Exploring EFL Teachers' Global Skills Perceptions and Practices

The primary objective of this quantitative study is to investigate the practices and perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the integration of global skills into the classroom. The study addresses six key research questions, focusing on EFL teachers' practices and perceptions of global skills, their familiarity with these skills, motivation to integrate them, the correlation of global skills with its components, the effects of demographic variables on teachers' practices, and the compatibility of EFL classes and curricula for implementing global skills. To achieve this, the study examined 163 EFL teachers who volunteered from different school levels (primary, secondary, and high school) in both private and state schools in Tokat. To assess participants' practices and perceptions of global skills, the '21st Century Teaching and Learning Survey,' originally developed by Ravitz in 2014, was applied with some adaptations. The results of the study revealed that EFL teachers actively strive to develop students' communication and collaboration skills, with over 80% of them making at least moderate efforts in this regard. In the case of digital skills, this percentage exceeded 50%. However, for other skills, teachers displayed less enthusiasm in integrating them into their classes. The consensus among the majority of teachers was that English classes provide an ideal platform for teaching global skills. The study argued that, in addition to 21st century skills, global skills were imperative in schools. To make this a reality, English classes and EFL teacher education programs need to be redesigned, recognizing English as a crucial medium for teaching these skills.