Exploring english teachers' beliefs and classroom practices to teach grammar at the high school level of a non-bilingual school in Monteria

Despite research about grammar teaching and its diverse methods and approaches have been widely addressed in terms of the acquisition of English as a foreign language, the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their teaching practices to teach grammar in non-bilingual contexts has been relatively underexplored. Therefore, this case study aims to explore the beliefs of two secondary-level English teachers regarding grammar instruction as well as the classroom practices they employ. To achieve this goal, qualitative methods were employed, data was collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation sessions and document analysis, including lesson plans, tests and rubrics to assess grammar tasks, which gave accounts of how some of the teachers’ beliefs are reflected when planning, teaching and assessing grammar in their English classes. Findings reveal that, for both teachers, gramar plays a crucial role in English language teaching and it was significant in their own foreign language learning process, which has influenced their current grammar teaching practices. Furthermore, various practices implemented by both teachers reflect some of their beliefs. The study concludes by confirming that conceived beliefs may shape teachers’ decision making when teaching; likewise, it proposes that future research should analyze more in depth about how these beliefs manifest in the classroom including a larger sample of participants. It also highlights the need for awareness of how contextual factors shape teaching beliefs and practices, which ultimately impact student learning outcomes.