Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research
Volume 4, Issue 5, 2017, pp. 85-97
Available online at www.jallr.com
ISSN: 2376-760X
* Correspondence: Shahram Afraz, Email: a.sh32 rocketmail.com
© 2017 Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research
Evaluation of EFL Textbooks from Teachers' Viewpoints: a
Case Study on the Third Grade Secondary School Textbook
"Prospect3"
Mitra Zia
M.A. Student, Department of English Language, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas,
Iran
Shahram Afraz
*
Ph.D, Department of English Language, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran
Abstract
The present study was set out with the aim of investigating teachers’ attitude towards the
third grade secondary school new English textbook called “Prospects 3”. To this end, 35
male and female teachers from different Secondary schools in Bandar Abbas took part in the
study. The selection of participants was based on convenient sampling. In order to collect
relevant data for the study a textbook evaluation checklist formed by McDonough and Shaw
(1993), which consisted of 35 items about four aspects of textbooks, including: Aims and
achievements, Skills, Language Type, and Technical considerations were administered to
teachers. Teachers were given enough time about one month to answer agree/ neutral/
disagree to the items on the checklist based on their observations in the classes. After that,
the checklists were collected and analyzed through a descriptive data analysis. In order to
achieve the desirable results, means, and standard deviations were calculated. Finally, the
result of the study revealed that with respect to this new formed ELT textbook, teachers
had more positive attitudes towards aims and achievements, skills, and technical
considerations of the book. The findings also revealed that EFL teachers showed the least
positive attitude towards Language type, since they believe that in many cases the language
and register employed in the textbook, were inauthentic.
Keywords: evaluation, textbook, teachers' attitude, case study
INTRODUCTION
Since usage of English as an international language is increasing in all aspects of
communication among people worldwide, it has become necessary for people to learn it
as a foreign language in order to be able to communicate with people from other
countries. Various countries whose first language is something other than English, like
Iran, are aware of such necessity, thus English language course books are taught in
schools among various grades. One of the important tools employed in the process of