An Exploration of Foreign Language Teachers’ Beliefs about Curriculum Innovation in Algeria: A Socio-Political Perspective By Fouzi Bellalem Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Education School of Social Science and Public Policy King’s College, London University of London August 2008 1 Abstract Recent political and economic developments in Algeria have brought about reforms of the educational system. A new curriculum was introduced as part of these reforms. This study explores the beliefs of French and English school teachers about curriculum innovation in Algeria. The study is positioned in the qualitative research tradition and looks at teachers from an “emic” perspective. It takes a constructivist paradigm, where the researcher adopts the lens through which the participants’ world is interpreted. A review of literature about teachers’ beliefs and curriculum theory helps to draw a theoretical framework to guide the data analysis and interpretation. Semi-structured interviews and group discussions are used as methods of data collection. Grounded Theory is employed as a method to analyse the data. The findings indicate that the teachers held negative beliefs about the new curriculum because of an incompatibility of these beliefs with the innovation. A further analysis reveals that issues of policy and power underpinned this incompatibility. It was found that the participants generally enacted a transmissionist ideology whereas the new curriculum was intended as socio-constructivist. They viewed the Algerian school as a site of political power and ideological domination, whereas the Ministry of Education viewed it as a place for engendering socio- cultural emancipation and democracy. The teachers showed positive attitudes towards learning foreign languages, but were wary of the latter’s hegemonic power. 2 They believed that they were not being recognised as professionals, while their Ministry blamed them for being unresponsive to change. I conclude that the participants’ beliefs had not been so challenged prior to the implementation of the innovation; that both participants and policy-makers blamed one another and were unaware that they both represented part of the problems facing curriculum reforms; and that the Ministry’s educational reforms were not actually in line with social, political and economic reforms. In the conclusion it is argued that tensions arose because of a lack of trust and dialogue within the Algerian educational system. It is suggested that recognition of “social capital”, a philosophy based on interaction, trust and critical reflection towards accomplishing social integration and democracy, can be adopted as a strategy by all those involved in education to promote dialogue towards improving the teachers’ situation in Algeria. 3 Table of Contents Page ABSTRACT 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 LIST OF TABLES 8 LIST OF FIGURES 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9 DEDICATIONS 10 KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS 11 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1.1. Introduction 13 1.2. Triggers of the study 13 1.3. Background to curriculum reforms in Algeria 16 1.4. Rationale for the study 20 1.5. Objectives of the study 23 1.6. Research questions 24 1.7. Overview of the methodology 25 1.8. Limitations of the study 25 1.9. Overview of the thesis 27 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 2.1. Introduction 28 2.2. The nature of teachers’ beliefs 28 2.2.1. Definitions of teachers’ beliefs 28 2.2.2. Sources of teachers’ beliefs 31 2.2.3. Main categories of teachers’ beliefs 33 2.3. Teachers’ beliefs, curriculum innovation and teacher training 34 2.3.1. Why study teachers’ beliefs? 34 2.3.2. Teachers’ beliefs and curriculum innovation 35 2.3.3. Teachers’ beliefs and teacher training 37 2.4. Views and definitions of curriculum 40 2.4.1. Definitions of curriculum 40 2.4.2. Curriculum and power 42 2.4.3. Views of curriculum 44 2.4.4. Teachers’ beliefs about curriculum 47 2.4.5. Views of curriculum in foreign language teaching 48 4 2.5. Summary 50 CHAPTER THREE: THE CONTEXT OF THE STUDY: THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN ALGERIA 3.1. Introduction 52 3.2. Structure of the educational system 52 3.2.1. The school system 52 3.2.2. The administration system 54 3.3. Political history of foreign language education in Algeria 56 3.3.1. The colonial period (1830 – 1962) 56 3.3.2. The post-independence period (1962 – 1979) 57 3.3.3. The economic-liberal period (1980 – 1991) 58 3.3.4. The political-crisis period (1992 – 1999) 60 3.3.5. The National Reconciliation period (2000 – present) 61 3.4. The new foreign language teaching curriculum 62 3.5. Foreign language teacher training and development 66 3.5.1. The old teacher training system 66 3.5.2. The new teacher training system 67 3.5.3. The graduate teacher route programme 68 3.5.4. In-service training courses and continuous professional development 69 3.6. Teachers’ working conditions 70 3.6.1. Professional problems 70 3.6.2. Social and economic problems 71 3.6.3. Security problems 72 3.7. Summary 73 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 4.1. Introduction 75 4.2. A constructivist paradigm to the study of teachers’ beliefs 75 4.2.1. Exploratory-interpretive research paradigm 75 4.2.2. The challenges of researching teachers’ beliefs 78 4.2.3. A constructivist research paradigm 80 4.3. Researcher’s biography and stance 84 4.4. Sampling of participants and negotiating access 85 4.4.1. Sampling strategies 85 4.4.2. Negotiating access 86 4.5. Participants’ profiles 89 4.5.1. Participants for individual interviews 90 4.5.2. Participants for group interviews 92 4.6. Methods of data collection 94 4.6.1. Rationale for using interviews 96 4.6.2. Semi-structured individual interviews 98 4.6.3. Group interviews 98 4.6.4. Interview wording and schedule 100 4.6.5. Management of interviews 103 5 4.6.6. Limitations of using interviews 106 4.7. Data analysis 107 4.7.1. Open coding 108 4.7.2. Theoretical coding 111 4.7.3. Selective coding 113 4.8. Issues of translation and acknowledgement of bias 115 4.9. Issues of ethics and trustworthiness 117 4.9.1. Ethic of respect 118 4.9.2. Informed consent 119 4.9.3. Incentives 119 4.9.4. Confidentiality and anonymity 120 4.9.5. Reporting back to the participants 120 4.9.6. Trustworthiness 121 4.10. Summary 124 CHAPTER FIVE: PRESENTATION OF THE FINDINGS: ALGERIAN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS 5.1. Introduction 125 5.2. Teaching and learning foreign languages in Algeria 126 5.2.1. Beliefs about the importance of learning foreign languages 126 5.2.2. Beliefs about the current foreign language teaching situation 128 5.2.3. Beliefs about the new curriculum 130 5.2.4. Beliefs about students’ learning and motivation 133 5.3. The school system 137 5.3.1. Beliefs about the Algerian school 137 5.3.2. Beliefs about resources 139 5.3.3. Beliefs about parents 141 5.3.4. Beliefs about the educational administration 142 5.4. Foreign language teachers’ knowledge and professional development 144 5.4.1. Beliefs about teachers’ roles and responsibilities 144 5.4.2. Beliefs about teachers’ knowledge 148 5.4.3. Beliefs about personal experience with learning foreign languages 153 5.4.4. Beliefs about choice of the teaching profession 154 5.4.5. Beliefs about training and professional development 156 5.5. Summary of the main findings 160 CHAPTER SIX: INTERPRETATION OF THE FINDINGS 6.1. Introduction 162 6.2. Interpretation of the main findings 162 6.2.1. Unclear views and definitions of curriculum 166 6.2.2. Politically-dominated, socially-distant and under-resourced schools 170 6 6.2.3. Ill-defined policy objectives for foreign language teaching 181 6.2.4. Undervalued and oppressed teachers 192 6.3. Summary 204 CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT IN ALGERIA 7.1. Introduction 206 7.2. Conclusions 207 7.3. Implications for teacher development in Algeria 212 7.3.1. Training courses that foster reflection 212 7.3.2. Social capital and education 213 7.3.3. Professional activism and teacher development in Algeria 216 7.4. Directions for further research 220 7.5. Personal reflections on conducting research 221 7.6. Limitations of the study 223 APPENDICES 227 REFERENCES 328 7 List of Tables Page Table 2.1 Views of curriculum in foreign language teaching 50 Table 3.1 New structure for foreign language teaching in Algeria 62 Table 3.2 Training for French and English language teachers in Algeria 68 Table 3.3 INSETs and seminars for foreign language teachers 70 Table 4.1 Possible paradigms in research 77 Table 4.2 Summary of participants and data collection methods 89 Table 4.3 Profiles of participants for individual interviews 92 Table 4.4 Profiles of participants for group interviews 94 Table 4.5 Core categories and their sub-categories from theoretical coding 112 Table 5.1 Summary of the main findings 161 List of Figures Figure 6.1 System of incompatibility factors 165 8 Acknowledgements I am grateful to all the participants who took part in this study. I would like to thank them all. I will never forget their professionalism and dedication. I would like to thank my supervisors Dr Jane Jones and Professor Brian Street for their help and patience. Their support, guidance, and encouragements are highly appreciated. My thanks also go to all staff in the department of education for their help and support, and in particular to Professor Constant Leung for his constructive feedback. Last but not least, I am also very grateful to all my teachers who have constantly been a source of knowledge and enlightenment throughout the different stages of my education, primary, middle, secondary and higher education.