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Systematization of experiences How does confidence influence student engagement in efl learners at the Montessori Institute?

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Título : Systematization of experiences How does confidence influence student engagement in efl learners at the Montessori Institute? Autor : Vinces Loor, Adrián Gonzalo; Basantes Robalino, María Cristina Resumen : This research explores how self-confidence and speaking anxiety influence student engagement among secondary EFL learners at the Montessori Institute. Recognizing that linguistic knowledge alone does not guarantee oral participation in virtual settings, the authors implemented eight interactive, gamified pedagogical interventions—such as role-plays, mystery investigations, and collaborative group projects—to lower students' "affective filters". Initially, the online sessions saw only a 50% participation rate due to barriers like fear of negative evaluation, lack of spontaneous preparation, and social comparison, which the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) revealed to be heavily skewed toward female participants. However, by shifting the pedagogical focus from immediate grammatical perfection to communicative fluency, utilizing student-centered breakout rooms, and practicing delayed error correction, the classroom climate became significantly less intimidating. As a result, individual anxiety was minimized, and student engagement dramatically improved, transitioning from hesitant silence to a stabilized 100% participation rate by the fourth intervention. Ultimately, the study concludes that when language educators prioritize authentic human connection and small-group collaboration over rigid drills, students shift from passive observers to active, confident communicators.

Educational inclusion: challenges in the process of curricular adaptation of English in students with autism spectrum disorders.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Título : Educational inclusion: challenges in the process of curricular adaptation of English in students with autism spectrum disorders. Autor : Pacheco Cedeño, Aymara Michelle Resumen : The Autism Spectrum Disorders in English language teaching represents this urgent and complex problem due to the heterogeneity of the condition and the cognitive and social challenges it entails. Objective: to explore, interpret and systematize the favorable scientific evidence on the challenges and pedagogical strategies in which the process of curricular adaptation of the English language in students with this disorder. Methodology: qualitative descriptive with a hermeneutical approach that is based on a systematic review of the literature, using the PRISMA 2020 method. A search was carried out in academic databases such as: Pubmed, Scielo, Latindex Web of Science, where 21 articles were selected whose quality was validated using the QualSyst tool. Results: individualized curricular adaptations, the use of visual supports and certain multisensory methodologies, improve the motivation and communicative skills of neurodivergent students. In addition, critical barriers were identified at the time of inclusion of students in our context, such as insufficient teacher training, lack of technological and institutional resources. Conclusion: Full inclusion depends on the transformation of traditional pedagogical practices towards evidence-based models and the use of assistive technologies, thus guaranteeing social equity and the emotional well-being of students.

The role of digital storytelling in enhancing the speaking fluency of english as a foreign language (EFL) learners.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Título : The role of digital storytelling in enhancing the speaking fluency of english as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Autor : Vera Solorzano, Raquel Ruby Resumen : This study determines the contribution of Digital Storytelling (DST) to improving speaking fluency in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) among secondary school learners in the canton of Manta, Ecuador, a Latin American context that remains underrepresented in DST research. The study adopts a mixed-methods research approach within a quasi-experimental design. The sample comprised 27 participants: 6 EFL instructors and 21 secondary school learners aged 13 to 17. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention speaking tests, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a Likert-scale questionnaire, and were analyzed using SPSS for quantitative data and Atlas.ti for thematic coding, enabling triangulation. The DST intervention lasted twelve weeks. Qualitative findings identified speaking anxiety, limited vocabulary, and cognitive overload as the principal barriers to oral fluency, while structured storytelling tasks offering collaborative activities, gradual exposure, and iterative rehearsal addressed these barriers effectively. Quantitative results showed that every participant registered a positive fluency gain following the DST intervention, with a statistically significant mean improvement of 0.39 points (t(20) = −14.201, p < .001, Cohen's d = 3.09). It is concluded that Digital Storytelling provides integrated pedagogical scaffolding that simultaneously addresses the linguistic, cognitive, and affective dimensions of oral production, offering EFL teachers a practical, low-resource tool for fostering speaking fluency.

Use of the total physical response method in teaching english as a foreign language: a systematic review.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Título : Use of the total physical response method in teaching english as a foreign language: a systematic review. Autor : Vera Macias, Yulixa Yamileth Resumen : Esta revisión sistemática examinó el uso del método Total Physical Response (TPR) en la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL), con especial énfasis en el contexto ecuatoriano y su relación con tendencias pedagógicas internacionales. El estudio buscó identificar evidencia sobre la efectividad del TPR en diversos entornos educativos. Siguiendo las directrices PRISMA, se analizaron veinte estudios, incluidos diez artículos ecuatorianos publicados entre 2022 y 2026 y diez investigaciones internacionales procedentes de América Latina, Europa, Asia y África. Los datos fueron organizados mediante matrices analíticas e interpretados a través de un enfoque hermenéutico. Los hallazgos revelaron efectos positivos consistentes del TPR en la adquisición de vocabulario, la comprensión auditiva, la motivación de los estudiantes, la participación en clase y la reducción de la ansiedad. Aunque la evidencia más sólida se encontró en educación inicial y primaria, varios estudios también reportaron beneficios en adolescentes y adultos, especialmente durante las etapas iniciales de adquisición del idioma. En Ecuador, el TPR parece especialmente valioso debido a su carácter práctico, económico y dinámico, lo que lo convierte en una opción adecuada para aulas con necesidades diversas y recursos limitados. Sin embargo, la revisión también indica que el TPR debe complementarse con otras metodologías en niveles de mayor dominio lingüístico. En general, la evidencia respalda al TPR como una estrategia flexible y pedagógicamente relevante en la enseñanza contemporánea del inglés como lengua extranjera.