Mohammad Alipour Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch SITUATION

Mohammad Alipour Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch

SITUATION ANALYSIS Besides needs analysis, other factors are relevant to the design & implementation of successful language programs. These can include subject specific concerns, sociopolitical & philosophical matters, educational value systems, theory & practice in curriculum design, teacher experience, &learner motivation.

Situation analysis is an analysis of factors in the context of a planned or present curriculum project. These factors may be political, social, economic, or institutional. SA complements information gathered by NA, & can be regarded as a form of evaluation.

Procedures of situation analysis The are similar to those involved in NA , including: Consultation with representatives of as many relevant groups possible, e. g. parents, students, teachers, etc.

Study and analysis of relevant documents. Observation of teachers and learners in relevant learning setting. Survey of opinions of relevant parties. Review of available literature related to the issue.

Situation analysis framework To carry out SA, one needs to follow a set of procedure via a framework. Richards (2001) proposed the following factors to be considered: Societal factors Project factors Institutional factors Teacher factors Learner factors Adoption facrors

Societal factors second language learning is a fact of life in many countries. Yet countries differ in terms of the role of foreign languages in community, in curriculum, educational traditions, & expectations that members of the community have. In examining those factors & their effects on l 2 learning, the aim is to determine the impact of groups in the community at large on the program.

These groups include: -Policy markers in government -Educational officials employers -The business community -Politicians -Territory education specialists -Educational organization -Parents -Citizens -Students The questions to ask are about the ideas and reason of all these stakeholders.

Project factors Curriculum projects are produced by a team of people including highly trained specialists for a fixed period of time, or a group of teachers as part of their duty. Project factors involve different constraints of time, resources, and personal and their potential impacts on the project. These members should have sufficient skills and expertise.

Questions include: Who are & how are selected? Managements & responsibilities? How goals & procedures are determined? Members’ experiences? Their views toward each other? What resources and budget are available? Time frame? Is it realistic?

Institutional factors � Language programs are delivered ultimately in institutions such as universities or schools. � Different institutions have their own cultures, that is, setting where people interact & where patterns emerge for communication, decision making, role relations & conduct. � Institutions can have positive or negative climates for houses and innovations.

Insinuations may also have their own ways of doing things. They also differ in their levels of professionalism. In addition to the human side, physical aspects need to be considered as well.

Questions include: What leadership? Is change fostered? Physical resources? Role of materials? What is staff’s moral like? Teachers’ problems & what is being done? What administrative support? What kind of reputation? How committed is the institution to attain excellence?

Teachers factors They are key factors in successful implementation of the curriculum. Exceptional teachers can compensate for poor quality of materials.

Teachers can vary according to: Language proficiency Teaching experience Skill & expertise Training & qualifications Moral & motivation Teaching style Beliefs & principles

Within institutions, teachers may have many kinds of responsibilities. Questions include: What kinds of teachers currently teach? Their background, training, experience? How proficient are they? Their beliefs about key issues in teaching? Their typical teaching methods? Degree of openness to change?

Learners factors They are key participants in the program. Factors such as background, expectations, beliefs, and learning styles should be considered. Designer’s beliefs may be at odds with the learners’ assumptions about learning.

Questions include: Their past learning experiences? How motivated are they? Their expectations? Are their beliefs culturally affected? Are they homogeneous or heterogeneous ? Their favorite learning approach ? Their favorite content type?

Adoption factors They prefer to the relative ease or difficulty of introducing change into the system because of the new syllabus or materials. Some changes might be readily accepted, while others might be resisted.

Questions involve: Advantages of the change? How compatible is it with the existing beliefs & attitudes? Is the change complicated to understand? Has it been used or tested before? How clear & practical is it?