Issues in Teachers' Reinterpretation of a Task-Based Innovation in Primary Schools

TLDR

Task‑based teaching is widely used in contemporary English language teaching but remains underresearched in state school settings. The article aims to fill this gap by investigating how a task‑based innovation was implemented in three primary school classrooms in Hong Kong. Qualitative case study data were employed to explore the implementation of the task‑based innovation. Analysis of classroom observations and interviews revealed that teachers reinterpreted the new curriculum according to their beliefs and contextual challenges, highlighting problems with mother‑tongue use, classroom management, and limited target language production.

Abstract

Although task-based teaching is frequently practiced in contemporary English language teaching, it is underresearched in state school settings. This article contributes to filling this gap in the literature by using qualitative case study data to explore how a task-based innovation was implemented in three primary school classrooms in Hong Kong. Analysis of classroom observation and interview data shows how the case study teachers reinterpreted a new curriculum in line with their own beliefs and the practical challenges occurring in their school contexts. Drawing on classroom episodes, the article highlights three issues that proved problematic when the tasks were implemented: use of the mother tongue, classroom management or discipline problems, and the quantity of target language produced. Implications for the design and implementation of task-based pedagogies in primary school contexts are discussed.