Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of an English Textbook for Developing Doctoral Students’ Reading and Writing Skills in a Buddhist Context

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia

This research explores the perceptions of teachers and students at a Buddhist university regarding an English textbook designed to develop reading and writing skills for doctoral students. The study involved 7 teachers and 140 doctoral students across various fields. Data were collected through a questionnaire about opinions toward the textbook used for teaching and learning. Teachers and students rated the textbook at very high levels, highlighting content quality, academic standards, organization, language and skills development, cultural relevance, and engagement, with participants offering suggestions for improvement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages38

Reading Time1 h 36 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Role of textbooks in language teaching

Context and course focus

Need for a Buddhist-context textbook

Rationale for evaluating perceptions

Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of an English Textbook for Developing Doctoral Students’ Reading and Writing Skills in a Buddhist Context Nopporn Sarobol Thammasat University, Thailand Phrakhrupalad Wisithakul Sudarak Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand *Corresponding author’s [email: nopporn.s@litu.tu.ac.th](email: nopporn.s@litu.tu.ac.th) Received: June 18, 2025 Revised: November 23, 2025 Accepted: November 23, 2025 Abstract This research explores the perceptions of teachers and students at a Buddhist university regarding an English textbook designed to develop reading and writing skills for doctoral students. The study involved 7 teachers who teach the English for Doctoral Students: Reading and Writing Skills course and 140 doctoral students from various fields of study enrolled in the English course at a Buddhist university in Thailand. Data were collected through a questionnaire focused on participants’ opinions towards the English textbook used for teaching and learning. The findings indicated that teachers rated the textbook ata very high level in various aspects, including content quality and academic standards, organization and methodology, language and skill development, cultural and contextual relevance, design, layout and engagement (average mean score = 4.75) . Students also rated the textbook at a very high level (meanscore = 4.55) . Both teachers and students found the textbook to be comprehensive and aligned with academic standards. The content was regarded as interesting, meaningful and presented with clear, easyto-understand explanations. The topics were considered appropriate and relevant to the Buddhist context. While most participants expressed positive attitudes towards the textbook, some suggestions for improvement were provided. Keywords: Perceptions, English textbook, reading and writing skills, Buddhist context THAITESOL JOURNAL 38(2) 115 Introduction Textbooks play a significant role in language teaching and learning, as they provide structured content, varied activities, and clear guidance for both teachers and learners. They are a key component inmost language programs (Richards, 2001) . According to Cunningsworth (1995), the textbooks serve as a guide for achieving specific educational goals based on learners’ needs, while Shahid et al. (2021) emphasize their function as one of the main sources of classroom input. In this sense, textbooks act as a compass, guiding both teachers and students through the learning process (Pasaribu, 2022) . According to Richards (2001), textbooks standardize classroom content, support lesson planning, and offer varied activities that engage learners. They also promote independent practice and save teachers’time. When well designed, textbooks can be adapted to meet diverse learners’ needs and enhance learning. Therefore, textbook quality is essential. Effective textbooks should be accurate, linguistically appropriate, engaging, and contextually relevant, with language features that support learners’ development (Pasaribu, 2022) . This study was conducted with doctoral students enrolled at one of the Buddhist universities in Thailand. As part of their curriculum, they are required to complete two English courses designed to enhance the four core skills of English. One course focuses on listening and speaking skills. The other course emphasizes reading and writing skills. The present study focuses on the English for Doctoral Students: Reading and Writing Skills course, which employs a textbook as the primary instructional material for developing the students’ academic reading and writing competencies. For several years, commercial textbooks had been used in this course at the Buddhist university. However, based on the researchers'experience teaching this course for several years, it became clear that the commercial textbook had some limitations. Specifically, the content did not align with the students' context, as it lack

FAQs

What was the focus of this study?

The study examined teachers’ and students’ perceptions of an English textbook developed to strengthen doctoral students’ reading and writing skills in a Buddhist context.

Who participated in the research and how was data collected?

The study involved 7 teachers and 140 doctoral students. Data were collected using a questionnaire gathering participants’ opinions about the textbook used for teaching and learning.

How did teachers and students rate the textbook?

Teachers rated the textbook at a very high level across aspects such as content quality and academic standards (average mean score = 4.75). Students also rated it at a very high level (mean score = 4.55).

What improvements did participants suggest?

While most participants expressed positive attitudes toward the textbook, the study reports that some suggestions for improvement were provided.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia