Textbook Evaluation: A Case Study

Abstract

Textbooks provide novice teachers with guidance in course and activity design; it assures a measure of structure, consistency, and logical progression in a class. This paper reports on a study that investigated one of the textbooks (Top Notch) which is used in some of the Iranian English language institutions. The purpose of this research project was to determine the overall pedagogical value and suitability of the book towards students’ needs. For this purpose, 105 students and 32 teachers were selected and data were gathered by two questionnaires which were prepared by Litz (2001). The teacher questionnaire consisted of 40 items and the student version consisted of 25 items. An additional component of the study consisted of a student “needs analysis” that was conducted at the same time as the textbook evaluation survey. After analyzing data, it was shown that although the textbook had some shortcomings, it had met students’ needs and it could be a good book in the hand of a good teacher.