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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Yan Liu, Qifu Wan
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DOI:10.17265/2328-2177/2026.08.005
Xingguan Primary School, Nanming District, Guiyang, Guizhou, China; Guiyang Institute of Humanities and Technology, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
Primary EFL reading classrooms often face the challenge of being rich in activities but loosely structured. This study aimed to examine the practical problems in instructional design from the perspective of Understanding by Design (UbD) and to develop an approach for optimizing such design. A qualitative text analysis was conducted on 15 interview transcripts, 15 post-lesson reflections and 15 teaching logs collected from primary school EFL teachers and teaching and research group leaders in District N of Guiyang. The data were analyzed through three levels of coding. The findings indicated that teachers demonstrated relatively strong competence in designing classroom activities; however, their learning objectives were often defined mainly at the level of knowledge and skills, while assessment evidence was insufficiently planned in advance. As a result, the instructional design process showed a structural imbalance characterized by “activity prominence, unclear objectives, and insufficient evidence.” Based on these findings, the study proposes the TAG framework: Target clarifies understanding-oriented learning objectives, Assessment plans assessment evidence in advance, and Growth organizes a sequence of learning activities that supports the development of student understanding. The framework translates the backward-design logic of UbD into a more practical pathway for primary EFL reading instruction and provides an empirical reference for improving the quality of instructional design at the regional level.
Understanding by Design (UbD), instructional design, primary EFL, TAG framework, teaching–learning–assessment alignment
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