English language teaching curriculum in Iran: planning and practice |
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| Authors: | Mahmood Reza Atai Farhad Mazlum |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Applied Linguistics &2. TEFL , Kharazmi University , Tehran , Iran atai@tmu.ac.ir;4. TEFL , Kharazmi University , Tehran , Iran |
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| Abstract: | The present study investigates English language teaching (ELT) curriculum planning in Iran's Ministry of Education and its implementation by teachers. We studied programme evaluation; needs analysis; the ELT-specific documents; communication channels between planning and practice levels; teacher evaluation and student assessment; interpretation and re-examination of national policies within the Ministry; and the criteria set for ELT material development. Instrumentation included: curriculum documents; interviews with Ministry officials, material developers and headteachers; and teacher questionnaires. Results attested to the lack of any ELT-specific document for material development and absence of research-based needs assessment as the foundation of the programmes. Also, there are no pre-defined linguistic and professional criteria for evaluating teachers, and planning for students' assessment is limited to a set of general guidelines. Moreover, there is neither a programme evaluation nor an ELT evaluation model and national-level policies are not re-examined at planning level. Results also indicate that politico-ideological beliefs of material developers are as important as their expertise and communication channels between planning and practice levels are of a top-down nature. It is argued that the gap between planning and practice results from a highly centralised policymaking process in which local policymakers (i.e. teachers) are not involved. |
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| Keywords: | curriculum development curriculum innovation language teaching modern foreign languages pedagogy professional development English language education policy |
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