Exploring The Implementation of Syllabus Design Principles in EFL Syllabi: Teachers’ Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21271/mj.1.1.10Keywords:
Syllabus design principles, EFL syllabi, teachers’ approachAbstract
The current qualitative study explores the extent to which Kurdish EFL teachers navigate syllabus design principles within the EFL context at Salahaddin University-Erbil, College of Basic Education. It also explores the challenges they encounter during implementing syllabus design principles. To achieve the objectives of the study a semi-structured interview was conducted with nine EFL teachers in the Department of English, College of Basic Education. They revealed their perspectives and implementations to the embedding principles (e.g., needs analysis, learning objectives, content selection and sequencing, skills integration, flexibility and assessment) in their syllabi, in addition to systemic barriers. The collected date was analyzed qualitatively through thematic analysis. The results of the study show differences between teachers’ knowledge and application of syllabus design principles. The major challenges faced by teachers include lack of professional development programs, time constraints, large class sizes and limited resources, which affect the quality and consistency of the syllabus. The study recommends the need for a systematic approach to syllabus design and implementation to improve the quality of language instruction.
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