Abstract
The history of Spanish pedagogical renewal harbors an extensive and plural activity that confirms the search for a school configured not only for academic purposes, but also understood as the motor of personal, cultural and social transformation. There are numerous educational centers throughout Spanish history that bring evidence to this search, building a critical and innovative socio-educational view on education. Throughout the article, we study 11 primary schools, representative of the effort for pedagogical renewal, that were active during the academic year 2012-2013 in the Community of Madrid. The research has been carried out through the study of outstanding bibliography, interviews with significant members, observation of school and content analysis of educational projects. Two axes of analysis are established: methodology and pedagogical ideology of the schools and the main difficulties in carrying out their educational project. The results show that each of the schools reflects its own educational singularity. However, they all reveal many common educational aspects that call into question elements that are deeply rooted in the Spanish pedagogical culture, namely: textbook as exclusive work material, low participation of parents and, finally, lecturing as sole method of pedagogical relation.
Elementary schools; Alternative schools; Educational innovation; Pedagogical renewal; Madrid