Teachers’ Perceptions on BA First-Year Compulsory English Syllabus and the Textbooks in Tribhuvan University

Abstract

Syllabus designers usually ignore the views and perceptions of the teachers while constructing the courses: but they need to explore and analyse the teachers’ perceptions towards syllabus and textbooks to make the course more advance. The purpose of the research study explores teachers’ perceptions on BA first year compulsory English syllabus and the textbooks prescribed in Tribhuvan University. This study aims to investigate how English teachers has viewed the compulsory English syllabus and the textbooks prescribed from the perspectives of teaching learning English language and communicative skills, and assessed the syllabus on the basis of components of syllabus design. The study deployed the qualitative approach through interviews to inquiry the required information from the selected teachers; four English teachers who have taught the syllabus and textbooks were interviewed with purposive sampling from the constituent campuses TU of Kathmandu Valley. The major findings of this study were as follows in course design: First, the analysis of needs of students and targeted job markets were not considered. Second, the course designers included only writing critical essays through reading but ignored other writings and language skills like listening, speaking, reading and communicative skills. Third, the teachers agreed that syllabus designers never consulted with faculty and students while reconstructing the syllabus. Fourth, the contents of the syllabus were designed as in the textbooks. Fifth, the teaching pedagogies were not suggested, but the teachers expected it. They suggested that the syllabus should bridge the gap between schooling education and BA first year education, and address real life and target professional needs. Based on these findings, other researchers can extend and re-examine the findings of this study, and syllabus designers will incorporate the ignored English language and communicative skills in future syllabus. Although such research seems money and time consuming, later it will be rewarding after identifying the syllabus’s effect.