Teachers can evaluate coursebooks. They use them frequently and make sure to adapt them to learners' needs. All what teachers need is to learn to set criteria and understand how and what to assess of a coursebook. Please, write your comment and share your own opinion of the topic. Your contribution matters.

1. Thispaperdiscussescoursebookevaluation
based on personal experience and papers
read. Coursebook evaluation needs a
careful review and an effective criteria,
such as McDonough and Shaw design. The
language used in this paper is for teachers
more than scholars.
CoursebookEvaluation
Author: H.O.D. Noura Al-Bedaiwi
Current Job: Al-Adaileya PrimarySchool/Girls – Ministryof
Education. February-2017

2. What is a Coursebook?
It is one of the tools used for teaching a curriculum. Some
curriculum developers and teachers claim having a coursebook is
a must, while others prefer not to use a specific coursebook. In
Kuwait, coursebooks are a must and they are chosen by decision
makers. Recently, coursebooks for first, second, and sexth grade
were adapted to the new KNCS.
A coursebook contains a syllabus, units and exercises. It reflects
the philosophy, approach, competences and standards of a
designed curriculum.
Whether teachers choose the coursebook or not, they should
know how to use it and evaluate it to provide insight for
shareholders and to be able to use it in the best way they could
reflecting learners’ needs: “The general view among current
researchers supports the opportunity for choice, in accordance
with student’s learning needs and interest” White.P3.
How to Evaluate a coursebook?
Having a criteria aids teachers/curriculum designers to decide if
the book reflects the expected outcomes/standards or if it can be
adapted. Internal (e.i. units and lessons complexity and order) and
external (e.i. coursebook cover) evaluation should be considered
when deciding to use or adapt a coursebook.
Such criteria could be entailed with questions explaining how to
evaluate a coursebook:
1. An Overview:
Is there an introduction in the coursebook/teacher guide
explains the coursebook philosophy, how the coursebook

3. structured and how it can be used in the most effective
way?
2. Methodology:
Does the coursebook reflects the philosophy, teaching
approaches, competences and standards provided in the
new KNCS?
3. Authenticity:
Is the explanation provided by the coursebook designers
authentic and reflects the coursebook design?
4. Assessment:
- Does it reflect the new grading system?
- Can self and peer assessment be implemented?
5. Materials:
- Are there any realia, props, or audio materials provided
with the coursebook?
- Are the materials provided suitable and effective?
6. Language:
Is the language used in the coursebook suitable for the level
of learners? Sentence structure and vocabulary used should
be suitable for the level of the learners.
7. Up to date:
Are the topics up to date and reflect the modern life
learners live?
8. Suitability:
Are topics, pictures and characters used in the coursebook
racial or culturally insensitive?
9. Language Skills:
- Are the productive and perceptive language skills
practiced through the coursebook?

4. - Does it help teachers and learners develop the language
skills intended for the level they teach/learn? A teacher
should know what kind of approach is used in building the
language skills. For example, letter/word recognition and
grammar and vocabulary coding, in reading, should be
planned integrating simple to complex approach or
complex to simple approach in the coursebook units and
lessons.
10. Colours and font:
- Are the texts’ colour, font, size and bold suitable for the
level of the learners and are they eye friendly while
reading?
- Do the pages and pictures colours suit the content and
age level?
11. Practicality:
- Does the coursebook have too many exercises and
topics?
- Does it suit the time schedule provided?
12.Obtainability:
- Is the coursebook affordable?
- Can it be locally obtained?
13.Coursebook content:
- Is the syllabus clear and indicative for teachers and
learners?
- Is there a vocabulary index?
- Are the units well organized using a proper approach
developing the language skills targeted?
- Do the lessons reflect learners’ needs and easy to use by
teachers and learners?
14.Teaching and Learning Styles:

5. Does it represent different teaching and learning styles?
15.Adaptivity:
Can the coursebook be adapted?
16.Comparison:
If there is a different coursebook used, is the new
coursebook suggested better or worse than the one currently
used and why?
The previous questions could be answered before, while and after
using the coursebook to have more of an authentic assessment.
Visits of colleagues to observe the suitability of the course book
can be applied through the course. The teacher can have a rubric,
or write a report about the coursebook using the previous set
criteria.
All teachers can be coursebook evaluators; all it needs is time and
effort provided willingly. Also, there are many online teachers’
friendly articles of how to evaluate a coursebook in the simplest
and most effective way to help teachers assess.
Teachers’ suggestions and usage of the coursebooks help decision
makers choose ones that are practical to teachers and learners,
and reflect learners’ needs and the different teaching styles.

6. References
1. Evaluation of a ELT Coursebook Based on Criteria Designed
by McDonough and Shaw - A Module Three Assignment
Lexis and Syllabus and Materials. White, Andrew. P3
2. A Teacher Friendly Process for Evaluating and Selecting
ESL/EFL Coursebooks. The Internet TESL Journal. Shave, Jon:
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Shave-CourseBookEvaluation.html
3. Evaluating a Text Book:
http://www.professorjackrichards.com/evaluating-text-
book/