Evaluating two EFL Textbooks in the Light of Mediated Learning Experience: Iranian High School Textbooks vs. Interchange Third Edition

This study aims to evaluate while comparing and contrasting two series of textbooks for teaching English in the light of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE). The two textbook series under study were Interchange (third edition), used in most Iranian English Institutes, and the formal course book of teaching English at Iranian high schools, prescribed by the Ministry of Education. First, considering language skills, functions and purposes, the researchers evaluated similar randomly selected activities and tasks from each series of textbooks with reference to 12 criteria features derived from the Feuerstein’s MLE. Second, two questionnaires were designed in Persian to check whether the proposed characteristics of Feuerestein’s mediation about the selected activities of the textbooks were really observed by learners and teachers. The questionnaires contained a number of items concerning beliefs and affects toward each item. Third, some teachers and selected learners were interviewed to give more explanation about the selected tasks and also their general view about the activities in the two series of textbooks. The Questionnaire and interview findings were in agreement with the evaluations the researchers made on each task in the light of MLE. Finally, the researchers scrutinized the two series of textbooks against each of the features in the criteria with regard to the learners and teachers interviews.