This research investigates the perspectives of university English teachers in Taiwan regarding the selection of English textbooks. With the variety in teaching materials – from published textbooks to self-created resources and online sources – this study examines how these choices impact student learning. A combination of an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews was employed to gather data from full-time and part-time English teachers across Taiwanese universities. The questionnaire was structured around eight thematic areas: overall construction, students’ needs, teachers’ needs, authenticity, self-instruction, cultural awareness, visual design, and practical concerns. These themes were designed to delve into the criteria teachers use when selecting textbooks. In total, responses from 108 teachers were analysed, providing a broad insight into the prevailing preferences and concerns among educators. Additionally, interviews were conducted with five full-time university English teachers, each with over 10 years of experience in teaching the core English skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. These interviews aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of the teachers’ viewpoints and validate the questionnaire findings. The results highlighted that teachers prioritize ‘overall construction’, ‘teachers’ needs’, ‘authenticity’, ‘cultural awareness’, and ‘visual design’ in textbook selection. Interestingly, while ‘practical concerns’ such as cost and accessibility did not score highly on the questionnaire, they were emphasized during interviews, suggesting a nuanced approach to textbook evaluation that balances ideal criteria with practical realities. These findings provide valuable insights that can help textbook publishers align educational resources with teacher preferences and student needs, thereby enhancing motivation and enriching the learning experience.
AnsaryH.BabaiiE. (2002). Universal characteristics of EFL/ESL textbooks: A step towards systematic textbook evaluation. The Internet TESL Journal, 8(8).
2.
BaxS. (2003). The end of CLT: A context approach to language teaching. CLT Journal, 57, 278–287.
3.
BeachS. (1994). Teacher’s theories and classroom practice: Beliefs, knowledge, or context?Reading Psychology, 15, 189–196.
4.
BorgS. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36, 81–109.
5.
BovellanE. (2014). Teachers’ beliefs about learning and language as reflected in their views of teaching materials for Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). Doctoral dissertation, University of Jyväskylä. Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities, 231.
6.
BruderM. (1978). Evaluation of foreign language textbooks: A simplified procedure. In HadsenH.BowenJ. (Eds.), Adaptation in language teaching (pp. 209–217). Newbury House.
7.
CalafatoR. (2018). Policies, textbooks, and curriculum constraints to integrating literature into language education: EFL teacher perspectives from Russia. Pedagogika, 132, 178–196.
8.
CalafatoR.GudimF. (2022). Literature in contemporary foreign language school textbooks in Russia: Content, approaches, and readability. Language Teaching Research, 26, 826–846.
9.
ChiuW. (2006). A study of the relationship between English teachers’ teaching beliefs and teaching behavior on curriculum orientation toward using of English textbooks in elementary schools. Unpublished master’s thesis, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, Taiwan.
10.
CookerL. (2008). Self-access materials. In TomlinsonB. (Ed.), English language learning materials: A critical review (pp. 110–132). Continuum.
11.
CrawfordJ. (2002). The role of materials in the language classroom: Finding the balance. In RichardsJ.RenandyaW. (Eds.), Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice (pp. 80–89). Cambridge University Press.
12.
CunningsworthA. (1995). Choosing your coursebook. Heinemann.
13.
Darling-HammondL.HylerM.E.GardnerM. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
14.
FinkL.D. (2013). Tools for teaching (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
15.
GaringerD. (2002). Textbook selection for the ESL classroom. ERIC Digest.
16.
GilmoreA. (2004). A comparison of textbook and authentic interactions. ELT Journal, 58, 363–374.
17.
GuilloteauxM.J. (2013). Language textbook selection: Using materials analysis from the perspective of SLA principles. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 22, 231–239.
18.
HarmerJ. (2007). How to teach English (new ed.). Pearson.
19.
HarmerJ. (2015). Practice of English language teaching (5th ed.). Pearson Education ESL.
20.
HsiangT.P.GrahamS.LiuX.ZhouZ. (2023). Teachers’ beliefs and practices in textbook selection and use when teaching Chinese as a second language. Reading and Writing, 36, 1651–1684.
21.
HsiangT.P.GrahamS.WangZ.GongY. (2021). How Chinese characters are taught: An analysis of three popular textbooks used in Macao. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 26, 355–381.
22.
HuangM. (2011). Post-use evaluation of Junior High School English textbooks in Taiwan. Unpublished master’s thesis, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan.
23.
HuangS. (2011). Ideal and reality of textbook selection: An interview- and questionnaire-based investigation in the Taiwanese tertiary context. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
24.
HutchinsonT. (1987). What’s underneath? An interactive view of material evaluation. In SheldonL. (Ed.), ELT textbooks and materials: Problems in evaluation and development (pp. 37–44). British Council.
25.
JohnsonJ. (1986). Selecting a coursebook: A realistic approach. In HoldenS. (Ed.) Techniques of teaching: From theory to practice (pp. 54–57). British Council.
26.
JonesJ.FongM. (2007). The impact of teachers’ beliefs and educational experiences on EFL classroom practices in secondary schools. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 17, 27–48.
27.
KissauS.AlgozzineB.YonM. (2012). Similar but different: The beliefs of foreign language teachers. Foreign Language Annals, 45, 580–598.
28.
LaiH.-Y.T. (2019). The motivation of English language teachers at the tertiary level in Taiwan: Perceptions of importance and job satisfaction. The International Journal of Humanities Education, 17, 39–55.
29.
LaiJ.UlhasK.R. (2012). Understanding acceptance of dedicated e-textbook applications for learning: Involving Taiwanese university students. The Electronic Library, 30, 321–338.
30.
LitzD. (2005). Textbook evaluation and ELT management: A South Korean Case Study. Asian EFL Journal, 48, 1–53.
31.
LuoW. (2023). Analysis of English textbooks used in Taiwan: A perspective of English as a lingua franca. Sustainability, 15, Article 4447.
32.
MaL. (2003). Evaluation of current English textbooks for the elementary school: A study of English textbooks designed for the 1st–9th grades curriculum alignment in Taiwan. Unpublished master’s thesis, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
33.
McDonoughJ.ShawC. (1993). Materials and methods in ELT. Blackwell.
34.
McGrathI. (2002). Materials evaluation and design for language teaching. Edinburgh University Press.
35.
MeurantR.C. (2010). EFL/ESL textbook selection in Korea and East Asia: Relevant issues and literature review. Ubiquitous Computing and Multimedia Applications: International Conference, UCMA 2010, Miyazaki, Japan, 23–25June, 2010, pp. 89–102. Springer.
36.
MeurantR.C. (2010). EFL/ESL textbook selection in Korea and East Asia: Relevant issues and literature review. In TomarG.S.GroskyW.I.KimTh.MohammedS.SahaS.K. (Eds.), Ubiquitous computing and multimedia applications: UCMA 2010; Communications in Computer and Information Science, volume 75. Springer.
37.
Ministry of Education, Republic of China (Taiwan). (2023). Statistics of population and enrollment rate: Birth rate and student enrollment analysis, 2012–2022. Department of Statistics.
38.
MukundanJ. (2009). ESL textbook evaluation: A composite framework. Lambert Academic.
39.
NduraE. (2004). ESL and cultural bias: An analysis of elementary through high school textbooks in the Western United States of America. Language Culture and Curriculum, 17, 143–153.
40.
O’BannonB.W.SkolitsG.J.LubkeJ.K. (2017). The influence of digital interactive textbook instruction on student learning preferences, outcomes, and motivation. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 49, 103–116.
41.
PengF.-Y. (Ed.). (2023). Trends and issues of promoting digital learning in high-digital-competitiveness countries: Country reports and international comparison. K-12 Education Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan.
42.
ReynoldsB.HaX.YuM. (2002). English textbook selection in Taiwan: Voices of two book sales representatives. Education Research International, 2022, 1–6.
43.
RichardsJ.RodgersT. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
TomlinsonB. (2010). Principles of effective materials development. In HarwoodN. (Ed.), English language teaching materials: Theory and practice (pp. 80–108). Cambridge University Press.
47.
UrP. (1996). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge University Press.
48.
WangP. (2008). A study of teacher and student perceptions concerning grammar–translation method and communicative language teaching. South Asia Journal, 28, 135–151.
49.
WangR.-J.ChiangY.-M.HsuehC.-M.ShihY.-H.WuC.-C. (2024). Empowering university students’ learning in Taiwan’s higher education: Pathways to overcome challenges. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 8, 4261–4269.
50.
WatersA. (2012). Trends and issues in ELT methods and methodology. ELT Journal, 66, 440–449.
51.
WestA. (2016). Adaptation of communicative language teaching methodology to an English textbook for English language learning of NIDA students. PASAA, 52, 25–52.
