The use of debate in Human Rights Education. Problems, challenges and potentialities

Abstract

The scarce didactic innovation in the teaching of subjects related to Human Rights Education (HRE) is still a problem in the chilean university system, which contributes to hindering the development of skills and knowledge linked to historical and citizen thinking. This article describes a didactic-evaluative experience based on the implementation of a debate in a group of students of Pedagogy of a chilean university, with the purpose of discussing around the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the American continent, from the controversy that exists between the eurocentric perspective and the indigenous position of this thematic. Within the HRE, this problematic is fundamental to know in order to advance in the conquest of a more committed and responsible citizenship, since it had a great scope in the conformation of the eurocentrism in America and in the later emergence of the political scorn towards the recognition and protection of the indigenous rights. The methodology used is mixed and based on a descriptive case study. The survey and participant observation were used in the classes where the experience was conducted. It is concluded that the debate generated positive results in student learning, especially in the development of historical and citizen thinking and in the promotion of soft skills; also, some aspects to be considered in a future intervention were recognized, such as the difficult access to primary sources on indian law and the excess of academic load that affects the students.