Evaluation of Indonesian English Textbook for the Ninth Graders of Junior High School “Think Globally Act Locally” from Efl Teachers’ Perspectives

Sri Handayani, Bambang Suwarno, I Wayan Dharmayana EVALUATION OF INDONESIAN ENGLISH TEXTBOOK FOR THE NINTH GRADERS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL “THINK GLOBALLY ACT LOCALLY” FROM EFL TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES Sri Handayani Bambang Suwarno I Wayan Dharmayana English Education Postgraduate Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Bengkulu University, Indonesia [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to investigate the EFL teachers‟ perceptions concerning the textbook of “Think Globally Act Locally” on these criteria: (1) physical and utilitarian attributes, (2) efficient outlay of objectives and supplementary material, (3) learning- teaching content, (4) language skills and aspects. Thirty two EFL teachers of junior high school participated in this study. The instrument consisted of questionnaire and interview. Results indicated that in physical and utilitarian attributes, this textbook was perceived as „Good‟, in efficient outlay and supplementary materials was perceived as „Fair‟, in learning-teaching content was perceived as „Fair‟, and in language skills and aspects was perceived as „Fair‟. Overall, this textbook was perceived as „Fair‟. It still needs improvement in several aspects. The illustrations should be more natural. The mistakes in this textbook should be corrected. Teaching aids like audio materials (cassette/CD), posters, and flashcards, need to accompany this textbook. The exercises should be varied. New word list and glossary should be provided to support vocabulary building and reading skill. Finally, authentic audio material like cassette/CD and phonetic transcriptions for each new word should be available for listening and pronunciation practice. Keywords: textbook evaluation, EFL teachers‟ perspectives, English textbook INTRODUCTION process, so the teacher can choose which objective that will lead the learning There are five very important process (Richards, 2001). Textbooks are a components to achieve the objectives of major source of providing instructions to learning and teaching a language, they are: the teachers and students, that‟s why it is students, teachers, materials, teaching stated that textbooks are the backbone of methods, and evaluation (Kitao, 1997). every educational system. They help in Textbooks as one of the learning materials designing the assessment and evaluation play a very significant role in the success of system for the students, shaping the teaching and learning. According to process of classroom teaching and Cunningsworth (1995) textbooks provide learning (Mahmood, 2011). They are the educational text which can be used as core of all the educational activities source of material for teaching and because they provide students “a rich array learning. They provide objectives for of new and potentially interesting facts, the teaching and open the door to a JOALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature Vol.3 No.2 | 11 Sri Handayani, Bambang Suwarno, I Wayan Dharmayana world of fantastic experience” careful in selecting the textbook. Since, (Chambliss and Calfee, 1998. P. 7). if the textbook is not appropriate with Ansary and Babaii (2002) list the the learners, like does not match with argument of using textbook, they are the learners‟ need and characteristics, textbook is a framework which regulates such as age of the learners, level of the and times the programs, in the eyes of learners and also the learning style of the learners, no textbook means no purpose, learners, it may mislead the students without a textbook learners think their who learn English as a foreign language learning is not taken seriously, in many (EFL). situations a textbook can serve as a There were many previous studies syllabus, a textbook provides ready- which found that some textbooks were made teaching texts and learning tasks, a not appropriate to be used in Engish textbook is a cheap way of providing language teaching and learning. Rahayu learning materials, a learner without a Y.E. (2013) concluded that the English textbook is out of focus and teacher- e-book entitled English in Focus for dependent, and perhaps most important Grade IX of Junior High School was less of all, for novice teachers a textbook appropriate and still needs some means security, guidance, and support. improvements in learning activities, Textbooks also provide dialogues methods, illustrations and pictures, and and worksheet. So the time would not be also audio-tapes. Gustin and Sundayana consumed too much by the teacher to in Anshar et.al. (2014) in their study make or design some exercises for the summarized that there were some students. In learning activity, textbook textbooks which did not meet to the contain many materials which are used learners characteristics. Some textbooks to develop students‟ cognitive, affective, for junior high school did not consider and psychomotor skills (Littlejohn and the level and some textbooks for senior Windeatt, 1989). To develop students‟ high school did not consider the learning cognitive, textbooks provides lots of style of the learners. Ahour T., et al materials and exercises, to develop (2014) evaluated the appropriateness of students‟ affective, textbooks provide “English Textbook 2” for Iranian EFL dialogues. And to develop students‟ second grade high school students from psychomotor skills, textbook provide the teachers‟ perspectives, and the some movement activities in the results of the study indicated that exercises. generally teachers‟ perceptions about the Sheldon (1988) states that criteria were not favorable. Naseem, et textbooks “represent the visible heart of al. (2015) in their study concluded that any ELT program" (p.237). They consist English textbook for matriculation of objectives, materials, and assessment program (9th class) prescribed by instruments to ease the teachers for Punjab Textbook Board, Lahore, teaching and the students for learning. Pakistan did not fulfill the general Even though textbook is the simple way objectives of the target language. to get instructional in teaching and By seeing these facts, evaluating learning process, teachers should be textbook is needed to assist teacher careful in selecting textbook as the determining the suitability of the source of their teaching material in the textbook to their teaching objectives. It classroom. The textbook that the helps teachers knowing the weaknesses teachers choose would satisfy them and of the textbook and enables them to their students‟ needs. For teachers who supplement the textbook or find other rely much on the textbook as the main relevant and suitable teaching-learning source of material, they should be materials based on their own specific JOALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature Vol.3 No.2 | 12 Sri Handayani, Bambang Suwarno, I Wayan Dharmayana needs in their own specific teaching schools which implement the curriculum situation. 2013 in Indonesia. Its use is a In 2013, Indonesian Ministry of compulsory by the schools. These Education and Culture revised the textbooks are designed suited the new curriculum for elementary and high curriculum with scientific approach and schools, namely Curriculum 2013. It authentic assessment as the main replaced the previous curriculum, the characteristics. Curriculum 2006. This curriculum is Even though these textbooks were claimed to be different from the published by the government, the previous one - in several aspects. One of necessity to analyze and evaluate these the main differences is the textbooks was driven by the fact that implementation of scientific approach these textbooks are used in large instead of communicative approach in national scale. They were recently teaching and learning. developed and their strengths and In line with this curriculum weaknesses would have a high impact launching, Indonesian Ministry of on Indonesian students‟ English Education and Culture also published learning. Textbook evaluation is seen as and distributed printed electronic books an important thing to be conducted, in all subjects to meet the change of the since EFL teachers showed a curriculum, included English textbooks, dependency toward textbook in the for all students and teachers in piloting classroom. A study conducted by Ena in schools which implement curriculum Lathif (2015) showed that many 2013 that is 6221 schools, consists of Indonesian EFL teachers used textbooks 2598 of elementary schools, 1437 of as the only instructional materials in junior high schools, 1165 of senior high teaching-learning process. It means that schools, and 1021 of vocational high they rely a lot on the textbook available. schools (news.detik.com:2014). For So, the quality of the textbook should be English teaching and learning of Junior good. Therefore, teachers are required to High School, the government published evaluate the textbook to determine what three series of student‟s English actions they should take, whether to textbooks entitled When English Rings a adopt, adapt, or supplement it. Bell for the seventh grade students by In addition, there was also a Yuli Rulani Khatimah et al, was disclaimer in this textbook which published in 2013 and was revised on allowed everyone to give suggestion or 2014, 2016 and 2017, When English criticism, as cited below: Rings a Bell for the eighth grade students by Siti Wachidah et al, was “Buku ini merupakan buku published in 2014 revised on 2016 and siswa yang dipersiapkan 2017, and „Think Globally Act Locally‟ Pemerintah dalam

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