Implementating the 2018 General Education Curriculum: Perceptions and Teaching Practices of Lower-Secondary School English Teachers

Abstract

Curriculum reform is a complex process that requires active engagement and flexible adaptation from teachers, who are the key agents responsible for implementing new pedagogical orientations in classroom practice. In the context of the English language curriculum reform in Vietnam, understanding teachers’ perceptions and teaching behaviors plays a crucial role in assessing the extent to which the reform has been enacted. This paper presents the findings of a study that employed semi - structured interviews with 15 lower secondary school English teachers to investigate their perceptions of the 2018 General Education Curriculum for English, their understanding of the new instructional approaches, and their current teaching practices in applying these methods. While most teachers expressed agreement with the goals and innovative pedagogical principles of the reform, the findings reveal a significant gap between the intended reform objectives and actual classroom practices. The study also found that many teachers still lacked a clear understanding and effective application of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, resulting in limited success in the implementation of the new curriculum. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced professional development and pedagogical support to strengthen teachers’ capacity to implement the curriculum effectively, particularly in the current context of educational reform.