Beyond Grammar Drills: A Critical Applied Linguistics Perspective on Oxford English Curriculum Implementation for Prospective Elementary School English Teachers

Aura Astuti; Fitrahnanda Ayubadiah; Rizky Ikrama

doi:10.37630/bijee.v4i2.5167

Authors

Aura Astuti Politeknik Alkon Kalimantan
Fitrahnanda Ayubadiah Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Balikpapan
Rizky Ikrama STKIP Taman Siswa Bima

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37630/bijee.v4i2.5167

Keywords:

critical applied linguistics, global textbooks, native-speakerism, pre-service elementary teachers, teacher agency, systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis

Abstract

The introduction of English as a compulsory subject in Indonesian primary schools from the 2027/2028 academic year requires prospective teachers who are not only proficient in the language but also critical of the globally standardized materials they use. This study aims to map the research landscape and to formulate conceptual propositions on the implementation of the Oxford English curriculum, treated as an illustrative case of globally standardized materials, in the education of prospective elementary school English teachers through a Critical Applied Linguistics perspective. The study adopts a critical conceptual review design that combines VOSviewer-based bibliometric mapping with a systematic literature review reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. A search of the Scopus database for the 2016–2026 period yielded 866 records, of which 36 studies met the eligibility criteria and were synthesized thematically. The review generated four propositions: the implementation of global materials tends to be reduced to structural drills owing to textbook dependency; global materials carry a native-speakerist ideology that prospective teachers are likely to naturalize; prospective teachers’ critical agency can emerge through contextual localization and translanguaging but remains constrained by structural factors; and teacher education needs to shift prospective teachers from curriculum users to critical interpreters of the curriculum. The study concludes that the problem of English instruction in primary schools is rooted in how prospective teachers are positioned in relation to materials rather than merely in the choice of materials or methods. Future research should test these propositions empirically through case studies, action research, and longitudinal designs in elementary teacher education programs.

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