Participatory Language Teaching: Iraqi EFL Teachers’ and Learners’ Perceptions

Learners’ participation in the decision-making process of language classes constitutes a major prerequisite to their development of critical consciousness and autonomy. This study strove to determine novice and experienced Iraqi EFL teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of participatory language teaching. To this end, the researchers selected ۱۷ novice and ۲۲ experienced EFL teachers and ۳۹ EFL learners as the participants at ۲۲ public schools in Baghdad. In addition, teachers were guided to implement participatory language teaching (PLT) in their classes in ۱۶ sessions in ۲ months. Lastly, the researchers used two semi-structured interview protocols to delve into the teacher and learner participants’ perceptions of this approach. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the obtained interview data. The findings indicated that both experienced and novice teachers had favorable views on the efficacy of PLT in their classes. Nonetheless, experienced teachers faced fewer problems during the implementation phase than novice teachers did, owing to their capability to allot adequate time to language instruction and assessment. Moreover, although EFL learners preferred this approach to traditional approaches, they acknowledged its demanding requirements. The findings indicate an urgent need for revised teacher training and learner-centered materials within the Iraqi educational context.

کلیدواژه ها:

Iraqi EFL teachers and learners ، learner participation ، participatory language teaching