Nature Pedagogy and Communicative Competence

Abstract

This pre-experimental study aimed to determine the impact of nature pedagogy on the development of communicative competence in 28 students among them 12 men and 16 women belonging to the fourth-semester majoring in Pedagogía de los Idiomas Nacionales y Extranjeros at Universidad Técnica de Ambato. During this research ten interventions were carried out designed under the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, using nature pedagogy, and incorporating nature art activities that complemented the pedagogy used such as create art about, in and with nature. Meanwhile for the development of the chosen competence, some communicative and collaborative activities such as role – plays, video recording, oral presentations, among others were carried out. On the other hand, communicative competence was assessed through pre- and post-tests based on the Cambridge PET speaking exam for B1 level. The results were analyzed through the test suggested according to the number of participants, in this case Wilcoxon test, which revealed a significant improvement in students' communicative competence, with remarkable progress observed across the four evaluation criteria: grammar, pronunciation, fluency, and vocabulary. While pre-test scores indicated a low level of performance, post-test results showed improvement to an intermediate level, with some students achieving higher proficiency. Finally, this research was useful promoting collaboration, teamwork, and meaningful communication. These findings not only demonstrate the value of nature pedagogy in strengthening communicative competence, but also confirm the alternative hypothesis, and emphasize the relevance of this approach in educational contexts.