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2. Approaches to Materials Evaluation
Tomlinson 2003, p.15 defines materials evaluation as ‘a procedure that
involves mea suring a value or potential value of a set of learning materials’. An
evaluation focuses largely on the needs of the users of the materials and makes subjective judgment about their effects. An evaluation might include a question,
for instance, ‘Do the reading texts sufficiently engage learners?’, which elicit
responses containing a necessarily subjective value judgment. Evaluation can be carried out pre-use, in-use, or post-use. The main aim of
evaluating materials pre-use, according to Rubdy 2003, p.42, is to measure the potential of what a teacher and learners can do with them in the classroom. In-use
and post-use evaluations are important in establishing how successful learning materials are McDonough Shaw, 2003, p.71.
With the widespread of commercially produced textbooks supporting the teaching and learning process, teachers need to be careful selecting the materials
used in the process of language teaching and learning. Some modification, adaptation, and development are needed in order to meet the needs and demands
of the learners. A number of theoretical evaluative frameworks regarding materials
evaluation have been published e.g. in Williams, 1983; Breen Candlin, 1987; Sheldon, 1988; McDonough Shaw, 2003; Cunningsworth, 1995; and McGrath,
2002. These have mostly been checklist-based, usually in the form of questions to be answered to determine the extent to which the materials fulfill a set of
criteria.
27 The advantages and disadvantages of checklists have been pointed out by
several writers. Not only can checklists be systematic and comprehensive, they are also time and cost effective, and the results are easy to understand, replicate
and compare McGrath, 2002, pp.26-27. Sheldon 1988, p.242 suggests that considerable modification of any set of culturally restricted criteria needs to be
done to make checklists applicable to most cultural contexts. Tomlinson 2003, p.16 argues that materials evaluation is a procedure that
involves measuring some or all of the following: the appeal of the materials, the credibility of the materials to learners, teachers, and administrators, the validity of
the materials, the reliability of the materials, the ability of the materials to interest the learners and the teachers, the ability of the materials to motivate the learners,
the value of the materials in terms of short-term and long-term learning, the learners’ and teacher’s perceptions of the value of the materials, the assistance
given to the teacher in terms of preparation, delivery, and assessment, the flexibility of the materials, the contribution made by the materials to teacher
development, and the match with administrative requirements. In this study, a checklist-based system is employed, with some
modification required to make the evaluation mo re suitable for the researcher’s
aim and context. A questionnaire given to the teacher is also used to gain more information concerning about the focus of the study. The questionnaire consists of
the following categories: the introduction of the subject course, course’s subject
matter, aids, exercises, and activities, the teacher’s manual, the course book layout and physical make up.
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3. Evaluation Scheme
Kategori