Perceptions of ELT Teachers about B.Ed. English Language Curriculum Regarding the Development of Students' Speaking and Writing Skills

Abstract

Effective communication in the English language is important for the academic, professional and social needs of B.Ed. students/pre-service teachers. Previous research had inferred that B.Ed.students felt difficulty in communication for which methods and modules were suggested; however, the curriculum has not been evaluated for its effectiveness. The present study has explored ELT teachers' perceptions about the effectiveness of the B.Ed. (Hons) 4 year curriculum's (2012) two English core courses regarding students’ speaking and writing skills in public universities and colleges of Sindh,Pakistan, using Stufflebeam’s CIPP model. The data was collected from four purposively selected samples through focus group discussion (FGD) and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the curriculum needs revision through the inclusion of objectives, an evaluation scheme and a balanced focus on language skills. The identified challenges and issues were students’ weak language learning background, lack of teachers’ training, lack of time and lack of infrastructure.