Teachers’ Perceptions on the Implementation of Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) in an ESL Classroom: The Malaysian Context

Abstract

The change of the English curriculum in Malaysia is no longer foreign and has brought about mixed opinions from different parties. Teachers being the main executor of the new curriculum should be given more channels to have their opinions known. The implementation of CEFR is entering its Phase 3, where feedback from in-service teachers is need for feedback and documentation. Several studies were conducted; however those only covered teachers from West Malaysia. The importance of teachers’ voices of English teachers East Malaysia should not be over shadowed. This paper covers the teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of CEFR in the Malaysian ESL classroom. This study was conducted among 105 English teachers from Sibu, Sarawak. Sarawak is known for being the largest state in Malaysia. The Questionnaire is used as the tool for data collection with a 6 Likert scale through goggle form. SPSS version 23 was used to analyzed and tabulate the data. The result shows that English teachers are showing positive responses with the implementation of CEFR. However, teachers show challenges encountered during the administration of CEFR, including lack of materials, students’ familiarity and new approach familiarity. Suggestions for further research should focus on upper secondary English teachers as it was implemented in early 2020.