High School EFL Teachers Research Articles

Intercultural Education in Morocco: Theorization and Practice through Teachers’ Perspectives

Intercultural education is a critical educational approach that centers relations within and across cultures. It seeks to account for cultural diversities within schools/classrooms and develop students' cultural sensitivity and understanding of other cultures. Intercultural education has been increasingly important in post-modern Morocco considering, among other factors, the rising number of Sub-Saharan immigrants for instance. The kingdom's efforts to distance/challenge the lingering colonial legacies and broaden its global horizon have underscored the necessity of adopting intercultural education as a strategic approach to achieve this goal. To operationalize this visualization, teachers are often tasked with integrating the norms and principles of intercultural education into their teaching practices, fostering a more inclusive and globally aware student body. However, it is not clear the extent to which they are supported through pre-service education to fulfill such tasks. To achieve this integration, there is a pressing need to complexify/problematize teachers' perspectives to uncover the theoretical and practical frameworks that inform their practices. This paper seeks to examine the range of factors, elements, and conditions that shape Moroccan high school teachers' beliefs and how they ultimately mold their pedagogical practices in the classroom. This research adopts a qualitative approach through the use of in-depth interviews with 25 Public EFL high school teachers based in various schools across Morocco. Thematic analysis is employed to navigate teachers’ views with the aim of coding, developing, and charting the most important and recurrent themes. Findings revealed that (a) Moroccan high school teachers perceive both language and culture as mutually reinforcing elements in the classroom, (b) they hold distinct conceptualizations regarding the implementation of intercultural education and (c) intercultural education is a highly context-sensitive pedagogy that accounts for the social, linguistic and cultural particularities of teachers’ contexts.

Reading Assessment Literacy: Investigating Knowledge, Skills, and Conceptions of Chinese Junior High School EFL Teachers

Although assessment plays a critical role in English reading teaching, studies exploring teachers’ reading assessment literacy are comparatively rare. This study investigated 199 Chinese junior high school EFL teachers’ knowledge, skills, and conceptions of reading assessment through a questionnaire, which was validated through structural equation modeling (SEM). Results showed that the teachers reported pertinent knowledge, professional skills, and positive conceptions about English reading assessment, but some teachers still lacked certain educational assessment knowledge, failed to effectively select English reading materials and design reading assessment tasks, and neglected the impact of English reading assessment on the macro social environment. Implications were discussed concerning how to improve teachers’ assessment literacy in English reading teaching.

Speaking Competence in Morocco: Challenges and Innovative Pedagogical Strategies

Speaking is one of the fundamental skills in a language. In this respect, this study aims to explore the speaking difficulties that Moroccan EFL high school students face and the strategies that teachers use to help their students overcome them. The study also seeks to answer the following questions: first, what do EFL high school teachers think about their students’ speaking abilities? Second, what are the difficulties that Moroccan EFL high school students encounter in their speaking activities? And third, what are the appropriate strategies that Moroccan EFL high school teachers use to overcome those difficulties? The data of this study has been collected via a questionnaire administered to 100 teachers from all over Morocco. The analysis of the questionnaires has revealed that the teachers are aware of their students’ speaking difficulties and they have mentioned some of them. They have also provided some strategies that they use to help their students surmount these difficulties.

TEACHING EFL LISTENING IN MOROCCAN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS

The listening skill is one of the most important, but challenging language skills to teach to EFL learners. However, the way it is generally taught in EFL contexts does not seem to be conducive to its acquisition. This study investigates the teaching of EFL listening in Moroccan public high schools. More specifically, it probes into how and how often the listening skill is taught. To this end, a mixed-method approach is adopted, which combines data from questionnaires, document analysis, interviews, and classroom observations collected from 158 teachers and 144 students who volunteered to participate in this study. The findings revealed that Moroccan public high school EFL teachers rarely teach listening due to various reasons. When they do teach it, though, they generally adopt a product-based approach that focuses mainly on testing comprehension. The study concludes with numerous pedagogical and research implications, such as the need for quality pre-service and in-service training in the teaching of EFL listening and the need for improving the quality and approach of listening materials and activities in the textbooks.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0738/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Self-reflecting strategies applied by EFL high school teachers for teaching quality improvement

ABSTRACT Recent studies in Vietnam found that metacognitive strategies were employed with consistent practice to enhance student learning outcomes significantly. Positive perceptions of reflective teaching practices contribute to teachers’ professional development regarding teaching quality and student outcomes. This study aimed to examine common self-reflecting strategies that were most frequently implemented in the teaching process to improve teaching quality. The tools of the questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data for this descriptive study. The participants were EFL teachers teaching at high schools in most of the provinces in the Mekong Delta. The research findings showed that teachers perceived common strategies of self-reflecting, although they did not often apply them in their teaching performance. Regarding this, they focused on implementing peer observation, students’ feedback, and teachers’ diaries instead of video – audio recordings in their teaching. Some pedagogical implications and research suggestions about the effectiveness of the application of self-reflecting strategies in improving teachers’ teaching or developing their profession were proposed in the study.

Investments of High School EFL Teachers: Negotiating Professional Identities, Forms of Capital, and Societal Ideologies

ABSTRACT This 1.5-year longitudinal case study explores the investments of four high school EFL teachers, which have been scarcely researched, in China. A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews, observations, and relevant artefacts, was adopted. The findings reveal that the investments of English teachers were inextricably intertwined with teachers’ professional identities, forms of capital, and societal ideologies. First, in contrast to previous findings, student-assigned identities on English teachers stimulated teachers’ investments in pedagogical practice and educational reforms. Second, teachers’ cultural capital was valued differently by society, institutions, students, and teachers themselves, and it played a critical role in teachers’ investments. Third, an unprecedented finding is that teachers’ enhanced social capital could hinder and undermine teachers’ investments and their desired identities. Fourth, being constrained by prevailing ideologies, English teachers were capable of making investments in reshaping existing structures. The implications of EFL teachers’ investments for their classroom practice and professional development are discussed.

Enhancing or Hindering? AI's Role in Sparking Creativity in Language Teaching: Insights from Private High School EFL Teachers

The integration of artificial intelligence in education presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in the field of language teaching. This study aims to investigate Turkish EFL teachers' perceptions of AI's role in fostering or hindering creativity in language teaching. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 EFL teachers from private high schools, the research explores the potential benefits and challenges of AI integration. Key findings reveal that AI enhances student engagement, provides personalized learning experiences, and offers timely feedback. However, concerns about insufficient training, technical issues, and over-reliance on AI potentially undermining fundamental skills were also expressed. While AI tools support improvements in language skills and foster creative thinking, there is apprehension about standardization and the risk of diminishing originality. The study underscores the necessity for effective teacher training and a balanced approach to AI integration, ensuring it complements rather than replaces traditional teaching methods. These insights provide valuable guidance for educators, policymakers, and technology developers to optimize AI use in EFL education while fostering a dynamic and creative learning environment. Future research should explore innovative ways to integrate AI into language teaching without compromising creativity.

Assessment Samples in EFL Teachers’ Practices of Classroom Assessment: Implications for Learning Improvement and Teaching Development

On the implementation level of the National Foreign Language Project for the period 2008 – 2020, now extended to 2025 in Vietnam, Level 3/6 – VNFLPF (B1- CEFR) has been set as the learning outcomes for high school language learners. The English curriculum for Vietnamese upper secondary schools was promulgated, and guiding documents were launched, officially supporting EFL teachers in teaching and assessing language learners effectively to achieve the required learning outcomes. This paper reports the findings from an investigation into high school EFL teachers’ practices of assessing language learners in a city in Central Vietnam using interviews and assessment samples. From the findings, practical suggestions are made with the hope of providing a valuable basis for both learning improvement and teaching development.

Exploring the Ethical Dimensions of Testing and Assessment: An Investigation Into Grade Inflation Among EFL Teachers

Concerns over grade inflation have been raised since teachers tend to give students higher grades than they should. If the level of achievement does not correspond to an appropriate improvement in quality, it can raise concerns about the value of grades as a meaningful measure of academic achievement as well as the integrity and effectiveness of the education system. This research aims to find out how EFL teachers perceive grade inflation and what procedures and ethical considerations they follow in the grade inflation process. A descriptive qualitative study was employed using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with two high school EFL teachers in Bandung. The result showed that although academic performance remains a central consideration, unconscious biases may influence grading when student behavior is factored into assessments. Moreover, teachers acknowledge the dilemma of doing grade inflation where they actually get pressure implicitly from the assessment system, which often takes the form of minimum competency standard (KKM/KKTP). However, they approach it positively, viewing it as an opportunity to enhance student abilities. Despite employing different procedures and assessment criteria in their grade inflation practices, both teachers incorporate ethics. This highlights the need for all teachers to understand and implement ethical grading practices.

Teacher perspectives about English language teaching reforms in Vietnamese high schools

In Vietnam, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) issues uniform curricula and textbooks, sets goals, and implements assessments nationwide for high school schools. This means every Vietnamese public high school has to use the prescribed textbooks to teach the same content following a page-by-page schedule throughout the school year, undergo identical assessment tasks, and try to maintain similar outcomes regardless of geographical or socio-economical differences. In such a system, classroom teacher’s voices are usually under-sounded and little research has been conducted on teachers’ perspectives regarding these crucial components of their profession. This study presents how high school EFL teachers perceive and cope with the top-down system in terms of objectives, curriculum, methodology, assessment and outcomes in Vietnam. Data were collected from 163 teachers using an online survey on their attitudes towards the objectives, curriculum, methodology, assessment, and outcomes as determined by MOET. The results showed a discrepancy in the curricula and assessment. While the curricula emphasized communicative competence, the assessment heavily focused on forms. As a result, although some teachers tried to diversify their teaching method, they eventually focused on grammar, reading comprehension and vocabulary for students to achieve satisfactory results in the national examination.

The Effects of Form-Focused Communicative Grammar Instruction on Students’ Pronunciation and Grammar in Speaking

Integrating form-focused instruction (FFI) in the communicative language class is the most recently used language teaching and learning approach today. To draw learners’ attention to grammatical form, FFI implements different types of corrective feedback and implicit and explicit grammar teaching techniques. This study investigated the effects of FFI combined to communicative grammar instruction on students’ pronunciation and grammar in speaking. The main objective of this study was to probe whether the form-focused instruction integrated with communicative grammar activities was effective in terms of students’ performance of pronunciation and grammar in speaking. The study employed a quasi-experimental study design with a mixed method approach. It also employed pre and post-tests, questionnaire, and interview in order to gather data. The data collected by the tests and questionnaire were analyzed quantitatively using independent and paired sample t-test where as the interview data was analyzed thematically. The results of the study revealed that the experimental group of students who had been taught spoken English having form-focused communicative grammar instruction showed the enhancement on pronunciation and grammar in speaking in their post-test scores. This directed to the conclusion that the form-focused communicative grammar instruction assisted the students advance their pronunciation and grammar in speaking. Thus, it is recommended that high school EFL teachers should implement communicative grammar activities integrated to form-focused instruction while teaching speaking skills.

Moroccan EFL High School Teachers' Attitudes and Perceptions towards Critical Thinking Skills: Kenitra's Directorate as a Case Study

Critical thinking, as a 21st century skill, has become a pertinent skill in modern education. Critical thinking was first debated by Greek philosophers, namely Plato and Socrates. Moroccan educators believe that critical thinking needs to be included in educational curricula. Within this framework, the aim of this study is to investigate Moroccan EFL teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards critical thinking skills in Moroccan school. The sample of the study consisted of 25 male and female EFL teachers who filled out an adopted questionnaire in Moroccan public schools, specifically in Kenitra’s directorate in the academic year 2022/2023. This study is categorized within the pragmatic worldview. It adopts a mixed-methods design that implements both quantitative and qualitative techniques to gather and analyse data. This research’s philosophy choice is based on a justified and grounded theory. Quantitative and qualitative data obtained from 55 EFL teachers from different high schools that belong to Kenitra’s directorate have been completely used to investigate and explore EFL teacher’s perceptions and attitudes towards Critical Thinking significance in Moroccan high schools. Findings show that Moroccan teachers perceive critical thinking as of paramount significance in EFL classrooms. Clearly, respondents literally held positive attitudes towards critical thinking skills. Yet, they believe that teachers should receive more training in this regard, and EFL textbooks need to include tasks and activities that stimulate students to learn the core skills of critical thinking. This study has many pedagogical implications, among which are the indoctrination of critical thinking skills in students and the assurance of quality education at the tertiary level.

Creative Teaching in Secondary School EFL Classes: A Critical Study of a Proposed Training Program

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a proposed training program in creative teaching for secondary stage EFL teachers to enhance their teaching performance. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design with 36 English language teachers teaching at secondary schools in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Based on the available literature, proven teaching methodologies were identified and included in the training program and teachers trained in their application in the EFL classrooms. Data were collected via an observation sheet. Results revealed that the extent of application of creative teaching skills by the high school EFL teachers at a typical Saudi school is currently low. Additionally, the results showed statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the treatment and control groups in the post-teaching performance in favor of the former. Further, the proposed training program achieved high effectiveness in enriching the teaching performance of English language teachers in secondary stage with (1.21) average gain ratio. The study concludes with recommending that EFL teachers both pre-service and in- service be trained in creative teaching in the EFL classrooms.

Exploring the Pedagogical Considerations for the Use and Development of Learning Materials in Moroccan EFL Classrooms

Instructional materials play a significant role in language teaching and learning processes as they provide learners with the input needed for them to learn the language effectively. They also support enriching language instruction and stimulate learners’ interests and motivation. The aims of the present study were to explore Moroccan EFL high school teachers’ perceptions of instructional materials, the criteria they follow when developing materials, the types of learning materials they use besides the textbook, and the challenges they encounter in materials development. For this purpose, the study used a mixed methods design that combines both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data. The sample of the study consisted of 160 public high school teachers who have different teaching experiences. The instruments that were used to collect data included a questionnaire, classroom observation, and document analysis. The results of the study revealed that teachers hold different perceptions about materials. On the one hand, some teachers view materials as anything that can be used to facilitate language learning, while others relate material to grammar worksheets that can be used to support the understanding of certain grammatical items. Further analysis revealed that the materials they develop for their learners focus on grammar with very little attention to communication. In addition, the findings showed that the textbook is the main learning material used in Moroccan EFL classrooms. However, the majority of teachers reported that they are unsatisfied with the EFL materials they use. Moreover, the findings found that teachers are not well trained and do not have the necessary skills that will allow them to develop effective materials. Also, authentic materials are not easily accessible, and they cannot be easily used. The study concluded with some pedagogical recommendations for Moroccan EFL teachers and materials developers.

Unpacking EFL teachers' agency enacted in nested ecosystems in developing regions of Southern China

The critical role of teacher agency in curriculum reform among high school teachers remains under-researched. Drawing on an ecological perspective, this study investigated the difficulties senior high school EFL teachers faced and their agency enacted during the implementation of curriculum reform. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 senior high school EFL teachers in two developing regions of southern China, and qualitative content analysis was applied to analyze the data. The findings identified four key difficulties perceived by the teachers, and their passive or active agency enacted in response to diverse factors in the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrosystems. This study underscores the need to enhance EFL teachers' active agency to ensure equitable English education access for students in developing regions.

Creativity-Nurturing Practices of Iranian EFL Teachers

The present study adopted a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to explore the status of nurturing creativity in Iranian EFL classrooms. A standard questionnaire was given to 214 public high school EFL teachers to rate the frequency of using creativity-nurturing strategies in their classrooms. While the curriculum policies stipulate creativity-nurturing strategies, the results suggested that the teachers do not frequently adopt the strategies. Further, interviews were conducted with the teachers to find out the factors hindering the teachers from using these strategies. Deductive thematic analysis of interview transcriptions led to the extraction of five themes regarded as attributes to the inability of Iranian EFL teachers to adopt creativity-nurturing strategies. The findings imply that the existence of performativity in Iranian EFL classrooms creates pressure and dilemma for EFL teachers to teach for creativity. Issues such as time, exams, and pressures of the curriculum strictly constrain the creativity-nurturing practices of these teachers. Generally, modifications need to be supported in various aspects of teaching English in Iran to help the teachers nurture creativity in the classrooms.

Antisocial Behaviors as Indicators of Latent School Dysfunction in Urban Morocco: a Phenomenology Study

This present research delves into the subjective experiences of EFL high school teachers in Morocco, elucidating their daily encounters with disruptive and anti-social behaviors and the coping mechanisms they employ. Conducted within the theoretical framework of structural functionalism, the study aims at measuring the extent to which schools as socialization institutions serve their designated social roles. A phenomenological methodology is employed, allowing five high school teachers to freely share and reflect on their lived experiences with regard to the topic under investigation. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data, which offered ample freedom for informants to voice their perceptions, feelings, sufferings, and to suggest practical solutions. From the testimonies of participants, three primary themes emerged. First, the Moroccan school is now embarking on undeclared roles pertaining to security and social order rather than to education. Second, the immense suffering experienced by teachers has a substantial negative impact on their professional performances, which, in turn, affects students’ academic achievements. Third, informants recognize disruptive behavior as a symptom of school dysfunction, and attribute it to teacher disempowerment, ineffective school legislations, the absence of a collaborative environment, the local authorities, the media and the family.

Turkish high school EFL teachers' AfL practices: Reported vs. actual classroom practices

Turkish high school EFL teachers' AfL practices: Reported vs. actual classroom practices

Exploring Mutual Learning of Four Chinese Senior High School EFL Teachers in a Collaborative Action Research Community

Abstract English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ professional development has been attached much importance with the advent of the National English Curriculum Standards (NECS in short) for Senior High Schools as it initiates the shift from knowledge-skill-oriented education to competence-oriented education. As an effective way for teachers’ professional development, collaborative action research community is introduced in this study to provide teachers with opportunities for mutual engagement, meaning negotiation, and a shared repertoire. Four senior high school EFL teachers from four different schools were studied in a collaborative action research community to explore how teachers from diversified backgrounds achieve mutual learning for their professional development. With data collected from observation, interviews, and journals, the study reveals that diversity and partiality help maintain mutual engagement in the community of practice. Meaning negotiation and mutual accountability in a joint enterprise contribute to the coherence of the community. Moreover, the participative activity of online and offline group discussion and the common topic of thinking visualization were treated as sources of a shared repertoire, an essential indication of a harmonious community. In this case, this study extrapolates how the collaborative action research community achieves harmony to support teachers’ professional development in action research.

EFL high school teachers’ beliefs and practices of learner autonomy

This paper aimed to investigate the beliefs and practices regarding learner autonomy (LA) among the Vietnamese EFL teachers at high schools. Data were collected from the survey and the interviews. A total of 136 EFL teachers from high schools across Vietnam completed the questionnaires, and 10 of them participated in the interviews later. The results showed that the participants expressed positivity towards LA and preferred sociocultural and psychological modes of LA, but some of them did not have sufficient knowledge of LA. The teachers perceived that their students did not possess a reasonable level of LA. Those teachers made efforts to promote LA in the English classes and found it challenging because of learners, teachers, family, and institutional factors when implementing LA. The implications are then put forward for the improvement of LA among high school students at three different levels of the individual teacher, management, and the decision-making process.