Strategi dan Sistem Keyakinan Guru dalam Pengelolaan Kelas Bahasa Inggris sebagai Bahasa Asing (EFL) di SMA UMMUL MUKMININ Makassar. = TEACHERS’ STRATEGY AND BELIEF SYSTEM IN MANAGING ENGLISH AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE (EFL) CLASS AT SMA UMMUL MUKMININ MAKASSAR

This study aims to investigate the teaching strategies used by EFL teachers at SMA Ummul Mukminin Makassar and to explore their belief systems regarding the effectiveness of these strategies in managing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Specifically, the research seeks to identify the types of strategies applied by teachers, to analyze the underlying beliefs that guide their instructional decisions, and to understand the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their classroom practices. The research employed a qualitative descriptive method, using observation and interviews as the main instruments. Three English teachers participated as respondents, representing different teaching experiences and pedagogical orientations. The collected data were analyzed through Miles and Huberman’s Interactive Model, including data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that teachers employed various strategies, including game-based learning, role play, cooperative learning, vocabulary-based instruction, grammar translation, and the lecture method. The results also indicated that teachers’ beliefs significantly influenced their choice of strategies. Teachers who believed that learning should be enjoyable and student-centered preferred interactive methods such as games and role play, while those who prioritized accuracy and structure tended to use grammar translation and lectures. Moreover, teachers who valued collaboration emphasized cooperative learning and vocabulary enrichment as effective tools to foster active participation and confidence. These beliefs reflect the integration of communicative, constructivist, and cognitive theories in EFL pedagogy. Overall, the study concludes that teaching strategies and teachers’ belief systems are deeply interconnected; beliefs serve as cognitive frameworks that guide teachers’ classroom behavior and determine the effectiveness of instructional practices. Raising teachers’ awareness of their own beliefs is essential for promoting reflective practice and improving the quality of English language instruction in EFL contexts.