An evaluation of a course book in terms of 'creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication' and related skills

The purpose of this investigation was to collect data about a recently published course book titled Roadmap B1 by ''Pearson Education'' that claimed to integrate 4Cs (critical thinking & problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity). Using a checklist and the opinions of teachers, the researcher employed a convergent mixed methodology to determine whether or not the 4Cs had been incorporated into the course book. The course book was examined by means of content analysis. The data was then examined by using a descriptive analysis. In the second stage of the study, 40 items from the course book review checklist adapted by Uluhan (2019) from the P21 framework were used to examine each unit item by item, and the frequency of each item was determined and analyzed on a unit-by-unit basis. Participants from an English preparatory school in Ankara were selected. At the end of this study, semi-controlled interviews with questions derived from the P21 course book evaluation checklist were conducted. It was discovered that a significant portion of the units lacked creative content. The 4Cs fostered more effectively when they were not treated as a separate skill but rather integrated into other activities, with a modest number of integrated skills. The results indicated that more 4C opportunities would be feasible if integrated speaking and writing-focused activities had been provided. Although the grammar activities were rigorous, teaching them in isolation and focusing exclusively on mechanical activities may demotivate teachers. According to GSE and CEFR objectives, the book did not provide sufficient opportunities for students to meet the goal of providing more in-depth conversation and problem-solving skills. When all of these exercises were considered, it was evident that the course book did not provide sufficient opportunities for learners to communicate effectively in the target language. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will increase the understanding of 21st century learning and innovation skills and their effective, individualized, and contextualized applications in education, as applied to the specific requirements and needs of learners and teachers.