Republic of the Philippines

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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Exploring Teacher Beliefs and Practices in Language Teaching:
A Systematic Review of the Literature

Riza Agustina A. Costales

Abstract

Several studies have already been conducted pertaining to teacher beliefs and its
evidences in classroom practice. A systematic literature review provides an analysis of the
studies particularly on giving an overview of what has been contributed to the body of
knowledge regarding teacher beliefs and practice as well as the gaps in the studies
conducted. Through a repertory grid, it has been found that language teachers have their
own beliefs on different aspects of language teaching. Classroom practice however, does
not always exhibit the teachers’ stated beliefs. Gaps in the studies show the lack of data for
the incongruence of belief and practice as well as the lack of holistic studies along this area.

Introduction

In the teaching-learning process, the teacher provides and facilitates the classroom
activities directed towards the achievement of the learning objectives of the lesson or subject
matter. In doing so, the teacher employs methods, strategies, and techniques that he or she
believes are the most effective for the students to learn. Teacher beliefs therefore, have
become one of the major constructs in educational research as these have been recognized as
the best indicators of teachers’ planning, and decision making leading to the teachers’
classroom behavior and practices (Irez, 2007). As Clark and Peterson (1984) earlier posited,
the theories and beliefs of teachers represent their store of knowledge that affect their
interactive thoughts and decisions. Later, Pajares (1992) noted that teachers’ beliefs have a
greater influence on the teachers’ general classroom practice than the teachers’ knowledge.

The inclusion of the study on teachers’ beliefs educational research is important for
further understanding and improving educational processes. Teachers’ beliefs serve as
guide to language teachers daily language teaching challenges that in turn shape language
learners’ learning environment and language learning achievements (Xu, 2007).
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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When the teacher enters the classroom therefore, he or she does not go there with a
random of ideas to impart to the class rather, the teacher is informed with various
assumptions and beliefs in teaching language. Language teachers develop their own
assumptions based on the received wisdom and well-tried ideas of their own pedagogic
communities which find expression in established practice (Widdowson, 2003).

It is in the context of exploring teachers’ beliefs in language teaching that this

systematic literature review is conducted to provide a background on what is already known
in the body of knowledge regarding teachers’ beliefs in language teaching and what are the
gaps that are yet to be answered through research.

Method

There have been several studies conducted on various aspects on the subject matter
of teacher beliefs. The increasing amount of literature justifies the need for a systematic
literature review not only to provide the theoretical background for the conduct of the study
on teacher beliefs in language teaching and to learn the extensiveness of research already
conducted (Okolic&Schabram, 2010), but a systematic literature review is needed to refine
the amount of information that is massively available regarding the subject matter (Murlow,
1994).

Vital to this review as its compass for direction is the inclusion and exclusion criteria
(Ressing, Blettner& Klug, 2009).The literature included in this study are the full research
papers written in the English language and are published in peer reviewed journals and
scientific papers that are available from proquest and google scholar databases. These
papers bear the keywords: teacher beliefs & language teaching. Also, articles included only
delves on the beliefs of in service teachers and does not include pre-service teachers as well
as student beliefs and comparisons of teacher and student beliefs with regards to language
teaching and learning. Blogs and opinions are not included as articles for the review. The
following table outlines the inclusion and exclusion criteria of this review.
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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Parameters Inclusion Exclusion
Full research papers Blogs, opinions, articles
Type of Research published in peer not published in peer
reviewed journals and reviewed journals and
scientific papers scientific papers

Results of Research Research articles that Research articles that

dwell on the study on in- discuss pre service
service teacher beliefs teacher beliefs , student
and their actual teaching perceptions or beliefs in
practices in the teaching language teaching and
of the English language. learning and comparisons
of teacher and student
beliefs on language
teaching and learning.

Language Articles that are Articles that are not

published in the English published in the English
language. language.

Data Bases Accessible peer reviewed Articles from journals not

journals from proquest in the databases of
and google scholar proquest, google scholar

Time Frame Studies published from Studies before 2009

2009-2018

Research questions

The conduct of this systematic review entailed the use of clearly formulated
questions, critical selection of relevant studies, and synthesis of evidences (Khan, Keijen, &
Antes, 2003) on studies pertinent to teacher beliefs in language teaching. The following are
the review questions that are explored in the study: What is the research problem of the
study? What are the objectives of the study? What research approach, methods, and design
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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employed in the study? What variables were included in the study? What were the major
concepts or constructs present in the study? What were the salient findings of the study?
What were the recommendations for further research forwarded by the study? What were
the limitations of the study?
Treatment of the Data

The responses to the review questions were analyzed using the repertory grid. This
technique facilitated the placement of responses into categories reflecting the review
problems. The repertory grid, gives a broad view of what has already been contributed to
the body of knowledge on the subject of teacher beliefs. Through the grid, the researcher is
also able to analyze and see the gaps in the studies already conducted. The results of the
review as reflected in the repertory grid are thematically analyzed and coded according to
the categories of the problems that are forwarded.
Results

An analysis of the repertory grid yielded to the following results:

Coverage

As specified in the inclusion criteria, peer reviewed journal articles from the data
bases: google scholar and proquest from 2009-2018 were the sources for the literature
review. The search yielded to 12 available studies where majority of which were studies
conducted in Asian countries particularly in the Middle East (Mirzaie, Hemmati&Kiasi,
2018; Ozturk&Yildirim ,2015; Hos &Kekec, 2014; Assalahi, 2013; Ezzi, 2012).

Two studies were conducted in Southeast Asia: one from Vietnam (Barnard &
Nguyen, 2010) and the other from Indonesia (Rusmawaty, Atmowardoyo, Hamra& Noni,
2018). The rest were a study each from China in East Asia (Chaochang, 2016), Australia
(Petraki& Hill, 2010), Canada (Farrell & Ives, 2015), USA (Kissau, Algozzine& Yon,
2012), and in Ethiopia (Guadu&Boersma, 2018). The figure shows the distribution of the
studies.
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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USA, 1
South East
Africa, 1 Asia, 2

Canada, 1 East Asia, 1

Australia, 1
Middle East, 5

Distribution of the Studies in the Systematic Literature Review

Areas of Concern

From the repertory grid, the areas of investigation among the different studies
conducted can be bracketed to the following areas: the convergence of belief and practice,
the importance of grammar teaching, comparison of beliefs, and beliefs in specific aspects of
language teaching. The following table shows the areas of concern and the articles that
explore them.
Areas of Concern Articles

Convergence of belief and Practice Chaochang, 2016

Mirzaie, Hemmati&Kiasi, 2018
Farrell & Ives, 2015
Kissau, Algozzine& Yon, 2012
Guadu&Boersma, 2018
Ezzi, 2012

Beliefs on importance of grammar Barnard & Nguyen, 2010

Petraki& Hill, 2010
Assalahi, 2013
Hos &Kekec, 2014
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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Comparison of beliefs Ozturk&Yildirim, 2015

Kissau, Algozzine& Yon, 2012

Beliefs in specific aspects of language Mirzaie, Hemmati&Kiasi, 2018 (vocabulary)

teaching Rusmawaty, Atmowardoyo, Hamra& Noni,
2018 (Instructional materials)
Guadu&Boersma, 2018 (writing)

Research Design

To answer the problems of the study, mixed method approaches were used in five
(5) of the studies. The studies (Guadu&Boersma, 2018; Chaochang, 2016; Kissau,
Algozzine& Yon, 2012; Ezzi , 2012; &Petraki& Hill, 2010) made use of survey
questionnaires for the quantitative data while qualitative data was collected with the use of
interview and classroom observation.

Meanwhile, qualitative approach was used in four (4) studies (Mirzaie,

Hemmati&Kiasi, 2018; Hos &Kekec, 2014; Assalahi, 2013; Barnard & Nguyen, 2010) that
employed the following methods of data collection: narrative frames, classroom observation
with audio recordings, simulated recall sessions and interviews, focus group discussion,
semi-structured interview, and open-ended questionnaire. Case study was used for an in-
depth understanding of the beleifs and practices of teachers in two (2) studies (Rusmawaty,
Atmowardoyo, Hamra& Noni, 2018; Farrell & Ives, 2015) with the use of semi-structured
interview, classroom observation, and teachers’ written documents. Only the study of
Ozturk and Yildirim (2015) made use of the quantitative approach using survey and
correlational designs.

The participants in the studies conducted were the teachers in their locality either
teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) , or English as a Foreign Language (ESL).
The participants were chosen via purposive sampling and in others by convenience sampling
where the participants possess the criteria set by the researchers as their desired participants
for the study. One important criterion was the willingness of the teacher to participate in the
study.
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
____________________________________________________________. .designing
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Discussion

Through an analysis of the repertory grid that shows the problems, methodology,
findings, recommendations, and limitations of the studies, the gaps in the research can be
deduced. The reviewed studies reveal recurring directions of and themes: the convergence
of belief and practice, the importance of grammar teaching, comparison of beliefs, and
beliefs in specific aspects of language teaching.

Convergence of Beliefs and Practice

Recognizing that teachers’ beliefs influence classroom practice (Pajares,1992), most

of the studies conducted were concerned whether the beliefs of the teachers were consistent
with their classroom practice. In an examination of the beliefs of teachers with regard to the
use of formative assessment in writing, Guadu and Boersma (2018) found that there was a
moderate and significant correlation between instructors’ beliefs and their practices.
However, the triangulation with the use of qualitative data showed that the beliefs of the
instructors were incongruent with their actual practice.

An inconsistency of belief and practice were also found in the study of Mirzaie,
Hemmati&Kiasi (2018) where actual practice on vocabulary teaching were found to be
different from the stated beliefs of the participants. Furthermore, the participants showed
adopted beliefs which they developed and were actually practiced in the classroom.

The same non-convergence of belief and practice were found in the study of
Chaochang (2016) with regard to the teachers’ beliefs and practices in accordance with SLA
notions as well as in the study of Ezzi (2012) where the stated beliefs of teachers regarding
grammar teaching were not reflected in classroom practice and even avoid specific strategies
even when they think these are effective.

Meanwhile, Kissau, Algozzine, and Yon (2012) posited in their study that the
challenges that classroom realities faced by the teachers may result in the disconnection of
belief and practice. Only the study of Farrell and Ives (2015) showed a consistency of
belief and practice which made the researchers conclude that the findings in their study
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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correlates with earlier findings in studies conducted pertaining to beliefs and practices in
teaching reading.

The results regarding the convergence of belief and practice in language teaching
reveal that it is not always the case that the beliefs of teachers are explicitly manifested or
are actually practiced in the classroom. A gap in the studies can be gleaned particularly on
the lack of data on the reasons for the incongruency of belief and practice. Although Kissau,
Algozzine, and Yon (2012) mentioned the challenges and classroom realities as the source
of the inconsistency of belief and practice, empirical data to identify specific causes and
factors are lacking.

The unavailability of study pertaining to the convergence or consistency of teacher

beliefs and practices in the Philippines may suggest the need for more localization of studies
on the correspondence of teacher beliefs and classroom practices in teaching the English
language.
Beliefs on Grammar Teaching

Despite their belief on the importance of creating communicative activities, teachers

in the study of Barnard and Nguyen (2010) still believed on the importance of explicit
grammar instruction. The teaching of grammar was also seen as a vital part in second
language learning being considered as the foundation of language by NNS and as a tool in
providing quality L2 competence, language proficiency, and appropriate usage (Petraki&
Hill, 2010).

Even with the mandate for communicative language approach in grammar

instruction, the teachers in the study of Assalahi (2013) reported a belief and practice on
form-focused grammar instruction. The same situation was evident in the study of Hos
&Kekec (2014) where the teachers believed that CLT would be the best method to teach
grammar; however, many of the teachers who professed a belief in CLT still made use of the
grammar translation method in grammar instruction.

The emphasis on explicit grammar instruction, even with the use of traditional
methods, is evident in these studies where English is taught as a second language and in
others as a foreign language. There is however, a gap in the studies particularly in the lack
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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of data revealing the reasons why the practice on explicit grammar teaching despite of
existing beliefs in progressive methods and approaches like CLT.
Comparison of Beliefs

The studies of Ozturk and Yildirim (2015) as well as that of Kissau, Algozzine and
Yon (2012) made a comparison of the teachers’ beliefs across demographic profiles. Ozturk
and Yildirim found differences in beliefs in relation to age, teaching experience, and
academic background. In contrast, the study of Kissau et al. shows that the teachers
expressed similar beliefs when it comes to L2 teaching regardless of experience and
academic training. However, qualitative data gathered showed that not only where there
differences among subgroups but there were also differences within the subgroups.

The comparative studies on teacher beliefs goes to show that teachers do have their
own belief systems and such beliefs affect their choices and practices (Irez, 2016). A gap in
the studies however is seen where the studies do not show the sources of such beliefs. What
could be in the demographic profile of teachers that could affect their language teaching
beliefs and practices and how do such factors or variables affect them.

Beliefs in Specific Aspects of Language Teaching

The studies that were examined mostly focused on the general beliefs of language
teachers in teaching and their actual practices in the classroom. However, there were also
those whose beliefs were explored focusing on specific aspects of language teaching.
Mirzaie, Hemmati and Kiasi (2018) found that the teacher participants believed on the
positive role of strategies in teaching vocabulary. These strategies include synonyms,
definition, translation, memorization, reading aloud, and nonmnemonic elaboration, among
others.

On the other hand, Rusmawaty, Atmowardoyo, Hamra and Noni (2018) found that
their teacher participants believed on the importance of the use of authentic instructional
materials in teaching reading; while, the teachers in the study of Guadu and Boersma
believed on the important role of formative assessment in teaching writing.

These studies are evidences of the trend of focusing on the exploring teacher beliefs
focused on specific tasks or aspects of language teaching. There seems to be a scarcity of
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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studies that show a holistic view that would give the whole picture of what goes on in a
language classroom.

Conclusion

The systematic literature review showed that teachers indeed do possess certain
beliefs which influence their classroom practice. However, it is not always the case that
their classroom practices are not in consonance with their stated beliefs. The studies
however, lack data on the reasons for the incongruence of belief and practice. Furthermore,
a gap in the body of literature exists in the absence or lack thereof of a holistic study on
language teaching belief and practices. Also, the absence of studies conducted in the
Philippines in the review is indicative of a need to localize the study on language teaching
belief and practices. Finally, the studies that were included in this review lack data on the
effects of the practices whether such practices are helping students learn or not. These gaps
in the literature poses opportunities for future research on the topic of exploring teacher
beliefs and practices in language teaching.
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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 Republic of the Philippines
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Mid-La Union Campus
College of Graduate Studies
City of San Fernando 2500 La Union
Telefax: 072-7004516 http://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/gs/
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