Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

This study outlines the steps to develop an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for tourism students at the National University, Brunca Regional Headquarters, Pérez Zeledón Campus. The course was developed as part of a capstone project for the Master's program in Applied Linguistics. The resulting deliverable was a course that targeted English used at hotel reception desks. This endeavor can serve as a baseline for future ESP projects in the tourism sector. This article details the design, teaching, and subsequent assessment of an English for Occupational Purposes course. The course aims to meet the specific needs of tourism students by providing language training focusing on tasks and scenarios at the hotel reception desk. The information necessary to design the course was compiled through the use of questionnaires, interviews, and surveys answered by students, employers, alumni, and instructors. Based on the results, the "English for Hotel Reception Desk" course, designed under an English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) and a Task-based Approach methodology, effectively addressed specific on-the-job tasks carried out by hotel receptionists. Despite the challenge of teaching a large class size online, students displayed high levels of engagement and improved language skills, supported by collaboration with industry experts and positive course evaluations.

Although the use of AI applications in academic research has the potential to significantly boost scientific productivity, successful integration of AI requires a thorough understanding of how this technological wave has impacted university faculty. This study aimed to contribute to that understanding by examining faculty perceptions regarding the usefulness of AI in academic research. The study used a quantitative, exploratory-descriptive methodology with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. Data was collected through a survey addressing 25 research-related tasks grouped into five categories: Literature Review, Methodology Selection, Reflection on Results, Communicative Activities, and Enhanced Disciplinary Understanding. Responses from 244 faculty members revealed three distinct perspectives: enthusiasts, selective users, and skeptics. The results demonstrate that that AI is perceived as particularly beneficial for activities related to synthesizing information and consolidating knowledge about the discipline. These findings underscore the need for customized AI policies and targeted support to bridge knowledge gaps and promote greater faculty engagement in the use of AI as part of their research activities.

This article reports on the findings attained from a questionnaire to assess learning difficulties encountered by engineering students regarding concepts about derivatives. The questionnaire was distributed to eleven students enrolled in the industrial, civil, and automation engineering programs. Analysis of the responses utilized theoretical and methodological concepts from the Ontosemiotic Approach (OSA) to Mathematical Knowledge and Instruction. Based on the results, 55% of students demonstrated  comprehension of derivatives as a rate of change and preferred the algebraic representation. Final recommendations are provided regarding tasks that should be integrated into calculus courses to strengthen the training of engineering students. 

In single-teacher schools and those classified as EGB-1 (D1), their multigrade nature—where multiple grade levels are grouped within a single classroom—creates the need for subject-specific correlated lesson planning adapted to this context. This study aims to describe teachers’ perceptions of correlated Science lesson planning in institutions under the Peninsular Regional Education Directorate (DREPE), highlighting their implementation experiences during 2023 and 2024. This qualitative, descriptive study was conducted using a multiple case study approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers from single-teacher and D1 schools, and the collected perceptions were manually coded and organized into categories and subcategories based on the teacher professional knowledge base (TPKB) of Gess Newsome’s PCK model (2015). Key findings include the limited preparation received in universities, the lack of time for lesson planning, the alignment of lesson plans with current classroom needs, and teachers’ requests for greater support from Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Education. Consequently, the study recommends further integration of this type of planning into university teacher training programs, as well as increased provision of instructional resources to facilitate its development. 

Vocabulary tests that match national curricula tend to be more suitable to the academic and social setting of students (Nikolov & Timpe-Laughlin, 2021). However, certain countries with limited educational budgets, such as Costa Rica (State of the Nation Report, 2021) may prioritize other areas, such as basic infrastructure or literacy, over developing and implementing standardized vocabulary assessments. This shortcoming was addressed in a descriptive study that used an innovative curriculum-based test to assess and explore English Foreign Language (EFL) vocabulary knowledge among Costa Rican school children. Participants included 128 (Mage=5, SD=6.8 months), students from rural and urban public schools. The methodology included a thorough analysis of the Ministry of Education (MEP) EFL preschool curriculum, followed by the design, piloting, and administration of a vocabulary test in English. The findings revealed that children of all ages are capable of recognizing EFL vocabulary included in the  current EFL program at the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. However, urban public school students demonstrated a significantly higher academic performance than students from rural public schools.  The study concludes that EFL testing is an effective method in assessing preschool student EFL vocabulary knowledge. The study also considers shortcomings and future recommendations.

This article examines the participation of older adults (OAs) in a participatory design (PD) workshop aimed at improving a learning intervention mediated by information and communication technologies (ICTs). The study follows a qualitative, descriptive approach within the framework of participatory design. The primary data collection method was a participatory design workshop that included both individual and group activities, as well as written and oral design suggestions. The workshop took place four months after the completion of the learning intervention and involved 20 older adults who had previously participated in the program. The workshop activities and results were documented through audio and video recordings, as well as written materials, including participants’ contributions and researchers’ field notes. All collected data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants actively engaged in the workshop, with most understanding the assigned tasks and providing suggestions to improve the learning activities. Their recommendations primarily focused on familiar  aspects, while fewer contributions addressed more novel or creative elements. Only a small number of participants encountered difficulties in understanding the instructions or formulating improvement suggestions. The findings highlight the importance of employing diverse co-design techniques and materials to accommodate the varying skills, experiences, and interests of participants. Additionally, involving older adults in all stages of the design process can enhance their familiarity with the role of co-designers and strengthen their ability to contribute meaningful and critical insights.

This article aims to propose a comprehensive tutoring model that holistically addresses the needs of university students, considering academic, personal, and psychosocial aspects. The research employed a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative), utilizing techniques such as focus groups and a pilot test. The focus groups included 16 students from various degree programs, including Accounting, Business Administration, Law, and International Business, as well as 16 faculty members from different disciplines, such as Law, Business Administration, Architecture, Social Communication, Accounting, International Business, and Design. The instruments used consisted of a script with six open-ended questions for the focus groups and students’ academic grades as quantitative data. The proposed model comprises three modalities: academic tutoring, provided by faculty members; mentoring, which focuses on personal and psychosocial aspects; and peer tutoring, where high-achieving students support their peers. During the pilot test, these tutoring modalities were implemented with a group of 60 students from various degree programs and academic levels. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data were processed with ATLAS.ti software. The main findings revealed an improvement in the academic performance of students who participated in the comprehensive tutoring model compared to their previous grades without tutoring. The study concludes that the comprehensive tutoring model is an effective strategy for enhancing university students’ academic performance and preventing course failure. The combination of academic, mentoring, and peer tutoring proved to be a valuable approach to addressing students’ needs and fostering their academic success. 

This paper seeks to widen current knowledge on pronunciation instruction by exploring segmental pronunciation errors and their numerical prevalence. Specifically, the main goal of this corpus-aided investigation is twofold: (a) to identify the pronunciation errors in vowel and consonant production and (b) to recognize the pronunciation errors associated with the morphemes {-ed} and {-s} and the nature of such errors. To this end, forty intermediate third-year students of the Bachelor’s degrees in English and English Teaching at a public Costa Rican university used Flip (a video-based tool) to record themselves completing three individual speaking tasks: two oral readings and a short impromptu speech—all of which rendered 65 video recordings. Main analyses and ensuing descriptive statistics with IBM SPSS Statistics revealed that learners made the most errors when pronouncing vowels /i, æ, ɪ/ and consonants /z, s, ð/. As for grammatical morphemes, while mispronunciation of {-s} (possessive, third-person singular, and plural) was the most prevalent error, omission was the predominant error when pronouncing {-ed}. Implications for instructors and other stakeholders include the need to (a) study the phonological system of Costa Rican Spanish in foundational courses, (b) invest more time in the study of troublesome vowels and problematic realizations of {-s} and {-ed}, (c) prioritize troublesome consonants, and (d) reflect on the effectiveness of instructional and feedback practices.

 This study is framed within a growing line of research that seeks to understand the anxiety faced by future teachers when teaching mathematics. The purpose of this research is to analyze the level of anxiety about teaching mathematics among future Primary Education teachers in Costa Rica. The study design is cross-sectional correlational. The sample consisted of 49 participants enrolled in the Bachelor’s and Licentiate programs in Primary Education at the University of Costa Rica, selected through convenience sampling. An adapted version of the Mathematics Teaching Anxiety Scale was employed for data collection. The study analyzed variables such as the least preferred educational level to teach, age, number of courses enrolled in, and the subject participants would least like to teach. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied to the variables age and least preferred subject to teach, while t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for the remaining variables. Results indicated a moderate level of mathematics teaching anxiety and revealed significant differences across several variables. Notably, age and the subject least preferred for teaching showed significant differences in the overall anxiety construct and in three of its dimensions, with large effect sizes. Significant differences were also found in the content knowledge dimension regarding the least preferred educational level to teach, also with a large effect size. Additionally, the number of courses enrolled was significantly associated with the didactic knowledge dimension, showing a medium effect size. These findings suggest the need for further exploration and the development and implementation of intervention strategies to reduce mathematics teaching anxiety.

Educational institutions evaluate the performance of academic departments, an essential activity for identifying opportunities for improvement, change, and replication. However, the role of Academic Coordination (AC) lacks a dedicated tool for performance assessment. This study aims to develop an instrument for validating and evaluating AC in secondary schools. The research employed a mixed-methods approach with a descriptive design based on a case study. For validation, in-depth interviews (4 persons) and surveys (30 participants) were conducted, these tools were designed based on a review of current specialized literature and consultations with expert professionals. The construction of the instrument was informed by an analysis of participant consultations and expert input. The AC evaluation instrument consists of four areas with numerical indicators that quantitatively assess performance: (1) Planning and instructional design; (2) Administrative support and curricular activities; (3) Support for improving the teaching-learning process; and (4) Monitoring and communication tasks. These areas are interconnected and reflect the core responsibilities identified during the research. A key shortcoming in the historical development of the AC role has been the absence of pedagogical and scientific substance through education and training. The developed instrument can assess AC performance across the 740 public secondary schools nationwide, addressing existing gaps. Its use and scope should be communicated through reports to educational circuits and regional offices at the end of 3- or 6-month cycles.