Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Research Trends in Master’s Programs in Languages: Transcending English Boundaries

Abstract

Studies on research trends in language teaching master’s programs face two significant challenges: first, their focus has been almost exclusively on the training of English teachers, neglecting other important languages; second, they have relied heavily on thesis excerpts or data collected through interviews and surveys, without a comprehensive analysis of complete research reports. This documentary study aims to address these issues by critically examining the thematic and methodological trends of a master’s program in English, French, and Spanish teaching. It analyzes 107 completed theses from the program’s inception in 2009 to 2022, using Atlasti8 software. The main objective is to identify areas of research action where the three languages can mutually complement each other, highlighting the need for greater diversification, a more critical approach, and the promotion of multilingual research bridges. This analysis reveals opportunities for mutual research enrichment, but also underscores the importance of expanding and deepening research in this field.

Keywords

language-teaching, master’s degrees, research trends

PDF (Español) HTML (Español) EPUB (Español)

Author Biography

Ferney Cruz Arcila

Ferney es Doctor en Lenguaje, Discurso y Comunicación por King’s College London. Es Magíster en Lingüística Aplicada y Licenciado en Español e Inglés. Sus investigaciones se enfocan en educación bilingüe, políticas lingüísticas, identidad docente, educación rural y justicia social. También explora enseñanza de idiomas desde perspectivas críticas. Es profesor asistente en la Universidad Pedagógica Nacional.

Lizeth Donoso Herrera

Lizeth Donoso Herrera es doctora en lingüística con énfasis en didáctica de las lenguas de la Universidad Laval (Québec, Canadá). Uno de sus intereses investigativos es la formación de profesores de idiomas. Actualmente se desempeña como profesora e investigadora del departamento de lenguas de la Universidad Pedagógica Nacional.

Nohora Patricia Moreno García

Profesora asociada de la Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. Magister en tecnologías de la información aplicadas a la educación de la Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Bogotá. Magister en educación mediada por la tecnología de la Universidad del Norte de Barranquilla. Investigadora en los temas de pedagogía y formación de profesores. Co-investigadora en proyectos con la Universidad de Nantes (Francia) y con la Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá

Jair Ayala Zárate

Jair Ayala Zarate. Catedrático de la universidad pedagógica nacional y director asociado para ETS en Latinoamérica. Maestro en lingüística aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés.


References

  1. AlHarbi, A. (2019). Research Trends in the Field of TEFL at Saudi Universities: An Analytical Study for Selected MA Theses and Ph. D. Dissertations. Dirasat: Educational Sciences, 46(1), 634-647.
  2. Andrews, J., Holmes, P., Fay, R. & Dawson, S. (2019). Researching Multilingually in Applied Linguistics. In J. McKinley & H. Rose (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of research methods in applied linguistics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367824471-7
  3. Arismendi, F. A. & Colorado, D. (2015). La formation des enseignants de FLE en Colombie: Panorama et cas de l’Université d’Antioquia. Dialogues et cultures, 61, 44-61.
  4. Atmaca, Ç. & Ekşi, G. (2023). Research trends in English language teaching: A twenty years’ review of master theses and doctoral dissertations. Educational Academic Research, 48(1), 14-26. doi: 10.5152/AUJKKEF.2023.1035961
  5. Bailey, A. & Corrales, K. (2020). Insight into Novice Research: A Critical Review of ELT Master’s Theses. MEXTESOL Journal, 44(4), n4.
  6. Bonilla-Medina, S. X. & Samacá-Bohórquez, Y. (2023). Disobedient ELT Research: Breaking the Rules, Finding Alternatives, Invoking Other Ontologies. In C. H. Guerrero (Ed.), Unauthorized Outlooks on Second Languages Education and Policies: Voices from Colombia (pp. 15-33). Springer International Publishing.
  7. Buendía, X. & Macías, D. (2019). The professional development of English language teachers in Colombia: a review of the literature. Colomb. Appl. Linguist. J., 21(1), 98-111. https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.12966
  8. Canagarajah, A. S. (1999). Resisting linguistic imperialism in English teaching. Oxford University Press.
  9. Castañeda-Londoño, A., Samacá-Bohórquez, Y. & Posada-Ortiz, J. (2024). Three Decolonial Research Methodologies: Interrogating Qualitative Research in English Language Teaching Education. Folios, 59, 91-111. https://doi.org/10.17227/folios.59-17267
  10. Crookes, G. (2013). Critical ELT in action: Foundations, promises, praxis. Routledge.
  11. Cruz-Arcila, F., Solano-Cohen, V., Rincón, A., Lobato Junior, A. & Briceño-González, M. (2022). Second language learning and socioeconomic development: Interrogating anglonormativity from the perspective of pre-service modern language professionals. Current Issues in Language Planning, 23(5), 466-487. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2021.2006944
  12. De Mejía, A. (2016). Teacher development for bilingual education in Colombia: Towards teacher empowerment. Estudios sobre Educación, 31, 15-35. DOI: 10.15581/004.31.
  13. Echeverri-Sucerquia, P. A. (2022). Scaffolding Conscientisation and Praxis in Critical Language Teacher Education. En L. Banegas, E. Edwards & L. Villacañas de Castro (Eds.) Professional Development through Teacher Research: Stories from Language Teacher Educators, 102, 135. Multilingual Matters.
  14. Flick, U. (2007). Introducción a la investigación cualitativa. Morata.
  15. Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (M. B. Ramos, Trans.). Harmondsworth, Penguin Books.
  16. Galatanu, O. (2007). Sémantique des « possibles argumentatifs » et axiologisation discursive. En D. Bouchard (Éd.), Représentation du sens linguistique II: Actes du colloque international de Montréal (2003) (pp. 313-325). Louvain-la-Neuve: De Boeck Supérieur. https://doi.org/10.3917/dbu.bouch.2007.01.0313
  17. García, O., Flores, N., Seltzer, K., Wei, L., Otheguy, R. & Rosa, J. (2021). Rejecting abyssal thinking in the language and education of racialized bilinguals: A manifesto. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 18(3), 203-228. DOI: 10.1080/15427587.2021.1935957
  18. González, L. (2010). Hacia una revolución francesa en la investigación sobre la didáctica del francés en Colombia. Signo y Pensamiento, 29(57), 496-504. http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.phppid=S012048232010000200034&script=sci_arttext
  19. González de Pérez, M. S. (2010). Las lenguas indígenas de Colombia a vuelo de pájaro. Revista de lenguas indígenas y universos culturales, (7), 9-25.
  20. Guerrero-Nieto, C. H. & Quintero-Polo, Á. H. (2022). Contesting the hegemony of English in a country declared to be multilingual: The outcome of research with English language teachers in an in-service program. En N. Miranda, A. M. De Mejía & S. Valencia Giraldo (Eds.), Language Education in Multilingual Colombia: Critical Perspectives and Voices from the Field (pp. 248-263). Routledge.
  21. Granados-Beltrán, C. (2018). Revisiting the need for critical research in undergraduate Colombian English language teaching. HOW, 25(1), 174-193. https://doi.org/10.19183/how.25.1.355
  22. Hernández Gaviria, F. & Berdugo-Torres, M. (2023). Nurturing language teacher education in Colombia from a multilingual perspective. En N. Miranda, A. M. De Mejía & S. Valencia Giraldo (Eds.), Language education in multilingual Colombia. Critical perspectives and voices from the field (pp. 232-247). Routledge.
  23. Kumaravadivelu, B. (2016). The decolonial option in English teaching: Can the subaltern act? TESOL quarterly, 50(1), 66-85. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.202
  24. López-Pinzón, M., Ramírez-Contreras, O. & Vargas-Orozco, L. F. (2021). An Exploratory Study of Recent Trends in ELT Master’s Programs: Insights from Stakeholders. GIST Education and Learning Research Journal, 22, 21-50.
  25. McKinney, C. (2016). Language and power in post-colonial schooling: Ideologies in practice. Routledge.
  26. Ortiz, M. & Borjas, B. (2008). La Investigación Acción Participativa: aporte de Fals Borda a la educación popular. Espacio abierto: cuaderno venezolano de sociología, 17(4), 615-627.
  27. Pennycook, A. (2010). Language as a local practice. Routledge.
  28. Pennycook, A. (2021). Critical applied linguistics: A critical re-introduction. Routledge.
  29. Sierra Piedrahita, A. M. (2016). Contributions of a social justice language teacher education perspective to professional development programs in Colombia. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 18(1), 203-217. http://dx.doi.org/10.15446/profile.v18n1.47807
  30. Valles, M. (1999). Técnicas cualitativas de investigación social. Reflexión metodológica y práctica profesional. Síntesis.
  31. Viáfara, J. & Largo, J. (2018). Colombian English teachers’ professional development: The case of master programs. Profile Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 20(1), 103-119. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v20n1.63323

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.