Published

2023-07-28

Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices

Trazando mejores futuros: una mirada de adentro hacia afuera de las necesidades y prácticas de los docentes de inglés en Colombia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v25n2.95969

Keywords:

English language teaching, professional development, teacher awareness, teacher education (en)
conciencia docente, desarrollo profesional, enseñanza del inglés, formación docente (es)

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This exploratory qualitative study reports gaps in the preservice teacher education and professional development of 15 English language teachers in a Colombian public university regarding their teaching knowledge and practice. Grounded theory was used to examine the data collected via focus groups and questionnaires, which were validated and triangulated. Findings reveal several teacher deficiencies, classified into three axes: language proficiency, teaching awareness, and teacher challenges. These tensions unveil imbalances between theory and practice, inefficient mentoring during the practicum stage, lack of classroom management skills for efficient teaching, and the need to revitalize and endorse information and communications technology education and use in the new classroom era. The article also offers a discussion on reconceptualizing teacher education.

Este estudio cualitativo-exploratorio reporta los hallazgos sobre las brechas existentes en la formación docente y el desarrollo profesional de quince profesores de inglés en una universidad pública colombiana. Se usó la teoría fundamentada para analizar, triangular y validar los datos recolectados mediante un grupo focal y un cuestionario. Los resultados muestran marcadas deficiencias docentes, clasificadas en tres ejes: dominio del idioma, conciencia docente y desafíos docentes. Estas tensiones revelan desequilibrios entre teoría y práctica, ineficiente mentoría durante la práctica docente, la falta de habilidades de manejo del aula, y una necesidad de la revitalización y apropiación de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones en el aula de clase contemporánea. Se ofrece además una discusión para reconceptualizar la formación docente.

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How to Cite

APA

Díaz, I. J., Ipia Salinas , C. & Cuesta Medina, L. (2023). Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 25(2), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v25n2.95969

ACM

[1]
Díaz, I.J., Ipia Salinas , C. and Cuesta Medina, L. 2023. Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development. 25, 2 (Jul. 2023), 65–79. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v25n2.95969.

ACS

(1)
Díaz, I. J.; Ipia Salinas , C.; Cuesta Medina, L. Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices. Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev. 2023, 25, 65-79.

ABNT

DÍAZ, I. J.; IPIA SALINAS , C.; CUESTA MEDINA, L. Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, [S. l.], v. 25, n. 2, p. 65–79, 2023. DOI: 10.15446/profile.v25n2.95969. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/95969. Acesso em: 22 mar. 2026.

Chicago

Díaz, Ingrit Juliana, Catalina Ipia Salinas, and Liliana Cuesta Medina. 2023. “Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices”. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development 25 (2):65-79. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v25n2.95969.

Harvard

Díaz, I. J., Ipia Salinas , C. and Cuesta Medina, L. (2023) “Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices”, Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 25(2), pp. 65–79. doi: 10.15446/profile.v25n2.95969.

IEEE

[1]
I. J. Díaz, C. Ipia Salinas, and L. Cuesta Medina, “Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices”, Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 65–79, Jul. 2023.

MLA

Díaz, I. J., C. Ipia Salinas, and L. Cuesta Medina. “Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices”. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, vol. 25, no. 2, July 2023, pp. 65-79, doi:10.15446/profile.v25n2.95969.

Turabian

Díaz, Ingrit Juliana, Catalina Ipia Salinas, and Liliana Cuesta Medina. “Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices”. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development 25, no. 2 (July 28, 2023): 65–79. Accessed March 22, 2026. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/95969.

Vancouver

1.
Díaz IJ, Ipia Salinas C, Cuesta Medina L. Shaping Better Futures: Inside-Out Colombian English Language Teachers’ Gaps and Practices. Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev. [Internet]. 2023 Jul. 28 [cited 2026 Mar. 22];25(2):65-79. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/95969

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1. Diego Fernando Macías, Carlos Alcides Muñoz, Jhon Jairo Losada-Rivas. (2025). Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Peer Support Groups for Enhancing Classroom Management Skills. Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development, 27(2), p.173. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v27n2.114061.

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Copyright (c) 2023 Ingrit Juliana Díaz, Catalina Ipia Salinas, Liliana Cuesta Medina

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