An evaluation of an english textbook used for intensive program at a junior high school in ho chi minh city

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY- HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE An evaluation of an English textbook used for intensive program at a Junior High School in Ho Chi Minh City A thesis submitted to the Faculty of English Linguistics & Literature By TRAN MINH MAN Supervised by NGUYEN THUY NGA, Ph.D HO CHI MINH CITY, AUGUST 2022 i ABSTRACT Despite their important role, textbooks are not always perfectly designed and not always fit the context of teaching and learning or closely match with the objectives of the teaching program and the needs of students This study aimed to discover teachers’ views on the strengths and weaknesses of the Achievers grade textbook currently in use for intensive English program at a Junior high school in Ho Chi Minh City The study also explored teachers’ recommendations on using the textbook effectively The researcher employed a mixed-methods design using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observations to get data for evaluating this textbook The data from the questionnaires were coded and analyzed using SPSS (version 20) and the data from interviews, and observations were coded and analyzed by themes The results from the questionnaires indicated that the textbook was good in general, however, there were still some weaknesses relating to the design, language content, and activities and tasks, and the supporting materials of the textbook The findings from the interviews indicated teachers’ recommendations on using the textbook effectively Based on the weaknesses, they recommended that the textbook should have smaller size and shorter passages; school administrator should choose students with suitable level of English; teacher should focus on activities and tasks, which are suitable for students; textbook writer, author, publisher should provide more tasks to reinforce the language and more activities for students of different levels and provide teachers with suitable methods to teach each lesson and concise instructions in the supporting materials Keywords: textbook evaluation, intensive program, Junior High School ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Nguyen Thuy Nga, for her continuous guidance and support Her great expertise and diligent editing have been beneficial to me I really enjoyed my time conducting the study under her supervision This study would not have been completed without the great support from the teachers at Hoang Le Kha Junior High School I would like to give special thanks to their valuable time helping me with the questionnaires, and the interviews Finally, I want to express my thanks to all the instructors and classmates, who have supported me during my study at University of Social Sciences and Humanities iii STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY I confirm that I am the sole author of this thesis and that no portion of it has been published or submitted for publication elsewhere To the best of my knowledge, my thesis does not intrude on anyone's copyright or violate any ownership rights, and that any ideas, techniques, quotations, or other content from other people's work used within my thesis, whether published or unpublished, is fully acknowledged in accordance with standard referencing practices I certify that this is a genuine copy of my thesis, along with final revisions, as accepted by my thesis supervisor and the administration staff of the English Faculty in USSH and that this thesis has not been submitted to any other University or Institution iv RETENTION OF USE Being a candidate for the MA degree, I agree to the University's standards for the preservation and use of theses deposited in the Library I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be available for study and research purposes, subject to the Librarian's standard rules for the preservation, lending, or replication of theses I agree to follow any general terms imposed by the University for the preservation, lending, or replication of theses, as well as any specific usage conditions in regard to this thesis titled By signing this form, I agree that a copy of my thesis will be preserved in the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and allow it to be published online in full text I confirm that the necessary copyright licenses for any original materials included in my thesis have been secured Date: Candidate’s signature v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS IX LIST OF TABLES X CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study 1.2 Statement of problem 1.3 Aims of the study 1.4 Significance of the study 1.5 Scope of the study 1.6 Organization of thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition, the role, the strengths and weaknesses of textbook 2.1.1 Definition of the textbook 2.1.2 The role of the textbook 2.1.3 The benefits and drawbacks of textbook 2.2 The intensive program and the textbook currently in use for this intensive program 2.2.1 The intensive program 2.2.2 The textbook currently in use for this intensive program 10 2.3 Textbook evaluation and the role of textbook evaluation in EFL classroom 10 2.3.1 Definition of textbook evaluation 11 2.3.2 The role of textbook evaluation in EFL classroom 11 2.3.3 Textbook evaluation approaches and criteria 13 2.4 Review of previous studies 16 2.5 Theoretical framework of the study 18 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 23 3.1 Research design 23 3.2 Context of the study 24 3.3 Participants 24 3.4 Research instruments 25 vi 3.4.1 Teachers’ questionnaire 25 3.4.2 Teachers’semi-structured interview 26 3.4.3 Classroom observation 28 3.5 Data collection procedure 29 3.6 Data analysis scheme 30 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 32 4.1 Research question 1: 32 4.1.1 Teachers’ opinions on the design and organization of the textbook 32 4.1.2 Teachers’ opinions on the language content of the textbook 34 4.1.3 Teachers’ opinions on activities and tasks 35 4.1.4 Teachers’ opinions on supporting materials 37 4.2 Research question 2: 38 CHAPTER CONCLUSION 43 5.1 Summary of the findings 43 5.2 Implications 44 5.3 Limitations and recommendations 45 REFERENCES 46 APPENDICES 50 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for languages EFL: English as a Foreign Language EIL: English as an international language ELT: English Language Teaching ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages ESL: English as a Second Language FCE: First Certificate in English IELTS: International English Language Testing System RQ: Research question TOEFL: Test Of English as a Foreign Language IX LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 The learning outcome for students in intensive program P.10 Table 3.1: General information about the teacher participants p.25 Table 3.2: Distribution and reliability of the questionnaire items p.26 Table 3.3: Interview questions in response to research question and research question p27 Table 3.4: Summary of basic information about the classroom observation p.29 Table 3.5: Stages for collecting quantitative and qualitative data p.30 Table 4.1: Rates for explaining the findings of the questionnaires p.32 Table 4.2 : Teachers’ opinions on the design and organiztion of the textbook p.32 Table 4.3: Teachers’ opinions on the language content of the textbook P.34 Table 4.4: Teachers’ opinions on the activities and tasks of the textbook P.36 Table 4.5: Teachers’ opinions on supporting materials P.37 Table 4.6: Findings from the interview data p.42 Table 5.1: Summary of main findings p.44 X LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Theoretical framework of the study adapted from Tomlinson’s (2003 & 2013) p.22 Figure 3.1: A thematic network adapted from Attride-Stirling, (2001) XI p.31 instructions, and teaching methods in the supporting materials They should also provide more tasks and activities for students of different English levels to help them reinforce the language To the school administrators and educational administrators: Textbooks play a crucial role in the teaching and learning of English Textbook evaluation helps us to choose the most suitable textbook for a specific context Therefore, before choosing a textbook for a program, it should be evaluated carefully to choose the most suitable one The school administrator also should choose suitable students for the intensive program to improve the teaching and learning in this program To teachers: Teachers should choose the activities and tasks, which are suitable for students They should also pay attention to low-level students to help them learn English effectively 5.3 Limitations and recommendations There are some limitations, which may influence the results of the findings Firstly, the students in the observed classes should join the study to get more valuable and convincing results Secondly, the students and teachers may prepare for the observations in advance so the findings from observation may not be convincing enough The researcher should observe more classes to make the findings more valuable Because of the lack of time and the need for permission from teachers, the researcher could just have three classroom observations The researcher strongly recommends that future researchers take into account students using the textbook Future researchers may combine many other approaches and research instruments like textbook evaluation checklist, and textbook analysis In conclusion, the researcher has answered two research questions relating to the strengths and weaknesses of the Achievers grade textbook and teachers’ recommendations on using the textbook effectively Although there are some limitations, the study has contributed to the literature on textbook evaluation, particularly the evaluation of textbooks in Vietnam context The findings of this study may be useful for the teachers using the Achievers grade textbook There may be no perfect textbook, we need to take advantage of the strengths of the textbook and improve its weaknesses 45 REFERENCES Alenezi, A D J (2019) A Teacher-Based Evaluation of the English Language Textbook (Get Ready1&2) for Saudi Fourth Grade Primary Arab World English Journal, 1-90 Al-Sowat, H (2012) An Evaluation of English Language Textbook "Say It in English" For First Year Intermediate Grade in Saudi Arabia Journal of Studies in Curriculum and Supervision, 3(2), 332-413 Attride-Stirling, J (2001) Thematic networks: An analytic tool for qualitative research Qualitative Research, 1, 385-405 Babbie, E., (2008) The Basics of Social Research (4th edn) Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth Celce-Murcia, M (2001) Teaching English as a Second or foreign Language 3rd Edition, Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publisher Christenbury, L & Kelly, P P (1994) What textbooks can and cannot do? 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Developing Materials for Language Teaching 2nd edition London: Bloomsbury Tomlinson, B and Masuhara, H (2013), ‘Review of adult EFL published courses’, ELT Journal, 67 (2), 233–249 Ur, P (1996) A course in Language Teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Weir, C & Roberts, J (1994) Evaluation in ELT Oxford: Blackwell Wade, S E & Moje, E B (2000) The role of text in classroom learning, in M L Kamil, P., Mosenthal B & Person, P D (eds) Handbook of Reading Research (3rd edn) Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Brlba Associates, 609-627 49 APPENDICES Appendix A: Achievers grade cover 50 Appendix B: Achievers grade content pages 51 Appendix C: Classroom Observation Sheet Name of the instructor: _ Date: Class: _ students: Topic of the lesson: Aim(s) of the lesson: _ Part I: Classroom physical conditions Please complete the table with details of physical conditions of the classroom Classroom size Number of students Seating arrangements Classroom teaching and learning equipment (board, screen, videos, audios, computer, etc.) Lighting Heat Comments about physical conditions Part II: Lesson observation Tasks/ Time Stage activities Teacher’ Students’ s activities activities 52 Materials Comments used No of Part III: Lesson observation summary A Design and organization Statements Comments The textbook is attractive The content of the textbook is well-organized There are enough audio-visual aids, which support students’ learning The size of the textbook is appropriate B Language content The language in the textbook is suitable with students’ levels The language content covers all language skills The language in the textbook is motivating and interesting The language content is suitable with students’ needs C Activities and tasks The activities and tasks are various The amount of activities and tasks is appropriate There are enough activities and tasks for language and skills Activities and tasks help students reinforce the language D Supporting materials The teacher usually uses teaching aids (audio-visual aids) for teaching Teacher never uses teaching aids for teaching There are enough supporting materials The supporting materials are helpful 53 AppendixD : Participant Information Sheet For Teachers Title: An evaluation of an English textbook used for intensive program at a Junior High School in Ho Chi Minh City Name of researcher: Minh Man Tran, MA student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Instructions: For the purpose of my thesis, I am conducting a research study to find out what works well and what needs improving in the Achievers grade textbook You are invited to participate in my research I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me As part of my thesis I am conducting a questionnaire task, interviews and classroom observation In the questionnaire task, you are asked to complete the questionnaire on your evaluation of Achievers grade 6, which you are using to study English The questionnaire may take you half an hour to finish You will be asked to take part in a thirty-minute interview about your evaluation of Achievers grade You will also be asked to carry out a demonstration teaching period using the Achievers grade textbook Before you carry out the tasks, I will need to collect your personal information through the Background Information Sheet If you are willing to participate in my study, please complete the Background Information Sheet, sign the Consent Form, complete the Questionnaire and give them back to me All information you provide in the Background Information Sheet is confidential and your name will not be used Thank you very much for your time and help in making this research possible Contact information If you have any queries or wish to know more, please let me know now or contact me at the following address: Minh Man Tran – Ho Chi Minh City, University of Social Sciences and Humanities Mobile: 0902650311 e-mail: minhman282@gmail.com 54 Appendix E: Participant Consent Form For Teachers Title: An evaluation of an English textbook used for intensive program at a Junior High School in Ho Chi Minh City Name of researcher: Minh Man Tran, MA student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Please tick the box if you agree □ I have been given and have understood the explanation of the research study I have had an opportunity to ask questions and have them answered □ I understand that I may withdraw myself or any information traceable to me at any time without giving any reasons □ I agree to take part in the research □ I agree that my interview that I will participate in will be audio-recorded □ I agree that my demonstration period will be audio-recorded Date: Name: Signature: 55 Appendix F: Questionnaire Instruction Dear participants, This questionnaire is designed to collect your views about the Achievers grade textbook The textbook will be evaluated in terms of its design and organization, language content, activities and tasks, and supporting materials It is absolutely essential that you express your opinions realistically The data collected from you will be very valuable in recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of the textbook These strengths and weaknesses are considered to be the scientific base for recommendations on using the Achievers grade textbook effectively Your identity and individual responses in this questionnaire will be kept strictly confidential and will be used for this research purpose only Thank you very much for your participation and cooperation Minh Man Tran Department of English Linguistics and Literature Ho Chi Minh City, University of Social Sciences and Humanities 56 Appendix G: Questionnaire For Teachers (Please, tick appropriate box) 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral, 4=agree and 5=strongly agree A Design and organization The textbook is durable (Quality of paper and binding) The textbook's size appears to make it easy for students to handle The physical appearance of the textbook is appealing All the headings and subheadings are well-organized The units offer easy progression by organizing well The textbook contains enough pictures, diagrams, tables etc., which help the students understand the printed texts Illustrations, tables, figures, graphs, etc are relevant and functional An adequate vocabulary list or glossary is included The textbook's instructions are written in straightforward language 10 The textbook contains adequate appendices 11 The necessary audio-visual aids are included within the textbook to support students' integrated learning of the four skills B Language content 12 The textbook contains an appropriate table of content 13 The content does not go against what the students believe to be socially acceptable 14 The content does not contradict the background of the students 15 The textbook covers most language skills 16 The subject matter is presented either topically or functionally in a logical, organized manner 17 The textbook's topics and content are sufficiently varied 18 The content promotes students' autonomy 19 Real-world issues within the text force the reader to think about his or her worldview in a very critical way 20 The topics are familiar to the learners 21 There is sufficient variety in the content of the textbook 22 The content promotes students' involvement 23 The textbook is suitable for the learners' level 24 Positive attitudes toward gender are emphasized within the content 25 The textbook encourages a positive attitude towards environmental issues 26 The textbook contains a self-check for study progress 27 The content does not conflict with students' background 28 The teaching of the target culture motivates the learners to explore their own culture 29 The knowledge in the textbook provides a window into the culture of the target language (American, British, etc.) 57 C 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 D 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Activities and tasks The textbook contains a range of exercises The instructions within the material are sufficient The instructions within the material are clear There are instructions to clarify how the exercise should be done The amount of activities is suitable There are interactive activities that need students to use new vocabulary to speak By presenting situations where grammatical rules are required, the activities help students use them The textbook's communicative exercises help students practice their communicative skills in authentic settings The textbook has a balance between the activities for language and activities for skills An adequate set of evaluation quizzes or testing suggestions is included Supporting materials The teacher can easily control how the supporting materials are employed The teacher's manual offers a suitable strategy for instructing each lesson The materials' layout enables teachers to use them in a variety of ways to meet the needs of various students The teacher's manual aids school teachers in comprehending the textbook's aims The way to incorporate audiovisual materials created for the textbook is explained within the manual The manual provides additional exercises for reinforcing various language skills within the textbook Teachers are provided with techniques for activating students’ background knowledge before reading the texts The assessment instruments are useful to the teacher The manual offers teachers a spread of real-world assessment methods 58 Appendix H: Semi-structured Interview Questions Part 1: Teachers’ general information and teaching experience Name:…………………………………………………………………………… Study major:……………………………………………………………………… Years of teaching experience:…………………………………………………… Part 2: Semi-structured interview questions: Research question (RQ) RQ1 Questions What are the opinions of teachers at Hoang Le Kha Junior High School on the benefits and drawbacks of the Achievers grade textbook? RQ 1.1 What you think of the benefits and drawbacks of the Achievers grade textbook in terms of its design and organization? 1.2 What is your opinion on the benefits and drawbacks of the Achievers grade textbook in terms of its language content? 1.3 Can you tell me the benefits and drawbacks of the Achievers grade textbook in terms of its activities and tasks if there are any? 1.4 What is your point of view on the benefits and drawbacks of the Achievers grade textbook in terms of its supporting materials? What recommendations the teachers at Hoang Le Kha Junior High School make on using Achievers grade textbook effectively? 2.1 What are your recommendations on using the Achievers grade effectively in terms of its design and organization? 2.2 What are your recommendations on using the Achievers grade effectively in terms of its language content? 2.3 What are your recommendations on using the Achievers grade effectively in terms of its activities and tasks? 2.4 What are your recommendations on using the Achievers grade effectively in terms of its supporting materials? 59