Estudiantes de ciencias sociales como investigadores y escritores de los problemas de sus comunidades

Abstract

This action research study intends to reveal the writing development of a group of eighth graders through two core elements: Community Based Pedagogies (CBP) and Inquiry-Based Learning. This work was carried out at a private bilingual school in Bogotá as the pedagogical context in which the national social sciences curriculum and the local literacy practices are the main focus in the language classroom, to support the learning objectives in both subject areas. The objectives of the study were to identify the ways in which the students address their social context in their writings resulting from an inquiry process as well as analyze the agency realms in the student’s writings which reflect their concern for their community issues. Considering the use of CBP and Inquiry Based Learning as a means to orient teenagers as readers, inquirers, and writers, this research was based on a qualitative methodology and data were gathered through students’ artifacts and interviews. The results show that inquiry and CBP foster a sense of social awareness among the students that allows them to connect local and global issues such as climate change, drug trafficking, or the migrant crisis. Consequently, students developed writing as a meaningful tool to convey their understandings, arguments, and proposals towards the problematic situations in their communities.