The Null Curriculum in the Classroom: The Current State and Underlying Reasons in English Language Teaching

The purpose of this study was to analyze null curriculum in English language teaching as practiced in lieu of English curriculum from the perspective of English language teachers. In other words, the study aimed at evaluating null curriculum from the perspective of English language teachers. This study employed basic qualitative research model to reveal the experiences and opinions of English language teachers on null curriculum. The interviewees were twenty English language teachers who teach in secondary schools. A semi-structured interview form was used to collect the data, and content analysis method was employed to analyze the results. Three themes—achievement, content, and testing were used to contextualize the findings. Speaking skills were found to be the most neglected curriculum component, followed by writing and listening skills, as a consequence of the analysis of the research findings. According to the research results, the neglect of teaching these skills was caused by insufficient lesson hours, students' readiness levels, overcrowded classrooms, and central exams factors. In addition, it was concluded that there were adaptation problems in the new assessment system that aimed to assess four language skills in an applied way in English lessons, which was put into practice in the 2023-2024 academic year. In this case, attention was drawn to the contradiction between the High School Entrance Exam, which includes multiple-choice questions based on reading skills, and the new applied assessment system, which aimed to assess four language skills. It was suggested that the curriculum should be simplified and organized, and that measures should be taken, and regulations should be introduced to eliminate the inconsistency between the education provided, evaluation methods and the education desired.