ELT Connections- Volume 2, Issue 1

Teaching English in Chile Today

Total Physical Response Based Technique to Promote the Acquisition of Vocabulary in Students of 7th Grade in a Private School

Prevalence of Neuromyths in EFL Elementary School Chilean Teachers

ELT CONNECTIONS

Articles and authors in this issue:

Message from the director of the editorial board

INDEX

Editorial Board

Teaching English in Chile Today (Dr Miriam Cid)

An interview with… (Marco Bobadilla)

An interview with… (María Soledad Yermany)

El Centro de Empleabilidad Francófono: un puente entre la francofonía, la educación y la profesionalización (Manon Louvet)

Total Physical Response based technique to promote the acquisition of vocabulary in students of 7th grade in a private school (Ulises Huanel)

Prevalence of neuromyths in EFL elementary school

Chilean teachers (Kevin Martínez, Camila Villanueva, and Vanessa Urán)

Inside the Classroom: How the behaviour of teachers affects the teaching-learning process: An article based on experience and research (William González)

Inside the classroom: New education in Chile (María Jesús Cruzat)

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The academic year 2023 has begun, along with a new issue of the newly named “Department of Foreign Languages” journal at our University.

This new name follows the structural reorganization the University carried out earlier this year, which resulted in the merger of the two former faculties of Education and Social Sciences into a new Faculty of Human Sciences, opening the door to a more interdisciplinary approach.

Moreover, the third innovation is that the Department and its journal are now open to French, a language that is increasingly present in our institution’s daily life. This presence is evident through Interuniversity Agreements with Frenchspeaking institutions, French language courses for students (Journalism), and other collaborators, as well as the establishment of the Francophone Employability Centre (CEF) at Rondizzoni I, under the auspices of the Agénce Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), which we have the honour of representing in Chile.

Therefore, we warmly welcome the academic year 2023 and all its innovations, which are evidence of our institutional dynamism!

MESSAGE DU DIRECTEUR DU CONSEIL DE RÉDACTION

L’année académique 2023 vient de débuter et avec elle un nouveau numéro de la revue du nouvellement nommé “Département de Langues Etrangères” de notre Université.

Ce nouveau nom fait suite á la réorganisation structurelle réalisée en début d’année par l’université, qui a eu pour principale conséquence la fusion des deux anciennes Facultés d’Éducation et de Sciences Sociales, en une nouvelle Faculté de Sciences Humaines, ouvrant ainsi la porte á un nouveau fonctionnement plus interdisciplinaire.

Et enfin, troisième nouveauté, le Département ainsi que sa revue s’ouvrent aussi au français, une langue chaque jour plus présente dans le quotidien de notre institution, que ce soit sous la forme d’Accords Interuniversitaires avec des Institutions francophones, de cours de langue française pour étudiants (Journalisme) et autres collaborateurs, ou encore via la présence á Rondizzoni I du Centre d’Employabilité Francophone (CEF), sous l’égide de l’Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) que nous avons l’honneur de représenter au Chili.

Bienvenue donc á cette année académique 2023 et á toutes ses nouveautés, preuves de notre dynamisme institutionnel !

Alain Carrier

Dean Faculty of Human Sciences

Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins

Alain Carrier

Doyen de la Faculté des Sciences Humaines Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins

EDITORIAL BOARD

Director: Dr Alain Carrier, Dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences, Universidad Bernardo O´Higgins.

Editor in Chief: Prof. Claudia Rodríguez

PhD. Academic, Foreign Languages Department, Universidad Bernardo O´Higgins.

Claudia holds a BA in English Literature and Linguistics and a Master’s Degree in Applied Linguistics in EFL, both from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She also holds a PhD in ELT and Applied Linguistics from The University of Warwick. Her main research interests include EFL teacher training, critical thinking skills development, and teacher identity construction.

Collaborators:

Prof. Pía Tabali, PhD. Academic, Teacher Training Programme, Universidad Bernardo O´Higgins. Prof. Ulises Sánchez, Head of the Teacher Training Programme, Universidad Bernardo O´Higgins. Francisca Morales, President TESOL Chile.

RICELT Chile (Red de Investigación Chilena en ELT).

Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras

Facultad de Ciencias Humanas

Managing Editor: Prof. Lorena Maluenda

Head of the Foreign Languages Department, Universidad Bernardo O´Higgins.

Lorena has been a teacher of English since 2000. She holds a Diploma in English for Specific Purposes and a Master’s in Linguistics from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She is a Speaking Examiner for Cambridge English Assessment. Her interests are related to language learning through technology, teaching English as a Foreign Language, and international certifications in English. She is currently a PhD student at Universidad Pontificia Salamanca, Spain.

Articles and authors in this issue:

Letter to the Editor: Dr. Miriam Cid Uribe.

An interview with: Marco Bobadilla.

An interview with: Soledad Yermany.

International corner – Le Coin international: Le Centre d’Employabilité Francophone: Un lien entre francophonie, éducation et professionnalisation - Manon Louvet.

Research article: Total Physical Response based technique to promote the acquisition of vocabulary in students of 7th grade in a private school – Ulises Huanel.

Research article: Prevalence of neuromyths in EFL elementary school Chilean teachers – Kevin Martinez, Camila Villanueva, and Vanessa Urán.

Inside the classroom: How the behaviour of teachers affects the teaching-learning process: An article based on experience and research – William González.

Inside the classroom: New Education in Chile – María Jesús Cruzat.

TEACHING ENGLISH IN CHILE TODAY

Dr Miriam Cid Uribe

The challenges posed by the existence of several varieties of English at the moment of teaching this linguistic system in countries where English is not widely used are myriad. Chile is obviously no exception and when the time comes to learn and later teach English, the surprise for the student and teacher-to-be- is paramount: RP, GA, IE, are, indeed, acronyms that dazzle and confuse. Which variety to learn?

Which is the one I feel most comfortable with? Is there such a thing as neutral English that everybody can learn, teach and use without concerns of mutual misunderstanding?

These and other related questions arise when we hear

Miriam

is a distinguished academic who has dedicated over 40 years of her professional career to preparing teachers of English nationwide. With a PhD in Phonetics and Phonology from The University of Leeds, she has published numerous papers and research articles on various aspects of English language teaching, action research, and pronunciation.

Contact: miriam.cid.u@usach.cl

different accents or are asked to make an oral presentation or start a conversation with an English native speaker. The problem is that there are so many different accents that choosing one and sticking to it is rather complicated, especially when deciding how to teach English. Traditionally and before the advent of the internet, universities favoured RP as the accent that had to be learnt and taught; then, international business and worldwide trade demanded another variety, and GA became the language of business and commerce. Today, globalization poses different challenges: other varieties have been coming into play, other nations are starting

to use English as a lingua franca for their commercial relations, and so we find ourselves surrounded by English, yes, but different kinds of English, different intonational patterns, different words, but still English nonetheless.

What to do with this? Which variety should we, as teachers, favour? Which methodological trends should we adhere to in order to make the learning process an approachable, enjoyable and lasting one?

There are, no doubt, as many tendencies and classroom practices as teachers in the world: some will stick to traditional long-discarded methods, others will go on for methodologies that favour

and foster communication in detriment of accuracy, and others will choose eclecticism. In the end, the last choice appears to be the most widely used “methodological trend”, the one that offers more possibilities for success and, more importantly, the one that is likely to respond

to students’ individual needs.

A publication such as this one opens the ground for many insightful analyses related to the role the English language accomplishes in the global world today, related to the need for better and more varied methodological trends

for a closer connection with the social network in which each educational community is inserted and, above all, for the many personal contributions that each individual and each group in their own capacity can offer to the educational system today.

Marco

is an EFL teacher with vast experience teaching in higher education contexts, currently working at USACH. He is committed to creating an engaging and intellectually stimulating learning environment for his students and has received glowing feedback from both students and colleagues. Contact: marcobobadillaruiz@gmail.com

THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

1. How do you integrate technology in the classroom?

I make my students use their smartphones for research purposes and as a dictionary, not a translator, but a dependable dictionary. And if it is suitable, I integrate videos to introduce the day’s topic.

2. What kind of activities/tasks, including the use of technology, have been more successful in your practice?

I usually make my students start the class by doing what I call ‘News reports’. The idea is that they search for a piece of news, read it, summarize it and then report it back to the class. Most students use their smartphones to search for information directly in English.

3. Do your students feel comfortable using technology? Is it a good

tool for their learning process?

Absolutely, they’re comfortable and familiarized with it.

4. In your opinion, how can ICT be used to improve students’ speaking skills?

If used properly, technology can help students practice their pronunciation by listening and repeating from various sources, such as dictionaries, translators, and videos.

5. Do you create your own ICT resources?

Can you give us an example?

I have created some surveys. They were mostly to get my students’ preferences and opinions and make comparisons or have debates.

6. Do you use interactive resources like hyperlinks, QR codes, etc.? If so, how

do you use them?

I have used QR codes to have students access surveys.

7. Have you ever used social networks for learning purposes?

No, I haven’t, although it may be possible I use them in the future.

8. How do you evaluate your ICT skills and the use of ICT tools in the classroom?

My ICT skills are welldeveloped. But I find that my use of ICT in my classes is limited, mostly due to my students’ level and the scarce time we have for class.

9.What arethe challenges of using technology in the classroom nowadays?

The challenge is making students use their phones for learning purposes as dictionaries, recorders, cameras, etc. Another challenge is to integrate social media in a respectful and responsible way.

Marco Bobadilla Ruiz

An interview with

María Soledad

is an EFL teacher with eight years of experience working at university level. She got her BA at Universidad Chileno-Británica de Cultura (UCBC) and her MA in English Language Teaching at Universidad de los Andes. María Soledad specializes in English Language Teaching and has been responsible for teaching in General English programmes at USACH, UDD, UBO, and Universidad de Chile, among others. Contact: soledadyermany@gmail.com

1.How do you integrate technology in the classroom?

I give both face-to-face and online lessons. In my faceto-face lessons, I’m constantly integrating technology using different resources, but mostly the projector and computer to project PPTs, PDF documents, the textbook I work with, etc. I also use the speakers whenever I need to play a recording for a listening activity. I sometimes ask the students to use their cell phones to look for information or when they haven’t printed the material we’re using.

In my online classes, I mostly use Zoom to teach, and there, I like to use breakout rooms to develop collaborative work and give my students a private space while working. I ask them to interact with others and share their thoughts, ideas, responses, etc. I also use an e-book that I share on the Zoom screen. That book also includes videos and listening activities.

2. What kind of activities/tasks, including the use of technology, have been more successful in your practice?

I believe that the most successful activities are the ones that allow you to get your students’ attention (videos, audio, etc). Students generally like seeing and hearing something from a screen more than reading from a piece of paper. By including technology, they are more stimulated and

engaged, especially today’s generations, constantly surrounded by technological devices.

3. Do your students feel comfortable using technology? Is it a good tool for their learning process?

I think so. As I said before, it’s a generation constantly in touch with technology. Students have come to understand that it can be useful not just for recreational purposes but also for academic purposes. It’s definitely a good tool for their learning process as it’s tightly linked to their realities and everyday life.

4. In your opinion, how can ICT be used to improve students’ speaking skills?

Like any other ability to be developed, it’s necessary to give our students the possibility to follow a model. In that sense, by using videos and recordings where we find speakers interacting in the target language, we are providing our students with a wide range of sources they can use as a prototype. We can also include more interactive activities to develop their communicative skills.

5. Do you create your own ICT resources?

Can you give us an example?

Not really. I use the ones that are ready-made and available for most users.

6. Do you use interactive resources like hyperlinks, QR codes, etc.? If so, how do you use them?

Not much, but I have used them. For example, I once asked the students to upload a video and create a QR code to redirect me to their videos. I have also asked them to create Instagram accounts for a specific task, use Canva to create a comic, etc.

7. Have you ever used social networks for learning purposes?

Yes, I have. Mostly Instagram and Facebook (to upload a video, pictures, etc.)

8. How do you evaluate your ICT skills and the use of ICT tools in the classroom?

By trying. I see what works well and what doesn’t. I try to be updated in the use of ICT tools -although I’m not a big fan of technology- but I do feel it’s necessary to integrate it into our teaching in a way that allows us to be closer to our students.

9. What are the challenges of using technology in the classroom nowadays?

One of the biggest challenges is having enough time to actually get familiarized with the new technologies. Every day more platforms (apps, etc.) are created, and, at some point, you feel overwhelmed about having to learn how to use those new tools. Some other times, institutions simply assume that we (teachers) know how to work with them, and they don’t always provide training sessions.

María Soledad Yermany

Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras Facultad de Ciencias Humanas

Pedagogía en Inglés para Enseñanza Básica y Media

Escuela de Idiomas

EL CENTRO DE EMPLEABILIDAD

FRANCÓFONO: UN PUENTE ENTRE LA FRANCOFONÍA, LA EDUCACIÓN Y LA PROFESIONALIZACIÓN

LE CENTRE D’EMPLOYABILITÉ

FRANCOPHONE: UN LIEN ENTRE FRANCOPHONIE, ÉDUCATION ET PROFESSIONNALISATION

Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras Facultad de Ciencias Humanas

Pedagogía en Inglés para Enseñanza Básica y Media

Escuela de Idiomas

Con más de 321 millones de hablantes, el quinto idioma más hablado en el mundo y el segundo idioma extranjero enseñado a nivel mundial, el idioma francés reúne una pluralidad de personas y territorios que componen la francofonía. Asimismo, el espacio francófono es amplio y abarca múltiples realidades que comparten más que el uso de un idioma, pues se mezclan antiguos vínculos históricos, políticos, económicos, sociales y culturales. Aquellas relaciones comunes sumadas con las identidades socioculturales propias de cada país otorgan a la francofonía una riqueza, diversidad cultural y política particularmente valiosa. Hoy en día, es un espacio de solidaridad y cooperación fértil, que se funde en valores tales como la democracia, el humanismo y el respeto de la diversidad de las culturas y lenguas, en el cual se promueve la cooperación entre países del Sur. El espacio francófono cuenta con sus propias instituciones, la principal de las cuales es la Organización Internacional de la Francofonía (OIF) que reúne a 88 estados y gobiernos. La OIF desarrolla cooperación en temas de política, educación, economía y cultura entre sus países miembros. Sus principales objetivos son promover la lengua francesa en su diversidad cultural y lingüística, y valorizar las distintas culturas que se encuentran en el espacio francófono, tanto en Europa como en las Américas, el Caribe, África y Asia.

La Agencia Universitaria de la Francofonía (AUF) es el operador de la francofonía para la enseñanza superior e investigación, y también es la primera red universitaria y de investigación a nivel mundial, con más de 1000 instituciones miembros en 115 países. La AUF actúa para una francofonía comprometida con el desarrollo económico, social y cultural de las sociedades. La Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins es miembro de la AUF desde 2018, y desarrolla desde principios de 2022 un Centro de Empleabilidad Francófono/Campus Digital Francófono (CEF/CNF por sus siglas en francés) en conjunto con la AUF.

El CEF/CNF forma parte de una red de la AUF de 60 centros similares en el mundo, entre los cuales 8 se encuentran en la región latinoamericana. Tiene por objetivo, entre otros, responder al actual desafío de la empleabilidad para las personas entrando al mercado laboral. En ese sentido, el CEF/ CNF es un espacio de acogida para la comunidad universitaria que trabaja por el fortalecimiento de competencias transversales, el desarrollo de redes de contacto y herramientas para facilitar la inserción laboral. Por otro lado, para insertarse en el contexto chileno y dar a conocer las distintas oportunidades que brinda la francofonía, el CEF/CNF de Santiago de la Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins promueve también la cultura francófona mediante eventos culturales, un programa de radio y el acompañamiento del aprendizaje del francés como idioma extranjero. Este Centro permite vincular internacionalización del currículo y profesionalización a fin de enriquecer la formación académica y fortalecer un modelo educativo integral.

Avec plus de 321 millions de locuteurs, la 5ème langue la plus parlée au monde et la 2ème langue étrangère la plus enseignée, la langue francaise réunit une pluralité de personnes et de territoires qui composent la francophonie. L’espace francophone est donc large et comprend de multiples réalités qui partagent plus que l’usage d’une langue, car s’entremêlent des liens historiques, politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels anciens. Ces relations communes couplées avec les identités socioculturelles propres de chaque pays confèrent à la francophonie une richesse et une diversité culturelle et politique particulièrement précieuses. C’est aujourd’hui un espace de solidarité et de coopération fertile qui se base sur des valeurs comme la démocratie, l’humanisme et le respect de la diversité des cultures et des langues, dans lequel est promue la coopération entre les pays du Sud.

Manon

Louvet J

Manon est diplômée du Magistère Relations Internationales et Action à l’Étranger (MRIAE) de l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Elle occupe actuellement le poste de responsable du Centre d’Employabilité Francophone à l’Université Bernardo O’Higgins. Contact: cef-santiago@ubo.cl

L’espace francophone a ses propres institutions dont la principale, l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) réunit 88 états et gouvernements. L’OIF développe la coopération entre ses pays membres dans les domaines de la politique, l’éducation, l’économie et la culture. Ses principaux objectifs sont de promouvoir la langue francaise dans sa diversité culturelle et lingüistique et de valoriser les différentes cultures qui se trouvent dans l’espace francophone, tant en Europe que dans les Amériques, les Caraïbes, l’Afrique et l’Asie.

L’Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) est l’opérateur de la francophonie pour l’enseignement supérieur et la recherche, et c’est également le premier réseau universitaire et de recherche au monde, avec plus de 1000 établissements membres dans 115 pays. L’AUF agit pour une francophonie engagée dans le développement économique, social et culturel des sociétés. La Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins est membre de l’AUF depuis 2018, et développe depuis début 2022 un Centre d’Employabilité Francophone/Campus Numérique Francophone (CEF/CNF) en partenariat avec l’AUF.

Ce CEF/CNF fait partie d’un réseau de 60 centres similaires dans le monde, dont 8 se trouvent dans la région latinoaméricaine. Il a pour objectif, entre autres, de répondre au défi de l’employabilité pour les personnes entrantes sur le marché du travail. En ce sens, c’est un espace d’accueil pour la communauté universitaire qui oeuvre pour le renforcement de compétences transversales, le développement de réseaux de contacts et d’outils pour faciliter l’insertion professionelle. Par ailleurs, pour s’insérer au sein du contexte chilien et faire connaître les différentes opportunités qu’offre la francophonie, le CEF/CNF de Santiago à la Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins promeut également la culture francophone à travers des événements culturels, un programme de radio et l’accompagnement de l’apprentissage du francais comme langue étrangère. Ce Centre permet ainsi de lier internationalisation du curriculum et professionnalisation afin d’enrichir la formation académique et de renforcer un modèle éducatif intégral.

Kevin is an EFL teacher who recently graduated from Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins. kevinmartinez@pregrado.ubo.cl

Prevalence of neuromyths in EFL elementary school Chilean teachers

Camila is an EFL teacher who recently graduated from Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins and works at New Heinrich High School. camilabelen.villanueva@hotmail.com

Vanessa is an EFL teacher who recently graduated from Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins. She is currently working at Escuela Mirasol. vannessauran@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, few studies are related to the prevalence of neuromyths in the Chilean scenario. For this reason, the present research seeks to identify and compare the neuromyths that persist among elementary and high school EFL Chilean teachers. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted with 14 teachers in which they had to provide sociodemographic information and then answer thirtytwo questions about neuroscience based on the survey by Dekker et al. (2012). Regarding the results, the samples were divided into the following categories: neuromyths and general brain knowledge, which were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis of central tendency and dispersion. Among the most prevalent neuromyths, it was identified that elementary school teachers believe more that fatty acid supplements (Omega-3 and Omega-6) positively affect academic achievement.

Keywords: Neuromyths, General neuroscience knowledge, Prevalence, EFL, Chilean teachers.

1. INTRODUCTION

Neuroscience focuses on the study of the brain and how it works (Collins, 2019). Furthermore, scientists are known to have only focused on what could be observed

and measured, such as the nervous system, electrical and chemical activity, anatomy, and structure of neurotransmitters that affect the brain (Collins, 2019). Sometimes in this field, when some hypotheses are invalidated, they remain and turn into what is known as neuromyths. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2007), neuromyths are invalidated hypotheses that leave traces, and if these capture the public imagination, “myths” take root. Although science has demolished these beliefs, they have proven stubbornly persistent and passed down through various media into the public mind. Because of neuromyths, some ideas and myths have persisted in education, outdating the learning conceptions of human beings. In the educational field, all misconceptions that are directly related to the mind, the brain, and how people, particularly children, learn are called educational neuromyths (OECD, 2007).

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Defining Neuromyths

According to Howard-Jones et al. (2014), myths are biased distortions of scientific facts, and these myths can be observed within neuroeducational science as mistaken or misinterpreted beliefs about how the brain learns. This information has been referred to as neuromyths, which

is not new since various researchers have referred (Howard-Jones et al., 2014). The word was first coined during the 1980s when neurosurgeon Crockard used it to describe a misleading concept about brain function in medicine (Fuentes & Risso, 2015; Howard-Jones, 2014).

Furthermore, OECD (2002) has stated that the emergence of neuromyths was born from neuroscience. The scientific findings have gone from trial and error to what it entails to show false perceptions or misinterpretations about how the brain works. Nonetheless, although some neuromyths have been dispelled, they persist in educators’ practices (Ching et al., 2020).

Neouri and Mehrmohammadi (2012) state that neuromyths often originate from overgeneralization and misconceptions since teachers with some knowledge of the brain are likely to believe in at least one neuromyth or more. Additionally, the prevalence of neuromyths at the pedagogical level can bring consequences, such as creating teaching methodologies based on myths, which will not provide the expected results (Howard-Jones et al., 2014). For example, one of the most common neuromyths in teachers corresponds to the critical period hypothesis, which states that there is a specific age at which people can acquire knowledge. Despite the existence of different studies (De

Kevin Martinez

Vanessa Urán

Camila Villanueva

Bruyckere et al., 2015; Kuhl & Ramirez, 2019) that demonstrate that there are no critical periods for learning but “sensitive” periods in which learning a new skill is easier, many teachers continue to reproduce that neuromyth. Hence, these misconceptions about how the brain learns have prevailed in time and are still applied in the classroom. On the other hand, teachers who are highly interested in brain research are susceptible to neuromyths (Howard-Jones and Fenton, 2012; Sylvan and Christodoulou, 2010).

2.2 Neuromyths in Education

There are multiple neuromyths that teachers may know or that people may have heard about without actually knowing that they are neuromyths. For example, it has probably been heard that humans only use a 10% of their brains, that people can learn while they sleep, or even that men and boys have different brains from women and girls, among many others (OECD, 2007). Apart from the aforementioned neuromyths, some are directly related to education, and these can be defined as educational neuromyths. Although the meaning of this term has been a matter of ongoing discussion among neuroscience and the teaching community, it has been stated by the OECD (2007) that all the misconceptions regarding the mind, the brain, and how people, particularly children, learn constitute educational neuromyths. This topic has grown in importance within the educational community after the OECD (2007) assessment on how the employment of ineffective and non-evidence-based teaching programs and methods could be encouraged by neuromyths, with

substantial negative consequences for educational systems and student results worldwide. It is important to understand that in order to keep education from hitting a string of dead ends, these myths need to be dismissed since they are either incomplete, incorrect, or there is a lack of evidence to prove them (Goswami, 2006; OECD, 2002; 2007).

A large and growing body of literature (Friedman and Rusou, 2015; Friedrich et al., 2019; Papadatou-Pastou et al., 2017) has investigated which are the most frequent educational neuromyths among teachers around the world; the most known that can be mentioned are the left-brained and right-brained-theory, the critical periods, the existence of multiple intelligences, the learning styles theory, the fatty acid supplements theory, and that the first language must be acquired before a second language (Geake, 2008; Goswami, 2006; Rato et al., 2013; Rousseau et al., 2018).

2.3 Neuromyths in teaching in EFL Chilean classrooms.

Once the most common neuromyths present among different contexts have been reviewed, it is imperative to analyze the evidence in the Chilean context concerning the preceding topics, meaning that evidence of the state of neuromyths in EFL Chilean teachers may be revised. The study of Añazco et al. (2016) describes how and why neuromyths are present in teacher trainees and how they may influence their future teaching practices. In an attempt to understand the origin of neuromyths in the Chilean context, the results of the aforementioned study about the prevalence of neuromyths will

be checked. With the hypothesis that the presence of neuroscience courses completed by pre-service teachers during tertiary education decreases the chances of believing in neuromyths, Añazco et al. (2016) took a large total sample of 182 participants from an English program (EP), an elementary education program (EEP), and a special education program (SEP) from different Chilean universities to quantify their results in a 2-part online survey. The instrument, based on the questionnaire made by Dekker et al. (2012) to test different aspects regarding neuroscience and neuromyths as well as to test general neuroscience knowledge (GNK) of the sample, to later scrutinize its correlation with their beliefs in neuromyths (INM). Moreover, the results presented two different interesting aspects. Firstly, by means of the completion of the survey, it could be stated that the neuromyths that prevailed the most in the Chilean context, more specifically, in pre-service teachers of different areas are: learning styles, enriched environments on preschool children, hemispheric dominance, and that the consumption of fatty acids has a positive effect on academic achievement. Secondly, it could be stated that among the three programs, even though the English program students were the least knowledgeable about neuroscience, they showed better results at recognizing neuromyths than the other programs. Hence, Añazco et al. (2016) propose in Figure 1 that the more teachers know about neuroscience in the Chilean context, the more prone they are to believe neuromyths.

Note: Figure 1 shows the correlation between general neuroscience knowledge and beliefs in neuromyths of Chilean student-teachers from three programmes (EP, SEP, EEP). From Prevalence of neuromyths amongst student-teachers from Chile by Añazco et al., 2016, p. 28. Copyright 2016 by Repositorio Digital UCSC.

These findings establish that as general neuroscience knowledge (GNK) increased, teachers were more prone to believe in neuromyths. The aforestated results reveal that preservice teachers from non-English-related programs specifically may not be able to have enough proficiency in the English language, hence being more prone to misunderstand updated neuroscience data presented in different papers about the topic, as they are mostly written in that foreign language (Añazco et al., 2016). The aforementioned theory can additionally be seen from results in Howard-Jones (2014), as it is theorized that the higher percentage of prevalence of neuromyths may be due to the language barrier with English neuroscience findings.

2.4 Neuromyths in elementary Chilean classrooms.

Neuromyths have been able to infiltrate the beliefs and practices of teaching professionals in all parts of the world, and they are believed not only by teachers but also found in educational programs, and their credibility is so high that they have even been taken into account within educational public policies (Flores et al., 2021). According to Añazco et al. (2016), studies on the prevalence of neuromyths and how they affect learning are scarce in Chile, mainly because of language barriers. Chilean people frequently lack access to the latest information on neuroeducational research because most of it is in English, which keeps them stuck on misguided interpretations. In a study conducted by Varas and Ferreira (2017), they investigate the prevalence of neuromyths and the general neuroscience knowledge of Chilean teachers who graduated from regional universities. For this study, a survey was carried out to teachers, and it focused on different factors such as age, title, and levels, including preschool and basic education. The aspects to be evaluated were the general neuroscience knowledge and the most predominant neuromyths that prevail in their methodologies. The results showed that the Chilean teachers who participated in the study presented a prevalence of (87%), in the most common neuromyths mentioned by Dekker et al. (2012), such as learning styles, the dominance of brain hemispheres, environments with stimulation that improves the learning development of schoolchildren. Moreover, according to Varas and Ferreira (2017), the neuromyth of learning styles is one of the most predominant in Chile. One of the factors of its prevalence is that the Ministry of Education requires schools to identify students’ learning styles to plan activities according to each student’s learning styles (MINEDUC, 2015). Another second factor for the prevalence of these misconceptions in Chilean teachers could be the predominantly humanistic and non-scientific training received by professionals, which

prioritizes the development of related areas tied with social psychology, philosophy, and anthropology, to the detriment of the natural sciences (Cofré et al., 2010). In another study conducted by Painemil et al. (2021), 99 university students voluntarily participated in pedagogical training programs. From the infant and primary education levels, 57 students were Chilean volunteer teachers. The study used a version translated into Spanish of the questionnaire by Dekker et al. (2012) to gather the information. The results show a majority of the prevalence of the following neuromyths: learning styles (96%), environments that are rich in stimulus improve the brain of preschool children (85.9%), and finally, differences in the hemispheric domain (left brain, right brain) may help explain individual differences between learners (65.7%). The present study asserted that neuromyths are so ingrained in teachers because they are promoted by the same published organizations in charge of training teachers to identify learning styles and impart them to each of the students (MINEDUC, 2015). In addition, Decree 83/2015 declares that “teacher capacities must be developed to provide quality educational responses to different learning styles” In this way, the teaching staff recognizes and considers “diverse sensory modalities, learning styles, interests and preferences” (MINEDUC, 2015, p. 20).

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Type of Research

This research is framed under the quantitative paradigm (Creswell; 2003) as the main objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of neuromyths in EFL Chilean elementary and high school teachers, aiming at identifying numerical data using central tendency and dispersion measures.

3.2 Research design

The research design corresponds to a descriptive study, concerned with enumeration and organization. In accordance with Cohen et al., (2018)

descriptive studies describe and present numerical data. This type of design was selected since this study aims to inform about the prevalence of neuromyths in EFL Chilean elementary and high school teachers.

3.3 Research question

1. What are the most prevalent neuromyths and beliefs about the brain presented in EFL Chilean elementary teachers?

3.4 Participants

The sample consisted of fifteen teachers over twenty-five with at least three years of experience teaching at elementary levels. Participants were asked to complete an online survey through Google Forms. As previously mentioned, to complete the two-part survey, participants were asked to read and sign a consent form with all the information about how the data would be treated. The average time to answer the survey was 15 minutes.

3.5 Instruments

A questionnaire was employed to identify how much teachers know about neuromyths and was based on a Spanish version (Añazco et al., 2016) of the original one created by Dekker et al. (2012). The second part of the questionnaire contained 32 statements about the brain and how it affects learning. Of the 32 statements, 15 were about educational neuromyths, and 17 were about general brain assertions.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data were analyzed following the structure of central tendency and measures. Due to the quantitative characteristic of the results and in order to draw conclusions, an analysis of the statistics was made. To accomplish the aforementioned, the results of all samples, both separately and as a whole, were put into categories of neuromyths and general neuroscience knowledge (GNK), to be later analyzed through descriptive analysis of central tendency and dispersion measures. In the following tables, a summary of the findings will be presented.

4.1 Most prevalent neuromyths and beliefs about the brain presented in EFL Chilean elementary teachers. In relation to the research question, what are the most prevalent neuromyths and beliefs about the brain presented in EFL Chilean elementary teachers? The following information was required to accomplish the subsequent objective,

which is to identify the most prevailing neuromyths and beliefs about the brain presented in the EFL Chilean elementary teachers.

The following table shows an overview of each neuromyth sorted by their percentage of prevalence stated by EFL Chilean EST. In order to gather these

data, participants were asked to decide whether the following statements corresponded to true or false. When participants answered oppositely to what studies show, the percentage of the neuromyth raised. Some statements have a shorter code name in parentheses and italics, which will be used in the upcoming discussion.

TABLE 1 BELIEFS IN NEUROMYTHS AMONG EFL CHILEAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS (EST)

Order Neuromyths Percent

1 It has been scientifically proven that fatty acid supplements (omega-3 and omega-6) have a positive effect on academic 100 achievement. (Fatty acid supplements).

2 Short bouts of coordination exercises can improve integration of left and right hemispheric brain function. (Hemispheric 100 brain function).

3 Exercises that rehearse coordination of motor-perception skills can improve literacy skills. (Literacy skills) 100.

4 Environments that are rich in stimulus improve the brains of preschool children. (Rich environment) 85.7

5 Differences in hemispheric dominance (left brain, right brain) can help explain individual differences amongst learners. 85.7 (Hemispheric dominance).

6 There are critical periods in childhood after which certain things can no longer be learned. (Critical period) 85.7

7 Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style (e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic). 71.4 (Learning styles).

8 Children are less attentive after consuming sugary drinks and/or snacks. (Consume of sugary food) 71.4

9 We only use 10% of our brain. 57.1

10 Regular drinking of caffeinated drinks reduces alertness. (Caffeinated drinks) 57.1

11 Extended rehearsal of some mental processes can change the shape and structure of some parts of the brain. (Shape and 28.6 structure change of the brain).

The present findings allow us to recognize the five most prevalent neuromyths among EST:

Order Most prevalent neuromyths in EST Percent:

1 Fatty acid supplements 100%

2 Hemispheric brain function 100%

3 Literacy skills 100%

4 Rich environments 85.7%

5 Hemispheric dominance 85.7%

In a study conducted by Torrijas et al. (2021), it can be identified that the most prevalent neuromyths are the following: “Learning styles”, “Hemispheric brain function” and “Hemispheric Dominance”. These findings are somewhat surprising given that other research shows a higher prevalence in learning styles contrary to the current study that displays a higher prevalence in the neuromyth “Fatty acid supplements”. Hence, it can be observed that the aforementioned neuromyths are still presented on the list of the most prevalent neuromyths among EST.

In the list of the five least prevalent neuromyths, the ones found in EST correspond to:

Order Least prevalent neuromyths in EST Percent:

1 Shaeand structure change of the brain

2 Learning Problems

14.3%

3 Drinking enough water 0%

4 L1 acquisition before L2 0%

28.6%

5 Preference in receiving information 0%

Table 3 provides the range of less prevalent neuromyths and their corresponding percentages in Elementary School teachers (EST). These results will be compared with another study to provide a broad view of the less prevalent neuromyths.

In a study conducted by Hughes et al. (2020) shows that in Australia, the least prevalent neuromyths are “Mental capacity is genetic and cannot be changed by environment or experience with (2%)”, “Brain development has finished by the time children reach puberty with (4%), and “Brain function cannot be improved by education” with (15%). These findings differ from each other since the current study stated that the least in EST are “preference in receiving information with (0%)”, “L1 acquisition before L2” with (0%), and “Drinking enough water with (0%)”. Thus, both results show that not all neuromyths have the same order of prevalence but differ according to the country.

TABLE 2 MOST PREVALENT NEUROMYTHS AMONG EFL CHILEAN EST

TABLE 3 LEAST PREVALENT NEUROMYTHS AMONG EFL CHILEAN EST

Order General Neuroscience Knowledge (GNK) Percent

1 Mental capacity is hereditary and cannot be changed by the environment or experience. (Hereditary mental capacity) 100

2 When we sleep, the brain shuts down. (Brain shuts down) 100

3 Information is stored in the brain in a network of cells distributed throughout the brain. (Stored information in cells 100 network)

4 There are sensitive periods in childhood when it’s easier to learn things. (Sensitive periods) 85.7

5 We use our brains 24 h a day. 85.7

6 Learning occurs through modification of the brain’s neural connections. (Brain’s neural connections modification) 85.7

7 Academic achievement can be affected by skipping breakfast. 85.7

8 Production of new connections in the brain can continue into old age. (New connections production never stops) 85.7

Table 4 delivers overall results about answers of EST for each statement regarding GNK. Participants were asked to decide whether the following statements corresponded to true or false. From the data, conclusions can be drawn about the statements that EST tended to answer correctly and incorrectly the most, as well as the overall performance of the group in relation to individual answers.

It can be observed that the overall performance of EST tended to be positive for most topic-related statements of GNK, as only four out of the 17 had a correctness percentage below 50%. Contrastively enough, EST answers that were not answered correctly by the majority had much lower results than their counterparts, with a gap of more than 25% between answers.

Even though most questions seemed to be answered more than 70% of the time correctly, it can be concluded that the statements that seem to be known best are the following:

TABLE

Order Best answered statements in relation to GNK in EST Percent

1 Hereditary mental capacity 100%

2 Brain shuts down 100%

3 Stored information in cells network 100%

4 Sensitive periods 85.7%

5 We use our brains 24 h a day 85.7%

Table 5 displays which statements about the brain tended to be answered correctly the most among all EST from the sample. It can be noted that although EST had overall positive results in most statements regarding GNK, the top three were answered correctly by every teacher in the sample, showing that in general, the aforementioned statements may be part of the common knowledge

TABLE 6 LOWEST ANSWERED STATEMENTS

In contrast, the worst EST results of the aforementioned extract of the questionnaire were due to the only three questions that were answered correctly by less than 30% of the sample. The questions that mattered are:

Order Lowest answered statements in relation to GNK in EST Percent

1 Damaged brain region 14.3%

2 Addition of new brain cells 14.3%

3 Boys have bigger brains than girls 28.6%

4 Both brain hemispheres work together 42.9%

5 The brains of boys and girls develop at the same rate. 71.4%

Table 6 displays the statements which were answered, in the majority, incorrectly by EST. It can be noted that even though there are 5 statements in which EST failed in answering correctly, there is a clear distinction in the top 3, from which only one to two teachers answered the prior questions correctly among the group.

The study conducted by Ching, F et al. (2020) shows that the lowest responses about general knowledge of the brain were Communication between different parts of the brain happens through electrical impulses and chemical substances with (6.6%), Stores information in cells network with (9.5%), and Brain’s neural connections modification with (7.5%). These results differ from those mentioned in the current study since none of the results are included in Table 6. On the other hand, the lowest responses in relation to GNK in EST were Damaged brain region with (14.3%), Addition of new brain cells (14.3%), and Boys having bigger brains than girls with (28.6%). Therefore, it could be stated that both studies show a significant difference between them in terms of the lowest responses about GNK.

TABLE 4 GENERAL NEUROSCIENCE KNOWLEDGE AMONG EFL CHILEAN EST

5 BEST-ANSWERED STATEMENTS IN RELATION TO GNK AMONG EFL CHILEAN EST

IN RELATION TO GNK AMONG EFL CHILEAN EST

5. CONCLUSION

According to the present investigation, the results of the prevalence of neuromyths in EST resulted in an average of (57.1%). The results illustrate that the most prevalent neuromyths were Fatty acid supplements (100%), Hemispheric brain function (100%), Literacy skills (100%), Rich environments (85.7%), and Hemispheric dominance (85%). On the other hand, the less prevalent neuromyths were Shape and structure change of the brain (28.6%),

Learning Problems (14.3%), Drinking enough water (0%), L1 acquisition before L2 (0%), and Preference in receiving information (0%). In relation to GNK in EST, it can be observed that the overall performance of EST tended to be set to answer most topic-related questions of GNK. The best answers to questions were Hereditary mental capacity (100%), Brain shuts down (100%), Stored information in cells network (100%), Sensitive periods (85.7%), and we use our brains 24h a day (85.7%). Contrarily, the lowest answers to

questions were about the Addition of new brain cells (14.3%), Boys having bigger brains than girls (28.6%), and Both brain hemispheres working together (42.9%), and the brains of boys and girls develop at the same rate (71.4%). These results provide important guidance for teachers to recognize neuromyths and general statements about the brain, as greater access to information about the brain may not reduce neuromyths in teachers, but learning about neuromyths may help to minimize these neuromyths.

How to cite this article: Martinez, K., Villanueva, C. & Urán, V. (2023). Prevalence of neuromyths in EFL elementary school Chilean teachers. ELT Connections, 2 (1), 24-33.

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INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

How the behaviour of teachers affects the teaching-learning process: An article based on experience and research

William González Alarcón

William

is graduated with honours from Valentín Letelier high school (Linares), and is currently enrolled at the UCM English Teaching Programme. He is strongly interested in how interpersonal relationships affect the teaching-learning process in an increasingly frenetic world. From this perspective, he understands pedagogy as a dynamic and flexible process subjected to changes in the environment. Contact: william.gonzalez@alu.ucm.cl

1. INTRODUCTION

It is in the long hours when pupils are in school that the practices and competencies of teachers become vitally important. Most of the daytime, our children and young people are in educational establishments, so it is there when they also develop their interpersonal skills, knowledge, and life skills that they will undoubtedly need. In this context, the teacher plays an essential role as a pedagogue.

As teachers and pre-service educators, we have the demanding but exciting task of cultivating future citizens with the competences and skills that will help them achieve happiness and a fulfilled life as integral beings. English pedagogy takes on great relevance under this assertion as we prepare and provide students with the tools to face an increasingly interconnected, globalised, and challenging world through learning an L2.

Nevertheless, this work is eclipsed and hindered by the negative personal attitudes of many teachers. It is then when we could make a series of reflections such as the importance of the mood with which educational professionals perform every

day in the classroom, what are some of the behaviours that affect students, the importance of the attitudinal factor in the teaching-learning process of a second language, and ask ourselves as teachers: can my lack of socio-emotional competences overshadow my linguistic knowledge; am I aware of my role as a teacher, and am I a promoter of such role?

Certainly, this controversial subject cannot be analysed from a single point of view or concept, as it is much broader than we might think. Furthermore, I must warn you that several of the issues to be dealt with are much simpler in nature than you might imagine, but not easy to solve, since personal predisposition as well as the experiences of everyone make the difference and provide the ultimate answer to the problem.

2. ANALYSIS

2.1 Socioemotional Skills

The socioemotional skills that teachers have or do not have are crucial when it comes to defining the learning we want to convey to our students. According to Bisquerra and Pérez (2007), ‘Emotional competences are related to the demonstration of self-

efficacy in expressing emotions in social transactions (...) Among the aspects that are promoted by emotional competences are the learning processes’ (pp 66-69).

Continuing this statement, think about the following: teachers are people; we have our happy days and our bad days with problems that cross boundaries; thus, a job failure can lead to an argument with the taxi driver, and that argument leads to you coming home angry, and someone at home has to deal with it. In this sense, it is extremely important not to transmit negative emotions such as frustration, grief, and anger to our children. I can assure you that they will be much more concerned about why the teacher was late, sleepy, and rudely threw the book on the desk than about the content you will see in class. Do not misinterpret this as assuming that you should live in a rosy world all the time but understand that there are moments and places to vent, and the classroom is not one of them. The students are not your psychologist.

2.2 How English teachers think

Pedagogies of any kind in Chile suffer from a lot of stigmas – “Are you going to study to be a teacher? Why don’t you study something

else?”, “I am only a teacher”, “I would have liked to study something else, but I did not have the score”. Surprisingly, these are some of the most common sayings that echo in teachers’ everyday lives. This background does not make things easier and often generates defeatist perceptions that can affect our performance in the lesson and, consequently, the learners’ performance. Incidentally, many teachers are fiercely critical of the Chilean education system stating that the curriculum is useless, that teacher evaluation is a fraud, and that people often look down on teachers. All those claims may be valid and well-founded, but what do I do from my position to change things? Apparently, not much.

A study published by the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (2010) showed that only 50% of the teachers interviewed consider that educational commitment to students is a characteristic of the teacher as an educational professional. Moreover, the same study showed that 60% believe that disciplinary and pedagogical training is not part of teaching competences (Díaz et al., p. 75). The foregoing evokes concern in our theoretical area, considering that all the teachers surveyed are teachers of English and not of a different subject. Besides, such responses from a generation of professionals calling for major educational reforms are surprising. It seems that teachers are exhausted, but above all, a not negligible number of graduates and those who are part of the school system do not take responsibility for their profession, or at least do not understand the impact that their job will have on the society of the future. It makes no more sense for a teacher not to feel engaged with his or her students than it does for a doctor to think that saving lives is not one of their priorities.

2.3 What we are doing well

The State of Chile counts with updated and coherent documents that promote good teaching, pedagogical and managerial practices that seek to ensure the

comprehensive development of learners through the correct teaching performance, such as the Framework for Good Teaching (Mineduc & CPEIP, 2021); Indicative Performance Standards (Mineduc & UCE, 2021); Guidelines to Promote the Development of Educational Guidance in the School System (Mineduc & DEG, 2021); and the Framework for Good School Management and Leadership (Mineduc & CPEIP, 2015).

Obviously, such instruments should be known by every educational professional so that, inter alia, a community of reflection is generated around our pedagogical duties, and we effectively bring what these documents expose to the classroom and take responsibility for it. To a large extent, this personal policy could make the difference between the futile and the effective.

2.4 What we should do

As has been detailed, the stress, stigmas, and psychological and work overload that the teaching profession in Chile entails are detrimental to the teachinglearning process, so we should introduce programmes that help future teachers to acquire and strengthen their socioemotional skills and, consequently, their pedagogical competencies, particularly for an almost humanitarian reason. If I were to test my students on something we have never seen and developed in lessons, it would be unfair, and with very few exceptions, most of them will fail. In the same vein, we should implement public policies that train teachers and develop in them the soft skills needed to work with children, young people, and adults; otherwise, we cannot expect things to be taken for granted, which by the way, is very fashionable, especially in higher education institutions.

In these matters, nations such as Mexico stand out, as in 2008 and with the support of other international institutions, created the ‘Construye T’ programme, one of the objectives of which is for teachers and

managers to be educational leaders and promoters of social-emotional skills (SEP, 2015). Other countries such as Colombia and Peru also have their own programmes: Let’s Learn about Emotions with Kiwi, and the Socioemotional Well-being Kit. Although these programmes are aimed at students, the entire educational community benefits from them, especially educators who receive preparation in this regard, which contributes, among other things, to their own personal well-being.

3. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

Evidently, it is not enough to have extensive knowledge about something, including English; the ability to guide learning and how we do it is just as important, if not more so. Regrettably, in education, many factors can dampen the final product in the process, hence the need to attack the problem from the bottom up. We must start from the ground up.

It is not enough to desire change if we do not have good professionals. This is a duty and a vocational calling for future teachers to demonstrate our high level not only in theoretical and linguistic aspects but also in human and pedagogical terms.

Taking the baton of our vocation is a duty; taking it as an option is the same as doing absolutely nothing. We must leave prejudices behind, start, but start now and do it well, as tomorrow it could be too late.

And above all, we believe in change, believe in ourselves, believe that a piece of advice or a smile are powerful tools, and believe that we will succeed. Our convictions shape our results. We can hardly achieve anything if we do not believe in it.

To close this article, I would like to quote Professor Paukner (2022), who wrote in his book Las Tareas de la Tribu ‘No system can be better than its teachers’ (p. 96). First, let us be good professionals, thus educating the best students and training the best people to build the greatest societies.

How to cite this article: González, W. (2023). How the behaviour of teachers affects the teaching-learning process: An article based on experience and research ELT Connections, 2 (1), 34-36.

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is from Maule region and is currently a fourth-year student in the English pedagogy program at Universidad Católica del Maule. She is especially interested in rural education and, for that reason, has participated in forums about diversity and how to apply updated teaching techniques. Contact: maria.cruzat@alu.ucm.cl

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM NEW EDUCATION IN CHILE

Education in Chile is a bunch of possibilities with many difficulties in the process. However, many updated techniques and methods replace old-fashioned educational strategies. It is essential that pre-service teachers pay attention to those detrimental methods which interfere in a negative way with the learning process. Therefore, as part of the educational system, we could consider a crucial question: How, as pre-service teachers, can we facilitate the student’s learning process in our Chilean educational system?

Through my practicum experience, I could notice how important it is to take into account positive and negative elements. For instance, my personal experience has been in a rural school that promotes artistic skills. Students have an important social context affecting their learning process, from their vocabulary to their preferences. Therefore, I implemented teaching techniques according to the school’s background and, at the same time, considered the student’s background as an essential part of the lesson plan.

There are many updated teaching strategies to implement inside the classroom, but as a pre-service teacher, we can change some parts of those methods and adapt to the class context. For example, gamification is an excellent strategy for children where they can participate actively through games. Those games must include colorful material such as flashcards, images, or balls, among others. Also, behaviorism can be an excellent educational tool to motivate them, including prizes for the winners (stickers, pictures, etc.), and including the rest of the class as well. Still, it should not be a habit inside the classroom because students must learn to play games without a prize at the end. In the same way, the teacher must include a reflection on the activity and show students what they win is somehow connected to the content worked on in class.

Some aspects that caught my attention in the classroom were how the students interacted and participated in those activities. They were completely interested in games and TPR activities where they could talk and answer without prejudice or make fun of their answers. Even though students are not exposed to input and output, they always participate and make a special effort with English activities. In addition, students have many opportunities to participate in English workshops or the “English week” organized by the school to promote learning a new language and know about cultures worldwide.

In contrast, pre-service teachers must deal with negative aspects inside the class, such as misbehavior or violence in some specific cases. Some of those reactions were because of the pandemic

How

and a clear cause of the dramatically decreased mental health. To solve those problems, schools have decided to implement workshops, programs, courses, and other ways to talk about external aspects with students and the community. In my experience, the school includes the local public medical services with their psychologists, nutritionists, social workers, and other members to help with health aspects.

According to those experiences, rural schools need more attention because those students are the future, and they can contribute to our society in a positive way. Schools have to be able to keep their traditions and promote rural life following a new perspective of the future. There are many new ways to include ecology, for example, how to make a garden or how to take care of farm animals in a rural context. Clearly, Chilean education must differentiate the urban curriculum with a rural curriculum, which will be an important goal for our Ministry of Education. Nowadays, it is crucial to give our students tools for changing our world and making an impact on adults’ minds. Additionally, a new concept born as a response to a phenomenon inside the classroom is “neurodiversity”. This concept follows the idea that no one has the same way of thinking as the rest of the group or how people learn and behave. Those differences are not deficits or characteristics of a disabled person, but quite on the contrary. In recent years there has been an increase in the diagnoses of autism in children and adults, but they have always existed. In addition, many organizations have emerged as a possible solution and a different possibility for parents. For instance, “Pedagogía 3000” incorporates a new perspective of education, including kids and many elements such as cognition, social development, ecology, personal aspects, and other elements that traditional education does not include in their general curriculum.

Taking everything into consideration, new updated teaching techniques should be applied in our Chilean educational system to facilitate teaching under difficult situations in different social contexts. The education field needs pre-service teachers who are interested in making a change and who think about the future of our students, contributing to their learning process and giving them basic tools for their future. Also, teachers must incorporate activities or techniques that promote executive functions with the student’s background, including basic elements such as consciousness about the environment or critical thinking inside the classroom. At school, every course should involve those skills and reinforce them through activities with the entire community,

Maria Jesús Cruzat Morales

to cite this article: Cruzat, M.J. (2023). New Education in Chile. ELT Connections, 2 (1), 38-39.

Maria Jesús