Evaluating Overall Quality and Intercultural Communicative Competence in English Academic Writing Textbooks: A Comparative Study of Iranian and International Resources

Textbooks play a crucial role in language learning and the development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC). However, few studies have compared local and international English writing textbooks in terms of overall quality and ICC integration. In response, this study evaluates Effective Academic Writing ۲ (EAW۲), an international textbook, and Essay Writing (EW), an Iranian one, in terms of overall quality, ICC attributes, and potential areas for improvement. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, data were collected from ۲۷ purposively selected Iranian university teachers. Specifically, a ۶۱-item Textbook Evaluation Checklist was administered, employing a five-point Likert scale (۵ = Strongly Agree, ۱ = Strongly Disagree), and analyzed by calculating means and standard deviations for both EAW۲ and EW. Additionally, responses to five open-ended questions were collected and examined through thematic content analysis to identify qualitative themes. Findings show EAW۲ excels in practicality (M = ۴.۰) and ICC attributes (M = ۳.۶), promoting global cultural exposure, but lacks local relevance (M = ۳.۱). Conversely, EW aligns with local contexts (M = ۳.۷) but neglects global perspectives (M = ۲.۹). Both textbooks exhibit weak multimedia integration and fail to provide interactive platforms to support writing instruction (M = ۳.۰). The small sample size limits generalizability, necessitating caution in broader application. In light of the findings, authors and designers of English writing textbooks should create materials that balance local cultural contexts with global perspectives to foster both linguistic proficiency and ICC in diverse English Language Teaching (ELT) settings. Furthermore, they should integrate innovative multimedia tools, interactive platforms, and AI-driven tools to enhance cultural exposure, engagement, and dynamic interaction.

کلیدواژه ها:

English academic wariting textbook ، Textbook Evaluation ، Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) ، Overall Quality