Showing to facilitate learning: Pedagogical supports, semiotic mediation and school comprehension
Dar a ver para hacer aprender: Soportes pedagógicos, mediación semiótica y comprensión escolarArticle Sidebar
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Background: Academic comprehension is a central goal of the educational process; however, debate persists regarding how students construct meaning based on their learning experiences. In this context, instructional materials take on relevance as mediating tools that can foster the development of comprehension in the classroom. Objective: To understand the role of instructional materials as tools of semiotic mediation in the development of academic comprehension among elementary school students at a public school in Bogotá. Methods: The study was conducted using a qualitative approach with a phenomenological-interpretive design. Four teachers and thirty fourth- and fifth-grade elementary school students participated. Non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Results: The findings show that pedagogical supports act as externalizations of thought that facilitate the zone of proximal development, allowing students to reach higher levels of understanding when symbolic mediators are intentionally designed. Conclusions: The effectiveness of pedagogical supports depends on their ability to connect students’ prior knowledge with new curricular content, highlighting the need to train teachers in the reflective design of semiotic mediations that foster meaningful learning.
Contexto: La comprensión escolar constituye un objetivo central del proceso educativo; sin embargo, persiste el debate sobre cómo los estudiantes construyen significados a partir de sus experiencias de aprendizaje. En este marco, los soportes pedagógicos adquieren relevancia como herramientas de mediación que pueden favorecer la construcción de comprensión en el aula. Objetivo: Comprender el papel de los soportes pedagógicos como herramientas de mediación semiótica en la construcción de la comprensión escolar de estudiantes de educación básica en una institución educativa pública de Bogotá. Metodología: El estudio se desarrolló bajo un enfoque cualitativo con diseño fenomenológico-interpretativo. Participaron cuatro docentes y treinta estudiantes de cuarto y quinto grado de educación básica primaria. Para la recolección de información se emplearon técnicas de observación no participante y entrevistas semiestructuradas. Resultados: Los hallazgos evidencian que los soportes pedagógicos actúan como externalizaciones del pensamiento que facilitan la zona de desarrollo próximo, permitiendo a los estudiantes alcanzar niveles superiores de comprensión cuando los mediadores simbólicos son diseñados de manera intencionada. Conclusiones: La efectividad de los soportes pedagógicos depende de su capacidad para conectar los saberes previos de los estudiantes con los nuevos contenidos curriculares, lo que resalta la necesidad de formar a los docentes en el diseño reflexivo de mediaciones semióticas que favorezcan aprendizajes significativos.
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