The paper titled "Flourishing our Books Green: Content Analysis of an ELT Textbook" primarily focuses on examining the integration of ecological education content in first-year secondary school English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks in Saudi Arabia. The research explores how environmental education themes, specifically knowledge and awareness, attitudes, and behaviors, are incorporated into these textbooks.
The study aims to assess the extent to which these textbooks address ecological education and to determine whether they promote environmental awareness among students. The research investigates the presence of ecological themes in the textbooks and evaluates their potential impact on students' understanding of environmental issues, in alignment with Saudi Arabia's educational objectives under Vision 2030.
The researchers employed a conceptual content analysis design to evaluate the textbooks. They developed a content analysis checklist to systematically analyze the presence and frequency of ecological education themes in the textbooks. The analysis was conducted on textbooks used during the 2022/2023 school year, focusing on the first and second semesters of the first year of secondary education.
The study found that the integration of environmental education in the analyzed ELT textbooks was minimal. Only a small percentage (approximately 1%) of the content explicitly addressed ecological issues, with a few scattered references to global warming, pollution, and environmental careers. The textbooks failed to provide significant content that would meaningfully enhance students' ecological knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors. The researchers identified a lack of comprehensive environmental education in the textbooks, which limited students' opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of ecological issues.
The study concluded that there is a pressing need to enhance the incorporation of environmental education in ELT textbooks in Saudi Arabia. The researchers recommended including a dedicated unit on environmental topics to foster greater awareness and positive attitudes toward the environment among students. They emphasized the importance of integrating ecological education with language learning to promote both language skills and environmental consciousness. The study also highlighted the role of teachers in enriching the educational experience by incorporating additional resources and activities that address ecological issues.