CITIZENSHIP COMPETENCIES, HEBEGOGY, AND TEACHING PRACTICE: A CRITICAL AND DOCUMENTARY REVIEW TO RETHINK CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION IN COLOMBIAN UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This documentary review article, developed from a critical–hermeneutic approach, analyzes the integration of Hebegogy into teaching practice as a strategic pillar to rethink citizenship education in Colombian upper secondary education. The study is grounded in authors who have contributed to the understanding of adolescent development and Hebegogy, such as Castillo (2022), Doubront (2021), Ravelo (2022), and Alvarado et al. (2024), as well as key references on citizenship education including Velarde et al. (2021), Verjel (2020), and UNESCO (2016–2024). The methodology consisted of the search, selection, and analysis of academic, legal, and institutional sources produced primarily between 2020 and 2025, complemented by foundational documents. Through a hermeneutic understanding, convergences and tensions were identified between the Colombian normative framework on citizenship competencies and current pedagogical practices, which remain characterized by transmissive and weakly dialogical models that limit students’ autonomy, participation, and socio-emotional development. The findings reveal that Hebegogy constitutes a relevant approach to accompany adolescents through affective, ethical, and social mediation. It is concluded that contemporary citizenship education requires reflective and humanizing teaching practices that integrate democratic experience in the classroom, the development of socio-emotional competencies, and a hebegogic approach oriented toward coexistence, peace, and social transformation.