CEFR in UAE Public Schools: Pedagogical Impacts

Abstract

The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Dubai used the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) to develop the English Curriculum Framework (ECF) in 2011 - a framework that was piloted in 39 Madares Al Ghad (MAG) Schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between 2011 and 2015. No study has been published to cast light on the impacts of adopting, adapting and implementing the CEFR in UAE public schools so far. This study attempts to act as a forerunner of such research. It examined 85 teachers', 31 teacher trainers' and 3 MOE administrators' perceptions of how lesson planning, teaching and assessment practices changed after the ECF had been implemented. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from semi-structured questionnaires were cross-checked against qualitative data collected from three focus group discussions. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. Overall, it seems that after the ECF had been implemented, (a) teachers' lesson plans reflected curriculum standards and matched students' needs and interests more often; (b) curriculum strands, listening, speaking, reading and writing, especially the first two, were addressed more often; (c) the frequency of teaching vocabulary and pronunciation increased; (d) teachers' pedagogy became more action-oriented as there was a shift toward communicative, collaborative and self-reflective activities, and (e) instructional and assessment practices became more transparent. However, the participants also reported that they had faced some challenges during the early stages of the ECF implementation. Providing continuous professional development and preparing suitable instructional materials were the two key measures that helped the participants overcome the challenges they had faced. A few barriers persisted throughout the implementation.