The Need for Change in Teacher Education in Yemen: The Beliefs of Prospective Language Teachers

This study focuses on exploring the beliefs of prospective teachers related to the current (2009-2010) status of the English Language Teacher Education Program (ELTEP) in Yemen. Major beliefs about teaching take shape within the context of teacher education programs (Pajares, 1992, ) and the investigation of Yemeni prospective teacher's beliefs provides an opportunity to understand the developmental paths of teachers in a relatively little researched setting (Al-Goufi, 2006). In this study, primary data sources were available education policy documents and semi-structured interviews with four prospective teachers before program completion. We found several themes that highlight various aspects of the ELTE program in Yemen. The findings showed that several academic and administrative problems prospective teachers reported were related to the lack of clear-cut standards and program philosophy statements. The analysis revealed that the education policy-makers paid little attention to program improvement and the application of the strategies they had planned. These results point to the need for a curriculum reform focusing on both theory and practice. While the participants expressed concerns related to various challenges, they also underscored the critical need for a strong ELTE program in Yemeni universities.