Exploring tertiary EFL learners’ and teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of EFL writing course syllabi: Pedagogical implications

Given the importance of effective and standard syllabi in developing tertiary students’ EFL writing skills, this study aimed to analyze the perceptions of Bangladeshi tertiary EFL learners and teachers towards the effectiveness of English writing course syllabi in developing writing proficiency. The study involved 392 students and 14 EFL teachers from seven Bangladeshi universities in a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire survey using a purposive sampling procedure. The results show that both students and teachers had a negative perception of the effectiveness of most of the components of the syllabus, namely, objectives of the syllabus, content and skill coverage, instructional time, suitability, and effectivity of the instructional materials covered in the syllabus. However, students had a positive perception of the effectiveness of the writing content, while teachers had a low perception of this aspect of the writing syllabus. Recommendations call for policymakers and syllabus designers to ensure that EFL writing course syllabi include essential subject components and skills, adhere to global standards, and provide ample classroom practice time for students. The study also highlights the need for devising better syllabi to meet the needs of tertiary EFL learners' academic and professional needs and guide EFL teachers to meet the expectations of Bangladeshi tertiary EFL education.