Person:
Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes

Birth Date

1981-03-08

ORCID

0000-0002-9330-4622

Scopus Author ID

57218776229

Afiliación

Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
Universidad de Cuenca, Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación, Cuenca, Ecuador
Universidad de Cuenca, Departamento de Educación, Cuenca, Ecuador

País

Ecuador

Organizational Units

Organizational Unit

Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación

Esta facultad nació con la Universidad de Cuenca, el 18 de octubre de 1867. En su primera etapa se mantuvo hasta 1897 cuando se dio una nueva estructura para la casa de estudios superiores. Así, reestructurada, pero manteniendo su orientación humanística, retomó actividades en 1952, durante el rectorado de Carlos Cueva Tamariz. Para ese entonces contempló los estudios de: filosofía, historia y literatura. En 1965, junto a su núcleo original se incluye la formación pedagógica para profesionales de Educación Media y pasa a denominarse Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación. La reforma de 1975, la establece con estructura de un año de materias comunes y cuatro de especialidad. Su aporte ha sido fundamental para el desarrollo cultural y educativo de la región y el país. Desde 1978 organiza encuentros periódicos sobre literatura ecuatoriana, concursos nacionales y universitarios de poesía. Ha llevado a cabo dos encuentros sobre Filosofía y ha abierto licenciaturas en Eduación General Básica, Educación Inicial, Lingüística Andina y Educación Bilingüe; así como una licenciatura en Cine.

Job Title

Profesor (T)
Director del Departamento de Educación

Last Name

Fajardo Dack

First Name

Tammy Mercedes

Full item page

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 27

Strategies to foster the use of English in the EFL classroom: the role of information gap activities
(2023) Zambrano Loayza, Jonathan Andres; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes
Speaking has been regarded as a priority in language teaching for a considerable period of time. This is why educators and researchers are constantly looking for alternative ways to build this skill in students. The present research article aimed to study the impact of information gap activities on students’ willingness to use the target language to communicate in the classroom, and measure whether students improved their oral skills after using information gap activities. This was done to analyze whether this strategy was a viable alternative to the traditional textbook activities that often discourage students from learning due to their monotony. The study was conducted in a private institution in Cuenca, Ecuador. The participants were a group of 20 teenagers with an age range of 16-17 years old. The study followed a mixed methods approach; the quantitative data was collected through a pre-test and post-test and the Attitude Motivation Test Battery. The qualitative data was collected through an open-ended questionnaire, and classroom observation. The results of this project showed that information gap activities were beneficial for both developing the students’ speaking skills as well as improving their attitudes and perceptions towards language learning.
Developing speaking skills on EFL learners through biography-driven instructional strategies
(2022) Vire Quezada, Maria Luisa; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes
This mixed-method case study evaluated the effectiveness of Biography Driven Instructional (BDI) strategies in developing EFL learners’ speaking skill. The participants of the study included 23 students from a high school in Loja, south of Ecuador. Data were collected through interviews as pre and post tests and a focus group. Findings from descriptive and inferential analysis show a statistically significant difference in pre-post speaking tests and participants’ perceptions revealed that the use of these strategies had a positive effect on their oral skills. It was concluded that BDI strategies were found to be beneficial to improve EFL learners’ speaking performance after the integration of these tools in the classroom. Implications for teaching and future BDI application are also discussed.
Supervising student-teachers’ research: between reinforcing our supervisor-researcher identities and enabling novice teacher-researchers
(Multilingual Matters, 2022) Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes; Abad Célleri, Mónica Patricia; Argudo Serrano, Juanita Catalina
Being a supervisor-researcher in a preservice EFL program is a critical role in that it enables student-teachers to complete their theses and learn how to conduct research. Through a trio ethnographic approach, this chapter retrospectively describes the experiences and teaching practices of three bilingual teacher educators navigating their dual role as supervisors-researchers of English as a Foreign Language student teachers working on their final graduation project. Through a dialogue between the three researchers, the tensions of the different roles and positions held by each one are unpacked, explaining their own path to professional development. First as researchers, by observing and analyzing their preservice EFL student teachers and MA students’ research journey, and second, as thesis supervisors, helping students construct their understanding of the importance of researching their own classroom, not only to reflect on and improve their practice but most importantly to develop professionally and acquire a teacher-researcher identity.
Project-based learning and speech sub-skills for student motivation
(2022) Sotamba Romero, Juana Guillermina; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes
The objectives were, first, to explore the sub-skills of speaking that students practice through PBL. Second, to analyze students' and teachers' perceptions of its use to enhance motivation. Twenty-seven high school students participated in the study. To obtain data, students were surveyed and their final products were evaluated through a rubric to assess fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. The results indicated that the PBA helped students practice the sub-skills of speaking. Although the students said in the interviews that they improved fluency, the results of the artifact assessment did not show this sub-skill as the highest. In terms of students' motivation, they felt they were more engaged to work on projects.
Factors Affecting Students’ Motivation and Engagement in EFL Online Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
(2023) Argudo Serrano, Juanita Catalina; Abad Célleri, Mónica Patricia; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes
The COVID-19 pandemic brought changes around the world, especially in the education field where classes were shifted to only distance learning. This radical transformation could have affected students’ level of engagement and motivation; therefore, it might also have had some influence on their performance. This study correlates English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ perceptions of their level of engagement and motivation in virtual environments with factors such as schedule, gender, and the discipline area they are studying. A two-part-survey was used. The first part includes demographic information and the second one 22 close-ended questions. It was completed by 703 EFL students in the Language Department of the University of Cuenca, Ecuador. The results revealed an important level of engagement in these students. Students’ goals and reasons for learning the language need to be considered as an opportunity to provide their teachers with some information to enhance students’ language competence, generate strategies for language learning, and promote significant learning experiences. Research is recommended to discover teachers’ views and opinions on different aspects involved in online classes and use this information to design and implement more active, engaging, and effective lessons. These specific findings can be used to improve and implement effective methodologies that can lead to better practices, not only for EFL teachers, but also for EFL students.
Role-playing as a technique to promote oral expression in elementary school students
(2022) Quinteros Villacis, Jenifer Marianela ; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes
The main purpose of this study is to present role-playing techniques as a means to promote oral expression in eighth, ninth and tenth grade students in a public school in Cañar-Ecuador. This research demonstrates the advantages of using the role-playing technique to improve oral expression skills, as well as the student's perceptions about its use. Both quantitative and qualitative instruments were applied. The researcher employed pre- and post-tests, surveys, classroom observations, and a teacher diary to collect data. The pre- and post-tests were scored using a speech assessment rubric, which assessed students' grammar, vocabulary, fluency, pronunciation, and comprehension. Findings revealed that students enjoyed the role-play exercises and were motivated to perform dialogues in English.
English proficiency and learner individual differences: a study of pre-service EFL student-teachers
(2019) Abad Célleri, Mónica Patricia; Argudo Serrano, Juanita Catalina; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes; Cabrera Tenecela, Homero Patricio
This study examines the relationship between individual factors such as age, learning opportunities, and motivation and English language proficiency of pre-service EFL student-teachers. A background questionnaire and an English proficiency test were given to 121 student-teachers. The results revealed that the majority of participants have a low English proficiency which is not likely to improve at the end of the teaching program and that third language learning as well as integrative motivation are strong predictors of language proficiency. Qualitatively, respondents described their reasons for having English language difficulties and for their integrative and instrumental motivation, which complemented the quantitative data. Suggestions for pedagogical practice that might improve the situation are given.
Language and teaching methodology features of CLIL in university classrooms: a research synthesis
(2020) Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes; Abad Célleri, Mónica Patricia; Argudo Serrano, Juanita Catalina
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a dual focus educational approach widely used in European primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions in which content subjects included in the mainstream curriculum are taught through a foreign language, usually English. This paper presents a systematic review on relevant existing literature on the application of the CLIL approach in university classrooms. A total of 22 studies were identified and chosen for further analysis; the categories emerged from the analysis itself. These studies, which focused on language and methodological features, were explored to determine the research trends in terms of location, methodology, participants, data collection instruments, focus, teaching methodology and language focus. The results of the review show a trend to examine classroom discourses and the development of pragmatic competence in CLIL classrooms. As a result of the review, the paper offers suggestions for future research on the CLIL approach in university classrooms as more tertiary education institutions around the globe are adopting English as the language of instruction.
CLIL in Ecuador
(Routledge, 2023) Argudo Serrano, Juanita Catalina; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes; Abad Célleri, Mónica Patricia
This chapter analyses research studies on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology for English language teaching in the context of Ecuador and aims to identify patterns as well as inconsistencies in the existing literature in order to contribute to the improvement of this methodology in educational settings. The analysis was carried out in light of the following categories: the methodology used for the study, including the participants, the research design, and the instruments; the factors that enhance and hinder the application of CLIL in educational contexts; and the learners’ development of language and cognitive skills. It was determined that both in practice and research, scaffolding processes have not been used, or at least not reported, in the studies analysed which could be due to the lack of knowledge and training of teachers. Furthermore, it was also found that research inconsistencies could have had an impact on the results of the studies. It is therefore suggested to train teachers and researchers on how to examine the use of CLIL as a growing phenomena in the language classroom.
Los docentes de inglés en formación: relación entre sus características individuales y su nivel de suficiencia en el idioma
(Editorial UTN, 2018) Abad Célleri, Mónica Patricia; Argudo Serrano, Juanita Catalina; Fajardo Dack, Tammy Mercedes
This analysis examines the relationship between pre-service EFL teacher trainees’ individual factors such as age, learning opportunities, and motivation and their English language proficiency. A background questionnaire and an English proficiency test were given to the participants and analyzed through descriptive statistics, the ANOVA test, and the Pearson Correlation test. The results revealed that the majority of participants have a low English proficiency which is not likely to improve at the end of the teaching program and that third language learning as well as integrative motivation are strong predictors of language proficiency. Qualitatively, respondents described their reasons for having English language difficulties and for their integrative and instrumental motivation, which complemented the quantitative data. These findings suggest the need to foster English language development through methodologies that focus on both subject and linguistic knowledge as well as on speaking, listening, pronunciation, vocabulary, and integrative motivation.