Examining the application of innovative ELT strategies in primary school EFL classrooms

English language teaching strategies determine the practicality of effective language instruction. Their effectiveness, however, was not directly examined in the context of Ethiopian primary schools. This study aimed to explore primary school EFL teachers' innovative teaching strategies employment. The study employed a descriptive survey research design with a convergent mixed methods approach. Ten primary schools were selected conveniently, including 60 teachers. They were selected based on the accessibility of the schools and the inclusion of all English teachers. Classroom observation, questionnaire and document analysis were used to collect data. The quantitative data were analyzed in percentages, whereas the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. The finding revealed that primary school English language teachers were not teaching English using innovative teaching strategies: cooperative learning, task-based learning, project-based learning, differentiated learning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and technology integration. Hence, the alignment of teaching strategies with the syllabus of English was mismatched. Although there were challenges in employing innovative teaching strategies, teachers' commitment was found to be less. Therefore, it was concluded that primary school English language teachers were not employing innovative ELT strategies in Ethiopian primary schools.