This research is part of the Teaching Innovation Project of the University of Cantabria -UC- (2024) called, ‘Interactive learning, research and collaborative reflection for the development of transversal competences in Teacher Training students’, being its focus to involve Education students from two Spanish universities (UC and University of Salamanca -USAL-) in the theoretical knowledge of innovative pedagogies.

The convergence between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Organic Law of the University System -LOSU- and the teaching guides of the subjects in which this project has been implemented configure a particularly relevant scenario for the promotion and consolidation of active methodologies in university teaching. In a socio-educational context characterised by uncertainty and novelty, the inclusion of interactive and dynamic learning connected to innovative educational experiences emerges as a resource of interest in the construction of teaching professionals as agents of change. In particular, the competence to identify and implement innovative pedagogical practices contributes to the development of teacher reflexivity, as it enhances the critical review of learning, previous ideas and educational experiences.

The contextual framework in which we questioned students about ‘innovative schools’ is framed within the educational stage from 6 to 12 years of age; the period for which students have studied in these centres. The question of what is meant by ‘innovative school or educational centre’ includes those centres that improve the effectiveness of the teaching-learning processes through new methodologies, the use of ICT, the stimulation of critical thinking, preparation for global citizenship, individual attention to students, the promotion of motivation, the development of skills and competences, etc. In short, preparing students to face new challenges from an individualised and collaborative perspective.

Therefore, the research question seeks to analyse the degree of knowledge acquired by Education students about the meaning of innovative centres during the development of the Teaching Innovation Project. The research design adopted a quantitative approach and a descriptive analysis was carried out. An ad hoc questionnaire was designed as a research instrument, which incorporated items responding to socio-demographic variables and innovative centres. The questionnaire was answered voluntarily and anonymously, between September and December 2024, by 166 students in the first year of the Teaching Degree in Primary Education at the two Spanish universities where the Teaching Innovation Project was implemented (UC and USAL). The results of the research show that 81.9% of the participants know what innovative educational centres are after carrying out the Project. Specifically, the majority of students point out five key elements that are also in line with the academic literature on innovative schools: a) they use innovative methodologies; b) they foster creativity; c) they develop collaborative competences; they promote improvements in learning; and they foster critical thinking. The competence to identify innovative schools contributes to the consolidation of the role of teachers as agents of change in the socio-educational field, promoting critical thinking and reflexivity as essential resources to address present and future educational challenges.

Keywords: Teaching innovation, Innovative pedagogies, Interactive learning, Reflective teachers, Initial training.