| This study examined how context and teachers' beliefs contribute to Taiwanese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers' practices at the elementary school level. Four EFL teachers were recruited in this participant/observational study conducted at a suburban elementary school in southern Taiwan appraised as one of 100 exemplary schools nationwide. Data were generated over a six-month period from interviews, classroom observations, document analysis, informal and email conversations, and informants' stimulated recalls from watching their videotaped classroom instruction. Member checking and triangulation with data from multiple sources, through multiple methods, were employed to establish trustworthiness.; The findings indicate that, with varying degrees of identification with the national guidelines, the four English teachers conceptualized practice in concert with their personal beliefs about English learning, teaching, their teacher role, and unique context factors. The teachers' practices were not affected by either the municipal guidelines for English teaching or school-level curriculum. Feeling themselves and English programs to be loosely coupled to the entire school organization, the teachers offered highly similar classroom practices because the constraints of current elementary English teaching did not allow them to put their beliefs into practice. Beliefs about self and about context appeared to be salient references when deciding how much to commit themselves to English teaching and the school. During the study, the four teachers made career decisions about whether to leave or stay in the profession as a result of their teaching experience at the specific school.; This research study serves to document the new feature of English teaching at the elementary school level in the reform. Implications for practice include to tighten the coupling of the EFL teachers and practices with the school-based curriculum development (SBCD) construct and the school community, to improve the effectiveness of EFL teaching by recognizing teachers' different stages and needs, their beliefs and theories of practice, and the importance of developing their reflective skills in pre- and in-service teacher training programs. Suggestions for further research are to explore whether EFL teachers' beliefs and practice are context-specific, or whether teachers of similar background share specific beliefs and practice in common. |
