English Language Teaching in Ecuadorian Primary Schools: Teacher Beliefs in the Context of the Curriculum Reform Versus Actual Practices
Keywords:
EFL curriculum, Language Education, Primary Education, Pedagogical Practices, Teacher beliefsAbstract
Despite the innovations to teach English through current methodologies and approaches, research in English Language Teaching at primary schools has yet to be explored. This study investigated the impact of the Ecuadorian national curriculum on teaching EFL through the lens of primary school teachers' beliefs. The participants of this study were 113 primary EFL teachers from primary schools. This study applied a mixed-method sequential explanatory approach. The quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire, associating teachers' beliefs and classroom practices regarding the new curriculum reform provided by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education. In qualitative data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 teachers who participated voluntarily in this investigation stage to support the quantitative results by associating their beliefs about instructional design, assessment, teaching materials, and teaching practices in the classroom. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the gathered data reveals that primary EFL teachers perceived the new curriculum reform as an innovative and updated document that embraces the development of 21st-century skills through its core principles. However, the participants mentioned various factors that hinder the implementation of the central cores of this curriculum reform. These factors included excessive students per class, insufficient technology integration, lack of parental involvement, low teachers’ experience teaching English at primary schools, and limited quality resources for EFL classrooms. The study also provides practical implications for EFL teaching and suggestions for future education.
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