Zona Próxima

Critical pedagogy and power: Encounters and disencounters between Paulo Freire and Michel Foucault

Larry Peñaranda Gómez — 2025-01-02

Article of reflection derived from a doctoral thesis, its objective is to analyze the encounters and disencounters between Paulo Freire and Michel Foucault regarding the horizon of critical pedagogy and power. In the methodology, conceptual networks are analyzed by imputing documents into VOSviewer software. The encounters between the postulates were established around the categories related to manipulation, the acquisition of person knowledge, power and knowledge, person, dialogue, community relationship and vision of students. The categories of disencounter occurred in the concepts of educational system, freedom, performative-pragmatic function, laws, conscience and to take word. It is concluded that history is a mechanism in writings of the authors, relating the past as a process of construction and re-construction, accompanied by events and acts that illuminate the present.

Concepciones de la escritura académica en estudiantes universitarios

Mercedes Zanotto González — 2025-01-02

: The present study aimed to identify the conceptions of university students about different facets of academic writing (uses and functions of writing, representation of the task, planning and textualization, revision and correction) in its epistemic dimension (associated with the elaboration and situated structuring of ideas and learning from the written production) and reproductive (linked to the repetition of information in writing processes). Likewise, their variation according to gender, semester of studies and academic performance was compared. 359 medical students participated, who responded to the Instrument of Conceptions on Academic Writing. The results in all the comparatives show elevated epistemic conceptions, at the same time indicate reproductive ideas about the representation of the task at an intermediate level or close to it. Given this, students are unable to consolidate their epistemic perspective on writing. In addition, differences are detected in the reproductive conceptions of planning and textualization, depending on academic performance. It is concluded that the coexistence of both epistemic and reproductive conceptions in students has been corroborated, as well as the importance of knowing in depth through research the conceptions of writing of students in order to generate educational strategies. in accordance with their needs, which favor the development of concepts that promote the elaboration of ideas, the construction of learning through written production and the development of academic texts of adequate quality.

Academic writing and curricular transformation: a fusion to think about the role of the teacher

Rubinsten Hernández Barbosa — 2025-01-02

Curricular innovations, in most cases, have been conceived from a public policy obeying epistemological and conceptual approaches developed by theoretical experts in education, who have proposed pedagogical and didactic orientations, without counting on the knowledge of the teacher, his reflections and their practices in the classroom. In this sense, it is important to create a bridge between pedagogical, didactic and curricular theory that allows recontextualizing the place of the teacher and his interference in the construction of situated knowledge. For this reason, this study focused its interest on recognizing the role of academic writing in the curricular redesign processes of a school institution. It was oriented from qualitative research; An intervention model was designed, from the perspective of communities of practice and learning, with 30 teachers from different areas of knowledge with the purpose of mobilizing their conceptions about writing and studying its impact on curricular redesign. The results show that the participation of the teachers allowed the curricular redesign, which materialized in an integration proposal where academic writing and research were favored. The proposal made it possible to integrate several disciplines in areas for human development, without losing their epistemic materiality of content and skills, organized through curricular meshes that share joint research objectives. It is essential to recover the place of the teacher as an education professional, who, from his professional practice, investigates his reality and transforms it.

Exploring undergraduate students’ identities and heritage as a culturally sustaining practice in the EFL classroom

Beatriz Cárdenas Cárdenas — 2025-01-02

This research explores the benefits of implementing Culturally Sustainable Pedagogies (CSP) in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class at a public university in the Colombian Caribbean region. Framed within an Action Research design, this study aims to comprehend the impact of these pedagogies on students’ cultural and linguistic practices. Rooted in sociocultural theory, critical pedagogy, and culturally sustainable pedagogies, the study investigates how the latter can contribute to a holistic language learning experience that goes beyond linguistic competence to include a deeper understanding of cultural nuances. Employing an Educational Action Research methodology, this study incorporates documentary analysis to assess integration and potential curricular adjustments necessary for CSP implementation. Additionally, it utilizes the analysis of student narratives to capture their individual experiences and perceptions regarding CSP implementation. Findings reveal a substantial positive impact on students’ cultural connections. In their narratives, students highlight that, through the use of CSP, they were able to demonstrate increased cultural awareness and a stronger connection to their heritage, reflecting the rescue and appreciation of local traditions. The study concludes that implementing CSP in the EFL classroom significantly enhances students’ cultural experiences. Findings underscore the need for educators to adopt culturally sensitive, inclusive approaches that recognize and integrate students’ cultural roots. This research contributes to expanding the discourse on language teaching methodologies, emphasizing the importance of cultural sustainability for a more meaningful and relevant learning experience for our students.

Problems of textual coherence and cohesion and their effects on global comprehension processes.

Ligia Ochoa Sierra — 2025-01-02

This research investigated the relationship between textual coherence and cohesion problems and performance in global textual comprehension. The methodology was mixed: quantitative-descriptive with a quasi-experimental design, since the hypothesis was tested from an experiment with 3 population groups, and qualitative, since some erroneous answers of the reading test of students with good academic averages were interpreted with the "content analysis" methodology.

Statistical results show that coherence and cohesion problems do not affect global comprehension in students of higher grades such as 11th grade or university students, but they do for students of lower grades (5th). Qualitatively, it is evident that certain errors that are consistently present in the responses of good students may be induced by the characteristics of the text.

These findings have implications for teaching, learning and assessment of reading comprehension.

Análisis de la inversión en criptomonedas con metodología de análisis de sentimiento: una revolución digital al descubierto

Sonia Martin Gomez — 2025-03-21

This article will explore and provide evidence on the relationship between cryptocurrencies and social networks through the use of digital social listening tools, exploring data retrieved from social networks as a sentiment analysis methodology that allows us to focus on the urgent need to provide adequate levels of financial education in the digital economy so that the cryptocurrency user or investor is aware of the existing risks associated with cryptocurrencies, especially among young people, of the risks associated with cryptocurrencies, and we should not underestimate the influence that social networks have had, and continue to have, on the perception and adoption of digital currencies, and even on their popularity.

As a consequence of this, and the subsequent popularisation of cryptocurrencies on social media platforms, the reach and influence of cryptocurrencies would have determined the public's perceived linguistic awareness of these digital assets, dominating the communicative competence and thus influencing the sentiment that social media users and internet users have generated towards them. In fact, social media platforms have become a powerful catalyst for the transmission of information, news and opinions about cryptocurrencies, serving as unregulated digital forums where users share opinions, analyses and predictions. This would pose a dilemma in terms of determining what information is reliable, which, coupled with the lack of regulated oversight of cryptocurrencies, would require providing users with the necessary knowledge to mitigate risks and promote informed decision-making.

The aim of this article is to provide evidence of how social networks act as an indispensable channel in the cryptocurrency phenomenon and its public perception, which would make it necessary to evaluate the role that accurate and accessible financial education has to play, with the clear aim of reducing the risks inherent to digital currencies, for while social media has opened a window on the world, it has also exposed us to variations in our linguistic awareness both right and wrong, which can confuse us and influence our use of language.

Editorial N 42

Dra. Nayibe Rosado Mendinueta — 2025-01-02

Estimadas y estimados lectores:

Nos complace darles la bienvenida a la edición 42 de Zona Próxima, un espacio que sigue compro- metido con la reflexión y el intercambio de conocimiento sobre los retos actuales de la educación. En esta edición presentamos una serie de investigaciones y reflexiones que abordan temas claves como la escritura académica, el impacto de la tecnología en la educación, la pedagogía crítica y la educación financiera en la era digital.

Competencia digital y competencia algorítmica en la era de la inteligencia artificial. “AlComEdu”: un enfoque integral para gestionar la estrategia y el marketing de las instituciones de educación superior

María de las Mercedes de Obesso — 2025-01-02

This article addresses the European Union´s (EU) objective of promoting citizen digitization
and socioeconomic progress through education. Digital competence, according to the OECD
and the EU, refers to the skills to live and work in a digitized society, including communication, information seeking, and informed decision-making. However, there is a lack of consensus on its definition. On the other hand, the omnipresence of algorithms in the day-to-day
interaction of individuals challenges the models so far developed, which highlights the need
for a new algorithmic competence focused on understanding and using algorithms and artificial intelligence