DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v6i5.3153

The effectiveness of a contextualized curriculum to teach english in the galapagos islands

María Eugenia Martínez Véliz

Karina Luzdelia Mendoza Bravo

San Cristóbal- Ecuador

ABSTRACT

To learn a new language implies among other aspects the methods, techniques and materials used to teach. In the Galapagos Islands, a new contextualized curriculum (CCG) has been implemented to all the students in all the educational levels. Determining the effectiveness for using this curriculum to teach English is the principal objective in this study. A qualitative and quantitative approach was applied by the researcher using interviews to teachers and students and doing classes observation to students in the Alejandro Alvear School in San Cristobal Island. The results allowed for understanding the importance of using a contextualized curriculum to teach English because of the internalization of their real content in developing the English skills. However, it is important to take in account that teachers must be well prepared in the new curriculum and to know a great deal of vocabulary related to the different themes to fulfill the objectives in the teaching-learning process. Despite the few times using the new CCG, its effectiveness in the English teaching process was proved as a useful tool to help in the acquisition of a foreign language. In the other hand, the necessity of training to teachers, the creation of visual materials and continue motivating students to develop their English language is an issue of concern to the Galapagos authorities. In conclusion the use of the CCG is effective when applied in the English teaching-learning process because of its diversity to teach vocabulary, content and to develop awareness of the place where students live.

Keywords: contextualized; tool; curriculum; learning; awareness

Correspondencia: [email protected]

Artículo recibido 10 agosto 2022 Aceptado para publicación: 10 septiembre 2022

Conflictos de Interés: Ninguna que declarar

Todo el contenido de Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, publicados en este sitio están disponibles bajo Licencia Creative Commons .

Cómo citar: Martínez Véliz, M. E., & Mendoza Bravo, K. L. (2022). The effectiveness of a contextualized curriculum to teach english in the galapagos islands. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 6(5), 944-966. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v6i5.3153

La efectividad de un currículo contextualizado para enseñar inglés en las islas galápagos

RESUMEN

Aprender un nuevo idioma implica entre otros aspectos el método, técnicas y materiales usados para enseñar. En las Islas Galápagos un nuevo currículo contextualizado ha sido implementado para sus estudiantes en todos los niveles. Determinar la efectividad de usar este currículo para enseñar ingles es el principal objetivo de este estudio. La metodología cualitativa y cuantitativa fue aplicada por el investigador usando entrevistas a maestros y alumnos, así como observaciones de clases en la Escuela Alejandro Alvear en la isla San Cristóbal. Los resultados permitieron entender la importancia de usar un currículo contextualizado para enseñar ingles al desarrollar las habilidades de inglés se internalizan los contenidos reales. Sin embargo, es muy importante tomar en cuenta que los maestros deben estar bien preparados en y conocer una gran cantidad de vocabulario relacionado a los diferentes temas y cumplir así con los objetivos del proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje. A pesar del poco tiempo de uso del nuevo CCG, su efectividad en el proceso de enseñanza de ingles ha probado ser una herramienta muy útil para adquirir un idioma extranjero. Por otro lado, la necesidad de entrenar a los maestros, la creación de material visual y continuar motivando a los estudiantes a desarrollar el idioma ingles es un tema de preocupación de las autoridades de Galápagos. En conclusión, el uso del currículo contextualizado de Galápagos es efectivo cuando se lo aplica en la enseñanza aprendizaje de ingles debido a sus diversidad para enseñar vocabulario, contenido y el desarrollar conciencia del lugar donde viven los estudiantes.

Keywords: contextualizado; herramienta; currículo; aprendizaje; conciencia

INTRODUCTION

The English language is one of the most common languages uses around the world to communicate, especially in business, medicine, and technology. In all the countries it is part of the educational curriculum.

The same occurs in Ecuador, where the Ministry of Education established a new English curriculum that was applied in the Sierra Region in the 2016-2017 school year and in the Coastal and Insular Region in the 2017-2018 school year. (Ecuador M. d., 2015). It was designed for elementary and middle school students (all levels of Educacion General Basica) and high school students (at three years of Bachillerato) offering three hours a week to the former and five hours per week to the later.

Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, big challenges in education were faced, in the Galapagos Islands during the school year 2021-2022. Most significantly, a new contextualized curriculum was launched for use with all subjects. It was not an easy time, in the case of English classes students received it only one time per week, at the beginning of the class only virtually but not for all the students because of the lack of technology at homes, and since October 2021 students’ voluntaries attending presential classes at schools with the same scheme, only a school hour of 40 minutes to teach.

Within the context of Galapagos, different sectors have expressed their interest in directing the teaching-learning processes to the realities, needs and priorities for the region. This, with the aim of forming citizens connected to their environment through an understanding, appreciation and appreciation of the environment, its people, and its culture. (Galapagos, 2021). So, the Minister of Education based in the Ecuadorian laws with the help of some ONGs has implemented a new innovated curriculum designed to prepare their inhabitants under the sustainability axis. Starting with the school year 2021-2022 in all the schools in the islands students are learning using the CCG. It is organized first by three pillars of sustainability, beneath the pillars are fourteen essential themes and many related subthemes.

But how effective is this new contextualized curriculum to teach English? Could all the essential themes be taught by the English teachers without a previous preparation? How motivating are the topics for the students? The present study is intended to determine the effectiveness of use a contextualized curriculum in the English teaching process. To work with essential themes that involved the sustainability and real problems to the community could be a challenge to all the teachers and of course students that during decades have studied the same curriculum that all the country use.

The objectives to understand the importance of the use of a contextualized curriculum in the teaching process and, to identify the effectiveness of the new contextualized curriculum to the Galapagos Islands to teach English in elementary schools in San Cristobal Island during the school year 2021 and the beginning of school year 2022, will be completed using classes observations, personal interviews, quizzes applications, google form to teachers, study of the legal framework to apply an innovative, and contextualized curriculum, teachers’ motivation, and preparation to this challenging new process.

METHODOLOGY

The mixed method design (Fishler), which combines the qualitative and quantitative designs, using the no experimental -transactional type in the quantitative method and the action investigation in the qualitative method was applied in the research. The fieldwork research was based on data collection through interviews to some students, google forms questions to seven teachers, classes observation and personal teaching experiences during the classes time in San Cristobal Islands schools.

Before conducting the interviews and questions to teachers the instruments; questions to the surveys, were validated by professional in the field of education two magisters’ teachers from Ecuador and a native teacher from Wisconsin University. Following the ethical consideration in qualitative research the identity of the participants was protected and they were informed and accepted be part of the study.

To get quantitative data a questionnaire with a total of five questions was developed by the researcher. During the questionnaire development process, teacher answering according to their own experiences and were sincere about the lack of enough knowledge and ways to teach of some topics. During the classes observation students participated actively in the class, only few of them did not want to do something

Review of Literature

Teaching English in young learners in Ecuador

In the Galapagos Islands students from elementary school have received English classes since the 1980’s but it started to be compulsory and part of the National curriculum since the school year 2017-2018. Ministry of Education (2014) designed the new English curriculum, it took some years until it was ready to its application. Some of the most essential information presented in the curriculum is for example its introduction, that textually said:

Since the Ecuadorian population is comprised of groups from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, this curriculum acknowledges that not all learners in Ecuador are L1 Spanish speakers and there are varying degrees of bilingualism across communities. In keeping with the needs of a linguistically and culturally diverse population, this curriculum presents a rationale and framework for learning English while acknowledging authentic, culturally relevant production and practices to facilitate educational inclusion of learners regardless of including those who speak Spanish and those who have little or no Spanish. It aims to support the policy of developing citizen in Ecuador that can communicate effectively in today’s globalized world. The curriculum also supports general educational goals of justice, innovation, and solidarity, by developing thinking, social, and creative skills in the context of language learning. These are the skills Ecuadorian learners will need to engage successfully in local and international communities in the 21^st century. (Miniduc. 2015, pag 2)

According to the Minister of Education (2015) the core principles in the curriculum can be summarized in the following items:

§ The communicative language approach: language is best learned to interact and communicate, rather than as a body of knowledge to be memorized.

§ Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): a model used to integrate the learning of language with cultural and cognitive aspects of learning such that language acquisition serves as a driver for learners’ development.

§ International standards: the curriculum is based on internationally recognized levels and processes of teaching and learning languages.

§ Thinking skills: learning English should support the development of the thinking, social and creative skills needed for lifelong learning and citizenship.

§ Learner-centered approach: teaching methodologies should reflect and respond to learners’ strengths and challenges and facilitate the process of learning by supporting learners’ motivation for and engagement with learning. (Mineduc. 2015, pag. 3)

The three main goals of the EFl curriculum are also important to have in mind, these are:

§ To develop learners’ understanding of the world – of other cultures and their own and to communicate their understanding and views to others through English.

§ To develop the personal, social, and intellectual skills needed to achieve their potential to participate productively in an increasingly globalized world that operates in English.

§ To create a love of learning language starting at a young age, by means of engaging and positive learning experiences, in order to foster students’ motivation to continue learning English throughout EGB and BG, as well as work and beyond.

For both school levels, Educacion General Basica (EGB) and Bachillerato General Unificado (BGU), the ELT area has been organized into five sections, or threads: 1) Communication and Cultural Awareness, 2) Oral Communication (Listening and Speaking), 3) Reading, 4) Writing, and 5) Language through the Arts. Each of these threads, in turn, can be further divided into sub-threads as shown in the following table: (Ecuador, 2015)

CLIL	4Cs	Curricular Threads	Sub-Threads
	Culture /Citizenship Communication Cognition Content	Communication and Cultural Awareness	Intercultural Awareness and identity Social Competence and Values
		Oral Communication: (Listening and Speaking)	Listening Skills Spoken Production Spoken Interaction
		Reading	Literacy-rich Environment Reading Comprehension Use of Resources & Study Skills Cross-curricular content
		Writing	Initial Literacy Text production
		Language through the Arts	Literary Texts in Context Creative Writing Creative Thinking Skills

CLIL, critical thinking skills and curricular threads

The goal of proficiency is the same that the national curriculum of English stablished for all the country. Figure 1

Levels of Proficiency: Branch Approach

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Minister of Education (Ecuador M. d., 2020), created a prioritized curriculum for the English area that expresses the following:

The Ministry of Education has the responsibility to guarantee compliance with the constitutional mandate that establishes the right to a pertinent, adequate, contextualized, updated, and articulated education throughout the educational process, in the National Education System, at its levels, sublevels, offers -ordinary and extraordinary- and modalities.

In this context, and taking in account many facts, an educational innovation project has been developed for the contextualization of the national curriculum to the essential issues of Galapagos under the focus of sustainability for the levels of Educacion General Basica and Bachillerato General Unificado. Galapagos (2021) Through the curricular contextualization for Galapagos under the focus of Education for Sustainability, the fulfillment of several primary duties of the State regarding the Rights of Good Living is sought. The framework in which all curricular elements are organized is determined by what is expressed in SDG 4 – Education 2030 (UNESCO Sustainable Development Goal 4) which seeks to guarantee inclusive and equitable quality education and promote opportunities for lifelong learning for all.

Legal considerations related to contextualization

Article 26 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador (2008) stipulates that:

"Education is a right of people throughout their lives and an inescapable and inexcusable goals of the State" and, in its article 343, recognizes that the center of educational processes is the subject that learns."

The Organic Law on Intercultural Education, in article 2, letter w,

“It guarantees the right of people to an education of quality and warmth, pertinent, adequate, contextualized, updated, and articulated throughout the educational process, in its systems, levels, sublevels or modalities; and include ongoing evaluations. Likewise, it guarantees the conception of the learner as the center of the educational process, with a flexibility and ownership of contents, processes and methodologies that adapt to their needs and fundamental realities. It promotes adequate conditions of respect, tolerance and affection, which generate a school climate conducive to the learning process."

Article 19 of the same law says that: “It is an objective of the National Educational Authority to design and ensure the mandatory application of a national curriculum, both in public, municipal, private and tax institutions, at its various levels: initial, basic and baccalaureate, and modalities: face-to-face, blended and distance. [...] The Curriculum may be supplemented in accordance with the cultural specificities and peculiarities of the region, province, canton or community of the various Educational Institutions that are part of the National Education System."

The General Regulations to the LOEI in Article 11 mention that:

"The national curriculum contains the basic knowledge required for students of the National Education System and the technical and pedagogical guidelines for its application in the classroom, as well as the transversal axes, objectives of each subject and the output profile of each level and modality." Ministerial Agreement No. MINEDUC-ME-2016-00020-A, mentions the curricula of the Basic General Education Curricula for the High School, Elementary, Middle and Superior Levels; and, the Unified General Baccalaureate Level Curriculum, with their respective workloads. (Galapagos, 2021)

Justification for the development of Curricular Contextualization with a focus on sustainability for the Galapagos Islands

This justification was taken literally and translated into English from the document Contextualized Curriculum to the Galapagos Islands. “The Galapagos Islands are the classic paradigm of conservation achievements and challenges and opportunities of handling. Unlike other oceanic archipelagos, the Galapagos Islands hold 95% of its biodiversity intact (Watkins and Cruz, 2007), including a prominent level of endemism. (e.g., 108 vertebrate species, 234 plant species and a still unknown number of vertebrate species, invertebrates, and non-vascular plants). Galapagos presents an ideal conglomeration of organisms unique in the world (e.g., marine iguanas, vampire finches, giant tortoises) sheltered in scenarios of unparalleled beauty that turned it, since time immemorial, into a hot spot of research in natural sciences.

The presence of unique animals in the islands: Darwin's finches, giant tortoises, sea lions, as well as a great diversity of environments in a geographical environment new in geological terms (4 – 6 million years) have given rise to one of the Heritages Most recognized naturals of Humanity worldwide. Sustainability is a central movement of the XXI century focused on the interrelation between the environment, human cultures and healthy economic systems for current generations and future, at the local, regional, national, and global levels. Under this premise, an ideally sustainable community would be able to maintain a balance between the social, environmental, and economic pillars without use an excess of resources and without interrupting the local ecosystem. The need for transformative change towards the development of sustainable communities in all their fields, including education.

The curricular contextualization with a sustainability approach for the Galapagos Islands is focused on the premise of an education not only focused on sustainability issues, but also on the promotion of principles and skills that promote sustainable ways of life. Much research has been done to identify the need to look for strategies that link work with that of the community to create effective curricula and articulated to the needs of societies.

This curricular contextualization intrinsically demands the creation of human and material conditions, to provide quality and warmth, generating processes of participation and empowerment of local educational communities. In that sense, the curriculum is a guiding tool, which charges vitality when grounding it; that is, to the territory where the educational act is generated. This connection implies problematizing the context and questioning the daily practices that society it has normalized, in the asymmetrical, disconnected, and anthropocentric relationship between human beings and nature. From there, identify necessary learnings that are articulated to existing knowledge in the curriculum through meaningful experiences that go beyond the physical boundaries of institutions Educational.

The participatory construction of Contextualization Curriculum with a focus on sustainability for the Islands Galapagos: response to a historical yearning

Since 1998 the different actors of the Galapagos province have expressed their interest in focusing the teaching-learning process in educational institutions, to the realities, needs and priorities of the context, to form citizens with a deep understanding, appreciation, and appreciation of the place where they live.

Within the framework of the Galapagos Agreement for Education, which is part of the National Agenda 2030 and the National Agreement for Education, responds to this desire by initiating a collaborative process between the Ministry of Education and key actors of the territory, linked to the educational work: teachers, pedagogical advisors and experts, through the creation of the Technical Table for Contextualization of the Galapagos Curriculum, committee in charge of facilitating community participation local in the construction of the curricular contextualization for Galapagos.

Working from and in the territory was the methodological slogan of the process. So, participatory workshops, group, and in-depth interviews, with key actors from the Galapagos Islands, creating a fraternal and critical dialogue on the socio-environmental reality. This process was performed in two phases: diagnosis and development.

In the first moment of diagnosis, the participation of actors from all was considered fundamental the sectors of the island territory, from a Participatory Action Research (IAP) approach (Fals Borda, 2008), which integrates the following areas: sociocultural, educational, political, productive and conservation environmental; that coexist and co-evolve in the Biosphere of the Galapagos archipelago.

In a the second phase, a participatory development, a total of 36 professionals were linked between Galapagos teachers, pedagogical advisors, and technical curriculum specialists of MINEDUC, for create a collaborative work with the consulting team, for the review and complementarity of the components of the current curriculum and for the construction of new Skills with Performance Criteria (DCD) of sustainability linked to the essential sustainability issues of Galapagos that the community identified. These DCDs were in the areas of Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. (Galapagos, 2021)

Furthermore, of the national profile of the ecuadorian bachilleres established in the National English Curriculum, the Galapagueños’ students also will be able to:

a. Understand the interactions of biodiversity elements; the interrelation of human beings and ecosystems; identify socio-environmental conflicts and impacts on biodiversity.

b. Participate proactively and responsibly in the construction of strategies that promote sustainable development of Galapagos through behaviors and actions in favor of the good living.

c. Understand how the elements of the islands’ biodiversity interact to maintain the balance of Galapagos ecosystems.

d. Manage with equity, tolerance, and solidarity in the conscious and ecological use of natural resources.

e. Internalize and comply with the rules of management of the institutions that regulate various activities in the Galapagos islands.

f. Evaluate the impact that the population has caused on the environment and act in favor of the conservation and sustainable development of the islands.

g. Understand the interrelationship between social development, economic development, and conservation of nature as a fundamental principle of good living.

h. Identify and value the special of living on the islands.

i. Be an agent of change in the community

A curriculum organized by areas of knowledge that emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach

For both level; EGB and BGU with its Fields in Science, Technical and Bachillerato Internacional ( BI ), students, to advance towards the exit profile, they must develop learning from the following areas of knowledge: Language and Literature, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Foreign Language (English), Physical Education, Cultural and Artistic Education, Entrepreneurship and Management and the time of Integral Human Development. It is important to mention that there will also be elective subjects.

Four integrative pedagogical principles have been considering:

1. At the axiological level: Education for life, peace, and socio-natural harmony.

2. At the ethical-epistemological level: Education with respect and love for sociocultural and biological diversity, linguistic and epistemic.

3. At the political level: Education for equity, the common good, socio-historical justice and equality of opportunities.

4. At the methodological level: Experiential learning for a practical, critical, and complex feeling and thinking.

On these, three pillar of sustainability for Galapagos are redefined:

1. Sustainable Island economy

2. Interdependence and harmonious coexistence with nature.

3. Galapagueña identity, diversity, and socio-cultural equity.

The pillars have essential themes and learning objectives for the Education for Sustainability approach (EPS): All the essential themes, main topics and subtopic are in the figure 2,

Figure 2.

Educación Popular & Investigación Acción participativa	Ejes de sostenibilidad	Temas esenciales	Subtemas
	Economía sostenible insular	Alimentación, soberanía y seguridad alimentaria	Alimentación sana y responsable Autocultivo, permacultura y seguridad alimentarias
		Consumo y reproducción responsables	Consumo sostenible y responsable Producción agropecuaria, e industrial sostenible y responsable Ecoturismo
		Comercio justo y finanzas sostenibles	Comercio justo y economía sostenibles
		Trabajo, cooperación y autonomía	Auto sostenimiento y relaciones de cooperación laboral
ODS & Educación para la Sostenibilidad	Interdependencia y coexistencia armónica en la naturaleza	Cosmos, biodiversidad y territorio	Biodiversidad terrestre, marina Especies invasoras Seres humanos, seres no vivos materia y energía Geografía global e insular Globalización
ODS & Educación para la Sostenibilidad	Interdependencia y coexistencia armónica en la naturaleza	Crisis climática y relaciones sociopolíticas globales locales	Cambio climático, adaptación y mitigación
		Agua, saneamiento y energías renovables	Agua y saneamiento Energías renovables y ecológicas
		Materia, gestión de residuos sólidos, compost y reciclaje	Gestión de residuos líquidos y sólidos y reciclaje
		Población, movilidad y transporte ecológico	Transporte y movilidad sostenible
Iniciativas en Galápagos: programa de Formación Docente (MINEDUC-GC-FS)	Identidad Galapagueña, diversidad, equidad sociocultural	Derechos, equidad de género y justicia social	Identidad individual y colectiva Equidad, género y justicia social Educación sexual integral
		Interculturalidad, diversidad cultural, inclusión y saberes ancestrales/locales	Saberes ancestrales Diversidad cultural e interculturalidad Accesibilidad universal e inclusión social
		Artes, cuerpo, expresión, creatividad y desarrollo	Artes, creatividad y desarrollo Libertad y auto sustento
		Participación, autonomía y organización comunitaria	Participación social y comunidad
		Acceso y uso consciente de la información, calidad, ciencia y tecnología propia	Acceso y uso consciente de la información Elaboración y uso de tecnologías propias

taken from the Contextualized Curriculum to Galapagos, page 15

Why a contextualized curriculum to Galapagos?

Knab (2022) Director of Strategic Partnerships in the Galapagos Conservancy organization explained that in 2016, Galápagos Conservancy launched the Education for Sustainability Program (ESG) in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and the Galápagos-based Fundación Scalesia. ESG is an evidence-based teacher professional development program that is preparing all 430 PreK-12 educators in the Islands to teach all subjects (math, science, language arts, social studies, English language, art, and physical education) in the context of local and global conservation and sustainability principals. We employ evidence-based approaches to develop higher-order thinking skills, deepen students understanding of and appreciation for the place they live, and develop a commitment to contributing to more sustainable communities. From the beginning, ESG has encouraged teachers to extend learning into the community and natural areas, connecting standards of the national curriculum with real-life economic, social, and environmental topics and themes.

In June 2021, the Ministry of Education approved a special Contextualized Curriculum for Galapagos (CCG) that was developed through a participatory process led Ecology Project Ecuador—a non-profit organization based in Galápagos with years of experience in experiential environmental education. The CCG reorganizes standards in the national curriculum around three sustainability pillars (1. Sustainable Island Economy, 2. Interdependence and Harmonious Coexistence in Nature, and 3. Galapagos Identify, Diversity, and Sociocultural Equity). These pillars connect with 14 Essential Topics—or curricular blocks—each of which has additional subtopics. Since the CCG’s launch, the ESG has focused all professional development activities on helping teachers to implement the new curriculum.

As a native English speaker who has become fluent in a second language (Spanish), the CCG provides an excellent opportunity for Galapagos students to develop stronger English skills. While I studied Spanish at school beginning in the fifth grade, it was not until I began to use the language outside of the classroom, in real-life settings, that I came to love the language and develop stronger Spanish skills. Contextualized learning and project-based learning can provide excellent real-life opportunities to build language skill. For example, I have seen students conduct surveys with visiting tourists, develop sophisticated informational videos and brochures, and make public presentations in the community, all in English.

There are, however, challenges related to implementing the CCG. First, there is a steep learning curve for teachers as they develop a working understanding of the sustainability pillars and essential topics and subtopics of the CCG. This will take time and access to supporting materials that are still being developed. Second, designing and implementing effective, interdisciplinary PBL is challenging for even the most experienced educators. Galápagos teachers are making great headway in this regard, but they need additional training, support, and time to plan. Over time, however, I am confident that the CCG and Project-Based Learning will strengthen student learning of all subjects, including English language.

Chacon(2021), in her article published in Informe Galapagos report , talking about the milestone to the Galapagos Island and all the hard work, recommended the following:

§ Over the next two years it will be important to build mechanisms and incentives to ensure that local educators assume responsibility for the design and delivery of professional development activities (Institutes, Classroom Observations, and Learning Circles) into the future.

§ Significant time must be invested to organize the hundreds of workshop support materials generated by the ESG Program, to make them accessible to Galapagos educators and for possible replication of the program in other places.

§ While external support will decrease when the ESG Program is completed, local educators should seek to maintain strong relationships with the 45 external facilitators, most of whom want to continue to support Galapagos teachers over the long-term.

§ When exploring the possibility of replicating aspects of the program in other parts of Ecuador, the Ministry of Education should consider Galapagos principals and the new instructional coaches as invaluable advisors in the design and implementation of activities.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

According to UNESCO (2005), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) involves “learning how to make decisions that balance and integrate the long-term future of the economy, the natural environment and the well-being of all communities, near and far, now in the future” (UNESCO, 205-2014).

That is exactly what the Contextualized curriculum to Galapagos is looking for, the fulfillment of some primordial goals from the government in references to the good living rights. All the curricular elements are determined by the ODS-4 Education 2030 (from UNESCO) which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. (Galapagos, 2021)

What other researchers said about the use of contextualized curriculum?

The use of contextualized curriculum or contextualization in the teaching process has been studied in the last two decades. For example, Perin (2011) in her research Facilitating student learning through contextualization: A review of evidence, defining an instructional approach connecting foundational skills and college-level content. Two forms of contextualization were identified: contextualized, and integrated instruction. The studies suggested that contextualization has the potential to accelerate the progress of academically underprepared college students.

Baker (2009) and the RP group center for students’ success has produced Contextualized Teaching and Learning in based of the concept of relating subject matter content to meaningful situations that are relevant to students’ lives, offers one promising approach to helping students learn more effectively.

Sharma (2014) in her s (Chacon, 2021)seminar paper in Curriculum and instruction explained that a contextual curriculum is when learning becomes meaningful when it transfers from one context to another. Learners’ knowledge should be connected with the phenomena where and how they are living. To make learning effective; knowledge must be contextualized with the prior understanding of the learners. Teachers as the facilitator can play the role of catalyst to evoke the memories of the learners and help to connect at present in their practical skill. Such types of previous knowledge now have to link with the real world.

In the contextual curriculum learners are encouraged to learn within the compatible environment for learning. This compatible environment for learning is mainly associated with community centered, learner centered, and knowledge centered. Community centered learning environment helps to the learners to be a good social member. Thus, helps to justice to curriculum from the perspective of community members. Similarly, learning centered environment is widely discussed and focal part of the contextual curriculum where learners use cognitive way of knowing the truth by linking the history with present context.

Contextualized teaching and contextualized curriculum

Contextualized Teaching and Learning (CTL) engages students in active learning while assisting them to make meaning out of the information they are obtaining. Contextualized instruction links the learning of foundational skills with academic or occupational content by focusing teaching and learning squarely on concrete applications in a specific context that is of interest to the student. Many people learn better and faster, and retain information longer, when they are taught concepts in context. (College, 2022)

Motivation theories

Motivation to acquire or learn something is very essential as well as to know what they are; Harmer (2010) wrote in his book “The practice of English language Teaching” the following:

Acquisition and learning. Some people ‘pick up’ second language without going to lessons (though true mastery is unusual via this route). Others go to language classes and study the language they wish to learn. Of the two situations, picking up a language (simply absorbing it by, for example, living in a target-language community with no formal attention to language study) is, it would appear, closer to first-language acquisition than studying a language in a classroom is. This was recognized as long ago as 1921 by the man who can be credited ‘more than any other single individual’ with helping English language teaching to become a ‘profession hood’ (Howatt 2004: 264).

Again the ‘spontaneous’ and ‘studial’ capabilities showed that the environment is fundamental to acquire and to learn a foreign or second language. In the case of young learners in Ecuador, they must learn English because it is part of their curriculum but in our country, it is not easy to acquire it. By the other hand, most of the English teacher in the country does not have an international certification of fluency and of course this fact also affects the English teaching process.

As human being we are motivated to do a lot of things. McClelland (1985) expressed that “conscious motivation is explicit and often focused on concrete, relatively immediate goals whereas unconscious motivation is implicit and is the primary driver of behavior over time. While explicit motivations do often override implicit motivations in the short term, unconscious motivations predicate the long-term behavior”.

Also is very important the role of the teachers during the pandemic time Vallejo (2021) said that despite the challenge of use of technology teachers and facilitators of ESL expressed satisfaction in their activities. There was a good relationship between teachers and students and the use of technology was motivating to most of the students that apply new tools to learn English.

RESULTS

Table 1. Interview to teachers

Level of teaching	5 elementals; 4 media; 2 superior and high school
Island of teaching	San Cristobal 3teachers, Santa Cruz 3 teachers, Isabela 1 teacher
Effectiveness using the CCG	Yes 57.1% and No, 42.9%

“Nutrition and Food security” was the first project taught, the question was about the pertinence of started the new curriculum with it: One teacher said that first students need to learn body vocabulary; other party expressed that “Cosmos, biodiversity and territory” should be the first topic to teach; however, two teachers agreed saying that this topic gave the opportunity to developed new projects related to Food and the community.
“The curriculum is supposed to allow each school and/or teacher to choose what sustainability topic to start with”, is the opinion from one of the participants.

Finally in the last question, do you have problems teaching English using the new curriculum? Two teachers had problems because of the complexity of the topics. One of them didn’t use it as was suggested. Another said that it was difficult to match the new things (vocabulary and concepts) with the subject and finally other interesting opinion is that students must learn English first, structures, grammar, etc., before to apply new projects with this kind of topics.

Table 2

Survey to students

What do you know about the new CCG?	They do not know nothing about the CCG
Is it useful to use the new CCG to learn English?	100% yes
Do you like to learn English?	80 % yes 20% no
Which topic was the most interesting to learn?	Solid and waste management and recycling
How do you want your English classes?	Funny, other topics not only about Galapagos

Table 3

Classes observation

Students

Motivated, participated a lot, knows about the topics in their real life

Teacher

Well prepared about the topic

Good management of the class

Material

Visual materials, worksheets with pictures

Easy matching activities

Table 4.

Essential topics taught in the school year 2021 – 2022

Project 1.

Main Topic: Nutrition and Food security.

Subtopic: Healthy and responsible nutrition.

Taught using Zoom and whatsapp

Teachers prepared their own material taking in account what other subjects will teach

Project 2.

Main Topic: Citizens’ rights, gender, equity, and social justice.

Subtopic: Equity, gender, and social justice.

Taught using Zoom and whatsapp

Teachers prepared their own material taking in account what other subjects will teach

Project 3.

Main Topic: Matter, sustainable solid waste management, recycling, and composting. Subtopic. Solid and liquid waste management and recycling.

Taught using Zoom and whatsapp

Teachers prepared their own material taking in account what other subjects will teach

Project 4.

Main Topic: Cosmos, biodiversity, and Territory

Subtopic: Invasive species

Teachers for all the province received the first training about how to plan and choose activities using the new CCG

Students voluntarily went to classes at school

Project 5:

Climate crisis and global/local socio-political relationships.

Subtopic climate change, adaptation, and mitigation.

It was easier to get students attention and to plan the classes, the training was helpful to teachers

DISCUSSION

The results now provide evidence that despite the little socialization among teachers, the use of a contextualized curriculum gives more relevance to the teaching and learning process and helps to accelerates students’ progress in many aspects. The outcomes of this study show an important relevance of learn a foreign language while are learning about their context, their environment, their real life and of course the developing of the four English skills. Most of the teachers only follow the example of activities or do exactly what they have received. The essential topics, subtopics and sustainable axis are something that still need to be well socialized, understood and to be internalized as well as it is necessary to teach in another language, in this case the English language. Another important fact to take in account is that this school year was completely different because of the pandemic.

During the class observation that took few times because of the pandemic, it was observable that students were really motivated to learn, their interest in topics that they know encouraged them to be very active in their classes, being a helpful tool to learn the English vocabulary and try to speak using at least few sentences about the topic. The speaking skills as well the reading skill had a better development during the classes. Students exposed their new knowledge, they share ideas about the topics, they were aware of some environmental issues that are affecting not only the island, but to the whole planet, as the climate change issues. Teachers used lot of creativity to prepare the class. One negative factor is that only one hour per week was dedicating to teach English and that is not enough to fully developing languages skills.

On the other hand, in the case of the English teachers, it was a big challenge applying the CCG because of the limited teaching hours and lack of connectivity with students. (Only one hour per week), and their limited knowledge about sustainability and the essential themes of the curriculum they have. Teachers must prepare their own materials to teach, there is not a specific book or worksheets. Working in an interdisciplinary process have helped them to choose activities related to the project and this facilitate their work. Also, the training that all the teachers receive from Galapagos Conservancy and the Scalesia Foundation is a good point to the teaching process. Finally, after some classes’ observation during the teaching of the “Climate Change” topic, there is no doubt that students were really interested in their English classes and actively participated in them. Students were aware of the Earth’s damage and how simple actions can destroy it also, they learned how simple actions do at homes could help to reduce the carbon footprint.

It is easy to understand that the topics are not easy to teach especially if the teachers do not have previous knowledge about them. Living in the Galapagos islands is a challenge in many aspects and to educate their population with an environmental critical thinking is a big issue that is starting.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the use of the Contextualized Curriculum to the Galapagos Islands in the English teaching process during the present study has demonstrated its effectiveness motivating to learn English while they internalized interested facts about the place where they live. The challenge of teach during a pandemic time implied some problems in the process, especially the lack of continuity with students because of some factors like connectivity, absence in the volunteer presential classes.

Of course, the use of the CCG is starting so students will have the opportunity to continue studying using it in the following school years, and without doubt I could say that learning English through the use of the new CCG will give students more real motivation to acquire English as a foreign language and will be helpful to them to strength their skills and subskills in the English Language, as well to learn more about the Galapagos Islands.

Two institutes or training per year is not enough to give confidence to teachers, especially in topics like “Integral sexual education”, “Fair trade and sustainable economy”, “Sustainable transportation and mobility” and others that really are not part of English books or other materials, so teachers really will need a deeper training to reach the goal of the Galapagos contextualized curriculum and this will take some years.

Additionally, more teachers training is necessary to be aware of the importance of all the fourteen essential themes and subthemes as well as the three sustainable axis and continue teaching not only English as a foreign language but also prepare the students about sustainability and a balance of the social and economic development of the islands.

Finally, it is very important to focus on all the skills and competence that all the students need to develop and for those other important topics and grammar are necessary to be taught.

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