Comparative Study of English Textbook I of Federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Boards at SSC Level: Application of Bloom's Taxonomy

Abstract

Textbooks are one of the formal means of education across the globe. If written/compiled as per the genuine needs of learners, textbooks turn out to be very effective in imparting education. On the other hand, they may prove unproductive and ineffective if prepared in a sloppy and haphazard manner without following any proper guidelines. All educational boards in Pakistan recommend specific textbooks according to varying levels of learners across the country. These textbooks are prepared very carefully keeping in mind the needs of the learners. To measure the reliability and usefulness of such books, there are different established models which the researchers and educationists have been using/applying since long. The current study reports the degree to which the Cognitive Domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives has been applied to the exercises of Book I (English) of Federal Textbook Board and KPK Textbook Board at SSC Level. The research is an in-depth study which makes it a qualitative study. The research is quantitative as well as it deals with textual analysis numerically. The study further aims to find the existing/missing sub levels/domains, the order of the sub levels of the Cognitive Domain in the exercises and the congruency of the exercises with the content taught. The research claims a link of English textbooks with ESL teaching and thus suggests a continuous evaluation of the textbooks at regular intervals.