The role of teaching experience in language teachers' perceptions of a top‐down curriculum change. Issue 4 (2nd October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rahimi, Mehrak; Alavi, Jalil
• Is Part Of: Curriculum journal. Volume 28:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 479
• Page End: 503
• Publication Date: 2017-10-02
• Subjects: Change -- perceptions -- language -- curriculum -- experience; Education -- Curricula -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Curriculum planning -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 375.00941
• DOI: 10.1080/09585176.2017.1344134
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0958-5176

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The current study aimed to investigate the role of teaching experience in language teachers' perceptions of a top‐down curriculum change. One hundred twenty‐seven language teachers who have been experiencing the change for three years participated in the study. Their perceptions of change were quantitatively assessed by perceptions of change survey with three main components: new curriculum, teacher practices, and administrative support of change. Analysis of the quantitative data analysis indicates that experience is associated with more cautious perceptions of change and explains 9% of the variance in the results. To triangulate the findings of the quantitative data analysis, 10 experienced and 8 novice teachers took part in a structured interview and answered 10 questions regarding the old curriculum and the change, their role in the reform, and the administrator's support of the change. The result showed that both experienced and novice teachers are optimistic about the new syllabus. However, experienced teachers are more concerned about the practical issues of change such as time and lack of audiovisual aids. Further, they think that their agency and experiential professionalism are neglected in this change and the problems of implementing change have not been appropriately addressed by the administrators during the last three years.