INNOVACIÓN PEDAGÓGICA EN CONTEXTOS PENITENCIARIOS: PERCEPCIONES DOCENTES Y PRÁCTICAS EDUCATIVAS EN EL CRS AZUAY No 1

Abstract

Education in penitentiary contexts represents a pedagogical, ethical, and social challenge that demands a profound redefinition of the teaching role, due to the conditions of vulnerability, restriction, and emotional diversity that characterize these spaces. The present study aimed to analyze teachers’ perceptions of their role and its impact on pedagogical practice at the Azuay Social Rehabilitation Center No. 1. The research was framed within a qualitative thematic-interpretive approach and was conducted through semi-structured interviews with teachers working in the penitentiary education system. The analysis process included open coding, categorization, and a contextualized interpretation of the participants’ discourses. The results show that teachers conceive their role beyond the transmission of academic content, positioning themselves as agents of comprehensive education who integrate academic, human, ethical, and socio-emotional dimensions aimed at the rehabilitation and social reintegration of persons deprived of liberty. Likewise, pedagogical practices characterized by curricular flexibility, methodological adaptation, and the prioritization of meaningful learning were identified, with the use of active methodologies such as the ERCA model standing out. Nevertheless, structural, regulatory, and resource-related limitations that condition the development of educational practice were also evidenced. It is concluded that, despite these limitations, teachers implement innovative pedagogical strategies grounded in an ethic of care, respect for human dignity, and formative accompaniment, thereby positioning penitentiary education as a space of possibility for personal and social transformation.