Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente y su proyección educadora en la escuela y en la sociedad española

Resumen

Born and raised in the northern province of Burgos, Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente was the most famous conservationist and communicator of the natural world in 20th century Spain. His contributions to Spanish culture in the last century have been widely recognised and he has clearly left a strong mark on today’s society. His overshadowing presence raises the questions: what exactly has been his educational influence, and to what extent has he shaped the adoption of new environmental values? In order to answer these questions, this paper disassembles, analyses, identifies and compares de la Fuente´s communication techniques, and how he applied them in the realms of education, heritage interpretation and popular science communication. The didactic and linguistic resources employed are examined and the message typologies of two of his major audiovisual works are reviewed. Finally, this paper examines direct and indirect evidence of his influence on text books and other teaching materials still used in the school setting. A bibliographical review is undertaken of both primary sources and of the various biographies of de la Fuente that have been written to date. In addition, the paper reflects upon the role of communication in education, heritage interpretation and in the communication of science to non-specialist audiences. His didactic influences can be clearly detected in de la Fuente´s audio-visual works such as El Hombre y la Tierra, Fauna, and El Planeta Azul, as well in school texts. Through the examination of these materials, the ongoing positive influences of de la Fuente on Spanish education are brought to the fore.