Choosing & Evaluating Textbooks by

Neville Grant in Making the most of

your textbook

Prepared by:
Anasuhah Bt Buyong
Nur Nabilah Huda Bt Hamdan
Jeeivita Kathirvellu Pillai
Ainatul Mardhiah Bt Manin
What is evaluation?
• According to the Oxford Dictionary (2013), evaluation in
its general context refers to “the making of a judgment
about the amount, number, or value of something;
assessment”.

Why do teachers need textbook evaluation?

• The adaptation of an effective learning material creates

a positive language learning environment
How does it affect the language learning environment?

• Through assigning it with the learners’ needs, interests

and abilities
How do we know it suits the learners, teachers, and the
teaching syllabus objective?
• Through evaluation!
 According to Grant (1987),
the textbook should satisfy
3 conditions:
1. It should suit the needs, interests and
abilities of your students
2. It should suit you
3. The textbook must meet the needs of
official public teaching syllabuses or
examinations
Grant’s 3 stages of evaluation

Initial Detailed In-use

evaluation evaluation evaluation

CONTINUOUS
CATALYST QUESTIONNAIRE
RE-EVALUATION
 Initial evaluation

• To eliminate unsuitable materials

• To decide whether the book is worth to go
in depth with
• Grant introduces the ‘CATALYST’ test – 8
letters which represent 8 criteria to be
evaluated
 • Will the students be able to use the language to
Communicative communicate as the result of using this textbook?

Aims • Does it fit our aims and objectives?

• Does is seem reasonably easy to use, well-organized, and

Teachable easy?

Available Add- • Are there additional materials?

On

Level • Does the level fit the learners ability & proficiency?

Your • What is your overall impression towards it?

Impression

Student interest • Do the learners find the textbook interesting?

Tried & tested • Has the book been tried & tested in real classroom?
However…

• Hasty decision should not be made

• Get specimen copies of new materials and
evaluate properly
• Seek consultation from colleagues
• Ask for advices and opinions:
- teachers from other schools/colleges,
- inspector/advisor in the Ministry of Edu.
 Detailed evaluation

Questionnaire
• Helps to decide how far a textbook meets
the 3 conditions as mentioned earlier:-

1) Does the book suit your students?

2) Does it suit the teacher?
3) Does it suit the syllabus?

• It is recommended to compare between two probable textbooks.

Use Grant’s questionnaire and make a detailed evaluation of the
two textbooks. Compare the two textbooks based on the
evaluation results.
 In-use evaluation

• Re-evaluate the adopted textbook incessantly

• No questionnaire at this stage only one big
question: DOES IT WORK IN THE CLASSROOM?
• Monitor the book’s progress in the classroom
• Arrange meeting with colleagues to discuss
about textbooks
 Conclusion
• Ensuring the efficiency & affectivity of the
materials used in the classroom is important.
• Although Grant has introduced his 3 stages
evaluation in choosing textbook, there are also
different checklists and evaluation styles
available.
• It depends on the teacher to choose which
recommendation to be decide on and are
encouraged to design a most suitable checklist
to their own context.