An investigation into the alignment between the government's dictated English language curriculum and the textbook mediated classroom practice at the secondary level in Pakistan

In Pakistan, textbooks are the core manifestation of the curriculum as well as the most dominant teaching material used in the classrooms. The curriculum identifies the English Language as a source from which to enhance language skills, professional competency and values for promoting social cohesion. The government has complete control over the education sector, and this substantial political input in educational matters influences all the decisions taken, from budget allocation to textbook approval. Financial constraints and a lack of resources have compelled teachers to rely on single teaching material like textbooks. In these circumstances, alignment between the curriculum and the textbooks should be ensured in order to achieve the curriculum’s aims and avoid costly mistakes. This research sets out examine the alignment between the English Language curriculum and the textbooks at the secondary level in Pakistan. The theoretical framework of curricular alignment has been employed for this inquiry. The research used a mixed-method approach for the collection of data as three different questionnaires were distributed to secondary school English language teachers, higher secondary school English language teachers and curriculum experts. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with curriculum experts and other educationists from Pakistan to gain a deep understanding of the alignment between textbooks and the curriculum. Content analysis of the English language textbooks published by the Punjab Textbook Boards was also carried out.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

mphil

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Nottingham Trent University

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Shah, SF

Language dc:language

en