Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation

Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation EFL JOURNAL Vol. 1 No. 2, 2016 www.efljournal.org e-ISSN: 2502-6054, p-ISSN: 2527-5089 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21462/eflj.v1i2.13 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation Hicham Laabidi Fes Sais University, Morocco hicham.laabidi@yahoo.com Abdelhamid Nfissi Sais-Fes, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco Abstract Since textbook evaluation is an interesting area in the field of applied linguistics, the present study intends to investigate Moroccan teachers’ perspectives concerning the EFL textbook “Visa to the World” designed for common core high school students in Morocco. It also aims to assess the effectiveness of this textbook which was suggested by the Moroccan Ministry of National Education as an instructional material for middle school students. This means that the researchers intend to highlight teachers’ attitudes towards the textbook through which students obtain the linguistic knowledge needed so as to communicate in English with native and non-native speakers. It is highly significant to mention that the study assesses the effectiveness of the textbook, “Visa to the World”, on the basis of seven main criteria: the physical appearance and format of the textbook, the accompanying materials, the content and the topics, the exercises and the activities, cultural presentation, the four skills and the language methods that the textbook adopts. Keywords: Textbook evaluation, applied linguistics, instructional materials attitudes, textbooks EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 141 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION One of the general principles that govern education in the Kingdom of Morocco is that the individual citizen has the duty of the pursuit of learning. The Moroccan constitution and the government in turn have the duty of providing learning for citizens. It is also the principle of the Moroccan country that Arabic is the language of education in all of its stages. Regarding the role of English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks in the process of language teaching and learning, the majority of English language teaching professionals share a wide range of opinions about the use and usefulness of ELT textbooks in classes. According to Tomlinson (1998) some people are against ELT textbooks because they are limited in content and application in meeting the needs of the students. On the other hand some scholars are more positive about the use of ELT textbooks because, for them, textbooks provide structure and cohesion to the learning process. No matter which views one holds, it is a fact that ELT textbooks are used in many language classes and they are the key part of teaching. Moreover, the textbook has a vital and a positive part to play in the everyday job of teachers and students in teaching and learning English. Furthermore textbooks became a universal element of ELT teaching. (Hutchinson and Torres, 1994, Tomlinson, 1998). The purpose of this paper is to investigate Moroccan teachers’ perspectives concerning the EFL textbook “Visa to the World” designed for common core high school students in Morocco. It also aims to assess the effectiveness of this textbook which was suggested by the Moroccan Ministry of National Education as an instructional material for middle school students. This means that the researchers intend to highlight teachers’ attitudes towards the textbook through which students obtain the linguistic knowledge needed so as to communicate in English with native and non-native speakers. It is highly significant to state that this case study assesses the effectiveness of the textbook on the basis of seven main criteria: the physical appearance and format of the textbook, the accompanying materials, the content and the topics, the exercises and the activities, cultural presentation, the four skills and the language methods that the textbook adopts. . The specific questions being investigated are as follows: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. Is the textbook effective in terms of the physical appearance and format? Are the accompanying materials helpful? To what extent is the textbook effective according to the content? Are the exercises and the activities relevant to the students? To what extent are the distinctive cultures presented in the textbook? To what extent is the textbook effective according to the four language skills? To what extent is the textbook effective according to vocabulary presentations? To what extent is the textbook effective according to grammar presentations? To what extent is the textbook effective in terms of the language teaching methods? EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 142 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation 2. PREVIOUS STUDIES Hutchinson et al. (1987) defines evaluation as “a matter of judging the fitness of something for a particular purpose” (p.41). The evaluation of textbooks is considered an important activity in the life of the English teacher. When we talk about the evaluation of the textbook, most of the teachers are concerned with selection of the textbooks i.e. predictive evaluation. However, most teachers are not even aware of retrospective evaluation, which is on-going evaluation of the textbooks which takes place after the book has been selected for use. Sheldon (1988) provides two main reasons justifying the need to evaluate textbooks. First, the evaluation is expected to help the teacher or the programme developer to make wise decision as far as the selection of the most appropriate textbook. Second, the evaluation will make the teacher familiar with the weaknesses and the strengths of the textbook. This will encourage the teacher to make suitable modifications and adaptations to the materials in their future instruction. In this context, it is essential to state that Cunningsworth (1995) and Ellis (1997) identify three types of textbook evaluation: “pre-use”, “in-use” and “post-use” evaluations. Evaluation of textbooks for pre-use purposes aids teachers in selecting the most suitable textbook for a particular language classroom. “In-use” evaluation helps the teacher to investigate the weaknesses or the strengths of the textbook while it is being used. The last type of evaluation, “postuse”, aids the teacher to reflect on the quality of the textbook after it has been employed in different learning situations. Since there is not a strict criterion that may be appropriate and applicable in all teaching/learning situations when the concern is the evaluation of textbooks, the selection of the criterion may be quite subjective. As Sheldon (1988) points out “ no one is really certain what criteria and constraints are actually operative in ELT context, worldwide, and the textbook criteria are empathetically local” (p.241). Because the nature of the teaching/learning environment may differ from one context to another, as Sheldon (1988) emphasises, “global list of criteria can never apply in most local environments, without considerable evaluation” (p. 242). Therefore, it is necessary to take into consideration the needs and the interests of the learners in distinctive learning situations while deciding on criteria for evaluation of textbooks. It is worth-noting that there are numerous criteria suggested by different researchers. Some of these criteria are presented in this section. 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The study is carried out with 50 English language teachers employing the textbook to teach students English language during 2011 -2012 academic year in Morocco. Data collection instrument used in the study is the questionnaire to assess the overall effectiveness of the textbook from the point of the view of the teachers. It is important to mention that the questionnaire targets only high school teachers who use this textbook to teach Moroccan students to become competent writers and speakers of EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 143 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation English language. The total number of the participants in this investigation is 50 teachers of English working in high school as stated before. It is important to note that all teachers use the textbook “Visa to the World” approved by the Moroccan Ministry of Education to teach common core students. Background information concerning the gender and ELT experiences of the teachers Table 1 : Gender of the participants: Gender Male Female Total Frequency 35 15 50 Percentage 70 % 30% 100 It is apparent from the table that the majority of the participants (70%) are males while females make up 30% of the teachers involved in the study. Table 2 : Years of teaching experience: Years of teaching experience  1 to 5 years  6 to 10 year  11 to 15 years  16 to 20 years  More than 20 years Total Frequency 5 11 9 15 10 Percentage 10% 22% 18% 30% 20% 50 100 As it can be seen from the table, the participants in this study are experienced since the majority (90%) of this population has more than five years of experience in teaching. The results show that only 10 % of the participant teachers have five or less than five years of experience. Thus, it can be emphasized that most of the participants in this investigation are quite experienced. Table 3 : Years of using the textbook “ Visa to the world”: Years of using the textbook  1 to 5 years  6 to 10 year  11 to 15 years  16 to 20 years  More than 20 years Total Frequency 35 15 00 00 00 50 Percentage 70% 30% 00% 00% 00% 100% Table (3) illustrates that out of the 50 participants in the study, 35 of them (70 %) have been using the textbook “Visa to the World” from 1 to 5 years. The rest of the EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 144 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation participant teachers (30 %) have been teaching common core students using the target textbook from 6 to 10 years. It is worth-noting that none of the respondents exceeds ten years. In this study, the researchers use the questionnaire so as to collect necessary data. Indeed, questionnaires are considered as one of the most helpful and useful instruments to collect much information in a short period of time. The questionnaire is one of the common tools used in conducting surveys. It can easily be administered and can collect sufficient data given that it is properly constructed. The questionnaire employed in this research is written in English and it contains 45 items. It is adopted from four sources: from a checklist by Tomlison, et al. (2001), a checklist by Ereksoussy ( 1993), a checklist by Thein (2006) and from a textbook evaluation model by Al-Hajalain (2003). The questionnaire items concerning the evaluation are based on certain criteria consistent with the literature. In the questionnaire, the dominant type of questions is the likert scale. A four-point likert scale is used in which responses range from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’. The questionnaire consists of two main parts : A & B. The first part is designed to attain information about teachers’ gender, the length of experience in teaching and the length of using the targeted textbook. The second part is divided into five sub-sections. Sub-section I : The questions (1 – 5) are designed to collect information about the physical appearance and format of the textbook such as the attractiveness of the cover. Moreover, the objective is to get enough information about the general organization of the textbook. Sub-section II : This part of the questionnaire consists of three questions (6 – 8) to obtain information about the supplementary materials such as the teacher’s guide, the workbook, the CD-ROMS and the cassettes. Sub-section III: This section includes five items (9 – 18) related to the topics, exercises and activities used in the textbook. Sub-section IV: The items (19 – 41) are designed to gather information about the language skills, vocabulary and grammar in the textbook. 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4.1. The Physical Appearance and Format of the textbook : The first research question, ‘Is the textbook effective in terms of the physical appearance and format?’ was measured through five items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented in Table (4). EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 145 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation Table 4 : The Evaluation of the Physical appearance and Format of the textbook : The items 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. SD The cover of the textbook is attractive and informative. The book has a complete and detailed table of contents. Main headings and subheadings in the textbook are well organized. The book has a complete bibliography. The instructions in the textbook help students to grasp the items well. Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D A SA N % N % N % N % 00 00 5 10 35 70 14 28 15 30 21 42 21 42 7 14 7 14 00 00 10 20 35 70 15 30 00 00 17 34 23 46 00 00 D : Disagree A : Agree 10 20 00 00 15 30 SA: Strongly Agree It is evident from the results presented in the table that the majority of the teachers ( 90% agreeing or strongly agreeing) think that the cover of the textbook “Visa to the World” is attractive and informative. Only 10 % have a negative attitude towards the cover of the textbook. It is also apparent that 72 % believe the textbook does not have a complete and detailed table of content. Also, 72 % of the respondents claim that the main headings and sub-headings are well-organized. It is worth-noting that all the participants in this study are against the statement which shows that the textbook does not have a complete bibliography, 70 % strongly disagreeing and 30% disagreeing. At this point, it is necessary to examine the features of the physical appearance of the textbook under study. The colours of the textbook are light blue, yellow and light red. The name of the textbook and for whom it is prepared is indicated on the front cover using distinctive colours. On the back of the cover, the price of the textbook, the publisher’s name and address are represented. As noted in the literature review, several researchers have highlighted the imperative of the appearance of a textbook. McDonough and Shaw (1993) emphasize the importance of external evaluation because it "offers a brief overview of the outside of the book" (p. 61.) They assert the need for a critical evaluation of the blurb, or the claims made on the cover of the students'/teacher's books, and of the introduction and the table of contents. Tu'eimah (1985) contends that the evaluation of the general appearance, or the physical make-up as he terms it, is of great importance. The rationale behind the identification of first impressions as an important criterion for textbook evaluation lies in the idea that students, quite literally, tend to judge a book by its cover. If the cover is attractive and the text clearly organized so as to facilitate students’ negotiation through it, the likelihood of students being attracted to the EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 146 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation textbook is high. Student attraction to a textbook incites interest in a subject and encourages them to study it, while an unattractive textbook has the opposite effect. 4.2. The accompanying materials The second research question, “Are the accompanying materials helpful?” was measured through three items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented in Table 5. Table 5 : The Evaluation of the Accompanying Materials: The items 6. 7. 8. SD The accompanying materials (cassettes, CDROMS, teacher’s book) are available and easily accessible. The cassettes and the CD-ROMS are suitable for the students. The teacher’s book is informative. Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D A N % N % N 00 00 6 12 9 18 4 8 41 82 5 10 5 10 25 50 15 30 D : Disagree A : Agree SA N % % 35 70 00 00 5 10 SA: Strongly Agree For greater clarity and for the purposes of facilitating both students’ learning and teachers’ abilities to use the textbook in question as an effective instructional tool, the common core textbook used in Moroccan high schools comes with accompanying materials for both students and teachers. These include additional teachers’ books and student's exercise books, and CD. So, the survey was directed towards evaluating the quality of these materials. The results of this particular criterion are outlined below. The results show that there is a slightly complete agreement that the accompanying materials are available and easily accessible. 70 % of the participants strongly agree and 18% agree on the statement. Only 12% show a negative attitude towards the statement. Regarding the suitability of the cassettes and the CD-ROMS for the students, the table shows that there is approximately a complete consensus that they are not suitable for the learners. 82 % of the teachers strongly agree and 10% agree on the statement. 8%, however, indicate that the cassettes and the CD-ROMS are consistent with the students’ level. On whether or not the teacher's book that accompanies the book is informative, the table shows that the results are not in favour of the teacher’s book. Half of the participants strongly disagree on the statement and 30% disagree. On the other hand, 10% of the participants strongly agree with the statement and 10% agree. The reason behind this conflict might be because the fact that the teacher’s book does not provide a variety of methods and technique for teaching the same lesson in order to give the teachers to chose the method or technique that suits their students. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 147 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation The research literature tends towards the opinion that a textbook should not be judged on the basis of that which it contains between its covers alone but that evaluation should expand to include the accompanying supplementary material, if any. For instance, McGrath (2002) asserts the availability of teacher’s book and video and audio components. Also, Tomlinson et al (2001) consider the use of CD-ROM and cassettes as one of the interesting and effective ways in the current generation of language teaching materials. In addition, Gower et al (1983) contend that the use of supplementary materials such as visuals, cassettes, video, and computers can make lessons more interesting and effective. 4.3. The Content and the topics : The third research question, ‘To what extent is the textbook effective according to Content in the Textbook?’ was measured through 4 items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented in Table 6. Table 6 : The Evaluation of the Content and the Topics : The items SD 9. The content is organised according to the students’ language needs. 10. The topics of units are interesting for the students. 11. The topics encourage students to express their views. D A N % N % N 11 22 15 30 24 48 35 70 11 22 4 8 2 4 38 76 10 20 2 4 SA N % % 00 00 00 00 00 00 12. The topics allow students to think critically. Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D : Disagree A : Agree 38 10 76 20 SA: Strongly Agree 00 00 As it can be observed from table 6, it is possible to observe a slight diversity in teachers’ responses 52 % disagree and 48% agree on the organisation of the content according to the students language needs. The results show that only 8 % of the participants who state that the topics of the units are interesting for the students. Indeed, the majority of teachers ( 92 %) disagree on the statement. Furthermore, the results indicate that 76 % of the participants strongly disagree and 20 % disagree on the statement that the topics encourage students to express their views. The findings also show that 4 % agree with the statement. Regarding the issue of whether the topics allow students to think critically, the results show that 96 % of the responses disagree with the statement. This indicates that the topics do not provide opportunities for the learners to develop critical thinking skills. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 148 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation 4.4. The Exercises and the Activities The fourth research question, “Are the exercises and the activities relevant to the students?” was measured through 5 items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented in Tables 7 & 8. Table 7 : The Evaluation of the Exercises : The items SD D A N % N % N % 13. The exercises in the textbook are relevant to the students’ interests. 15 30 25 50 10 20 14. The exercises promote meaningful communication by referring to realistic situations. 4 8 35 70 11 22 Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D : Disagree A : Agree SA N % 00 00 00 00 SA: Strongly Agree As it is indicated in table 7, the majority of the respondents (80 %) disagree with the statement which says that the exercises are relevant to the students’ interests. Only 20 % agree with the statement. The results also show that more than two thirds of the participants ( 70 % strongly disagreeing and 22 % disagreeing) do not think that the exercises promote meaningful communication by referring to realistic situations. Table 8 : The Evaluation of the Activities The items SD D A N % N % N 15. Activities encourage learners to learn and exercise integrated use of skills for authentic purposeful communication. 39 78 10 20 1 2 16. The activities the textbook includes help the students to use English as a means of communication. 5 10 24 48 15 30 17. The units in the textbook provide students coverage of the four main skills and other subskills (vocabulary and grammar). Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D : Disagree A : Agree SA N % % 00 00 6 12 23 46 00 00 12 24 15 30 SA: Strongly Agree It is obvious from the chart that nearly all the participants (98 %) expressed that the activities do not encourage learners to learn and exercise integrated use of skills for authentic purposeful communication. Only (2%) of the respondents who agree with the statement. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 149 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation Regarding the issue of whether the activities help the students to use English as a means of communication, the findings indicate that more than two thirds of teachers involved in this study (78 %) disagree with the statement. While 22% of the respondents believe that the activities the textbook includes encourage the learners to use English communicatively. As for the coverage of the main four skills and sub-skills (grammar and vocabulary), the results of the study point out that 76 % of teachers agree with the statement. Only 24 % of the participants do not think that the units in the textbook provide students coverage of the four main skills and other sub-skills. 4.5. The presentation of culture in the textbook The fifth research question, “To what extent are the distinctive cultures presented in the textbook?” was measured through 1 item in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented in Table (9) . Table 9 : The Evaluation of the Cultural Presentations in the Textbook : The items SD 18. The textbook incorporates information about distinctive cultures. Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D : Disagree A : Agree D N % N % 00 00 1 A N 2 14 28 SA N % % 35 70 SA: Strongly Agree Regarding the discussions of cultural aspects presented in the textbooks, Table 9 shows that nearly all the participants support the statement that the textbook incorporates information about distinctive cultures; 70% strongly agree and 28% agree on the statement. Only 2% disagree. This indicates that the textbook designers are highly aware of the importance of referring to different cultures so as to help the learners develop enough understanding of the distinctions between several civilisations. In fact, it is essential to reflect culture of L2 while teaching a foreign language, because the target language culture is very important for the improvisation of vocabulary. Most of Moroccan students do not have the chance to go abroad and they have limited opportunities to observe cultural values from American or English TV channels, or newspapers. In this respect, the cultural aspects about various cultures represented in textbooks can be regarded as an important contribution. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 150 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation 4.6. The Four Language Skills The sixth research question, ‘To what extent is the textbook effective according to four language skills?’ was measured through 17 items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented in the following tables: 10 , 11 , 12 and13. Teaching language ultimately revolves around teaching students a specific set of skills, all of which are rooted in comprehension and communication. Teaching English means teaching them to comprehend what they read and understand what they listen to. It also means teaching students to express themselves and communicate their thoughts in spoken words and in writing. The linguistic proficiency which the Moroccan public school systems aims to teach its students can only be attained if students grasp these particular skills. Therefore, to complement the earlier question which attempts the evaluation of the effectiveness of this particular book as a teaching and learning aid, 17 questions pertaining to the extent to which the textbook constructively satisfies the requirements of skills development are included in the survey questionnaire. The participants’ opinions are tabulated in Tables 10, 11, 12, and13. Table 10 : The Evaluation of the Reading Skill : The items SD 19. The four skills are sufficiently covered. 20. The reading tasks are appropriate for improving students’ reading skills. 21. Reading activities can motivate students. 22. Reading activities can help learners become effective readers. 23. There is a wide range of distinctive reading texts with different subject content. 24. Reading materials help learners to relate English language learning to daily life. D : Disagree A : Agree A N % 11 22 15 30 14 28 15 30 25 50 25 50 11 22 Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D N % 10 20 10 20 7 14 18 36 20 40 SA: Strongly Agree N 15 30 10 20 10 20 10 20 11 22 9 18 SA N % % 9 18 11 22 5 10 5 10 21 42 3 6 It apparent from the results presented in the table that 52 % of the participants teachers think the four skills are not sufficiently covered and 48% of them have different point of view. Further, the majority of the respondents (58%) disagree with the statement that the reading tasks are appropriate for improving the students reading skills. Considering the third item in the table, 70 % of the participants note that the reading activities can not motivate students. 30 % agree on the statement. Only 30 % of the teachers involved in this study think that reading activities can help learners become effective readers. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 151 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation As for the fifth item, 64 % of the participant teachers agree on the idea which emphasises that there is a wide range of distinctive reading texts with different subject content. Of the fifty participant teachers in this study, thirty-eight of English teachers believe that the reading materials help learners to relate English language learning to daily life. The reading exercises in “Visa to the World” are composed of comprehension questions, multiple choice questions, true-false statements, gap filling exercises and matching exercises. In this context, it is necessary to mention that the reading passages that the textbook incorporates should be interesting, attractive and enjoyable for the students. Besides, the content should be consistent with students’ ages, preferences and expectations. Table 11 : The Evaluation of the Writing Skill : The items SD 25. The writing tasks are appropriate for improving students’ writing skills. 26. The textbook encourages the use of a process approach to writing. 27. The writing tasks are suitable in terms of accuracy. D : Disagree A : Agree A SA N % N % N % N 23 46 18 36 7 14 2 4 6 12 2 4 37 74 5 10 20 40 15 30 2 Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D % 4 13 26 SA: Strongly Agree According to the first item in table 12, it is observed that 82 % of the participant teachers think that the writing tasks are not appropriate for improving students’ writing skills while the rest of the participants (18 %) disagree with this consideration. The results also indicate that 84 % of the respondents point out that the textbook does not encourage the use of a process approach to writing. Only 16 % of the teachers agree on the statement. As far as the last item, it very conspicuous that most of the English teachers involved in this investigation (70 %) believe that the writing tasks are suitable in terms of accuracy. At this point of the discussion about the analysis of the writing exercises in, it is essential to display the exercise types used in the textbook. Writing paragraphs consistent with the topic of the units is one of the commonly observed exercise type. Students write paragraphs about their personal belonging, leisure activities, favourite fashion styles and future plans. They also structure paragraphs for making personal descriptions. It is also required from the students to write postcards, e-mails, invitation cards and letters. A number of the writing exercises initiate students to use certain tenses and certain structures such as conditionals in their paragraphs. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 152 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation Table 12 : The Evaluation of the Listening Skill : The items SD 28. The listening activities can help students to develop different listening skills. 29. Listening materials are well-recorded. 30. Listening materials use authentic English language. 31. The textbook materials offer a great range of listening texts. 32. Textbook activities can help students acquire a range of listening skills. D : Disagree A : Agree A N % N % N 26 52 16 32 8 16 23 46 14 28 11 22 7 14 31 62 12 24 40 80 25 50 3 6 11 22 Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D 2 SA N % % 4 00 00 2 4 00 00 5 10 11 22 3 6 SA: Strongly Agree Concerning the presentation of the listening skill in the textbook and in the listening materials, 84 % of the participant teachers of the study think that the listening activities can help students to develop different listening skills. The results also show that half of the respondents agree that the listening materials are well-recorded while the other half has a distinctive view. Regarding the authenticity of the materials, it is crucial to state that 62 % of the English teachers strongly disagree that the listening materials use authentic English language, 24 % disagree on the statement while 14 % agree. The table further illustrates that except 5 participants, 45 teachers (90 %) claim that the textbook materials offer a great range of listening texts. Only 10 % of the respondents strongly disagree with this statement. As for the last item, the table shows that 50 % agree on the idea that the textbook activities can help learners acquire a range of listening skills. Table 13 : The Evaluation of the Speaking Skill : The items SD 33. The speaking tasks are appropriate for improving students’ speaking skills. 34. There are adequate materials for spoken English (e.g. dialogues, role-plays, etc). 35. The textbook includes adequate materials for pronunciation work. Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D : Disagree A : Agree EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 D A N % N % N 27 54 20 40 3 6 23 46 8 16 13 26 4 8 31 15 62 30 SA: Strongly Agree SA N % % 00 00 6 12 00 00 153 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation As the table illustrates most of the teachers (94 %) indicate that the speaking tasks are not appropriate for improving students’ speaking skills while (6 %) agree on the statement. Regarding the point of whether there are adequate materials for spoken English or not, more than half of the participant teachers (58 %) agree on the statement. The rest of the respondents points out that there are not sufficient materials for spoken English. It is also very important that the majority of the teachers involved in this study (92%) disagree that the textbook includes enough materials for pronunciation work. Furthermore, the results indicate that (8%) of the population of this study think the textbook incorporates the necessary tools related to pronunciation work. 4.7. The Vocabulary items in the textbook The seventh research question, ‘To what extent is the textbook effective according to the vocabulary included?’ was measured through 4 items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented table 14. Table 14 : The Evaluation of the Vocabulary Presentations in the Textbook : The items SD D N % 36. The textbook incorporates sufficient materials for teaching vocabulary. 37. The vocabulary items are appropriate for the students’ level. 38. The vocabulary items are systematically graded from simple to complex. 39. The materials for teaching grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are graded in a suitable manner. Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D : Disagree A : Agree 2 4 4 8 7 14 7 14 A N % N 5 10 40 80 5 10 37 74 6 12 31 62 6 12 SA: Strongly Agree SA N % % 3 6 4 8 6 12 6 12 31 62 Concerning the first item of table 14, it is clear that more than two thirds of the participant teachers (86 %) agree that the textbook incorporates sufficient materials for teaching vocabulary. The rest of the respondents do not share the same point of view. Regarding the appropriateness of the vocabulary items, 82 % agree that the vocabulary items are consistent with the students’ level while 18% disagree on the statement. Out of 50 respondents, 31 English teachers (62 %) agree that the vocabulary items are systematically graded from simple to complex. As for the last item in the table, the results show that 74 % of the participants think that the materials for teaching grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are graded in a suitable manner. The rest of the respondents disagree on the statement. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 154 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation 4.8. The grammatical structures included in the textbook The eighth research question, ‘To what extent is the textbook effective according to the grammatical structures included?’ was measured through 2 items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented Table (15). Table 15 : The Evaluation of the Grammar Presentations in the textbook : The items SD 40. The main grammar items the textbook covers are appropriate for the students’ level. 41. The grammatical structures are presented inductively. Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D : Disagree A : Agree D A N % N % N 00 00 00 00 45 90 2 4 3 6 SA N % % 5 10 11 22 34 68 SA: Strongly Agree Regarding the presentation of the structural issues in the textbook under investigation, the table illustrates that all the participants in this study (100 %) agree on the idea that the main grammar items are appropriate for the students’ level. Concerning the presentation of the grammatical structures, it is apparent that the majority of English teachers (90 %) believe that the target structures are presented inductively. This indicates that the textbook adopts an inductive approach in terms of grammar teaching. 4.9. The Language Teaching Methods The ninth research question, ‘To what extent is the textbook effective in terms of the language teaching methods?’ was measured through 4 items in the teachers’ questionnaire and the responses are presented table (16) Table 16 : The Evaluation of the Language Teaching Methods used in the textbook : The items SD 42. The textbook adopts an eclectic approach. (i.e. It includes features of distinctive methods). 43. The methods used are students centered. 44. The methods employed give more opportunities to students to speak rather than teachers. 45. The methods used focus on fluency rather than accuracy. D : Disagree A : Agree EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 A N % 00 00 1 2 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 23 46 4 Note. SD : Strongly Disagree D N % 8 N 00 43 86 SA N % % 6 12 2 4 48 96 2 4 48 96 10 20 13 26 SA: Strongly Agree 155 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation The results show that the majority of the participant teachers ( 98 %) think that the textbook adopts an eclectic approach. Only 2% of the respondents disagree on the statement. It is also conspicuous that all the participants ( 100 %) believe that the methods the textbook uses are students’ centred. As far as the third item is concerned, it is highly significant to state that out of 50 participants in this research, none of them agree on the statement which emphasises that the methods employed in the textbook give more opportunities to students to speak rather than teachers. This tells that the textbook focuses more on learners rather than teachers. Regarding the issue of fluency and accuracy, it is necessary to mention that the results indicate that 54 % of the English teachers disagree on the idea that the methods focus on fluency rather than accuracy. The rest of the respondents agree on the statement. On the whole, the main conclusion that can be drawn from the analysis of the results of this study is that teachers’ perceptions about the particular textbook are negative in general. The results reveal that teachers’ overall responses to the questionnaire verified the quantitative results. Thus, both quantitative and qualitative results of this study enable us to deduce some implications, which will provide guidance to the textbook writers and evaluators. One of the most important implications that can be drawn from this study is the necessity to carry out a detailed needs analysis before designing a textbook. Both teachers and students’ needs should be assessed and taken into consideration in preparing and evaluating a textbook. The syllabus should not be the only criterion in developing teaching materials. Needs analysis is also of crucial importance to determine the aims and objectives of the language learning programme in addition to its significance in determining the needs and interests of the learners. One of the major finding of the study is that in general the teachers are negative about the interest level of the activities planned in the textbook and of the physical appearance as well. Including various topics and activities is crucial to increase and maintain interest level of the learners throughout the course. Thus, there should be interesting topics, enjoyable activities and the units should include more pictures. It is of crucial importance to consider the level of the textbook according to the level of the students. Meantime the textbook should follow a logical sequence from simple to complex regarding the tasks and activities. With regard to the particular aspect of the textbook, the results of the study reveal that the level of “Visa to the World” is high for the Moroccan common core students. The students were reported to become unwilling to do the tasks, exercises and activities. It is of vital importance to provide learners with reading materials that are relevant to the particular age group, appropriate for their needs and interests and that are appropriate for their language level as well. With regard to the particular aspect of the EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 156 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation textbook, the results reveal that the reading passages in “Visa to the World” are lengthy for intermediate level students and they involve too many unknown words and complex sentence structures as well. Thus the study reveals that the students do not have any ‘desire’ to read the texts and do the related activities afterwards. It is of vital importance to provide teachers with teachers’ books that give advice on including sufficient variety of activity in lessons, on using topics of real interest to the learners, on adapting or extending course book exercises to match the level of the students. Teachers’ books can also offer regular tests which are useful materials to give students feedback on their progress and also to give teachers information on which areas of language should be revised. With regard to the particular aspect of the textbook, the results of the study reveal that teachers expect teachers’ books to guide them all the way around in the language teaching process. This further implies the need to take into consideration the teacher preferences about the teachers’ books. The findings of this study raise a number of important issues regarding the EFL textbook evaluations. First, since the textbook “Visa to the World” was designed for Moroccan high school students, the topics can be rearranged or chosen by taking into consideration their ages, expectations, and needs. Second, the illustrations may be restructured to meet the expectations of high school students by providing high-quality standards similar to the ones in commercial publications. Third, from the teachers’ perspectives, the teacher’s guide must be revised in order to provide practical ideas for the teachers to use in the classroom. Fourth, the results are considered to be informative considering the textbook elements which do not require revision regarding teachers’ textbook evaluation results such as the presentation of grammar and the relevant exercises, the presentation of listening and the relevant exercises, and the workbook. 5. CONCLUSION This study explores English teachers’ perceptions concerning the textbook “Visa to the World” used in some High Schools in Morocco. In terms of collecting data, questionnaires were carried out with fifty Moroccan teachers. The results show that although the participants agree on the efficiency of many textbook features, their evaluations depict diversity for a number of textbook elements. Based on the results obtained, the following conclusions are drawn. The Textbook “Visa to the World” for common core Moroccan students does not satisfy teachers’ expectations regarding its general appearance. Therefore, textbook designers are highly recommended to give much importance to the physical appearance and format of the textbooks they design for learners. The textbook in question does not satisfy teachers’ expectations regarding its accompanying materials. The textbook in question does not satisfy teachers’ expectations regarding its content and topic appropriateness. However, there is a lack for topics that can stimulate students' critical thinking. The textbook under investigation does not satisfy teachers’ expectations in terms of the exercises and activities it incorporates. The textbook in question satisfies teachers’ expectations EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 157 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation regarding its socio-cultural contexts. The textbook in question satisfies teachers’ expectations regarding some skills development. However, the listening material does not satisfy the participants' expectations. The textbook in question satisfies teachers’ and supervisors’ expectations regarding its vocabulary and grammatical structures. The textbook in question satisfies teachers’ expectations regarding its teaching methods. According to the majority of the participants, the teaching methods are up-to-date, student-centred, do allow students to talk more than teachers, and do allow various classroom activities. References Al-Hijailan, T. (2003) Teaching English in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: Aldar Alsawlatiah. Cunningsworth, A.1995.Evaluating and Selecting EFL Teaching Materials. London: Heinemann Educational Books. Ellis, R. (1997). SLA research and language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Eriksoussy, Zubaidah M. (1993). Evaluating the English Language Textbook Studied at the First Year Intermediate Schools in Saudi Arabia. Unpublished MA thesis, King Saud University. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hutchinson, T., & Torres, E. ( 1994). The textbook as agent of change. ELT Journal, 48/4, 315-328 Hutchinson, T. and Water, A. (1987) English for Specific Purposes: A learning centred approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Mc Donough, J. and Shaw, C. (1993). Materials and method in ELT, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. McGrath, I. (2002). Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Sheldon, L. E. (1988) Evaluating ELT textbooks and materials. ELT Journal, 42(4):237246. Thein, N. (2006) Evaluating the suitability and effectiveness of three English course books at Myanmar Institute of Technology. Unpublished MA thesis, University of Thailand. Thailand. Tomlinson, B. et al. (2001). ELT Courses for Adults. ELT Journal, 55(1) 80-101. Tu'eimah, R. A. (1985). A guide for preparing Arabic language teaching programs. Arabic Language Institute. Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Hicham Laabidi Teacher-trainer at CREMF, Meknes, Morocco . He is also a PhD candidate in Discourse Creativity & Society at Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Sais-Fes, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.. He participated in different national and EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 158 Fundamental Criteria for Effective Textbook Evaluation international conferences. Textbook Evaluation, ICT in education and Professional Development are his major research areas. Email: hicham.laabidi@yahoo.com Abdelhamid Nfissi Founder and Director of the Research Group on Mass Communication, Culture and Society; Professor of Comparative Linguistics, Communication and Media Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Sais-Fes, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco. He is currently the Chairman of the English Department. EFL JOURNAL, Volume 1 (2), 2016 159