COMPUTATIONAL THINKING AND NEUROEDUCATION IN RURAL PRIMARY EDUCATION: A THEORETICAL APPROACH BASED ON ACTIVE METHODOLOGIES

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the connection between computational thinking and neuroeducation as a strategy to strengthen structured reasoning and executive functions in primary education students at the Instituto de Promoción Agropecuaria, located in a rural area of the municipality of Tame, Arauca, in a context characterized by connectivity limitations but with an agricultural environment that offers real experiences that can be transformed into learning scenarios. Methodologically, the study is framed within a qualitative approach with a hermeneutic-interpretative design, supported by a systematic theoretical review and contextual analysis of the rural educational setting; it is based on the contributions of Wing (2006) and Grover and Pea (2013) on computational thinking as a transversal cognitive competence, as well as on the neuroeducational foundations of Tokuhama-Espinosa (2018) and Mora (2017) regarding brain plasticity and the development of executive functions, additionally integrating Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural perspective and Freire's (1970) critical pedagogy. The analysis results indicate that computational thinking can be developed through contextualized active methodologies, such as problem- and project-based learning, without relying exclusively on digital programming, taking advantage of activities related to crop planning and solving local problems to practice decomposition, abstraction, and logical sequencing. It is concluded that the convergence between computational thinking and neuroeducation constitutes a solid conceptual foundation to reconfigure pedagogical practices in rural primary education, promoting a relevant, contextualized curriculum oriented toward the development of higher cognitive skills