Collaborative learning and its influence on social studies learning at in Quintiliano Sanchez Educational Unit

Abstract

Introduction: This research addresses the design of a pedagogical strategy based on collaborative learning to improve Social Studies learning at the Quintiliano Sánchez Rendón Educational Unit (San Jacinto de Buena Fe canton, Los Ríos province). The problem arises when teachers must divide their preparation time across multiple subject areas, prioritizing core subjects and allocating less time to subjects like Social Studies, which negatively impacts student academic performance. Materials and methods: Field, applied, bibliographic, and descriptive research methods were employed, utilizing both theoretical and empirical approaches. The primary technique was a survey, administered to students and teachers at the institution using a questionnaire with 10 closed-ended questions about collaborative learning and Social Studies learning. Results: 56% of students believe they learn better with collaborative learning strategies; 81% report using educational books very frequently; 59% acknowledge having low performance in Social Studies; and 81% consider teacher training in collaborative strategies necessary. Discussion: The findings align with international studies on collaborative learning, which highlight the importance of active student participation in the educational process, although academic performance does not always improve directly. Conclusions: Collaborative learning and its relationship to Social Studies were theoretically grounded; it was determined that students have a limited level of learning due to the heavy teaching load and the prioritization of core subjects; a teacher training workshop on pedagogical strategies based on collaborative learning was designed and validated, which will improve academic performance in Social Studies.