Abstract
This quantitative study investigates Libyan secondary- school EFL teachers’ beliefs about teachers’ and students’ roles, teacher–student relationships, and classroom talk within teacher- centred and learner- centred paradigms. Data were collected through a 12- item Likert- scale questionnaire administered to 100 teachers and analysed using descriptive statistics and paired- samples t- tests. Findings show strong support for learner- centred ideas such as facilitation, democratic relationships and increased student talk, alongside persistent attachment to teacher authority, textbook control and teacher- dominated discourse. The results indicate a hybrid belief system in which teachers selectively combine elements of both paradigms, reflecting a transitional stage in Libyan educational reform. The study argues that effective implementation of learner- centred pedagogy requires sustained, belief- focused professional development, flexible curricula and assessment reform aligned with communicative, participatory classroom practices.