Abstract Book of the 9th International Academic Conference on Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Understanding and Addressing the Barriers to English Proficiency in Ecuadorian Primary Education: A MOOC-Based Professional Development Framework for Nonspecialized Language Teachers
MSc. Frans Recalde
ABSTRACT:
In a globalized and rapid-changing world, effectively communication in English becomes a fundamental competence for personal and professional growth. In response to this, countries like Ecuador have included English as a mandatory course in their national curriculum from early grades; however, proficiency levels among Ecuadorian primary school students remain consistently low. Based on these needs, this study employed a qualitative research design to explore and document the factors limiting Ecuadorian primary school learners to achieve an appropriate level of English proficiency. Data was collected through interviews with classroom teachers and field observations in public institutions in 25 different school districts. The data revealed widespread concerns regarding low teacher confidence, limited linguistic ability, and a lack of pedagogical strategies suited to early language instruction. One of the most significant contributing factors was the lack of specialized language teachers, so general education teachers have assuming the responsibility to deliver language courses with poor linguistic and pedagogical competences in English Language Teaching (ELT) field. To address this challenge, this article offers a conceptual theoretical-based framework to design professional development MOOC-based courses to strengthen language and pedagogical competences associated with English Language Teaching (ELT). The proposed model seeks to empower teachers to confidently introduce English in the classroom, contributing to improved language outcomes at the foundational level of education.
Keywords: English Language Teaching (ELT), primary education, teacher professional development, MOOC-based training