Territorial model for the implementation of pedagogical agroecology in upper secondary education

Abstract

This study develops the Territorial Model for the Implementation of Pedagogical Agroecology as a theoretical and operational framework for transforming upper secondary education through a territorial, intercultural, and cognitive justice perspective. The research adopted a qualitative interpretative approach grounded in educational ethnography, Participatory Action Research, and the Territory–Body–Memory framework. Fieldwork was conducted in Indigenous communities of Ayotitlán, Jalisco, Mexico, using semi-structured interviews, agro-affective calendars, territorial transects, community time mapping, students' narratives, and participant observation. The findings led to the construction of a systemic architecture composed of four interconnected levels: implementation conditions, territorial implementation system, territorial pedagogical operation, and transformative outcomes. The model integrates territory, community, curriculum, participatory research, and pedagogical devices to strengthen the dialogue between scientific and community knowledge, community epistemological governance, and territorial regeneration. The study concludes that Pedagogical Agroecology provides an alternative framework for reorganizing educational processes from the territory, fostering contextualized learning, community participation, curriculum innovation, and sustainability. Furthermore, the model offers a transferable framework for other rural, Indigenous, and intercultural educational contexts committed to educational transformation and the regeneration of life.