Luận văn thạc sĩ Lý thuyết và phương pháp giảng dạy tiếng Anh: High school teachers’ perceptions of the new Tiếng Anh 10 published in 2022 = Nhận thức của giáo viên trường Trung học phổ thông về sách Tiếng Anh 10 được xuất bản năm 2022

DANG THI HOANG ANH

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF

THE NEW TIẾNG ANH 10 PUBLISHED IN 2022

Major: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Code: 8140111

Supervisor: Assoc, Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien

ĐẶNG THỊ HOÀNG ANH

NHẬN THỨC CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG VỀ SÁCH TIẾNG ANH 10

ĐƯỢC XUẤT BẢN NĂM 2022

Ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp dạy học bộ môn Tiếng Anh Mã số: 8140111

Người hướng dẫn: PGS TS Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP

I hereby declare that this thesis titled "High school teachers' perceptions of the new Tiếng Anh 10 textbook published in 2022" was carried out by myself under the guidance and supervision of Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, and that the work contained and its results are confirmed by the author and have not violated research ethics

Quy Nhon, 2023

Dang Thi Hoang Anh

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to say thank you to the following people from the bottom of my heart: my supervisor, my family, my school, my colleagues, and all the participants who voluntarily joined in my questionnaire and interview This research project was only successful with them

First, I sincerely thank Associate Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, my thesis mentor, for her constant encouragement and patience and her enlightened, helpful, and patient comments She always helped me along the road and consistently showed her trust in me I owe her a debt of gratitude for her insightful feedback on this thesis

I would especially like to express my gratitude to the school administrator and the English Department of Le Thanh Phuong High School teachers for their support so that I can participate in this master's course at Quy Nhon University in two years

I am grateful to all of the enthusiastic high school teachers in Phu Yen Province who spent their time participating in this study

I especially appreciate Quy Nhon University's Postgraduate Department and Foreign Languages Department for their administrative support

Finally, I thank my family for constant encouragement during the course and the writing of my thesis

ABSTRACT

This research aims at investigating the high school teachers' perceptions on the new "Tiếng Anh 10" textbook published in 2022 This study was carried out with 50 teacher participants from high schools in Phu Yen Province The study addressed three issues (1) the high school teachers’ perceptions on organizaion of “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook; (2) the high school teachers’ perceptions on activities of “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook; (3) the high school teachers’ perceptions on language skills of “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook The research instruments employed in this research included quantitative data questionnaires and semi-structured interviews for qualitative data 50 English teachers who were using the “Tiếng Anh 10” Global Success were given questionnaires, and 10 among 50 participants were accepted to join the interview The findings show that most teachers had favourable opinions of the textbooks' organization and the activities in the textbook The findings also revealed that teachers had various perspectives on the language skills of the new "Tiếng Anh 10" textbook From the findings, some implications were given for both material developers and teachers

Key words: high school teachers’ perception, the new “Tiếng Anh 10”

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 4

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 4

1.7 STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY 5

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1.AN OVERVIEW OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS AN EFL IN VIETNAM 6

2.2.TEXTBOOKS 8

2.2.1 Definition of EFL Textbook 8

2.2.2 The Role of Textbooks for EFL Teachers and Students 10

2.2.3 A Description of the 10th – grade English Textbooks 11

2.3.PERCEPTION AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 14

2.3.1 Definition of Perception 14

2.3.2 Related Studies on Teachers’ Perceptions 15

2.3.3 Importance of Perception on Learning and Teaching 16

2.4.EVALUATION OF TEXTBOOKS 17

2.4.1 The Evaluation of the Physical Aspects of Textbook 18

2.4.2 The Evaluation of the Academic Aspects of Textbook 19

2.5.REVIEW OF RELATED EMPIRICAL STUDIES 20

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 23

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 29

4.1.TEACHERS’PERCEPTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN THE NEW “TIẾNG ANH 10” 29

4.2.TEACHERS’PERCEPTIONS OF THE ACTIVITIES IN THE NEW “TIẾNG ANH 10” 37

4.3.TEACHERS’PERCEPTIONS OF THE LANGUAGE SKILLS IN THE NEW “TIẾNG ANH 10” 44

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 56

5.1.SUMMARY 56

5.2.IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY 57

5.3.LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 58

5.4.SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES 58

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EFL : English as a foreign language ELT : English language teaching ESL : English as a second language MOET : Ministry of Education and Training

LIST OF TABLE

Table 2 1 Structure and content of the new “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook 13

Table 3 1 Table 3.1 The background of teacher participants 24

Table 3 2 Reliability Statistics of the Questionnaire 27

Table 4 1 Teacher’s perception of the organization of “Tiếng Anh 10” 30

Table 4 2 Appropriate organization of the textbook 31

Table 4 3 Comprehensiveness and usefulness of the table of content 32

Table 4 4 Effectiveness of the glossary 33

Table 4 5 Clarity of the preface of the book 35

Table 4 6 The realization of CLT in the textbook design 36

Table 4 7 The activities in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” 37

Table 4 8 A balanced range of exercises in the book 38

Table 4 9 Collaboration in the book 40

Table 4 10 The enhancement of creativity, innovation and independence of textbook tasks 41

Table 4 11 Enhancement of students’ communication via textbook tasks 42

Table 4 12 The new content conveyed in the activities in the textbook 43

Table 4 13 The language skills in the new “Tiêng Anh 10” 44

Table 4 14 The language authenticity of the textbook 46

Table 4 15 The language appropriacy to students' level of the textbook 47

Table 4 16 The clarity of the instructions in the textbook 48

Table 4 17 A balanced range of four skills 49

Table 4 18 Different dialects in audio file 51

Table 4 19 The grammar points in authentic sentences 52

Table 4 20 Effectiveness of reusing vocabulary 53

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale

The availability of textbooks is one of the crucial elements in the teaching and learning process because textbooks serve as a guide for students and teachers of all educational levels to engage in classroom activities actively This concurs with Iqbal's (2013) argument that using textbooks might help students attain their learning goals to the fullest extent possible In addition, textbooks are the foundation of educational practices and provide students with "a wide variety of fresh and possibly exciting knowledge, as well as open the door to a world of magnificent experience" (Chambliss & Calfee, 1998, p.7) English textbooks are one of the elements that affect teaching and learning in education Teachers utilize textbooks as teaching aids to assist them in explaining

Vietnam is changing from a mostly closed society with a centrally planned economy to one that is quickly urbanizing and has a global perspective The country's English language instruction has gone through many ups and downs and has taken severe turns from being nearly minimized to being the most important foreign language to be taught and learned English has been designated as "a compulsory subject" taught from Grade 3 to Grade 12 English has been seen as being "important to the Vietnamese young generation's future education and employability "in a globalized, multicultural, and multilingual world" (Government of Vietnam 2008, p.1) This pressing necessity has made it impossible for Vietnam to sustain its current standards of teaching, learning and usage of foreign languages Decision-making bodies (the Government and MOET) were increasingly aware that Vietnam's performance standards in foreign languages, in general, and English, would lag without a radical change

in language policy, curriculum design, textbook development, teaching methodology, and testing and assessment For the national general education system's English teaching and learning, a new curriculum and many new textbooks have been produced to achieve this aim (Ministry of Education and Training 2015) According to Decision 441/QD-BGDĐT and Decision 442/QD-BGDĐT, a Decision approving the list of 7th and 10th-grade textbooks used in public education institutions dated January 28th, 2022 And nine 10th-grade English books for next school year include Global Success, Think, English Discovery, Macmillan Move On, Friends Plus Global, Explore New Worlds, Bright, i-Learn Smart World and C21-Smart In practice, high schools in Phu Yen provice are free to choose one of the above nine books, but Global Success textbook is most commonly used at most high schools in Phu Yen

The attitudes of teachers toward English textbooks in ESL/EFL classes have been the subject of a few studies (Wen-Cheng et al., 2011; Kirkgöz, 2009; Rahimi & Hassani, 2012; Khodabandeh & Mombini, 2018) These studies talked about a checklist for evaluating textbooks that would be used for primary school testing Teachers are among the most crucial members of the educational system since they are on the front lines of instruction, actively involved in various teaching and learning processes, and the last people to put educational ideas and concepts into practice The importance of instructors' perspectives in the field of English language teaching professionals has been emphasized According to Robson (2002), language teachers' attitudes affect what they do in the classroom The perceptions of teachers also affect what they do both inside and outside of the classroom What teachers do in classrooms is influenced by their perceptions How instructors react to problems in their teaching environments is related to their perceptions This implies that teachers

typically base their judgments and conclusions on their impressions Therefore, when doing their regular instruction, teachers must be conscious of what they perceive and believe Additionally, their views influence how teachers respond to flaws in their instructional environments (Moloy, 2009)

Some schools have only recently begun using the set of English textbooks under the National Foreign Language 2020 project for one year Especially, Global Success has not been tested for difficulties and advantages from EFL high school teachers The perceptions of teachers who use the textbooks directly about the benefits and challenges implementing the book have received little research Additionally, the National Foreign Language 2020 project's investigation of the English textbooks is complicated Because of this, I decided to conduct this study to find out how teachers view textbooks and make suggestions better the situation

1.2 Research Aim

The aim of the present study is to investigate what teachers think about the organization, activities, language skills in “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook by Viet Nam Education Publishing House

1.3 Research Objectives

There are 3 objectives which are focused on in this study:

- Investigate the teachers’ perceptions of the organization in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House

- Examine the teachers’ perceptions of the activities in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House

- Identify the teachers’ perceptions of the language skills in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House

1.4 Research Questions

With those objectives, the study focuses on answering:

- What are the teachers’ perceptions of the organization in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House Limited Company? - What are the teachers’ perceptions of the activities in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House Limited Company? - What are the teachers’ perceptions of the language skills in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House Limited Company?

1.5 Scope of the Study

The new “Tiếng Anh 10” includes a student book and workbook Each book contains 4 review units and 10 units Each unit has 8 headings: Getting Started, Language (Vocabulary, Pronunciation, and Grammar), Skills (Reading, Speaking, Listening, Writing), Communication & Culture, Looking Back & Project Every unit begins with a discussion of the subject matter, including phonological and lexical items pertinent to the subject, particular functions and conceptions, and grammatical structures expressing them (MOET, 2012) However, in this thesis, I would like to investigate the perceptions of high schools teachers on the organization, the activities and the language skills The participants are 50 English teachers who used the new “Tiếng Anh 10” in 2022-2023 academic year in Phu Yen Province

1.6 Significance of the Study

“Tiếng Anh 10”- Global Success is the most popularly used at high schools in Phu Yen province in 2022-2023 academic year This book is expected to be used by almost all high schools nationwide soon However, no study has been done about the subject of the new “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook yet Therefore, this study will be crucial for effectively integrating the tenth-grade textbook into

teaching and learning activities The study will be necessary for experts, language practitioners, policymakers, textbook designers, teachers, students, and others involved in teaching and learning activities, either directly or indirectly After this research project is finished, it will offer some advice and recommendations on organization, activities and language skills matters, which can help prevent some of the issues highlighted in the textbook From that, material developers and textbook writers can develop more suitable textbooks for teaching and learning in Vietnam

1.7 Structure of the Study

Chapter 1 "Introduction": The rationale, goals and objectives, research questions, study scope, study importance, and study organization are all presented in Chapter 1

Chapter 2, "Literature review": A history of English textbooks at General Education in Vietnam, theoretical appraisal of the textbooks evaluation, role of the textbook, and related empirical studies in Vietnam are also covered in this chapter

Chapter 3, "Research methodology", data descriptions, data analysis, and research processes are covered in this section The authenticity and dependability of the data are also shown in this chapter

Chapter 4, "Findings and Discussions", focuses on describing and analyzing teachers' perspectives on the organization, activities and language skills of Tieng Anh 10

Chapter 5 "Conclusion and Implications" includes a summary of the study's findings Additionally, it discusses the study's limitations and makes recommendations for additional research, as well as implications for creating effective implementation strategies for these books

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter summarizes the relevant studies and research that provide the starting point for how instructors evaluate textbooks I'll start by describing how English is now taught in Vietnam and how the content of English textbooks is changing The significance of EFL teachers' perceptions of teaching will be discussed next I will then discuss textbooks' functions in education and studying English I then offer a general picture of the evaluation of the textbooks Finally, it provides a summary of earlier research on teachers' opinions of English textbooks

2.1 An Overview of Teaching English as an EFL in Vietnam

All Vietnamese students in General Education Level classes must now study English According to Hoang, V V (2010), there are three levels of general education in Vietnam, which include 12 grades: primary (grades 1 through 5 for students aged 6 to 11), lower secondary (grades 6 through 9 for students aged 11 to 15), and upper secondary (grades 10 through 12 for students aged 15 to 18) Vietnam currently has a 10-year curriculum for teaching English that begins in grade 3 and requires all students to take foreign language classes In addition, it is not required to teach English in grades 1 and 2 (MOET, 2018) English is required in all primary (grades 3 to 5) and lower and upper secondary schools The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) national test requires all students to study English as a required subject All public schools are required to follow the government-set curriculum There are now two different types of curriculum: 10-year and 7-year English textbook curricula As a result, the decision to use textbooks is based on the local authorities' demands and each school's requirements

In the middle of the second half of 2010, work was done on the ten-year English textbook series' design and development The primary English authors finished authoring English 3, English 4, and English 5 by the end of 2012, and 92 chosen primary schools across Vietnam received them for assessment However, the Vietnam Education Publishing House (VEPH) determined that working with foreign publishing partners was essential to enhance the ten-year English textbook series to regional and worldwide standards Consequently, two collaboration agreements between VEPH and two top publishers in the globe were signed: one with Pearson Education for the development of lower secondary and upper secondary English textbooks and the other with MacMillan Education for the development of elementary English textbooks The National Evaluation Council of MOET, which is made up of experienced and highly qualified school teachers of English and experts on English education from Vietnam and abroad, evaluates the ten-year English textbooks to make sure they adhere to the standards of a contemporary English textbook series in regarding language knowledge, language skills, and cross-cultural knowledge

The study of English is enhanced, and the standard of English teaching and learning in Vietnam is also encouraged to keep up with the progress of globalization in the context of globalization and the demand for teaching and learning English as an international language Because of this, on September 30, 2008, the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam signed Decision No 1400/Q-TTG announcing the 2020 Project, a national project titled "Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System, Period 2008-2020" (MOET, 2008) The 2020 project's general objective is that by the year 2020, "the majority of Vietnamese students graduating from secondary, vocational schools, colleges, and universities will be able to use a foreign language with confidence in their daily communication,

their study, and their work in an integrated, multi-cultural, and multilingual environment, making foreign languages a comparative advantage of development for Vietnamese people in the cause of industrialization and modernization for the country."

2.2 Textbooks

2.2.1 Definition of EFL Textbook

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a textbook is a book that provides comprehensive knowledge on a subject for readers who are studying it Following the creation of the curriculum, the textbook serves as a source of teaching-learning materials used by both the students and the teacher Additionally, the teacher uses textbooks to manage the lesson in the teaching and learning process For teachers, textbooks serve as a guide and a repository of ideas for delivering lessons (Tomlinson, 2008)

Additionally, textbooks function as meticulously planned and made schedules (Richards, 2001) According to the definition, EFL textbooks are practical tools intended to provide students with essential information, language proficiency, and understanding of English-speaking nations while also preparing them for contact with individuals from other countries and various cultural backgrounds Each textbook provides students with knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills Because of this, students can improve their language abilities by using their textbooks as a motivating tool to help them learn the language

Textbooks work as syllabuses, giving teachers content to teach in the classroom The usage of textbooks as syllabuses that reflect predetermined learning objectives is mentioned by Cunningsworth (1995) Additionally, textbooks offer clear frameworks that direct educators and students in terms of what they have done and will accomplish (Ur, 1998) For teachers, textbooks

may serve as a guide and a repository of lesson-delivery ideas (Tomlinson, 2008) Chapters in a well-written and organized textbook might guide how lessons should be taught (Edge & Wharton, 1998)

Textbooks are practical resources in terms of time and money, according to O'Neill (1982), Sheldon (1988), and Ur (1998) Textbooks cut down on content preparation time, allowing teachers to spend more time teaching Additionally, engaging exercises found in good textbooks that do not need much preparation might help teachers (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994) According to Ansary and Babaii (2003), textbooks are time and program controllers Additionally, textbooks are cheap compared to alternative products like learning kits, photocopied worksheets, or computer software (Ur, 1998)

The detailed teaching and learning materials created for the students based on the curriculum are defined as textbooks It is frequently utilized as a stand-alone resource to meet curricular goals The activities and pictures are also produced in sequential order as a result A textbook is a piece of instructional material that includes subject-related content and materials that are neatly structured in writing and make a significant contribution to the teaching and learning process, according to Yulianti (2011)

As English takes on more importance in educational systems, EFL textbooks may significantly influence how future generations in non-English-speaking nations view the functions of English and their connections with it Within the parameters of critical pedagogy, Rashidi and Safari (2011) created a paradigm for EFL instructional materials The approach takes into account "the specifics of the local setting as well as the difficulties and concerns of the learner It provides strategies for assisting students in honing their second language abilities while fostering a critical awareness of social structural concerns in their environment (p 250)

2.2.2 The Role of Textbooks for EFL Teachers and Students

English is now an essential component of the academic program in Vietnamese schools In developing nations, particularly our nation, teaching and learning English as a foreign language is a difficult challenge Generally, the methods used to teach and study English as a foreign language in schools must be based on primary resources As a result, a textbook is among the most crucial tools for the EFL teaching and learning processes because it assists both teachers and students

English is spoken and studied as a second language in many nations worldwide Effective English teaching and learning have been priorities in Vietnam Thus, English textbooks may serve as students' primary or sole source of language instruction and the foundation for language practice both within and outside of the classroom According to Richards (2001), textbooks are essential in many language classrooms "Textbooks continue to be a mainstay of the global school curricula, providing teachers and students with the endorsed values, attitudes, skills, and behaviours of authorities in those fields as well as the official knowledge of school subjects." (Wen-Cheng et al., 2011)

Textbooks work as syllabuses, giving teachers content to teach in the classroom The usage of textbooks as syllabuses that reflect predetermined learning objectives is mentioned by Cunningsworth (1995) Additionally, textbooks serve as syllabuses that have been carefully prepared and organized (Richards, 2001) Additionally, textbooks offer clear frameworks that direct educators and students in terms of what they have done and will accomplish (Ur, 1998) For teachers, textbooks may serve as a guide and a repository of lesson-delivery ideas (Tomlinson, 2008) Chapters in a well-written and organized textbook might guide how lessons should be taught (Edge & Wharton, 1998)

According to Tomlinson (2008), the immense potential of textbooks may ask

teachers to rely too much on them and spend less time designing lectures Because of this, the instructor ends up instructing the text rather than the language itself (McGrath, 2002) Richards and Mahoney (1996) further examined teachers' opinions and behaviours regarding the use of textbooks To find out how English textbooks were utilized in the ESL environment of Hong Kong, the researchers surveyed ESL instructors in secondary schools They discovered that teachers thought the textbook could successfully support their instruction The textbook was one of many sources of instruction or the focus of the whole class The study concluded that teachers had a critical view of their textbooks

Another benefit textbooks bring is about time and money, according to O'Neill (1982), Sheldon (1988), and Ur (1998) Textbooks cut down on content preparation time, allowing teachers to spend more time teaching Additionally, engaging exercises found in good textbooks that do not need much preparation might help teachers (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994) According to Ansary and Babaii (2003), textbooks are time and program controllers Additionally, textbooks are cheap compared to alternative products like learning kits, photocopied worksheets, or computer software (Ur, 1998)

2.2.3 A Description of the 10th – grade English Textbooks

“Tiếng Anh 10” is in the Global Success English Textbook Series by Prof Dr Hoang Van Van, the Editor-in-Chief This is the first book for the high school level On January 28, 2022, English 10 Global Success was officially approved by the Minister of Education and Training in the list of grade 10 textbooks used at general education institutions from the 2022 - 2023 school year, according to decision No 442/QD-BGDDT “Tiếng Anh 10” – Global success is published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House Limited Company It is taught within 105 periods “Tiếng Anh 10” Global Success is built in the

direction of communication, helping students to form and develop communication ability through training in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing and language knowledge, including phonics, vocabular, and grammar according to the framework program After completing the “Tiếng Anh 10” program, students can achieve Level 3-1 according to the 6-level Foreign Language Competency Framework for Vietnam (MOET, 2014) The system of topics in “Tiếng Anh 10” Global Success is built closely related to each other, suitable for the age characteristics of 10th graders, helping them to have some general understanding of countries, people and cultures of many countries around the world; and educating the values of the Vietnamese national culture In addition, “Tiếng Anh 10” Global Success also helps students to form the necessary qualities and competencies, such as awareness, community responsibility and, above all, the ability to adapt to the context nowadays “Tiếng Anh 10” - Global Success - The student's book is compiled in the direction of integrating skills, whereby the skills of reading, speaking, listening, and writing complement each other and are developed around four themes close to each other Our Lives; Our Society; Our Environment and Our Future, these four topics are concretized into ten units of lessons and each lesson unit corresponds to a topic After each topic is a review, focusing on training language knowledge and developing language skills that students have learned

The following table 2.1 summarized the structure and content of the new “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook

Table 2 1

Structure and Content of the New “Tiếng Anh 10” Textbook

Organization Detail

Number of sections per unit 8

Section heading Getting Started

Language: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Grammar

Reading Speaking Listening Writing

Communication & Culture (CILL) Looking Back & Project

Time allocated for each heading

1 period

Unit 2: Humans and the environment Unit 3: Music

Unit 4: For a better community Unit 5: Inventions

Organization Detail

Unit 6: Gender Equality

Unit 7: Viet Nam and international organisations

Unit 8: New ways to learn

Unit 9: Protecting the environment Unit 10: Ecotourism

2.3 Perception and Its Importance in Teaching and Learning

2.3.1 Definition of Perception

From a physical, psychological, and physiological standpoint, perception can be characterized According to a psychological definition, perception is choosing, organizing, and interpreting information from receptors Perception may reveal a person's inner potential, including their attitudes, sentiments, and points of view (Baron-Cohen, 1995) Another way to think about perception is that it is a process wherein individuals organize and interpret their sensory experiences to make sense of their surroundings

One more definition of perception is that it is "a notion, belief, or image that

you have as a result of how you view or comprehend something" (Hornby,

2005) Perception is defined as "someone's understanding, beliefs, and feelings

about people, circumstances, and events as his or her learning experience, which will be the key determinant of the stimuli to which he or she responds," according to Jalilah (2010)

According to Norman (2002), perception is the beneficiary's conscious, attentive response to objects and events in the present moment In his study,

Searle defined and explored perception as visual awareness In addition, he noted that "Western philosophy for the three centuries after Descartes was preoccupied with the relationship between perceptual experiences and the real world, of which vision is the most important type of experience." (Searle, 2015)

With the support of the above definitions of perception, in this study perception is the act of making sense of data obtained from the human receptor organs or instructions about objects and events in order to create meaning for the environment

2.3.2 Related Studies on Teachers’ Perceptions

Several significant areas of interest to ELT professionals have examined the function and significance of instructors' perspectives Jeon and Hahn (2006) studied 228 middle and high school instructors to find that specific beneficial ramifications of teachers' perspectives were found, which could aid teachers and teacher trainers in creating and implementing task-based language education more successfully

Aminuddin (2009) examined how teachers employed textbooks and lesson plans as instructional tools in language classes and how students reacted to the teachers' application of such tools The study involved eight English teachers and students at the Language Center of the State School of Administration Sciences in Indonesia In order to gather information, the researcher used document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews It was discovered that teachers believed textbooks needed more content appropriateness, making it difficult to serve both their and their students' requirements adequately On the other hand, students largely concurred that the learning resources could meet their needs, demonstrating that the teachers' use of these teaching aids in the classroom was beneficial

Dolati and Richards (2012) investigated how visual aids helped students' vocabulary development The study, conducted in elementary schools, was expressly designed to look at how dual coding theory might help alter language instructors' attitudes toward using visual teaching aids in their classes Data were gathered through focus group interviews The findings indicated that teachers generally had a favourable attitude toward employing visual aids in teaching communication skills

2.3.3 Importance of Perception on Learning and Teaching

The role of the teacher and the students is crucial to the teaching and learning process and has a significant impact on the educational system The teacher is seen as a manager, advisor, enforcer of classroom rules, mentor, counselor, role model, and planner who may help pupils improve both their behavior and their learning According to Razmjoo (2007), using textbooks allows pupils to feel secure and speeds up their acquisition of subject material The learning environment is significantly shaped by teachers' perceptions (Windiarti et al., 2019) According to McDonald (2011:2), perception refers to how people interpret a phenomenon that occurred in the real world The ability to provide one's own point of view or interpretation on how to value something based on what one knows depends on that person's background knowledge

Yu (2004) asserts that teachers' beliefs affect their actions within and beyond the classroom As a result, teachers need to be careful about what they think about teaching and learning Language instructors' attitudes affect what they do in the classroom, according to Barcelos (2000) How instructors respond to problems in their classroom environments relates to how teachers see themselves (Moloi, 2009) Additionally, Pedersen and Liu (2003) claim that instructors' choices and behaviours in the classroom are solely based on their views or ideas This implies that instructors typically base their judgements and

conclusions on their impressions Kurniawati (2006) asserts that teachers' beliefs may be used to learn more about their practices and guiding principles Understanding language instruction from the instructors' perspective is made possible by revealing elements underlying teachers' behaviours and examining teachers' mental experiences and beliefs According to Jia (2004), as thinking drives conduct, knowing instructors' views and beliefs may help teachers improve their practices while providing a more profound knowledge of their classroom behaviour

In conclusion, teachers' perceptions are essential to the teaching and learning processes because they affect teachers' behaviours and decision-making and offer essential insight into various facets of education

2.4 Evaluation of Textbooks

According to Cunningsworth (1995), evaluating textbooks would entail carefully choosing materials and determining if they accurately reflect a particular educational program's objectives, goals, strategies, and values It also enables students to gain practical, precise, methodical, and contextual insights into the general character of textbook elements (Cunningsworth, 1995) Textbook evaluation aids teachers in moving beyond impressionistic judgments Teachers can more easily modify a textbook to meet the course's objectives, the student's requirements, and their own beliefs by understanding the book's substance and its strengths and shortcomings According to Littlejohn (1998), the textbook evaluation aims to determine whether the materials' technique and content are appropriate for a specific language teaching context The evaluation would examine the claims the materials make for themselves, including if they foster autonomy, entail problem-solving, and are communicative, as their authors say

The assessment of ELT textbooks may also be divided into three categories

based on the various stages, including "predictive" or "pre-use," "in-use," and "retrospective" or "post-use" evaluations (Cunningsworth, 1995); (Tomlinson, 2003); (Ellis, 1997) They claim that the 'predictive' or 'pre-use' evaluation is made to look at a textbook's prospective or future performance The 'in-use' assessment, which examines how ELT textbooks are used in classrooms, is one of the various forms of textbook evaluation The evaluation of a textbook after it has been used, either temporarily or permanently, is known as a "post-use" evaluation All three of these assessment methods assess how well ELT textbooks serve a particular objective, such as fostering academic literacy in learners, implementing curricula, or assisting students in test preparation

2.4.1 The Evaluation of the Physical Aspects of Textbook

According to McDonough and Shaw (2013), this preliminary assessment aids in assessing a textbook's physical components The textbook's physical evaluation includes the following elements

• Material quality The textbook's paper should be of the highest standard Each leaf of the book should not be improperly folded after it has been used for a very long time The students' level and age should be considered when choosing the textbook paper It is regarded as an excellent textbook if good-quality paper is utilized

• Size and binding It is stated that a textbook with a firm binding will last longer The book has been appropriately bound with gum after stitching with pins (stapler) The textbook should be manageable so students may transport it wherever needed

• Spacing and lettering In textbooks, the letters and the space between them should be acceptable The learners' level and age should be considered while choosing the letter sizes and styles The typography and

spacing in a textbook should be appropriate

2.4.2 The Evaluation of the Academic Aspects of Textbook

Academic aspects involve content, language skills, and exercises The term "Academic Aspects Evaluation" refers to an internal assessment of the supplied materials, which includes the presentation of language abilities, the structure of language or content, and the grading and sequencing of activities The following is a description of the components of the academic aspects

• Contents: From elementary to complicated principles, any textbook's content should be carefully chosen, arranged, and presented The variety of themes in the textbook should be arranged in a methodical order, chapter by chapter, according to Sheldon (1988) According to the topic's title in the textbook, each unit had one to two subtopics Accurate information should be included in the contents The content's subject matter should be organized systematically according to level, grade, learner interest, and needs The students' physical and social environments should be considered when choosing the content As a result, the textbook's contents should be appropriate and carefully chosen

• Language Based on the degree of proficiency of the students, the language of the textbooks should be chosen The rate at which a textbook introduces new linguistic concepts should be appropriate for the book's readers, according to Grant (1987) The textbook's wording should emphasize the students' communicative proficiency The language used in the textbook should be informal and contextually relevant We should be concerned with carefully chosen words and enough communicative actions Language should be natural and functional, with well-chosen linguistic structures The development of all four linguistic skills should

be emphasized

• Exercise There are enough activities in the textbook for students to practice "The role of the textbook in a students-centred approach is guiding the students, managing students' activity, and directing students' learning." As a result, the textbook should include many practical group and pair work exercises that outline the traits of a student-centred approach Exercises in textbooks should be formal and textually suited to the situation There must be a sufficient number of activities that match the curriculum Each exercise in the textbook should have detailed instructions The exercises in a good textbook should be varied, objectively focused, and evaluated according to difficulty in a systematic fashion The exercises in the textbook motivate the students to work

alone, in pairs, and in groups

2.5 Review of Related Empirical Studies

Vietnam has experienced several changes in the way that English textbooks are adopted From the beginning of secondary school in grade 6 until the conclusion of upper secondary school in grade 12, official textbooks have generally been approved by the government for use in classroom instruction Since Project 2020, all Vietnamese schools from elementary level, grade 3, until the end of grade 12, use national English textbooks

There are several relevant studies on teachers' perceptions when using EFL textbooks The first study was conducted by Nguyen, T T T (2018) and examined the obstacles that high school instructors had while applying the textbook to reality High school teachers from the north of Vietnam were the focus of the case study The finding pointed out how high school English instructors saw the difficulties while using the textbook in their province Five English teachers from various high schools in a northern Vietnamese province

were the subjects of the study, together with two teacher educators who had participated directly in creating and revising the set of English textbooks The findings of this study demonstrated that teachers who used textbooks directly faced six difficulties: (1) a broad range of challenging and unfamiliar topics or text genres; (2) not enough time and program allocation; (3) a lack of teacher references; (4) a mismatch between learning and testing; (5) mixed-level classes; and (6) undermotivated students

In the second study, Tran, P N T., and Tran, Q T (2020) investigated high school teachers' and students' perceptions of communicative abilities shown in the new English textbook for grade 10 The study examines how communicative skills are shown in the new English textbook for grade 10 from the viewpoints of EFL teachers and students At Bui Thi Xuan High School in Lam Dong Province, this research included 42 students who responded to a questionnaire and 5 teachers who gave interviews The study's findings showed that participants thought the new English textbook for grade 10 would help them communicate more effectively

In a different research, the adaptability and standards of EFL textbooks in Hong Kong secondary schools are explored from the perspectives of teachers and students (Chow, 2004) The survey involved 2,535 students and 555 instructors from 52 Hong Kong schools The findings revealed statistically distinct perspectives among the intra-groups (such as topic streams, learning stages, and teacher credentials and experience) and the inter-groups (such as students and instructors) In order to increase textbook applicability and user satisfaction, the research recommended more collaboration among the stakeholders in textbook production and review

In a different study, Nguyet, H T T., and Long, N V (2020) evaluated the two textbooks used in Vietnam's senior high schools They assessed the efficacy of

the new one by focusing on lexical resources at the word level, precisely specific words, and phrasal verbs The analysis of the mutual and exclusive terms, as well as the lexical complexity of the two sets of textbooks, produced measurable data that provided an evaluation of the lexical resources

Another study by Mai, T V., and Thi, T T P (2021) revealed that the same English textbooks for grades 6 through 9—English 6, English 7, English 8, and English 9—represent men and women inequitably More specifically, male speakers predominated the casual environment and its substance Importantly, when questioned, the textbook authors acknowledged explicitly addressing the gender discrepancy, yet it persisted in the final products One author made it clear that when the textbooks were being created, language issues took precedence over gender considerations, leaving this imbalance ignored

Additionally, Srakang (2013) researched how English instructors of the 10th grade considered the usage of English textbooks Twelve teachers of English from the 10th grade in Maha Sarakham Province participated in this investigation Data collection methods include surveys, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews The results demonstrated how utilizing English textbooks in the classroom affected student learning in terms of instructors' attitudes about using English textbooks, the functions of English textbooks in classroom practice, and issues associated with applying English textbooks

The overview of the use of English at the general education level in Vietnam, the importance of textbooks in teaching and learning, and the challenges associated with textbook evaluation have all been covered in this chapter Additionally, this chapter included a few relevant research studies The methodology will be covered in more detail in the next chapter, including the study's participants, instruments, and data analysis methods

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the research design, the population and participant selection, data collection, and data analysis It also mentions the reliability of the data

3.1 Sampling

More than half of high schools in Phu Yen chose the new “Tiếng Anh 10” for their teaching and learning process in the 2022-2023 academic year So, 50 English teachers from some high schools such as Luong Van Chanh High School for the Gifted, Nguyen Trai High school, Le Hong Phong High school, Nguyen Truong To High school, Nguyen Van Linh High school, Chan Quoc Tuan High school, Phan Dinh Phung High school, Chan Phu High school, Le Loi High school, Nguyen Du High school, Phan Chu Trinh High school, Nguyen Thai Binh High school, Phu Yen ethnic minority boarding school, Duy Tan High school, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High school, Chu Van An Secondary and High school, which are using this textbook voluntarily answered the questionnaire, and 10 teachers among these participants voluntarily took part in the interview to give more detailed answers about their opinions The participants were chosen through a sampling process Purposive sampling, as described by Silverman (2000), selects participants for the sample who can provide information on specific aspects of the topic under study Purposive sampling also seeks to gain a deeper comprehension of the studied topic The background of the participants were shown in Table 3.1

5 –10 years More than 10 years

15 28

30% 56%

The data presented in Table 3.1 shows nearly all of this study's participants are female teacher Furthermore, the majority of the participants in this survey have more than 10 years of experience teaching English Almost all the participants have got the degree of bachelor in English teaching education

3.2 Data collection

The research instruments employed in this research included questionnaires for quantitative data, and structured interviews for qualitative data

3.2.1 Questionnaire

A questionnaire is a usual technique for gathering data and is used to elicit

responses, attitudes, or views, according to McMillan and Schumacher (2001) Additionally, a questionnaire is a tool frequently used to gather data on various topics (Richards, 2001) As a result, the researcher chose to use a questionnaire as the primary technique for gathering information about teachers' perceptions A questionnaire draft was created by modifying and expanding Ahmadi Safa’s and Karampour’s (2018) The poll allowed participants to express their ideas,

attitudes, and beliefs regarding English textbooks

The questionnaire consisted of 17 items scored on a five-point Likert Scale ((1) Strongly disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Neutral, (4) agree, or (5) Strongly agree) The questionaire were used to find out high school teachers’ perception on the new “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook The questionnaire was divided into two parts: Teachers’ personal Background and Teachers' Views on English Textbooks

1 Part I: Teachers’ personal Background

The purpose of the first section was used to get some demographic data from the participants, such as their gender, level, and the year of teaching

2 Part II: Teachers' Views on English Textbooks

This section included 17 items dealing with organization, activities and language skills In 17 items, 5 statements for organization, 5 statements for activities and 7 statements for language skills The objectives of the questions from 1 to 5 were to gather data regarding the textbook's organization The purpose of the questions from 6 to 10 was to gather information about what teachers think about the activities in the book The last questions from 11 to 17 represented the language skills about four skills, vocabulary and grammar On a scale of 1 to 5, the participants were given a rating for each item that related to their perceptions as follows: (1) Strongly disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Neutral, (4) agree, or (5) Strongly agree

All participants were explained the purpose of this questionnaire and the reseacher gave them instruction clearly to make sure the teachers understand the questionnaire The researcher delivered 17 - question questionnaires via

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KvP6BxGRTfXKs7rHY_

67pa84Z6OuC67Uto_8ZEGzkxA/edit and sent them to 65 EFL teachers, who

had one month to think and give their opinions by themselves After a month, the research received 50 replies

3.2.2 Interview

According to DeMarrais (2004), an interview is a procedure in which a participant and a researcher converse about issues related to a research project According to Merriam and Tisdell (2015), the primary goal of an interview is to obtain a particular sort of information; as a result, employing interviews is intended to acquire a more profound knowledge of people's perspectives The researcher can gain insight into participants' perspectives on a problem or issue through interviews in a way that is impossible through observation (Merriam, 2009) As a result, the researcher chose to use the semi-structured interview method This type of interview allowed the researcher to get more in-depth responses and double-check the validity of observational data

After recieving the responses of the questionnaire, the researcher sent emails to 20 teachers and 10 of 20 agreed to join the interview The researcher coded the interviewees into T1, T2, … T10

The interview questions were developed to collect information on the English textbooks for the tenth grade The interviews were translated into Vietnamese Ten teachers were taking part in the interview The interview questions were designed to elicit more detailed responses and to verify the validity of survey results on participants' opinions of the 10th-grade English textbooks The interview questions for the teachers included eight questions focused on three areas: organization, activities, and language skills

3.3 Data Analysis

Quantitative data from the questionnaires would be calculated by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for Windows to find out the value It is

examined by descriptive statistics analysis to calculate the mean and standard deviation Descriptive statistics give a concise summary of the data, allowing researchers to obtain a better general knowledge of the data set (Mackey, & Gass, 2015) Particularly, the Frequency, Mean, Standard Deviation, percentages were calculated The mean values were interpreted as follows:

4.50 – 5.00 Strongly agree 3.50 – 4.49 Agree

2.50 – 3.49 Neutral 1.50 – 2.49 Disagree

0 – 1.49 Strongly disagree

Analysis was done on the qualitative information collected from the interviews The first step in the procedure was to convert the data from the audio recording into text After that, the researcher reviewed the information transcribed from the audio tape and made important notes for addressing the study questions, identified the main points to quoted in this study to support the results in the questionnaire The findings from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were combined to address the research questions Scale Tests in SPSS program supported the researcher check the reliability of the questionnaire Table 3.2 below showed the result of the Scale Reliability Statistics of the questionnaire

Table 3 2

Reliability Statistics of the Questionnaire

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

The reliability of the questionnaire was acceptable (α=.746) so the

questionnaire was reliable enough to be used in this research

In short, this chapter included background data about the research participants, research tools, data collecting, and data analysis The data analysis from the questionnaire and the interviews with high school instructors and students are covered in the following chapter

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presents the quantitative and qualitative data analysis findings from the questionnaire and the semi-structured interview to address the research questions This chapter is divided into three parts The first section identifies what teachers think of the organization of the new “Tiếng Anh 10” textbook After that, the teachers’ evaluation of the activities designed in “ Tieng Anh 10” are justified The third part of this chapter deals with the teachers' perspectives on language skills selected in the textbook The detailed findings from questionnaire were described and compared with the answers recorded from the interview

4.1 Teachers’ Perceptions of the Organization in the New “Tiếng Anh 10”

This section presents the results of the questionnaire, which consists of 5 questions about teachers' perceptions of the organization of the textbook, to answer the first research question, "What are the teachers' perceptions of the organization in the new “Tiếng Anh 10” published by Viet Nam Education Publishing House Limited Company?" A Likert scale with five possible responses—one for "strongly disagree" and five for "strongly agree"—were used for the survey It could be understood that the level of agreement among the participants was high when the mean score was high

Concerning the 5 statements regarding the organization of the new “Tiếng Anh 10”, the mean and standard deviation of teachers' responses to each of the statements in the first section are shown in table 4.1

Table 4 1

Teacher’s Perception of the Organization of “Tiếng Anh 10”

Organization N Min Max Mean S D Level of agreement

1) The book is well

2) The table of contents is quite comprehensive and useful

50 3 5 4.16 0.76 Agree

3) List of words at the end of the book is useful and effective

50 2 5 4.12 0.89 Agree

4) Preface of the text briefly explains objectives and fundamental learning theories based on which the text is designed

50 2 5 4.00 0.96 Agree

5) The textbook is designed based on communicative teaching approach (CLT)

50 2 5 4.04 0.94 Agree

Total 4.10 Agree

As seen from Table 4.1, the overall mean score was 4.10, indicating the teachers' favourable opinions of the organization of the “Tiếng Anh 10” textbooks According to the scale data, it demonstrates that the arrangement of the textbook satisfied the expectations of most EFL teachers More specifically, teachers’ agreement can be seen in the appropriate organization of the book, with M = 4.20 Ranking the second is the comprehensiveness and

usefulness of the table of content (M = 4.16) Item 3 ranked third The respondents believed that glossary is useful and effective (M = 4.12) Ranking fourth was item 5, with a mean score of 4.04, which showed that teachers agreed that the textbook is designed based on communicative teaching approach (CLT) Compared to the other items, the last one on the questionnaire received the lowest mean score (M = 4.00) The result about the preface of the book showed that most of the teachers share the positive thinking about the clarify of the book

The detailed descriptions help answer the research question and provide a further understanding of teachers' perceptions of the book's organization To begin with, the appropriate organization of the textbook is illustrated in Table 4.2