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Exploring Students' Understanding of Cultural Contents in SSC English Textbook
Exploring Students' Understanding of Cultural Contents in SSC English Textbook
Research Context
This research investigates how SSC students perceive and understand cultural elements embedded in their English textbook "English for Today" (2023 edition).
Key Focus: The textbook contains 47.78% local
content, 19.40% target content, and 35.85% international content,
but lacks balance in practical teaching approaches.
Local Source
Bangladeshi culture, facts, and identity
Target Source
English native speakers' cultures (US, UK, Canada, Australia)
International Source
Non-native cultures other than Bangladesh (India, China, Japan, etc.)
Research Gap: While textbook content analysis
exists, there's insufficient research on students' perspectives
and understanding of cultural contents in Bangladeshi context.
Research Objectives
How Objectives Emerged from the Title
The title "Exploring Students' Understanding" directly led to student-centered objectives focused on perception, connection, and learning impact.
Primary Objective
To explore how students perceive cultural content in their SSC English textbook
Secondary Objective
To understand how students relate textbook cultural content to their own cultural backgrounds and experiences
Tertiary Objective
To examine to what extent students believe cultural content enhances their language learning and communicative abilities
Objective Foundation: These objectives directly
stem from the research gap identified - the need for student
perspectives on cultural content understanding, rather than
theoretical analysis alone.
Research Questions
Relationship to Objectives
Each research question directly corresponds to the three main objectives, creating a systematic approach to understanding student perspectives.
RQ1
Perception
"How do students perceive the cultural content of the SSC English textbook?"
RQ2
Connection
"How do students relate the cultural content in the textbook to their cultural backgrounds?"
RQ3
Enhancement
"To what extent do students believe cultural content enhances their language learning?"
Alignment Strategy:
RQ1 → Objective 1: Direct exploration of student perceptions • RQ2
→ Objective 2: Understanding personal cultural connections • RQ3 →
Objective 3: Measuring perceived learning enhancement
Methodology
Methodology Shaping Factors
Title-driven: "Exploring" suggested qualitative
exploration
Objectives-driven: Multiple perspectives needed
mixed methods
RQ-driven: Perception + experience required
both quantitative and qualitative data
Mixed Methods Approach
Quantitative: Questionnaire (40 students)
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews (6 students)
Data Collection Strategy
Pre-session: 10-minute cultural content orientation
Setting: Two famous public schools in Dhaka
75%
Students familiar with cultural sources
77.5%
Prefer international sources for learning
65%
Find cultural content makes learning interesting
82.5%
Believe cultural content improves communication skills
Data Alignment: The collected data successfully
answered all research questions, providing insights into student
perceptions, cultural connections, and learning enhancement
beliefs.
Findings, Suggestions & Implications
Major Findings
Cultural Awareness
75% students were familiar with cultural source concepts
International Preference
77.5% believe international sources help English learning most
Limited Connection
32.5% find limited connection with textbook cultural content
Key Implications
- Curriculum: Need for diverse international content
- Teacher Training: Improve cultural content explanation
- Textbook Design: Balance local identity with global competence
Student Suggestions
- Include more diversity from different countries
- Add ethnic and foreign cultures alongside local culture
- Improve content quality and avoid childish content
- Include simplified literary works (e.g., Shakespeare)
🎯 Future Research Direction
MA Thesis Focus: Teacher perspectives and pedagogical approaches to cultural content integration
Why? Current study focused on students; teachers' perspectives missing. Only 42.5% teachers explain cultural content effectively.
Transition to MA Thesis
Proposed MA Thesis Title: "Teachers' Perspectives
on Cultural Content Integration in SSC English Language Teaching:
Challenges, Strategies, and Professional Development Needs"
Research Continuity
BA Finding: Students prefer international
cultural content but find limited connection
MA Focus: How can teachers bridge this gap
through effective pedagogical strategies?
Identified Gap
BA Finding: Only 42.5% teachers always
explain cultural content
MA Focus: What challenges do teachers face
and what support do they need?
Theoretical Framework
Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC)
Sociocultural Theory
Teacher Professional Development Theory
Methodological Approach
Qualitative dominant mixed methods
Teacher interviews, classroom observations
Professional development needs assessment
Justification for MA Thesis Direction
Complementary Research: BA identified student needs; MA will explore teacher capacity. Practical Impact: Will inform teacher training programs. Policy Relevance: Addresses curriculum implementation challenges.