The effect of new EFT textbook for classes (IX – X) on teachers and students of secondary schools in Bangladesh

Abstract

The studyhas evaluated the quality of English language textbook forGrades IX – X of Secondary schools which wereintroduced in January, 2013 by National Curriculum and Textbook Board of Bangladesh (NCTB). A survey questionnaire was used in this study to elicit the perspective of thirty English teachers from different districts of Bangladesh and fiveclasseswereobserved in order to explore the practical effect of the textbook in the teaching and learning process. A focus group discussion was also conducted with twenty students of classes IX – X, who have been studying this book since last year. The general appearance, design and illustration, supplementary materials, objectives, topic appropriateness, learning components, socio-cultural contexts, skills development, teachability, flexibility, teaching methods, and practice and testing and syllabus friendliness about the new EFT textbook were taken into consideration in order to find out the effectiveness of the textbook. Two different types of computations- a per-item analysisand a per-category analysis weredone to explore the effectiveness of the new English For Today (EFT) textbook and the attitudesof teachers and students towards the textbook. The findings were generally in favor of the textbook except for the teaching methods, testing and evaluation system. The study concluded with recommendations and suggestions for the furtherimprovement of the textbook.