Impact of Teacher Training on English Language Competencies in Ecuadorian High School Education (2020–2025) Impacto de la formación docente en las competencias de inglés en el bachillerato ecuatoriano (2020-2025)

Abstract

This academic article examines the impact of teacher training and professional development on the achievement of English language competencies among Ecuadorian high school students over the past five years. Through a documentary review of indexed scholarly sources (2020-2025), key trends and findings are identified, disaggregated by region, type of institution (public vs. private), and training programs implemented. The findings indicate that insufficient teacher preparation has negatively impacted the English proficiency levels attained by high school graduates, revealing significant gaps between the proficiency levels expected by the national curriculum and students’ actual performance. Marked disparities are observed between public and private sectors and across regions, associated with unequal access to teacher training, differences in English instructional hours, and availability of teaching resources. In the discussion, these results are compared with academic literature from Latin America and beyond, underscoring the central role of teacher quality in student learning outcomes. Finally, key recommendations are offered for educational policy, highlighting the need for sustainable teacher professional development programs, especially those targeting underserved regions and sectors, to improve equity and raise English competency levels among Ecuadorian high school students.