Title: The picture behind an intensive English language curriculum reform in Turkey: concerns of English teachers

Authors: Zehra Yedigöz Kara; Nilay T. Bümen

Addresses: Ministry of National Education, Izmir Provincial Directorate of National Education, Izmir, Turkey ' Faculty of Education, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

Abstract: Studies around the world point out the need to understand the nature of the reforms and dynamics during a curricular change. By providing a rich insight into a cohort of English teachers' concerns towards the new intensive English language curriculum (IELC) for early adolescences, this study aims to depict the picture behind the IELC in Turkey, where many curricular reforms take place. Adopting the explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the data were collected through the stages of concern questionnaire (SoCQ) and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The SoCQ analysis revealed that the teachers displayed a non-user profile by having intense self-concerns while displaying low consequence concerns. The interviews showed strong evidence for the teachers' struggles with their self-concerns and the solutions they employed during a curricular change. These results indicate teachers believe that they are unable to adopt the innovation as planned. Hence, it is suggested urgent support and guidance are required so that the teachers resolve their early concerns and advance to the more mature ones.

Keywords: concern-based adoption model; English language curricula; stages of concerns; SoCs; stages of concern questionnaire; SoCQ; teachers' concerns; Turkey.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLC.2023.132134

International Journal of Learning and Change, 2023 Vol.15 No.4, pp.405 - 429

Received: 17 Jan 2021
Accepted: 23 Jul 2021
Published online: 12 Jul 2023 *

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