Situation Analysis

Instructor: Prof. Mavis Shang

Kelly 9710001M
Dora 9710011M

Social Factors
Project Factors
Institutional Factors
Teacher Factors
Learner Factors

Adoption Factors
Profiling the factors identify in the situation
analysis

Introduction
Language programs are carried out by a particular
situation
Clark (1987, xii) comments:

A language curriculum is a function of the

interrelationships that hold between subject-specific
concerns and other broader factors

The purpose of situation analysis is to identify the

potential impact on the project.

Introduction
Example 1:

Situation:
1) foreign experts write a series of English textbooks
2) textbooks design to produce an oral based-language
course
Problem: very few teachers end up using new course and
revert to using the old government-provided textbooks
Comment:
1) new materials should be gradual

2) provide more teacher training

Introduction
Example 2:

Situation:
1) introduce English from third year of elementary school
2) produce new books

Problem:
1) few people review the materials
2) many complaints from teachers
Comment:
1) should be provided consultation with classroom teacher
2) do pilot testing

Introduction
Example 3:
Situation: a private university will produce their own
materials and publish them

Problem: few other institutes or schools want to use

them
Comment: should do some market research

Introduction
the procedure of institution:
(a) consultation with representatives: parents, students,
teachers
(b) study and analysis of relevant documents: government
reports

(c) observation of teachers and students in relevant

learning settings

(d) surveys of opinions of relevant parties

(e) review of available literature related to the issue

1. Societal factors
foreign language teaching in different countries:
the role of foreign languages, their status in the curriculum,
educational traditions and experience in language teaching,
and the expectations that members have for language
teaching and learning
Holland: schools offer a range of foreign language
United States: foreign languages in the school

curriculum is neither strong nor secure.

1.Societal factor

The impact of societal factors on language

teaching: groups in the community or society:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Policy maker
Educational officials
Employers
The business community
Politicians
Educational specialist, organizations
Parents
Citizens
Students

1.Societal factors

1.
2.
3.
4.

The case of projects of community or

national scope, some questions should
noted:

What are current teaching policies?

What are reasons for the project?
What impact will it have?
What language teaching experience and
traditions exist?
5. What are the views of professionals, parents,
students, and employers?
6. What community resources are available?

1. Societal factors
Example 1:
Situation: focus on communicative curriculum and
downplay grammar

Problem: parents view & textbooks

Comment: should communicate with parents the
intension & textbooks should be reviewed

1. Societal factors
Example 2:
Situation: an integrated-skills syllabus
Problem: employers complain school leavers dont

have enough language skills for work purpose

Comment:
1) the course should be considered vocational schools

and employment
2) should consult employers

2. Project factors
the curriculum projects are produce by a team of people
(classroom teacher & other staff of a teaching institution)

Constraints: time, resource, and personnel

Some project factors need to be considered:
1. Who constitutes the projects group?
2. What are the management and responsibilities?
3. How are goals and procedures determined?
4. Who reviews the process of the project?
5. What experience, resources, and time frame of the

2. Project factors
Example 1:
Situation: to develop a set of course materials, one of
the senior teacher is put in charge.
Problem: team members cannot agree with the goal and
writing materials
Comments:
(1) the appropriate qualifications and experience

(2) better communication

(3) specifications of roles

2. Project factors
Example 2:
Situation:
1) a textbook writer needs help in developing a textbook
series, she hires three graduate students
Problem:
1) no skills to write independently
2) undertake little more than secretarial role in the project
3) cause intention and bad feeling
Comments: should test graduate students ability before
signing contract

2. Project factors
Example 3:
Situation:
1) design a national textbook project
2) recruit professional writers
Problem:
1) few appropriate applicants: inexperienced and unsuitable
2) problem on the leader and disruption of the project
deadline

Comments:
1) put more focus on the role of project director
2) solve communication difficulties

3. Institutional factors
Institution : a university, school, or language institute
=> create their own culture
Morris (1994, 109) observe :

Schools develop a culture, ethos or environment

Teaching Institution: teacher, groups, and departments
Their functioning: in unison, independently, or

confrontational relationship
Their ways of doing thing: textbooks or course guides

3. Institutional factors
Institutions have different levels of professionalism
1) strong sense of professional commitment
2) a culture of quality influence the operations
Physical aspects
1)resource
2)references room
3)pohtocopier
4)textbook, materials

3.Institutional factors
Institutional factors relate to the following questions:

What leadership is available?

What are the physical resource?
What is the role of textbook?
What is staff morale like?
What problems do teachers face?
What administrative support is available?
What reputation does the school have?

3. Institutional factors
Example 1:
Situation:
1) the owner of private language institute want to solve
some problems
2) new director proposes excellent rationale
Problem: teacher resist it and dont want to do changes

Comment:
1) teachers can involved in revamping and negotiating
with the schools owner

2) some teachers should be replaced with teacher who are

open to accept the change

3. Institutional factors
Example 2:
Situation: the school does not provide them with the
continued source of professional satisfaction they
need.
Problem: the institute is short of key teachers
Comment: provide with appropriate remuneration
(ex: mentor teachers, teacher trainers, or teacher

researchers)

Teacher factors
Teachers are a key factor in implementation of
curriculum changes.
Dimensions:
a) language proficiency
b) teaching experience
c) skill and expertise
d) training and qualification
e) morale and motivation
f) teaching style
g) beliefs and principles

Teacher factors
Others factors that need to concerned:

1) currently teach in the target schools

(background/ training/ experience/ motivation)
2) proficient in English
3) beliefs
4) teaching load/ resources
5) typical teaching methods
6) to what extent are teachers open to change?
7) retraining
8) suggestions

Teacher factors
The importance of planning a language program:
1) what kind of program will teacher depend on?
2) what is the achieving goal ?

Teachers have different responsibility

1) mentoring or leadership roles
2) teaching load
3) to try out/refuse a new syllabus or materials

Teacher factors
Example 1:
Situation: implement a new task-based approach

Problem: teacher resist it ,they prefer current curriculum

Comments: 1) much wider consultation should be
taken place
2) the goal should be clearly explained
3) teachers should be trained

Teacher factors
Example 2:
Situation: use teachers own materials

Problem: 1) teachers are untrained

2) teachers ignore the policy
Comments: 1) hiring better-qualified teachers
2) provide materials writing workshops

Learner factors
Learners are the key participants in curriculum
development project

Potentially relevant factors:

1) background
2) expectation
3) belief
4) preferred learning style

Learner factors
Learners may affect the results of projects in unexpected
ways
a) fail to see any links between the book and an
examination
b) school bag are not big enough to provide other
English books
c) learning purpose may turn out to be off target

Learner factors
Relevant learner factors:
1) past language learning experiences
2) motivation
3) expectations for the program/teachers/ learners
4) expectations for the instructional materials
5) language teaching reflect any culturally specific
factors
6) homogeneous or heterogeneous group
7) learning approach
8) content
9) time to put into the program
10) learning resources

Learner factors
Example 1:
Situation: 1) an intermediate level conversation course
2) teacher uses many kinds of classroom
activities
Problem: 1) students cannot see any point of attending
classroom activities
2) students request teacher- directed
activities/error correction
Comment: 1) the goal should be clearly explained
2) questionnaire should be used
3) set up a better orientation and methodology

Learner factors
Example 2:
Situation: 1) foreign experts devise an oral communication
skill program
2) the program reflects Western views of
teaching and learning
Problem:

1)teachers are untrained

2)the program is unstructured

Comments: compromise/consultation should be taken place

in advance

Learner factors
Example 3:
Situation: 1) Young Western English teacher
2) relax and informal classroom atmosphere
Problem: unprofessional
Comments: 1) teachers should be trained
2) informed of students/institutions
expectations

Adoption factors
Consider the relative ease or difficulty of introducing
change into the system
1) affect teachers pedagogical value and beliefs
2) understanding of the nature of the language
3) second language learning
4) classroom practice
5) teaching materials

Adoption factors
Some questions need to be asked:
1) what advantages does the curriculum change offer
2) How compatible is it
3) Is the innovation difficult to understand
4) effect
5) have the features and benefits been clearly
communicated to teachers
6) how clear and practical is it
(Morris 1994, 109)

Adoption factors
Practicality is also a significant issue
Communicative Language Teaching > Natural Approach
(materials and textbooks)
(only a set of guidelines)

Teachers also need to adopt new roles in the

classroom
Communicative Approach V.S Traditional Grammar Approach

Implementation of a new syllabus needs to involve the

cooperation of many agencies. Rodger (1984, 41)

Adoption factors
Example 1:
Situation: new state textbook
Problem: 1) material difficult to use
2) unsuitable for large classes
3) some of the content is unsuitable for target
population
Comments: material should be introduced in selected
schools first

Adoption factors
Example 2:
Situation: 1) English is the first time to be introduced in an
EFL country
2) hire and given teacher-training program by a
foreign expert
Problem: local trainers use traditional way of teaching
Comments: 1) should spend more time on selecting
trainers
2) trainers should also provide feedback on
the trainers performance through workshop

Profiling the factors identified

in the situation analysis
Goal: identify key factors that might positively or
negatively affect the implementation of curriculum
plan
SWOT analysis:
1) examination- internal strengths and weaknesses
2) external opportunities and threats to the existence
3) successful operation
Example

Situation analysis profile

Positives
Societal factors
________
Projects factors
________
Institutional factors
________
Teacher factors
________
Learner factors
________
Adoption factors
________

Negatives
________
________

________
________
________
________

Profiling the factors identified

in the situation analysis
Conclusion:
Situation analysis is to help identify the
potential impacts on implementing curriculum
and some factors should be considered when
designing a project.

Thank you