Identifying Competencies of ELT Teachers in Iranian Globalized Educational Contexts: A Delphi Approach

Beigi, Mohsen; Aliakbari, Mohammad; Yasini, Ali

doi:10.22080/iselt.2026.30488.1150

Identifying Competencies of ELT Teachers in Iranian Globalized Educational Contexts: A Delphi Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.

10.22080/iselt.2026.30488.1150

Abstract

In globalized education systems, ELT teachers must balance local needs with internationally recognized standards. This study adopts an Iranian context to explore how locally situated competencies interface with international frameworks. By so doing, we attempted to identify core ELT teacher competencies through thematic analysis of 24 published articles on ELT teacher competencies via MAXQDA 20.2.1, content analysis of interviews with 30 ELT teachers from 9 provinces, and a Delphi consensus-building process in two rounds implemented with a panel of 15 experts in ELT. The research design employed a multi-method approach to ensure breadth and depth of understanding. The initial thematic analysis of the literature established a foundational understanding of potential competency domains. This preliminary framework was then refined and grounded in local realities through the interview data, which provided rich, contextualized insights from practicing professionals. Finally, the Delphi technique was utilized to distill these findings into a consensus-based framework, thereby enhancing the validity and reliability of the identified competencies. Findings reveal that effective ELT educators require integration of linguistic knowledge, pedagogical skills, and contextual adaptability, with ethical practice and intercultural sensitivity emerging as high-priority competencies within this context. Findings provide a framework for reconciling local-global tensions in teacher development.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by the Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages at the University of Mazandaran. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.

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