Apropiación simbólica del ecosistema víctima del conflicto armado en Colombia: hacia la construcción de una ciudadanía crítica e intercultural a través de la educación en biología

Abstract

The Atrato River, declared a subject of rights and a victim of the armed conflict in Colombia, constitutes a central axis in the fight for socio-environmental justice. The effects derived from the conflict have generated a disconnection between the communities and their territory, which perpetuates dynamics of environmental degradation and loss of identity. In this context, biology education is proposed as a favorable scenario to articulate scientific knowledge and ancestral wisdom, promoting a critical and contextualized understanding of the environment. The purpose of this research project, developed at the Antonio Ricaurte Educational Institution in Quibdó, Chocó, was to contribute to the formation of critical and intercultural citizenship in fourth grade students through the implementation of a didactic sequence based on Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The research was part of an Action Research approach with a socio-critical paradigm and was structured in three moments: characterization of the school context, design and implementation of the didactic proposal and analysis of results. The findings show that, at first, students conceived the river from a fragmented and naturalistic perspective, reducing it to its ecological dimension without establishing links with its cultural and historical significance. This vision limited their ability to analyze the socio-environmental problems of the territory. However, after the implementation of the didactic sequence, a significant advance was observed in their understanding, which allowed a transition to a socio-environmental and intercultural perspective. By strengthening their critical thinking skills, students were able to establish relationships between the ecosystem, community dynamics and socio-environmental conflicts that affect the river. Likewise, the emotional-motivational dimension emerged as a transversal axis in the symbolic appropriation of the river, since it allowed the development of a sense of belonging and commitment to its defense and conservation. In conclusion, biology education, when articulated with critical and intercultural approaches, has the potential to transform student representations of their environment, promoting the construction of environmentally responsible and socially committed citizenships. The connection with initiatives such as the Guardianes del Atrato collective reinforces the continuity of the educational process, ensuring that learning transcends the classroom and is projected into concrete actions aimed at protecting the territory.