The workshop as a didactic strategy for postgraduate education: Its impact in the context of advanced studies courses

Abstract

Within the framework of current pedagogical trends, active teaching methods represent an innovative response to the challenges of meaningful and collaborative learning in complex environments, particularly in higher education. These methodologies promote interaction, critical reflection, and the collective construction of knowledge, responding to contemporary demands for comprehensive education. Their relevance is even greater in postgraduate education, where professionals are expected not only to acquire specialized knowledge but also to develop analytical, research, and application-oriented competencies linked to real-world contexts. The objective of this article was to analyze the impact of the use of the workshop as a didactic strategy in the context of the Advanced Studies Courses (CEA) at Gregório Semedo Higher Polytechnic Institute- IGS (Angola). A mixed-methods research approach was employed, with a predominance of quantitative-descriptive analysis complemented by qualitative elements, using surveys and participant observation applied to an intentional sample of CEA students and instructors. The results reveal significant effects (according to the collected assessments) in five dimensions: pedagogical quality of the process, active student participation, development of learning outcomes and competencies, integrative evaluative function, and transfer of learning to professional performance. It is concluded that the workshop constitutes a didactic strategy consistent with the demands of postgraduate education, fostering not only knowledge acquisition but also the active transfer of learning to real occupational contexts.