WEAVING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE CLASSROOM: A CURRICULAR INTEGRATION MODEL OF SOCIAL SKILLS FOR CONVIVENCE IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This research-in-progress article addresses the gap between the emphasis on academic performance and the need for the holistic development of students. The study aims to analyze the application of a curricular integration model for social skills. The research is based on Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-constructivist postulates, as revisited by authors such as Vilchez (2023), as well as conceptualizations of social skills by Salavera and Usán (2021), Carazas et al. (2025), and Esteves (2020), and perspectives on school coexistence by Olea and Palomo (2021). Methodologically, the study is framed within the interpretive paradigm with a qualitative approach, assuming a field research type and a phenomenological-hermeneutic design. The population consisted of 3 teachers as key informants. For data collection, participant observation techniques were used with their corresponding field diary, semi-structured interviews with a question script, and an experiential workshop with a guide for playful activities and anecdotal records. Data analysis was performed through qualitative content analysis, including phases of open coding, categorization, and interpretation in light of the theoretical framework. Preliminary findings indicate that learning and coexistence are inseparable processes in the daily classroom experience, and that social skills manifest as learned behaviors requiring intentional teaching by the educator. As a preliminary conclusion, there is an urgent need to transcend approaches that reduce social skills to mere additional content and to rethink teacher training from a socio-emotional perspective.