Club de ciencias basado en el estudio de plantas medicinales, como estrategia para fomentar el interés científico en los estudiantes del Colegio Ciudad Montes.

Abstract

El interés por estudiar carreras relacionadas con ciencias ha disminuido en los últimos años. Por lo tanto, es importante involucrar a los estudiantes al estudio de las ciencias desde su motivación. Para abordar esta problemática, se propuso la conformación de un club de ciencias centrado en el estudio de las plantas medicinales como estrategia para fomentar el interés científico en estudiantes de secundaria de un colegio en Colombia. Se inició con una encuesta preliminar en la que se determinó la percepción de los estudiantes de secundaria hacia las ciencias y las plantas, seguido del desarrollo de las actividades del club y su socialización ante la comunidad educativa, finalizando con una encuesta que permitió medir la eficacia de la estrategia. A partir de esta estrategia, se evidencia la importancia de generar espacios de aprendizaje que involucren a los estudiantes de forma libre.

In recent years, a decrease in interest in the study of scientific disciplines has been observed, which highlights the need to foster students' intrinsic motivation towards these fields. To address this issue, the creation of a science club focused on the study of medicinal plants was proposed as a strategy to promote scientific interest among high school students at Colegio Ciudad Montes. The methodology adopted for this research followed a qualitative approach and involved 105 students from grades 7 to 10. The project was developed in three phases: first, the students' perceptions of science and their intention to participate in the club was evaluated; second, an experimental phase was carried out with 13 students who decided to be part of the club, focusing on practical activities such as the study of the morphology and chemistry of medicinal plants; finally, in the third phase, the results were shared with the educational community and a survey was applied to evaluate the students' perception of the strategy implemented and of science. After analyzing the survey on the perception of science, it became clear that the students of Colegio Ciudad Montes had a limited predisposition towards science and related disciplines. Nevertheless, they emphasized the importance of science in society. In addition, it was confirmed that practical activities that actively involved the students improved their understanding and communication skills. The results presented also generated enthusiasm among non-participants, highlighting the positive impact of working with the science club. In conclusion, the club succeeded in changing students' perceptions and attitudes towards science, inspiring others to join and reshape their personal views. This case highlights the importance of creating educational environments that allow students to embrace knowledge, thereby influencing the promotion of science in different scenarios