Standpoints towards Curriculum Change: Attitudes and Experiences of High School English Teachers Regarding the New Literature Module of the English National Matriculation

Abstract

 

 

 

 

 

The goal of this research paper was to explore the experiences and attitudes of high

school English teachers in a peripheral Southern Israeli town regarding the new

Literature Module of the English National Matriculation. Twenty six English teachers

from three different comprehensive high schools were given a questionnaire with

seven open-ended questions regarding their experiences and opinions of the new

Literature Module. The research was conducted with a qualitative method, grouping

together the open answers into categories, subsequently analyzed in order to understand

the attitudes of the teachers. The results show that the teachers had mixed

feelings about the program, highlighting both the positive and constructive elements as

well as discussing the more negative aspects of the program. In conclusion, the

Literature Module is seen as a curriculum with potential which encourages higher level

thinking, learning, and teaching, but must undergo changes in order to make it more

teacher and student-friendly, especially in the aspects of organizational and structural

frameworks.

Keywords: High school English teachers; English Matriculation; English as a Foreign Language; curriculum change; Literature Module