Abstract:

Abstract As teachers gather experience and knowledge, a shift towards a degree of flexibility in teaching and the development of the ability to improvise occur. With specific relation to knowledge base, teacher autonomy, and responsibility, the teachers experience severe challenges throughout their improvisational practices. Therefore, improvisation is suggested to be a part of teacher education. This article is based on a qualitative case study of teachers’ conceptions of improvisation in teaching and specific characteristics of how improvisation in teaching is conceived. Empirical data were gathered from 10 in-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ interviews. The transcripts were analyzed according to open-coding procedure. Results of the study revealed that foreign language teachers have a wide range of conceptions regarding this specific topic. Their conceptions are mostly positive; however, they also highlight some negative conceptions which can cause problems in teaching and teaching quality.

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