Díaz-Méndez, Félix D.

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    Shaping ESL education through photography, cultural education and technology
    (2021-05-13) Díaz-Méndez, Félix D.; Leonard, Mary; College of Arts and Sciences - Art; Chansky, Ricia A.; Toro Manzano, Iris; Department of English; Delgado Acosta, Bernadette
    English education faces a challenging phase as students’ methods of learning change, and pedagogical strategies become outdated. Proficiency levels in English today are not as expected by the requirements and objectives of the Department of Education. Because of this, educators must evolve and develop new pedagogical strategies in response to the demotivation and lack of engagement in students learning English as a second language. During this research project a new pedagogical strategy was implemented at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez campus with first- and second-year English students. This study focuses on the impact of integrating three different pedagogical strategies (photography, cultural education, and technology) into one pedagogical strategy to elevate students’ motivation level when learning English as a second language. The results show that a long-lasting engagement in English language learning can be promoted through the use of art and creativity to express ideas and personal experiences that have meaning for the participants. In the study, students created art about real situations that demanded real-life solutions, and this contributed to their overall development as human beings. Students’ experiences with writing about their own lives and comparing their experiences with those of people in other cultures of the world had a positive and beneficial outcome because they helped them become more self-aware and broadened their social views. Photography encouraged participants to open their artistic channel resulting in meaningful writing rather than just written academic work. The use of technology made use of the connectivism theory, resulting in students learning from the world but more importantly, learning from themselves in a process of self-discovery as they used symbolism in their artistic expressions to express their ideas. Future studies may follow as the integration of this pedagogical strategy is not limited only to English learners and is in accordance with the United States STREAM curriculum which includes reading, writing, and arts. Lastly, this research project proved that combining the arts and academics motivates besides create engagement in English learning.