Evaluation of Iranian Second-Grade High School English Textbook from Teachers’ Perspectives

Abstract

Among the various tools in educational contexts to affect L2 learners' language proficiency, textbooks play a crucial role (Garinger, 2001) not least because of their inherent property to cater to the learners' specific needs. The aim of this study was to investigate the appropriateness of Iranian High schools “English Textbook 2” from teachers’ perspectives. For this purpose, 80 male and female experienced English language teachers were randomly selected from different high schools in Dezful, Iran. They were chosen based on the availability sampling method. The evaluation of the textbook was conducted quantitatively through a 5-point Likert scale checklist which was proposed by Litz (2005). The textbook evaluation scheme contained 19 items which relied upon four main criteria namely a) layout and design, b) subject and content, c) activities, and d) skills (see Appendix). The results indicated that from the teachers' perspective there was an incongruity between the presumed educational purposes and the teachers and learners' needs. It is believed that the results of the study could provide intriguing hints for the curriculum designers and materials developers to think of adapting the available materials or adopting an alternative textbook which contains an organized layout, useful and real-life subjects and contents, covers relevant skills and activities, and corresponds to teachers’ and learners' emerging needs.