, particularly in skills related to locating, interpreting, connecting, and reflecting on texts. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design was used, with a sample of 54 students divided into an experimental group (A) and a control group (B). The intervention consisted of four workshops based on didactic games. Pre- and post-tests were applied using the CLIP test, validated in Chile, which evaluates three levels of reading comprehension: literal (local), inferential, and global. Results show significant improvements in the experimental group, especially in the Inferential category, which increased from 36.35% to 57%. The local category remained stable, while the global category showed variability. Students in the Programa de Integración Escolar (PIE) also made progress, particularly in inferential comprehension. The findings indicate that didactic games are an effective pedagogical tool to strengthen reading comprehension, although additional strategies are needed to improve local and global levels. The study highlights the value of playful and inclusive methodologies in diverse school contexts.

The effects of language exchange via videoconferencing on comprehensibility and intelligibility as perceived by native English speakers

2025-06-04T13:31:43+00:00

This paper discusses the impact of videoconferencing language exchanges on the comprehensibility and intelligibility of B1-level English students learning in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) at a university in Ecuador. The study utilizes a quantitative experimental approach, involving thirty-five B1-level English students across four classes and two instructors. Students of the experimental group experienced online language exchanges via videoconferencing for 12 weeks whereas the control group was assigned an alternative speaking and listening activity. A pre- and post-test were implemented to collect data about students' performance in comprehensibility and intelligibility, as evaluated by volunteer native speakers. The results revealed a 1% increase comprehensibility for the experimental group over the control group, and a higher increase in intelligibility in the control group over the experimental group. Overall, the study concludes that external factors such as a high mortality rate of participants and students' low motivation likely influenced these outcomes. A notable takeaway is that the experimental group’s comprehensibility didn’t appear to be as affected by external pressures as the control group’s results in this area. Further refinement in the design and implementation of online language exchanges is necessary to maximize their effectiveness.

Playful strategies to prevent bullying in adolescents

2025-07-14T13:28:48+00:00

This study analyzes the effectiveness of play-based strategies to prevent school bullying among adolescents, using a quantitative approach and a non-experimental design. The Cisneros School Bullying Self-Test and a sociodemographic survey were administered to 349 students from two private educational institutions in Ambato. The results show that the most prevalent dimensions of bullying are coercion and aggression. Based on these findings, awareness campaigns with play-based activities were designed to mitigate these forms of violence. The study concludes that play-based strategies are effective in preventing school bullying, as they foster social skills and strengthen peer relationships among adolescents.

Education as a peacebuilding. Case study about the social Ecuadorian crises

2025-04-03T18:15:05+00:00

Ecuador is currently experiencing a social crisis marked by violence. This is causing concern and unease among the population and is having a direct impact on the education system. It also demands the creation of peaceful societies through education. For this reason, this paper proposes analysing options for educating citizens to promote peaceful coexistence. The study was conducted in an educational institution in the Biblián canton in Cañar, involving 127 legal representatives and 15 teachers. The qualitative case study approach involved using data collection instruments such as interviews and surveys. The results emphasised the importance of the State establishing and following up on peace awareness programmes, as well as the importance of the home and school in promoting human values and practising them by example. Finally, the importance of using dialogue to peacefully resolve problems is emphasised.

WhatsApp as a learning platform in rural education during the pandemic

2025-07-15T13:32:24+00:00

During the 2020 health emergency, education faced a mandatory shift towards virtual modalities. In the parish of El Valle, Cuenca, Ecuador, this process was hindered because 63,7% of students lacked computers and 50% did not have fixed internet access. However, since 85,6% used WhatsApp with data plans, this application was chosen as an educational tool. This study evaluated the impact of WhatsApp as a learning platform among teachers at Manuel Guerrero School using a mixed-methods action research approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to assess satisfaction, emotional impact and tool appreciation. The results indicated that 85% of teachers successfully applied the methodology, achieving learning objectives, and 90% noted increasing participation from typically non-participative students, recommending its continued use in rural contexts with technological limitations.

Los Latidos del Tiempo: an educational tourism program framed within a historiographical perspective

2025-06-10T15:38:47+00:00

Los Latidos del Tiempo is an educational experience inaugurated in 2003, aimed at primary and secondary schools located in the city of La Plata (Argentina), within the framework of a scientific tourism program endorsed by the then Consejo Académico de la Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, and involving other institutions such as the Observatorio Astronómico de La Plata, the Museo de Ciencias Naturales, and the Jardín Zoológico y Botánico de La Plata. Twenty years after the initiative began, the conceptual axis that guides and structures the project is examined, as are the various methodological and didactic strategies that have enabled a diversity of topics to be addressed. At the same time, the impact of the experience on both teachers and students from the visiting schools, as well as on the pedagogical and disciplinary training of university students and graduates in relation to science communication and popularisation is analysed.

Project-based learning applied to universal learning design to improve the attention and interest of children with intellectual disabilities

2024-11-13T21:43:39+00:00

Project-based learning is a popular tool for achieving a goal, in this case the final product. However, the planning of this project is based on the principles of universal learning design. The objective of this study was to develop a project-based learning strategy based on universal learning design to improve the attention and interest of children with mild intellectual disabilities aged seven to eleven at the Unidad de Diagnóstico, Investigación Psicopedagógica y Apoyo a la Inclusión (UDIPSAI). This qualitative study used participant observation and a checklist to collect information. The study concludes that the proposed strategy strengthens the concentration and motivation of students with mild intellectual disabilities in teaching and learning processes by offering different ways to represent information and providing motivation to learn and express knowledge.