I am active member of the research group ‘Comuniquémonos’ of the EFL Teacher Education Program in the College of Education at Universidad Surcolombiana in Colombia.
Current research (2012-2013): A look at classroom management in the teaching practicum of an EFL Teacher Education Program. This research seeks to diagnose the issue of classroom management in the teaching practicum of a group of student teachers enrolled in the EFL Teacher Education Program at the university where I work. This research follows a qualitative descriptive orientation within a social constructivist paradigm. It involves the participation of 40 student teachers currently in their first or second period of student teaching and 10 practicum supervisors.
Sources of EFL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge: An exploration of teachers’ awareness of such sources in an EFL Teacher Education Program in Colombia (2009-2010). This project followed a qualitative methodology by which I sought to identify the extent to which the sources of EFL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge were acknowledged by a group of novice teachers and teacher educators and addressed in an EFL Teacher Education Program in a public university in Colombia. Participants were interviewed and official documents were analyzed to be able to draw results and conclusions.
Analyzing the effects of using activities based on video clips on the development of listening comprehension strategies in English (2008-2010). This was an action research project aimed at helping EFL students in a public university gain strategies to improve their listening comprehension in English by using activities designed on the basis of videoclips available on the Internet.
Analysis of the pedagogical practices used by teachers in an EFL program at a public university in Colombia (2006- 2007). I worked together with five colleagues on an action research study aimed to improve the ELT situation in an EFL program at this university.
I was mainly in charge of collecting and analzying data, establishing general findings and drawing final conclusions. This project had the financial support of the university administration.
Refining students’ academic writing skills in an undergraduate EFL Teacher Education Program (2004-2005). This action research study aimed at refining students’ academic writing skills in an EFL Teacher Education Program by using process writing. I worked together with a colleague on developing the different stages of the research process (conducting a diagnostic study, analyzing data, designing an action stage, analyzing results, and drawing conclusions).
Adapting and designing meaningful CALL-based tasks into an integrated skills basic English course (1999-2000). This project followed a descriptive design and the course was technically devised mainly through the application of WIDA and the software English discoveries. The course included a handbook featuring eight topic-based units with three kinds of tasks each, namely teacher instructed tasks, CALL under teacher’s guidance, and self-access tasks; which sought to guarantee an effective integration of the four language skills.
Current research (2012-2013): A look at classroom management in the teaching practicum of an EFL Teacher Education Program. This research seeks to diagnose the issue of classroom management in the teaching practicum of a group of student teachers enrolled in the EFL Teacher Education Program at the university where I work. This research follows a qualitative descriptive orientation within a social constructivist paradigm. It involves the participation of 40 student teachers currently in their first or second period of student teaching and 10 practicum supervisors.
Sources of EFL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge: An exploration of teachers’ awareness of such sources in an EFL Teacher Education Program in Colombia (2009-2010). This project followed a qualitative methodology by which I sought to identify the extent to which the sources of EFL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge were acknowledged by a group of novice teachers and teacher educators and addressed in an EFL Teacher Education Program in a public university in Colombia. Participants were interviewed and official documents were analyzed to be able to draw results and conclusions.
Analyzing the effects of using activities based on video clips on the development of listening comprehension strategies in English (2008-2010). This was an action research project aimed at helping EFL students in a public university gain strategies to improve their listening comprehension in English by using activities designed on the basis of videoclips available on the Internet.
Analysis of the pedagogical practices used by teachers in an EFL program at a public university in Colombia (2006- 2007). I worked together with five colleagues on an action research study aimed to improve the ELT situation in an EFL program at this university.
I was mainly in charge of collecting and analzying data, establishing general findings and drawing final conclusions. This project had the financial support of the university administration.
Refining students’ academic writing skills in an undergraduate EFL Teacher Education Program (2004-2005). This action research study aimed at refining students’ academic writing skills in an EFL Teacher Education Program by using process writing. I worked together with a colleague on developing the different stages of the research process (conducting a diagnostic study, analyzing data, designing an action stage, analyzing results, and drawing conclusions).
Adapting and designing meaningful CALL-based tasks into an integrated skills basic English course (1999-2000). This project followed a descriptive design and the course was technically devised mainly through the application of WIDA and the software English discoveries. The course included a handbook featuring eight topic-based units with three kinds of tasks each, namely teacher instructed tasks, CALL under teacher’s guidance, and self-access tasks; which sought to guarantee an effective integration of the four language skills.