Community management and teacher identity: the case of Frenglish in foreign language teacher training
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17603426Keywords:
community management, teacher identity, teacher education, service-learning, Sustainable Development GoalsAbstract
Introduction: the professional identity of foreign language teachers can be strengthened through formative experiences that integrate academic practice with community engagement. Objective: to analyze the impact of participatory management in the community project Frenglish, linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and focused on the teaching of English and French in Santa Clara, Cuba, on the professional identity of pre-service teachers. Method: participatory action research was conducted with 34 students from the Foreign Languages program and 16 tutors, evaluating: (a) mechanisms of community management; (b) changes in teachers’ self-perception; and (c) learning outcomes for continuous professional development. Results: shared responsibility between the university and the community strengthened reflective competencies, pedagogical leadership, and intrinsic motivation, fostering the construction of a teaching identity committed to sustainable development. Ninety percent of participants reported increased motivation and a stronger sense of leadership. Conclusion: projects such as Frenglish reconfigure the role of pre-service teachers into socio-educational change agents, transcending language instruction to integrate social action and critical reflection.
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