Observation of Active Teaching Strategies in Geography and History Classrooms by Trainee Teachers during Their Practicum

Abstract

This study examines the use of active teaching strategies in Geography and History classrooms in Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), as observed by trainee teachers during their Practicum period as part of the Master's Degree in Secondary Teacher Training. Using a validated questionnaire, data was collected from a sample of 365 responses between September 2020 and June 2023. The analysis of the results identified the most commonly employed active methodologies by mentor teachers in the schools where trainee teachers carried out their Practicum. From these findings, it can be affirmed that cooperative learning is the predominant strategy, followed by project-based learning (PBL) and problem-based learning (PBL). To a lesser extent, the flipped classroom and gamification were observed, while service-learning had a marginal presence. Furthermore, the analysis shows that teachers often combine various active methodologies to meet the diverse educational needs of their students. Based on these findings, it is essential to reflect on the limitations in the implementation of these strategies and to explore effective channels for teacher training in these methodologies, thereby fostering progress in the teaching of Social Sciences at the Secondary Education level.