Textbook Evaluation: Analyzing English Textbook I of Federal Board at SSC Level in the Light of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Abstract

Textbooks play a vital role in a successful teaching-learning process. This means that quality education heavily depends on the quality of textbooks. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain their quality by passing them through rigorous evaluation and assessment procedures.  The study at hand analyzes English Book I of Federal Textbook Board by applying the Cognitive Domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The said textbook is taught in federal schools at SSC level, which is a fundamental stage in the cognitive development at early childhood phases. The research employs mix-method approach as it is both qualitative and quantitative in nature; qualitative due to its nature of an in depth study of the texts and quantitative because textual analysis was carried out. The research tool used is “question analysis”. The study aims at finding out the degree to which the exercises of the textbook satisfy the Cognitive Domain, existing/missing domains, order followed by the sub levels of the Cognitive Domain and congruency of the exercises with the content of the units in the textbooks.  The results show a lack of balance with regard to Cognitive Domain. In other words, all the sub-levels of the Cognitive Domain are present but their order is random. There is no congruency of the content with the exercises as well. It is, therefore, suggested that the textbook needs rigorous revision from time to time. Their designing should be performed according to set criteria and there should be clear learning objectives. The research proposes a link between English Textbook and its role in ESL/EFL teaching thus claiming a valid and continuous evaluation of the textbooks as the call of day for quality ESL/FEL teaching.