Educational innovation and electoral participation: Inverted Classroom as a strategy in Citizenship Education

IntroductionThe optional right to vote in Ecuador for adolescents between 16 and 18 years of age, established in the 2008 Constitution of Montecristi, represented an advance in youth citizen participation. However, there was a low turnout at the polls, attributed to a lack of motivation and ignorance about the importance of voting. Despite the fact that the Citizenship Education course included topics related to democracy and voting, traditional expository methodologies failed to arouse students' interest.DevelopmentThe research addressed this problem by implementing the Flipped Classroom as a methodological strategy to improve the electoral education of young people. This approach allowed dynamizing learning through digital tools and synchronous and asynchronous activities, promoting a more interactive teaching. It was detected that the lack of coordination between educational institutions and the National Electoral Council (CNE) limited the realization of electoral simulations, which reduced the familiarization of students with democratic processes. In addition, it was highlighted that socioeconomic inequalities and access to quality education significantly influenced the electoral participation of adolescents.ConclusionThe findings demonstrated that the application of the Inverted Classroom strengthened civic education, promoting a more active electoral participation. It was concluded that the adaptation of innovative pedagogical strategies was essential to prepare young people to exercise their democratic rights. Education needed to be modernized to respond to current challenges and foster a more engaged citizenship.