Abstract
The implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Indonesia grants teachers greater autonomy to select teaching strategies that best address students’ needs and classroom contexts. This pedagogical flexibility highlights the need to understand factors influencing teachers’ instructional decisions, including gender-related communication patterns that may shape classroom practices. Therefore, this study explores male and female teachers’ preferences for teaching strategies and their implications for innovative learning in English language classrooms. Using a descriptive qualitative design, the study was conducted on a Junior High School in Bali and involved one male and one female English teacher. Data were collected through a teaching strategy checklist, classroom observations, and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal differences in teaching strategy preferences. The male teacher predominantly employed Deductive Application of Rules, whereas the female teacher showed a stronger preference for Guided Discovery, which encourages active student participation and independent learning. Despite these differences, both teachers frequently applied social-affective strategies to support learning through classroom interaction and socio-emotional engagement. The participants reported that their instructional choices were primarily influenced by students’ characteristics and learning needs. Although the findings are context-specific and not intended to represent the broader teacher population, the use of multiple data sources enhances the trustworthiness of the study. The findings suggest that diverse teaching strategy preferences can contribute to innovative and learner-centered learning environments aligned with the goals of the Merdeka Curriculum.