Evaluation of English Curriculum Reform for Undergraduates at a Public Sector University by using the CIPP Model

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Curriculum of English (Revised 2012) proposed by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan for undergraduates. In this regard, it sought to evaluate the HEC’s English curriculum document, and also the design of English curriculum by the curriculum developer of a public sector university. It finally ventured to compare the curriculum document specifications with its contemplated design in order to identify strengths and weaknesses of the reform. The study used Daniel Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, process, and Product (CIPP) model as its framework for evaluation. The study is based mainly on qualitative design and the data is collected through analysis of the curriculum document and of the curriculum developer’s interview. The evaluation revealed many strengths of the curriculum; its goals were found to address students’ various language needs to develop their reading and writing skills, and their vocabulary and communication skills. The evaluation also revealed some inadequacies including a lack of focus on listening and speaking skills and teacher training. The findings indicated that though the curriculum reform was potentially sustainable and effective, the identified shortcomings could be addressed in future to obtain better outcomes from its implementation. Keywords: Evaluation, document analysis, curriculum reform, CIPP model