Investigating Iraqi EFL Teachers’ and Students’ Attitudes Towards English Book of Grade 6 of Primary School: Task-Based Language Learning in focus

Research in English Language Pedagogy

دوره 10، شماره 4 - شماره پیاپی 21، اسفند 2022، صفحه 625-653   

نوع مقاله: Original Article

شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.30486/relp.2022.1951331.1357

نویسندگان

Sedigheh Vahdat^* ؛ Zohreh Gooniband Shooshtari؛ Kadhim Waheeb Kadhim

Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

چکیده

This study investigated the attitudes of teachers and students toward the Iraqi primary school sixth grade task-based English textbook. Two hundred students and two hundred English teachers were invited to provide their opinions through questionnaires and interviews. Specifically, the focus was on the suitability of English textbook tasks in terms of the target age group, culture, customs, traditions, class duration, classroom capacity, the availability of teaching aids, as well as the capability of teachers to interact and communicate the textbook material to students to achieve the desired learning outcome. Two instruments were used in this study. The first instrument was two questionnaires to investigate the teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward the English textbook of sixth-grade primary level based on TB, and the second instrument was a semi-structured interview to investigate teachers’ attitudes. The semi-structured interview was used to survey the participants’ attitudes, feelings and intractability with the task-based English text. The results of questionnaires pointed to the negative attitudes of the teachers and students toward the English textbook of grade 6. Moreover, both the teachers and students faced difficulty understanding and following the tasks in the textbook, leading to their confusion and waste of time. That is, the tasks were believed to be difficult to complete, perform or even redo out of the class. Finally, the textbook content appeared unsuitable for both teachers and students in terms of cultural norms and their application in local daily life situations. The study concluded with recommendations for the Iraqi Ministry of Education to modify the textbook content to match the group age-targeted 12 years old, their cultural standards, the classroom capacity, and teaching aids.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Attitudes؛ English book of grade 6؛ Iraqi EFL teachers and students

اصل مقاله

1. Introduction

For many years, the field of English language teaching has witnessed the emergence of different theories, approaches and methods that promise perfect solutions. In recent years, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) has greatly influenced the field, proposing an emphasis on meaningful communication through task completion. Despite the support it has received from different authors and researchers (Ellis, 2003; Nunan, 2004; Prabhu, 1987; Skehan, 1998; Willis & Willis, 2007), TBLT has also been the target of criticism as this approach represents a strong departure from traditional views on language instruction, overemphasizes meaning at the expense of form, and poses great challenges for classroom implementation (Sheen, 1994; Swan, 2005).

Altamirano (2018) holds that TBLT continues to be widely supported and implemented. The impact it has on the field of research is reflected in the number of current studies being carried out in the context of undergraduate education in countries in Asia, as well as in the research that has been conducted in the context of secondary and primary schools in different countries around the world. However, it is worth considering that to the best knowledge of the researchers, no study has so far investigated teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the English textbook used in primary schools in Iraq from a task-based language learning perspective. These claims will be detailed in the following section.

Richards (1990), Tomlinson( 1998) and Crawford (2002) believe that a practical EFL textbook should have novelty, variety, attractive layout, and appealing content. According to Mohammed (2016), the presentation of tasks, activities, texts and illustrations should be friendly to the students and build up students' confidence by providing tasks or activities that students can cope with. Textbooks are expected to replenish frequent and ample exposure to the instructed language features in communicative use, covering a variety of tasks, activities, and learning styles. An effective textbook should accommodate different attitudinal and motivational backgrounds as much as possible and present the functional language in a context.

Given the above argument on textbook content criteria while considering the students’ and teachers’ backgrounds and abilities, the textbook is expected to present tasks compatible with the ability of both teachers and students to interact with the content, and the capacity to carry out the tasks and review the content. These criteria appear not to be attended to in the design of the EFL textbook used in grade 6 in primary schools in Iraq. According to the narratives of teachers and students in Iraqi schools, they seem to be dissatisfied with the English book at the primary level with a focus on tasks. Thus, the current study is concerned with investigating the attitudes of students and teachers on the sixth-grade activity-based textbook. Moreover, it is intended to explore the effectiveness of the textbooks based on Task-based Language learning (TBL) and the challenges it imposes on the development of task-based textbooks.

 

2. Literature Review

2.1 Task-based Learning and Definitions of Tasks

Tasks form a central component of TBLT in language classrooms because they provide the context that activates learning processes and promotes L2 learning. TBL has increasingly achieved more popularity during recent years and has been recommended as a way forward in ELT. Prabhu is confidently one of the most influential figures in the development and popularizing of TBL to the world of ELT. He (1987) defines a task as "an activity which required learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which allowed teachers to control and regulate that process" (p.24).

In line with Prabhu’s definition, Nunan (1989) also uses the word ‘task’ instead of ‘activity. He defines a task as “a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form" (p.10). In the same vein, Willis (1996) suggests that tasks should constitute the main focus of language classrooms, claiming that tasks create a supportive methodological framework. According to Pazhkhah et al. (2017), when faced with various problems, language teachers are in search for something that could create a difference in their classroom. The problems are generally caused by students’ lack of motivation for the lesson.

2.2 Task-Based Learning Framework and Model

Task-based model was outlined by Willis (1996), who proposed a Pre-Task, Task Cycle, and Language Focus design. Rodriguez-Bounces (2010), explained:

 During the pre-task stage, the teacher identifies and introduces the topic, and learners feel motivated to perform the task. The teacher recalls and activates existing knowledge by exploring the topic and highlighting useful words and phrases which might be needed during task performance. The second stage, the task cycle, allows learners to perform real-world tasks with the teacher's monitoring. It is advisable to have students work in pairs or small groups at this stage. Also, while planning, the teacher should provide all the necessary input by acting as a facilitator. Learners plan how to present the outcome of their work, generally by exchanging and comparing final products. Students report the conclusions they have reached. The final stage, language focus, emphasizes language features used during the two previous stages. The language focus provides opportunities for students to analyze and practice specific linguistic features arising from the task. All in all, Task-Based Learning moves from fluency to accuracy and fluency again, which demonstrates that although the form is important, it is not the central part of the task model. (p. 168).

In this study the following research questions were addressed:

1. What are the Iraqi EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the English textbook of 6 grade based on Task-based Language learning?
2. What are the Iraqi EFL students’ attitudes towards the English textbook of 6 grade based on Task-based Language learning?
3. Methodology

3.1. Research Design

This study was conducted to investigate the attitudes of the Iraqi EFL teachers and students towards the English book of grade 6 of primary school based on task-based language learning.

3.2. Participants

A population of 400 sixth grade English teachers was recruited for the purposes of the present study from 380 primary schools in Basrah, Nasiriya, Najaf, Karbala and Baghdad General Directorate of Education during the academic year 2020-2021. Then, a random sampling procedure was adopted. Gravetter and Forzano (2011: p147) stated that “the logic behind simple random sampling is that it removes bias from the selection procedure and should result in representative samples”. The sample of this study consisted of 200 English teachers, male and female, as shown in Table 1, and represented 50% of the population. These data were obtained from the Educational Department/Statistical Unit in the General Directorate of Basrah Education in 2020. The teachers in the sample group had a bachelor degree of education, translation, or English art, and had between five to eight years of experience.

Table 1

Size of the Teacher Population

Demographic information for teachers’ scale
Scale	Mean		S		Percentage%
	Male	Female	Male	Female
Population	225	175	100	100	40%

 

As for the students, the population covered by the study is 600 individuals from the sixth grade in the schools under the above-mentioned directorate in the same academic year. The sample group was also randomly selected from eight schools, and it consisted of 200 students, male and female, as indicated in Table 2 which represents 30% of the population. Students’ age was between 12-13.

Table 2

Size of the Population of the Students

Demographic information for students’ scale
Scale	Mean		S		Percentage%
	Male	Female	Male	Female
Population	375	225	100	100	30%

 

3.3. Instruments

3.3.1. Questionnaires

Two questionnaires were used in this study to investigate the teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward the task-based English textbook of 6 grade of primary school. Each questionnaire consisted of four components and each component consisted of 10 items. The total items for each template were 40 items. The items that were designed for the students differed from the items designed for teachers as well as the components, depending on the role and the value. Using a Likert-type response format (no idea-strongly disagree-disagree-agree-strongly agree). Each component measured the overall impression of teachers and students if it was negative or positive towards the textbook based on task-based learning. The questionnaires were designed based on Willi’s (1996) framework which covers three main phrases and provides 3 basic conditions for language learning. These are pre-task, task-cycle, and language focus that were used, with modification to suit our study and age of students.

To check the validity of the questionnaires, a confirmatory factor analysis was used. The preliminary drafts of the questionnaires were reviewed by two experts. 100 students and 100 teachers filled the questionnaires in the pilot study. The pilot study was conducted on electronic platforms due to the pandemic disease (Corona Virus COVID-19). A pilot form was designed (Google Forms Questionnaire) and sent to teachers and students. To check the reliability of the questionnaires, Cronbach’s Alpha was used.

 

3.3.2. Teachers’ Interview

The second instrument of the study was a semi-structured interview used to investigate teachers’ attitudes. Semi-structured interviews are an effective method for data collection when the researcher wants to collect qualitative, open-ended data and to explore participants’ thoughts and beliefs about a particular topic. Taking a qualitative approach, the recurring themes were highlighted in the interviews which include, students’ perception and understanding of tasks, students’ interaction with tasks and classmates, students' ability to perform tasks, students’ motivation, students’ excitement, students’ laziness, students’ avoidance toward using the target language, teacher s’ difficulties, tasks’ time and tasks’ design. Due to Covid 19 pandemic the interview was not conducted for students. This study used the teachers’ interviews as a complementary tool. The interview session was conducted with the 10 school teachers. The main purpose behind teachers’ interviews was to ask them to further elaborate on their answers to make sure that those teachers did not answer the questionnaires randomly and confirm the questionnaires’ responses.

Teachers were asked to express their opinions on “what are the Iraqi EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the English textbook of 6 grade based on Task-based Language learning?” and asked interviewees to give their opinion on the textbook and whether is it suitable for them and students and what obstacles and challenges they face. After recording the calls, the interviewees viewed the summary of the interview that includes the most important points which were mentioned in the interview to explore the teachers’ view towards the English textbook.

3.3.3. Sixth-grade English Textbook in Iraq

The Ministry of Education in Iraq has constantly developed mainstream curricular programs, including the English curriculum for sixth grade primary school. The sixth-grade English textbook in Iraq called “English for Iraq” has especially been developed based on students’ needs. This new curriculum welcomes a full package of the student book, activity book, teacher’s book, CDs and learning posters. The student book is designed to enable students to practice the language using a variety of activities such as rhymes, songs, and relevant stories. The book also contains a mini-dictionary for the new vocabulary of each unit. The Activity Book contains stimulating activities to consolidate learning and to practice reading and writing. Progressive writing and spelling activities have also been included to provide students with opportunities for the development of confidence and independent writing skill. 

The Teacher's Book contains an introduction with practical advice and procedures for teachers to use the course effectively. The methodology is explained, and the required teaching techniques are highlighted. Step-by-step clarification of procedures for each lesson provides a solid framework for lesson preparation. Appendices at the end of the book provide an essential and teacher-friendly reference readily available for use. The listening activities contain audio recordings for all the conversations, as well as for the rhymes, stories, and songs. The posters also provide a useful classroom resource, allowing the introduction and practice of new vocabulary.

3.4. Data Collection Procedures

First, a pilot study was conducted in order to make sure about the psychometric properties of the instruments. Once the instruments were finalized and their psychometric properties were approved, they were administrated to the participants (students and teachers) at the end of the semester to explore their attitudes towards the textbook based on TBL subjects. Also, prior to administrating the questionnaire, the researcher gave the participants a brief overview of the goals of the study, the steps to answering the questionnaire, and the time limits, using a voice recording track. Then it was uploaded on the Google Forms Questionnaires. Second, teachers’ interviews were conducted. The aim of these interviews was to make sure that the teachers’ responses to the questionnaires are not random. Each interview lasted for 30 minutes. All interviews were recorded and analyzed for further interpretation. Due to the pandemic (Corona Virus COVID-19), the interviews were held online using WhatsApp mobile application.

 

3.5. Data Analysis Procedures

For the quantitative data analysis, first, the exploratory factor analysis was utilized to identify the underlying factors in the questionnaire. According to Matsunaga (2010), the factor analysis is applied as a data reduction strategy and a method for instrument validation. Additionally, it is a procedure used to revise and refine the instrument and its factorial structure. Furthermore, descriptive statistics were presented in order to provide information about the mean, standard deviation and frequency of the obtained data. In addition, a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was computed for each subscale as well as the entire scale to estimate the internal consistency (reliability) of the questionnaires.

      Concerning the semi-structured interview, the qualitative data (audio-recorded) was primarily thematically categorized to validate the participants’ answers to the related items in the questionnaires. The technique for thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews is assigning preliminary codes to the voice-recorded data. Then, the similar themes across the different interviews were coded and patterned into one group with a common characteristic.

 

4. Results

4.1. Reliability and Validity of the Teachers’ Questionnaire

The newly developed questionnaire used to assess Iraqi EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the sixth-grade English textbook based on Task-based Language learning was submitted to the reliability analysis. A Cronbach’s alpha was computed to estimate the internal consistency of the instrument. The results indicated that the scale enjoys a high reliability of 0.95, asserting that the reliability scores of the subscales were within an acceptable range.

To explore the dimensional structure of the scale, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed. To evaluate the suitability of the data for Factor Analysis (FA) and to ensure sample size adequacy, Bartlett's test of sphericity and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO), which is a measure of sampling adequacy, were computed. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was .91, and above the threshold level of .6 and Bartlett's test of sphericity was also statistically significant (p=0.000) (see Table 3).

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.		.911
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity	Approx. Chi-Square	4625.068
	df	780
	Sig.	.000

 

            An EFA analysis was computed using a principal component analysis method. After performing varimax rotation, a four-components solution for a total number of 40 items was confirmed. The total variance extracted from the scale was 52.26%. Furthermore, all items had high loadings > 0.4 on their pertinent component.

4.2. Analysis of the Teachers’ Questionnaire

In order to answer the first research question concerning the Iraqi EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the sixth-grade English textbook, a descriptive statistics analysis encompassing the mean and standard deviation was computed. The results are demonstrated in Table 4.

Table 4

Descriptive Statistics for each Loaded Component and the Relevant Items

Components	Mean	Standard Deviation
Component 1 (items 31-40)	3.64	0.78
Component 2 (items 21-30)	3.71	0.85
Component 3 (items 1-10)	3.60	0.75
Component 4 (items 11-20)	3.61	0.76

Note. Component 1 =Task Goal, Component 2 =Task Interaction, Component 3 =Task understandability in the textbook, Component 4=Task Performance.

The results of Table 4 reveal that the second component obtained the highest mean score (M = 3.71, SD = 0.85), followed by the first component (M = 3.64, SD = 0.78), the fourth component (M = 3.61, SD = 0.76) and the third component (M=3.60, SD=0.75). The results of descriptive statistics for each item on the scale are shown in detail in the following Tables.

 

Table 5

Descriptive Statistics for Teachers’ Attitudes items on the Questionnaire Component 1

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Understandability in the Textbook	1	The tasks are not suitable for students’ grade.	80.88%	19.12%	4.00%	9.00%	32.00%	29.50%	25.50%
	2	The textbook provides me with the flexibility to teach.	19.87%	80.13%	20.00%	42.50%	22.00%	11.00%	4.50%
	3	All of the tasks are well-designed.	21.28%	78.72%	13.00%	42.50%	29.50%	10.50%	4.50%
	4	The teaching guide is extremely useful for me.	18.06%	81.94%	27.50%	36.00%	22.50%	8.50%	5.50%
	5	The role-play task is my and the students’ favorite.	18.35%	81.65%	23.50%	41.00%	21.00%	6.00%	8.50%
	6	I utilize posters and audio in every class.	17.86%	82.14%	34.50%	34.50%	16.00%	8.50%	6.50%
	7	Teaching material is well-resourced.	27.59%	72.41%	17.00%	35.50%	27.50%	9.50%	10.50%
	8	I change the teaching method to adapt to the lack of aids in the classroom.	82.78%	17.22%	7.50%	8.00%	10.00%	36.50%	38.00%
	9	The textbook does not make teaching easy.	70.29%	29.71%	4.00%	16.50%	31.00%	34.50%	14.00%
	10	The textbook does not make learning easy.	68.35%	31.65%	1.50%	20.50%	30.50%	33.00%	14.50%

 

The results of Table 5 show that for the first component on the questionnaire (Task understandability in the textbook), a high percentage of teachers who responded to the following items (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) were highly disagreed with items (Item 2 = 80.13%), (Item 3 = 78.72%), (Item 4 = 81.94%), (Item 5 = 81.65%), (Item 6 = 82.14%) and (Item 7 = 72.41%). The average disagreement percentage of these items was (79.50%). The teachers indicated that the textbook and the tasks in it seem to be unsuitable for teaching English to the sixth-grade Iraqi students.

Items (1, 8, 9 and 10) had a high percentage agreement with items (Item 1 = 80.88%), (Item 8 = 82.78%), (Item 9 = 70.29%) and (Item 10 = 68.35%). The average agreement percentage of these items were (75.58%). Clearly, it shows that the tasks are not well-designed, and the teaching materials are not well-resourced. Furthermore, the textbook does not make teaching and learning easy.

Table 6

Descriptive Statistics for Teachers’ Attitudes Items on the Questionnaire Component 2

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Performance	11	The students find it difficult to carry out tasks.	85.54%	14.46%	3.50%	8.50%	17.00%	41.50%	29.50%
	12	All performances in the classroom are based on readings in the textbook.	85.06%	14.94%	3.50%	9.50%	13.00%	46.00%	28.00%
	13	The textbook encourages students to speak and read aloud.	21.05%	78.95%	24.00%	36.00%	24.00%	10.50%	5.50%
	14	The TBL-based textbook focuses on listening and comprehension.	16.34%	83.66%	20.00%	44.00%	23.50%	8.00%	4.50%
	15	TBL-based textbooks are easy to teach.	20.42%	79.58%	13.00%	43.50%	29.00%	9.50%	5.00%
	16	The TBL-based textbook empowers the students to be spontaneous.	21.23%	78.77%	17.50%	40.00%	27.00%	8.50%	7.00%
	17	I have the ability to deal with students’ questions.	23.30%	76.70%	31.50%	36.00%	12.00%	9.00%	11.50%
	18	I have enough cultural background to teach the TBL subjects as well.	20.34%	79.66%	28.50%	42.00%	11.50%	9.50%	8.50%
	19	The TBL teaching method makes me nervous.	28.47%	71.53%	11.50%	37.50%	31.50%	14.00%	5.50%
	20	The teachers find it difficult to understand the textbook’s task scenarios.	13.69%	86.31%	31.00%	41.50%	16.00%	8.00%	3.50%

 

With regard to the second component (Task Performance), the teachers disagreed with the items (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20). The highest percentage of each item was (Item 13 = 78.95%), (Item 14 = 83.66%), (Item 15 = 79.58%), (Item 16 = 78.77%), (Item 17 = 76.70%), (Item 18 = 79.66%), (Item 19 = 71.53%) and (Item 20 = 86.31%). The average of disagreement percentage of these items was (79.40%). These findings indicate the idea that the tasks are difficult to carry out and understand. Teachers also believed the TBL-based textbooks are difficult to teach.

Furthermore, teachers agreed with items (11 and 12). The highest percentage of each items was (Item 11 = 85.54%) and (Item 12 = 85.06%). The average agreement percentage of these items was (85.30%) pointing to the idea that the classroom activities and performances are centered more or less on the reading skill.

 

Table 7

Descriptive Statistics for Teachers’ Attitudes Items on the Questionnaire Component 3

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Interaction	21	I make students feel positive toward learning English by used textbook examples.	22.70%	77.30%	18.50%	44.50%	18.50%	15.00%	3.50%
	22	I am suitably trained to teach the TBL method to the students.	22.70%	77.30%	18.50%	44.50%	18.50%	15.00%	3.50%
	23	Students exhibit behavioral problems in class.	77.33%	22.67%	3.00%	14.00%	25.00%	41.50%	16.50%
	24	I do not take teachers’ evaluation of students into consideration.	70.07%	29.93%	4.00%	18.00%	26.50%	32.50%	19.00%
	25	Being approachable is an essential part of my job as a teacher.	15.00%	85.00%	43.00%	33.50%	10.00%	10.00%	3.50%
	26	I am aware of the culture and background of each student I teach.	25.00%	75.00%	28.00%	35.00%	16.00%	13.00%	8.00%
	27	I take the time to understand my students' feelings.	25.90%	74.10%	17.50%	44.00%	17.00%	15.50%	6.00%
	28	My teaching experience makes me very capable of interacting with students.	15.56%	84.44%	38.00%	38.00%	10.00%	11.00%	3.00%
	29	I form groups with students to help carry out tasks in the classroom.	24.10%	75.90%	24.50%	38.50%	17.00%	16.50%	3.50%
	30	I work hard to build trust with my students.	79.78%	20.22%	3.50%	15.00%	8.50%	37.00%	36.00%

 

For the Task Interaction component, teachers also remarkably disagreed with items (21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29) and a high percentage was indicated for each item (Item 21 = 77.30%), (Item 22 = 77.30%), (Item 25 = 85.00%), (Item 26 = 75.00%), 7(Item 27 = 4.10%), 8(Item 28 = 4.44%) and (Item 29 = 75.90%), moreover, the average of disagreement percentage of these items was (78.43%). These items indicated that there is a problem regarding the culture, background, behavior and engagement of students. Otherwise, the teachers suffer from a lack of training in TBL method.

The teachers agreed with items (23, 24 and 30). The high percentage of response to these items were (Item 23 = 77.33%), (Item 24 = 70.07%) and (Item 30 = 79.78%). The average agreement of these items was (75.73%%). The teachers indicated low levels of trust that significantly affect their teaching procedures and eventually the students’ learning process.

 

Table 8

Descriptive statistics for Teachers’ Attitudes Items on the Questionnaire Component 4

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Goal	31	I involve students in creating the rules of classroom behavior.	15.24%	84.76%	31.00%	38.50%	18.00%	7.50%	5.00%
	32	I help students pass their exams since it is particularly important in teaching.	14.37%	85.63%	29.00%	45.50%	13.00%	6.00%	6.50%
	33	I find disruptive students difficult to work with them.	55.40%	44.60%	5.00%	26.00%	30.50%	27.00%	11.50%
	34	Students are more involved with their communities after attending my classes.	34.42%	65.58%	14.50%	36.00%	23.00%	17.50%	9.00%
	35	I create an incredibly supportive classroom atmosphere.	23.78%	76.22%	22.50%	40.00%	18.00%	11.50%	8.00%
	36	I believe the students’ language skills improve.	17.72%	82.28%	23.50%	41.50%	21.00%	10.50%	3.50%
	37	My classroom encourages students to work on their own.	18.79%	81.21%	18.50%	42.00%	25.50%	8.50%	5.50%
	38	I feel satisfied with organizing and following daily classes.	16.57%	83.43%	26.00%	44.50%	15.50%	9.00%	5.00%
	39	I understand and carry out all the tasks.	17.16%	82.84%	29.50%	40.50%	15.50%	7.50%	7.00%
	40	I have the ability to explain what to do in simple terms.	18.13%	81.87%	36.00%	38.50%	9.00%	10.50%	6.00%

 

Similarly, items (31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40) asked candidates to indicate their degree of disagreement on the final goal of the tasks. The percentage of each item was as follows: (Item 31 = 84.76%), (Item 32 = 85.63%), (Item 34 = 65.58%), (Item 35 = 76.22%), (Item 36 = 82.28%), (Item 37 = 81.21%), (Item 38 = 83.43%), (Item 39 = 82.84%) and (Item 40 = 81.87%). The average disagreement percentage of these items was (80.42%). It indicated that TBL-based textbook seems not to be effective enough to empower students to be spontaneous in real life situations.

Accordingly, 55.40% of teachers were in agreement with item 33 that indicates the teachers found disruptive students difficult to work with. Moreover, the tasks seem not to be useful for the development of speaking and listening skills.

Finally, components 1, 2, 3 and 4 were assertive of 76.17% of teachers’ attitudes, indicating that they have a lack of cultural awareness in the target language. Thus, this inadequacy may hinder teaching the TBL subjects, particularly the sixth graders, efficiently in the Iraqi context. The results demonstrated that teachers strongly agreed with the idea that they less frequently involve students in creating the rules of classroom behavior.

 

4.3 Reliability and Validity of Students’ Questionnaire

4.3.1 Reliability and Validity Analyses

To provide an answer for the second research question concerning the Iraqi EFL students’ attitudes towards the English textbook of sixth grade based on Task-based Language learning, similar statistical analyses (reliability, EFA, and descriptive statistics) were performed on the second dataset. First, a Cronbach’s alpha was computed to inspect the internal consistency of the students’ questionnaire. The results of this test revealed that the scale has a high reliability (α=0.92).

4.3.2 Structural Validity of the Scale:  Exploratory Factor Analysis

EFA for the second dataset was computed in order to investigate the structural validity of the scale developed to gauge the students’ attitudes toward the English textbook. First, for Exploratory Factor Analysis to evaluate the suitability of the data and to ensure the sample size adequacy Bartlett's test of sphericity and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy were computed. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was .88, which is above the threshold level of .6.  Bartlett's test of sphericity was also statistically significant (p=0.000) (see Table 9).

Table 9

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett’s Test Results

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.		.880
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity	Approx. Chi-Square	3538.050
	df	780
	Sig.	.000

 

An EFA analysis was computed using a principal component analysis method. After doing varimax rotation, a four-component solution for a total number of 40 items was confirmed. The total variance extracted from the scale was 46.22%. Furthermore, all the items had high significant loadings >0.4 on their pertinent components.

4.4 Analysis of the Students’ Questionnaire

In order to provide an answer for the second research question concerning the Iraqi EFL students’ attitudes towards the sixth-grade English textbook, a descriptive statistics analysis encompassing the mean and standard deviation were computed. The results are demonstrated in Table 10.

Table 10

Descriptive Statistics for each Loaded Factor and the Relevant Items

Components	Mean	Standard Deviation
Component 1 (items 31-40)	2.95	0.81
Component 2 (items 11-20)	3.01	0.82
Component3 (items 1-10)	2.79	0.38
Component 4 (items 21-30)	2.90	0.37

Note. Component 1 =Task Goal, Component 2 =Task Performance, Component 3 =Task understandability in the textbook, Component 4=Task Interaction.

The results of Table 10 reveals that the second components obtained the highest mean score (M = 3.01, SD = 0.82), followed by the fourth components (M = 2.95, SD = 0.81), the third components (M = 2.90, SD = 0.37) and the first components (M=2.79, SD=0.38). The results of descriptive statistics for each item on the scale are shown in detail in the following Tables.

Table 11

Descriptive Statistics for Students’ Attitudes Items in the Questionnaire Component 1

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Understandability in the Textbook	1	I understand the information in the tasks.	25.52%	74.48%	34.33%	36.82%	4.48%	16.92%	7.46%
	2	The posters and pictures help a lot to understand the tasks.	28.79%	71.21%	34.33%	35.82%	1.49%	19.90%	8.46%
	3	The examples of the textbook are clear and easy.	43.15%	56.85%	18.91%	36.82%	1.99%	31.84%	10.45%
	4	I struggle with unfamiliar and unrelated tasks.	39.15%	60.85%	17.41%	31.84%	5.97%	25.87%	18.91%
	5	I have problems with names and scenarios in the textbook.	60.64%	39.36%	19.90%	29.85%	7.96%	27.36%	14.93%
	6	The tasks are funny and enjoyable.	47.62%	52.38%	20.40%	31.34%	4.48%	33.33%	10.45%
	7	The textbook is not interesting and does not get my attention.	26.46%	73.54%	11.94%	25.87%	8.96%	28.36%	24.88%
	8	The tasks are not suitable for me.	49.21%	50.79%	16.92%	34.33%	7.96%	24.38%	16.42%
	9	The information in the book is strange to me.	27.69%	72.31%	11.44%	24.38%	7.96%	32.34%	23.88%
	10	I need more time to do tasks.	79.06%	20.94%	29.85%	36.32%	6.97%	16.42%	10.45%

 

The results of Table 11 show that for the first component (Task understandability in the textbook) a high percentage of respondents disagree with the following items (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9). The average of disagreement percentage of these items was (Item 1 = 74.48%), (Item 2 = 71.21%), (Item 3 = 56.85%), (Item 4 = 60.85%), (Item 6 = 52.38%,), (Item 7 = 73.54%), (Item 8 = 50.79%) and (Item 9 = 72.31%). The average disagreement percentage of these items were (64.05%) that the tasks given in the English textbook seem to be difficult to understand. The results clearly show that information provided in the tasks, the examples, the posters and pictures are difficult to comprehend.

Likewise, A high percentage of respondents agree with the following items (5 and 10) where the percentages of response on these items were (Item 5 = 60.64% and item 10 = 79.06%). The average agreement percentage of these items were (69.85%). The students indicated that they have problems with names and scenarios in the textbook and they do not have enough time to do the tasks.

Table 12

Descriptive Statistics for Students’ Attitudes Items in the Questionnaire Component 2

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Performance	11	I have a problem with task implementation.	35.32%	62.68%	33.33%	30.35%	3.98%	21.39%	10.95%
	12	I have a problem with the tasks’ instructions.	61.78%	38.22%	16.42%	33.33%	5.47%	31.84%	12.94%
	13	The tasks are useful and beneficial to me.	45.95%	54.05%	6.47%	23.88%	3.98%	39.30%	26.37%
	14	Classmates and Teachers provide language assistance.	45.83%	54.17%	27.86%	41.79%	2.49%	19.40%	8.46%
	15	I feel relaxed in conducting the tasks.	58.47%	41.53%	10.45%	24.88%	2.49%	34.83%	27.36%
	16	There are many examples of how to do the tasks.	44.32%	55.68%	7.46%	23.88%	2.99%	39.30%	26.37%
	17	I can complete the tasks	61.08%	38.92%	10.45%	21.89%	2.99%	45.77%	18.91%
	18	I cannot redo the tasks on my own out of class.	58.55%	41.45%	18.91%	24.88%	7.96%	27.36%	20.90%
	19	I have to obtain some information on my own.	38.27%	61.73%	22.39%	33.83%	3.98%	25.37%	14.43%
	20	The tasks cannot be done on time.	49.22%	50.78%	21.39%	43.78%	3.48%	16.42%	14.93%

 

Table 12 shows that for the second component on the questionnaires (Task performance) a high percentage of respondents also disagreed with items (11, 13, 14, 16, 19 and 20) where the percentages of response on these items were (Item 11 = 62.68%), (Item 13 = 54.05%), (Item 14 = 54.17%),  (Item 16 = 55.68%), (Item 19 = 61.73%) and (Item 19 = 50.78%). The average disagreement percentage of these items were (56.51%).

A high percentage of respondents agreed with items (12, 15, 17 and 18) where the percentages of response on these items were (Item 12 = 61.78%), (Item 15 = 58.47%), (Item 17 = 61.08%) and (Item 18 = 58.55%). The average agreement percentage of these items were (59.97%). The main idea in this component is a lack of instruction. Moreover, the tasks are difficult to complete, perform or even redo out of the class.

Table 16

Descriptive Statistics for Students’ Attitudes Items in the Questionnaire Component 3

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Interaction	21	I like working in groups.	28.88%	71.12%	49.25%	32.34%	2.99%	10.95%	4.48%
	22	I like working individually.	36.65%	63.35%	17.91%	29.85%	5.47%	29.35%	17.41%
	23	The tasks are interesting.	33.68%	66.32%	8.46%	22.89%	5.47%	31.34%	31.84%
	24	There is a competition among groups.	47.37%	52.63%	23.88%	33.33%	5.97%	17.91%	18.91%
	25	Task completion needs cooperation among students.	52.97%	47.03%	13.93%	22.89%	6.47%	32.84%	23.88%
	26	I like the teacher’s method of teaching.	68.39%	31.61%	25.87%	43.28%	5.97%	12.44%	12.44%
	27	I dislike the tasks due to being too difficult.	51.05%	48.95%	18.41%	27.86%	5.97%	30.85%	16.92%
	28	I like to help fellow students.	28.57%	71.43%	32.34%	37.81%	2.99%	17.41%	9.45%
	29	Doing the tasks is fun.	63.78%	36.22%	9.95%	9.95%	4.98%	38.81%	36.32%
	30	I do not find any teaching aids to help me with my tasks in the classroom.	66.84%	33.16%	19.40%	26.87%	7.46%	29.85%	16.42%

 

For the component Task Interaction, table 16 shows the results. A high percentage of respondents disagreed with items (21, 22, 23, 24 and 28) where the percentages of response on these items were (Item 21 = 71.12%), (Item 22 = 63.35%), (Item 23 = 66.32%), (Item 24 = 52.63%) and (Item 28 = 71.43%). The average disagreement percentage of these items were (64.97%).

A high percentage of respondents agreed with items (25, 26, 27, 29 and 30) the percentages of response on these items were (Item 25 = 52.97%), (Item 26 = 68.39%), (Item 27 = 51.05%), (Item 29 = 63.78%) and (Item 30 = 66.84%). The average disagreement percentage of these items were (60.60%). The idea is that the textbook tasks lack interactivity. This fact is reflected in the following items: 21-30.

Table 17

Descriptive Statistics for Students’ Attitudes Items in the Questionnaire Component 4

Component	No.	Items	Agreement Percentage	Disagreement Percentage	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	No Idea	Agree	Strongly Agree
Task Goal	31	I have problems with vocabulary	44.62%	55.38%	16.42%	19.90%	4.98%	27.86%	30.85%
	32	I have a problem with the target language.	31.91%	68.09%	19.40%	20.40%	3.98%	33.33%	22.89%
	33	I have the ability to use what I learned out of my classroom.	67.69%	32.31%	28.36%	31.84%	2.49%	25.87%	11.44%
	34	The tasks are easy to learn and practice and relate to my daily life.	66.67%	33.33%	16.92%	31.84%	3.98%	31.84%	15.42%
	35	I have learned new grammar, writing, speaking, listening and reading skills.	52.43%	47.57%	23.88%	36.32%	4.98%	21.89%	12.94%
	36	All of the tasks are similar in my real life.	41.45%	58.55%	18.41%	24.88%	7.96%	30.35%	18.41%
	37	The time is suitable to do the tasks.	32.47%	67.53%	16.92%	31.34%	5.47%	31.34%	14.93%
	38	I have a way to implement the tasks.	15.90%	84.10%	14.43%	16.42%	6.97%	39.30%	22.89%
	39	Now I can speak and read on public occasions.	49.47%	50.53%	23.88%	27.36%	7.46%	26.87%	14.43%
	40	I understand my classmates easily due to my ability to listen and understand has been enhanced.	66.84%	33.16%	25.37%	38.31%	6.47%	16.92%	12.94%

 

The results of the last component, Task Goal, were presented in Table 17. The students also indicated their disagreement with items (31, 32, 36, 37, 38 and 39). The percentages of these items were (Item 31 = 55.38%), (Item 32 = 68.09%), (Item 36 = 58.55%), (Item 37 = 67.53%), (Item 38 = 84.10%) and (Item 39 = 50.53%). The average disagreement percentage was (64.03%). The high percentage of respondents to these items indicates that the goal of acquiring language skills has not been reached.

The results revealed that a large number of participants agreed with items (33, 34, 35 and 40). The percentages of these items were (Item 33 = 67.69%), (Item 34 = 66.67%), (Item 35 = 52.43%) and (Item 40 = 66.84%). The average agreement percentage was (63.40%). This showed that the textbook does not reach the purpose of the skills of learning the language. Also, the outcomes of learning do not meet expectations. The respondents’ level of agreement concerning the task goal component is revealed through items 31-40.

According to the results of components 1, 2, 3 and 4 62.92% of students held a low status for the book content. Moreover, the ability of students to listen, speak, read, write and understand has not been enhanced.

4.5. Interview Transcription and Analysis

In addition to the questionnaire, the Iraqi EFL teachers were interviewed. The collected data were transcribed and then analyzed to identify the major themes according to the interviews. The teachers' perceptions of theoretical aspects were related to the time allocation rules of curriculum, authenticity, and integration of skills. The technique for thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews was assigning preliminary codes to the voice-recorded data. Then, the similar themes across the different interviews were coded and patterned into one group with common characteristics.

The teachers believed that the sixth-grade coursebook is practical in terms of the coverage of practices implemented in Iraqi English classrooms. While the course featured a number of well-organized aspects, a few shortcomings and limitations were stated as drawbacks of the course which a careful consideration of these weaknesses can improve the quality of sixth-grade coursebook, the whole curriculum, students’ achievements, and consequently English learning in Iraqi classrooms.

 

5. Discussion

This study investigated the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards sixth grade English textbook and explored its suitability by content and design. According to King (2017), the attitudes of teachers and students have an impact on their efficiency and learning outcomes. Leitão and Waugh (2012) expanded on Ajzen's work (1989), described the theory of reasoned action as “beliefs influence attitudes, attitudes influence intentions, and intentions influence behavior” (p. 406). To reveal the attitudes of teachers and students towards the English textbook, the study focus was on behaviors, thoughts, emotional and cognitive feelings in the form of four components and each component included 10 items.  The first research question seeks to investigate the Iraqi EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the English textbook of 6 grade based on Task-based Language learning. The second question investigates the Iraqi EFL students’ attitudes towards the English textbook of 6 grade based on Task-based Language learning.

5.1. Discussion of Components

5.1.2. Task Understandability in the Textbook

     This component includes 10 items for the teachers and students. The attitudes of both groups and their responses on task understandability in the textbook showed a lack of understanding of the tasks. According to the findings, the content is complicated and it is difficult to understand the tasks. They also have difficulty understanding the scenarios, names, culture and synonyms. Both students and teachers also explained that posters and audios attached to the educational materials are useless because they are sometimes unavailable or cannot be used due to the classroom environment. They are designed to be matched with the textbook, but the textbook is not suitable for them. Likewise, the responses showed that the time is inflexible; the tasks cannot be completed on time, and the trainings were short-lived. The textbook is a source of confusion for teachers and students. In general, the attitudes of the teachers and students were negative towards the six-grade English textbook.

       Task understandability component reveals that the unfamiliarity with the culture is the key element that makes teachers and students find the tasks and scenarios alien. In addition, the complexity and the amount of information in the textbook make it not to seem easy and user-friendly for them. Alkhateeb (2013) stated, “Grammar points and vocabulary items are not introduced in motivating and realistic context. Many of the activities are repetitive, failed to neither encourage truly meaningful practice, promote realistic discourse, nor lead to the internalization of language” (p.18). The above results are compatible with the results of Jafar (2006) who stressed the important thing in the textbook that creates a balance between the Arabic and foreign culture in English textbooks. Also, AL-Obaidi (2015) pointed that the textbooks and the way they are designed do not take into consideration that pictures and illustrations convey culture and should represent both of source and target cultures. Harmony is a major factor to be considered here to ensure that students are not isolated from their own native culture.

5.1.3. Task Performance

    The second component, Task Performance, also included 10 items for the teachers and students. In this component, the attitudes of both groups and their responses on task performance showed a lack of performance of the tasks due to the difficulties of the textbook. Also, students face some challenges in carrying out these tasks. The responses indicated the poor performance of the students who are not motivated to speak loudly and are unable to respond quickly. There are not enough examples to explain the application of the tasks. Moreover, they do not complete the tasks on time. They do not understand the tasks, neither do they understand the instructions. There is a misunderstanding of the instructions for the implementation of tasks which usually misleads the teachers and students. Nervousness is also indicated by some teachers and students when performing the tasks. The time limit is also a major element controlling the poor performance of students.  The teachers’ and students’ responses were negative towards task performance. The kinds of tasks in the textbook are fixed and inflexible. This does not give students enough opportunity to write freely and express themselves by writing or doing what they enjoy or/and prefer. This agrees with the results of studies of Akef (2015) and Mahmoud (2008). They pointed that teachers and students need more time to deal with all skills and activities in the textbook effectively. Further, Akef (2015) pointed that there are serious inadequacies in the textbook regarding the objectives, general format, teaching aids and book content, teacher's manual, background information, methodological guidance, and general features. Moreover, the textbook's objectives do not consider the individual differences among students, and the contents do not enhance performance opportunities.

5.1.4. Task Interaction

    Task Interaction component investigated the attitudes of teachers and students towards task interaction. The results showed a negative attitude towards this component and pointed to the absence of student-student and student-teacher interaction patterns. Also, based on the responses, the expected interaction between the textbook and students and teachers was not developed by the use of this book. Teachers cannot exert control over all the students’ responses because of the consequent misunderstandings in class. Moreover, the teachers cannot change students' feelings towards the tasks due to the pressure they have to withstand during class time. There is no competition among students, and they cannot work as groups due to a large number of students in each class. That makes managing the class a difficult mission for teachers. They feel that tasks are difficult and boring.

      Teachers also strive to build trust among students and encourage them to work together. With regard to the task interaction component, the students are remarked on many important points that make the interaction hard. Both students and teachers do not find any teaching aids in class to help them understand and apply the tasks. In addition, the tasks seem uninteresting and difficult and inspire no competition among students. So, there is no way to truly encourage meaningful practice. Generally, this study showed negative attitudes towards task interaction.  These results are in line with the results of Alkhateeb (2013), who proposed that the exercises in the textbook require much time, effort and thinking to be performed in the classroom. In her study, Alkhateeb showed that the textbook, teacher’s book and the curriculum document are a weak version of the communicative approach and showed that the textbooks focus primarily on accuracy rather than fluency.

5.1.5. Task Goal

      Task goal is the last component of the questionnaires that included 10 items for the teachers and students. This part also asserted a lack of goal or understanding of the learning outcome. In other words, the main purpose of teaching is to acquire new skills and improve the performance of students in writing, reading, listening and speaking. Based on the responses, there exists negative attitudes towards the task goals; no skills were acquired as expected, there were vocabulary problems and a lack of application of what is learned. Students are unable to use some of what they have learned in daily life which is the goal of education here.

       They do not feel encouraged as is indicated by their responses. Moreover, from teachers' responses it is implied that there are behavioral problems among students and a lack of organization. The teachers do not observe any considerable progress in learners’ process of language learning. Also, the gap between what is learned and what is really practiced in real-life situations was signified in teachers’ responses. The teaching-learning environment is rather dominated by teachers. In other words, teachers appear to be the authorities of teaching and creating the classroom learning environment.  This may cause a lack of autonomy on the part of students who should have built such ability while attending the language classes. The results of this component are in accordance with Krebt’s (2017) results. He indicated that the objectives, textbook teachability, language skills, and textbook contents were not satisfactory. Al-Ja'bari (2010) showed that there is an important guideline of culture in the EFL class, but it does not appear to be well reflected in the textbooks and teachers' practices.  It means that there is a gap between the ministry guidelines and the real-life of teachers and students.

5.2. Teachers’ Interview

The results of analyzing the interviews were matched with the results of the questionnaires. Thematic analysis was applied, and two major themes emerged from the data relating to the sixth-grade primary level in Iraq. The codes within these themes include both theoretical and practical aspects. A detailed account of these themes is provided below.

Regarding the theoretical aspect, participants reported that although the curriculum has been divided into two courses, the duration is still very long and its intensive nature leads to insufficiency in delivering materials. In terms of the authenticity of language use, teachers and students were hesitant between acceptance and refusal towards the contents of the tasks. Another noteworthy comment was the notion of integrated learning. The integrated learning approach use fun and learning together through understanding, adding fun and easy-to-apply tasks. Also, it covers all of the language skills. The teachers indicated the textbook is crammed with so much content that during a 30–40-minute class, they cannot cover it and they need more time to practice all tasks and interact with their students. This adds to the unsuitability of the tasks, lack of teaching aids in schools, and the overcrowded classrooms of 25 to 35 students. This does not establish the appropriate environment where students work in groups and have the aids they need. 

Two sub-themes have emerged from participants' comments regarding the practical aspect of perceptions towards the sixth-grade Iraqi English book. Firstly, practical issues were raised regarding the implementation of classroom practices as the majority of participants reported: a large number of students, unsuitable classrooms, insufficient workshops, and absence of special language laboratories as barriers to conduct high-quality English classrooms. Secondly, Participants also listed lack of focus on pronunciation, divergence from dialogues, and inflexible practices as the main disadvantages of the Iraqi sixth-grade English coursebook.

The teachers also pointed out that a large number of scenarios, names and illustrations are not in harmony with the cultural background of the students. This makes the latter feel confused and incapable of comprehending the text and the task, and consequently incapable of applying them to their own daily life. It also causes difficulties in teaching and imposes great pressure on teachers. This is why they expressed a lack of familiarity with the textbook and feeling uncomfortable when communicating the curriculum, as reflected by their answers when asked about their positions. The textbook can still honor the educational purposes, if it is modified and if schools are provided with teaching aids. This will also require some efforts from the Ministry of Education to ensure the continuous training of the teaching staff.

The goal here is to improve and optimize the educational impact of English language textbooks on learners in Iraq and other countries with the same or similar learning characteristics. It is recommended that a textbook is to be designed to suit the teaching aids that are actually available in Iraqi schools. Cunningsworth (1995, p. 7) suggests that we should ensure that “careful selection is made, and that the materials selected closely reflect [the needs of the learners and] the aims, methods and values of the teaching program”. Lack of aids could cause a textbook to remain in an abstract or theory form. The content of the textbook should be based on the abilities and skills of teachers teaching the textbook to students. The design should also take into consideration the age of targeted students and the level of their perception.

Zhao (2011) states, "second language learning is often second culture learning and cultural competence is an integral part of language competence." (p.850). The content should also be easy and understandable for students and teachers. It has to be based on their own culture, history, and environment. First start with the native culture of students and teachers, then continue with the foreign culture. Students and teachers will then be able to relate to and interact with any vocabulary, scenarios and stories included inside the textbook since they reflect their own world.

Furthermore, textbooks are to be subjected to trial to mark and find out how suitable and purposeful they are. Nunan (1988) states that, "materials are, in fact, an essential element within the curriculum, and do more than simply lubricate the wheels of learning. At their best, they provide concrete models for desirable classroom practice" (p. 98). The trial needs to cover the areas where the textbooks are intended to be utilized. Tasks and activities are to be designed in accordance with the actual time frame adopted in the educational system so that they can be carried out in a timely manner. As well, tasks and activities are to be designed in an applicable way so students can put them into practice outside the classroom. They must be lifelike activities that connect students and teachers to the actual world around them.

Teachers are to be involved in the process of designing a textbook. Bruder (1978: 30) stated that clear criteria should be considered from the viewpoints of both students and teachers, level, objectives, age, time, style, convictions, language, and competency. They have to be given a chance to present points of view and provide feedback based on their experience. This can save time and effort to fill any gaps or predict mistakes that may occur later. They are required to receive frequent training to improve and refresh their skills and capabilities. Any annual schedules have to include space for this training. Periodic and regular assessment of the students, teachers and the educational materials is required to detect any potential gaps and provide solutions.

Regarding classroom capacity, a range of twenty students per class shall not be exceeded. This is ideal for maintaining a high level of effectiveness and communication between teachers and students in the classroom. Teaching aids and laboratories are important parts of effective English language classes. The four skills of listening, speaking, writing, and reading in language learning are to be given equal attention and effort. Students have to be encouraged and motivated to work in groups. Delivering presentations provides a good example of teamwork that students are recommended to practice.  

Finally, authors and designers of curricula should follow a coherent scientific and practical strategies in developing the textbooks. The strategy can start with the assessment and determination of students’ levels and then teachers’ levels, efficiencies, and capabilities. The proper and suitable content can be designed in accordance with the real world and cultural background of Iraqi students since this study showcased their inability to understand and interact with the textbook scenarios. Selecting the teaching method to convey the content is the fourth important element here. These four elements are the determinants of how a textbook and the educational process are successful. 

6. Conclusion

According to the findings of the study, the attitudes of teachers and students towards TBL-based textbook for the sixth grade in Iraq schools are not in favor of the textbook. The ratios were so uneven that the understanding of the tasks in the textbook was very poor and caused confusion and loss of time from the teachers’ and students’ point of view. Moreover, the textbook is not suitable for both teachers and students in terms of culture and application in daily life. This leads to a gap that needs attention and a solution.

This study, which utilized questionnaires and interviews to investigate the teachers’ attitudes, presents explicit findings regarding the textbook. In brief, it argues the textbook does not honor the purpose it was designed for. Through four components, the study found out that both teachers and students find it difficult to fathom or be familiar with the content of the textbook. The components are comprehension, task performance, interaction, and goal or outcome. The high level of the said difficulty and unfamiliarity call for the designers and authors of the content to subject it to reconsideration and revision.  

For task performance and comprehension, the attitudes and responses of teachers and students were the same and generally negative. It is concluded that tasks are difficult to complete, unrelated to the daily life of students and do not convey relevant meaning or pique their attention. Moreover, teachers stated that some tasks and scenarios focus only on one single ability which is mainly reading or listening and ignore others. Also, focusing on text, according to them, kills innovation and causes students not to have the confidence to hold dialogues outside the scenarios in classrooms. Consequently, this is to be blamed, they stated, for having to follow alternative methods or at least modify the task.

As far as interaction with tasks is concerned, difficulty was reported by both the teachers and students although the textbook was designed to promote this interaction among students as groups in the classroom. It was observed that students prefer to work individually and not as a team which indicates the lack of harmony, time pressure, and the large size of groups. In addition to the difficulty and unsuitability of the tasks, which render them unimportant, teachers and students blamed lack of or insufficiency of teaching aids required for performing the tasks and ensuring the interaction expected of them. We can safely conclude that the interaction factor, as a catalyst for the acquisition of another language, is completely missing. 

Finally, the outcome expected of an educational process is the application of the learning content to the real world. This study found out that this purpose is difficult to achieve due to the discrepancy between the content and the cultural background of the students. Outside the classroom, the daily life is void of experiences where students can establish a connection to and practice what they learned. They are not capable of speaking the target language, neither have they developed sufficient listening skills. These obstacles and challenges are verified by teachers   themselves. They cannot help but complain the acquisition of the target language has not taken place to curriculum expectations.

These components serve to demonstrate teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward the sixth grade English language textbook – exploring their feelings and perspectives which turn out to be not favorable. However, the quality of the textbook, which is good in itself, is evaluated in relation to the age group of the target audience and the level of their cognitive ability. This shortcoming of the overwhelming content could not be alleviated by the omission of some chapters. In this view, the ministry is urged to review how the content is designed and benefit from this study recommendations. 

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