Curriculum Evaluation of B. A. Major English
Curriculum of Tribhuvan University*
Raj Kumar Baral
Abstract
The study has explored that the existing BA major English curriculum can
function as a bridge to link I. A/ +2 and M. A. curriculum. The students are
found able and interested in understanding, analyzing and interpreting the
texts. However, they are least capable in creating new texts similar to what
they have learnt. This is found mainly because the critical and analytical
aspects are highly focused but not the creative. The curriculum tries to cover
the contemporary needs of both the learners and the society. But the absence of
eastern philosophy and literature, old, traditional and teacher centered
teaching methodology, illogical and disorganized annual assessment systems are
its weaknesses.
Introduction
This article aims to review the existing B. A. Major English curriculum
of Tribhuvan University to explore the link between I. A./ +2 and M. A.
curriculum. It further aims to find out students' ability and interest in
interpreting, understanding, and creating texts keeping the idea in mind that
how effectively the curriculum addresses the contemporary needs of learners and
society. The study uses both primary and secondary sources of data. The study
is conducted with the mixed method of qualitative and quantitative research.
Questionnaire, interview, focus-group discussion, library study and interaction
are used as the tools for data collection.
Introduction
to BA Major English Curriculum
This is the curriculum of
Tribhuvan University, faculty of humanities and social science for Bachelor of
Arts in English. As the level consists of three academic years, it is the
curriculum for the entire three years. The major English curriculum for three
year Bachelor's level is designed to link up with and develop the IA/+2 major
English courses in English . The introduction of the literary theory is the
specific addition to the curriculum. The component includes major western
foundational essays form the Greek to the modern times. The main rationale of
these courses is to give students tools for systematic study and understanding
of texts as well as help them apply the tools in interpreting literary and
other texts creatively and critically. The curriculum further attempts to
develop in the students a spirit of inquiry, logical reasoning and a taste for
reading good literature.
In addition to this, the
curriculum looks forward to the MA courses and prepares the groundwork for a
more critical and detailed study of literature and other human disciplines at
the post-graduate level. As a whole, the curriculum of BA major English is
designed to link up with the IA/+2 and MA curriculum along with the aim to
develop creativity and critical thinking in the students. To refer to the
curriculum, it has the following objectives:
- To equip
students with a sound background for the serious study of literature
- To give
students standard and cutting edge materials to study
- To give
students appropriate tools for interpreting, understanding and creating
texts
The three-year BA program in
English (Tribhuvan University) consists of six papers ( including functional
paper). The course is structured as one paper in the first year, two papers in
the second year and the three papers in the third year. The specific structure
of the courses assigned for three-year Bachelor level in English in the faculty
of humanities and social science is as below:
Table
No. 1
The
structure of the course
Paper
|
Code No.
|
Title
|
Full Marks
|
I
|
Eng. 311
|
Western
Intellectual Tradition & Literary Theory
|
100
|
II
|
Eng. 312
|
Prose: Essays
and Short Stories
|
100
|
III
|
Eng. 313
|
Drama and Film
|
100
|
IV
|
Eng. 314
|
Poetry
|
100
|
V
|
Eng. 315
|
Critical
Thinking & Practical Criticism
|
100
|
VI
|
Eng. 316
|
Functional
English
|
100
|
An
Analysis of the Curricular Components
A curriculum is an integration of
the entire learning achievement inside and outside the boundary of the formal
classroom. It includes the objective to achieve, the contents through which the
objectives are achieved, the methodology through which the teaching learning is
preceded and the evaluation through which students' learning achievement is
assessed. Thus, a good curriculum should address the entire external and
internal aspects of the learners, society/nation and the learning outcomes in
integration. By this, we can present the following structure of a good academic
curriculum:
Figure
No. 1
The
structure of a curriculum
 |
Now, based on this structure, an
attempt has been made to analyze the curricular components to assess its
effectiveness to achieve the expected learning outcomes.
a.
Linkage of the Curriculum
Generally, a curriculum of
certain level is said to be effective if it links up with the related
curriculums vertically. The BA major English curriculum has good generic
division. It consists of all genres of literature; Essay,
Fiction, Poetry and Drama, and has the combination of both theory and
application. The main objective of the curriculum is to provide students
opportunity to develop creativity and criticality as well as pleasure of the
literary taste. As far as the linkage of this curriculum to the upper and lower
level is concerned, the study shows the closest linkage to each other. The
table below has presented the categorical relationship of the curriculum
vertically.
Table No. 2
Categorical
Relationship of the Curriculum
SN
|
Level
|
Major contents of the course
|
1
|
IA/+2
|
Essays,
Fictions, Poetry, Drama,
|
2
|
BA
|
Essays,
Fictions, Poetry,, Drama, Film, Theory and Functions
|
3
|
MA
|
Essays,
Fictions, Poetry, Drama, Theory
|
According to the data presented
in the table above, the contents of the curriculum of Tribhuvan University for
IA/+2(HSEB) BA and MA seems to be identical to each other. As they are
intermediate, Bachelor and advanced level respectively, their contents and
subject matters are also suitable and appropriate to the respective level. The
contents and subject matters show the cordial vertical relationship to each
other as a result the BA major English curriculum links up with the other
(IA/MA) curriculum.
As the objective wise linkage of
the curriculum is concerned, it shows the following linkage based on the IA and
MA curriculum:
Objectives
of IA Curriculum
·
Introduce
students to essay, fiction, poetry and drama
·
Enable
students to respond literary works
·
Expose
students to discourse in different genres
Objectives of MA
Curriculum
·
To
realign the canons of text and methods
·
To
emphasize the notion of textuality
·
To
introduce area studies
·
To
stress the interrelationship among the study of literary criticism, literary theory
and cultural studies
·
To
promote critical and creative thinking
·
To
impart knowledge about research methods in humanities
·
To
give exposure to a wide range of global literary texts
·
To
promote interdisciplinary study and research
This shows that the objectives of
the major English curriculum have good linkage from IA to MA level vertically.
b.
Coverage
The course of the study
associated by the curriculum has good generic division as the curriculum
consists of all genres - Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Film. While
analyzing the curriculum, it is both theoretical and practical. A course (Eng.
311) as first paper entitled 'Western Intellectual Tradition and Literary Theory'
has been introduced as a theoretical course. Poetry, prose, drama and film are
the essential core of the contents of the curriculum. Practical criticism deals
with the practical aspects of the course. Further, a course in one hundred full
marks namely, Functional English (Eng.316) is also introduced with the view to
provide functional knowledge of the English language. By this, the course
offered in the curriculum has been seen as covering the wider range of
literary, functional and theoretical aspects in integration with its practice.
As the coverage of latest trends
and contextualization of the contents are concerned, it has widely incorporated
the desired contents of post-colonial, deconstructionist and new-historicism
theories. In this sense, a good coverage of philosophical and literary theory
as well as practice can be observed in the curriculum.
As the interaction with the
subject experts, curriculum experts/designers and some of the lectures at
college during the field study is concerned, the coverage of the curriculum
seems good however, not excellent. According to them, the curriculum does not
focus on the non-western philosophy. Most of them claimed that the non-western
philosophy and literature is as rich as the western. Further, it would be more
convenient to teach oriental texts to the students rather than the western
ones. Their arguments in support of this are that they are the philosophy,
tradition and literature that the students are familiar with. It is the first
and oldest philosophical practice and belief as well as it is higher in
prestige in comparison the western ones.
While analyzing this, the course
contents of the curriculum seems having some weakness lacking the incorporation
of oriental philosophical and literary tradition and practice. By this, it
would be better to include these and related contents of the course in the BA
major English curriculum for the further betterment of the curriculum.
c.
Output
Output here, means the product of
the curriculum. The curriculum aims to provide students with sound background
for the serious study of literature along with giving them appropriate tools
for interpreting, understanding and creating text. In this line, an attempt has
been made during the field study to measure the interpretative and creativity
of the students with the help of professionally designed research
questionnaire. As their response on the questionnaire is concerned, it has
shown two different types of result based on the creativity and criticality.
For the fulfillment of the set
objectives of the research, one hundred students from the three classes of
Bachelor level were selected and incorporate in the study. Three different
types of tests (creative, critical and interpretative) were given to them to
check their aforementioned capacities. Their responses were scored in number
and converted into percentage for the purpose of analysis. The status of their
response is shown in the following table:
Table
No. 3
Average
scoring
of the students on the texts
Types of
test items
|
Creative
|
Critical
|
Interpretative
|
|||||
Average scoring
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
NO
|
%
|
||
5
|
16.66
|
12
|
40
|
21
|
35
|
|||
Source: Field survey, 2012
According to the data, the
students have performed well in the critical analysis of the given text among
other types of the tests. However, their average scoring in it is also not so
satisfactory (only 40%). Their scoring on interpretative tests is 35 percent in
average and the test in creativity shows only 16.66 percent marks in average.
By this, student's performance on critical appreciation and analytical
interpretation seems somehow good, though not satisfactory, in comparison to
their creativity. The result shows that their performance on creativity is
poor.
By this result, it can be said
that the product of the curriculum can understand the texts, may develop
critical and analytical power to analyze the texts on them. However, they
cannot develop creativity as desired and required. According to the interaction
with the lecturers and the subject experts as well, like the responses of some
of the students, the curriculum does not focus on related required exercises to
develop creativity on the students. Based on their arguments, thus, it is
advisable to manage the exercises, works and projects to develop creativity on the
students more than what they have now.
d.
Duplication
By theory, a good curriculum
should not have any duplication of the contents, works and exercises. The main
reason behind having no duplication is that it repeats the same performance and
learning achievements of the students. As a result, the students' learn the
same knowledge and skill instead of a new one.
In the same line, an attempt has
been made to analyze whether the contents, activities, and knowledge/skills of
the curriculum are duplicated of not. The result of the analysis derived the
following findings:
·
The
theories like feminism, Marxism and Deconstruction are included in BA first
year .The same is repeated in the third year as well. What it has the
differences are that it is more theoretical in the first year and more
applied/practical in the third year.
·
The Great Gatsby is the prescribed text for Grade
12 (HSEB)/IA. The same is introduced in BA first year as well. The text is
theoretical in Grade 12 however; it is both theoretical and applied in BA first
year.
According to the views of almost
all the teachers/lecturers understudy, it is not necessary to repeat the same
text in different grades /levels, instead both the theory and application can
be taught at once at the same class. Some of the subject experts understudy
also supported their views and argued that a new theory can be introduced, a
now knowledge/skill can be taught, a now content can be familiarized instead of
repeating the same in different grades for the same students. In the case of
aforementioned repetition, according to them, it may have no logic to do so.
By this, the curriculum has found
some minor repetition and/or duplication of the text/content. It would be
better if this duplication could be revised and presentation could be managed
with single content in a linear way.
e.
Vocational
The vocational aspect of the
curriculum has also been regarded as a parameter to assess the effectiveness of
the curriculum. While analyzing the curriculum, it is found that the curriculum
has focused more on the theoretical aspect and only a least on the
practical/applied aspect. That is, it aims to equip the students with the sound
theoretical knowledge of the literature through cutting-edge materials and aims
to develop the capacity to understand, interpret and create the texts. By these
objectives, it is clear that its focus is more on the theoretical aspects. It
is generally believed that theoretical courses are least vocational in
comparison to the practical ones.
As the interaction with the
lecturers, experts and the students during the field study is concerned, the
vocational aspects of BA major English curriculum should be judged basing on
its market. According to them, in the market of teaching field, the product of
it is less saleable however in the administrative field, the products can show
their vocational performance. According to some of the experts understudy, a
course on ELT methods and practice should be introduced in the Bachelor and
Master's level to make the product of it vocational in teaching field esp. for
the secondary school level. Above all, the discussion shows that the curriculum
is vocational in average. That is, it is neither highly vocational nor least
non-vocational.
f.
Weightage
As the weightage of the contents
in the curriculum is concerned, it has offered six hundred full marks, each one
hundred marks per six different papers. Their paper wise weightage has been given
in the table below:
Table
No.5
Weightage
distribution
SN
|
PAPER
|
COURSE TITLE
|
FM
|
WEIGHTAGE
|
1
|
1st
|
Western Intellectual
Tradition and Literary Theory
|
100
|
Essays 40% and
Literary Theory 60%
|
2
|
2nd
|
Prose: Essays
and Short Stories
|
100
|
Essays 50% and
Short Stories
50%
|
3
|
3rd
|
Drama and Film
|
100
|
Drama 80% and
Film 20%
|
4
|
4th
|
Poetry
|
100
|
Poetry 100%
|
5
|
5th
|
Critical
Thinking and Practical Criticism
|
100
|
Critical Thinking
50% Practical Criticism 50%
|
6
|
6th
|
Functional
English
|
100
|
Teaching
Method 25% and Teaching and Learning Components
75%
|
According to the facts presented
in the aforementioned table, the distribution of weightage of the course
content is systematic. The course has eleven different varieties of contents
based on their nature and accordingly has the weightage of them. To refer to
only some of the experts understudy, it would be better if the contents and
weightage for teaching method were increased. Their argument towards it is that
the focus on teaching method helps to make the course more practical and
pedagogical rather than theoretical.
g.
Contextual
The curriculum has included all
the related and important theories since Plato to the modern time. It has
incorporated not only the modern but also post-modern theories and concepts
like deconstruction. The poems, essays, short stories, dramas and film all are
selective and contextual along with its theory and practical criticism. By
this, the curriculum seems contextual if only the prescribed texts are taken
into the core.
There is another side of its
context as well. Many of the lecturers, experts and some of the students also
put forward their different views regarding its contextual parameter. According
to them, the curriculum only focuses on the western tradition, philosophy and
literature completely ignoring the non-western tradition, philosophy and
literature. According to them, the curriculum only focuses on the western
tradition, philosophy, and literature completely ignoring the eastern
(non-western) and oriental tradition, philosophy and literature. According to
them the oriental philosophy and literature is as older than the western one
and is as rich as the western ones. In this circumstance, teaching of the
oriental text will certainly be contextual to the students having the same
linguistic, literary and philosophical background.
h.
Logical Sequencing
A curriculum to be an effective
one, it should have the logical sequences of the associated contents. That is,
whatever the subject areas the curriculum has captured with, they should be
logically sequenced. While analyzing the BA major English curriculum of
Tribhuvan University based on this parameter, the curriculum is found as an
integrated whole of almost all the genres of the theories and literature. The
courses of the study are logically ordered based on the principle of 'simple to
complex' and 'known to unknown'. That is, Literary Theory along with the
Western Intellectual tradition is introduced in the first year having one
hundred full marks. Prose: Essay and Short story (100FM) and Drama and Film
(100FM) is introduced in the second year. Accordingly, Poetry (100FM), Critical
Thinking and Practical Criticism (100FM) and Functional English (100FM) are
introduced in the third year having 300 full marks altogether.
By this presentation, it can be
said that the contents and course of the study for BA major English has been
logically sequenced. This order is supported by the students as well as the
lecturers too. The curriculum designers and experts understudy also argued in
support of the logical sequencing of the curricular contents.
i.
Recent Trends
The curriculum of BA major
English has found capturing the recent trends of language and literature. The
reading materials are cutting-edge and selective from the new and innovative
trends that are developed in the philosophical and literary world. The literary
theory consists of modern and post modern theories like New Historicism, Post-colonialism.
Similarly, the prose and poetry are
selected from all the traditional, modern and postmodern theoretical bases. The
introduction of the film is the innovation in the field of teaching and
learning however, it is failed to incorporate the recent trends of assessment
system. Thus, it is advisable to include the innovative assessment system for
its further betterment.
j.
Teaching Methodology
As a parameter to analyze the
effectiveness of the curriculum, teaching methodology used to fulfill the
objectives of the curriculum is an important indicator to measure. The
curriculum itself can do nothing no matter how well and advanced it is designed
until it has well organized, systematic, and strategic teaching methodology. So
many new and innovative trends, techniques, mythologies and technologies have
been developed in the field of teaching learning. This is why, a good
curriculum should have to address and incorporate all these in its methodology.
As the curriculum understudy is
concerned, it is found weak in the application of modern and innovative
teaching mythology. Traditional teacher center methods (lecturing, question
answer, and demonstration) are used to teach the student. Although the use of
necessary teaching materials/aids are expected by the curriculum, in real life
practice, only the traditional 'chalk and talk' method is found to be used. As
all the students, teachers, experts and curriculum designers are found opposed
to this method and ways, it is advisable to make change in the ways of teaching
introducing the recent and modern student centered and activity centered
methodologies.
k.
Assessment System
Assessment system is one of the
main indicators to measure the effectiveness of the curriculum. It is a way to
know the achievement of the learning outcome of the students. For this,
different formative, diagnostic, and summative, assessment tools should be
used. While analyzing the BA major English, curriculum of Tribhuvan University,
it is found weak in its assessment system. It has expected only a final
summative assessment at the end of each academic year having 100 full marks.
However, its coverage of the course contents is large. In this situation, how
an examination of three hours having 100 full marks at the end of the academic
year can measure and assess the students' actual performance and learning
achievement?
According to the information
obtained from the field, the experts, curriculum designers and all the lectures
argued and agreed to conduct semester wise testing system to improve the
quality of assessment. According to them, the three year BA program should be
of at least six semesters having at least one semester test at each six month.
Further, project works, internal assessment and different formative and
diagnostic tests should also be administered to improve the quality of
testing/assessment system. However to do these all, first, a national level
comprehensive policy on re-structuring higher education in Nepal should be
needed.
Major Findings of the Study
1. The BA major
English curriculum has good link with the IA/+2 and MA major English curriculum
of Tribhuvan University and can function as a bridge to link between I.A./+2
and M.A. curriculum.
2. The students are
found able and interested in understanding, analyzing and interpreting the
text. However, they are found least capable in creating new texts similar to
what they have learnt. This is found mainly because the critical and analytical
aspects are highly focused but creativity has least focused in the curriculum.
The study found the following strengths of the curriculum:
·
Introduction
of the new literary theories and practices by giving students tools for
systematic study and understanding of texts and help them apply the tools in
appreciating literary and other text critically and creatively
·
Empowering
students with a spirit of inquiry, logical reasoning and taste of reading a
good literature
·
Good
generic division: Incorporation of the essays, fictions, poetry and drama along
with the introduction of the film study
·
Focus
on the critical appreciation of the text and
application (practical aspect) of the theory
·
Retention
of logic and critical and creative
thinking along with specializing on practical criticism which is systematically
introduced
·
An
attempt has also been made to focus on teaching language function and skills as
well
3. The curriculum
tries to cover the contemporary needs of both the learners and the society.
However, due to some of the weaknesses of the curriculum it has not found
completely addressing the desired expectations. The study has found some of
such weaknesses as below:
- The
emphasis on western philosophy has shadowed the richest oriental
philosophy.
- Least focus
on creativity
- The course
has less focus on the functional aspects, grammar and the language
function
- Focus about
language but not in language use
- Focus on
generic/periodic history is lacking
- No content
is introduced for multidisciplinary approach
Recommendations of the Study
Based on the aforementioned
findings of the study, the following recommendations have been suggested for
the betterment of the existing situation in the study:
1. It is suggested to add some stories, dramas,
poems in Bachelor's level to make students prepared to cope up with the
Master’s degree course.
2. To develop
creativity in the students, many innovative exercises should be managed and
maximum opportunity to practice should be provided. As far as possible, a
separate course on creative writing or more chapters on the same course for
creative writing should be provisioned.
3. To address the
contemporary needs of both the learners and the society, it is necessary to
introduce the oriental philosophy, theory and literature to make the curriculum
more effective and purposeful.
4. Rhetoric-based
course, if included, can make the learners more text oriented and helps them
enhance their analytical power along with their creativity
5. Lack of
historical knowledge has made students’ critical analysis less effective. This
is why; it is suggested to introduce a paper with 50 full marks with American
and British history in general.
6. To make students
ready for research, introduction of research is highly demanded.
7. A course on long
fiction can be introduced with 50 full marks to let them the opportunity of the
serious study of the vast area of English literature.
8. It is necessary
to introduce a course for grammar, language functions, language skills and the
pedagogy.
9. To make the curriculum
of BA major English more effectiveness, the following indicator wise
suggestions should be followed:
- There is
minor duplication of the course contents in the curriculum, thus, it
should be revised to eliminate any of the duplications in it
- It is suggested
to make the curriculum highly vocational by introducing market related
components in the curriculum
- The
curriculum will be more effective if the ignorance of oriental philosophy,
theories, and literature is corrected by including them in the curriculum
- The
teaching methodology should be innovative, learner- and task-centered, as
well as modern and effective
- To reform in the illogical and
disorganized assessment system, it is recommended with high priority to
adopt the semester system in the bachelor level at Tribhuvan University and should follow the
semester wise assessment procedure.
Many different assessment activities including project work,
internal assessment and other means of formative assessment should be
adopted
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