Teacher burnout is a global crisis that affects the quality of education and the personal well-being of educators.
According to UNESCO (2023), more than 40% of teachers in Latin America and the Caribbean report high levels of stress and exhaustion,
which negatively impacts their performance in the classroom and their students' motivation. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2019)
recognized burnout as an “occupational syndrome,” characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of accomplishment.
There are no statistics for Costa Rica, but it is estimated to be more common than previously thought. International studies indicate that at least
8% of depressive disorders are attributable to work-related triggers. "There are certain situations in the workplace that trigger illness.
For example, receiving contradictory orders from bosses over a long period of time, poor relationships with colleagues, or a job with a high level of responsibility. Doctors, police officers, psychologists, social workers, and teachers may experience more stress that exposes them to burnout," explained psychiatrist Ingrid Dormond during the 2016 National Medical Congress, where this topic was discussed in depth.
Teacher empowerment and comprehensive well-being could be key strategies for improving teacher motivation and effectiveness. When teachers feel valued, empowered, and emotionally balanced, their impact in the classroom could be significantly greater. This would be achieved through the transmission of confidence, enthusiasm, and commitment, which are essential elements for inspiring students.
This congress seeks to respond to the burnout crisis by providing practical tools that enable teachers to develop self-care and stress management strategies, incorporate technology to facilitate their work without overloading themselves, learn active methodologies that reduce fatigue and increase motivation, and build a supportive teaching community to share experiences and solutions.
With a hands-on approach, this event will allow each participant to implement real solutions from day one, ensuring a lasting impact on their educational practice.
Particularly, in what corresponds to language teaching, the Ministry of Public Education, in conjunction with the University of Costa Rica, carried out a linguistic proficiency exam with a sampling of 6,000 primary level students and 73,000 secondary level students. The results show that, despite having an improvement in comparison to the exam executed in 2019, knowledge of the English language is still lower than the expected outcomes according to the level descriptions set forth by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which are implemented in MEP programs . For example, 64% of the students in their last year of public academic secondary school placed in beginning and elementary levels (A1 y A2) .
Due to the educational shutdown, it is fundamental to facilitate academic spaces of knowledge that merge towards creating change through the strengthening of significant and transforming best practices in the field of teaching English as a foreign language. With a holistic and innovative approach, in pursuit of generating meaningful change, the IV English Teaching Congress will address the use of technology, contextualize the educational status of the Huetar Northern Region and remedy the educational lag taking place in local institutions.
To contribute to the professional development of English teachers in the Huetar Northern Region through the improvement of educational practices based on the exchange of pertinent and effective pedagogical experiences and the use of innovative tools in the teaching and learning process of English as a foreign language.
To constitute a space for academic reference in regard to trainings, pedagogical innovations, collaboration and feedback, which effectively contribute to the teaching and learning process of English as a foreign language for English teachers in the Huetar Northern Region.
To strengthen academic spaces for the enhancement of effective pedagogical practices in the teaching of English as a foreign language, through the establishment of partnerships and collaborative networks aimed at promoting the economic, socio-educational, and cultural development of the Huetar Norte Region of Costa Rica.
To establish networks for collaboration and academic exchange among faculty members from the various educational institutions of the Huetar Norte Region of Costa Rica.
To consolidate strategic alliances between educational institutions in the Huetar Norte Region of Costa Rica for the strengthening of English language teaching and learning as a foreign language.
To provide effective pedagogical tools to English language teachers in the Huetar Norte Region of Costa Rica for the improvement of English teaching and learning processes.
To encourage strategies that address teacher empowerment and well-being as a means of inspiration in the classroom.
5TH CONGRESS OF ENGLISH TEACHING
HUETAR NORTE REGION 2025
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