EFL TEACHERS’ EVALUATION OF TEXTBOOK USED IN FIRST YEAR FUNDAMENTAL ENGLISH COURSE AT WHITE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Mismatch between the textbook designs and the instructional contexts in which the textbook was used requires EFL teacher adopters to select textbooks carefully. This study reports on the strengths and weaknesses of the commercial EFL textbook as perceived by the teaching staffs of a fundamental English course offered in a public university in Thailand. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview.  In general, the participants were found to be satisfied with the overall quality of the textbook.  They nevertheless agreed on several design issues that need to be modified to accommodate the constraints of their instructional contexts.  An examination of these shortcomings leads the researchers to conclude that staff teachers need to collaborate for mutually agreed on guidelines or supplementary materials which would compensate for the limitations of commercial EFL textbooks.