Secondary school teachers’ opinions on the bilingual programme in Andalusia

Abstract Despite numerous benefits that accrue from Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) implementation, the programme is plagued with a number of challenges. Hence, the main purpose of the study was to scrutinize the secondary school teachers’ opinions on bilingual programme development and to determine if there were potential differences within the cohort of teachers. Data were gathered from a questionnaire filled out by 225 teachers from bilingual secondary schools in Andalusia. The picture that emerged from the study was not positive as the results revealed widespread unease about the scarcity of training initiatives, increased workload, insufficient collaboration among the teachers, and a dearth of well-designed materials. Furthermore, it transpired that little strides have been made as regards group size and students’ level of English. The within-cohort comparison revealed that content teachers harboured a more sceptical outlook on many aspects of the programme. Thus they require heightened attention and more opportunities for teacher-training initiatives to equip them with the skills necessary to teach effectively in the new language scenario. These findings should be taken into consideration while making educational decisions since all the limitations of the programme, if not addressed properly, may put the feasibility of the project in jeopardy.