Understanding the english teachers’ lived experiences during the learning outcomes implementation in higher education a transcendental phenomenological study

This study explores the lived experiences of English language teachers at Universidad de Córdoba, a public institution in northern Colombia, during the transition from content-based instruction to an outcomes-oriented model introduced in 2019. The shift, aligned with national guidelines, redefined not only classroom practices but also teachers’ professional identities and relationships with students. Guided by the tradition of transcendental phenomenology, this qualitative study integrated Husserl’s philosophical orientation with Colaizzi’s (1978) methodological framework. Three university teachers with over five years of professional experience participated through Seidman’s three-interview structure. Their narratives, gathered in Spanish and validated through translation, were examined using Colaizzi’s method, which moves from significant statements to meanings and themes that reveal the essence of their lived experiences. Findings indicate that teachers initially experienced the outcomes model as imposed, leading to resistance and uncertainty, despite having received previous training. Over time, however, they came to recognize benefits such as clearer communication of goals, greater transparency in evaluation, and stronger relationships between teachers and students. EFL teachers also highlighted how learning outcomes fostered pedagogical freedom, continuous reflection, and a remarkable personal shift from rigid grading toward more flexible and formative assessments. The use of technology, together with an awareness of how students now access information through digital media, reshaped the way learning outcomes were assessed, allowing teachers to design more authentic and contextually meaningful evaluation practices. These insights suggest that adopting learning outcomes is not a purely technical reform but a lived process that challenges and empowers teachers in equal measure. By documenting these experiences, the study contributes to understanding how outcome-based education (OBE) is enacted in local contexts, highlighting implications for curriculum design and institutional practices in higher education.