Civic competences and local historical memory in classroom projects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64747/c3mw4350Keywords:
civic education, project‑based learning, historical memory, cultural heritage, Ecuadorian amazonAbstract
Abstract (≈300 words). This study examines the effects of classroom projects that connect civic competences with local historical memory among Upper Basic Education students in rural and peri‑urban communities of Quijos (Napo, Ecuador). A mixed‑methods design was used: a quasi‑experimental pre–post comparison with school‑level matching, plus multiple qualitative case studies. To select schools, neighborhoods/communities, and memory sites, we integrated open data from the Ministry of Education (AMIE school registry, enrollment and geolocation), the 2022 INEC census, SIPCE/INPC heritage inventories, and local PDOT planning documents, building an Educational‑Heritage Opportunity Map (MOEP) that made selection and logistics transparent. The intervention was a 10–12‑week heritage‑based project‑based learning (PBL) sequence with systematic use of local oral, documentary, and material sources; production of public artifacts (memory routes, bilingual signage, pop‑up micro‑museums); and deliberation through school councils. Civic competences—argumentation, deliberative participation, collaboration, and co‑responsibility—were assessed with analytical rubrics, supplemented by attitude/self‑efficacy surveys and interviews with students, teachers, and community stakeholders. Planned analyses indicate improvements in argumentation, collaboration, and co‑responsibility for the intervention group relative to the comparison group, with a positive trend in participation. Positive correlations between explicit use of local sources and civic performance support the hypothesis that the social value of the product and public deliberation drive civic learning. Qualitatively, three themes emerged—place genealogies, minga and community work, and care of common goods—which explain mechanisms of change and territorial appropriation. We conclude that embedding citizenship in local memory through PBL and school–community partnerships is relevant, intercultural, and scalable in Quijos; the MOEP is useful for planning, evaluation, and replication. We recommend institutionalizing the MOEP, strengthening teacher communities of practice, and conducting longitudinal follow‑ups to consolidate sustainability and causal inference
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