<![CDATA[AbstractGrammar plays a fundamental role in supporting learners’ accuracy, clarity, and communicative competence in English, making its instruction essential within the framework of Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum. Although the curriculum emphasizes contextual and communicative learning, debates remain regarding the effectiveness of explicit, implicit, or blended grammar instruction. Therefore, this study aims to investigate English teachers’ beliefs and perceptions about grammar teaching within the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum and to identify the extent to which pedagogical grammar is applied in classrooms. This research employed a mixed-method design involving quantitative data from Likert-scale questionnaires and qualitative insights from open-ended responses. A total of nine English teachers were selected through cluster random sampling, and the data were analyzed descriptively using mean score interpretation. The findings reveal that teachers generally hold positive attitudes toward grammar instruction, with strong agreement that grammar is essential for supporting speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills. Teachers also support contextual and communicative approaches but acknowledge challenges in balancing grammar with other language skills. Moreover, teachers emphasize the need for specific training to implement grammar effectively within the Merdeka Curriculum. Overall, the results indicate that teachers value grammar as a core component of English learning and prefer a blended approach that integrates explicit and contextualized instruction to enhance students’ communicative competence.]]>
