Semillero de investigación de pensamiento crítico: una apuesta por la formación en investigación y la cultura política en Colombia

Abstract

This study systematizes the experience of the Critical Thinking Research Seedbed at Claretiano School in Bosa (Bogotá, Colombia) between 2020 and 2025. It addresses a gap in the existing literature concerning the relationship between school research practices and the development of political culture in primary and secondary education, where students are often limited to passive or institutional understandings of politics. The research is guided by the central question of how research training and political culture are constructed within this educational space. To answer this question, the study pursues three objectives: to understand students’ research processes, to analyze the development of their political culture, and to examine the relationship between these components and the strengthening of critical thinking. Methodologically, the study is grounded in Educational Action Research (EAR), with a particular emphasis on the systematization of experiences. It reconstructs the historical development of the research seedbed from its origins, including the creation of thematic lines focused on gender, violence, political culture, human rights, peace, and student government. Additionally, the study analyzes interviews conducted with teachers and students in order to examine the impact of the seedbed on participants’ academic, emotional, and social development. The findings contribute methodological foundations for strengthening alternative pedagogical spaces and for fostering the formation of critical and politically engaged subjects within society.