چكيده لاتين :
After the approval of the Document on the Fundamental Transformation of
Education and the implementation of the National Curriculum, we have
witnessed the implementation of a new curriculum on English in the
education system. The program, with a change in the teaching approach, as
well as the preparation and compilation of newly developed textbooks, has
had a major difference with the previous traditional and inefficient program.
Due to the fact that practically all first and second levels of high school
textbooks have been developed and taught, the necessity of critical analysis
and evaluation of the program, with due attention to its strengths and
weaknesses from different perspectives is inevitable. To achieve this, the
present paper, using the language-in-education policy and planning
framework and through a qualitative analysis has attempted to assess and
analyze the new English language program, through delving into attitudes of
five experts in the field of English language planning. The findings indicate
that the new program, along with its strengths, suffers from deficiencies in
teacher education, curriculum period, and especially student evaluation; such ignorance leaves of the new program with serious challenges. In the end,
based on the findings of the research, suggestions are made to reduce
potential and actual weaknesses of the program as well as strategies are
introduced to improve it.
1. Introduction
The post-revolutionary system of English language education in Iran has
undergone various changes; the last one dates back to 2013. Following the
approval of two significant higher-level educational documents known as the
Document on the Fundamental Transformation of Education and the
Document of the National Curriculum, the English language education in the
Iranian formal system has experienced its most fundamental, and of course,
controversial reform (Alavi-Moghaddam & Kheirabadi, 2013). In fact, the
program, with a change in its approach, as well as reform in the preparation
and compilation of new textbooks, has experienced a major difference with
the previous traditional and inefficient program (Davari et al., 2018).
Conceiving the importance of this reform and the necessity of its
evaluation at this stage, which has been mostly neglected in the available
research on the topic, the researchers attempted to critically evaluate the
program. In a more precise word, using the language-in-education policy and
planning framework, they attempted to assess and analyze the new English
language program.
2. Literature Review
The story of English education in Iran has been described and documented in
a grwing number of works including Farhady et al. (2010), Borjian (2013),
Atai and Mazlum (2013), Davari and Aghagolzadeh (2015), Aghagolzadeh
and Davari (2017) and Iranmehr and Davari (2018).
Despite the difference in their points of view, the point in common in
these works is the belief that English education in Iran suffers from serious
shortcomings for which the necessity of a thorogh evaluation is perceived.
Despite this fact, reviewing such works reveals that the English curriculum
in Iranian education system, especially the new curriculum, intending to
reform the education of this language in schools, has not been studied and
analyzed from a policy and planning framework of evaluation. In doing so,
this study is an attempt to critically evaluate the new program of English
education through integrating an efficient policy and planning-based
framework.
To serve this purpose, Kaplan and Baldauf's (1997) language-ineducation
planning (LEP) framework was adopted as the point of movement.
Their framework presents a rather comprehensive platform for evaluating
educational programs through five dimensions (curriculum policy, personnel
policy, methods and materials policy, community policy, and evaluation
policy). The study would try to keep a critical eye on the evaluation of the
new Iranian program of English language education with respect to these
five dimensions so that the shortcomings and limitations of the policies and
practices could be highlighted.
3. Methodology
The sampling method used in this study was that of criterion-based selection.
In this form of sampling, the researcher creates a list of attributes essential to
the study and then seeks out participants to match these criteria. The criteria
in this research were: a) Having PhD in applied linguistics; b) Having
expertise in ELT curriculum development and evaluation; c) Being familiar
with the English language education in schools. Then, eight specialists with
such criteria were contacted, out of which five accepted to take part as
participants in the research. Among the different types of the interviews, the
semi-structured one was selected (Dörnyei, 2007) and the findings were
thematically analyzed.4. Results
Regarding the first policy, namely the curriculum policy, findings revealed
that the new program suffers from two serious shortcomings. First, the
reduction of seven years of English education in the previous program to six
years in the new program is in contrast with the essence of the
communicative approach. Second, the crowded classes, leading to less
exposure of students to English, cannot meet the curriculum objectives. Such
findings are in line with Aghagolzadeh and Davari (2017).
Concerning the second policy, i.e. the personnel policy, findings showed
that setting new criteria in teacher selection and holding teacher education
courses seem necessary. In specialists' views, due to differences in teachers'
abilities and skills as well as tangible lack of professional knowledge among
them, the implementation of the new program is faced with challenges. In
their attitudes, the teachers' awareness of such changes in the curriculum is
of upmost importance, though its absence is quite evident. Such findings are
in line with Alavi-Moghaddam et al. (2018).
With regard to the third policy, namely methods and materials policy, the
specialists' attitudes were positive. In their views, this reform in approach,
teaching method and especially textbook development has been essential.
However, they clearly asserted that due to the significant position of
textbooks in Iran, as the main source of input in education system, their
constant revision and update are necessary. In doing so, considering the
views of materials developers as well as paying attention to teachers'
feedback were emphasized.
Concerning the fourth policy, namely community policy, findings
revealed that they had two concerns. At first, the reconstruction of the
society’s view toward English language is necessary. Secondly, supplying
the financial needs of implementing a nationwide program like this must be
considered. In their views, the accompaniment of students along with their
families with the new program can guarantee its success.Regarding the last policy, i.e. evaluation policy, the participants had a
negative attitude. In their views, the current university entrance exam
imposes heavy burden on the new program. In a more precise word, in their
views the successful assessment of learners' knowledge and skills cannot be
achieved by the current exams.
5. Conclusion
In all, the findings indicate that the new program, along with its strengths,
suffers from deficiencies in teacher education, curriculum period, and
especially student evaluation; such ignorance leaves the new program with
serious challenges.
The findings also promise some principal implications. First, they will
redound to the benefit of language planners integrating the latest innovations
in the field of curriculum development as well as considering the specialists'
attitudes with regard to the program. Since the ever developing world of
educational arena calls for a curriculum which meets the objectives, the
findings of the present research can provide the language planners and
material developers with an approach in which a thorough evaluation of the
new program can be achieved.
Another possible line of research is investigating the teachers' attitudes
and perceptions about the recent reform in the Iranian ELT program and the
above-mentioned policies. Through such research, undoubtedly a more
comprehensive evaluation of the program is provided.
