Body dynamics as an educational strategy to enhance  environmental socioemotional skills

María del Carmen Rondal Guanotasig; Isidro Lapuente Álvarez; Josue Celso Marcillo Ñacato; Marcelo Fabian Cabrera Jara

doi:10.56200/mentor.v5i13.11631

Authors

María del Carmen Rondal Guanotasig Central University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0637-3526
Isidro Lapuente Álvarez Camilo José Cela University, Madrid-Spain https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0235-5027
Josue Celso Marcillo Ñacato Central University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador
Marcelo Fabian Cabrera Jara International University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0955-3616

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56200/mentor.v5i13.11631

Keywords:

Bodily dynamics, socio-emotional skills, environmental education, higher education

Abstract

The contemporary environmental crisis calls for rethinking higher education in order to incorporate environmental socio-emotional skills. Embodied learning integrates emotional education, sustainability, and bodily experience to foster responsible environmental attitudes and behaviors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a bodily dynamics program—based on conscious movement, motor cooperation, and experiential reflection—on the development of environmental socio-emotional competencies, including emotional self-regulation, ecological empathy, environmental awareness, and disposition toward pro-environmental behaviors. A quantitative quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was applied with 48 university students from Quito. The intervention group participated in an eight-session bodily dynamics program, using validated instruments to assess socio-emotional competencies, emotion regulation, and connectedness to nature. Statistically significant improvements were observed in socio-emotional competencies, adaptive emotion regulation strategies, and connectedness to nature in the intervention group, with moderate effect sizes, while the comparison group showed no relevant changes. The study supports bodily dynamics as a relevant educational strategy in higher education, strengthening environmental education through an integrated emotional, embodied, and experiential learning perspective.

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Author Biographies

María del Carmen Rondal Guanotasig , Central University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador

Central University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador

Isidro Lapuente Álvarez , Camilo José Cela University, Madrid-Spain

Camilo José Cela University, Madrid-Spain

Josue Celso Marcillo Ñacato , Central University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador

Central University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador

Marcelo Fabian Cabrera Jara , International University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador

International University of Ecuador. Quito-Ecuador

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