Multiple case studies of elementary English teachers' implementation of the grade 1--9 English curriculum in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to provide insights into implementation of the newly mandated Grade 1-9 English curriculum at the elementary level in Taiwan. More specifically, the researcher's intent was to investigate English teachers' beliefs, curricular decisions, and instructional practices and to identify the various factors that influenced the teachers' curriculum implementation. A qualitative multi-site case study was employed. Three English teachers from two elementary schools were selected as the participants and their multiple classes were observed. The researcher spent three months on the research sites to collect data. Sources of data consisted of interviews, observations, fieldnotes, the researcher's journal, and documentation. Data were analyzed within and across cases.; The three cases were presented in separate chapters to illustrate and recognize the three teachers' different experiences of the Grade 1-9 English curriculum implementation. Each case report began with an opening vignette and was followed by detailed thematic descriptions of the teacher's beliefs, curricular decisions, and instructional practices. Based on the cross-case analysis results, the various factors that facilitated and interfered with the teachers' curriculum implementation were discussed. In addition, a number of overarching themes also synthesized the findings across all three cases.; The findings suggested that the three teachers had varied degrees of understanding and beliefs in the curriculum due to their training and access to the relevant information. The three English teachers were autonomous in regard to the curriculum implementation. They generated instructional objectives and planned instruction for their own English classes. All three teachers' beliefs, curriculum decisions, and instructional practices reflected a variety of characteristics of the intended Grade 1-9 English curriculum. This study identified that the Grade 1-9 English curriculum at the elementary level was a diverse and highly-adaptable school-based curriculum. The school-based curriculum implementation included school-wide activities across multiple grade levels and individual teachers' instructional practices in the classroom.