Iranian EFL High School Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Critical Incidents through Communities of Practice

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Tehran

10.48308/mpes.2024.231904.1335

Abstract

Objectives:
The objective of this study was to scrutinize the critical incidents occurring in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) public school classes. Public schools were chosen as the focus due to their demographic varieties, which make them a rich source of critical incidents. The study aimed to explore these incidents and understand teachers' and students' perceptions of them in English classes.

Materials and Methods:
To achieve the objectives, the researcher established several communities of practice based on the work of Becker (2023). The study then involved visiting 10 public high schools in Tehran, Iran. The target of the study was English classes, their teachers, and the students in these classes. To collect data, the researcher utilized reflective journals and conducted semi-structured interviews with the teachers and students. The collected narratives were then analyzed using theme methods analysis, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the critical incidents.

Results and Discussions:
The results of the narrative analysis revealed that teachers expressed dissatisfaction with a large number of critical incidents occurring in their classes. Most teachers viewed these incidents as negative, but some positive incidents were also reported. The study found that Iranian public high schools are indeed a rich source of critical incidents. The analysis highlighted various themes reported by students as the reasons for critical incidents, including teachers' language proficiency, classroom management abilities, and students' (mis)behaviors. Overall, the study provided insightful ideas on the most routine practices in Iranian high schools, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities related to critical incidents in EFL classes.


Keywords: Community of practice, Critical incidents, Public high schools, EFL classes

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