Towards Effective Phonics Instruction: A Needs Assessment of Pre-Service EFL Teacher Knowledge in Mainland China

Recognising the importance of phonics in early English literacy development, the National English Curriculum of mainland China incorporated it in 2011. Prior literature indicates potential gaps in the phonics instructional knowledge of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, potentially stemming from the absence of dedicated pre-service training resources. To effectively address this potential knowledge gap, a comprehensive needs assessment is crucial. This study aimed to investigate the subject matter content knowledge needs of mainland Chinese pre-service EFL teachers regarding phonics instruction. Data were collected from 172 pre-service EFL teachers at a teachers’ college in Sichuan Province, China, using a test and a survey. These instruments explored the participants’ objectives and desired changes in phonics learning and instruction across seven dimensions. The results indicated that phonics general knowledge, decoding rules, and instructional strategies were the most preferred areas of need among the pre-service teachers. These findings underscore the urgent need for a targeted instructional guide to enhance the phonics knowledge of pre-service EFL teachers, ultimately contributing to more effective early English literacy instruction.