Active Methodologies: bases, counterpoints and epistemological (con)fusions

Abstract This paper investigates the bases and foundations of active methodologies. To do so, it uses a bibliographical survey that analyzes the contributions and weaknesses of the pedagogies of essence and existence. The reflections developed are guided by the following questions: What are the strengths and weaknesses of learning by doing? What are the contributions of authors such as Dewey, Freire and Vygotsky? What are the convergences and divergences between these authors' formulations? The synthesis achieved highlights substantive differences between the thinking of these theorists, as well as pointing out that the complexity of pedagogical practice must be removed from any kind of epistemological reductionism that dichotomizes categories such as passive and active methods.