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Fundamentals of Socio-Community Education

Code: 101663
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Social Education OB 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Paloma Valdivia Vizarreta
Email :
paloma.valdivia@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

This is a subject third-year course. It requires having approved the subjects of Anthropology and Philosophy of Education and Sociopolitical Bases of Education.

Objectives

1. Know the genesis, basic concept of Socio-Community Education and its relations with other socio-educational activities.

2. Understand the theoretical foundations of education Socio.

3. Know the different academic traditions and Socio-educational professionals.

4. Learn to design a project of Socio-Community Education.

5. Understand and apply the methods, techniques and Socio-educational activities.

6. Get experiences and Socio-educational projects.

Learning outcomes

  1. Analyse socio-cultural and community development experiences and projects from the perspective of different theoretical paradigms.
  2. Understand the basic legislation that encompasses social and community education.
  3. Analyse different types of communities and the main characteristics that define and shape them.
  4. Understand the basic concept and the main methodologies and techniques of socio-cultural and community development.
  5. Design socio-cultural promotion and community development activities, programs and projects.
  6. Develop professional functions tailored to different social and community situations in ways that encourage the empowerment of the participants.
  7. Understand existing research on socio-cultural and community development.
  8. Understand the pedagogical dimension of interaction with peers and adults and learn to promote participation in group activities, cooperative work and individual effort showing an ethical attitude to mediation processes in different contexts and circumstances.
  9. Maintaining an attitude of respect for practices and types of behaviour that address fairness and inclusion.
  10. Working in multidisciplinary teams, developing processes of social/community education.
  11. Foster democratic education of the population and the practice of critical and social thought fostering collaboration with families, organizations and institutions with a bearing on the education of the population.
  12. Understand the theoretical frameworks that enable sustainable development and responsible actions to assess individual and collective responsibility for achieving a sustainable future.
  13. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  14. Analyse a situation and identify points for improvement.
  15. Propose new experience-based methods or alternative solutions.
  16. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of both one's own and other people's proposals for improvement.
  17. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  18. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  19. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  20. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  21. Propose projects and actions that are in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and obligations, diversity and democratic values.
  22. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  23. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  24. Propose new ways to measure the success or failure of the implementation of innovative proposals or ideas.
  25. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.

Contents

Foundations of socio-community education

  • Conceptualisation of socio-community education.
  • Sociopedagogical foundations of community intervention and theoretical-practical approaches: sociocultural animation and community development.
  • Community, development and social change.

Community processes, methodologies and projects

  • Community organisation and social capital.
  • Community methodology: community processes, facilitation techniques and intervention tools.
  • Design of socio-community education projects.

Participation, networks and professional role

  • Participation as a tool for social action and learning.
  • Community education, civil society and sociocultural networks. Socioeducational network-based work.
  • Role of the social educator in the community field.

Evaluation of community intervention

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Classes and seminars 45 1.8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Study and research information 75 3 1, 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16, 22
Design and development of an education project 30 1.2 1, 2, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20

The protagonist in the teaching-learning process is the student and in this sense an active and participatory methodology has been planned, based on research. There are 4 types of activities:

1.-Directed, face-to-face in a large group: they include presentations by the teaching staff of the contents of the agenda and specific presentations of experiences and case studies by active professionals (30 hours).

2.-*Supervised: in the seminars the students will carry out practical activities in small groups on techniques and specific actions on the agenda. Both the practical research activities and the development of the work are supervised by the teaching staff. (15 hours)

3.-Autonomous: the students will have individual and couple autonomous work spaces to analyze a community experience and to elaborate a social community project respectively (75 hours).

4.-Evaluative: intended for the verification and qualification of the achievements.


Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Analysis of a community project or initiative 10% 0 0 1, 3, 7, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24
Participation and involvement in classroom dynamics 5% 0 0 1, 4, 9, 12, 25
Design and development of an education project in a specific reality 25% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 17, 18, 23
Research work, development of information and application of techniques in the classroom 15% 0 0 3, 4, 5, 7, 22, 23
Final Exam 45% 0 0 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12

The subject contemplates two evaluation modalities: single and continuous. Both modalities require releasing the same evaluative evidence to accredit and guarantee the achievement of the objectives and learning results established for the subject.


They are mandatory requirements:

1.-Carry out all the required evaluation activities. It will be considered non-assessable if all are not done.

2.-Attendance to at least 80% of the classes and seminars, otherwise it will be considered non-assessable.

3.-It should be noted that the plagiarism of any text in the course work or the copy to the evaluation activities will be a reason for failing.


The positive attitude towards learning and participation in the sessions will be evaluated.

The continuous evaluation implies the regularity in the delivery of the tasks and works:


Assessment criterion Date or period
Analysis of a community project or initiative (individual) 09/10/2026
Research work, information development and application of techniques in class (group work) 06/11/2026
Design and development of a socio-community education project (group work) 11/12/2026
Final exam (individual) 08/01/2027
Resit exam 22/01/2027


The feedback, return of work or grade, as applicable, for assessment activities will be communicated within no more than 20 working days of the academic calendar.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed exclusively in support tasks, such as bibliographic or information search, text correction or translations. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The lack of transparency of the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.

Students from the second enrollment period will be able to take the summary test.



 Assessment activities % of final grade
Group component Research work, information development and application of techniques in class 15%

Design and development of a socio-community education project 25%
Individual component Participation in class and involvement in the dynamics 5%

Analysis of a community project or initiative 10%

Final exam 45%


To pass this subject, the student must show good general communicative competence, both orally and in writing, and a good command of the language or languages listed in the teaching guide.

In all activities (individual and group), linguistic correction, writing and formal aspects of presentation will therefore be taken into account. Students must be able to express themselves fluently and correctly and must show a high degree of understanding of academic texts. An activity may be returned (notevaluated) or suspended if the teacher considers that it does not meet these requirements.

Bibliography

Ahedo Gurrutxaga, I., Ormazabal Gaston, A., Villasante Prieto, T. R., & Greenwood, D. (2023). Participación, investigación acción y desarrollo comunitario: retos, oportunidades y esperanzas. Revista Prisma Social, (43), 1–9. https://revistaprismasocial.es/article/view/5280

Almaguer Kalixto, P. E., Hernández Cordero, A. L., & Escriche Bueno, P. J. (2024). Investigación Acción Participativa y laboratorios de innovación social en el ámbito rural: retos y oportunidades. Revista Prisma Social, (44), 195–218. https://revistaprismasocial.es/article/view/5221

Ander-Egg, E. (1989). La animación y los animadores. Narcea.

Andreu, C. (2007). Desarrollo comunitario: estrategias de intervención y rol de la educadora social. RES. Revista de Educación Social, (7). https://eduso.net/res/revista/7/marco-teorico/desarrollo-comunitario-estrategias-de-intervencion-y-rol-de-la-educadora-social

Arnanz Monreal, L., García Montes, N., & Villasante Prieto, T. R. (2023). La investigación y acción participativa y transformadora basada en los grupos motores. Revista Prisma Social, (43), 34–56. https://revistaprismasocial.es/article/view/5176

Baum, F., MacDougall, C., & Smith, D. (2006). Participatory action research. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 60(10), 854–857. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2004.028662

Caride Gómez, J. A., & Fraguela-Vale, R. (2015). Cuando el proyecto se hace método: nuevas perspectivas para la investigación socioeducativa en red. Pedagogía Social. Revista Interuniversitaria, (26), 139–172. https://doi.org/10.7179/PSRI_2015.26.06

Gomà, R. (2007). La acción comunitaria: transformación social y construcción de ciudadanía. RES. Revista de Educación Social, (7). https://eduso.net/res/revista/7/marco-teorico/la-accion-comunitaria-transformacion-social-y-construccion-de-ciudadania

Marchioni, M. (2006). Democracia participativa y crisis de la política: la experiencia de los planes comunitarios. Cuadernos de Trabajo Social, 19, 213–224. https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/CUTS/article/view/CUTS0606110213A

Núñez, H., Crespo, E., Llena Berñe, A., & Úcar, X. (2014). Enfoques de evaluación orientados a la participación en los procesos de acción comunitaria. Pedagogía Social. Revista Interuniversitaria, (24), 79–103. https://doi.org/10.7179/PSRI_2014.24.04

Martínez Chito, L., & Úcar, X. (2022). The generation of community social capital in the Poble Sec community plan (Barcelona). Community Development, 53(4), 477–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2021.1987487

Padrós Rovira, A. (2020). La mejora de los procesos de participación en sus dimensiones participativa y comunitaria desde la educación social: una evaluación del proceso de participación de la situación de los jóvenes en el barrio de Verdum (Barcelona). RES. Revista de Educación Social, (30), 169–203. https://eduso.net/res/revista/30/el-tema-experiencias/la-mejora-de-los-procesos-de-participacion-en-sus-dimensiones-participativa-y-comunitaria-desde-la-educacion-social

Úcar, X. (2021). Social pedagogy, social education and social work in Spain: Convergent paths. International Journal of Social Pedagogy, 10(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.ijsp.2021.v10.x.001

Úcar Martínez, X., Heras, P., & Soler, P. (2014). La evaluación participativa de acciones comunitarias como metodología de aprendizaje para el empoderamiento personal y comunitario: estudio de casos y procesos de empoderamiento. Pedagogía Social. Revista Interuniversitaria, (24), 21–47. https://doi.org/10.7179/PSRI_2014.24.02

Software

None specific

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 3 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 311 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 312 Catalan first semester morning-mixed