Professional development needs of English teachers in public institutions in Ecuador: diagnosis for the design of a training offer in the digital age
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The continuous professional development of English teachers in Ecuadorian public institutions faces structural barriers that limit access to quality training. This study diagnosed the professional development needs of English teachers in Ecuadorian public institutions to generate empirical evidence for the design of an accessible training offer in the digital age. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed with 80 EFL teachers from 12 provinces, selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected through a 24-item questionnaire via Microsoft Forms (Likert scale α = .745, multiple selection, and open-ended question). The results reveal that the main barriers are economic cost (50.0%) and lack of time (40.0%), while connectivity proved less decisive (M = 2.79). 80.0% already use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, primarily ChatGPT (85.0%) and Google Gemini (57.5%), though informally. The most demanded course was microcurricular planning within three weekly hours (73.75%), followed by printable materials design (68.75%) and AI for visual materials (67.5%). 86.25% expressed interest in an institutionally endorsed certificate and 76.25% require access outside school hours. It is concluded that the training offer must be free, asynchronous, bidimensional, and responsive to rural and urban-marginal contexts.
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