iranian efl teachers' perceptions of critical friends groups: insights from a qualitative study

Objective: despite the documented benefits of critical friends groups (cfgs) in various educational contexts, their application within the iranian efl system, characterized by top-down policies and limited teacher autonomy, remains underexplored. this study explores iranian english teachers' perceptions of cfgs as a collaborative professional development model.methods: situated within a larger research project on cfg implementation, this paper specifically reports the findings from semi-structured interviews with 10 junior high school efl teachers who participated in cfg sessions.results: thematic analysis of interview data reveals that teachers generally viewed cfgs as a valuable space for professional dialogue, mutual support, and reflective practice. participants highlighted the benefits of structured peer feedback, increased collegiality, and the opportunity to discuss classroom challenges in a non-evaluative environment. however, some expressed concerns about time constraints, varying levels of engagement, and the need for clearer facilitation.conclusion: these insights contribute to the growing body of research on collaborative teacher development in efl settings and offer practical implications for designing effective professional learning communities in centralized educational systems. objective: despite the documented benefits of critical friends groups (cfgs) in various educational contexts, their application within the iranian efl system, characterized by top-down policies and limited teacher autonomy, remains underexplored. this study explores iranian english teachers' perceptions of cfgs as a collaborative professional development model.methods: situated within a larger research project on cfg implementation, this paper specifically reports the findings from semi-structured interviews with 10 junior high school efl teachers who participated in cfg sessions.results: thematic analysis of interview data reveals that teachers generally viewed cfgs as a valuable space for professional dialogue, mutual support, and reflective practice. participants highlighted the benefits of structured peer feedback, increased collegiality, and the opportunity to discuss classroom challenges in a non-evaluative environment. however, some expressed concerns about time constraints, varying levels of engagement, and the need for clearer facilitation.conclusion: these insights contribute to the growing body of research on collaborative teacher development in efl settings and offer practical implications for designing effective professional learning communities in centralized educational systems.