Evaluating Engineering Major ESP Courses in Iranian Universities: Stakeholders' Views on Course Effectiveness (Research Paper)

Investigating stakeholders' perceptions about course success has been signified as a useful method in program evaluation. This study evaluated English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs in engineering departments at Iranian state universities by examining stakeholders' views. Engineering students (N=100) and ESP practitioners (N=8) participated in interviews, and non-participant observations were carried out to better understand the learning and teaching contexts. Content analysis of the interviews showed that some obstacles such as 1) low GE proficiency of students and heterogeneous classes, 2) limited time, 3) ministry decision for making the course elective, 4) students' low motivation, 5) teachers' low motivation, 6) inappropriate materials and teaching methods hindered course usefulness and effectiveness from the perspective of the participants. The findings urged the importance of comprehensive needs analysis to resolve the controversies among stakeholders about course objectives and contents and eliminate the mismatches between course objectives and students' expectations.