ABSTRACT MEDIATION OF DIDACTIC INNOVATION IN NATURAL SCIENCES: A THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTION FROM INTEGRATED GAMIFICATION

Abstract

Teaching Sciences in secondary education facing a crisis of relevance associated with encyclopedic pedagogical models that limit the development of scientific thinking. This essay aims to generate theoretical constructs regarding the mediation of didactic innovation through integrated gamification at Instituto Técnico Ambiental San Mateo in Casanare, Colombia. Under the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach, Grounded Theory and the Constant Comparative Method (CCM) as methodological foundations for data analysis and theoretical construction. The findings reveal that gamification is not conceived as a peripheral pedagogical strategy, but rather as a central mechanism of didactic mediation through which innovation is operationalized. In this sense, students move from passive recipients of information to active epistemic agents engaged in the construction of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that this theoretical framework strengthens inquiry competencies by transforming classroom dynamics into participatory learning environments where error is redefined as an opportunity for immediate formative feedback. Consequently, the integration of contextualized play-based learning facilitates the understanding and appropriation of abstract concepts in Biology and Physics, promoting meaningful and reflective learning processes.