Alternative Methodology of Problem Cases-AMPC for soil education guided by emancipatory principles

Abstract

Soil Education aims to give individuals a transforming formative process for conscious actions related to the soil in their life experiences in and with the world. As such, the educational methodologies addressing soil-related contents should be in dialogue with the purpose of this educational process. On the perspective of education for social transformation, it is recommended that professors of Higher Education avoid from pedagogical actions with traditional approaches, and start using other strategies and methodologies centered on students and their context. With the challenge of addressing the implementation of emancipatory principles in educational procedures within the disciplinary structure of a traditional paradigm of education and achieving the aim of Soil Education, we put forward the Alternative Methodology of Problem Cases (AMPC), which was shaped up from two methodologies with constructivist principles, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Team-Based Learning (TBL). This methodology is divided into three phases (preparation, application, and reflection), which are in turn divided into seven steps that complement each other (recovery of socio-historical knowing and knowledge; study of the themes; problem case resolution; team guidance; individual activity report; and individual and collective feedback). In addition, the steps contain individual and team assignments, which revolve around the resolution of problem cases related to the future profession. The AMPC is different from PBL and TBL as the former is grounded on emancipatory principles that facilitate the development of educational processes that value the socio-historical knowing and knowledge of individuals and enable the development of students’ autonomy, creativity, critical thinking, and awareness for actions in real life. The challenges through which individuals can develop relational, complex, and critical thinking, apply them to professional life situations, confront and reframe their knowledge and knowing, as well as create solutions and plan future scenarios with the practice of solving problem cases about soils consist in the capacity of AMPC to be efficient to soil learning.