Assessing Nation’s Four Strands Framework: A Critical Content Analysis of Iranian High School English Textbooks

The quality of textbooks significantly influences the effectiveness of teaching and learning in language education. During ۲۰۱۳, the Iranian Ministry of Education proposed a new series of English textbooks for high school students including Prospect and Vision, both developed based on the principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). The present study aims to evaluate the aforementioned textbooks through the lens of Nation’s Four Strands framework which advocates for a balanced language curriculum incorporating components such as meaning-focused input, meaning-focused output, language-focused learning, and fluency development. To this aim, a mixed-methods design was used by random sampling and multiple data collection instruments including a structured evaluation checklist aligned with Nation’s framework, as well as content analysis of textbook tasks and activities. Quantitative data were collected through checklists completed by ۲۲ Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and analyzed utilizing SPSS. In addition, qualitative data were extracted from systematic content analysis of the textbooks. The results revealed an uneven distribution of the four strands across the textbooks, with insufficient attention to language-focused learning and fluency development, despite a relatively balanced allocation of activities. Accordingly, such textbooks fail to present a fully balanced curriculum as defined by Nation’s framework, despite their potential to serve as primary instructional resources. Thus, teachers should adapt and supplement the materials with additional resources tailored to their learners’ needs and classroom contexts.

کلیدواژه ها:

Fluency Development ، Language-focused Learning ، Meaning-focused Input ، Meaning-focused Output ، textbook evaluation