Teacher Policy Research Articles

Bangladesh's national education policy for English teaching: Policy direction and gaps over the last decade

This study aims to demonstrate the perceived differences between the direction and the gaps in the execution of Bangladesh's National Education Policy (NEP) for English Teachers. It specifically examines the changing requirements of English teachers over the past decade by enhancing their proficiency and teaching methodologies. In this study, we show that communicative language teaching (CLT) approaches significantly modify the existing structure of educational policy in Bangladesh. The present study is grounded in the constructivist research paradigm and utilized a qualitative case study approach from diverse sources. The data was gathered via document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with six secondary school English teachers from a pool of educators representing four schools in different areas of Bangladesh. The data was analyzed using theme analysis via NVivo 11 software. The findings indicate several areas where the objectives of Bangladesh's NEP could be better aligned with their practical execution. These areas include reforming elementary and secondary schools and restructuring school leadership, teacher education, teacher status, and classroom pedagogy. Furthermore, this study is a valuable contribution toward advancing a more robust and efficient education policy at the national level, which can effectively improve the standard of education for all to provide quality teaching.

A localised perspective in educational policy studies: understanding actor interaction in a Hong Kong school through mohap

ABSTRACT Asia as Method, in decolonial thinking, endorses the value of local knowledge while concurrently recognizing colonial and global knowledges’ ongoing influence and potential value in knowledge production. The author takes such a decolonial approach to examine how actors interact in translating the Fine-tuning Medium of Instruction Policy in a Hong Kong school. To grasp the nuances of actor interaction, the Cantonese term mohap (wearing in) is employed. Three concepts from distinct traditions are used to explain mohap: meritocracy, harmony and agency. This study examines actors’ mohap process through three stages: How actors perceive the government guidelines, form the school-based policy, and develop the school-based policy. The findings show that actors’ mohap in the local context entails the meritocracy ideology, sought-after harmony, and actor agency. It reveals the need and the potential of localised approaches to educational policy studies in the Global South.

EMI programs in Azerbaijani Higher Education: analysis of macro, meso, and micro level agents’ perceptions of language policy and planning implementation

ABSTRACT Within the last decade, Azerbaijani universities’ upward implementation of English-medium instruction (EMI) policy has spread among most of the country's universities, public and private . Studies show that EMI programs in many universities worldwide are positioned as a language-planning tool to promote students’ mastery of English, which would open up new horizons and facilitate globalization. Considering that language planning and policy is an understudied topic in the Azerbaijani context and that there are practically no or few studies in this vein, it is hard to appraise EMI programs as a language planning tool in terms of this country. The paper reveals the key tendencies of the increasing number of EMI programs in Higher Educational Institutions in Azerbaijan. It examines the nature of EMI-related language policy and investigates how it is enacted in practice. We analyze EMI-related language policies and listen to the voices of the stakeholders at three levels, illustrating how macro (state/national), meso (university), and micro (staff) levels translate into one another. For this, we refer to a qualitative method of data collection that includes (1) a content analysis that studies four state policy documents at the macro level, (2), interviews administered to ten state representatives and policymakers at meso levels, and sixteen university professors at micro levels. The paper is a relevant contribution to understanding the language policy and planning (LPP) tendencies in the country using EMI as a key tool for globalization and internationalization.

Towards models of language supportive pedagogy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Comparing and analysing curricula and practice

A prerequisite for learning is that instructions and other learning activities take place in a language that you understand. This may seem self-evident, but fact remains that most learners in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are taught in a European second language (L2) that they are unfamiliar with. Frequently, the role of the home languages in the classrooms has been completely subtracted leading to very unfavourable learning situations for many pupils, something which in turn results in failures and early drop-out. The current paper takes up some of the challenges, dilemmas and consequences of current medium of instruction (MoI) policies as illustrated by theories and previous studies. Part 2 gives an outline of the analytical framework being developed under the Understanding project financed by the Swedish research Council. The purpose of the framework is to help reveal strengths, shortcomings and mismatches in current language-in-education policies. Focus lies on how different policy levels acknowledge the challenges involved in learning and teaching through a second language in SSA contexts. The model provides a systematic framework for explorations of how language-in-education policy outcomes (mis)match intentions. The framework, though adapted for SSA contexts, has direct relevance to the analysis of language-in-education polices in Western education systems.

Understanding the caring professional dispositions of the early childhood education teacher assistants in Chile

Despite their crucial global importance in the daily work within classrooms, teacher assistants are barely addressed in early childhood education (ECE) teaching policy and research. In this context, little is known about features of their role – more commonly studied in the case of lead teachers – such as their professional dispositions. This paper analyses the discourses of a group of Chilean ECE teacher assistants about their dispositions, exploring possible intersections and dissonances of an ethics of care and mainstream technical practice approaches in ECE. Sixteen assistants from two ECE centres located in an urban suburb of Santiago de Chile took part in focus groups and interviews, and their discourses were analysed through a Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings show that teacher assistants address their role by producing a discourse informed by an ethics of care, but also drawing marginally on a mainstream technical perspective. The findings may help inform future ECE teaching policy in Chile, embracing new approaches to ECE professionalism that foreground caring practices and acknowledge the diversity of the workforce.

Language of instruction policy in Nigeria: Assessing implementation and literacy achievement in a multilingual environment

In this study, I evaluate adherence to Nigeria's Language of Instruction (LOI) policy, which mandates that primary school students be taught in indigenous language. Using multivariate regression analysis and data from round 6 of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS6), I assessed disparities in adherence between school types (public and private schools) and location (urban/rural areas) and regions. The results reveal private schools exhibit lower implementation rates than public schools, while urban areas lag behind rural areas, and the southern region trails the north. This highlights the challenges of enforcing a uniform LOI policy in Nigeria's linguistically diverse setting. I also examine the relationship between LOI and literacy outcomes using regression and propensity score matching anaysis. Contrary to prevailing notion that teaching children in an indigenous language improves learning outcomes, my findings show that students taught in English outperformed their peers taught in indigenous languages. This departure from the norm underscores the need to reassess generalized conclusions derived from less lingustically diverse contexts, as they might not apply settings like Nigeria. It also calls for a nuanced understanding of how LOI influences learning outcomes in diverse contexts, emphasizing the importance of tailoring educational policies to local realities.

Almanya'da Çok Kültürlü Ortamda Yetişen Türk Kökenli Çocuklara Türkçe Öğreten Öğretmenlerin Değer Yargıları

The value judgments held by teachers responsible for instructing Turkish to children of Turkish origin in Germany’s multicultural context warrant rigorous analysis. This study seeks to critically examine the role these educators play in perpetuating the Turkish language among new generations, following the mass migration of Turkish citizens to Germany since 1961, and to evaluate the impact of these value judgments on the students’ linguistic and cultural development. The value judgments of teachers are posited as a significant factor in the formation of students’ cultural identities and the preservation of their mother tongue, underscoring the profound influence of educators’ attitudes on students’ language acquisition and cultural integration. In a diverse society like Germany, the preservation and development of cultural identity among Turkish students is imperative for their social integration and personal development. This research aims to contribute to the formulation and enhancement of educational policies for teachers of Turkish abroad by elucidating the effect of teachers’ cultural value judgments on students’ value perceptions. Furthermore, this study aspires to serve as a critical reference for shaping educational strategies for children of Turkish origin in Germany. Keywords: Germany, Turkish, Bilingualism, Value Judgments, Turkish Language Teachers

The nexus between research methodology, classroom data and instructional policy: insights from enacting the Zimbabwe curriculum framework 2015–2022 reforms

ABSTRACT This article explores the nexus among research methodlogy, classroom data and instructional policy enactment through content analysis of lesson transcripts. It is a multiple-case research of four Zimbabwean secondary school geography teachers’ classroom practices. Coded lesson-transcripts and post-lesson teacher-interview transcripts subjected to thematic content analysis yeilded patterns of classroom interaction. Most lessons were teacher dominated question and answer episodes which failed to achieve mandated learner-centred teaching.Teachers relied on recall-type questions while failing to scaffold onto learner contributions for deeper geographical conversations. A weak pedagogical content knowledge partially contributed to this. Content analysis of lesson transactions showed a symbiotic nexus among research methodology, classroom data and instructional policy implementation. Coded classroom data holds opportunities for critcal scrutiny of classroom transactions to gauge instructional policy implementation. Findings suggest succesful instructional policy implementation can benefit from teacher training in content analysis of classroom transactions for reflexive practice.

Understanding English medium instruction (EMI) policy from the perspectives of STEM content teachers in Kazakhstan

AbstractIn this study, the authors address the case of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) content teachers in an English medium instruction (EMI) environment in Kazakhstan to argue that the professional needs and identities of these teachers are considerably different than the specialist English teachers who teach English language skills and grammar. Therefore, STEM teachers require a different language policy response and diagnosis, and should be understood through a different analytical lens. The study draws on qualitative interviews with one EMI expert and 58 STEM content teachers from six cities or regions of Kazakhstan to present an account of the challenges they confront within mainstream schools. Findings suggest that policies force STEM content teachers to take the role of English teachers, although they are not prepared for that role. These teachers emphasize that their main responsibility is to teach course content, not the English language. As a result, they undergo several dilemmas such as professional [dis]investment and identity crisis, linguistic disadvantages, inferiority complexes, and pedagogical and theoretical limitations. Top‐down policies render local teachers and practitioners voiceless and disconnected from policymaking. The authors propose a non‐traditional, participatory, and non‐hierarchical policy framework, where policy actors at different levels collaboratively engage to assess teachers' diverse needs and take contextually informed actions to address the afore‐stated dilemmas and challenges.

Translanguaging: A Promising Approach to Enhance English Learning in Saudi Arabia

New perspectives incorporating a more flexible plurilingual approach to language teaching have recently emerged. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework that suggests a teaching policy methodology that enhances English education in Saudi Arabia. It includes a thorough revision of the nature of Saudi language pedagogy. The study argued for a better understanding of bilingual practices and for utilizing students’ pluralist resources of knowledge to develop their academic, communicative and literacy skills. It also called for a critical review of the conventional methodology of language education that is entirely based on adherence to the socially and politically defined boundaries between languages. As a result, it is suggested that translanguaging be implemented as a communicative strategy to support English education and encourage linguistic diversity in the Saudi context. Moreover, developmental recommendations regarding English teaching and translanguaging implementation that are useful both locally and internationally are incorporated.

National Education Policy, 2020 and Appointment of Teachers through UGCNET-the Policy Paradox

In a recent notification in July (UGC, 5th July ) 2023, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has once again acknowledged the vitality of the National Eligibility Test (NET), State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) and State Eligibility Test (SET) as minimum criteria for appointment of teachers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) whereas Ph.D. will remain an optional criterion. This notification once again revived the debates of NET or an accredited test (SLET/SET) and/or Ph.D. and embarked scholars to read the underlying causes of such frequently changing policies of UGC and overall ramifications of these on recruitment in the HEIs. In the context of implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, role of the HEIs for ensuring quality education has focused [1]. However, how these can be achieved through a dichotomous policy of NET/SLET/SET or PhD in the matters of selection of teachers. When many universities and colleges are run with inadequate teachers, in what ways they can fulfil the goal of NEP, 2020? How NET or an accredited test can be an important criterion for strengthening research programmers in HEIs? This paper critically evaluates these issues and presents the prolong issue of teachers’ recruitment and role of HEIs in India for quality education through teachers in the context of NEP. It brings light to how contradictory policies are embedded and in operational in the form of UGC-NET and other similar tests for limiting HEIs despite implementation of NEP, 2020.

The Influence of Transformational Leadership on the Implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Sustainable Outcomes

The study focused on the influence of transformational leadership on the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education for sustainable outcomes in selected secondary schools of Muchinga Province of Zambia. The main objectives were to establish the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, to explore leadership influence on the implementation and to assess the benefits of implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education on learners in selected rural public Secondary Schools of Muchinga Province of Zambia. The research employed qualitative method. It employed descriptive design. Study sample comprised of headteachers, teachers, parents and learners with the total number of 64. It employed three instruments namely; semi structured interviews and observation checklist. The research findings established that, Comprehensive Sexuality Education was taught as integrated in other subjects using methodologies that engaged learners while learning sexuality issues, School leadership championed the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, they motivated learners and teachers by providing guidance and, encouraging also awarding those who are well behaved with sponsorship. They also promoted individualized consideration through mandatory one on one counselling on sexuality issues which is a deliberate policy in all the three schools. The research discovered that, learners benefited from Comprehensive Sexuality Education because they gained knowledge on Comprehensive Sexuality Education as revealed by parent respondents, it was also discovered that sexuality cases were reduced from 1457 in 2015 to 453 in 2023 by 1004 in cases of sexuality and in 2014 when the implementation started the total sexuality related cases stood at 1375 which was later reduced to 117 in 2023. It is recommended that, school leadership should champion the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in all school, learners should take responsibility of acquiring sexuality skills, knowledge, values, right altitude and of making informed decisions appropriately. It is highly recommended that, the government should develop a deliberate policy of teaching and monitoring Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a standalone. The future recommendation from this study was that, A research on influence of transformational leadership on the implementation of comprehensive sexuality Education for sustainable outcomes in selected rural public secondary schools would be worthwise in order to establish the expected outcomes on learners. The same research should be conducted in Chinsali District.

A Systematic Review of English as a Medium of Instruction Policy in the Arab World

Language of instruction policy plays a major role in the success of education, impacting stakeholders from different backgrounds, such as instructors, students, parents, and government officials. This article presents an analysis of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) research conducted in Arab world (AW) countries since the year 2000. A keyword search of the Scopus database returned 101 articles, 52 of which were removed using identified selection criteria. This left 49 articles analysed in terms of authorship, funding information, research instruments, contexts, publication year and place, citations, and key findings. The results were as follows: Although AW researchers have examined EMI policy in greater detail during the last five years, several AW contexts remain unexplored. Author affiliations were linked to the locations of funding organisations. Neither K-12 nor graduate EMI provision has been investigated fully. While EMI is a successful top-down policy well-suited to AW demographics, it is viewed negatively by most students, possibly because programmes are not designed well and instructors are insufficiently prepared to teach EMI programmes effectively. Although EMI’s one-size-fits-all approach is common in many AW institutions, educational levels and academic disciplines impact the success of EMI policy. I argue that AW and international researchers must collaborate to gain a wider understanding of AW contexts, and that research must strive to include other stakeholders, such as employers and parents.

Dynamics of Application of Social Sciences Subjects in the Independent Curriculum at Junior High School Level

The Merdeka Curriculum emphasizes students' freedom to explore themselves while making the teacher a partner in the learning process. This article will examine the dynamics of implementing social science subjects in the independent curriculum at junior high school level. The approach applied in this research is qualitative using online observation and document data collection techniques. Meanwhile, data analysis was carried out using a content analysis approach. The results of this research concluded that Social Sciences learning outcomes in the independent curriculum in junior high schools were made by referring to National Education Standards, especially Content Standards, as a reference in the learning process. Implementation stages using independent curriculum teaching modules at the junior high school level as well as ensuring sustainability and carrying out in-depth analysis in its implementation. In implementing it in schools, the obstacles for social studies teachers in implementing the independent curriculum are very diverse. This research reveals that the implementation of the independent curriculum is very dependent on school and teacher policies in implementing it, especially in social studies subjects, becoming an integration umbrella for various branches of social sciences and humanities disciplines to strengthen the competence of students. to have insight and skills in thinking, acting and having concern for the nation and society, where social studies subjects consist of history, sociology, economics and geography.

교사의 경력 전망에 대한 세대별 인식 분석

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate generational differences of teachers' perceptions on career prospects including promotion, turnover intention, and retirement age. Understanding these differences is essential for adapting educational practices to the evolving needs of the teaching society. Methods: A survey was conducted with 2,064 elementary, middle, and high school teachers affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. The responses regarding promotion, turnover intention, and retirement age were analyzed across generations X, M, and Z using frequency analysis and chi-square tests. Interviews on career prospects were also performed with thirteen teachers to gain in-depth insights into the generational differences and policy improvement. Results: Findings revealed that while all generations found promotion unattractive, they shared different perspectives regarding the reasons. The younger generation showed a higher inclination towards turnover intention and a lower commitment to remaining in the profession until retirement age. The most common motivations for turnover intention were low wages and increased violations with respect to the rights of educational activities across generations. Generation X teachers expressed discomfort with the promotion system through the interviews while Generation M and Z teachers considered the cost-effectiveness aspect of promotion. Conclusion: Generational disparities in teachers' perceptions of career prospects call for considerations in teacher policies. Subdividing promotion positions and expanding career paths will guarantee continued exercise of teachers’ expertise in the era of change.

Our gateway is your gatekeeper: benefits and constraints of EMI for different participants in Japanese ELF contexts

Abstract This paper explores the interconnectedness of gatekeeper and gateway roles the same English-medium instruction (EMI) policy plays for different student populations at different times. The research site is located in an EMI programme at a Japanese university, where, for international students, EMI opens a gateway to the university, Japanese ability not being required at the entry point, whereas the same policy plays a gatekeeping role for Japanese students, a high English proficiency level based on native English speaker (NES) norms being required. However, for international students with plans to work for Japanese companies after graduation, their low Japanese ability starts playing a gatekeeping role for their future career, contrary to the situation at the outset. In contrast, Japanese students, who initially struggle to get used to EMI, after a few years, become empowered by their ability to use English as a lingua franca (ELF), which becomes a gateway to new career opportunities. Thus, the same EMI policy could play opposing roles for different student populations at different times, a gateway turning gatekeeper for one group, while for another, the initial gatekeeper turning gateway after some time. The exploration is mostly based on our interview data with EMI graduates at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Implications for language policy will also be discussed.

The politics of distraction in planning English-medium education policy in schools

ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of a critical ethnography focused on the English-medium instruction (EMI) policy in Nepal’s public schools. Through the analysis of policy documents and interviews with policymakers, the study reveals that policymakers view the EMI policy as a solution to the crisis in public schools by enhancing their competitiveness with private English-medium schools. However, this approach is identified as a ‘politics of distraction’, as it diverts attention from broader issues such as implicit privatization, funding cuts, and accountability deficits for implementing multilingual education policy. By framing EMI as a public policy doctrine using discursive strategies (e.g. neoliberal rationalization and justification) and suggesting that the crisis can be resolved through school privatization, which in turn promotes commodified languages like English and the national dominant language, Nepali, over local/Indigenous languages, policymakers largely disregard inequalities, structural conditions, and reinforce the existing unequal power relations. By diverting attention from critical issues, policymakers perpetuate historical marginalization, colonial agendas and ideologies, and unequal power asymmetries, failing to address systemic challenges. The research underscores the necessity of scrutinizing the motivations and agendas underlying the promotion of EMI in mainstream schools in multilingual contexts.

The Effect of the Double Reduction Policy on the English Performance of Junior Middle School Students in Zengcheng, Guangdong

With the implementation of the double reduction policy, higher requirements have been virtually placed on the education and teaching of schools. The "double reduction" policy has strengthened teachers' subjective pursuit of teaching quality and teaching efficiency. Therefore, teachers have explored feasible methods to effectively improve English teaching efficiency, and strive to build a quality, humanized and efficient cognitive environment for junior high school students. In order to greatly improve the efficiency of English teaching, teachers consciously explore the requirements of the "double reduction" policy for English teaching, pragmatically summarize the main factors that improve English teaching efficiency, comprehensively summarize the practical value of improving English teaching efficiency, and scientifically explore the methods of improving English teaching efficiency under the "double reduction" policy.

Perspectives and discourses on teaching evaluations in a South African university

ABSTRACT The paper reports on a study that explored selected lecturers’ perspectives and discourses on a university's Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) policy in South Africa; particularly what the policy prioritised in terms of purpose and evaluation processes. It also reports on the lecturers’ reflections on the additional questions they included in the self-designed evaluation tools. A questionnaire, informal group conversations, and extended observations were used to collect data, and Latour (2005). Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network Theory. Oxford University Press and Latour (2013). An Inquiry Into Modes of Existence. Translated by C. Porter. London: Harvard University Press works helped make sense of the lecturers’ perspectives and discourses. Findings indicate a partial grasp of what the SET policy promotes. Lecturers’ understanding seemed to emphasise teaching evaluations’ professional development and accountability functions. Little attention was paid to the context in which teaching and learning occurred. The conclusion suggests ways in which the guidance given to lecturers could be improved to help them understand and work more effectively with their university’s SET policy.

Ideologies of teachers and students towards meso-level English-medium instruction policy and translanguaging in the STEM classroom at a Malaysian university

Abstract English medium instruction (EMI) as a language policy in higher education is based on monolingual conceptions and limits the use of the full linguistic repertoire of bilinguals/multilinguals in the university classroom. Informed by the constructs of language ideology (Spolsky, Bernard. 2009. Language management. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), translanguaging (Li, Wei. 2018. Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied Linguistics 39(1). 9–30) and pedagogical translanguaging (Creese, Angela & Adrian Blackledge. 2010. Translanguaging in the bilingual classroom: A pedagogy for learning and teaching? The Modern Language Journal 94(1). 103–115), this case study aimed to examine the ideologies held by micro-level stakeholders (i.e., teachers and students) towards institutional English-only EMI policy, translanguaging, and the significance and scope of pedagogical translanguaging in EMI classrooms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six teachers and 10 students at a public research university in Malaysia. Also collected were a variety of publicly accessible institutional documents, including the focal university’s programme brochures, promotional materials and policy statements on its website. Analyses of the interviews and documents revealed that although EMI was officially adopted in the programmes, both teachers and students advocated for translanguaging and underscored its important role in the transmission of new information, effective communication, and scientific meaning-making. In light of these findings, the study concludes that an inclusive language policy is required that allows teachers and students to access all their linguistic resources.