Abstract

Objective.  This study mainly aimed to analyze the perception of teaching staff and 5th-grade primary school students about cognitive development and scientific skills.

Methodology.  A quantitative descriptive approach was used. Surveys were applied to a sample of 101 5th-grade students and 18 primary school teachers from a school in the Colombian Caribbean region. They were processed under the parameters of descriptive statistics and organized according to frequency distributions, percentage analysis, and trend measurements.

Results.  From the student perspective, it was obtained that low academic performance is associated with little understanding of the topics developed in the classroom as a result of the implemented methodologies. From the teacher’s point of view, academic difficulties are related to the low development of cognitive processes and students’ apathy towards their studies.

Conclusions.  In terms of scientific skills, the results show that the student body presents a limited performance in processes that demonstrate the understanding, construction, and analysis of scientific knowledge; so, from teaching practice, it is necessary to strengthen knowledge associated with scientific practices in the classroom. It was determined that traditional pedagogical practices are among the factors limiting students’ cognitive development. However, the teaching staff recognizes the importance of scientific skills, accompanied by innovative pedagogical strategies that favor their development.

Keywords: Scientific competencies; cognitive development; mental processes; pedagogical strategies