Teacher Agency and Institutional Mediation in English Language Materials Development in Philippine Higher Education

Abstract

English language learning materials are central to higher education, but the institutional processes through which they are planned, reviewed, implemented, and revised remain underexamined. This qualitative multiple-case study investigated faculty-led and institutionally mediated English-language materials development across three higher education institutions in Cabanatuan City, Philippines. Data came from nine semi-structured interviews, three focus group discussions, six observations, and 24 documents collected. Inductive thematic analysis showed that faculty acted as creators, adapters, implementers, reviewers, evaluators, and revisers of materials. Materials were shaped by syllabi, CHED-related expectations, institutional goals, learner needs, professional communication demands, peer review, committee checking, classroom experience, and feedback-informed revision. Cross-case analysis showed that institutional mediation existed across cases but varied in formality. The findings yielded an exploratory institutional adaptation framework comprising curricular alignment, learner-centered needs diagnosis, contextualization and authenticity, collaborative validation, and evaluation-integrated revision.