Secondary teachers’ engagement with task-based pedagogy in Iran: An activity theory-based intervention

Positioned within the context of educational reform in Iran, the study explores shifts in secondary school English language teachers’ practices as they trialled aspects of task-based pedagogy during a short professional learning intervention. Engeström’s (1996, 2001) third generation activity theory is used to investigate the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their use of communicative pedagogical practices. The results reveals small changes in the teachers’ practices despite their focus on literacy, accuracy and controlled classroom interactions. The results will highlight the need for greater flexibility in adapting communicative practices and inform policy and program implementation processes to support sustainable teaching reforms.