The Evaluation of Iranian High School English Textbook from the Prospective of Teachers

In spite of remarkable advances in teaching and developing new technologies, textbooks have very crucial affects in the process of language teaching and learning. This study evaluates English text books which are taught in Iranian high schools from the perspective of teachers. The advantages and shortcomings of the textbooks are discussed in detail with reference to eight common criteria extracted from different material evaluation checklists. The study was carried out at several high schools in Mazandaran, Iran. The mixed method, a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches, was used in this study. The data was obtained from a total of 271 English teachers, both female and male. It was collected through a questionnaire with 40 items which were related to the eight criteria; Content, Physical appearance, Exercises and Activities, Clarity of instruction, Level of textbook, Vocabulary, Grammar, Consideration of learning style differences in the textbooks. Quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS.. The results revealed that the teachers seemed happy with the textbooks and had positive attitudes towards the textbooks. The research findings make it clear that the current materials or textbooks can meet Iranian teachers’ need and interests.