Bridging policy and practice: A needs analysis of primary school class teachers in designing contextualized English materials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/pcryyf24Keywords:
Needs analysis, Material adaptation, Kurikulum Merdeka, Primary school EFL, Non-specialist teachers, TPDAbstract
The reinstatement of English as a primary school subject in Indonesia has exposed a policy-practice gap. In Yogyakarta, around 90% of primary English teachers are generalist classroom teachers who lack formal training in English Language Teaching (ELT). This situation contributes to language anxiety and dependence on largely unadapted commercial English textbooks. This study investigated a six-month blended workshop-and-mentoring professional-development initiative designed to support non-specialist teachers in evaluating, adapting, and developing contextualized English materials. Guided by Needs Analysis, the study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design using baseline diagnostics, a post-intervention exit questionnaire, open-ended reflections and mentorship records. The findings indicate stronger self-reported understanding and confidence in materials evaluation and adaptation, while qualitative reflections suggest a perceived shift from passive textbook use toward more active evaluation, adaptation, and contextualization of materials. Teachers also identified longer-term needs for shared digital resource repositories, localized Communities of Practice, equitable university support, and future-ready pedagogical development. The study concludes that primary EFL curriculum reform should be accompanied by sustained, ecologically responsive professional-learning systems rather than one-off training.
References
Abbott, M. L., & Lee, K. K. (2022). Researcher-supported professional learning and development for instructors in adult L2 programs: Factors leading to ongoing communities of practice. The Modern Language Journal, 106(3), 617–634. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12793
Bahari, A., Barrot, J. S., & Sarkhosh, M. (2022). Current state of research on the use of technology in language teacher education and professional development. TESOL Journal, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.672
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Banegas, D. L., Corrales, K., & Poole, P. (2020). Can engaging L2 teachers as material designers contribute to their professional development? Findings from Colombia. System, 91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102265
Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36(2), 81–109. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444803001903
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Butler, Y. G. (2015). English language education among young learners in East Asia: A review of current research (2004–2014). Language Teaching, 48(3), 303–342. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444815000105
Copland, F., & Garton, S. (2014). Key themes and future directions in teaching English to young learners: Introduction to the special issue. ELT Journal, 68(3), 223–230. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccu030
Copland, F., Garton, S., & Burns, A. (2014). Challenges in teaching English to young learners: Global perspectives and local realities. TESOL Quarterly, 48(4), 738–762. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.148
Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press.
Dzieciatko-Szendrei, B., Pantić, N., Joksimović, S., Gašević, D., & Viry, G. (2024). Systematic review of the operational definitions and indicators of teacher communities. Educational Research Review, 45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100640
El Deen, A. A. M. M. A. (2023). The role of educational initiatives in EFL teacher professional development: A study of teacher mentors’ perspectives. Heliyon, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13342
Garton, S., Copland, F., & Burns, A. (2011). Investigating global practices in teaching English to young learners. ELT Research Papers 11(1), 1-24.
Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A learning-centred approach. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733031
Kourkouli, K. (2024). Unlocking in-depth forum discussion and perceived effectiveness: Teaching and social presence categories in online teacher communities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104630
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815355
Li, D. (2024). Material use for EFL teacher learning in classroom ecology: A perturbation or affordance?. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 37(2), 186–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2023.2288132
Li, J., & Gao, X. (2025). Language teachers’ developmental trajectories as materials developers. TESOL Quarterly, 59(3), 1719–1749. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3380
Li, J., Gao, X., & Cui, X. (2023). Language teachers as materials developers. RELC Journal, 54(3), 881–889. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882211061627
Li, J., Wu, Y., & Gao, X. (2023). Language teachers’ engagement with ideological representations as materials designers. System, 117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103121
Li, J., Wu, Y., & Gao, X. (2025). Novice and experienced language teachers’ experiences of designing materials: A comparative case study. Porta Linguarum, 43, 167–182. https://doi.org/10.30827/portalin.vi43.29379
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE.
Littlejohn, A. (2011). The analysis of language teaching materials: Inside the Trojan Horse. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Materials development in language teaching (2nd ed., pp. 179–211). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139042789.011
Long, C., Li, C., Huang, G., & Fu, J. (2024). How to better promote teaching? Unveiling the links between Professional Learning Communities and Intrinsic Motivation among Foreign Language Teachers. Heliyon, 10(16). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36011
McGrath, I. (2013). Teaching materials and the roles of EFL/ESL teachers: Practice and theory. Bloomsbury Academic. A&C Black.
Mehdizadeh, M., Pourhaji, M., & Derakhshan, A. (2024). Evolution of communities of practice, realignment of possible selves, and repositionings in EFL teacher professional identity development: A longitudinal case study. The Language Learning Journal, 52(3), 336–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2163685
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE.
Nation, I. S. P., & Macalister, J. (2010). Language curriculum design. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203870730
Priestley, M., Biesta, G., & Robinson, S. (2015). Teacher agency: An ecological approach. Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781474219426
Tao, J., & Gao, X. (2017). Teacher agency and identity commitment in curricular reform. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63, 346–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.01.010
Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of mixed methods research: Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral sciences. SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506350288
Tomlinson, B. (Ed.). (2011). Materials development in language teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139042789
Tomlinson, B., & Masuhara, H. (2018). The complete guide to the theory and practice of materials development for language learning. Wiley-Blackwell.
Wang, L. (2022). English language teacher agency in response to curriculum reform in China: An ecological approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.935038
Widagsa, R., Senom, F., & Hutagalung, F. D. (2025). Teaching out-of-field: Exploring the non-specialist English language teachers’ knowledge base and practices. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2514914
Zein, M. S. (2015). Preparing elementary English teachers: Innovations at pre-service level. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(6), 104–120. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n6.6
Zein, M. S. (2016). Government-based training agencies and the professional development of Indonesian teachers of English for Young Learners: Perspectives from complexity theory. Journal of Education for Teaching, 42(2), 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2016.1143145
Zein, M. S. (2017). Elementary English education in Indonesia: Policy developments, current practices, and future prospects. English Today, 33(1), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078416000407
Zhang, Q., Liu, Y., & Peng, J.-E. (2023). Unpacking EFL teachers’ agency enacted in nested ecosystems in developing regions of Southern China. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2023.100775
Zhi, Y., & Yang, H. (2024). The predicting role of EFL/ESL teachers’ self-efficacy and grit in their professional development. Porta Linguarum. An International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, (42), 161–177. https://doi.org/10.30827/portalin.vi42.27900
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish in TEFL Journal agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the TEFL Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) the work for any purpose, even commercially with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in TEFL Journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in TEFL Journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
