ZNO Exam Preparation Course: Implications of Needs Analysis for Instructional Design

Abstract

The paper proposes a practical framework of conducting the needs analysis as a constituent of exam teaching and discusses how the findings of these surveys can translate into an actual course design. The participants of the study are a group of five Ukrainian school-leavers, studying on an exam preparation course to take the ‘external independent evaluation’ (ZNO exam). The procedure correlated with the ‘triangulation’ theory, which envisages the use of several instruments to analyse learner needs to enhance the validity of their results. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods (questionnaires, diagnostic testing, observations and informal talks) has been applied to assess the outcomes of the needs analysis, which reveals the learners’ motivation, learning needs, as well as the areas of grammar, vocabulary, and subskills that requires further training. The study has showed that in case the instructional design is based on the outcomes of needs analysis, the teacher can take more informed decisions as to have the course tailored to the actual needs of its participants. Such individualized approach turns learners into co-creators of the course and fosters a more effective and purposeful preparation on their part. Further research could focus on fine-tuning the framework of analysing learner needs to the requirements of any specific exam.