Implementación y experiencia de la política de bilingüismo en la enseñanza del inglés en la educación media rural: un estudio sociocultural en los grados 10° y 11° de la institución educativa san pedro claver de Chitaraque (Boyacá)

Abstract

This study examines how the bilingualism policy is implemented and experienced in English language teaching in the 10th and 11th grades at San Pedro Claver Educational Institution in Chitaraque, Boyacá, Colombia, considering the particular characteristics of its rural context. The research emerged from the need to understand how the National Bilingualism Policy is enacted in rural educational settings with distinctive social, pedagogical, and technological conditions. The main objective of the study was to analyze the implementation of and experiences related to the bilingualism policy in English language teaching at the institution. A qualitative approach within a sociocritical paradigm was adopted, using a case study design. Data were collected through a diagnostic survey administered to upper secondary students, semi-structured interviews with teachers and school administrators, non-participant classroom observations of English lessons, and a documentary review of the institution’s English curriculum. The findings revealed that the institution has pedagogical guidelines aimed at developing students’ English communicative competence in alignment with the National Bilingualism Policy. However, the implementation process is constrained by several challenges associated with the rural context, including limited access to technological resources, reduced exposure to English beyond the classroom, and limited student participation in communicative activities. The study also identified tensions between the goals established by the educational policy and the actual teaching conditions, leading teachers to adapt their pedagogical strategies to the needs and characteristics of their students. Students’ and teachers’ perceptions indicate that, although English is recognized as important for academic and professional opportunities, learners experience difficulties related to language comprehension, oral communication, and confidence in classroom participation. In addition, Spanish remains the predominant language of instruction, while traditional teaching resources continue to be widely used. In conclusion, the study found that the implementation of the bilingualism policy in the rural context examined is shaped by institutional, pedagogical, and contextual factors that directly influence the English teaching and learning process. These findings highlight the need to promote more contextualized strategies that respond to the realities of rural education in order to foster more meaningful and relevant English language learning experiences.