TEACHER’S USE OF TEXTBOOKS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESSES.

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figures Page

1.1 Students-Teacher Interpretation to the Use of Textbook ………. 5

2.1 Mental Process Proposed by Donaghue (2003) & Csikszentmihalyi (1997: Shared Similarities) ……… 15

2.2 Factors Influencing A Difference in Teacher Development ……… 16

2.3 Options for Textbook Use (Harmer, 2002) ……….. 34

4.1 Teachers’ Tendency to Skip Materials in the Textbooks ………... 58

4.2 Teachers’ Beliefs about Textbooks & Prevalent Use of the Textbooks Based on Students’ Responses ………. 68

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LIST OF TABLES

Tables Page

2.1 2.2

Observable Aspects of Teachers’ Beliefs ……….. ……….. Characteristics of Traditional & Communicative Textbooks ………

20 27 4.1

4.2

4.3 4.4

4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8

Teachers’ Prevalent Use of Textbooks: Students’ Questionnaires………. Teachers’ Beliefs and Their Implications on the Way They Use the Textbooks ………. Teachers’ Beliefs Viewed form Observable Aspects ……… The four EFL Teachers’ Preparation Based on Lewis and Hill’s Criteria (1985) ……….. The Role of Textbooks in the Four EFL Teachers’ Experiences ……… Procedure of Adjustments of the Four EFL Teachers ………. Teachers’ Decision about Teaching & Textbooks Use ……… Students’ Improvement in Learning English as Perceived by the

Students ………..

66 71

73 78 79 83

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ……… i

Acknowledgements ……… ………… ii

List of Figures ………. iv

List of Tables ……….. v Chapters:

1. Introduction ……….. 1.1 Background of the Study ……… 1.2 Rationale for the Study ………... 1.3 Research Questions ………... 1.4 General Approach to the Study ……….. 1.5 Scope of the Study ……….. 1.6 Significances of the Study ……….. 1.7 Clarification of Term ……….. 1.8 Thesis Organization ………

1 1 6 7 7 8 8 10 10

2. Theoretical Foundation ……… 2.1 Introduction ……… 2.2 Teachers’ Beliefs …….……… 2.2.1 Definition of Belief ……… 2.2.2 The Role of Teachers’ Beliefs ……….. 2.2.3 Inferring Teachers’ Beliefs from Observable Aspects of Teachers’ Class actions and Statements ………... 2.3 Textbook Use .…….………... 2.3.1 The Role of Textbook in Teaching ……… 2.3.2 Characteristics of Good Textbook ……… 2.3.2.1 General Characteristics of a ‘Good Textbook’ … 2.3.2.2 Good Textbooks Based on CBC ………... 2.3.3 Procedure of Adjustment ………... 2.3.4 Teachers’ Reasons for Adapting Textbooks ……….. 2.3.5 Textbooks Use ………... 2.3.6Textbook Use and Students Achievement ……….. 2.4 Practical Conceptions about Teaching & Textbooks Use …….. 2.4.1 Basic Principles: Language & Language Learning ……... 2.4.2 Basic Principles: Students & Teacher ………... 2.4.3 Basic Principles: Textbooks ……… 2.5 Summary ……….

3. Research Methodology ……….. 3.1 Introduction ……….. 3.2 Research Design ………...

11 11 11 11 13 17 20 20 25 26 28 30 35 37 39 41 41 42 45 48 49 49 49

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3.3 The Research Site ……… 3.4 The Participants ……… 3.5 Data Collection Techniques ……… 3.5.1. Observations …... ……… 3.5.2 Questionnaire ………. ………. 3.5.3 Interview..………... 3.6 Data Analysis ……… 3.7 Summary ………..

50 51 51 52 53 54 55

4. Data Presentation and Discussion ………... 4.1 Introduction ……….. 4.2 Teachers’ Prevalent Use of Textbooks ……… 4.3 Teachers’ Beliefs Underlying the Use of Textbooks ……… 4.3.1 Teachers’ Beliefs about Textbook: A Media, Framework,

Weapon, a Tool and Manual Book ……… 4.3.2 Teachers’ Beliefs Seems to Determines the Prevalent Use

of Textbooks ……….. 4.3.3 Teachers’ Beliefs May Contributing to Teacher’s Way

Conducting the Class ………... 4.4 The Pictures of Teacher Use of Textbooks in Teaching Learning

Process……….. 4.4.1 Preparations ……….………. 4.4.2 Teacher’s Use of Textbooks for classroom Instructions…... 4.4.2.1 Reasons for Adapting the Textbooks ……… 4.4.2.2 The Role of Textbooks in Teaching & Learning … 4.4.2.3 Procedure of Adjusting the Textbooks ……… 4.4.2.4 Three Distinct Styles of Textbooks Use ………… 4.4.2.5 Decision Making about the Instruction……… 4.5 Teachers’ Use of Textbook aids Students’ Learning ……… 4.6 Summary ………..

56 56 56 64 65 67 70 73 73 75 75 77 79 82 83 86 91

5 Conclusion and Suggestions ……… 5.1 Conclusions ……….. 5.2 Suggestions ……… 5.3 Limitation of the Study and Recommendation for Further Study 5.5 Summary ……… 93 93 96 98 98

List of References ……… Appendix 1: TEXTOR

Appendix 2: Teachers’ Prevalent Use of Textbooks: Observation & Interview Data

Appendix 3: Teachers’ Prevalent Use of Textbooks: Students’ Questionnaire (%)

Appendix 4: Teachers’ Beliefs: Summary Appendix 5: Teachers’ Preparation

100 104 107 108 109 111

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Appendix 6: Teachers’ Decision Making Process Appendix 7: Teachers’ Questionnaire

Appendix 8: Students’ Questionnaire

Appendix 9: Characteristic of the Textbooks Appendix 10: Research Documents

112 114 126 128 129

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The use of one or more textbooks in high school level foreign language classes seems to be a common phenomenon in teaching and learning processes conducted either in developing countries or in advanced one. However, it is surprising that little research activity touches on how teachers use textbooks (Moulton, 1997). His recent research specifically highlights the fact that developing countries conduct the research on how the textbooks are used more rarely than compared to advanced countries (Moulton, 1997).

On the contrary the fact commonly shows that evaluating textbooks and teaching materials in textbooks has become the major topic of a lot of research (Hsin, 2000). Researchers more frequently look at the quality of the textbooks— their content and format—and their appropriateness for students in terms of level of vocabulary (Moulton, 1997).

Regarding that research phenomenon above, Hsin (2000) lists some topics which have become the main concern of education practitioners in line with the textbook evaluation: Suitability of Textbooks Selection and Evaluation (Ball 1976; Cowles 1976; Krause 1976; Kahn 1978; Steglitz 1982; Williams 1983; Sheldon 1988; Skierso 1991), The Purpose or Role of Textbook (Daum 1973; Allwright 1981; O'Neill 1982; Swales 1995), The Cultural Component in Textbooks (Maurice 1968; Ashour 1996; Balazs 1998), and To Content Analysis (Sebo 1977). This condition may emerge for the issue of dominant role of textbooks

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versus of teachers, as stakeholder for adjustment or adaptation, has been a debate among education practitioners—behaviorists versus constructivist—for decades (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994).

While behaviorists propose the argument that teachers need to make materials in the textbooks allowed for adaptation and improvisation, constructivists work harder to build common need, necessity, and interest to the importance of textbooks designing, which resulting in being neglected and marginalized the importance of evaluating how teachers as the users make use of the textbooks.

Constructivist practitioners have argued that textbook has a vital and positive part to play in the everyday jobs of teaching and learning English (Hutchinson and Torros, 1994). The textbooks, so this argument goes, are the most convenient means of providing the structure that the teaching and learning system—particularly the system in change—requires.

One of the assertions in support of the postulate that textbooks give benefit to both teachers and students is that, on teachers’ side, the teachers see managing their lesson as their greatest need, and the existence of the textbook facilitates them in sense it saves times for preplanned lesson activities, gives direction to lessons, guides discussion, facilitates giving of homework, making teaching ‘easier, better organized, more convenient’, and learning ‘easier, faster, and better’ (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994).

Accordingly, Ingall (1994) adds that textbooks provide a coherent approach to a subject, and they help define which parts of the material are of core

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importance and therefore should be taught. Textbooks provide springboard for classroom discussion, and they often contain activities to concretize and expand on the materials.

Further Torres as cited in Hutchinson & Torres (1994) maintain that, on students’ side, students see textbooks as a ‘framework’ or ‘guide’ that helps them to organize their learning both inside and outside the classroom—during discussions in lessons, while doing activities and exercises, studying on their own, doing homework, and preparing for the test. This position goes on to further assert that comprehensive textbooks could minimize and reduce teachers’ role to manage or oversee a pre-planned classroom event: the more explicit instructions in a textbook, the more it is like a prepared script, and the less and less appears to be left to the teachers to decide and work out.

However, the ease provided by the ready-made textbooks left a backwash effect for the world of teaching. They can seem to absolve teachers’ responsibility. Instead of participating in the day-to-day decision that have to be made about what to teach and how to teach it, it is easy for teachers just to sit back and operate the system, secure the belief that the wise and righteous people who produced the textbooks knew what was good for us (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994). Moreover, there is almost no textbook that is definitely suitable for all intended teachers and students, and fulfilling both teachers’ and students’ appeal (Ansary & Babaii, 2002; Hsin, 2000; Jacobs & Jessica, 1996; Hutchinson & Torres, 1994). The statement implies that to reach the maximum opportunity to learn teachers should make any adaptations, even changes to some instructions,

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materials, and activities in the textbooks, and then recreate them into more effective classroom activities that seem to promote better learning: Textbooks are created and should be recreated for effective use (Grant in Hsin, 2000).

In addition to what Grant claims, O’Neil (in Hsin, 2000) strongly asserts that basically interaction is not planned in the textbook but designed by teachers. A textbook, in this point, plays its role as only jumping-off points for teachers and class which means that the most important work or activity in a class may start with the textbook but ends outside it, in improvisation and adaptation, in spontaneous interaction in the class and in the development of the interaction.

The teachers, along with the students, are responsible for adapting, creating, recreating, and processing any material and or providing interpretation to the class. They should have the option of assigning supplementary materials based on their specific needs in their own specific teaching situation (Anshary & Babaii, 2002). Therefore, teachers’ influences to the success of learning are identified more than that of the textbook (Jacobs & Jessica, 1996).

While textbook is the provider input in form of texts, activities, and explanations, teachers are the persons who are responsible for bringing those inputs into effective and creative classroom activities that are based on students’ need and interest. Hutchinson and Torres (1994) confirm that textbooks provide ready-made about what to teach and how to teach, and the teachers operate the system (Brown, 2000).

When the teachers do not successfully design creative activities textbooks are simply dead, inert written symbol, and teaching is no more that a symbolic

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ritual, devoid any real significance for what going on outside the classroom. Swan (1991) as cited in Hsin (2000) emphasizes that even with the best teaching material, inability of teacher to create adaptation to the textbook in form of classroom interactions is considered as inefficient approach since no course book contains exactly what is required for particular individual or class.

Indeed teachers play a great role in providing interpretation for their students. The actions the teachers take, the activities the teachers make are closely related to teachers’ interpretations to the instructions provided in the textbooks. Both teacher and students interpret the instructions in textbooks which are highly influenced by their positions and needs: teachers interpret the instruction in their side need for teaching, and students interpret the instructions in their side need to know what to learn and how to learn it (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994). In the level of classroom activity, teachers’ and students’ interpretation will influence and build in each other drawn from students’ responses to the activities set by the teachers.

Figure 1.1 Studeets-Teacher Ieterpretatioes to the Use of Textbooks (Adapted from An Investigation of the Structure of Group Activities in ELT Course Books, George M. Jacobs aed Jessica Ball, ELT Joureal Vol. 52/2 April 1996, oxford Ueiversity Press) COURSEBOOK

TEACHER’S INTERPRETATION

STUDENT’S INTERPRETATION

RESPONSE OF GROUP OF STUDENTS

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Teachers’ interpretation can serve very personally since it may be influenced by their personal experience and expertise in teaching (Moulton, 1997), or in understanding the textbooks instructions and concepts regarding teaching. It may result in personal preference of designing of classroom activities unless the teachers have basis for their decisions. Therefore, it is important to differentiate well based from personal preference decisions (rationale) made by teachers when they decide to make some adaptations.

1.2 Rationale for the Study

This study will elaborate the issue on how the participants (the teachers) in SMUN 24 Bandung use the textbooks for their foreign language class teaching. Basically, the study aims at investigating what teachers’ beliefs underlying their use of the textbooks are; how the teachers actually use of the textbooks for classroom interactions; how prevalent the teachers’ uses the textbook is; and how the ways the teachers’ uses of textbooks aid students’ learning.

The basic conceptual framework inspiring this study is an argument that textbook has a vital and positive part to play in the everyday jobs of teaching and learning English (Hutchinson and Torros, 1994). The textbooks, so this argument goes, are the most convenient means of providing the structure that the teaching and learning system—particularly the system in change—requires.

In spite of this, adaptation made to the textbooks is served as a common phenomenon in the world of teaching since bounteous harvest of textbooks do not always provide types of texts and activities that teacher is seeking for the given

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class (Block, 1991; Hutchinson & Torres, 1994; Jacobs & Jessica, 1996; Hsin, 2000; Richard, 2001; Harmer, 2002; and Anshary & Babaii, 2002). The fact that a textbook needs to be adapted does not necessarily indicate that the textbooks adapted are bad (http://www.yok.gov.tr).

1.3 Research Questions

This research is aimed at investigating, describing, and categorizing the way the EFL teachers use the textbooks in their classroom instructions. The main questions in this study are as follow.

1. How prevalent (frequent) is the use of the textbooks?

2. What teachers’ beliefs underlie the use of textbooks in classroom instructions in SMUN 24 Bandung?

3. How do the teachers actually use textbooks for classroom instructions? 4. How do the teachers’ uses of textbooks aid students’ learning as perceived

by the students?

1.4 General Approach to the Study

The study will approach the research phenomenon qualitatively. It will portray or depict any recurring phenomenon in the field, describe them, report them and give further analysis and elaboration as well as interpretation.

Specifically, the study will approach the phenomenon from participants’ perspective in which the broad sense—like cognition, affect, and intentions—are

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included in the research. It focuses on perspective on events, and actions, to be assessed in terms of its truth and falsity (Maxwell, 1992; Alwasilah, 2002). It will involve an in-depth descriptive record of the participants—the teachers and their students in SMUN 24 Bandung. It will also involve collecting and examining various observations and records of a teacher’s individual teaching experience, view, attitude or behavior, and perspective about how they use the textbooks in their teaching.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This research is limited in time spent to obtain the data and the scope of the place for the study. It only involves four EFL teachers from two levels (year 2 and year 3) and their students, in one school (that is SMUN 24). Therefore this research is considered as case study and the findings are limited in its usage, in a sense that the result may not be representative of the schools phenomena in general or of the teachers’ ways of using textbooks in larger population.

Some questions in the questionnaire will use the metaphor in order to reveal teachers’ beliefs about their abstract conceptions regarding teaching, learning, and the textbooks usage. For the sake of simplicity, the researcher plans to use the word metaphor to mean any circumstance where a person uses one conceptual category, experience, or “thing” to describe or define another conceptual category. The essence of metaphor is an understanding and experiencing one thing in terms of another (Yero, 2002).

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1.6 Significance of the Study

In general, the study will contribute to provide significant information about the teaching-learning process and how it should be improved in relation to the use of textbooks and teachers’ underlying concepts and beliefs about teaching, learning, curriculum changes, and specifically about textbooks themselves. In specific, the study will contribute to document a real picture of how the teachers use the textbooks in real context, classroom.

For the authors and book designers as well as textbook trainers, this research provides feedback on how materials in their textbooks work in actual use do. The information gained regarding the additions, deletions, and supplementary material teachers may have used can play as new insights indicating procedures the four Indonesian teachers follow in relation to the use of textbook in a very limited scope. The information will be very beneficial for authors of the textbooks, especially for designing next textbooks.

Having been analyzed, that information about the adaptation teachers made about how they use the textbooks is also useful for designing Teacher’s Manual or conducting textbook training for teachers that will clearly guide Indonesian teachers to what to do when deciding to make adaptation, and or to strictly follow the textbooks.

For teachers, it also will reveal new findings regarding how other teachers may do, add, enrich, improve, or perform during the lesson in relation to adapting the textbooks.

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1.7 Clarification of Terms

Several terms have been defined for the requirement of this research: 1) “textbook” is defined as an English course book that treats the subject comprehensively and is used by students as a basis for study; 2) “textbook use” indicates the use of textbook by the teachers for teaching-learning process in the classrooms; 3) “adaptation” is defined essentially a process of ‘matching’ by ‘changing’ some of the internal characteristics of the textbook to suit our particular purposes better (McDonough & Shaw, 2003); and “the use of textbooks” in this case is defined as ‘the way in which teachers follow and practice the general and subject oriented didactic guidelines in textbooks.’

1.8 Thesis Organization

This thesis is presented in five chapters. Chapter one is the introduction to this study. It also discusses the rationale of the study, the research problems, general approach to the study, significance of the study and the clarification of the terms. Chapter two reviews the theoretical foundation for this study which covers discussion on teachers’ beliefs, textbooks use, and practical conceptions about make use of textbooks. Chapter three elaborates the research methodology. Chapter four is data presentation and discussion. Chapter five is the conclusion of the study.

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CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter deals with discussion of steps collecting the data and the methods used to analyze the data. Hence, this chapter is divided into four major parts. The first part describes the methodology used to conduct this study and how this study is carried out. The second part is a description of the participants involved in the study as well as the description of the research site. The third part depicts the phases to collect the data, the instruments used, and the role of the researcher. The last part elaborates the technique used to analyze the data.

3.2 Research Design

This study used a case study research design. The case study is used as an effort made to obtain an in-depth understanding of the situation and its meaning for those involved (Merriam1998, Alwasilah 2002, Soy 2006). It is in line with the proposed definition of a case study as

…an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1984 as cited in Soy 2006: 3).

Referring to the characteristic of a case study, this study is very much context and situation specific. Besides, this study also elaborated the description of the way the teachers use the textbooks as constructed by the participants—the teachers and their students. So defined, the case study was chosen for this research.

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3.3 The Research Site

The school under study is SMUN 24 Bandung. The school was selected for this school used only English textbooks for teaching learning process while other schools the researcher being interviewed used LKS (student’s workbook) instead of textbook or used both textbook and LKS (student’s workbook) at the same time. Under Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), the decision to use LKS (student’s workbook) is strongly prohibited while the use of textbooks for teaching is strongly supported.

Lembar Kerja Siswa (LKS) tidak diperlukan lagi dalam proses belajar dengan kurikulum berbasis kompetensi (KBK). Pasalnya, melalui KBK, siswa tidak belajar dari sisi pengetahuan (Knowledge) saja, tapi juga bagaimana mengembangkan kompetensinya. Penggunaan LKS dalam proses pembelajaran sama sekali tidak dianjurkan oleh Diknas. Penggunaan LKS merupakan kebijakan guru, padahal tidak ada dalam kurikulum (Agustine, 2005)

(Under CBC, the use of LKS for learning is not needed anymore, since under CBC the students learn not only to master the knowledge aspect, but also to develop their competences. The use of LKS is not recommended by Diknas since it is only teachers’ policy, whereas it is not discussed in curriculum.)

The other reason for choosing the school is the fact that the researcher is a graduate from the school. The teachers and their officials warmly welcomed the researcher when she finally decided to conduct research in her alma mater. The researcher got the access easily to the research site, and thus it is expected to increase feasibility of the study. Started with school visit, the researcher had got the permission to conduct research in SMUN 24 Bandung on the topic ‘How do Teachers Use Textbooks’.

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3.4 The Participants

The four EFL teachers, and their students, were purposively selected based on the following reasons.

a) Teachers’ period of teaching experience—2 experienced teachers and 2 novice teachers. This is to see whether or not the length of experiences in teaching influence the way the teachers make use of textbook or make decision about how to use the textbooks for their teaching.

b) Teachers’ willingness to be involved in this study. Since this study was a case study and required the participants to be involved in this study for months, their willingness was badly important for this research in order to provide the researcher with the complete and natural data from a very limited number of participants.

c) Teachers’ practice on CBC and the 1994 curriculum. This is merely to reveal whether or not teachers’ use of textbooks is different as the curriculum changes.

3.5 Data Collection Techniques

To obtain the data, the researcher utilized three techniques of data collections including observations, questionnaire and interview.

3.5.1 Observation

To obtain data about how teachers use textbooks in real application in their classroom, the researcher observed them for four months of their teaching time. The researcher used hand written observational notes as detailed, concrete and

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chronological as possible (Maxwell, 1996). The aspects of teachers’ performance to be observed were adapted from points proposed in TEXTOR—the instant category analysis to examine textbook use in teaching and learning in classroom (Horsley & Laws, 1990). The points to be observed covered detailed condition before-during textbook used; the length time where textbooks are used in teaching and learning; time taken to get involved into the texts; steps teachers make to use of the textbooks; students step by step response to the use of the textbooks; students’ engagement to the instructions and class activities; task and homework set; and the use of other materials (See appendix 1).

The observations were done in all classes investigated started from 4 months. During the observation, the researcher played the role as non-participant observer (Merriam, 1998 as cited in Alwasilah 2002). The researcher only sat in the class in order to observe and compile the data by writing field memo.

3.5.2 Questionnaire

The questionnaire was used to gain data from teacher and students. The questionnaire was distributed to the teachers in order to get information about how teachers use textbooks to plan and to make decision about the instruction; and how they rationale their use textbook during teaching learning process through metaphor they used (See appendix 2). Meanwhile, the questionnaire also distributed to students was intended to obtain data about how the way the teachers use textbooks aids students’ learning. The data gained from both parties were

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expected to complete one to each other and crosscheck or triangulate each data gained.

3.5.3 Interview

For this study, the teachers were interviewed three to six times, and the interviews were recorded. The interview occurred through out the teachers’ spare time as well as after the class whenever it was possible. The interview was structured and unstructured one. This structured interview was chosen in order that the researcher got the same information about some problems from different participants. Meanwhile, the unstructured interview was done in order to get teachers’ personal interpretation or paradigm about certain phenomena (Moleong, 2005). The questions posed were either structured one—using interview protocol (Patton, 1980 as cited in Moleong, 2005)—or spontaneous one. Spontaneous questions were usually posed to clarify some aspects of teachers’ performance. In general, the interview questions are about issue about which the researcher became curious as an observer in the classes or as the result of teachers’ input.

The recorded interviews were conducted 30 to 45 minutes or even more. These were done to get further clarification on what was not found clearly from the teachers’ statement in the questionnaire, especially about the process of decision making done by the teachers related to designing their classroom performance.

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3.4 Data Analysis

The data were analyzed using constant comparative method or grounded research (Glaser & Straus cited in Moleong, 2005). The process covered data reduction, coding, categorizing, synthesizing, and arranging working hypothesis or propositions.

Specifically, data from observation, which depicted how teachers use textbooks in the classroom performance, were analyzed according to some points proposed in TEXTOR such as detail condition before and during the textbooks are used (see appendix 1). The data presentations were divided to three parts: a) teacher’s preparation, b) teacher’s actual use of textbooks, and c) teacher’s decision making.

Moreover, the data from the observations were enriched with the data from other sources—interview and questionnaire. Data regarding teachers’ decision making process were obtained both from observations and interview as well as questionnaires. Data from the interview were presented in condensed version. The data were classified into the following aspects as proposed by Richard (2001:2):

Planning decision refers to thinking about what it is that teachers are going to do.

Interactive decision refers to decision made on the spot (classrooms). Evaluative decision refers to decision to review what has already happened and why it happens as so.

Follow-up decision refers to what teachers’ next planning having done evaluation on what had already happened in the classrooms.

Data from questionnaire were presented and analyzed according to each theme. Since the other focus of the study is on documenting and interpreting

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teachers’ unshared experience of using textbooks and their self-conception as teacher, the metaphors occurred both in their interview as well as in their reflection or questionnaire will be further analyzed as modeled by Yero (2002) in chapter 2. The metaphors elicited will obviously reflect teachers’ beliefs, self-concepts, and practices that cannot be analyzed through other instruments of data collections (McShane, 2002).

3.5 Summary

Since the aims of this study is to investigate how teachers use textbooks in real field of teaching, then the design of this study is qualitative research and descriptive type of study. This type of case study involves collecting and examining observations and records of four teachers in SMUN 24 and their individual experience concerning the use of textbooks, their belief about teaching, and their actions in the class, as well as the effects on the students learning process. This study was guided by four research questions which objectives are to find out the teachers’ prevalent use of textbooks; to reveal teachers’ beliefs regarding their use of textbook; to investigate teachers’ actual use of textbook for classroom instruction; and to find out how their use aids student’s learning. To gain the data, the researcher used variety instruments including questionnaire, observational notes, and interview. The data were presented and analyzed in the next chapter.

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CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusions

This chapter consists of three major parts. The first part discusses the major findings and their significances. The second part discusses suggestions for practitioners based on the result of the study. The third part discusses limitation of the present study and recommendation for further study

The data analysis indicates that the respondents used textbooks for their teaching instructions to different degree of prevalence. Their various level of reliance to the textbooks is strongly influenced by some factors: a) teachers’ unfamiliarity to the content of the textbooks, b) the conditions of the textbooks, and c) teachers’ beliefs to the use of textbooks for their teaching.

Specifically, teachers’ beliefs about textbooks determine how often the textbooks are used in classroom. For example, teachers whose the view about textbooks as a media for learning or as framework teaching tend to use them less pervasively than those who viewed them as a weapon for teaching or a tool and manual for students’ learning. Their beliefs dispose their thinking and actions. Teachers’ beliefs about teaching also partake in how the teachers make use of the textbooks as can be observed from their classroom practice and their theoretical orientations about teaching and learning. For instance, the teachers, who believe that dynamic class is the class where the students are actively involved in the activities, tend to be learner-centered in approaching the teaching

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activities. They also evaluate their teaching based on students’ responses to their teaching performance. They choose the structure of activity that enhanced students’ engagement in learning such as discussion and group working.

Meanwhile the teachers, for example, who believe that teaching is ‘transferring knowledge’, may consider that students’ accuracy is the most important thing to achieve. They also tend to pay more attention on covering all materials in the textbook. As the result, they tend to be less aware of students’ need.

Concerning the actual use of textbooks in the classroom, some of the teachers made adaptation to the use of the textbook and some were not. Specifically those who made the adaptations did both qualitatively—organizing content, modifying content, restructuring—and quantitatively—adding, deleting, etc. To be clearer, the teachers showed three distinct style of textbooks use:

The ‘textbook bound teachers’ began the school year with the lesson on page one and progressed page-by-page through the textbook ever the course year. The ‘basic’ teacher focused on sections that required addition.

The ‘management by objectives’ teacher used the textbook in order to ensure that all students acquire minimal competencies. The teacher considers that setting the objectives of her teaching and student’s learning is important.

It seems to be clear that the ‘management by objectives’ teacher facilitates students more students better than other styles of teachers as textbooks user. This kind of teacher seems to be more preferred by the students than the ‘textbook

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bound teachers’. It may be due to her ability to bring the concept and materials in the textbooks to the present students’ condition and meet the students’ need.

The adaptation teachers did is mostly caused by some reasons: (a) the textbooks suffer from balanced potion of devoted skills; (b) the textbooks lack of exercises; (c) the reason of practicality that makes teacher postponed to discuss some listening materials, for example; (d) teachers do not have enough time to get through the activity in the way the textbook writer has designed the tasks; and e) the physical characteristic of the classroom (e.g. space available) does not allow the teachers to do the activity in the way the textbook writer suggests.

Although the textbooks are designed as interactive, communicative and innovative as possible, it may not assure that the actual use of the textbook will be effective, interactive, innovative, and communicative as well. Teachers’ prevalent use of the textbooks neither does guarantee students’ achievement nor guarantee their effective use. The role of teachers as the agent who brings the inputs in the textbooks to effective classroom activities is determined more than the role of the textbook itself.

The teachers may cover all parts or sections in the textbooks to be taught to the students. However, the students perceive that the teachers may focus only one skill. The students also perceive that what focuses of the teachers on teaching students may indicates the skills the teachers the most clearly explained.

Consequently, it is only the skill(s) the teachers mostly expose to and clearly elaborate to the students that will help students experience a lot of progress. Teachers’ ability to convey ideas clearly and convincingly regarding the

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materials deserve more attentions in order to support the creative, effective, innovative use of the textbooks since it may contribute to students learning and their achievements.

Hence, Moulton’s research finding that indicates textbooks availability indicates positive effect on students’ achievements is not as this study indicates: it is not the availability of the textbooks as predicted determinant factor of students’ progress but the teachers’ capacity to convey ideas (materials) clearly, teachers’ ability to adapt the materials in the textbook, and teachers’ creativity to conduct the classroom activities are determining the progress of the students in learning.

The conclusion in this study was based on findings in the research site of which the characters and the conditions of school and teachers as well as the students show similarity to the characters and conditions of school and teachers as well as students in other schools in Indonesia. Therefore, it is possible to see the similar findings of the same research topic which is conducted in different site.

5.2 Suggestions

This study has revealed some important points that have to be put more concern of by teachers, textbooks writer and publishers, and the government as well. The next actions they take are expected to contribute to better use of the textbooks for teaching and learning process.

For teachers, it is worth to remember that textbooks are not the content control policy instrument they billed to be. Rather, teachers’ content and strategy

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for conducting classroom instructions decision-making is functions of several other factors, including students’ aptitude and attitude, limits in instructional time, and teachers’ own convictions. Regarding ‘the researcher question whether students are typically better served by teachers goes beyond their textbooks than by those who follow their textbooks closely. In this study, the teachers who followed the textbook most closely were receiving negative responses from their students compared with those who went beyond the textbook. The observations also indicates that the students seem to be less enthusiasm to learning and teacher ways of teaching compared to the teacher who went beyond the text—making adaptations. In short, teachers’ use of textbook is influenced mostly by their experience rather than their knowledge, and support probably more than by the textbooks themselves, and improving textbook use requires improving teachers.

For textbooks publishers, it is important to provide teachers more space and time to critically review the content of the textbooks. The teachers are the first persons responsible to make students’ learning—using textbooks as media— successful. However, it puts a lot of responsibility on the publisher, the author, and the editors to make sure that the language in the course is authentic and has the qualities that you want good teaching materials to have. The fact that the non-native teacher will tend to rely on the creditability of the publisher and the author to assume that the content is authentic and appropriate, the publishers should be more responsible in providing teachers with teachers’ manual and training on how to use the textbooks. It is worth to note that the publishers should also view that teachers need help and consultation when they are requires using new textbooks.

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For government, when the government changes the curriculum, teachers become the objects of the changes that have to cope with some difficulties caused by the changes. Regarding the selection of the textbooks to be used, the government is required to provide the principles or guidelines for selecting the textbooks that meet the curriculum requirements. So far the teachers always involve in debate regarding the publishing many textbooks branded CBC legalized by the government, but they share basic principled differences.

5.3 Limitation and Recommendation for Further Study

Due to the present study conducted in a short of period of 16 weeks at one setting and to four EFL teachers, it is recommended that other researchers do study on how the teachers use textbooks in a longer period of time and involve more teachers as participants of the research from different schools

5.4 Summary

In conclusion the data revealed the picture how teachers use the textbooks. It also brings to light that belief about textbooks, effective learning, teaching and dynamic class determines how prevalent the teachers use the textbooks, how they use the textbooks in the classroom instruction and how they conduct adaptation to the materials in the textbooks. However, their use of textbooks may only empower one students’ skill of which the teachers focused more on their teaching.

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The teachers admitted that the publishers should prove their responsibility in providing teachers’ manual as well as training regarding the use of textbooks. It is worth to remember that publishers should know reality and difficulties teachers face when they use textbooks, and make adaptations without publishers’ assistances and the government’s assistance in providing official guidance in selecting the textbooks as the curriculum changes.

The study has its important contribution to revealing the pictures of the actual use of textbooks in classroom instructions including challenges and difficulties during their use. Therefore other similar studies need to be conducted in longer period of investigation, wider scope, and more EFL teachers as participants.

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