CONTENT ANALYSIS

  CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS OF VARIOUS BOARDS IN INDIA.

Textbooks are the main media used in language classes even today. They play a pivotal role in the language learning process. They are even considered the most important element in any language class. They are the foundation upon which the language exercises happening in the classroom relies on. Having a prescribed textbook for a class have its own advantages and limitations and the debate on this topic is still going on. However, the most important factor concerning a syllabus is what’s inside- or the content - or specifically the syllabus the textbook follows.

The curriculum designers frame the syllabus considering the needs and aspirations of the learners. And it is a mere course planning tool for the teacher to prepare and organize the course. Additionally, it also conveys a clear idea of the course to the students.

The different educational boards in India however prepare the syllabus according to their objectives. And thus varies in content, aims, and learning outcomes. CBSE, CISCE, and State board are the 3 major educational boards prominent in Kerala. This is an attempt to do a mere analysis of the content of English textbooks of class 8 on the CBSE and State boards.

SCERT Kerala is the board of school education undertaken by the government of Kerala. And prepares and conducts the syllabus, textbooks, and evaluation of the schools affiliated with it. The textbook of English for class 8  under the syllabus is incorporated in two books namely Kerala Reader English Standard VIII part 1 and part 2. The book is available on the Samagra portal in pdf format. The one currently in use is revised lastly on 2015.

The book at the beginning, holds a letter addressed to the reader, discussing what the book aims at and instructing on how to achieve it. The first part contains 3 units and the second 2. And each unit is arranged in a similar pattern and contains both prose and poetry. Organized, in harmony with the entire theme of each unit.

The learning outcomes of each unit are given at the beginning of the respective unit, followed by its contents. Each unit has given the scope and ideas, to begin the lesson with an informal discussion along with pictures, questions, diagrams, or even collages. Which also reflects the main theme of the unit. This pattern is also repeated at each subunit. And the second prose chapter in each unit is exclusively added for extra reading. It was instructed at the beginning itself. But other than that there is less scope for any extra reading. 

When we look into a chapter format a one or two-line introduction on the idea of the particular subunit is given at the beginning. And a very short bio about the author is given, if not at the beginning within the first page itself. Another positive factor that we notice is that the simple questions pondering the thoughts of the learner are given in between the lesson itself rather than at the end. Thus the learner did not need to end the chapter to get into those questions. The glossary part has also only given meanings of a limited number of words, which if interested learners will be encouraged to look it up in dictionaries. 

After the prose or poetry section is the activities. Which differ in their objectives and also in the level of intellect they need. The first part consists of activities that help the teacher to start a discussion on the chapter or some of its ideas, which aims at comprehension. It varies to various levels including stories, maps, diagrams, true or false statements, etc. Second set of activities focuses on the vocabulary part which consists of a similar set of activities. Other sections include writing and similarly speaking. Some of these may be directly related to the content of the chapter others may not. Then there are also activities focusing on grammar part. However, we can see that most of the activities focus on writing and only a little focus is given to the speaking part. Even the textbooks are set in such a manner to develop all aspects of language. The teaching process from the exam point of view makes children only capable of writing. Equal importance should be given to improving the speaking of language.

Another problem we encounter with the Kerala Reader is that even when they own their own style of drawings which often is intended to create a discussion or observations is not meeting the end due to improper printing and hence the almost blurred and non-recognizable pictures. Similar printing mistakes are also often present at the textual parts, which is a nuisance for the teachers as well as the learners.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, which was established in 1961, as a literary scientific and charitable society. Textbooks published by NCERT are prescribed by the Central board of secondary education (CBSE). Even though there is a lot of controversy going on in the NCERT syllabus revision, The textbook of class VIII Honeydew, available on the internet shows as 2008 revised edition.

It also contains a similar forward to its readers, stating the objectives and aims at the beginning. The textbook contains 10 units with specific notes to the teachers section in between every few units. There are also QR codes within the text to make use of the related digital materials. The units begin with interesting facts, that awaken the curiosity of the learners and prompt them to explore more. It includes comprehension questions and new vocabulary near the concerned paragraphs, to make it more easier and accessible for the learner.

It is followed by similar language activities focusing on specific language elements such as speech, writing, grammar etc. In addition to the textbook, it also includes a supplementary reader It So Happened, to provide additional materials and activities. Thus there is more opportunities to get exposure to additional content and hence chances to additional language development and self-learning.

The themes on both syllabuses contain universal themes like nature, life, human relationships, moral values etc.  The contents include a variety of narrations including poems, essays, speeches, plays, short stories, novellas, biographies, travelogues etc. It also encompasses a diverse collection of writers from all over the world and time periods. All of which help in the overall development of the learner, both in language abilities and as a person.