revising a foreign language curriculum: a challenging and ... · core concepts of our ... we...

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PROFILE PROFILE PROFILE PROFILE PROFILE 7 (2006):Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras

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Revising a Foreign Language Curriculum: A Challenging andEnhancing Experience at a Public School in Bogotá

Revisión del currículo de lengua extranjera: Un reto y una experiencia motivanteRevisión del currículo de lengua extranjera: Un reto y una experiencia motivanteRevisión del currículo de lengua extranjera: Un reto y una experiencia motivanteRevisión del currículo de lengua extranjera: Un reto y una experiencia motivanteRevisión del currículo de lengua extranjera: Un reto y una experiencia motivanteen un colegio público en Bogotáen un colegio público en Bogotáen un colegio público en Bogotáen un colegio público en Bogotáen un colegio público en Bogotá

Aurora Ortiz CAurora Ortiz CAurora Ortiz CAurora Ortiz CAurora Ortiz C., [email protected], Martha Camelo GMartha Camelo GMartha Camelo GMartha Camelo GMartha Camelo G., [email protected],Maria Nelly Martín DMaria Nelly Martín DMaria Nelly Martín DMaria Nelly Martín DMaria Nelly Martín D., [email protected], Marisol Sarmiento SMarisol Sarmiento SMarisol Sarmiento SMarisol Sarmiento SMarisol Sarmiento S.,[email protected], Maritza Ruiz MMaritza Ruiz MMaritza Ruiz MMaritza Ruiz MMaritza Ruiz M., [email protected]*

Instituto Técnico Industrial Francisco José de Caldas, Colombia

Curriculum design essentially improves education standards; however, for teachers it remainsa taboo kept for academics. Nevertheless, curriculum design begins with teacher’s reflections. Itgoes from examining situations to piloting and adjusting proposals. This project involved teachersinterested in improving the English learning process at a technical public school. The objectivewas designing a curriculum that conveyed community interests. First, documents describingexisting curricular guidelines were analyzed, then surveys were applied, they evidenced strengthsand weaknesses of the current program. Data interpretation showed mixed perceptions regardingthe English programme among community members. Even teachers had different perceptionsabout curricular elements presented in school documents. This phenomenon leads us to considerthe implications of a project regarding curriculum design.

KKKKKey worey worey worey worey wordsdsdsdsds: Curriculum, curriculum design, community interests, data analysis

El diseño curricular es esencial para el mejoramiento educativo, pero los docentes lo creenexclusivo de académicos. Éste parte de la reflexión docente, implica entre otras cosas el diagnósticode una situación y la implementación de una propuesta. El proyecto fue realizado por docentesinteresados en mejorar los procesos de aprendizaje del inglés en un colegio técnico. Se pretendiódiseñar un currículo acorde con los intereses de la comunidad. Inicialmente se analizaron losdocumentos escolares existentes, se aplicaron encuestas que evidenciaron fortalezas y debilidadesdel programa. La interpretación de datos mostró las diferentes percepciones de la comunidadrespecto al programa de inglés; incluso los profesores concebían de manera diferente los elementoscurriculares. Esto impulsó la reflexión sobre el diseño curricular.

Palabras clavesPalabras clavesPalabras clavesPalabras clavesPalabras claves: Currículo, diseño curricular, intereses de la comunidad, análisis de datos

*AAAAAurururururora Ortiz C.ora Ortiz C.ora Ortiz C.ora Ortiz C.ora Ortiz C. holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia. Her studies havedealt with foreign language teaching, including the current “Red PROFILE” in-service programme. She teaches English on the primary levelat I.T.I. Francisco José de Caldas in Bogotá.

Martha Camelo G. Martha Camelo G. Martha Camelo G. Martha Camelo G. Martha Camelo G. holds a B.A. in Modern Languages from the Universidad La Gran Colombia. Her studies have dealt with foreignlanguage teaching, including “Red PROFILE” in-service programme in 2005. She works at I.T.I. Francisco José de Caldas School in Bogotá.

María Nelly Martin D.María Nelly Martin D.María Nelly Martin D.María Nelly Martin D.María Nelly Martin D. holds a B.A. in Philology and Languages from the Universidad Libre. Then she got her specialization inEducational Management. She participated in the “Red PROFILE” in-service programme. She is working at I.T.I. Francisco José de Caldas.

Marisol Sarmiento S.Marisol Sarmiento S.Marisol Sarmiento S.Marisol Sarmiento S.Marisol Sarmiento S. holds a B.A. in Spanish and Languages (English, French) from the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional deColombia. Then she got her specialization in Higher Education Teaching and enrolled in the “Red PROFILE” in-service programme in2005. She works at I.E.D. Campestre Monteverde.

Maritza Ruiz M.Maritza Ruiz M.Maritza Ruiz M.Maritza Ruiz M.Maritza Ruiz M. holds a B.A. in Philology and Languages from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Then she got her specialization inApplied Linguistics in the Teaching of English. She works at I.T.I. Francisco José de Caldas and as a professor of the Universidad de la Sabana.

This article was received on January 30th, 2006 and accepted on June 14th, 2006.

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONCurriculum conceived as a systematic plan for

instruction that can provide the educationalcommunity with meaningful learning experiencesin both in-school and out-of-school activities(Moore, 2001), proves to be essential since it cangive English its place as a subject which allowsstudents to communicate in another language ratherthan merely obtaining a set of grammar structures.In our case, we decided to study our curriculumbecause we realized schools are facing rapidchanges and learning English plays an importantrole in students’ educational and future life.

Designing a curriculum is a time-consumingtask since it implies analyzing the needs of acommunity, revising existing curriculum, reviewingsources of information related to similar endeavors,conveying community contributions, puttingtogether experiences and expectations and, finally,building a new curricular platform proposal. Everyyear teachers write documents which contain theguidelines for the school year, but we wonder towhat extent we really are doing something otherthan fulfilling a requirement, and to what extent iswhat we plan adequate, effective, practical andcontextualized. Now we know no matter howserious these efforts have been, they have alsoignored many participants and contributions whichcould have made our teaching programmes better.We expect that the road we have traveled so farand which we will describe in this document, willbecome a real and tangible contribution to ourschool curricular platform and will inspire otherteachers, even from other subjects, to look attheir practice with a critical eye. We also hopethat the process we have followed can help otherteachers to start processes that can respond totheir specific concerns.

The ultimate result of these efforts should be acurricular proposal able to take into account statepolicies, current authors, publications and models,community member contributions, students’background and our experience as teachers. Acurriculum with the former characteristics can

produce positive changes in students’ beliefs,attitudes, values and behavior. Needless to say, acurriculum that succeeds in developing studentswhose beliefs, attitudes and behavior are guidedboth by values and critical thinking can make adifference in Colombian society. This documentreveals a challenge which involves a group ofEnglish teachers who want to innovate their dailypractice, improve the students’ performance anddesign a plan that include specific aspects of thecurriculum.

Along the following pages, we will describe whatmotivated us to turn to curriculum design and theprocess we followed once we made the decisionto propose a new curriculum for English as aForeign Language at Instituto Técnico IndustrialFrancisco José de Caldas. Furthermore, we includethe theoretical principles behind our study, theresults of the analysis we made of our curriculumand the conclusion to take into account what weplan to do in the future.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORKTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORKTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORKTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORKDesigning a suitable curriculum for our

context means not only making contributionsbased on our experiences or opinions asteachers, but also developing a researcherprofile. This profile requires certain actionsregarding the exploration of our area of interest-curriculum planning and design. Among theseresearch actions, the next lines summarize thecore concepts of our project. Each of them hasprovided us with information concerning thedevelopment of a relevant proposal.

Curriculum DesignCurriculum DesignCurriculum DesignCurriculum DesignCurriculum DesignThe core of the present project has been

curriculum design. Our main concern has beenbuilding a practical and accurate curricular proposalfor the school, but to be able to do that we havehad to walk a long path and to work hard just tosee the first shapes of a possible proposal. Let’sbegin with what a practical curriculum means forthe team. A practical curriculum is the application

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of a coherent theoretical and methodologicalframework built in order to guide learning andteaching processes according to a specific context.This is why a needs analysis and the contributionsof the members in our community were –and are,in any case- fundamental.

According to the previous panorama, we foundMoore’s curriculum definition suitable for ourproject. He defines curriculum as a systematic planof instruction that should provide our educationalcommunity with meaningful learning experiencesin both in-school and out-of-school activities(Moore, 2001). We consider the development ofa curriculum essential since it can give English itsplace as a very important subject which will allowstudents to obtain knowledge about the world, othercultures and the latest advances, which respondto the modern world requirements and educationpolicies that exist in our country. According to them,students should be able to use technology to buildtheir knowledge of the world (M.E.N., 2003). Thus,a curriculum based on a community’s contributionsproduces a sense of ownership and probably makesa plan of instruction more practical, easy tounderstand and follow since it should beunderstandable to everybody. These characteristicscan encourage teachers to follow and apply a newcurriculum by means of which teaching-learningprocesses can be enhanced with innovativeproposals and strategies. Participation can alsoencourage pupils to take a more active role in theirlearning processes (Santos, 2001).

The most suitable curriculum definition for ourpurposes is the following: An operative curriculummeans making decisions about the elements it mayinclude and which are relevant according to thesituation at school. It also implies suggesting coursesof action rather than criticizing existing proposals.A curriculum becomes suitable as it takes intoaccount students’ needs, human resources, criticalviewpoints about existing conditions and the needfor adjustment and innovation.

Regarding curriculum design and models, wehave found data-based literature that confirmed

what we can call “our beliefs and assumptions”. Inother cases, information obtained about this areaprovided us with understanding platform elementsand design processes. Authors like Nunan (1992)offer an insight in to the design of a curriculumaccording to necessities of the students, whereasauthors like Moore (2001) consider thecomponents of a curriculum to include a needsanalysis, syllabus design, task selection and materialsdesign, methodology, assessment and evaluation,ongoing program support such as teacherinstruction. We also looked for curricularproposals in the Colombian context and feel thatColombian experiences might be worth reviewingor replicating. We considered a model proposedby Iafrancesco (1998) which seemed to be asource of enrichment for our project.

Let’s review briefly the model this Colombianauthor developed based on his concerns on howto make the General Law of Education morepractical and down-to-earth. His model has beenput into action in different universities, high schools,primary and pre-school institutes, which shows itspotential. According to Iafrancesco’s model, it isnecessary to create a curricular proposal thatresponds to the quality education requirementsdemanded by Colombia in the XXI century.Iafrancesco’s model shows some characteristicsthat correspond to the guidelines we want forguiding our proposal. In the first place,Iafrancesco’s curriculum focuses on the person,not on the contents: It is student-centered. Thisimplies students’ participation in decision makingabout topics and tasks, among others. Inconsequence, participative and appealing learningexperiences are brought to light. It also meanscontents are organized and developed accordingto students’ needs and interests. Anotherimportant contribution of his work is his invitationto engage in critical evaluation, adjustment andredesign of curriculum to fulfill Colombian contextneeds.

Having read his proposal, we decided to lookcarefully at some of the key concepts Ianfrancesco


(1998) discusses since these ideas could enlightenour understanding and the revision plan for ourcurriculum:

• Anthropological and Axiologic Inspiration:Values are the axis of the human being “as a whole”.Knowledge and skills need to be directed byconsistent beliefs.

• Democratic Participation: Democracy allowscommunity members to participate and creates asense of “ownership” and commitment so peopleare willing to assume responsibilities.

• Cross Curricular Nature: Respectful, openand consistent attitudes take an important role here,since a cross curricular proposal embodies variouscommunities’ group expectations and also affectseverybody’s actions.

• Flexibility: The curriculum can be modifiedwithout losing its axis and should always be guidedby a serious, conscientious plan of action.

• Coherence: It is given by the community’sneeds. A coherent curriculum provides settingsand experiences that foster development and thatguides a process with, hopefully, a minimum oftraumas.

• Realism: Decisions should respond to thereality of the community. Realism goes from theconception of an idea to the actions which revealit.

• Project for the Future: The course of aprocess should be respected and evaluated.Evaluation provides information that can enhancefuture processes, since it allows determining whatwas successful, or what was not successful. Keepingan eye on process helps us to change the future.

• Projection: No process can be conceivedwithout the awareness of its future impact, even ifthe manifestations are not immediate.

• Personalization: Support with new ideas andconcepts that can be integrated with the context.

These principles respond to many of ourconcerns since they focused on some of theweaknesses of the English programme we hadexperienced along our practice. Let’s take crosscurricular nature, for example. To many teachers,

this concept has to do with only a coherentdynamic of contents among the various subjectstaught at school. Bearing in mind that the school’sPEI (Institutional Education Project) is “Educationof Industrial Leaders”, going beyond the academicconnections seems more than relevant.Negotiation, tolerance and acceptance becomecore concepts and practice which permeate allcommunity members from every group at school.Cross curricular nature becomes, then, a positivepractice which is enhanced and promoted fromevery in-school and out-of-school scenario.

A curricular platform for language learninginvolves reflection and coherence regarding theviews of language, language learning, and thegeneral educational philosophy we hold. Theprevious elements would result in a model to putthe curriculum into operation. That is the reasonwe also have to establish some guidelines onaspects like second language acquisition, teachingmethodology and teaching processes. We willreview these aspects in the following paragraphs.

Second Language AcquisitionSecond Language AcquisitionSecond Language AcquisitionSecond Language AcquisitionSecond Language AcquisitionNext, we focused our attention on the Second

Language Acquisition process. It is a long processwhich involves several essential social and culturalcomponents in order to develop communicativecompetence in the specific context.

To Brown (1994), the following are aspects ofa theory of second language acquisition:

• A theory of second language acquisitionincludes understanding, in general, of what languageis, what learning is, and for the classroom context,what teaching is.

• Knowledge of children’s learning of their firstlanguage provides essential insights to anunderstanding of L2 acquisition.

• Second language learning is a part of andadheres to general principles of human learningand intelligence.

• Inevitable aspects of this process are errors,from which learners and teachers can gain furtherinsight.


These aspects are central to our proposal sincethey will shape decisions about teaching-learningapproaches and methodology and permit choicesregarding guidelines of a curricular platform.

TTTTTeaching Methodology and Teaching Methodology and Teaching Methodology and Teaching Methodology and Teaching Methodology and TeachingeachingeachingeachingeachingProcessesProcessesProcessesProcessesProcesses

Reflecting on what language is and how it is learnt,let us find common ground, reach agreements andmake decisions on how a foreign language is taughtand how it will be taught at our school. Taking intoaccount the schools’ population and the context ofthe school, we looked for approaches to guidelearning processes successfully and flexible enoughto let students and teachers work freely accordingto their needs and skills. Teachers at school workwith the communicative approach, but we believethat using elements from other approaches willenhance teaching and learning processes.

Just as important as raising awareness onlearning processes is raising awareness on teachingprocesses. Teaching is more than a practice: It is aprocess that requires preparation and commitmentbecause the way teaching goes affects the waypeople learn. In consequence, teaching must becontextualized, adjusted to pupils’ needs and toresources available, so advantages can be takenfrom every possible situation (Katz & Chard, 1989).In the end, the purpose of teaching is guidinglearning processes and making them easier andmore effective.

The following section deals with the instrumentsand procedures we used in order to establish thecommunity’s needs regarding the existing Englishprogramme. The sources of data will be presentedbriefly along with the results and discussion.

OUR NEEDS ANALOUR NEEDS ANALOUR NEEDS ANALOUR NEEDS ANALOUR NEEDS ANALYSISYSISYSISYSISYSISDefining the focus of this project was a process

which took us from realizing our interests toproposing a preliminary study for further innovation(see Appendix 4). The needs analysis we carriedout had as its main purpose designing a curricularplatform based on the community’s contributions.

We took two different sources of data for theneeds analysis. The first one was the analysis ofthe state of the existing curriculum and the secondone was a set of surveys applied to differentcommunity members.

The Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumTeachers’ experience is always a good source

of information and questions. When we gatheredto take part in a Profile in-service programme, werealized how similar our concerns were as well ashow rich and varied our backgrounds were. Oneof the activities within that programme was analyzingthe existing curriculum at school. We had to presentits elements to other colleagues. We believe thiswas our first experience as a team since we couldshare our opinions on strengths and weaknessesof the English programme. Then we were asked towrite a document to report on the state of theexisting curriculum. This was the starting point sincewe got interested in the ideas that came up whenwriting this document. The next step was engagingin a project in order to improve the existingcurriculum at our school. At this point we realizedhow important it was to explore other communitymember’s beliefs about the school’s Englishcurriculum. We decided then to design a set ofsurveys to carry out that exploration. The followingparagraphs show this process in more detail.

First of all, we focused on the current situationat school such as strengths, weaknesses andlimitations of the Area Plan submitted by theHumanities Department, which is in charge ofSpanish and English. This document embodiesboth subjects within a single framework. Therefore,there are no different objectives for the subjects,no difference between the processes of learningthe mother tongue and a foreign language. Also,both subjects had the same methodology. Althoughboth subjects have a communicative purpose, wethink each of them deserve to have an identity givenby suitable strategies for developing students’competences according to the requirements theirnatures entail.


SurSurSurSurSurveysveysveysveysveysRegarding the surveys, we mainly focused on

the student’s performance, strengths, weaknessesand needs. Nevertheless, we also submitted thesurvey to parents, teachers and managing staff. Asmentioned previously, we wanted to explore thecommunity’s beliefs. The surveys also had theobjective of creating an inclusive environmentwhere different viewpoints and contributions couldenhance a future curriculum.

Questions in the surveys varied from 10 to 18depending on the population they were given to(see Appendixes 1, 2, 3). There were three typesof questions. In the first type people were askedto rank various possibilities from 1 to 5, where 1was the minimum score and 5 was the maximum.In the second type people were asked to assignnumber 1 or 2, where 1 represented a strengthand 2 a weakness. Finally, there were yes/noquestions which required people to justify theiranswers. At the end of the survey, there was a spacewhere participants could write any contribution theyconsidered relevant.

The topics of the questions were orientedmainly to methodology, perceptions about regularEnglish lessons, efficiency of the existingprogramme, evaluation, objectives, students’ roleand profile and, finally, resources.

After applying the surveys, each member ofthe team had to codify a set of them (see Appendix4). When codifying, we began noticing somerelevant facts at the same time we were interpretingdata. In the next stage we gathered and discussedour findings. At this point, we noticed that someinformation appeared to be contradictory. This factmade us look for an explanation to such results inorder to identify possible causes and solutions inorder to avoid drawbacks in a curricular platform.

RESULRESULRESULRESULRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONTS AND DISCUSSIONTS AND DISCUSSIONTS AND DISCUSSIONTS AND DISCUSSIONThe Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumThe Existing CurriculumAn analysis of the state of the existing EFL

curriculum permitted us to identify interestinginformation regarding aspects like goals, objectives,

time, methodology, programmes, materials,evaluation and so on. We analyzed the sections ofthe document and, as we did so, perceived a lackof connection among them; the reader will probablyexperience it too as he/she reads the findings ineach section.

Objectives: The objectives of the HumanitiesDepartment are expressed with modernpedagogical terminology, but there is no clearevidence of the impact of all this modernity instudents’ learning process. The next elementspresented are the Mission and Vision of theDepartment. Although the contents of these itemsare coherent with the school’s Mission and Vision,there is not a key contribution from the LanguageDepartment to the school’s PEI. Implementationof activities which are intended to facilitate pupils’integrated development is mentioned, yet there areno clear strategies related to language skillsdevelopment which contributes to school Missionand Vision. It seems more than fair to ask if theintentions expressed are realistic, bearing in mindwhat realism is for Iafrancesco (1998).

Justification: It shows the relation betweencommunicative competences development and thepromotion of social processes, but there are notangible examples or any results from that relation.Another aspect that called our attention was thatboth processes, learning a mother tongue andlearning a foreign language, are embodied underthe same justification. Moreover, a list of fivecommunicative competences appears unified underthe heading of “competences development” inboth of the processes mentioned above. Thesefacts show that the two languages are seen andtreated as one issue. It is problematic sincecommunicative competences are directly relatedto mental processes and thinking structure.Nevertheless, “thinking” in a foreign language doesnot seem as easy, fast or effective as “thinking” inour mother tongue. The previous also applies tocommunication skills. Clearly, listing a set ofcompetences to develop (in both the explicit or inthe hidden curriculum) is not enough. There also


should be included suitable strategies which allowpupils and teachers to begin developingcompetences to a certain extent according to age,grade, strengths, weaknesses, needs, etc. Ideally,teachers and students should revise and dischargeuseless or unsuccessful strategies and replace themwith new ones. There is no clear projection in thesense expressed by Iafrancesco (1998). There isno evidence of awareness of these learningprocesses’ impact on future learners.

Diagnosis: Here it is stated that pupilsexperience difficulties in both oral and written levels.There is a possible cause suggested, however, thereis no evidence to support either the difficulties orthe causes. The instruments to conduct thediagnosis are not mentioned. The results of adiagnosis point out weaknesses rather thanstrengths or needs.

Methodology: Constructivism is shown as theleading approach. Action research is alsomentioned here, but there is not a clear linkbetween them. In spite of these facts, it is worthpointing out that approaches which give a centralrole to students’ awareness are mentioned here.Cross-curricular connections among subjects arealso mentioned in this section. The next item dealswith strategies derived from these approachesmentioned. The cross-curricular connections andstrategies are used as a cohesive element that willbe employed in academic and technical subjectsto contribute to pupils’ academic and personaldevelopment. Nevertheless, there is not a singlereference as to how teachers came to choose thesemethods and strategies. Topics and methodsunification is also mentioned as a way to integratesubjects and unify knowledge.

Articulation between the EFL curriculum andthe school PEI: The first concept presented is thateffective communication is a distinctive feature ofleaders. After that, some extra curricular activitieswhich promote values are shown as anothercontribution to the main goal of the PEI. Finally,some key constructivist principles are brought tolight as another commonality with the PEI. Although

the former concepts and principles are coreconcepts to the PEI, it seems there is somethinglacking, probably some coherence. There is not aclear path that shows how this curriculum providessettings and experiences that foster pupils’development and that guide a learning process.

Curriculum: This part contains a brief referenceto three different ways of evaluation but it doesnot give any consideration to assessment, neitherdoes it mention instruments for evaluating.Moreover, evaluation is used only for makingjudgments on what is good, acceptable ordesirable as regards pupils’ performance. It is neverconsidered a process for providing feedback toimprove instructional activities, programmes orcourses of action (Bailey, 1998). This fact is a bigloss since evaluation is never considered a toolfor adjusting a course of action or the curriculumitself. In Iafrancesco’s words (1998), we could saythat there does not seems to be a clear project forthe future which, based on serious evaluation, allowsdetermining what can be replicated and what shouldbe modified.

SurSurSurSurSurveysveysveysveysveysSurveys analysis implied a process that required

our ability to observe and explain our ability togenerate theory and, more relevant, the ability toimplement practical actions such as interventions,program designs, action models, social andorganizational policies, and change initiatives.Practical solutions would be derived from a critical,empirically-grounded, action-oriented research.

Regarding surveys, we also conducted a detailedanalysis of their results. Reading, coding andinterpreting the answers was a challenge. Since wehad three groups of participants –because themanaging staff did not participate- we dividedourselves into three teams. Each had a set of surveysand each member of the team had to codify a groupof them in a format we designed to keep a record ofthe findings. While we were codifying, we begannoticing some relevant facts as we were alsointerpreting data. Next, we met and began talking


about the experience and asked others for help withthe tricky questions, since action research focuseson understanding the research situation rather thanon proving or disproving a theory. A format whichallowed us to keep a record of the answers wasdesigned. Initially, it permitted us to read informationhorizontally but suddenly we realized we could alsoread information vertically (see Appendix 4). Thus,we read data collected in more than one way. Inqualitative research, researchers are to examine eachcomponent of a study, constantly framing questionsand theories as they progress in the researchprocess. Grounded theory does not attempt toprove a hypothesis. A theory “grounded” in thedata emerges from observation and constantcomparison (Simmons & Gregory, 2003).

This let us realize facts which were rathercontradictory at first glance. For example, althoughteachers subscribe their practice to thecommunicative approach, students perceive classesas grammar lessons rather than functional-basedlessons. We put results under the categories wedesigned bearing in mind the aspects we wantedto have an insight. These headings allowed us tohave a clear reference on the topics they conveyed.The next lines summarize our findings. Each headingcorresponds to an aspect explored in the surveys.

Methodologies UsedMethodologies UsedMethodologies UsedMethodologies UsedMethodologies UsedThe perception parents had about the most

used methodology in English classes stronglydiffered from the methodology teachers in generalassert they use. Parents see teaching based onacademic contents as the generalized methodology,while teachers assert they use CommunicativeApproach methodology. On the other hand, theyagreed on the fact that the Natural method andWhole Language Approach are less used.

Regarding students, sixth grade students saidthey enjoyed methodologies that include interestcenters and clubs, ninth grade students said theyliked methodologies that include reading activities,eleventh grade students, curiously, said they likedplaying games. The three groups of students liked

methodologies which include activities regardingtranslation and videocassettes. Writing was theleast-mentioned aspect regarding activities ormethodologies.

In general, students are keen on the concept ofa methodology based on teaching language as atool for knowledge acquisition, which correspondsto Whole Language principles as understood byauthors like Butler (1987) and Weaver (1984).When it comes to teachers and parents, they donot share the same opinion. It also became clearthat neither group is keen on methodologies basedon teaching focused on academic contents.

Regarding preferences about modes of work,this varies with the age group. This could meanthat a wide variety of activities combining differentmodes of work can be used in English classes. Itssuccess and students’ involvements will dependon teachers’ planning and skills for managing theclassroom.

Communicative Skills Priority in EnglishCommunicative Skills Priority in EnglishCommunicative Skills Priority in EnglishCommunicative Skills Priority in EnglishCommunicative Skills Priority in EnglishClassesClassesClassesClassesClasses

Concerning this aspect, parents pointed tospeaking skills as the most important, maybebecause they see it as the least developed skill intheir children. Teachers and most students giveequal importance to all skills. Some studentsmarked the box indicating that the four skills areequally important, but at the same time markedreading and writing skills as the least relevant. Thisis a phenomenon worth exploring.

Strengths and WStrengths and WStrengths and WStrengths and WStrengths and Weaknesses of the Englisheaknesses of the Englisheaknesses of the Englisheaknesses of the Englisheaknesses of the EnglishProgrammeProgrammeProgrammeProgrammeProgramme

This item conveyed various topics like teachingeffectiveness, contents relevance, real impact ofthe programme in students’ daily life, evaluation,methodologies, community participation inprogramme design, among others (see Appendix1). The purpose of these items was, in the firstplace, to determine the aspects perceived assuccessful in the existing English programme sowe could keep them in a new proposal. Secondly,


determining the ones seen as weaknesses so theycould be improved.

We obtained varied, even opposite, answersto the items. For instance, parents and teachers’opinions regarding weaknesses and strengths werecontradictory. Teachers believe pupils’ role in theirown learning process is a weakness because,apparently, students do not do anything more thatwhat they are instructed. On the contrary, parentssee pupils’ learning as a strength. This viewpoint issupported by the observation of their childrendoing homework. On the other hand, regardingcommunity participation, both groups agreed onthe fact that educational community participationin programme designing is a weakness. Regardingparticipation, most students said they contributeto the elaboration of English programmes andteachers accept their contributions.

While most students believe the effectivenessof English teaching is a strength, there is still a groupthat believes it is a weakness. The perception asregards the effectiveness of English teaching as aweakness could possibly be caused by the lack ofa sense of achievement, among some students.Despite the fact that no markers were establishedto indicate effectiveness, the answers show howstudents have a different perception vis-à-vis theeffectiveness of English teaching. This is also truefor students’ role in their own learning process.Some of them see it as a strength, while othersconsider it a weakness. There are also mixedopinions about evaluation processes and contentssequencing.

Another not evident aspect that can beconsidered a strength of the English programmeis the variety of strategies and activities used inclass. This contributes to promoting a positiveattitude among students towards the subject sincesome of them are able to say they have had“positive experiences” regarding English. This canalso increase self-confidence and motivationregarding performance in a foreign language.

The aspect mentioned above can be theexplanation for students’ preference concerning

English. This works both ways. Successfulexperiences foster motivation and commitment, whilenegative experiences result in students’ dislike ofEnglish.

FFFFFormal Evaluation of Students’ Pormal Evaluation of Students’ Pormal Evaluation of Students’ Pormal Evaluation of Students’ Pormal Evaluation of Students’ PerformanceerformanceerformanceerformanceerformanceResults regarding evaluation were also varied.

Parents think teachers give a lot of relevance tobehavior in the classroom, followed by attitude andcreativity as criteria to assess their children’sperformance/skill, while tasks and extra classactivities are not that relevant. Teachers also giverelevance to creativity, but do not consciouslyaccept the importance they give to extra classactivities and homework.

Most pupils differ with both perceptions; theythink values, contents and teamwork are central toevaluation done by teachers. Students’ individualattitudes and learning processes are poorlymentioned in the evaluation processes.

It is possible that the different perceptionsidentified show that evaluation is still seen as anaccumulative process rather than a formative one.This could also be why students’ individualattitudes, learning processes and, in many cases,values appear to be neglected.

Highly related with evaluation is the students’profile for each grade. Most parents agreed thatthey did not know what the students’ profile wasfor each grade. On the contrary, teachers andstudents say they have a clear picture of the profileeach grade requires. These opposing answers canbe explained by the lack of socialization of thisaspect with parents.

Although this aspect seems perfectly clear, therestill remains the weak relation between evaluationprocesses and students’ profile. A formativeprocess should contribute to profile studentsaccording to the level they are on. Since evaluationappears to be an accumulative process, questionssuch as the following emerged: Is there really suchclarity regarding students’ profile? Is the profilegrounded on grammar topics rather than on skillsmanagement?


English ProgrammeEnglish ProgrammeEnglish ProgrammeEnglish ProgrammeEnglish ProgrammeRegarding programmes and objectives for

English as a subject, parents manifested they do notknow them; they do not know of the resources thatcan support the learning processes at school either.

Teachers pointed out the main objective ofEnglish to be the development of communicativeskills and competences. According to them, Englishshould serve as support for learning other subjects.

This can be explained by the fact that teachersagree on the general objective of English, but theyhave not established a clear set of objectivesaccording to grades. Although teachers said it wasimportant to make English a cross-curricularsubject, there is not an objective in the programmetowards this aim.

The lack of a formal set of objectives, rather thana hidden one, explains parents’ lack of knowledgeabout the objective and the programme itself.

When asked about the need for a new andspecific curriculum for English, many teachers saidit was not pertinent, while others said it wasnecessary. These apparent contradictions can bea consequence of the various views regardingcurriculum and its components. Those teacherswho want a separate programme for English supporttheir claim on the need of better instructionalprogrammes. Teachers who do not want a separateprogramme support their claims on the argumentthat the unified English-Spanish curriculum benefitsthe learning process, since both entail languageslinguistic skills.

Another aspect that must be taken into accountfor the accomplishment of programmes is theresources available at school. Based on teachers’answers, it can be said that there are resources atschool, but they are probably not used as theyshould be. Teachers also mention the need oftraining for using different resources and supportfor those resources. These elements can be linkedas follows: Although the school has resources suchas the language laboratory, not every teacher usesit because they are not trained or because it is notproperly functioning, resulting in a waste of time.

Learning Attitudes and StrategiesLearning Attitudes and StrategiesLearning Attitudes and StrategiesLearning Attitudes and StrategiesLearning Attitudes and StrategiesParents were asked if they considered that their

children had independent learning attitudesaccording to their age. Most of them said yes. Onlya small group of parents said they did not believetheir children were independent learners.

Parents mentioned the use of audiovisual aids,repeated reading and asking older people for helpas some of the learning strategies of their children.

According to the contradiction shown in theteachers’ answers regarding learning strategies, itis possible to say that there is not a clear idea ofwhat learning strategies are, how to use them or inwhich skills they may be more successful. It is alsopossible that teachers do not have a cleardistinction among learning and teaching strategies.

Keeping in mind these results, it is also possibleto contradict parents’ belief regarding their children’sindependent learning attitude. Parents may have amisconception about what learning strategies are andwhat independent study is, or, at least, they have nototal clarity about these processes.

If the objective of schools’ P.E.I. is fosteringindustrial leadership, it is clear that a process andattitude which promote students’ ownership oftheir learning processes should be enhanced. Thisis why teachers, parents and students should beencouraged to direct attention to learning attitudesand strategies that will eventually promoteindependent learning.

FFFFFurther Suggestionsurther Suggestionsurther Suggestionsurther Suggestionsurther SuggestionsThere was a space left for participants to write

further suggestions or contributions. Informationsubmitted in the space dealt mainly with timedevoted to English lessons, technical Englishregarding schools’ context, innovation inprogrammes and methodology, and, finally, theimplementation of “bilingualism” in public schools.

All these suggestions appear to be moredemand-oriented than commitment-oriented.Teachers and parents asked for improvement, butdid not contribute with ideas for achieving whatthey proposed.


Regarding time devoted to English lessons,some parents and teachers commented on theneed for more lessons per week. The fact that itwas not a generalized suggestion may beinterpreted in many forms. Anyway, we think thisaspect requires further exploration.

Other comments alluded to the need of aserious and qualified Technical English programmeregarding the school’s context. However, no oneexpressed a clear definition or purpose for suchprogramme, neither what “qualified” meant tothem.

Innovation in programmes and methodology wasalso mentioned in this section, but there was nofurther development on this topic.

Finally, some participants referred to theimplementation of bilingualism at public schools,focusing on how important it could be for pupils,but there were not any proposals or contributions.

CONCLCONCLCONCLCONCLCONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICUSIONS AND IMPLICUSIONS AND IMPLICUSIONS AND IMPLICUSIONS AND IMPLICAAAAATIONSTIONSTIONSTIONSTIONSWhen analyzing the existing curriculum, we

wondered why it did not seem successful. Theanswer relied on the fact that, according to ourfindings, a successful curriculum requires thatcommunity members become active participants,researchers and authors and not only “evaluators”or “performers”. A curriculum is meaningful tothe people who have helped design it.

The next concern was why it did not seem tobe operative. This could be a result of themultiplicity of beliefs and attitudes towards Englishas a subject. Even among teachers, who aresupposed to agree on the instructional programme,there are various interpretations of the same item.We do not try to omit the importance of multiplicity,but we think the lack of agreement and commitmentcauses teachers to follow different and improvisedinstructional programmes.

Regarding the results of the surveys, we canbegin with the mixed reactions among students,parents and teachers. This phenomenon can becaused by the lack of unified criteria regardingEnglish as a subject which relates with the lack of

communication among different groups of thecommunity. It can also be caused by the differentexperiences towards English learning. For example,students’ preferences regarding English can bebased on successful experiences that fostermotivation and commitment, or negativeexperiences that result in students’ dislike ofEnglish. Consequently, the different reactions andperceptions that community members had aboutsome aspects of the English programme showedthe need of providing scenarios for discussingcurriculum and curricular proposals, whereteachers, parents, students and even managing staffcan get unified criteria for English teaching.

The different opinions regarding evaluationprocesses can be the result of the lack of a unifiedevaluation process, the lack of unified criteria whenevaluating and the lack of a new vision on evaluation.Then, clear evaluation guidelines become a centralelement when designing a curricular platform.

Regarding the correlation between the Englishprogramme and the school’s P.E.I., it is clear thatif the objective of schools’ P.E.I. is fosteringindustrial leadership, processes and attitudes whichpromote students’ ownership of their learningprocesses should be enhanced.

The fact that students see reading and writingskills as the least relevant and that parents seespeaking as the least developed could be explainedby a lack of confidence in pupils’ performanceregarding speaking. It could also be related to alack of practice in listening. Whatever the causemay be, the implementation of an Englishprogramme whose contents and methodologyfavor the equal development of the four skills cancontribute to defeat the idea that one skill is moreimportant than the other.

The varied preferences shown by communitymembers made us think that it is imperative to lookfor methodologies which can satisfy the wide rangeof needs and likes. The methodologies chosenshould be able to encompass teachers’ differentpractices, students’ backgrounds and parents’quests and policies demands. They should be also


coherent enough to guide processes successfully.Moreover, these methodologies should also beflexible enough to allow participants’ contributions.

Bearing in mind the multiplicity of teachers’backgrounds and interests, we decided to use anEclectic Methodology based mainly on the ProjectWork approach, Task-based approach and WholeLanguage approach. They become a suitablecomplement for a Communicative approach.Project work gives pupils a “set of steps” they canfollow at their own pace in order to accomplish anobjective. These steps provide them with a learningpath and permit them to see the results of theirlearning process in artifacts. This approachresponds to the understanding of classroomcontext and human learning and intelligencementioned by Brown. The Task-based approachhelps teachers to guide intellectual developmentthrough suitable learning experiences which canpromote the development and refining ofcommunicative competences. This approach takesadvantage of successful experiences and skills usedwhen learning a first language in order to learn asecond one, as shown in one of the principlesmentioned above. The Whole Language approachanswers questions about the role of English.English as a language and subject is now conceivedas a source of information about any topic andwhose mastery is achieved by practicing withcommunicative purposes. This means errors andcorrection build language. This concept agrees withthe place errors are given in Brown’s work (1994).Finally, the Communicative approach can besuccessfully combined with contributions from theother approaches, enhancing the understanding ofsecond language acquisition.

Changes that will allow for improvement in theteaching and learning processes at I.T.I FranciscoJosé de Caldas School are urgently needed. Allcommunity members should take part in it, butteachers are the ones that should lead the process.

Bearing in mind the need of an operativecurriculum, we should begin decisions about theelements it may include and which are relevant

according to the situation at school. We shouldalso suggest courses of action rather than criticizethe existing programmes. All community membersshould take an active role in the design ofinstructional programmes. The school shouldprovide scenarios for parents’ and students’contributions in order to foster a sense ofownership.

The methodology presented in the projectprovides a relevant role to pupils in their learningprocess and their responsibility towards knowledgeacquisition. Learning can no longer be onlyteachers’ responsibility. Pupils should be instructednot only on contents but also on how they canlearn better. Independent learning should be partof the pedagogical model at I.T.I Francisco Joséde Caldas School. Teachers should also begin withthis process by implementing independent learningstrategies and a learning environment in theirteaching practice.

In order to improve teaching practice, teachersneed to find the opportunities for continuoustraining. This will provide innovation and successto both learning and teaching processes. This canfurnish teachers with more information, knowledgeand tools to change their contexts, taking intoaccount that English learning is relevant in ourenvironment.

This project has been a huge task to accomplish.We are not finished yet, but we do believe changeis possible by having the community participate,using what we have, setting clear goals, simplifyingprocesses to make them more effective, evaluatingactions taken, etc. This assertion can be interpretedas dreaming about better perspectives, if you wish,but the only way to make this dream come true istaking action, taking the first steps towardsimprovement. Teachers tend to be dreamers. Thetask is now to become executors.

LIMITLIMITLIMITLIMITLIMITAAAAATIONSTIONSTIONSTIONSTIONSWhen analyzing results from the surveys, it was

clear that some concepts had variousinterpretations according to the group that was


answering it. This represented a problem since itdid not let us clearly establish facts as opposed tobeliefs. Management staff was not involved enoughin the process of this project. Only twocoordinators answered the survey.

Teamwork is interesting but sometimes it is noteasy since getting an agreement can be complexand time-consuming, especially when such complextopics are tackled along the whole process.

It was not possible to gather information fromstudents and parents of primary school becauseof time restrictions. Something similar happenedwith parents of eleventh grade students who didnot send back the surveys. As a consequence, itwas impossible to include their opinions andcontributions.

At writing this article, we had just begunconsidering the contents for each grade, sincedoing this implies an active participation of allteaching staff at school in order to define a pertinentand satisfactory sequence of contents from pre-school to eleventh grade.

FURTHER RESEARCHFURTHER RESEARCHFURTHER RESEARCHFURTHER RESEARCHFURTHER RESEARCHHopefully, we will be able to continue with the

present project with the participation and supportfrom the community. That is why we plan tosocialize the project at school and invite thecommunity to continue with us in the effort toestablish cross-curricular relationships and achieveEnglish being combined with other subjects.

We would also like to continue receiving supportfrom the SED with programmes like EnglishTeachers Networks, PFPD programmes andproficiency programmes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors would like to thank fellow teachers

John Jairo Viáfara, Melba Libia Cárdenas and other

members of PROFILE PFPD programme for kindlyhelping to foster our project development as wellas the students, parents and teachers who willinglyparticipated in the project.

REFERENCESREFERENCESREFERENCESREFERENCESREFERENCESBailey, K. (1998). Learning about language

assessment. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.Brown, H. D. (1994). Teaching by principles: An

interactive approach to language pedagogy. SanFrancisco State University: Prentice Hall Regents.

Butler, A. (1987). Whole language: A framework forthinking. Crystal Lake, IL: Rigby.

Iafrancesco, V. G. (1998). La gestión curricular:Problemática y perspectivas. Bogotá: Libros &Libres.

Katz, L., & Chard, S. (1989). Engaging children’sminds: The project approach. New Jersey: AblexPublishing Corporation.

M.E.N. (2003). Lineamientos curriculares. Idiomasextranjeros. Bogotá: Editorial Unión.

Moore, D. K. (2001). Classroom teaching skills (5thed.). Eastern New Mexico University: McGrawHill.

Action oriented research: Grounded theory andgrounded action. Praxis Inquiry. (n.d.). RetrievedOctober 15, 2005, from http://home.earthlink.net/~edreforum/id1.html

Nunan, D. (1992). Collaborative language learningand teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress.

Santos, D. (2001). The making of a foreign languagecurriculum: Telling the story. Colombian AppliedLinguistics Journal, 3(1), 49-68.

Simmons, O. E., & Gregory, T. A. (2003). Groundedaction: Achieving optimal and sustainable change.Forum: Qualitative Social Research. RetrievedOctuber 15, 2005, from http://qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/3-03/3-03simmonsgregory-e_p.html

Weaver, C. (1984). Reading process and practice:From socio-psycholinguistics to whole language.Porthsmouth: Heinemann.


APPENDIX 1: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 1: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 1: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 1: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 1: ENCUESTA PA PA PA PA PARA ESTUDIANTESARA ESTUDIANTESARA ESTUDIANTESARA ESTUDIANTESARA ESTUDIANTES

En la actualidad un grupo representativo de maestros del Departamento de Humanidades está llevandoa cabo un proyecto de investigación-innovación en la enseñanza y aprendizaje del idioma inglés comolengua extranjera con el fin de reestructurar la plataforma curricular de esta asignatura. En este procesola participación de los estudiantes es garantía de validez y confiabilidad, por este motivo lo invitamos adiligenciar de la manera más completa y con el máximo de objetividad posible la siguiente encuesta.Agradecemos su colaboración.

FECHA __________________ JORNADA: MAÑANA ___ TARDE ___NIVEL: BÁSICA PRIMARIA ___ BÁSICA SECUNDARIA ___ MEDIA ___

1. Asigne un puntaje a cada una de las siguientes actividades de acuerdo a su gusto por ellas,el número 5 representa el mayor puntaje, mientras el número 1 representa el menor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Presentaciones orales.b. Lectura de textos.c. Producción escrita.d. Traducciones.e. Actividades con casetes y videos.f. Actividades que involucran trabajo manual.g. Juegos.

2. Marque con una X la forma en que más le gusta realizar las actividades propuestas en clase.ITEM 1 2 3 4 5

a. Individual.b. En pareja.c. En grupo.

3. Asigne un puntaje a cada una de las siguientes metodologías de acuerdo a la efectividad que ustedle atribuye, el número 5 representa el mayor puntaje, mientras el número 1 representa el menor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Aprendizaje basado en actividades con una finalidad comunicativa.b. Aprendizaje basado en actividades físicas.c. Aprendizaje basado en clubes y centros de interés.d. Aprendizaje basado en tareas y proyectos.e. Enseñanza enfocada en los contenidos académicos.f. Enseñanza del idioma como instrumento de adquisición de conocimiento.4. Asigne un puntaje a cada una de las siguientes habilidades comunicativas de acuerdo a la prioridad

que usted le otorga, número 5 otorga el mayor valor y el número 1 el menor.ITEM 1 2 3 4 5

a. Hablarb. Leerc. Escribird. Escuchare. Todas las anteriores


5. ¿Sus sugerencias son tenidas en cuenta por el docente en la programación de la asignatura?SI__ NO__

6. Califique los siguientes aspectos del programa de inglés vigente como fortaleza o debilidad. Elnúmero 1 representa una fortaleza mientras que el número 2 representa una debilidad.

ITEM 1 2a. Efectividad de la enseñanza del inglésb. Pertinencia de los contenidosc. Rol de los estudiantes en su formación.d. Sistema de evaluación.

7. Marque con una X los aspectos que son tenidos en cuenta por el docente en el momento de laevaluación.

ITEMa. Contenidos de la asignaturab. Tareas y trabajo extraescolarc. Trabajo en equipod. Procesos de aprendizajee. Aptitudes individualesf. Comportamiento dentro de la claseg. Actitud disciplinariah. Creatividadi. Valoresj. Otro __ ¿Cuál?

8. ¿Cuáles de las siguientes modalidades de evaluación se aplican en su clase de inglés? ITEMa. Autoevaluación.b. Coevaluación.c. Heteroevaluación.

9. ¿Cree usted que el aprendizaje del inglés es importante para su vida? SI___ NO___

10. Escoja la opción que representa el nivel de preferencia que ocupa el inglés entre las asignaturasque cursa en el instituto.

ITEMa. Está entre las primeras.b. Está en la mitad de mis preferencias.c. Está en el último lugar de mis preferencias.

11. ¿Ha trabajado en actividades variadas y nuevas en la clase de inglés? SI___ NO___

GRACIAS POR SU VALIOSA COLABORACIÓN.


APPENDIX 2: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 2: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 2: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 2: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 2: ENCUESTA PA PA PA PA PARA DOCENTESARA DOCENTESARA DOCENTESARA DOCENTESARA DOCENTES

En la actualidad un grupo representativo de maestros del Departamento de Humanidades está llevandoa cabo un proyecto de investigación-innovación en la enseñanza y aprendizaje del idioma inglés comolengua extranjera con el fin de reestructurar la plataforma curricular de esta asignatura. En este procesola participación de los docentes es garantía de validez y confiabilidad, por este motivo lo invitamos adiligenciar de la manera más completa y con el máximo de objetividad posible la siguiente encuesta.Agradecemos su colaboración.

FECHA ____________________ JORNADA: MAÑANA ___ TARDE ___NIVEL: BÁSICA PRIMARIA ___ BÁSICA SECUNDARIA ___ MEDIA ___

1. Asigne un puntaje a cada una de las metodologías, dando prioridad a la(s) que más utiliza en supráctica. Marque con una X la casilla de su elección, recuerde que el número 5 otorga el mayor valor,mientras que el número 1 otorga el menor valor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Enseñanza comunicativab. Respuesta física totalc. Método naturald. Aprendizaje basado en tareas y proyectose. Enseñanza enfocada en el contenido académicof. Lenguaje integralh. ¿Otro? ¿Cuál?

2. ¿A cuál de las habilidades comunicativas le da prioridad en su clase? Asigne un puntaje teniendoen cuenta que el número 5 otorga el mayor valor y el número 1 el menor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Hablarb. Leerc. Escribird. Escuchare. Todas las anteriores


ITEM 1 2a. Efectividad de la enseñanza del inglésb. Pertinencia de los contenidosc. Secuencia de los contenidosd. Rol de los estudiantes en su formacióne. Metodologías utilizadasf. Sistemas de evaluacióng. Participación de la comunidad educativa en la programaciónh. Otro__ ¿Cuál?

4. ¿Ha notado motivación en su hijo para el aprendizaje del inglés?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


5. Asigne un valor a cada uno de las siguientes opciones de acuerdo a la que usted otorga mayorimportancia o énfasis en su evaluación del estudiante. El número 5 otorga el mayor valor y el número 1el menor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Contenidos de la asignaturab. Tareas y trabajo extraescolarc. Trabajo en equipod. Procesos de aprendizajee. Aptitudes individualesf. Comportamiento dentro de la claseg. Actitud disciplinariah. Creatividadi. Valoresj. Otro __ ¿Cuál?

6. ¿Conoce usted el perfil que debe tener el estudiante al finalizar cada grado? SI___ NO__

7. ¿Conoce usted la programación y los objetivos de la asignatura? SI___ NO__

8. ¿Sabe usted si la programación anual se cumple? SI___ NO__

9. ¿Conoce usted los recursos con los que cuenta la comunidad educativa para apoyar la enseñanza delinglés? SI___ NO__

10. ¿Está usted de acuerdo con la intensidad horaria de inglés (dos horas semanales)? SI___ NO__

11. ¿Considera usted que su(s) hijo(s) puede(n) definirse como estudiante que, de acuerdo a su grado yedad, ejerce(n) un aprendizaje independiente? SI___ NO__

12. ¿Considera usted que los estudiantes a su cargo pueden definirse como estudiantes que, de acuerdo asu grado y edad, ejercen un aprendizaje independiente? SI___ NO__

13. ¿Qué estrategias de aprendizaje ha visto que sus hijos empleen? Mencione dos.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. Organice jerárquicamente las habilidades de acuerdo a la importancia que usted le otorga en el mundoactual. El número 5 otorga el mayor valor, mientras que el número 1 representa el menor valor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Conversaciónb. Escriturac. Escuchad. Lectura

15. Si usted tiene un aporte relevante que no se haya tenido en cuenta, por favor regístrelo en esteespacio.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



APPENDIX 3: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 3: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 3: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 3: ENCUESTAPPENDIX 3: ENCUESTA PA PA PA PA PARA PARA PARA PARA PARA PADRESADRESADRESADRESADRES

En la actualidad un grupo representativo de maestros del Departamento de Humanidades está llevandoa cabo un proyecto de investigación-innovación en la enseñanza y aprendizaje del idioma inglés comolengua extranjera con el fin de reestructurar la plataforma curricular de esta asignatura. En este procesola participación de los padres de familia es garantía de validez y confiabilidad, por este motivo lo invitamosa diligenciar de la manera más completa y con el máximo de objetividad posible la siguiente encuesta.Agradecemos su colaboración.

FECHA ____________________ JORNADA: MAÑANA ___ TARDE ___NIVEL AL CUAL PERTENECE SU HIJO: BÁSICA PRIMARIA ___ BÁSICA SECUNDARIA ___

MEDIA ___

1. Marque con una X las metodologías que usted está enterado los docentes emplean en las clasesde inglés con sus hijos.

ITEMa. Enseñanza comunicativab. Respuesta física totalc. Método naturald. Aprendizaje basado en tareas y proyectose. Enseñanza enfocada en el contenido académicof. Lenguaje integralg. ¿Otro? ¿Cuál?

2. ¿A cuál de las siguientes habilidades se le da prioridad en las clases de inglés de su(s) hijo(s)?Asigne un puntaje teniendo en cuenta que el número 5 otorga el mayor valor y el número 1 el menor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Hablarb. Leerc. Escribird. Escuchare. Todas las anteriores


ITEM 1 2a. Efectividad de la enseñanza del inglésb. Pertinencia de los contenidosc. Secuencia de los contenidosd. Rol de los estudiantes en su formacióne. Metodologías utilizadasf. Sistemas de evaluacióng. Participación de la comunidad educativa en la programaciónh. Otro__ ¿Cuál?


4. ¿Ha notado motivación en su hijo para el aprendizaje del inglés? SI ___ NO ___

5. Asigne un valor a cada uno de las siguientes opciones de acuerdo con su percepción de lo queprima al momento de evaluar al estudiante. El número 5 otorga el mayor valor y el número 1 el menor.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Contenidos de la asignaturab. Tareas y trabajo extraescolarc. Trabajo en equipod. Procesos de aprendizajee. Aptitudes individualesf. Comportamiento dentro de la claseg. Actitud disciplinariah. Creatividadi. Valoresj. Otro __ ¿Cuál?

6. ¿Conoce usted el perfil que debe tener el estudiante al finalizar cada grado? SI ___ NO ___

7. ¿Conoce usted la programación y los objetivos de la asignatura? SI ___ NO ___

8. ¿Sabe usted si la programación anual de la asignatura se cumple? SI ___ NO ___

9. ¿Conoce usted los recursos con los que cuenta la comunidad educativa para apoyar la enseñanzadel inglés? SI ___ NO ___

10. ¿Está usted de acuerdo con la intensidad horaria de inglés (2 horas semanales)? SI ___ NO ___ ¿Por qué? _______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

11. ¿Qué estrategias propone para optimizar el uso de la sala de bilingüismo?a. _______________________________________________________________b. _______________________________________________________________c. _______________________________________________________________

12. ¿Considera usted que sus hijos pueden definirse como estudiantes que, de acuerdo a su gradoy edad, ejercen un aprendizaje independiente? SI ___ NO ___

13. ¿Qué estrategias de aprendizaje ha visto que sus hijos empleen? Mencione 2a._______________________________________________________________b._______________________________________________________________

14. Organice jerárquicamente las habilidades en las que cree que puede emplear mayor número deestrategias de aprendizaje. El número 5 otorga el mayor valor, mientras que el número 1 representa elmenor valor.


ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Conversaciónb. Escriturac. Escuchad. Lectura

15. Organice las estrategias de acuerdo a la aplicación en sus clases, comience por la de mayoraplicación. El número 5 otorga el mayor valor, mientras que el número 1 representa el menor valor. Sihay algunas que no emplee deje la casilla en blanco.

ITEM 1 2 3 4 5a. Toma de apuntesb. Mapas semánticosc. Mapas mentalesd. Categorizacióne. Nemotécnicaf. Elaboracióng. Auto-evaluación

16. Si usted tiene un aporte relevante que no se haya tenido en cuenta, por favor regístrelo en esteespacio.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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