Papers by Carlos Mayora
Encuentro educacional, 2017
The aim of the present study was to adapt the Academic Locus of Control Scale for College Student... more The aim of the present study was to adapt the Academic Locus of Control Scale for College Students (Trice, 1985) to a population of Venezuelan university students, as well as, evaluating issues of reliability and validity of the translated scale. The resulting Spanish adaptation of the ALC was administered to a sample of 179 students from Universidad Simón Bolivar. Statistical analysis such as Cronbach and Principal Components Analysis, were conducted. Additionally, results from the scale were correlated with students’ self-reported grade point
average (GPA). Results show that the reliability of the translated scale is barely acceptable; furthermore, the principal component analysis revealed a four-factor structure very different from the original English version. Possible explanations are given and further examination is therefore recommended.
Boletín Redipe, 2020
El presente artículo tiene por objetivo describir la estructura curricular del área de inglés de ... more El presente artículo tiene por objetivo describir la estructura curricular del área de inglés de cuatro instituciones educativas oficiales de la ciudad de Cali, Colombia. Para este fin se hizo la revisión de los proyectos educativos institucionales, planes de área y aula de inglés de las instituciones seleccionadas. La presente investigación es de corte cualitativo con diseño de estudio de casos múltiple flexible con unidad de análisis holística sustentada en el análisis documental. La descripción de cada caso incluyó el modelo pedagógico de la institución, el enfoque metodológico para la enseñanza de lengua, y la descripción de los diferentes componentes curriculares (metas, contenidos, metodología, materiales y evaluación) y cómo se formulan y articulan cada
uno de estos componentes. Como resultado encontramos que existen inconsistencias entre lo conceptual y lo práctico, falta articulación entre los diferentes componentes curriculares (contenidos que no se corresponden con las metas), falta de especificidad en la descripción de la metodología, las actividades y las técnicas e instrumentos de evaluación. Se observó además una integración parcial y desarticulada de los documentos curriculares centrales como los Derechos Básicos de Aprendizaje y el Currículo Sugerido para Inglés. Se discuten algunas implicaciones de los hallazgos y se presentan algunas recomendaciones para fortalecer la enseñanza del inglés desde los documentos institucionales de las escuelas.
Lenguaje, 2019
Resumen En el presente estudio se reportan la descripción y el análisis del currículo del área de... more Resumen En el presente estudio se reportan la descripción y el análisis del currículo del área de inglés de 28 Instituciones Educativas Oficiales de la ciudad de Cali. Se trata de un estudio de caso múltiple con unidad de análisis incrustada y de tipo cerrado cuyos principales datos los constituyen los proyectos educativos institucionales, planes de área y planes de aula de las instituciones participantes. Se encontró que la mayoría de las instituciones no han realizado una actualización constante de sus curricula, que la lengua extranjera tiene poca o ninguna visibilidad en los documentos institucionales, que ha habido una incorporación superficial de los lineamientos curriculares emanados del Ministerio de Educación Nacional y que existe poca articulación en la estructura curricular entre los niveles educativos. A partir de los resultados se presentan recomendaciones pertinentes para mejorar la estructuración curricular del área de inglés. Palabras clave: lengua extranjera; enseñanza de idiomas; planes de estudio; instituciones de enseñanza; política lingüística.
The current paper reports an experience implementing a small-scale narrow listening scheme (one o... more The current paper reports an experience implementing a small-scale narrow listening scheme (one of the varieties of extensive listening) with intermediate learners of English as a foreign language in a Colombian university. The paper presents (a) how the scheme was designed and implemented, including materials and procedures (the process); (b) how the students performed in the different activities with an emphasis on time spent watching/listening and their perceptions of video difficulty and self-rated comprehension (the product); and (c) how the students felt and viewed the experience (perception). Product and perceptions showed that the pedagogical implementation was positive which leads to a discussion of a number of implications for this context and similar ones.
The author describes a Technologically Enhanced Language Learning program in Venezuela and how it... more The author describes a Technologically Enhanced Language Learning program in Venezuela and how it helped improve high school EFL instruction. The author presents six challenges of teaching EFL and describes the context for the program. The author then provides a rationale for using multimedia in language teaching, based on theoretical frameworks. Following that, the author describes the English Learning Center, its materials, activities, and evaluation. The students’ perceptions of the center are also addressed.
Teaching writing to learners of English as Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) is one of the most c... more Teaching writing to learners of English as Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) is one of the most challenging and difficult tasks for the language teacher. Such difficulty is due to a composite of different factors among which the very complex nature of the writing skill in and of itself is central. Writing imposes huge cognitive, linguistic, and social demands to both native speakers of English and EFL learners, but the demands are truly higher for the latter group (Brown, 2004; Kern, 2000; Nunan, 1999). Another factor lies within the practical conditions in which teaching takes place. EFL classrooms often offer learners limited opportunities to experience authentic writing. In recent years, a number of teachers and researchers in ESL and EFL maintain that the addition of Internet Communication Technologies (ICTs) represents an option that may diminish such limitation to a significant extent (Godwin. Most notably, a strong case has been made in favor of distribution lists or online forums, wikis, and blogs. This argument appears to have motivated many EFL teachers to integrate ICTs into their classes. The goal of this article is to include another accessible, familiar, and easy-to-use resource to the ones listed above: YouTube (http://www.youtube.com).
This study aims at describing the grammatical knowledge of students who entered the English progr... more This study aims at describing the grammatical knowledge of students who entered the English programs for the 3-year careers at USB, Sartenejas, between 2011 and 2012. The research method used was quantitative, descriptive-type and the research design was field-transactional. The data set is based on the results of an objective test of grammatical knowledge that is given to the students entering the above-mentioned programs at the time of admission. The descriptive statistics show that the performance in this test was quite low, with the mean, mode and median, below 50% of the maximum possible score. An analysis of item difficulty measuring grammatical structures typically taught in English for secondary education showed that students have knowledge deficiencies in some of these structures. Finally, we present implications of these results for the general English courses that are taught at the USB, and some implications for the teaching of English in the national context.
This paper is part of a larger research project about the entry requirements for English programs... more This paper is part of a larger research project about the entry requirements for English programs for students of 3-year careers at Universidad Simón Bolívar, Sartenejas. This paper particularly focuses on the selection and justification of the variables included in the profile. The process of variable selection was two-fold. First documentary research on the profiles of foreign language learners and university students nationally and internationally was conducted. Then, a pilot study of descriptive and exploratory nature was developed in order to refine the variables. As a result, the complexity of the process of foreign language learning requires the development of a broader profile of the student, where it is considered as a bio-psychosocial individual and not just from a linguistic perspective.
System, 2010
Online Communities of Practice (OCPs) are among the most accessible tools for EFL/ESL teachers' c... more Online Communities of Practice (OCPs) are among the most accessible tools for EFL/ESL teachers' co-construction of knowledge and self-directed learning. Despite the welcomed proliferation of EFL/ESL teachers' OCPs, concomitant research on collaboration is noticeably lagging behind. The present paper is just a preliminary look at moderation and participation, two of the most salient roles of members in OCPs. The authors co-moderate a local Yahoo group of EFL teachers from Venezuela, and participate in an international Yahoo Group of EFL teachers from different countries and nationalities. By analyzing (a) the posts the authors wrote in each OCP and (b) the authors' introspective accounts completed for the purpose of this research, it appears that contrary to expectations there is not much difference in executing the roles of moderation and participation. Results indicate that, rather than changing their online behavior and style while embarking in the two tasks, each author appears to display similar behavioral tracts in both OCPs. Because English is the language of collaboration in both OCPs, results suggest that participation and moderation in OCPs may serve as a deterrent of language loss. The paper concludes with a call for more research on the role of EFL/ ESL teachereteacher interactions in OCPs. (J. Pino-Silva), [email protected] (C.A. Mayora). 1 Tel.: þ58 212 9063782; fax: þ58 212 9063780/3781. 0346-251X/$ -see front matter Ó
Revista Electrónica Educare , 2015
El propósito de este artículo es ofrecer una revisión bibliográfica sobre la relación entre locus... more El propósito de este artículo es ofrecer una revisión bibliográfica sobre la relación entre locus de control (LC) y rendimiento académico en el estudiantado universitario. Los repositorios en línea constituyen la principal fuente de información. Los hallazgos más importantes muestran que: (a) el constructo LC ha evolucionado de ser una variable dicotómica a multidimensional, (b) existen muy pocas investigaciones recientes en el ámbito internacional, en tanto que ninguna para Latinoamérica, (c) son escasas las investigaciones interdisciplinarias y se nota la ausencia de la tradición cualitativa, (d) sea de manera indirecta o directa, la mayoría de las investigaciones muestran una relación entre el LC y el rendimiento académico en educación universitaria. Estos resultados evidencian la necesidad de abordar la temática en Latinoamérica. Se sugiere llevar a cabo estudios interdisciplinarios, cualitativos y cuantitativos longitudinales, que incluyan variables sujetas al control de instituciones y docentes, cuyos resultados permitan diseñar intervenciones en pro de la mejora de la calidad de la educación.
Revista Electrónica Educare, Sep 1, 2015
The purpose of this paper is to provide a bibliographic review about the relation between locus o... more The purpose of this paper is to provide a bibliographic review about the relation between locus of control (LC) and academic achievement in higher education students. Online repositories were the main source of information. The most important findings show that, (a) the LC construct has evolved from being a dichotomist to a multidimensional variable; (b) there are very few recent international studies and none of them covers Latin-America; (c) interdisciplinary research is scarce and the absence of the qualitative approach is noticeable; and, (d) whether direct or indirectly, most studies show a relation between LC and academic achievement in higher education. These findings
show the need to address this topic in Latin America. It is suggested to conduct interdisciplinary, longitudinal, qualitative, and quantitative studies under the supervision of institutions and teachers; the results would be used to design interventions to improve que quality of education.
Reading Matrix, Sep 2014
A variety of computer-based models of Extensive Reading have emerged in the last decade. Differen... more A variety of computer-based models of Extensive Reading have emerged in the last decade. Different Information and Communication Technologies online usually support these
models. However, such innovations are not feasible in contexts where the digital breach limits the access to Internet. The purpose of this paper is to report a project in which the authors developed an in-house software prototype to allow students from a limited resources high school in a developing country to do extensive reading in a computer without Internet connection. Special emphasis is placed on the pedagogical and cognitive aspect of software design. The process was based on the systemic quality approach to educational software design (Díaz-Anton et al., 2002, 2003). Implications for different educational contexts are drawn from the experience. In-house teacher- produced software may be a more adequate alternative for implementing extensive reading since the developers have more control on certain options and are not restricted by issues of Internet
access
Book Reviews by Carlos Mayora
Vol. 24 No. 1 (January/June 2017) by Carlos Mayora
The current paper reports an experience implementing a small-scale narrow listening scheme (one o... more The current paper reports an experience implementing a small-scale narrow listening scheme (one of the varieties of extensive listening) with intermediate learners of English as a foreign language in a Colombian university. The paper presents (a) how the scheme was designed and implemented, including materials and procedures (the process); (b) how the students performed in the different activities with an emphasis on time spent watching/listening and their perceptions of video difficulty and self-rated comprehension (the product); and (c) how the students felt and viewed the experience (perception). Product and perceptions showed that the pedagogical implementation was positive which leads to a discussion of a number of implications for this context and similar ones.
Books by Carlos Mayora
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Papers by Carlos Mayora
average (GPA). Results show that the reliability of the translated scale is barely acceptable; furthermore, the principal component analysis revealed a four-factor structure very different from the original English version. Possible explanations are given and further examination is therefore recommended.
uno de estos componentes. Como resultado encontramos que existen inconsistencias entre lo conceptual y lo práctico, falta articulación entre los diferentes componentes curriculares (contenidos que no se corresponden con las metas), falta de especificidad en la descripción de la metodología, las actividades y las técnicas e instrumentos de evaluación. Se observó además una integración parcial y desarticulada de los documentos curriculares centrales como los Derechos Básicos de Aprendizaje y el Currículo Sugerido para Inglés. Se discuten algunas implicaciones de los hallazgos y se presentan algunas recomendaciones para fortalecer la enseñanza del inglés desde los documentos institucionales de las escuelas.
show the need to address this topic in Latin America. It is suggested to conduct interdisciplinary, longitudinal, qualitative, and quantitative studies under the supervision of institutions and teachers; the results would be used to design interventions to improve que quality of education.
models. However, such innovations are not feasible in contexts where the digital breach limits the access to Internet. The purpose of this paper is to report a project in which the authors developed an in-house software prototype to allow students from a limited resources high school in a developing country to do extensive reading in a computer without Internet connection. Special emphasis is placed on the pedagogical and cognitive aspect of software design. The process was based on the systemic quality approach to educational software design (Díaz-Anton et al., 2002, 2003). Implications for different educational contexts are drawn from the experience. In-house teacher- produced software may be a more adequate alternative for implementing extensive reading since the developers have more control on certain options and are not restricted by issues of Internet
access
Book Reviews by Carlos Mayora
Vol. 24 No. 1 (January/June 2017) by Carlos Mayora
Books by Carlos Mayora
average (GPA). Results show that the reliability of the translated scale is barely acceptable; furthermore, the principal component analysis revealed a four-factor structure very different from the original English version. Possible explanations are given and further examination is therefore recommended.
uno de estos componentes. Como resultado encontramos que existen inconsistencias entre lo conceptual y lo práctico, falta articulación entre los diferentes componentes curriculares (contenidos que no se corresponden con las metas), falta de especificidad en la descripción de la metodología, las actividades y las técnicas e instrumentos de evaluación. Se observó además una integración parcial y desarticulada de los documentos curriculares centrales como los Derechos Básicos de Aprendizaje y el Currículo Sugerido para Inglés. Se discuten algunas implicaciones de los hallazgos y se presentan algunas recomendaciones para fortalecer la enseñanza del inglés desde los documentos institucionales de las escuelas.
show the need to address this topic in Latin America. It is suggested to conduct interdisciplinary, longitudinal, qualitative, and quantitative studies under the supervision of institutions and teachers; the results would be used to design interventions to improve que quality of education.
models. However, such innovations are not feasible in contexts where the digital breach limits the access to Internet. The purpose of this paper is to report a project in which the authors developed an in-house software prototype to allow students from a limited resources high school in a developing country to do extensive reading in a computer without Internet connection. Special emphasis is placed on the pedagogical and cognitive aspect of software design. The process was based on the systemic quality approach to educational software design (Díaz-Anton et al., 2002, 2003). Implications for different educational contexts are drawn from the experience. In-house teacher- produced software may be a more adequate alternative for implementing extensive reading since the developers have more control on certain options and are not restricted by issues of Internet
access