Curriculum–Practice Tensions in Poetry Integration: Instructor Perceptions and Practices in Libyan University EFL Classrooms

Poetry has long been considered a valuable resource in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction because of its potential linguistic and affective benefits. However, limited empirical research has examined how poetry is implemented within institutionally required university curricula, particularly in under-researched contexts such as Libya. This study investigates Libyan university instructors’ perceptions and practices regarding integrating poetry into required literature courses. Data were collected using a descriptive quantitative survey of 70 instructors (N = 70) representing several public Libyan universities. The findings reveal mixed perceptions of poetry’s pedagogical effectiveness and uneven patterns of classroom implementation, despite its formal curricular inclusion. While more than half the instructors reported using poetry in their teaching, the frequency of integration varied substantially. Instructors also identified several challenges, including limited teaching resources, perceived irrelevance, and insufficient pedagogical preparation for teaching the subject. Simultaneously, many participants recognized benefits such as emotional engagement, vocabulary enrichment, knowledge expansion, and the promotion of critical thinking. These findings highlight a curriculum–practice gap in Libyan higher education, suggesting that institutional requirements alone do not ensure consistent classroom implementation. This study contributes empirical evidence regarding poetry pedagogy in Libya and offers insights into how structural conditions and instructor perceptions influence its integration into university language teaching.