Textbook Evaluation

 Textbook Evaluation

Title of textbook	:	English in Focus
Author(s)	:	Artono Wardiman Masuki B. Jahur M. Sukirman Djusma
Intended grade	:	VIII
Publisher	:	Pusat Perbukuan Departemen Pendidikan Nasional

Rationale for Choosing the Textbook

Relying on one textbook as the only teaching and learning source is not suggested (Pikhart, 2015, p. 107). A good textbook will lead into an effective and quality teaching and learning activity (Mukundan, 2007). In short, a textbook determines the success and failure of the teaching and learning activity.  It helps the learners to achieve the learning objectives by facilitating them. However, the teachers or the school administrators are inconsiderate in selecting the appropriate textbooks for the learners (Green, 1926, McGrath, 2002). Their main consideration is how the textbook looks like or its appearance especially its cover and the number of colorful pages and pictures. It is also supported by Tomlinson (2008, p.3) that several textbooks use ungrammatical forms of language. Therefore, it strengthens the assumtion that textbooks which must facilitate the students change into an obstacle.

This study is going to analyze an old textbook which is still utilized by an English teacher in a rural area. The title of this book is English in Focus. It was published in 2008, hence it is considered as an old book because the researcher herself experienced using this book when she was a junior high school student. The teacher in rural area still utilizes this book. Although this book is not the main book used, the teacher exploits it in group work where the learners are encouraged to be literate. She uses three books in the teaching and learning activity. One of them is the current book from the government which already used Curriculum 2013. The rest were old books which still used KTSP.

To obtain information regarding the rationale for choosing the textbook, the researcher conducted semi structural interviews which were done face-to-face for both the teacher and 50 students. From the interview result on the teacher, she recognized the students’ needs. Since she taught in a rural area where most of them have limited access to internet, she must supply them with information and knowledge. In short, she became the main source of learning. To cope with this problem, she needed more than one textbook and purchasing the current textbook with K13 was impossible. Thus, she utilized the old textbooks beside the new one. English in Focus was not the main book because the teacher used it only for the variation as a learning source. Based on the interview, she thought that this book presented less pictures so the students would focus more on the text.

Since this book’s role is as a supporting book, the teacher uses it in the beginning of the lesson. This book contains short texts which are very beneficial to trigger them and to introduce them to a certain new material. For example, in the first chapter, practice 10 (appendix 1) is a short text with six blank sentences. The students should listen to the recording and fill in the blank. Each answer is only one word. Since it serves the key answer in the last pages of the book, this book is only utilized as a practice. Then, for the main activity such as giving a task to be assessed, the teacher uses another books. Since the students are lack of vocabularies, the text used in practice 3 page 20 (appendix 2) is very helpful. It is a short text which consist of two paragraphs. Also, a description of the text parts is given. Therefore, the students will recognize that the first paragraph is identification and the second paragraph is the description. Moreover, the teacher asked the students to explain why it is called identification and description. Then, they have to determine the specific words that relate to the text parts.

The other reason for choosing this book is that it presents several vocabularies for the students. The vocabulary choices are better than the other books because it serves the main or important vocabularies such as physical characteristics or appearances for descriptive text in page 9 (appendix 3). Sinclair and Renouf (1988: 144) emphasize that the vocabularies presented in the textbook should be in line with the material and it should be specified. It also presents the use of descriptive text in the spoken form such as asking the characteristics and the other person answers it by giving the descrption like tall, dark skin, sharp nose, etc. Although the picture are in black and white, the quality of the pictures is good. The reader can see what picture it is.

The presence of the key answer in the back of the textbook is beneficial. Since this book is used as a supporting book, the students can learns by themselves at home. They can try to answer the questions and they can check the answers by themselves. Therefore, this book also promotes them to be autonomous.

In conlcusion, this book was chosen because of its examples to trigger the students in the beginning of the lesson. It supports the students’ need that they are lack of vocabuaries. Therefore, a simple text is needed as the first step. However, it cannot be used to assess their knowledge by asking them to do the task because it supplies the key answers.

Rationale for choosing the Framework

            The framework used in this analysis is from Cunningsworth (1995). There are four focusses on Cunningsworth’s framework. The first is corresponding to the learners needs. This is the most important point relating to the rationale for choosing this textbook. The teacher emphasized on the students’ needs since it was used to facilitate the students in order to be familiar with English words. The second is reflecting the present and future language. The third is facilitating learning in various ways. The last is having a clear role as a support for learning. There are some parts which can be utilized to support the learning activity. His framework contains a comprehensive explanation on the internal approach. It offers a criterion for judging the effectiveness of textbook seen from the perspective of the reality that learners face in the future by presenting language beyond the classroom. This framework does not contain on external factor criterion such as some criteria comprise presentation, lay-out, visual appearance, soon. Most importantly, it provides a complete rubric to be conducted for the intended interviewees.

Textbook Evaluation

1.     Evaluating Textbook Subject Matter Content.

Regarding the subject matter content, chapter 4 presented Narrative texts and the use of Simple Past Tense. However, this book is considered inappropriate to be used since the stories are western stories and fairytales. In curriculum 2013, the students should be supplied with Indonesian legends. There is no variation of story in this chapter. It serves the fairytales as readings and indonesian legend as a task whereas there is no passage of indonesian legend (appendix 6).

This book does not refer to Genre Based Approach. There is only a few activity that encourage them to interact with the environment or the real life (appendix 9). It does not make the students have a further activity outside the class. It only asks them regarding their knowledge and experiences.

The presence of the key answer in the back of the textbook is beneficial. Since this book is used as a supporting book, the students can learns by themselves at home. They can try to answer the questions and they can check the answers by themselves. Therefore, this book also promotes them to be autonomous.

In conlcusion, this book was chosen because of its examples to trigger the students in the beginning of the lesson. It supports the students’ need that they are lack of vocabuaries. Therefore, a simple text is needed as the first step. However, it cannot be used to assess their knowledge by asking them to do the task because it supplies the key answers.

2.     Evaluating Textbook Teaching Methodology Organization

This textbook equips students’ need in terms of communication. It shows from the presentation of activities that promote communication; written form and spoken form. The students are encouraged to be able to communicate interpersonally both in written and spoken to interact with each other contextually. Most importantly, there are some conversation practices in the part of speaking skill that can be used to facilitate them. The less pictures presented makes them focus on the text. This textbook also makes them responsible for their own learning by presenting some individual task that require them to research.

This textbook does not describe well whether it uses inductive or deductive approach. For example, Simple Past Tense should be taugh in narrative text or recount. However, in both those text, the researcher cannot find the specific or clear part which explain about the form and how to constuct a sentence using this tense (Appendix 10). It is considered difficult for junior high school students especially they who are in rural areas.

The textbook has practices for the four language skills and language focus; listening, reading, speaking, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. It also has itw own table for language components (appendix 11). All of this aspect are presented explicitly in the textbook so that it can help the teacher to convey the lesson in the teaching and learning process. However, it is not totallly in line with Cunningsworth (1995) that the presentation and balance of language skills in a textbook are needed to provide the learners to use language in the real situations because there are still some part which need to be revised in order to make the students learn through their real or daily life. Moreover, this textbook still uses KTSP which skills are not integrated yet.

3.     Evaluating Textbook Graphic Elements

In talking about this point, this book does not facilitate the readers regarding the good pictures, interactive cover, and other graphic elements. Based on the interview result with 50 students, here obtained a chart that draw the result. Regarding the cover, 10 respondents responded that the cover was attractive. 5 repondents answered maybe because they considered that many other current textbooks already used animated or cartoon pictured. Therefore, the real picture such as human could attract them. However, the rest 25 repondents reponded negatively or considered the textbook’s cover was not attractive. For the pictures used inside the textbook,  all respondents thought that the pictures were not attractive because all of them were presented in black and white. It is similar to the tables in all pages in the book. Therefore, the result was the same with the pictures. The last the organization, 8 respondents thought that it was very easy to differentiate the skills learnt because in K13 textbook, all skills were integrated and they thought that they only learnt about speaking skill. 17 respondents considered the organization were both attractive and unattractive. There were 25 students thought that the textbook was not interesting because it was rigid and not as flexible as the K13 textbook.

            Reviewing the interview result, the researcher considers that this book is not attractive. First, the cover looks like an old book decoration by presenting real life people. It should attract the reader by presenting an animated picture or the figure that they mostly know. Second, the tittle is too rigid. Although it shows that this book is an English book, the title should be more flexible. The thirst is the colors used inside the book. The color used only black and blue (appendix 4). Moreover, the topic is about decribing things. The students are asked to describe things orally with their friends whereas the pictures were presented in black and white. It was very hard for them to mention the characterstics such as the colors. Also, there are some pictures which do not correlate with the passage (appendix 8). It talks about adolescence. However, the pictures do not define that term and one picture is about a boy with guitar yet the text mention a piano.

            The other problems are the pictures and the writings (appendix 12). They have to have different colors or contast to be readable. However, there is a picture which is presenten in a backround with unreadable writings. It is caused by the color selection. Also, in page 105 (appendix 13), there is picture of aboy who is hospitalized. However, the picture does clearly defines the condition and the students are asked to answer what happened to him and the kind of treatment he should get. The picture is too ambiguous and general.

Summary of the Textbook Evaluation

First of all, this book needs to be revised on the matter of curriculum. It should use the newest curriculum. There is almost no GBA activity where the students can learn from their daily life. The most crucial component is the graphic elements. There was no mistake about the use of different font and type of writing, yet the colors and the pictures distract the students. However, this book provides advantages by presenting less interactive pictures so the students will focus on the passages. This textbook cannot be used as the main or the only textbook. As a variation, it can be considered through the teacher’s control. On the other hand, it cannot be used to assess their skills beside speaking skill because it provides key answer in the back of the textbook.

Proposed Alternatives/Revisions

There are some points that should be revised. Most importantly, the graphic elements. Dont judge a book by its cover. Yet, the covers should be the first component to attract the students. Then, the pictures inside the book should be presented in colors, not only black, blue, and white.  Also, the pictures should correlate with the passage for example the picture of a sick boy, pictures to be described, pictures regarding an adolescence text, etc. Then, the material should be revised such as in chapter 4. It is good to present foreign stories as a way to introduce them to foreign cultures. However, it should be balance with the local stories. They should not only be presented as a task in the end of the chapter yet there should be a passage about them. It aims to strengthen them with our cultures and values. The use of inductive or deductive learning should be clear such as in grammar. The teacher and the researcher prefer to use this textbook in teaching grammar because this textbook specifically discuss about a certain grammar. However, it should be more clear such as the formula, how to construct a sentence with this grammar, etc. then, decide whether it will be presented after or before the examples.

Suggestions and Recommendations

For the teachers, I think that it is good to use more than one textbooks. However, the teacher should guide the students in order to highlight the materials that will be discussed. Also, it will be better to supply them with the task from many sources such as internet. Regarding GBA, the teacher should relate the material with the real life. It can help them understand faster and remember longer.

Conclusion

This textbook is one of the textbooks that is provided by the government and supplied freely. This textbook was composed by following the old curriculum (KTSP) yet it is still utilized until now as a variation of learning instrument. Although it still becomes one of the learning instruments, the teacher should select the appropriate activity to facilitate the students’ needs. The activity conducted through this textbook engage the teacher’s ability in knowing the appropriate materials.

References

Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing your coursebook. Oxford: Heinemann.

Mukundan, J. 2007. Evaluation of English Language Textbooks: Some Important Issues for Consideration. Journal of NELTA, Vol 12 No 1&2: 80-4.

Pikhart, J. 2015. Think Globally and Act Locally – Textbooks. Journal of LLCE 2015. ISBN 978-80-971580-6-4.

Sinclair, J. McH. and Renouf, A. (1988). A lexical syllabus for language learning. In Carter, R. and McCarthy, M. Vocabulary and Language Teaching. Longman.

Wardiman, A., Jahur, M B., and Djusna, M.S. 2008English in Focus. Jakarta. Pusat Perbukuan Departemen Pendidikan Nasional.

Appendixes

Appendix 1 (Practice 10 Part Listening Skill Chapter 1 Page 4)

Appendix 2 (Practice 3 Part Writing Skill Chapter 1 Page 20-21)

Appendix 3 (Practice 1 Part Speaking Skill Chapter 1 Page 9)

Appendix 4 (Practice 12 Part Sepaking Skill Chapter 1 Page 13)

Appendix 5 (Practice 4 Part Listening Skill Chapter 5 Page 105)

Appendix 6 (Practice 2 Part Reading Skill Chapter 4 Page 97) and (Practice 5 Part Reading Skill Chapter 4 Page 99)

 

Appendix 7 (Practice 10 Chapter 1 Page 4)

Appendix 8 (Practice 2 Reading Skill Chapter 3 Page 60)

Appendix 9 (Practice 10 Chapter 1 Page 4)

Appendix 10 (Practice 9 Part Reading Skill Chapter 4 Page 94)

(Part Grammar Chapter 4 Page 95)

Appendix 11  

Appendix 12 (Practice 10 Chapter 1 Page 4)

Appendix 13 (Practice 10 Chapter 1 Page 4)