Teacher Agency and Institutional Mediation in English Language Materials Development in Philippine Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31963/rial.v4i2.6480Keywords:
English language materials development, teacher agency, institutional mediation, higher education, qualitative case studyAbstract
English language learning materials are central to higher education, but the institutional processes through which they are planned, reviewed, implemented, and revised remain underexamined. This qualitative multiple-case study investigated faculty-led and institutionally mediated English-language materials development across three higher education institutions in Cabanatuan City, Philippines. Data came from nine semi-structured interviews, three focus group discussions, six observations, and 24 documents collected. Inductive thematic analysis showed that faculty acted as creators, adapters, implementers, reviewers, evaluators, and revisers of materials. Materials were shaped by syllabi, CHED-related expectations, institutional goals, learner needs, professional communication demands, peer review, committee checking, classroom experience, and feedback-informed revision. Cross-case analysis showed that institutional mediation existed across cases but varied in formality. The findings yielded an exploratory institutional adaptation framework comprising curricular alignment, learner-centered needs diagnosis, contextualization and authenticity, collaborative validation, and evaluation-integrated revision.References
Banegas, D. L., Corrales, K., & Poole, P. (2020). Can engaging L2 teachers as material designers contribute to their professional development? Findings from Colombia. System, 91, Article 102265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102265
Biggs, J. (2014). Constructive alignment in university teaching. HERDSA Review of Higher Education, 1, 5–22. https://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-review-higher-education-vol-1/5-22
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: Enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1315–1325. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354
Commission on Higher Education. (2012). CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, series of 2012: Policy-standard to enhance quality assurance (QA) in Philippine higher education through an outcomes-based and typology-based QA. https://legacy.ched.gov.ph/2012-ched-memorandum-orders/
Commission on Higher Education. (2013). CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013: General education curriculum: Holistic understandings, intellectual and civic competencies. https://legacy.ched.gov.ph/2013-ched-memorandum-orders/
Gilmore, A. (2007). Authentic materials and authenticity in foreign language learning. Language Teaching, 40(2), 97–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444807004144
Hanifa, R., Yusuf, F. N., Yusra, S. R., & Suherdi, D. (2024). Adapting EFL materials and its influences on Indonesia secondary school students' language learning. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9, Article 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00297-7
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A learning-centred approach. Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, K. (2022). English for specific purposes: What is it and where is it taking us? ESP Today: Journal of English for Specific Purposes at Tertiary Level, 10(2), 202–220. https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2022.10.2.1
Kallio, H., Pietilä, A.-M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: Developing a framework for a qualitative semi-structured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(12), 2954–2965. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031
Li, J., Gao, X., & Cui, X. (2023). Language teachers as materials developers. RELC Journal, 54(3), 881–889. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882211061627
Li, J., Wu, Y., & Gao, X. (2023). Language teachers' engagement with ideological representations as materials designers. System, 117, Article 103121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103121
Maley, A. (2011). Squaring the circle: Reconciling materials as constraint with materials as empowerment. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Materials development in language teaching (2nd ed., pp. 379–402). Cambridge University Press.
McDonough, J., Shaw, C., & Masuhara, H. (2013). Materials and methods in ELT: A teacher's guide (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Priestley, M., Biesta, G., & Robinson, S. (2015). Teacher agency: An ecological approach. Bloomsbury Academic.
Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667220
Tajeddin, Z., & Asadnia, F. (2025). Teachers' collaborative reflections on classroom materials: From traditional consumers to digital materials developers and teacherpreneurs. RELC Journal, 56(2), 287–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882231222036
Tarrayo, V. N., & Anudin, A. G. (2023). Materials development in flexible learning amid the pandemic: Perspectives from English language teachers in a Philippine state university. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 17(1), 102–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2021.1939703
Toledo-Sandoval, F. (2020). Local culture and locally produced ELT textbooks: How do teachers bridge the gap? System, 95, Article 102362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102362
Tomlinson, B. (Ed.). (2011). Materials development in language teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Tomlinson, B. (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 45(2), 143–179. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444811000528
Tomlinson, B. (2020). Is materials development progressing? Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 15, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2020.15.01
Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): A 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(6), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzm042
Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative quality: Eight "big-tent" criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837–851. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800410383121
Ulla, M. B., & Perales, W. F. (2021). Developing an English language teaching textbook in a Thai university: Classroom language teachers as writers. English Teaching & Learning, 45, 461–476. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-021-00078-2
Wang, L. (2022). English language teacher agency in response to curriculum reform in China: An ecological approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 935038. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.935038
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ma. Elaine DIZON & Luijim Jose
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Licensing
All articles published in RIAL are licensed under a Creative Commons License, specifically the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). This license allows others to share copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially. It also allows others to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. Visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ for detail information.
Author Rights
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. This ensures their right to share, reuse, and archive their work freely while acknowledging the journal as the original place of publication.
Collaborative Works:
For collaborative works, authors should ensure that they have secured the necessary permissions from co-authors to submit the manuscript and grant the rights outlined in this policy.
Archiving and Access:
RIAL upholds an open access policy, ensuring that articles are freely accessible to a global audience upon publication. Authors' work will be archived electronically, facilitating its long-term availability and visibility.
