Open-field gardens as living classrooms: experiential learning and methodological innovation in vegetable production

Abstract

This systematization of experience analyzes the urban garden as a fundamental "living classroom" for methodological innovation and the renewal of current curricula. The report examines practices focused on the agroecological production of vegetables, using Project-Based Learning and an experiential approach as alternatives to traditional and passive teaching models. The pedagogical intervention was structured systematically through three critical stages: the planning and technical design of the garden space, the execution of fieldwork and biological crop management, and the closing of the production cycle through harvesting and formative assessment. The quantitative results revealed an 18% increase in students' academic performance and a 0% dropout rate in the practical sessions. On a qualitative level, the logs and collective discussion spaces demonstrated the development of systemic thinking, a greater appropriation of metacognitive knowledge, and a notable strengthening of socio-emotional competencies, such as resilience and collaborative work in the face of real ecological contingencies. Through the pedagogy of error, unforeseen events in the crops were transformed into valuable learning resources. In conclusion, vegetable production under agroecological principles transcends technical operation, consolidating itself as an ideal transdisciplinary platform to respond to contemporary curricular demands oriented toward sustainability.