Reflection on Language Teaching Practice in Polytechnic: Identifying Sources of Teachers’ Beliefs

This study was conducted in order to identify the sources of teachers’ beliefs and how these influenced the English teaching practice in a polytechnic's context. From interview transcriptions, reflective journal entries and non-participatory observation field notes, the respondents in the case study exhibited their classroom practices and consistently enlightened this in relation to their sources of teachers’ beliefs that outlined their practice. There are four potential sources identified, namely experience as a learner, perception towards students, institutional environment or practice, and personal views on current practice. Closer examination of the whole group data obtained show that perception towards students is the dominant factor which shapes the respondents’ practices; approaches considered are based on the students’ immediate responses and lecturers’ roles are leaned to active teaching and learner-focused classroom. These findings provide preliminary ideas related to teachers’ beliefs of polytechnic English lecturers in Malaysia's context.