Teachers' perspectives on role of institutional policies on ESL teaching

Abstract

This paper examines the views of ESL teachers in Lahore about how policies embedded within institutions determine what they do as language teachers. Five themes were identified in this study using semi-structured interviews with 31 ESL teachers across multiple schools: curriculum and flexibility, resources, professional development (PD), policy communication and implementation, as well as teacher autonomy. The study results showed that the current institutional policies pose challenges for ESL teaching, including inflexible regulations and requirements, lack of materials or resources needed for effective instruction; insufficient professional development opportunities to support teacher training in second language pedagogy; ineffective communication regarding procedures and practices among various stakeholders, limited self-determined control over their classrooms. The findings of the study also point to a need for more fluid curriculum guidelines, improved resource allocation linked with staff development, better communication and trust between ESL teachers and mainstream classroom educators as well administrative personals with a greater level of teacher autonomy. The implications of these understandings for one segment of educational policy and, thereby a focus on ESL teaching, as well as the call for theoretically sound practice that is feasible in policies are part and parcel to what follows.