Apertura

The national educational strategy in Mexico is failing to meet expectations and purposes set out to achieve an ideal English level. As a matter of fact, several studies provide information on unsatisfactory results obtained by many educators and learners in foreign language evaluations (Calderón, 2015; Ramírez-Gómez et al., 2017). Fortunately, some teachers are contributing with great endeavor to ameliorate experiences in their schools’ contexts by incorporating the use of technology (Kazu & Issaku, 2021). In this sense, it is intended to share how mobile learning has generated a positive impact on pupils from the Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Sinaloa (COBAES) during an adverse social process suffered throughout the world: the covid-19 confinement.

The present study was carried out in eightgroups of a high school community, which has different characteristics. For starters, the age of these adolescents ranges between 14 and 17 years old. Their main interests are focused on activities like playing games on mobile applications, chatting, listening to music and videos, as well as socializing with classmates. In addition, most learners come from families of a medium socioeconomic level where both parents must provide to household, or whose progenitors are separated; lastly, few teenagers have social, emotional, and financial stability.

The issue is that instructional hours are insufficient to achieve the B1 level, or intermediate, according to the Common European Frameworkof Reference for Languages (CEFR). Therefore, initial observations made it possible to identify that the main motive obeys to past formation issues. For example, many elementary schools in Mexico do not count with enough English teachers, or their proficiency level is not adequate which turns into an undesirable experience for the students. Also, it has been observed how some juveniles are not motivated or interested in learning another language, as other studies have shown (Calderón, 2015). Moreover, the lockdown period provoked by the covid-19 increased the difficulties for ideal educational conditions.

Therefore, an intervention was implemente dusing the Duolingo app to support autonomous learning. It was intended to strengthen learners’ independent learning skills with the aim of counterattacking the educational context’s disadvantages. It is expected that the implementation of strategies like this can contribute to the goals of the English subject, in other words, to consolidate and develop students’ ability to communicate at an intermediate level.

The foregoing allowed the object of study to be defined as the use of an application in English language learning and its influence in the educational experience of high schoolers. Thus, the following research question was established: how does the use of Duolingo contribute to an improvement of the English teaching-learning experience? Likewise, the general purpose was to transform quality of formation processes from an innovative approach that incorporates mobile learning.

This intervention suggested an educational improvement by linking theory with practice by recurring to a critical and reflective approach through action research. Hence, the following proposition or tentative answer was posed according to the premises of action research (Ary et al., 2010; Cohen et al., 2018; Norton, 2009; Stringer, 2007). The use of the mobile application Duolingo contributes in an innovative way to an enhancement of English language learning since it facilitates the mastering of different linguistic items such as vocabulary, listening, and reading comprehension.

Society has become more digitalized today to the point that a dependence on technology has beencreated almost everywhere. This is a fact often seen in many educational settings where adolescents are rooted in interaction through mobile devices, which at the same time are useful for them to keep up to date in family, local, national, and even international contexts (Montiel, 2017). An example of a device that has generated such necessity is the cellular phone with the countless applications found to be helpful for people.

Jarvis & Krashen (2014) argue that learners frequently resort to digital resources as an innate activity of their daily lifestyle. However, this interaction leads them to an acquisition of other languages through a subconscious process in a natural way. Simultaneously, individuals interact with platforms, for example, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, among others, without ruling out Mobile learning (M-learning).

The research related to M-learning offers some insights to the use of mobile phone applications to learn foreign languages (Kukulska-Hulme, 2018). For instance, Bustillo et al. (2017) indicate that implementing Duolingo contributedto the development of listening comprehension skills in students at the University of Santiago de Cali. Concurrently, these experts acknowledge how this app is very popular since it has approximately eighty million users worldwide; in addition, it fosters learners’ motivation by setting goals, prizes, and manageability to administer their time using the application.

According to Shortt et al. (2021) the language education processes through portable devices may also be referred to as an approach called Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL). Likewise, there are some advantages when applying M-learning (Salinas & Marin, 2014). For example, learners are able to review topics in class hours, days, or weeks after they have been addressed by teachers. In addition, incorporation of apps or celular phones fosters a ubiquitous schooling environment from anywhere and at any time without a need for individuals to remain in a geographic location (Hashim et al., 2017), which favors flexibilityas well as ease of access to information provided these users have an internet connection and the required technological resources.

Despite the numerous benefits of the implementation of technology with young people there are also several draw backs related to the famous digital divide (Parker et al., 2011, as cited in Montiel, 2017). Nevertheless, it is important not only to appeal to the interests of agents in different contexts, but to lose fear towards change through actions that lead to an innovative transformation of educational processes.

A qualitative approach was embarked on putting through an action-research design in an exploratory-descriptive scope. Such methodology, which emerged as part of the teacher-researcher movement (Carr & Kemmis, 1986), allows to address contextual problems, promoting the emancipation and transformation of those affected or interested in improving educational quality (Ary et al., 2010; Cohen et al., 2018). Thus, the models proposed by Lewin (1948), Norton (2009), and Stringer (2007) were taken into account to device one based on the conditions and possibilities that concern this investigation (Figure 1).

Figure 1

The results of the intervention project are presented in correspondence with the methodology employed. It is worth mentioning that even when this investigation took place in a Spanish speaking setting, accounts were translated properly by the teacher researcher who holds international certifications of an advanced proficiency level in English.

Data retrieved from participant observation records and documents of the teacher researcher’s practice were used to conduct a qualitative analysis of the information with techniques proposed by Charmaz (2006). In this regard, initial, focused, and axial coding allowed the identification of categories which led to the discovery that pedagogical conditions were not sufficient to achieve institutional goals and meet adolescents’ interests. The identified theoretical categories were named as: academic-administrative suspensions, bad learning experiences, and affective problems.

Unnecessary official suspensions are frequently decreed by local or state authorities. These academic interruptions interfere with the syllabus development since teenagers stop receiving education; nonetheless, some are caused by meteorological complications, waves of violence, or othertypes of contingencies that put educational communities at risk. On another part, certain students do not have basic knowledge to perform thoroughly in the subject; according to informal interviews made to adolescents, the lack of English teachers in previous years, their low language level, or deficiency in pedagogic competence can be a reason for learners’ not having developed skills to do wellin English. Additionally, there is an appreciation of affective problems as high schoolers do not show enough motivation to succeed and become better persons at intellectual or human dimensions; in addition, it has been detected how quite a few juveniles have low self-esteem as they are afraid or feel shame to participate in class.

Planning took into consideration different guidelines proposed by Stringer (2007). Three main actions were undertaken: 1) diagnosis of learning styles; 2) selection of an English learning mobile phone application; and 3) implementation and strategy follow up. Participant observation as well as documentary analysis was conducted during the execution of this strategic plan.

The evaluation of the intervention followed the premises of action research under the critical educational paradigm. In this regard, the qualitative approach allows making conjectures based on rigorous procedures for collecting and analyzing information (Ary et al., 2010; Charmaz, 2006; Stringer, 2007). Hence, eight focus groups were conducted throughout November 2021. Each session consisted of 10 students, all of which participated voluntarily. Simultaneously, constant reflection between theory and practice was recorded in participant observation forms; in addition, other academic documents, part ofthe teacher-researcher’s responsibilities, were included in the analysis.

The results revealed how the learners’ linguistic knowledge was significantly improved since they reacted favorably to the use of Duolingo. In that sense, focus groups, participant observation, and documentary analysis permitted a triangulation of information which allowed the present teacher-researcher to verify the impact of the intervention. The themes derived from such categories related to a development of listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, understanding of topics, and exam scores. Moreover, adolescents’ educational experience was enhanced, considering this innovative practice was greatly valued by them. Nevertheless, there were some constraints associated with the digital divide, technological failures, and the covid-19 lockdown period.

There were several limitations throughout this intervention. Here under, such constraints are discussed; in addition, findings are contrasted with other studies published in indexed journals. One of the limitations identified was that there is no application available for cellular phones that allows monitoring students’ progress, which consequently requires accessing Duolingo’s platform from its official website. Other constraints detected were categorized as follows: 1) lack of space in mobile devices; 2) difficulty in entering Duolingo groups; 3) technological failures; and 4) the period of confinement due to covid-19.

To sum up, it can be concluded that M-learning favored English learning in high schoolers by promoting an enhancement in their listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, understanding of topics, and exam scores. Simultaneously, the process undertaken allowed the fulfillment of the general research purpose of transforming the teaching-learning experience by incorporating technology through the implementation of Duolingo for students to study foreign language independently. Despite the adversities and disadvantages that occurred, the benefits had a greater impact than these negative issues.

Then again, research will continue by using other cell phone applications that rein forcé English language teaching. Hence, the following investigation questions are posed: 1) what mobile phone apps can be used to foster skills such as speaking, reading comprehension and pronunciation in adolescents? And 2) how far do these applications favor the development of communicative competence in highschoolers? Now, additional interrogatives may be formulated according to every educational context, but creativity and challenge is up to educators and learners.

The findings in this paper are in no way generalizable as action research is perceived as amajorly qualitative methodology confined under the critical educational science. In other words, teacher-researchers are welcomed to conduct investigation processes by appealing to the present study design; nevertheless, results may vary according to every specific scenario, that is, they might be better, the same, or worse than the ones presented in this article.