Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
DOI 10.31876/er.v8i48.858
The Zenú oral tradition as a didactic strategy to
strengthen family communication
La tradición oral Zenú como estrategia didáctica para fortalecer la
comunicación familiar
Yaneth Teresa Álvarez Montiel*
José Germán Ramos Romero**
Ever Manuel Salgado Benítez***
Received: June 19, 2023
Approved: November 12, 2023
Abstract
Oral tradition is a significant element within culture, especially for
ethnic groups, such as the Zenú, who fight for its preservation,
because for Zenú families, it is an important factor in keeping their
worldview alive. From this perspective, teachers need to have
didactic options to promote cultural identity, especially in the
indigenous cabildos where family communication is weak and does
not tend to promote the oral traditions so necessary to develop in a
pluralistic and democratic society, a training alternative to build more
democratic societies, from this perspective, the purpose of this
research work is the implementation of oral tradition as a didactic
strategy to strengthen family communication. The population to be
addressed are the students, parents and teachers of the eighth grade
of the San Francisco de Asis Educational Institution of Chinú,
Córdoba. The sample is made up of 4 parents, 4 students and 4
teachers. This degree work is developed from the qualitative
approach, and responds to the theoretical conception of
participatory action research. Surveys and semi-structured interviews
were used as data collection techniques, which allowed
understanding the importance of promoting and revitalizing the oral
tradition as a cultural and pedagogical element to strengthen family
and community ties.
Keywords:
Oral tradition, Zenú, didactic strategy, family
communication, cultural identity, active participation.
Álvarez, Y., Ramos, J., Salgado, E. (2024). The
Zenú oral tradition as a didactic strategy to
strengthen family communication. Espirales
Revista Multidisciplinaria de investigación
científica, 8 (48), 40-58
* Msc. Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana,
yaneth.alvarez@cui.edu.co, https://orcid.org/my-
orcid?orcid=0009-0006-2415-8349
* Msc. Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana,
jose.ramos@cui.edu.co, https://orcid.org/my-
orcid?orcid=0009-0001-0693-4184
* Msc. Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana,
ever.salgado@cui.edu.co, https://orcid.org/my-
orcid?orcid=0009-0002-7051-1394
Yaneth Teresa Álvarez Montiel, José Germán Ramos Romero, Ever Manuel Salgado Benítez*.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
41
Introduction
The research problem posed by this project, the strengthening of family relationships
in 32 eighth grade students of the San Francisco de Asís Educational Institution of Chinú
- Córdoba, descendants of the Zenú indigenous community through oral tradition as a
methodological strategy, is framed within the need to create educational environments
that foster the integral development of students and promote inclusion and respect for
cultural diversity.
In this sense, the research proposal is relevant at a personal, organizational and
community level, since it seeks to strengthen family relationships in an indigenous
community, through myths, legends, stories, tales of fright, their customs and traditions,
among others, which will have a positive impact on the quality of life of students and
their families, as well as on the cultural and social development of the community in
general.
From the organizational perspective, this proposal is aligned with the theory of the
learning organization by Peter Senge, who states that learning organizations are those
that foster continuous learning and innovation, Senge, P. (2012). The fifth discipline: the
art and practice of the learning organization. Granica. and that have the ability to adapt
to changes in the environment. In this sense, the implementation of the oral tradition as
Resumen
La tradición oral es un elemento significativo dentro de la cultura,
mucho más para las etnias, que, como la Zenú, luchan por su
preservación, pues para las familias Zenúes, es un factor importante
para mantener viva su cosmovisión. Desde esta perspectiva, los
docentes necesitan contar con opciones didácticas para promover la
identidad cultural, máxime en los cabildos indígenas donde la
comunicación familiar es débil y no propende por promover las
tradiciones orales tan necesarias para desarrollarse en una sociedad
pluralista y democrática, alternativa de formación para construir
sociedades más democráticas, desde esta perspectiva, la finalidad de
este trabajo de investigación es, la implementación de la tradición
oral como estrategia didáctica para fortalecer la comunicación
familiar. La población que se abordará son los estudiantes, padres
de familia y docentes del grado octavo de la Institución Educativa
San Francisco de Asís, de Chinú, Córdoba. La muestra está
conformada por 4 padres de familia, 4 estudiantes y 4 docentes. Este
trabajo de grado se desarrolla desde el enfoque cualitativo, y
responde a la concepción teórica de la investigación acción
participación. Como técnicas de recolección de datos se utilizaron las
encuestas y entrevistas semiestructuradas, estas permitieron
comprender la importancia de promover y revitalizar la tradición oral
como elemento cultural y pedagógico para fortalecer los vínculos
familiares y comunitarios.
Palabras clave:
Tradición oral, Zenú, estrategia didáctica,
comunicación familiar, identidad cultural, participación activa
The Zenú oral tradition as a didactic strategy to strengthen family communication.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
42
a methodological strategy in the educational environment could contribute to create a
culture of continuous learning in the educational community, where different forms of
knowledge are valued and respected and where inclusion and intercultural dialogue are
promoted.
On the other hand, it is important to highlight that the research proposal is established
within the legal framework of Colombian education, which establishes the need to
promote intercultural education and respect for cultural diversity in the country's
educational establishments. The Colombian Ministry of National Education (MEN) has
established policies and programs aimed at guaranteeing access to and quality of
education for indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants and marginalized communities, in
order to promote the integral development of students and the strengthening of their
cultural identities. In this sense, the implementation of the oral tradition as a
methodological strategy in the Zenú educational community is not only relevant from a
pedagogical point of view, but it is also in line with the policies and guidelines of the
MEN in terms of intercultural education and cultural diversity.
In conclusion, the research proposal to strengthen family relationships in the Zenú
indigenous community through oral tradition as a methodological strategy is framed
within the need to create educational environments that foster the integral
development of students and promote inclusion and respect for cultural diversity. In
addition, it is aligned with Peter Senge's theory of the learning organization and with
the legal framework of Colombian education in terms of intercultural education and
cultural diversity.
Within the framework of the pedagogical practice as teachers at the San Francisco de
Asis Educational Institution, a recurrent problematic situation has been identified
related to the weakening of family relationships in the Zenú indigenous community,
specifically among eighth grade students. This problem has a significant impact on the
emotional well-being and academic performance of the students, as well as on the
strengthening of their cultural identity and sense of belonging.
The problematic situation is characterized by several aspects: Personal: Zenú indigenous
families may face socioeconomic, cultural and access to basic services challenges, which
may affect family dynamics and parent-child relationships. In addition, they may face
difficulties in reconciling traditional cultural practices with the demands of modern
society.
Organizational: The San Francisco de Asis educational institution should consider the
cultural diversity of students and their families, promoting an intercultural education that
respects and values indigenous cultural traditions and practices. It is important to foster
effective communication and active collaboration between the institution and families
to strengthen family relationships.
Sociocultural: The Zenú indigenous community has a rich oral tradition that has been
passed down from generation to generation. However, due to various factors, this
Yaneth Teresa Álvarez Montiel, José Germán Ramos Romero, Ever Manuel Salgado Benítez*.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
43
tradition has been weakening in recent years, which has had a negative impact on family
relationships and the preservation of the community's cultural identity.
Given this problem, the need arises to investigate and understand how the
implementation of oral tradition as a methodological strategy can strengthen family
relationships and promote meaningful learning in eighth grade students. We seek to
explore the impact of this strategy in the revitalization of indigenous culture, the
strengthening of cultural identity and the promotion of strong bonds between students
and their families.
This research is justified by the need to strengthen the education of eighth grade
students of the San Francisco de Asis Educational Institution, belonging to the Zenú
ethnic group and residing in the outskirts of the municipality of Chinú, through the
implementation of oral tradition as a methodological strategy and the strengthening of
family relationships.
Oral tradition is a valuable tool for learning and transmitting knowledge in the Zenú
indigenous culture, and its implementation in the classroom can promote cultural
identity and appreciation of ethnic diversity. Likewise, the strengthening of family
communication can improve the academic performance and emotional well-being of
students. In this line, Ramírez Vargas (2009) who values oral tradition as "a source of
learning, as it contains information on knowledge and customs in different areas such
as: history, myths and sacred texts, political institutions, rites and music, with great
historical value and is a source of cultural values, from which national and regional
identities emerge" (Ramírez Vargas, 2009).
Likewise, family communication: It is understood as the transactional symbolic process
of generating within the family system, meanings to events, things and situations of
daily life; it is a process of mutual and evolutionary influence that includes verbal and
non-verbal messages, perceptions, feelings and cognitions of the members of the family
group. Interaction occurs in a cultural, environmental and historical context and results
in the creation and sharing of meanings" (gallego, 2006, p.94). On the other hand,
Tesson & Younnis (1995) and Noack & Krake (1998) perceive family communication as
a decisive scenario to renegotiate roles and transform relationships so that the family
environment is not hostile, but surrounded by mutuality and reciprocity. Likewise,
Herrera (2007) recognizes the transcendental role that communication plays in the
functioning and maintenance of the family system when it is developed with clear
hierarchies, clear limits, clear roles and open and proactive dialogues that make it
possible to adapt to changes.
For Tobón (2010), teaching strategies are "a set of actions that are planned and
implemented in an orderly manner to achieve a certain purpose", therefore, in the
pedagogical field, it is specifically a "plan of action that the teacher implements to
achieve learning" (Tobón, 2010: 246). Didactic strategies as an element of reflection for
the teaching activity itself, offer great possibilities and expectations to improve
educational practice. In order to communicate knowledge, teachers use strategies
aimed at promoting its acquisition, elaboration and understanding. In other words,
The Zenú oral tradition as a didactic strategy to strengthen family communication.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
44
didactic strategies refer to tasks and activities that the teacher implements
systematically to achieve certain learning in students.
The internal organization of the Zenú people is characterized by maintaining ancestral
cultural patterns. This system is based on being organized by settlements within the
resguardo and each of these units has a Cabildo Menor. In turn, the union of the
different cabildos forms the so-called Cabildo Mayor Zenú. This Cabildo Mayor guides
the collective interests of the people, exercises control and brings the communities
together. Under this logic, an internal organization similar to that of the past is evident,
in that the people maintain their territory divided under a figure of chiefdoms, which
today are called cabildos menores (smaller councils). The internal organization of the
Zenú people is the basis for advocacy and visibility to the outside world. In this sense,
the traditional system of the people constitutes the mechanisms of participation in the
scenarios, therefore the community relationship of the Zenú indigenous people
maintains a strong link with their immediate neighbors such as the peasants and the
coastal society, mainly. Indigenous Organization of Antioquia (2009). "Construyendo
conocimientos ejercemos autonomía en nuestros territorios". Medellín: Impresiones
Graficas.
In this sense, the present research is theoretically justified within the framework of the
socio-constructivist and meaningful approach to learning, which considers that
knowledge is socially constructed through the interaction between individuals and their
environment.
Materials and methods
This research is qualitative, following Hernández Sampieri (2018), qualitative research
usually "produces questions before, during or after the collection and analysis of data.
The inquiry action moves dynamically between the facts and their interpretation.
understand and interpret the impact of the oral tradition and the strengthening of family
relationships in their educational and personal development. therefore, the collection
and analysis of information.
For the design of this research, the postulates of Participatory Action Research (PAR) are
followed, taking into account that it is recognized as a way to explore and study a social
situation to improve it, in this case in the educational context, it is framed in a field
research, where data collection is done directly with the participants in their own
environment Hernández-Sampieri and Mendoza-Torres (2018). In the IAP development,
several actions are implemented whose purpose is to generate changes, which allow
mitigating or overcoming the problems evidenced in it.
The procedure to be developed in this design is given in phases as follows: first phase;
delimitation of the problem and population to be worked on, second phase; research
design, construction of the theoretical and methodological framework and third phase.
Data collection, analysis, design of the proposal and preparation of the final report.
Yaneth Teresa Álvarez Montiel, José Germán Ramos Romero, Ever Manuel Salgado Benítez*.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
45
The population under study in this research project are 4 students between the ages of
12 to 14 years old of the eighth grade (8th) of the San Francisco de Asis Educational
Institution, belonging to the Zenú ethnic group, 4 parents who live in the outskirts of
the municipality of Chinú and 4 teachers of the eighth grade. The educational institution
provides educational services at the preschool, elementary school, high school and
technical high school levels, creating a flexible intercultural curriculum that establishes
the basis for strengthening inclusion, unity in family ties, and the appreciation of their
ancestral customs.
In this research project, it is necessary to have a variety of data collection instruments
to obtain relevant and significant data to address the problem and respond to the
research objectives. These instruments will be used in a complementary manner,
providing different perspectives and approaches that will enrich the analysis of the
results obtained.
To guarantee the quality and validity of the information collected, instruments have
been selected that fit the qualitative nature of the research, seeking to capture the
richness and depth of the experiences, perceptions and experiences of the students
and their families in relation to the oral tradition and family relationships. The data
collection instruments that will be used in this study are presented here, along with a
brief description of each one of them. It should be noted that these instruments have
been adapted and contextualized specifically for the purpose of this research,
considering the particularities of the Zenú indigenous community and the eighth grade
student population.
A structured survey is designed and applied to eighth grade students, which will allow
obtaining data on their perceptions and experiences in relation to oral tradition and
family relationships. This survey will include closed questions that will be statistically
analyzed.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers, families and members of the
Zenú community in order to obtain more detailed qualitative information on the
importance of oral tradition, family roles and cultural expectations in the educational
process. These interviews will be recorded and transcribed for later analysis.
Results
The results presented below are established according to the specific objectives, based
on the application of each of the established activities. It could be evidenced that the
spaces of communication about the difficulties or academic advances of the students is
little, because this type of dialogues in the familiar bosom is given sporadically, that is
to say, that there exist failures in the communicative familiar climate, also it was made
finding of the little transmission of the oral traditions and the Zenú cosmovision, This
indicates a low sense of belonging to the Zenú identity, which originates an uprooting
of the family with its ancestral roots, because it is through the family where these values
and cultural traditions are cultivated, through it there is an extension of the socioculture.
The Zenú oral tradition as a didactic strategy to strengthen family communication.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
46
Also important within the characterization of family communication is the type of
relationships that exist between the family and the school, since the information
collected clearly shows the presence of relationships that are characterized by a lack of
communication and distancing between parents and the educational institution, with a
low level of participation in curricular and extracurricular activities. This situation is of
concern, if we take into account that the family is fundamental to the educational
process, therefore the relationship with the school should be characterized by joint
action, i.e. mutual collaboration and constant dialogue to facilitate the learning of
students, and in this case to improve the participation of students of the Zenú ethnic
group.
A positive aspect found is the willingness of the students to participate in the realization
of textual productions of the Zenú ethnicity, since 100% of them express it, something
very significant, since it shows the interest of the students in knowing their ancestral
traditions together with their families. An important finding was to make a compendium
of the Zenú oral tradition, thanks to the narrative of the parents, who consider important
that their children know the worldview of their Zenú indigenous culture, a fact that
contrasts with the lack of communication on these issues in the family, as 75% say they
know well the Zenú oral tradition and 25% say they know in part their oral tradition, This
indicates, on the one hand, that there has been a lack of meeting spaces and family
dialogue, and on the other hand, that there is a great source of knowledge in the
parents, they are knowledgeable about their indigenous culture, which has a positive
impact on their children and on this project, since their information served as an
invaluable resource to design the didactic strategy "Nitana" on the Zenú oral tradition.
The realization of the didactic strategy "Nitana", takes its name from the indigenous
Zenú word, which represents the place where the Zenú ancestors met to narrate and
share their daily life, hence the relevance of the name for this strategy that aims to
improve family communication through oral tradition, giving the family the experience
of traditions and indigenous values that generate identity and family dialogue.
Each workshop consists of a glossary of Zenú vocabulary, a reading of Zenú myths and
cosmogonic stories, a feedback and a written composition of a text or drawing to
develop creative composition. All are aimed at encouraging communication and family
dialogue through an affectionate and respectful approach, based on texts from the oral
tradition.
The methodology used is that of educational workshops that allow the active
participation of parents and children, a pedagogical task that varies from traditional
meetings, where parents attended sporadically as passive recipients that did not allow
them to create situations for them to develop objective attitudes of reflection, dialogue,
acceptance and recognition of their ancestry.
The Nitana booklet was created with activities that generate cooperative work
experiences between parents and children, in which narratives of the Zenú cosmovision
are developed, which further strengthens the conservation of the oral tradition of the
Zenú people who are part of the Urban Indigenous Council of Chinú.
Yaneth Teresa Álvarez Montiel, José Germán Ramos Romero, Ever Manuel Salgado Benítez*.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
47
The four mothers who participated in this project became tutors for their children,
sharing with the researching and evaluating teachers. They began the activities by
telling the stories that appear in the booklet and that they themselves collaborated in
its production, which generated conversations with their children, who could not hide
their admiration at seeing their parents telling ancestral knowledge that many of them
did not know, but above all, seeing them in the role of storytellers.
By applying the workshops of the "Nitana" primer, an empathetic dynamic was
generated between parents and children, since this significant experience of working in
teams developing narrative activities, reading comprehension and complementing with
the creative composition of artistic works such as: creation of couplets, poems, micro
stories, collage, drawings and origami; allowed to create a significant learning for
students, in addition to generating a climate of good communication and participation
of parents and children.
Results of the fourth objective of evaluating the effect of the implementation of the
didactic strategy "Nitana", based on the Zenú oral tradition. Teachers endorsed as
positive the increase in communication and collaboration between students and their
families as a result of the incorporation of the Zenú indigenous oral tradition in school
activities, something satisfactory, since one of the fundamental purposes of the
educational institution is to ensure that all members of the educational community are
involved in the educational process, in that order of ideas, the family is one of the
fundamental pillars to achieve it, hence strengthening family communication of students
with their parents is an imperative in the school.
They also consider that the didactic strategy Nitana, based on the Zenú oral tradition,
has managed to contribute to the improvement of the family communication of the
students, a very significant fact, since this strategy seeks the active participation of
parents and their children in the educational process, in addition to strengthening family
ties and the oral tradition of the Zenú indigenous people that is part of the Urban
Cabildo of the municipality of Chinú, it can be corroborated that the oral tradition is a
significant element within the educational process of the children belonging to the Zenú
ethnic group and their families, since the ancestral culture deserves to be recognized,
because it constitutes their cultural identity, and allows them to have a self-recognition
of the diversity and plurality of which they are a part. The oral tradition has been
understood as the remembrances of the past that are transmitted or narrated orally,
worth the redundancy, and that are manifested in a natural way in the experiences of a
culture, in which all its members recognize themselves, because they are an expression
of the customs, the identity and the generational living continuity. Hence, this work on
the formulation of the didactic strategy "Nitana", based on the Zenú oral tradition,
which allows strengthening the family communication of the eighth grade students of
the San Francisco de Asís Educational Institution of Chinú, Córdoba, is pertinent and
necessary: [...] a project of oral history is not only a project of oral history, but also a
project of oral history....] an oral history project can not only bring them new social
contacts, and sometimes even lasting friendships, but can provide them with an
invaluable service: ignored and too often in need, they can be given back a certain
The Zenú oral tradition as a didactic strategy to strengthen family communication.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
48
dignity, a feeling of usefulness, by reconsidering their lives and transferring valuable
information to younger generations (Thompson,1998, p.12).
In turn, this work promotes the Zenú oral tradition, from its cosmovision, as a way to
cultivate that ancestral knowledge, taking into account that this ethnic group lost its
native language, but relevant aspects such as oral narrative are maintained, which is
necessary to keep it alive. The different ways of preserving cultural memory
undoubtedly lead to a differentiation in social organization; in fact, in the most oral
cultures, knowledge is linked to communication and the different ways of cultivating
cultural memory. In this respect Ong (1982) points out that in an oral culture, once
acquired, knowledge must be constantly repeated, and that formal and fixed patterns
of thought are indispensable for wisdom. For oral peoples, language is, in general, a
mode of action and not only a password for thought, which is why they confer great
power to the word. The strength of the oral word is related to the sacred and the
existential, so it is good to remember that the oral culture needs spaces to give
continuity to their way of expressing thought (in the case of the Zenú indigenous
worldview, source of this work) with which transmits its ancestral knowledge from one
to another, only thus ensures the continuation of the culture of indigenous ethnic groups
such as the Zenú cabildos. And it is pertinent to recall Havelock's contribution when he
states that: "The natural human being is not a writer, nor a reader, but a speaker and
listener [...] From the perspective of the evolutionary process, writing, at any stage of its
development, is an adventitious phenomenon, an artificial exercise, a work of culture
and not of nature, imposed on natural man" (Havelock, 1996, p. 37).
It is also worth noting that during the collection of information it became evident that
there is a lot of information from parents regarding the oral traditions of the community,
which resulted in a booklet with workshops that collected all that Zenú worldview, which
needs to be disseminated and preserved, Therefore, the inclusion of didactic strategies
that promote oral tradition in the classroom is of great relevance and benefit, not only
for the students, but also for the family and the community in general, since it
strengthens the ties between children, their culture and collective memory. In this
regard, Ong (1982) points out that in an oral culture, once acquired, knowledge must
be constantly repeated and that formal and fixed patterns of thought are indispensable
for wisdom. For oral peoples, language is generally a mode of action and not just a
password for thought, and they therefore confer great power on the word.
As evidenced once the proposal was implemented, a strengthening of family
communication was observed, since the fact that parents were actors in the learning of
their children as storytellers of the Zenú oral tradition, and applying family workshops
of their local context, students were able to give meaning to the ancestral narratives of
their Zenú people, where children shared with their parents the stories collected in the
design of the Nitana strategy. Within the family group is built the fundamental basis of
communication for each individual, they facilitate to each member adequate ways of
how to face the world and to belong within it, the family can build and evidently
overcome the relationships and communication models of each of its members so that
throughout life they can promote and develop the process through which they acquire
Yaneth Teresa Álvarez Montiel, José Germán Ramos Romero, Ever Manuel Salgado Benítez*.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
49
knowledge about themselves, strategies to solve problems and improve their attitudes
that they learn within the home (Tustón, 2016).
Conclusions
This project fulfilled the objectives and contributions to the research lines of the group,
as the first specific objective was established: To characterize the family communication
of the students of the San Francisco de Asis Educational Institution, in order to obtain a
significant sample that would serve as a starting point for the execution of the project.
According to the information collected, there is evidence of a failure in the family
communicative climate, a fact that has repercussions in the educational process of the
students, since undoubtedly the family is a fundamental pillar in this. Likewise, regarding
family dialogue about oral traditions and Zenú cosmovision, there is little that the
students know about their own ethnicity, which indicates the little sense of belonging
with the Zenú identity on the part of the parents, this originates an uprooting of the
family with their ancestral roots, since it is through the family where these values and
cultural traditions are cultivated, through it there is an extension of the socioculture.
Vallecida and Orobio (2019) agree that there are multiple factors that intervene in the
loss of knowledge and oral tradition, among these they expose the accelerated
globalization and minority communities, who must assume drastic changes in their
lifestyles, likewise, the lack of interest on the part of the school system in rescuing and
strengthening this knowledge from the classroom is put on the table.
According to the information collected, it is considered that the type of relationships
that exist between the family and the school are characterized by a lack of
communication and distancing between parents and the educational institution, with a
low level of participation in curricular and extracurricular activities. This situation is of
concern, if we take into account that the family is fundamental to the educational
process, therefore the relationship with the school should be characterized by joint
action, i.e. mutual collaboration and constant dialogue to facilitate the learning of
students, and in this case to improve the participation of students of the Zenú ethnicity.
The second specific objective was to design the didactic strategy proposal "Nitana",
based on the elements of the Zenú indigenous oral tradition, to contribute to the
improvement of family communication among eighth grade students of the San
Francisco de Asís Educational Institution in Chinú, Córdoba, for which two steps were
developed based on the active participation of parents, as follows: Step 1." A narrar se
dijo": In this activity there was a meeting of parents narrators of the Zenú indigenous
tradition, each attending mother expressed her ancestral knowledge and stories told by
her grandparents concerning the Zenú cosmovision. The result of this activity was to
compile 10 cosmogonic stories of our Zenú ancestors that will be part of the booklet on
the Zenú worldview. Step 2. "A escribir se dijo": In this activity the teachers responsible
for this project captured the narratives of the Zenú oral tradition, told by the attending
mothers, and organized the sequence of ten workshops, as a bet of a broad school,
which opens its doors to ancestral knowledge having as axis the communication in the
family.
The Zenú oral tradition as a didactic strategy to strengthen family communication.
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 8, No. 48
January - March 2024. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 40-58
50
The methodology used is that of educational workshops that allow the active
participation of parents and children, a pedagogical task that varies from traditional
meetings.
The third objective proposed the implementation of the didactic strategy proposal
"Nitana", based on the elements of the Zenú indigenous oral tradition, to contribute to
the improvement of family communication, the eighth grade students developed the
workshops of the booklet entitled "Nitana", a strategy with different activities, designed
to work between parents and children. The Nitana booklet was created with activities
that generate cooperative work experiences between parents and children, it develops
narratives of the Zenú worldview, which further strengthens the conservation of the oral
tradition of the Zenú people.
The fourth objective evaluated the effect of the implementation of the didactic strategy
"Nitana", based on the Zenú oral tradition in eighth grade students, contributing to the
improvement of family communication of students, a very significant fact, since this
strategy seeks the active participation of parents and their children in the educational
process, in addition to strengthening family ties and the oral tradition of the Zenú
indigenous people that is part of the Cabildo Urbano of the municipality of Chinú.For
this research project, the product is evidenced in the improvement of the educational
environment, the active participation of students and parents through cooperative work
practices in the family and in the classroom, the promotion of a meaningful learning
environment that aims to recognize the oral tradition as a strategy to strengthen family
communication of students who are part of the Cabildo Indígena Urbano, in addition to
using ancestral knowledge as valuable material for cultural and social learning, which
strengthens interculturality in educational institutions.
..........................................................................................................
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