English Language Instruction in Public and Private Middle Schools in Istanbul: A Comparative Two-Case Study

Although centralized education systems mandate uniform curricula, the enactment of these policies varies across institutional contexts. Drawing on a sociocultural perspective of curriculum enactment and teacher cognition, this multiple-case study investigates how English language instruction is conceptualized and enacted in one public and one private middle school in Istanbul, Turkey, both operating under the same Ministry of National Education (MoNE) framework. Participants included two vice-principals and nine English teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis (MoNE’s 2018 ELT curriculum and institutional documents), and examination of visual and spatial representations of school environments. Using inductive qualitative content analysis and systematic cross-case synthesis, the study identified four overarching themes: (1) learning environment as a pedagogical message, (2) institutional conceptions of English instruction, (3) teacher cognition and beliefs about language learning, and (4) curriculum enactment tensions between policy and pedagogy. These findings indicate that while both schools endorse communicative and learner-centered principles at a discursive level, enactment differs substantially. In the public school, English instruction is shaped by exam-oriented pressures, large class sizes, and pragmatic instructional adaptations. In contrast, the private school enacts the curriculum through enriched programs, process-oriented pedagogies, and institutional support. The study demonstrates that differences in ELT practices stem not from curriculum design but from institutional conditions mediating curriculum enactment, highlighting the need for context-sensitive curriculum policies and leadership practices with implications for curriculum policy, school leadership, and teacher education.