Metodologías Innovadoras para la Enseñanza de las Ciencias Naturales en Educación General Básica: Revisión Sistemática

Justification: The teaching of Natural Sciences requires instructional approaches that foster the understanding of phenomena and the development of scientific skills, which has increased interest in methodologies aimed at a more active construction of knowledge. Objective: To identify the innovative methodologies applied to the teaching of Natural Sciences in Basic General Education in Ecuador and synthesize the results obtained from their implementation. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Twenty-eight empirical studies conducted in Ecuador were included, and their data were examined through descriptive and narrative synthesis. Results: Gamification was the most frequently used methodology (42.9%), followed by the flipped classroom (21.4%) and project-based learning (14.3%), along with other less frequently used methodologies. In studies using pretest-posttest measurements, gamification yielded an average increase of 1.66 points. In addition, the methodologies analyzed showed favorable results in content comprehension, scientific skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, motivation, participation, autonomy, and collaboration. Conclusion: The synthesized evidence supports the incorporation of innovative methodologies as alternatives for broadening approaches to learning Natural Sciences in Basic General Education; however, differences in research designs and learning assessment still prevent determining which methodology is most appropriate for the specific learning outcomes to be developed.