Evaluating the Cultural and Pedagogical Fits of the Top-Notch Series in Iranian EFL Contexts: A Mixed-Methods Study
Keywords:
Textbook evaluation, intercultural communication, EFL pedagogy, cultural adaptation, Iranian learners, Top-Notch seriesAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate whether the Top-Notch series meets the linguistic, pedagogical, and cultural needs and expectations of Iranian EFL learners and teachers.
Methods and Materials: This mixed-methods research employed a sequential explanatory design integrating quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative phase involved 180 Iranian EFL learners and 30 English teachers from six private institutes across Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz, selected through stratified random sampling. Participants completed a validated 36-item questionnaire measuring linguistic needs, pedagogical needs, cultural appropriateness, and expectations, with reliability indices ranging from .81 to .89. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 learners and 15 teachers to explore their perceptions of the cultural and pedagogical suitability of the Top-Notch series. Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis supported by MAXQDA.
Findings: Inferential results showed no significant gender differences in overall satisfaction (t(178) = –1.62, p = .107). A one-way ANOVA indicated significant differences in perceptions of cultural appropriateness across proficiency levels (F(2,177) = 3.49, p = .033, η² = .038), with advanced learners rating cultural fit significantly lower than intermediate learners. Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations between linguistic needs and overall satisfaction (r = .58, p < .01), and moderate correlations between cultural appropriateness and overall satisfaction (r = .48, p < .01), indicating that both linguistic relevance and cultural resonance significantly contribute to learners’ evaluations of the textbook.
Conclusion: The Top-Notch series demonstrates strong pedagogical value and supports communicative language learning; however, its cultural content shows limited alignment with Iranian learners’ sociocultural context, underscoring the need for localized adaptation and culturally responsive supplementary materials.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Javad Rezazadeh Yazdeli (Author); Moussa Ahmadian; Hooshang Yazdani (Author)
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