Thai English teachers’ use of a textbook in multilingual ELT classrooms in a Thai university: an investigation into their language ideologies

Abstract

This study addresses scholars’ criticisms regarding the language ideologies and Anglophone cultural references prevalent in ELT textbooks used by non-native English speakers, focusing on the practices of Thai English teachers at a university in southern Thailand. Using an Anglophone- published textbook in multilingual classrooms, the study investigates how these teachers engage with the textbook through an ecological perspective on teacher agency, examining how their agency manifests in this specific context. Structuration theory is also employed to conceptualize teacher agency through the duality of structure, offering a framework to explore the dynamic interplay between agency and structural constraints.

The study involved seven Thai English teachers delivering a general English course to non- English-major undergraduate students. Data were collected through document analysis, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. All seven teachers participated in interviews and focus group discussions, with three consenting to classroom observations. Content analysis, conducted using MAXQDA software, applied both deductive and inductive coding methods to identify themes related to teacher agency and the adaptation of ELT practices.

Findings suggest that, despite intentions to foster inclusivity, the textbook predominantly reflects native speaker norms. Participants’ constrained agency becomes evident when they engage with the linguistic content of the textbook. Additionally, an English language policy that favours Standard English as benchmarks for language proficiency further limits their agency. Nevertheless, the teachers demonstrate adaptive and responsive agency by modifying textbook content to better reflect students’ sociocultural and religious backgrounds, and their linguistic repertoires. Although they continue to prefer Standard English in classroom instruction, there is emerging evidence of a gradual shift from Standard English, as teachers begin to acknowledge varieties of English beyond academic settings. This study contributes to and informs teacher education by emphasizing the role of teachers as agents who can critically engage with and navigate the constraints within their educational contexts.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Muslim Roka: orcid.org/0000-0002-2572-7404

ORCID for Ying Wang: orcid.org/0000-0001-8332-8500

ORCID for Heidi Armbruster: orcid.org/0000-0002-5630-5896

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