TOP NOTCH VS. HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The current study aimed at comparing the evaluation of Iranian EFL teachers regarding the English textbooks of Iranian high school and Top Notch series. To this end, 58 Iranian EFL teachers were recruited from high schools and Iranian English Institutes. A modified version of the questionnaire developed by Al Amri (2008) was employed for this study. This questionnaire in particular evaluated the following categories: general appearance, design and illustration, accompanying materials, objectives, topic content, language content, social and cultural contexts, language skills, teach ability, flexibility, teaching methods and practice and testing. Based on the findings of this study, overall, there was a significant difference between the perception of Iranian EFL teachers about high school English textbooks and Top Notch series in terms of all categories mentioned above except in the one entitled language content. In other words, Iranian EFL teachers had significantly better perceptions about Top Notch series.