Abstract
Iranian students start learning English as a foreign language from Grade Seven in the first grade of junior high school to Grade Twelve in their formal educational system. However, their weak English production has encountered educational system with this serious question why students are not able to speak English despite a six-year instructional period at school. Since one of the effective factors in teaching a language is the textbook, this study focuses on the content of textbooks and teachers' attitudes toward the newly-published English textbooks. The study evaluates the quality of the Seventh Grade English language textbook, Prospect 1, for Iranian junior high school students, which was introduced first by the Ministry of Education in 2013. This research project evaluates the new textbook that is considered to be a fundamental shift in the English language schoolbooks in Iran. A questionnaire was used in this study to elicit the perspectives of 44 English language teachers. The questionnaire consisted of 40 items grouped under 7 main categories: Practical Considerations, Layout and Design, Activities, Skills, language type, subject and content, and conclusion. The data was subjected to analysis through descriptive statistics. The data were analyzed quantitatively. For the analysis of the responses to the questionnaires, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 19.0) was used, and necessary calculations were carried out. The data in the questionnaire were analyzed using mean scores and standard deviations. The findings were generally in favor of the textbook except for the skills. The findings also revealed despite usual teachers' resistance to new changes, they have positive views toward the newly- published book. Moreover, although teachers' satisfaction in Conclusion, Layout and design, and Language Type is rather high, it seems they need more attention in comparison with Practical Consideration, Activities and Subject and Content.
Highlights
Persian is the first mother language in in Kermanshah City (Iran), and students learn English as a foreign language from the seventh level of their school studies
According to the Document of the Fundamental Transformation of Education (DFTE) ), cited in PeyravaniNia, &PeyravaniNia, (2014), providing foreign language training is accomplished within selected sectors curriculum, with respect to the consolidation and strengthening of the Iranian Islamic identity (DFTE)
The questionnaires were taken to 44 Iranian junior high schools on March 2014, and 44 English teachers completed the questionnaires
Summary
Persian is the first mother language in Iran, and students learn English as a foreign language from the seventh level of their school studies. The idea of learning a foreign language was focused even after the 1979 Islamic Revolution by the chief leaders in order to preach Islamic thoughts. They were aware of the role of English as an international language in the world. Pupils began learning English from Grade One in junior high school. In the new educational system, they start learning English from Grade Seven. In order to achieve this goal, in teaching English, they investigated carefully the content of textbooks to adapt Islamic identity in Iran. They tried to keep up with the developments of language teaching through changing textbooks
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