Laboratorios de bajo costo y aprendizaje activo en ciencias

This study assesses a frugal intervention that combines low‑cost school laboratories with active‑learning sequences in science for upper elementary and lower‑secondary students (grades 5–10) in rural and peri‑urban areas of Ecuador’s Andean highlands (Chimborazo and Cotopaxi). We used a quasi‑experimental pre‑post design with nonequivalent groups plus qualitative components. The program comprised modular kits (mechanics, electricity, matter/mixtures, biodiversity), short inquiry‑based guides, formative assessment rubrics, and teacher coaching. Twenty‑four classes (N = 596) participated. Outcomes were analyzed with multilevel models, robustness ANCOVA, and propensity‑score weighting. Findings show moderate gains in scientific inquiry (g ≈ 0.45) and small‑to‑moderate gains in motivation (g ≈ 0.26) relative to traditional practice, with larger effects in mechanics and electricity than in matter/mixtures and biodiversity. A partial mediation (~38%) indicates that active‑learning intensity (on‑task time, discussion, argumentation) explains a substantial share of the effect. The positive interaction of treatment × rurality suggests slightly greater benefits in rural schools, helping narrow territorial gaps. The annualized cost per student was ≈ USD 1.84 and the incremental cost‑effectiveness ≈ USD 4.09 per 0.2 SD, demonstrating an excellent cost‑impact ratio with locally sourced materials and community maintenance. We conclude that frugal labs integrated with active pedagogy are feasible, effective, and sustainable for improving science learning in resource‑constrained settings. Future work should include cluster randomized trials, standardization of lower‑effect units, and streamlined monitoring of active‑learning intensity for scaling.