ALYSSA BATRISYIA BINTI ZAINAL ABIDIN (UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA)

MALAYSIAN STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF ‘PULSE 2’ ENGLISH TEXTBOOK AND EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR IDEAL ENGLISH TEXTBOOK : MATERIALS DESIGN

This study focuses on investigating Malaysian secondary school students’ perceptions of ‘PULSE 2’ global English textbook since the Common European Framework for References (CEFR) was implemented in Malaysia and students’ expectations of their ideal English textbook in a mixed method approach. A questionnaire and interviews with students who were selected based on their questionnaire responses were used to gather the data. Based on descriptive and thematic analyses, it was identified that students’ learning styles and preferences had the biggest influence on their perceptions of ‘PULSE 2’ and their expectations of their ideal English textbook, followed by the teacher’s role in adapting the textbook and students’ Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The study found that learners still favour ‘PULSE 2’ due to their teacher’s ability to adapt the textbook and incorporate it with various learning aids although they find certain activities challenging for them such as the pronunciation of the target language from recorded audio. In addition, the study showed that students prefer an English textbook that focuses on vocabulary, speaking and listening skills with engaging content, and diverse activities that incorporate elements of both source, target and international cultures. The current study broadens previous research by investigating students' perceptions of an imported English textbook which includes both language and cultural elements, as well as exploring their ideal English textbook. This study implied that further studies could focus on students’ perspectives on ‘PULSE 2’ textbooks from different types of schools in a broader geographical setting and on other global textbooks in Malaysia.

Alyssa completed her MA in TESOL Pre-Service at University College London in 2023. She did her B.Ed TESL from Universiti Putra Malaysia and is currently working as a part-time TESL lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Alyssa is interested in teaching materials for language development and pedagogies (speaking, listening and literature).