An exploratory case-study into tensions between classroom practices and EFL teachers’, learners’ and coursebook writers’ beliefs on grammar instruction

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between the beliefs of 3 EFL teachers and 42 adult EFL learners in 3 public language schools in Barcelona towards grammar instruction, analysing the extent to which the use of 3 coursebooks with varying approaches to grammar causes tension between the agents’ stated beliefs and observed classroom practices. Teachers, learners and coursebook writers all completed a questionnaire eliciting beliefs on grammar instruction which were corroborated through classroom observations, coursebook analysis, and semi-structured preliminary and follow-up teacher interviews. Findings correlated with some results from previous studies comparing teacher and learner beliefs on grammar instruction with classroom practice, and those analysing coursebook use in the L2 classroom, yet expand on the current literature by revealing that despite all agents favouring some degree of formfocussed instruction in the classroom, tensions emerged either because of the coursebook writer’s approach to grammar, the learners’ beliefs, or the teachers lack of agency in the classroom. Additionally, this study discussed possible reasons for these findings, including top-down constraints publishers, schools and teacher education programmes entrenching the coursebook’s dominance in the classroom. Implications for future research are also discussed.