國中英語教科書之預測性評估,使用,及回顧性評估: 台北地區個案研究

Predictive Evaluation, Use, and Retrospective Evaluation of an EFL Textbook by Junior High School Teachers:

李筱晴(Li Hsiao-ching)

指導教授 ： 葉錫南

國立臺灣師範大學/文學院/英語學系在職進修碩士班/碩士(2003年)

摘要

自民國九十一年教育部開放國中英語教科書， 由原本的「一綱一本」變成「一綱多本」之後，台灣的國中老師面臨挑選教科書的挑戰與考驗。因此，老師對於教科書的評選，挑選，及使用方式，值得進一步探究。
本研究資料蒐集為期八個月，採取訪談法和教室觀察的資料蒐集方式，研究對象是台北縣一所國中的六位現職英語科教師，其中三位是該所學校所選用英語教科書的支持者，另三位則是教科書評選會議上票選其他版本的「少數者」（此處簡稱反對者），本研究的目的在於探討這兩類老師在英語教科書選用過程中的預測性評估、使用情形、以及回顧性評估這三方面有何不同。本研究的主要結果如下：
一、 在預測性評估時，造成老師們贊成或反對該版本的原因是他們對於該本教科書的難易評估和對於學生的英語程度的預期有所不同。
二、 所有老師對教材的預測性評估和他們之後的回顧性評估都不一致，原因是老師們在做預測性評估時，低估了教材的難易程度以及高估了學生的英文程度。
三、 在教科書的使用情形方面，贊成者修正教材內容的頻率未如預期的低，甚至比反對者高，原因係上述的低估了教材的難度以及高估了學生的英文程度。
四、 教科書是教師教學內容的依據，它主導了老師的教學內容。
五、 有一些環境限制影響教師的教科書使用，例如：時間因素、大班教學、整套教材的不完整、學生因素（老師對學生英文程度的不確定、小學英語教育的不完善、學生程度差異大、和學生不正確的學習態度）、以及教室電腦設備的缺乏。
六、 老師對於教科書內容提出一些建議，可供書商編輯新教材或是修正現有教材的參考。
總之，本研究發現新教材的難易度是否適合學生的英語程度是英語教師在評鑑、選擇、和使用教科書最主要依據，所以在使用過程中，認為新教材的難易度和學生的英語程度有差距的英語教師，對教材內容的修正頻率會比較高。除此之外，兩類教師的預測性評估和回顧性評估都不一致，顯示出預測性評估的效度不高，其中的缺失可作為下一次評鑑教材的參考。

關鍵字

英語教科書 ； 英語教科書評估 ； 英語教科書使用

並列摘要

This study is aimed at investigating the predictive evaluation, use, and retrospective evaluation of an EFL textbook in a Taipei junior high school. The textbook refers to one of the new sets of junior high school English textbooks published by commercial publishers. In 2002, the Ministry of Education opened the market to all the publishers interested in producing textbooks for junior high school students and left the selection of English textbooks to individual junior high schools.
Six English teachers in a junior high school in Taipei participated in this study. Three of them are the proponents of the new textbook adopted in their school. The other three are the opponents. This study focuses any possible difference between the two groups of English teachers in their predictive evaluation, use, and retrospective evaluation. Data collection for this study continued for eight months. The main sources of data included interviews and classroom observations. The analysis of teachers’ use of the new textbook was based on Grant’s (1987) five options of textbook adaptation: 1.) use the textbook’s methods and materials as they stand; 2.) adapt either the content, or the method, or both; 3.) replace the content, or method used in the exercise with something the teacher considers more suitable; 4.) omit the exercise if it is irrelevant or unsuitable; and 5.) add more material, either from supplementary textbooks, or from your own resources if the textbook is lacking in some respects (pp.16-17). The study concludes with several findings.
1. In spite of their different choices, both groups of teachers, proponents and opponents of the new textbook, were mainly concerned about two factors in their decision making: the difficulty level of the textbook and students’ proficiency level.
2. The opponents modified the content of the textbook less often than the proponents.
3. Teachers’ predictive evaluation in both groups was inconsistent with their retrospective evaluation because of their wrong estimation of the difficulty degree of the textbook and the proficiency level of students.
4. The textbook was the norm of teachers’ teaching. It dominated the content of their instruction.
5. There were some contextual constraints that affected teachers’ use of the textbook, such as the time factor, the large class size, incomplete picture of the whole textbook series, students’ factors such as uncertainty of students’ proficiency level, the poor quality of English education in primary school, the great difference of students’ individual proficiency level, and students’ inappropriate learning attitudes, and the shortage of computer equipments in classrooms.
6. Teachers’ suggestions and comments about the textbook were also proposed for the textbook writers. It is hoped that future new or revised textbooks can rectify all the defects of the new textbook and better satisfy the needs of teachers and students.
To sum up, it was apparent in this study that whether the difficulty level of the textbook suits the proficiency level of students was always the main concern in teachers’ evaluation, selection, and use of the textbook. Therefore, teachers who perceived a gap between the difficulty degree of textbooks and students’ proficiency level adapted the content of the textbook more often than those who didn’t. Besides, teachers’ retrospective evaluation proved the insufficiency of their predictive evaluation and can function as a reference for improvement of the predictive instruments for future use.

並列關鍵字

English textbook ； textbook evaluation ； textbook use

參考文獻

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Urbana, IL: Center for the Study of Reading.