EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Inquiry-Based Learning in Enhancing Spoken Pragmatic Skills at Mohammed V University

Abstract

The current quantitative cross-sectional study investigated EFL teachers’ perceptions of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) for enhancing spoken pragmatic competence among university students. Forty in-service English instructors from three faculties at Mohammed V University, Rabat, responded to a standardized questionnaire addressing perceived effectiveness and specific features of IBL, alongside current pragmatic-instruction practices and implementation challenges. The instrument showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .85). Teachers perceived IBL very favourably (M = 4.22), reported moderate classroom integration (M = 3.33), and reported relatively low levels of pragmatic assessment (M = 2.95). Overall IBL perceptions correlated significantly with self-reported pragmatic-instruction practices (r = .61, p < .01). These findings are not intended to generalise beyond the examined institution and represent situated evidence from a single university. Consistent with the belief–practice gap in teacher cognition, institutional barriers, implementation uncertainty, social-desirability bias, and self-report measurement effects may all play a role. The study extends teacher-cognition research by showing that positive beliefs can facilitate, but do not guarantee, inquiry-oriented pragmatic instruction. Practical implications include a worked guided-inquiry lesson and an analytic rubric for spoken pragmatic performance.