الفهرس 
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Abstract
EFL teacher beliefs have been one of the prominent topics in recent research on EFL teachers’ cognition. However, to date, there is relatively little research focusing on Egyptian EFL teachers’ beliefs, in general, and hardly any on investigating the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their practices and students’ language achievement, in particular. Accordingly, this study attempted to fill this gap and investigate Egyptian EFL teachers’ beliefs about EFL teaching and learning, the factors affecting these beliefs, if any, and the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and classroom teaching practices and students’ language achievement/performance as well. To achieve the study goals, a sequential, explanatory mixed-method research design was adopted. Two sample groups were recruited for the quantitative (n= 712) and qualitative (n= 10) studies. In addition, four complementary research instruments were used: a Likert-type questionnaire, a classroom observation record, an interview protocol, and teachers’ classroom-made tests. The results obtained from the questionnaire, together with the interviews conducted, reveal messy and contradictory beliefs toward teaching and learning EFL. Very few demographic variables appear to be influential on some aspects of teachers’ beliefs. The findings obtained from the classroom observations show partial alignment between teachers’ beliefs and classroom teaching practices. The results of students’ performance on teachers’ made tests indicate discrepancy between teachers’ beliefs and students’ language achievement. In order to guarantee quality education, more attention should be paid to teachers’ beliefs in pre- and in-service teacher education and professional development.
Keywords: Teacher education reform, standards-based teacher education, teacher quality, teacher knowledge, teacher cognition and metacognition, teacher beliefs