La revista Maestros y Pedagogía se propone publicar aportes significativos en los diferentes ámbitos de la teoría y la práctica educativa, como resultado de la investigación y del estudio riguroso de la comunidad académica y profesionales de la educación.
Academic Writing in Higher Education: Practices, Tensions, and Challenges in Distance Learning Contexts
This article analyzes academic writing practices in higher education, particularly in distance learning contexts, with the aim of understanding the tensions between institutional guidelines, teaching practices, and student experiences. Methodologically, the study is framed within a qualitative paradigm with an interpretative approach, supported by document analysis and data collection through surveys and categorical matrices. The results show that writing is predominantly conceived as an evaluative tool rather than as an epistemic practice that fosters knowledge construction. Additionally, weaknesses are identified in the curricular articulation of writing and in the shared responsibility for its teaching. It is concluded that there is a need to move towards integrative approaches such as Writing Across the Curriculum and Writing in the Disciplines, which allow for the re-signification of writing as a formative, critical, and situated practice.
Art, Memory, and Territory as Pedagogies for Peace: A Replicable Methodological Proposal from the Alfredo Molano Bravo Chair
Peacebuilding in post-conflict educational contexts requires strategies that articulate historical memory and the recognition of the territory. The objective of this article is to present the systematization of a pedagogical experience developed in the Bachelor's Degree in Artistic and Cultural Education of the University of the Amazon, within the framework of the Alfredo Molano Bravo Chair. The methodology used a qualitative approach of systematization of pedagogical experiences, integrating Alfredo Molano Bravo's "Backpack Methodology" with research-creation processes. The design was structured in four phases: territorial recognition, community listening, artistic creation and socialization. The results show that art functions as a pedagogical language that facilitates symbolic reconciliation and the strengthening of Amazonian identities. Likewise, a transformation in teacher training was observed, moving from a technical approach to critical mediation for peace. It is concluded that the integration of art, memory and territory constitutes a replicable and situated pedagogical model, capable of fostering a citizenship committed to the reconstruction of the social fabric in territories affected by the armed conflict.
Influence of Social Stimuli on the Affective Development of Early Childhood Education Children in a Colombian Rural Context
This article analyzes the impact of social stimuli on the affective development of children in the Transition grade at a rural educational institution in the municipality of Suaza, Huila. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach through an action research design, aimed at strengthening socio-affective development and school coexistence through a pedagogical intervention based on classroom projects. Participants were boys and girls between four and six years of age who exhibited difficulties related to social interaction, emotional expression, and peer coexistence. The intervention was structured through the classroom pedagogical project “I Am the Hero of My Family”, composed of seven didactic sequences mediated by social stimuli, social communication, and affectivity. Data collection techniques included direct observation, semi-structured interviews, characterization records, and document review. The results show a reduction in behaviors associated with aggressiveness, selfishness, and intolerance, as well as a strengthening of emotional expression, social interaction, and cooperative work. It is concluded that social stimuli, when intentionally integrated into pedagogical practices, have a positive impact on affective development and school coexistence in early childhood education, particularly in rural contexts.
Processes of Construction of Children's Cultures and their Implications for the Role of the Teacher in Colombian Early Childhood Education
This qualitative study explores how children's cultures are constructed in Colombia, based on the premise that there is not a single childhood, but multiple realities influenced by social, political, cultural and economic factors. The research, carried out by the students of the III semester of the Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education of the University of the Amazon, during four academic periods, together with their advisor of the academic space Research II; It implied the focus on various family typologies from contexts close to their places of residence in order to characterize the factors that affect the construction of children's subjectivity. A characterization instrument called "Formation and construction of subjectivity in childhood" was used, structured in two phases. The first analyzed the socio-family nucleus, considering affectivity, authority, the economic factor and ethical aspects. The second phase focused on the sociocultural context, the relevance of play as a fundamental principle in all spheres of child development and the use of mass media was also analyzed. The results showed that children's subjectivity and cultures are largely shaped by parental parenting styles, parenting patterns, and family configuration. This finding underscores the challenges faced by early childhood teachers today, who must understand and respond to the complexity of diverse childhoods in educational contexts.
ICT and Teachers’ Digital Competencies: A Documentary Analysis of Their Pedagogical Mediation
Given the necessary incorporation and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) across all social sectors, particularly in education, this article presents an analysis of how ICT, within pedagogical mediation, fosters the development of teachers’ digital competencies and how it significantly impacts educational practices. Accordingly, a documentary review was conducted, including master and doctoral theses, as well as research articles, considering the categories of digital competencies, ICT, educational practices, pedagogical mediation, digital era, and digital literacy. Based on the type of research, and search strategies, review, and selection criteria, 20 research products were found and selected. The revision reveals that, indeed, the use of ICT in pedagogical mediation promotes the development of digital competencies, when the different dimensions it involves -such as tools for didactic mediation, content creation and its application and role within digital society- are recognized. Among other relevant findings, the importance of understanding relational dynamics and teacher leadership as essential elements in the development of digital competencies is emphasized, in harmony with the formative responsibility of the education in fostering human and social development.
Decolonial pedagogical innovation for promoting respect and recognition of otherness among tenth-grade students at the Tibaitatá Departmental Educational Institution. Reflections on decolonial educational practices and the recognition of otherness in school
This article presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a pedagogical strategy based on decolonial approaches, aimed at promoting respect and recognition of otherness among tenth-grade students at the Tibaitatá Departmental Educational Institution, located in Madrid, Cundinamarca. The intervention is based on the theoretical foundations of Walsh (2009, 2013) and Mignolo (2011), integrating rhizomatic methodologies, intercultural dialogues, and reflective practices that seek to challenge Eurocentric logics in traditional education. Through a participatory approach, spaces were facilitated for intercultural dialogue, the recognition of ancestral knowledge, and the appreciation of the experiences of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, contributing to the construction of a culture of peace and intercultural coexistence. The results show a transformation in students' perceptions of cultural diversity, achieving more open, respectful, and appreciative attitudes toward otherness, in line with the principles of decolonial pedagogy and interculturality.
Research on Interculturality in Colombia: Persistent Challenges in 21st-Century ELT Teacher Education
In the context of intensified global mobility and sociocultural diversification, interculturality has gained renewed prominence in educational debates. However, in English language teaching (ELT), it is frequently reduced to a superficial recognition of cultural difference, framed through national, essentialist, or celebratory perspectives that limit its transformative scope. This conceptual and critical paper examines the evolution of culture and interculturality through key developments in cultural studies, tracing a shift from modernist paradigms toward postmodern, critical, and decolonial perspectives that foreground power, discourse, and historical asymmetries. It critically differentiates multiculturality, pluriculturality, and interculturality, arguing that the latter has often been institutionalized in depoliticized ways that manage diversity rather than challenge inequality. Additionally, drawing on Colombian scholarship on interculturality in ELT teacher education, the paper identifies persistent challenges, including transmissionist models, curricular marginalization, and the prioritization of linguistic outcomes over critical intercultural engagement. Anchored in critical pedagogy, the paper conceptualizes interculturality as an unfinished ethical–political project and proposes practice-oriented actions to embed it structurally within ELT teacher education.
Dramatic Play as a Mediating Strategy for Linguistic Development
This article analyzes dramatic play as a pedagogical mediation strategy for linguistic development in secondary school students. The research was conducted under a qualitative approach through an action research methodology, based on the implementation of a didactic proposal involving dramatization activities, role-playing, and character creation with a group of seventh-grade students from a public educational institution in Florencia, Caquetá. The results show significant improvements in oral expression, listening comprehension, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, as well as strengthened social interaction and active student participation. The analysis, supported by theoretical contributions from pedagogy, sociocultural psychology, and neuroeducation, allows the conclusion that dramatic play promotes meaningful learning by integrating emotion, action, and language. It is concluded that this strategy constitutes a relevant didactic alternative to transform traditional language teaching practices and promote a more active and participatory education.
School Astronomy as a Scientific Literacy Strategy: Experience at the Amazonian Agroecological School of El Paujil (Caquetá, Colombia)
This article presents an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional pedagogical experience aimed at strengthening scientific literacy in educational institutions in the department of Caquetá. The initiative emerged within the framework of the Astrobiology and Astronomy Seedbed of the Faculty of Education at the University of the Amazonia, where students from different fields design and implement didactic strategies to promote interest in research and the development of positive attitudes toward science. The proposal was based on a critical-social approach and was developed as a Pedagogical Action-Research-Participation process. The pilot project was implemented at the Amazonian Agroecological Educational Institution, in the municipality of El Paujil, with a focal group of 25 students from eighth and tenth grades during Natural Sciences classes. Based on an initial diagnosis of prior knowledge and the application of pre- and post-surveys, a significant increase was evidenced in the understanding of basic astronomy concepts and their relationship with Natural Sciences content, as well as an improvement in attitudes toward natural sciences. In addition, the use of the telescope was consolidated as a fundamental resource to enhance experiential learning and stimulate scientific curiosity. The results show that this type of initiative strengthens student motivation, promotes the formative use of free time, and generates teacher reflections on pedagogical innovation. Finally, the analysis using a SWOT matrix made it possible to identify internal and external factors that guide the sustainability and future projection of the seedbed.
Educational guidelines: an emerging proposal for teachers and early childhood education professionals on early childhood enrichment in the Colombian Amazon
This article presents the results of the fourth objective of the research project entitled “Early Stimulation and Didactics in Childhood: An Approach from Teacher Education in the Colombian Amazon Region,” conducted within the framework of the internal call of the Vice-Rector’s Office for Research at the University of Amazonia and carried out by members of the LINFA Research Seedbed during 2025. The specific objective guiding this work was to propose pedagogical guidelines as a formative approach to strengthen teacher and professional education in Early Childhood Education, based on the early stimulation approach in the Amazon region. The proposal was developed through the analysis of the research findings, the review of articles derived from the project, and processes of design, validation, and refinement of the guidelines through academic dialogues with experts and educational stakeholders from the territory. From a qualitative, interpretive, and propositional approach, contributions from pedagogy, neuroscience, intercultural education, and contextualized didactics are articulated, acknowledging the cultural, social, and territorial diversity of the Colombian Amazon. The resulting guidelines constitute a significant contribution to the research process by translating the findings into pedagogical orientations applicable to initial and continuing education for teachers and professionals who support early childhood.
Critical Interculturality and ELT Materials: The case of teachers and students from a public school
This article reports a case study focused on critical interculturality and ELT materials at a public school in Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia. The study aimed at analyzing the extent to which ELT teachers embed critical interculturality in the design, adaptation, and use of materials at Institución Educativa Jorge Eliécer Gaitán according to teachers’ and students’ perceptions by following a qualitative approach. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews to five ELT teachers, and a Likert-scale survey to sixty-three tenth and eleventh graders, and analyzed with ground theory approach. Results evidenced that the ELT materials incorporated critical interculturality to a limited extent due to restrictions related to the existing education system. However, critical interculturality might potentially be integrated in materials with proper academic support.
AWAKENING TO HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH AN INNER JOURNEY: AN ACADEMIC, SCIENTIFIC, AND SPIRITUAL REFLECTION ON A BOOK OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
The present reflective article analyzes the book Awakening to Higher Consciousness through an Inner Journey, by Carlos Alberto Vargas Téllez, from an academic and critical perspective, while also integrating a reflective and spiritual approach. The work, testimonial and essayistic, narrates the author’s process of inner transformation, guided by conscious faith, prayer, and the experience of the Creator’s universal love. The analysis focuses on four dimensional aspects: the personal and inner, the spiritual and philosophical, the ethical and social, as well as the scientific and technological. It show how the awakening of higher consciousness can become a path toward liberation, happines, and harmony in today’s context. The article concludes that such experiences provide a meaningful foundation for rethinking the relationship between consciousness, spirituality, and social life, offering an inspiring horizon for both academic research and practical living.
TAX ON PLASTIC BOTTLES: INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC EVIDENCE AND COMPARATIVE LESSONS FOR ITS DESIGN IN COLOMBIA
In Colombia, there is no tax on plastic containers or bottles. This limitation means that consumers of this type of plastic-packaged product are unaware of the damage they are doing to the planet. The implementation of green or environmental taxes on behaviors that are harmful to the planet will make individuals pay for their harmful behavior towards the environment. The text analyzes the relevance and design of tax-based economic instruments applicable to plastic containers or bottles, with a view to eventual implementation in Colombia. To this end, recent academic evidence on environmental taxation linked to plastic containers was characterized, and regulatory lessons were drawn from comparative experiences to propose public policy guidelines. The bibliometric analysis confirmed that there is an emerging and interdisciplinary field when it comes to analyzing the effects of plastic bottles and the design of an optimal tax. The dominant themes articulate circular economy, life cycle assessment, and sustainability, along with the study of economic instruments (taxes, deposit and return systems, and restrictions on single-use plastics). Therefore, it is time to put an end to human pollution by strengthening environmental policies so that they work on standards that are aligned with the control and improvement of the natural environment, with the aim of achieving optimal environmental care to reduce our carbon footprint.
CONSISTENCY BETWEEN CURRENT REGULATIONS FOR CITIZENSHIP TRAINING AND TEACHING PRACTICES FOR INTERACTION IN THE TENTH GRADE OF THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION INDUSTRIAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF FLORENCIA- CAQUETÁ, 2023-2024
The study analyzes the coherence between Colombian regulations on citizenship education and the teaching practices observed in tenth grade A at the Instituto Técnico Industrial of Florencia (2023–2024). Framed within the regional macro-project on citizenship education in the Amazon and southern Huila, it adopts a qualitative approach and a case study design. Fieldwork included eight classroom observations, an interview with the Spanish Language teacher, and an analysis of the Institutional Education Project (PEI) and lesson plans, considering key policy documents such as the 1991 Constitution, Law 115 of 1994, the Basic Standards of Citizenship Competencies, and Law 1732 of 2014. Findings show partial coherence between policy and practice: although the PEI incorporates citizenship education, its implementation is hindered by structural limitations, low community engagement, and limited recognition of cultural diversity. In the classroom, citizenship values are promoted implicitly but without explicit planning. The study concludes that strengthening teacher training, consolidating cross-curricular projects, and fostering school–family–community collaboration are essential to enhancing citizenship education.
Text Production at School: Impact of a Didactic Strategy with Sequences on Primary School Students
This article presents the results of a research study aimed at strengthening text production in primary school students through the implementation of a didactic strategy based on sequences. The main objective was to analyze the impact of this pedagogical proposal on students’ writing processes, starting from the identification of the main difficulties in text production. The methodology was developed from a qualitative approach with an action-research design, in which initial diagnostics, construction and implementation of didactic sequences, and final evaluations were applied. The findings showed improvements in the coherence, cohesion, and creativity of the texts produced by the students, as well as a greater interest in writing practice. It is concluded that didactic sequences constitute a relevant and effective strategy to enhance text production in primary school, favoring both the development of communicative competences and meaningful learning.
ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION: STUDENT PERSPECTIVES
Currently, reading comprehension in English represents a fundamental tool for the comprehensive education of high school students in rural contexts. It will allow them to develop cognitive and communicative skills. Therefore, understanding their perspective on the benefits and limitations that exist to improve it is a topic of interest within the teaching and learning process. The purpose of the research was to design pedagogical guidelines based on theoretical-practical approaches that contribute to strengthening the reading comprehension in English of high school students in the Colombian rural context. The research was qualitative, developed from the interpretative paradigm, using the phenomenological method, conducted through a semi-structured interview with 26 students from tenth and eleventh grades of a Colombian rural school. From the analysis, categories emerged related to reading habits, difficulties in reading comprehension, strategies and learning resources for understanding English, and the importance of reading in English. The orientations that emerged from the study indicate the need for the use of active methodologies for teaching English, breaking away from the traditional scheme and moving towards the modern school, fostering motivation and autonomy, in order to promote motivation and the inclusion of technological support. that allow for reinforcing exposure to the language and promoting bilingualism, as elements that contribute to enriching their vocabulary, reading comprehension in English, and promoting contextual learning.
TEACHER TRAINING FOR CURRICULUMINTERNATIONALIZATION: IMPLEMENTATION OF AWORKSHOP ON COIL IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
In the era of globalization, curriculum internationalization is a key strategy for developing intercultural and global competences, which requires solid and contextualized teacher training. This study analyzed the impact of a training process in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) with nine teachers from the Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Languages with an Emphasis in English at Universidad de la Amazonia. A quantitative approach with a pretest–posttest design was used to evaluate four categories: knowledge about COIL, design and implementation, ICT tools, and assessment/collaboration. The results showed significant progress in all dimensions, particularly in the ability to explain how COIL projects strengthen intercultural competence, increased confidence to plan projects, the pedagogical use of digital tools, and preparedness to assess performance in international contexts. These findings confirm that teacher training in COIL expands theoretical knowledge, fosters practical application, and promotes both technological integration and the creation of academic networks.
STORIES FROM THE ENVIRONMENT AS A STRATEGY TO ENHANCE ORAL EXPRESSION IN RURAL SCHOOLS
This article presents a pedagogical experience carried out in a rural school in southern Colombia, focused on using storytelling as a strategy to strengthen oral expression in second-grade students. Based on an instructional intervention grounded in the semantic-communicative approach and active pedagogy, a sequence of lessons was designed to link students’ experiences of their local environment with narrative practice in the classroom. The initial diagnostic assessment revealed significant difficulties in fluency, vocabulary, clarity, and emotional expression. The implementation of the proposal led to notable improvements in most of these areas, particularly in voice modulation and the use of storytelling as a communicative tool. The study concludes that incorporating the local environment as meaningful and living content enhances not only oral skills but also fosters stronger emotional and cognitive connections between children, their community, and their voice.
BETWEEN EDUCATION, AWARENESS, AND FUNDRAISING: ANALYSIS OF THE DESIGN OF THE PLASTIC BAG CONSUMPTION TAX IN COLOMBIA 2017-2022
The National Tax on Plastic Bag Consumption (INCBP) in Colombia, created under Law 1819 of 2016, is a tax with an extra-fiscal purpose aimed at discouraging the use of single-use plastics that are given to consumers when they shop in stores and supermarkets, i.e., it promotes sustainable consumption habits. This research, carried out in Florencia, Caquetá, using a mixed approach, analyzed the effectiveness of the tax through surveys of fifty consumers, interviews with six tax and environmental experts, and a review of official statistics and international experiences. The results show that, although there is a high level of awareness about the implementation of the tax, the current rate of $60 pesos per bag is very low compared to consumers' income, which limits its ability to change consumption patterns. Both respondents and experts agree on the need to increase the rate to generate a real deterrent effect, while highlighting the uncertainty regarding the allocation of the resources collected. The research concludes that the INCBP has been useful as a tool for raising awareness and promoting tax and environmental culture, as well as a source of revenue, but it lacks the regulatory and rate strength necessary to achieve comparable impacts in reducing pollution from plastic use.
TEACHER TRAINING FOR HOLISTIC BILINGUAL EDUCATION: A PROPOSAL BASED ON THE CLIL APPROACH
This article presents a teacher training proposal aimed at strengthening bilingual education in a private educational institution in Colombia, through the implementation of the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) approach. The existing limitations in the collaboration between content teachers and foreign language teachers have led to difficulties in the processes of planning, teaching, and assessment in bilingual contexts. The proposed intervention was designed as a teacher training course structured into eight sessions that combine theory and practice, based on the 4Cs model (content, communication, cognition, and culture). The methodology incorporates principles of collaborative teaching and translanguaging as a pedagogical strategy to facilitate learning for both teachers and students. The results point to an improvement in teachers' professional competence, the strengthening of teamwork across subject areas, and the promotion of inclusive practices that recognize the linguistic and cultural diversity of the school context. This study contributes to the ongoing debate on the need for relevant teacher training in order to advance toward a high-quality bilingual education in Colombia.
EDUCATIONAL E-JOURNAL AS A COMMUNICATION STRENGTHENING STRATEGY IN RURAL SCHOOLS: EXPERIENCE AT LA RICO KM. 30 INSTITUTION (CAQUETÁ, COLOMBIA)
This article addresses the implementation of an educational e-journal as a pedagogical and communicational innovation strategy at the Rural Educational Institution La Rico Km. 30, located in the municipality of Valparaíso, Caquetá (Colombia). The main objective was to determine to what extent the design and use of this technological resource strengthened communication regarding institutional management processes and achievements among teachers, students, administrators, and parents. The methodology was developed under a qualitative approach, with an exploratory design and descriptive level, using surveys and participant observation applied to the educational community. The results showed that, despite initial limitations in ICT knowledge, the e-journal facilitated access to information, encouraged community participation, and generated greater interest in institutional processes. It is concluded that the integration of this type of digital tool contributes to strengthening school management and consolidating educational communication in rural contexts, opening new possibilities for technological inclusion and collaborative learning.