English as a foreign language teachers’ perspectives on new curriculum reform at Algerian middle schools
English as a foreign language teachers’ perspectives
Abstract
This study investigates teachers' perspectives on EFL curriculum reform in Algeria. The specific objectives of the inquiry are to examine teachers' views about EFL curriculum reform relevance and procedures and draw a conclusion from their perspectives. 176 EFL teachers from middle schools in Algeria were chosen to serve as respondents in this research. The requisite data were collected through a survey and a semi-structured interview. The SPSS (22) programme was used to analyse quantitative data, whereas content analysis was subjected to qualitative data. The study established that the majority of teachers considered reform as not relevant to them. The findings also showed negative perspectives about procedures undertook by the government. Hence, we concluded that Algerian teachers' views about the new EFL reform are not in the same boat with the government's intentions and actions. This study, therefore, recommends that effort be made by the government and other agents to re-look to the reform and teachers' needs and motivation.References
Ameziane, H., & Guendouzi, A. (2005). The new approach to ELT in Algeria: What teacher profile for what purpose? In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on English Language Teaching. University of Algiers (10-12 December, 2005):Thala Editions:El Biar.
Anangisye. W.A.L. (2011). Developing Quality Teacher Professionals: A Reflective Inquiry on the Practices and Challenges in Tanzania. Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education (CICE), Hiroshima University, pp. 137 - 154. https://home.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/cice/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4-2-111.pdf
Bader, Faiza & Hamada, Hacene. (2015). Competency based approach between theory and practice. Human Sciences Journal, 7. DOI: 10.34174/0079-000-044-030
Belaid, Louiza & Sarnou, H. (2018). Feminisation of schooling: Understanding the de-traditionalised gender. Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences, 1 (1). https://www.journals.lapub.co.uk/index.php/Brolly/article/view/20.
Bailey, B. (2000). The Impact of Mandated Change on Teachers. In N. Bascia & A. Hargreaves (Eds.), The Sharp Edge of Educational Change: Teaching, Leading and the Realities of Reform (pp.112–128). London: Routledge Falmer.
Boddy, D. (2014). Management: an introduction (6th ed). Harlow: Pearson.
Boudouda, S. & Khelkhal, N. (2012). Problems facing teachers in implementing the competency-based approach in teaching writing: A case study of EFL secondary school teachers in Batna. (Master thesis). University of Mohamed Kheidher: Biskra, Algeria.
Cohen, L., L. Manion and K. Morrison (2007). Research Methods in Education (6th ed). London, New York: Routledge.
Creswell, J. (2002). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Dörnyei, Z. (2003). Questionnaires in Second Language Research: Construction, Administration, and Processing. United States of America: Mahwah, New Jersey.
Fouzi Bellalem. (2014). Language Teachers' Beliefs about Curriculum Innovation: Perspectives from Algeria. International Journal of Research, 1(7).
Franklin Bobbitt. (1913). The Supervision of City Schools: Some General Principles of Management Applied to the Problems of City School Systems, 12th Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education (Part 1). Bloomington, IL, p.11.
Griffith, W.I. and Lim, H. Y. (2014). Introduction to competency based language teaching. MEXTESOL Journal, 38(2),14-25.
Guemide, B. & Benachaiba, C. (2012). Exploring ICTs and e-learning in teachers’ professional development in Algeria: The case of secondary school teachers. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 13 (3), 33-49.
Ha, A. S., Wong, A. C., Sum, R. K., & Chan, D. W. (2008). Understanding teachers’ will and capacity to accomplish physical education curriculum reform: The implications for teacher development. Sport, Education and Society, 13(1), 77-95.
Hulya Kosar Altinyelken. (2010). Curriculum Change in Uganda: Teacher Perspectives on the New Thematic Curriculum. International Journal of Educational Development, 30, 151–161. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2009.03.004
Ikhlas Ghazouli. (2018). Towards a more democratic model to English language curriculum development through task−based action research: The case of secondary school teachers of the wilaya of Setif. (Doctoral dissertation), Frères Mentouri Constantine1 University, Constantine, Algeria.
Iskandar Iskandar. (2015). Teachers’ attitudes towards the implementation of the national standards in school-based EFL curriculum in South Sulawesi primary schools in Indonesia. The 2nd International Conference on Language, Education and Innovation.
Kelly, A.V. (2009). The curriculum: Theory and practice (6th ed.). London: Sage.
Kuan Chen Tsai. (2013). Creativity: product, process, personality, environment and technology. KIE International Conference on Knowledge, Innovation and Enterprise.
McKernan, J. (2008). Curriculum and Imagination: Process Theory, Pedagogy and Action Research. London: Routledge.
Ministry of National Education.(2008). Loi n° 08-04 du 23 janvier 2008 portant loi d’orientation sur l’éducation nationale. Journal Officiel de la
République Algérienne n° 04 du Dimanche 27 janvier 2008, p. 6-17.
Mirza. (2017). The implementation of competency approach in Algerian foreign language classrooms: The impact of social interactions on knowledge construction process and the Development of Learning Competences. (Doctoral dissertation), University of Mohamed Lamin Debaghine Setif 2, Setif, Algeria
Nelson Mbarushimana & Daniel Allida. (2017). Curriculum change and teacher participation in technical and vocational education training programs (TVET):
Experiences of group scolaire Aiper NyanDungu, Rwanda. Baraton Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 7 (special issue), 1-10
Mehmet Sercan Uztosun & Salah Troudi.(2015). Lecturers’ views of curriculum change at English language departments in Turkey. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 9(1), 15-29
Ornstein and Hunkins. (2018). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues (7th ed). Pearson Education.
Ostovar-Namaghi, S. A. (2017). Language teachers’ evaluation of curriculum change: A qualitative study. The Qualitative Report, 22(2), 391-409. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol22/iss2/3
O’Sullivan, N. & Bruce, A. (2014). Teaching and learning in competency based education. The Fifth International Conference on e-Learning (Elearning-2014), Belgrade, Serbia.
Park, Minjeong & Sung, Youl-Kwan. (2013). Teachers’ perceptions of the recent curriculum reforms and their implementation: What can we learn from the case of Korean elementary teachers?. Asia Pacific Journal of Educatio, 33. 10.1080/02188791.2012.756391.
Rea-Dickens, P. & Germaine, K.P. (1998). Managing evaluation and innovation in language teaching: Building Bridges. London: Longman.
Roegiers, X. (2011). Curricula et apprentissages au secondaire : La pédagogie d’intégration comme cadre de réflexion et d’action. Bruxelles : De Boeck.
Russell, B. (1950). Unpopular essays. London: Allen and Unwin. In Lamie, J.M. (2005). Evaluating change in English language teaching. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Salah Troudi & Fatma Alwan. (2010) Teachers’ feelings during curriculum change in the United Arab Emirates: Opening Pandora’s box. Teacher Development: An international Journal of Teachers’ Professional Development, 14(1), 107-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664531003696659
Savage, K. L. (1993). Literacy through a competency-based educational program. In Crandall, J., & Peyton, J. K. (Eds.), Approaches to adult ESL literacy instruction. Washington, DC and McHenry, IL: Center for Applied Linguistics.
Segovia, L. & Hardison, D. (2008). Implementing education reform: EFL teachers' perspectives. Elt Journal, 63, 154-162. Doi:10.1093/elt/ccn024
Silva, Elena. (2009). Measuring skills for 21st-century learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 90. 630-634. Doi:10.1177/003172170909000905.
Sturgis, C. (2012). The art and science of designing competencies. Competency Work Issues Brief. In Mirza. (2017). The implementation of competency approach in Algerian foreign language classrooms: The impact of social interactions on knowledge construction process and the development of learning competences. (Doctoral dissertation). University of Mohamed Lamin Debaghine Setif 2. Setif. Algeria
Sturgis, C., & Patrick, S. (2010). When success is the only option: Designing competency-based pathways for next generation learning. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED514891.pdf.
Sudsomboon, W. (2010). Application of competency-based education: In the context of diversity and change. The Journal of KMUTNB, 20(2), 370-378. https://www.ijern.com/journal/2015/November-2015/16.pdf
Tashakkori, A. & Teddlie, C. (2003). Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social and Behavioral Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Wangeleja, M. J. N. (2010). The teaching and learning of competence based mathematics curriculum: Methods and techniques. A paper presented at the annual seminar of the mathematical association of Tanzania at Solomon Mahlangu Campus of Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro.
Wedell, M. (2009). Planning for Educational Change: Putting People and their Contexts First. London, UK: Continuum.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. The Editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication.
Copyrights for articles published in International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.