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1.Barrientos, S. González, E. Moreno, L. and Soto, R. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AFFECTING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS´ PERFORMANCE. (SupervisedbyM.Ed. Hilda Fonseca Solórzano, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación, and M.L. Rocío Miranda Vargas, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, November 2017). 

This research project focuses on the diverse effects that the teacher’s classroom management caused on students’ performances and behaviors inside the English classroom. Different teaching situations and students’ reactions were identified and analyzed by the researchers thanks to the systematic observations carried out at a public high school in Heredia. The researchers decided to focus on this problem because during the first observations, different classroom management patterns that affected the students learning process emerged. For the research purpose, a group of 24 ninth graders was observed. Moreover, the class explored in this study was academic English, and it was taught on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The researchers dedicated approximately 50 hours observing,taking notes, trying to develop understanding, and processing information gathered in the teaching environment in the classroom. In thisQualitative Research, active observation was the key to understand not only teacher’s role but alsothestudents’ performance. The researchersalso conducted some personal interviews in order to have a better understanding of the different students’ personalities, backgrounds, and the  potential they had that enriched the class. Through the qualitative observation method, the investigators identified classroom management as the research problem. Even though that classroom phenomenon required improvement, there were constructive elementsfound in the research process such as the teacher’s positive attitude to receive feedback. This attitude helped the class to have certain harmony. Qualitative Research was the paradigm applied in this project. This paradigm goes beyond the abstract and takes into consideration the understanding of the factors revolving around a specific phenomenonwhich  in our investigation was classroom management. After exploring the research focus of this project, the observers identified that the process of learning and acquiring a new language can be affected if the class environment and the teacher’s disposition do not correspond with the students’ needs, problems, and interests. The main limitations faced in this research were the amount of holidays that interfered with the observations and the extracurricular activities which provoked some hindrance on the research process. Add to this, the time to carry out extensive interviews and other innovative methods was not enough. Moreover, based on the understanding developed out of the data collected, the researchers recommend investigating and practicing classroom management strategies that can prevent disorganized groups in the future. Also, it is essential for the teacher to show an ounce of authority in the class. Finally, the researchers propose that the teacher must stop being too flexible with the students and promote respect towards the English class space, its participants and the subject itself.

2. Álvarez, G., Carranza, M., Gómez, N., Hernández, R. DRAWING THE ELEMENTS OF MOTIVATION IN A CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH CLASS: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN TENTH GRADERS FROM A PUBLIC INSTITUTION. (Supervisedby M. Ed. Hilda FonsecaSolórzano, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación and M.L. Rocío Miranda Vargas, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, November2017). 

The main focus of this research was to find distinct gaps, either internal or external, in a conversational English class that affected the students’ and teacher’s performance during the lessons and the foreign language acquisition. From a Qualitative Research perspective, the researchers observed the different elements and factors that affected the classes and students’ learning process such as noise, lighting, motivation, and the classroom environment. The methodology used to conduct this investigation was through Qualitative Research methods which required weekly observations, interviews, spontaneous conversations with the students, and the implementation of an innovative method which required the students to make two drawings of what they believed the ideal class would be. This way, triangulation took place which added a strong validity to this study. In this research, the students were our main focus because we were able to identify elements and factors regarding their motivation and disposition in the classroom being the environment one of the most remarkable elements. The data analysis showed the researchers several outcomes that influenced the students’ second language learning process during the class. Furthermore, the students’ opinions were key elements in the understanding of the research phenomenon. The research faced a few limitations including the teacher´s paternity license which delayed the observation process, as well as holidays, English festivals, and a natural disaster that the country faced. After analyzing the data collected and interpreting it, we recommend implementing activities in class that motivate students to participate and use the language, for instance, debates, round tables, and board games. That way, the learners would be able to express their ideas freely and also interact with their classmates. Besides, the use of didactic resources around the classroom may prompt the students to work actively and positively.

3. Salazar, J. SPEAK OUT: DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS IN ENGLISH. (SupervisedbyM. Ed. Hilda Fonseca Solórzano, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación, andM.L. Rocío Miranda Vargas, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras,November 2017).

This research project focuses on a problem found during theteaching practicum processin aninth and a tenth-grade classin a public high school. The problem deals with the lack of English use students showed during the English class.The high school in which the research was carried out is located in asemi-urban-semirural communitysince it is a zone that has typically been a countryside town,but that is relatively close and influenced by the city. From a QualitativeResearch perspective, Iconducted a series of observations of thesegroups in order to explore their natural environment and the relationshipsthat took place there, the participants’ reactions,and the use of English as their target language within the classroom. In these observations, I tried not to affect the natural conditions andwas only paying close attention to the actions. After this process of observation,I applied interviews to students as a tool to triangulate the information obtained in the previous part of the investigation. These interviewsconsisted onopenquestions that allowed me to ask for different topics that were derived from the previous interviewees’ answers. After the interviews were performed, I moved to the next stage which consisted on more in-depth interviews, but this time, Iapplied them to teachers to complement the information students hadprovided. Once the information was processed, Icould determine that there were distinct reasons that constrainedstudents from using English in the class. In the specific groups of this institution, it was found that cultural background, motivation, the teacher’s role, andan inappropriate developmentof the curriculumwere the main factors that produced this negative second language learning situation.While the research was being developed, there were not significant obstacles; however, there was a small situation that took place during the process. To be specific, when the interviews were applied to some students,the teacher was nearby, and he heard that students said his classes were boring and non-attractive. After this happened, the teacher developed a hostile behavior when I was communicating withhim both personally and through text messages. Nevertheless, the teacher still gave me the space and opportunity to continue with the project. Finally, as a tool to improve the useof English in the class, it is proposed to include technology in certain activities and to attract students’ attention and motivation with new creative strategies. In addition, it is extremely important to remark that not only the public curriculum needs improvementbut also the evaluation process.

4. Hugo, L, Pedroza, J,  Valverde, Jn. and Vargas, R. LACK OF MOTIVATION IN STUDENTS WHEN LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. (Supervised byM. Ed. Hilda Fonseca, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación and M. L. Rocío Miranda Vargas, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras Docencia en Educación, November 2017). 

The following research is intended to understand the reasons why students in a tenth grade class showed lack of motivation during the English lessons. This study took place in an academic public institution located in an urban area in the province of San José. The investigators grounded their research on the Qualitative Paradigm; therefore, classroom observation, in-depth interviews, and innovative methods were applied in this study.The research problem emerged, as a main focus for this investigation, after several observations were done in the scenario. Furthermore, once the researchers had collected data from observations and interviews, they drew sketches, wrote metaphors, and developed typologies, concepts, and propositions which helped the researchers to analyze the problem substantially in order to understand the learning situations explored.Later, with the previous input, the researchers providedrecommendations for the constraints presented. The main limitations along this research included time constraints related to teacher’s meetings, evaluation weeks, holidays, and the tropical storm Nate that provoked lessons to be suspended for a couple of days. Due to these situations, the investigators could not do the observations set during those days. Based on the data analysis, researchers understood different reasons why lack of motivation may occur inside the classroom, the importance of making students feel motivated, and the consequences that demotivation had on the students' learning process. Based on the observations done and the research process developed, the researchers came up with some recommendations for the participant teacher; for instance, it was suggested to improve planning the lessons by implementing creative activities, limiting the use of the textbook in every class, using the target language to teach, and creating communicative activities to encourage students to learn to use the language.

5. Cruz, E. Torres, G. and Vargas, M. WHEN ENGAGEMENT IS NOT AN OPTION: A CASE STUDY. (Supervisedby M. Ed. Hilda Fonseca Solórzano, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación and M. A. Rocío Miranda Vargas, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, November 2017). 

The present research project aims to approach the lack of engagement in the English class by two nine graders at a private secondary school and to evidence triggers for their reluctance to participate in the curricular activities. Taking the Qualitative Paradigmas a reference, the researchers decided to explore whether the causes of the students’ diminished participation in class occurred due to personality traits or external adverse circumstances. To accomplish this, the Phenomenologist Approach offered clarifications to the research team and a Qualitative Research methodology was applied to develop understanding about the students ‘perceptions of the English class. Worthy data was collected from constant weekly class observations; threein-depth interviews to the English teacher and one to the grade counselor. These interviews were necessary to collect professional opinion sabout the target students. Additionally, the two students observed were interviewed, once each one, and they also answered an introspective instrument constructed by the investigators. The insights obtained from the application of the three different methods were triangulated to try to understand the students’ personality, needs, interests, and problems with the intention of suggesting the teacher of English the inclusion of appealing classroom tasks. After analyzing the data collected, external and internal elements shed light on students’ behavioral traits, being the most relevant aspects family disruptions, personal insecurities, and negative class perceptions. In addition, the influence of the teacher’s methodologies on these students appeared as a considerable constituent to the students’ situations. As part of the understandings reached with this study, a variety of positive students’ facets that remained unknown were explained with the objective of sharing them with the teacher who could avail the students’ potential in the English class. During the research process, holidays, meetings, and extracurricular activities hardened the compilation of data. Besides, rapport was not fruitfully accomplished with the target students due to their personality and reduced chances for casual conversation. As a matter of a recommendation, the researchers could bring evidence on a deficiency in the awareness the teacher had about his students’ needs, interests, and problems. For that reason, the teacher was suggested to redefine his methodologies, opting for integrative activities that foster team-work, creativity, and social interaction. In this way not only the target students of our research would be benefited, but the rest of the nine graders in the English class.


6. Chavarría, A. Leitón, A. Martínez, Y. and Mora, V. THE NATURE OF TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. (Supervised by M. Ed. Hilda Fonseca Solórzano, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación and  M.L Rocío Miranda Vargas, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, and November 2017).

This project focuses on the importance of the teacher's role in the learning process of students with special needs in the English class. Thus, through a Qualitative Research perspective, the researchers inspected a group of students with special needs in a vocational program offered by a bilingual public school in Heredia, Costa Rica. Moreover, the methodology used to collect data was based on the Interpretivist Theoretical Approach that, for the purposes of this project, aims to understand students with special needs’ performance in an active English class. This theoretical perspective may also help in the recognition of  what the nature of teaching and learning in this environment is. This approach opened a diverse panorama of applicable qualitative methods such as participants’ observation, in-depth interviewing as well as other innovative methods designed by the researchers that were used to explore the personal experiences, the empathetic neutrality and engagement of the participants.  As part of the understanding developed, it is important to mention that the environment conditions in which students developed influenced their willingness to learn. The environment is highly linked to a specific type of learning considering that students spent much of their time sitting in a classroom. Also, the teacher and parents’ performance and their attitudes were key elements for a successful learning process, being them the main engine that motivated and cheered students´ to immerse into the second language learning. This research pointed out the lack of education the observed teacher had during university years to handle students with special needs; nevertheless, the effort done by the teacher to discover a way to address these particular students was highlighted. The main challenges of this research included a) facing a totally new group of students which slowed the process and b) carrying out an ambitious project like this in a lapsus of eight weeks in which extra-curricular activities were included. Both situations  represented a dilemma to obtained the optimum outcomes and understanding. Subjectivity shed light  on  how to comprehend students with special needs and behaviors. Furthermore, it is recommended to study this kind of population in advance to count with more background regarding their special needs and possible challenges for teaching them. It is also important to study different cases of people with special needs to develop understanding about their needs, interests,  and problems.

7. Bolaños, K., Medina-Garro, Z.  and Mora, A. WHAT MAKES ME INTERACT WITH THE SAME PEERS?: A CASE STUDY IN A TENTH GRADE LANGUAGE CLASS. (Supervised by M. Ed. Hilda Fonseca, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación (CIDE) and M. A. Rocío Miranda, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras (ELCL) November 2017).

This study was carried out by three researchers in a context of a post-Teaching Practicum course at Bachillerato en la Ensenanza del Inglés (BEI) at División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación (CIDE) at Universidad Nacional which is located in Heredia. This Qualitative Research project focused on the students’ needs when they attended English classes. This study took place in a tenth grade class of a Professional Technical High School at the classroom which integrates students from two fields: the specialty named Contabilidad (as opposite to what the school has academically organized as Accounting) and Executive English. The students’ needs as observed ranged from translating constantly into their mother tongue when interacting in pair-work due to the lack of English input from the teacher who used Spanish, grouping with no academic goals but socialization, and the need for asking peers for academic support. Therefore, this research team decided to focus the current study on an element that would, at the end, embrace all the needs mentioned above.  The investigation was led towards the analysis of the factors that made students segregate themselves and others in the English class. This Qualitative Research bears in mind aspects that may affect and interfere in the learning process, call them conformity when working with peers, friendship, and/or personal academic benefits. This investigation responds to a Qualitative Research, yet some Quantitative Research tools were used in order to reach full understanding. Therefore, three investigation methods were applied in order to triangulate this study: eight participant observations were made to perceive the students´ behavior, an interview was applied to the widest majority of the class to explore their perceptions about their interaction in class, and an innovative method required that four students were asked to draw on a sheet of paper their classroom as they perceived it. In addition, some limitations were found while making the observations. Time constraints such as special holidays, school activities, and standardized national tests were situations of the restrictions we faced while carrying out the project. Therefore, there were days when we could not execute some observations due to school meetings. The researchers proposed an effective use of teamwork and individual work techniques as well as thoughtful pedagogical tactics that may improve the students’ interaction in the English class with clear academic goals. 


8. Hernández, F. Rodríguez, N. and Vega, M. USING THE TARGET LANGUAGE DURING CLASS: A COMMON CONFLICT IN ENGLISH CLASSES. (Supervised by M.Ed.Hilda Fonseca Solórzano, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en la Educación and M.L. Rocío Miranda Vargas, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje), November, 2017) 

This research was motivated by a frequent problem observed in the English classes during the  English teaching practicum of the first cycle of 2017. This issue refers to the lack of use of the target language during language classes, even if the students had enough knowledge to apply it. The purpose of the research was, within a Qualitative Research perspective, to determine the reasons why students did not speak in the target language during English classes even if they did know how to use it. For this reason, the researchers carried out a total of eight observations in a class of fourteen students of tenth grade and twenty-three students from eleventh grade from a secondary semi-private school with only pre-university levels. Furthermore, in order to collect data in the classroom, several methods were applied in the research field. The most relevant included participant observation and in-depth interviewing. Those methods had the purpose of gathering information about students’ perspective and opinions, and the outcomes were triangulated to develop understanding on the lack of use of the target language. Testing or applying theory was not the main focus of the research due to its qualitative nature; therefore, the analysis is based on all the observations and the data gathered through interviewing, games, and weekly reports after each session that took place during the second cycle of 2017. The research also had the purpose of creating an innovative method to be used as a tool to collect more information. This innovative method was created by the researchers and consisted of several interactive games that provided several strategies to develop proficiency and confidence in students as they use the foreign language in class. Several results arose after the activities and their instruments were applied. First, there was a great deal of lack of motivation in the class. The students did not feel interested nor excited enough to speak the target language during class. Moreover, several students showed concern regarding their own proficiency and self-confidence. Many students did not use the target language in class because they felt they did not know enough and even believed their classmates and teacher humiliated them if they made mistakes when speaking English.  A limitation that can be considered an influencing factor in the use of  the target language was time. Students at that specific institution had a heavy academic load which leads them to miss lessons and needed more time to complete assignments of other subjects, distracting them from their English classes. Finally, as recommendations for further research, it is suggested to analyze the influence of the social relationships among students, how beneficial a class using technology would be for the students, and what possible solutions can be given if the students keep missing classes due to extra activities. Furthermore, even though the games showed good results, it is a good idea to create more technological materials for the students to keep in their classrooms and be able to practice during their free time or extra-curricular activities.



9. Camacho, A. Fallas, M. and Valverde, A. Spanish Use In an EEFL  Classroom in a  Technical High School (Supervised by M. Ed. Hilda Fonseca, División de Educología, Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación and M. A. Rocío Miranda, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, November 2017). 

The present research project addresses the lack of English use by students in an EFL classroom from a public technical high school and proposes some actions for improvement in this area. The setting is a technical high school and the technical field is Executive for Service Center. The research involved 16 participants, fifteen 10th grade students and the English teacher. The classroom was small for the amount of students, but it had the necessary teaching resources. This is a Qualitative Research carried out through observations, interviews, and a workshop-type activity for the collection of data. After the analysis and triangulation of data, important understanding came to light regarding some curricular elements such as students’ behavior, their motivation, their insecurity, and negative class perceptions students had that directly affected the use of English in the class. In addition, the teacher’s methodologies and intrapersonal approaches were studied, and the researchers found out that those new elements had a considerable effect on the students’ reluctance to use the foreign language in the class. Some recommendations that emerged from the study are to include visual aids, role plays and simulations of real life situations in the workplace, and diverse oral activities, such as debates, round tables, and movie discussions to stimulate the students´ use of English. The students also needed positive feedback and encouragement from the teacher rather than intimidation in order to lower their anxiety levels towards the foreign language. The limitations of the study were specially time constraints, the closing of the institution because of holidays and natural disasters, and extracurricular activities.