Workshop program to improve learning in areas of knowledge

Abstract

This research addresses learning difficulties in the core subject areas of the middle level of Basic General Education (EGB) at the "Esperanza Alcívar de Valencia" Educational Unit in the Portoviejo canton. The objective was to design a program of pedagogical workshops based on active methodologies and collaborative learning, starting from a comprehensive diagnosis of learning needs. A quantitative approach was adopted, with a descriptive-propositive scope and a pre-experimental design, reported in its initial diagnostic and proposal phase, working with the entire population (N = 21: 20 fifth-year students, section A, and 1 teacher). The empirical instruments applied included a pedagogical test (pretest), a student survey, a semi-structured interview with the teacher, and classroom observation forms. The initial assessment revealed that only 62% of overall answers in Language and Literature were correct (with an 80% error rate in proparoxytone accentuation), 80% were incorrect in the order of operations in Mathematics, 70% were incorrect regarding the function of the circulatory system (Natural Sciences), and 65% were incorrect regarding peaceful conflict resolution (Social Studies). Observation and surveys confirmed the predominance of traditional teaching methods, limited use of concrete materials, and inconsistent student motivation (55% only sometimes). In response to these findings, the "Learning by Playing and Building" workshop program was designed, structured into eight contextualized workshops. It is concluded that the pedagogical approach responds in a coherent and well-founded manner to the identified needs, laying the groundwork for its subsequent implementation and evaluation of its effectiveness.