An investigation into the implementation of English preparatory programs at tertiary level in Turkey

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the English Preparatory Programs at higher education institutions in Turkey through the perceptions of students and instructors. To achieve this, the CIPP (context-input-process, and product) evaluation model designed by Stufflebeam (1971) was used. The study intends to explore how students and instructors evaluate English Preparatory Programs and whether there are significant differences between their perceptions. Tha data were collected from 1117 students who were attending in the English Preparatory Programs at four state universities in the 2013-2014 academic year and 218 instructors who were tutoring in the programs in the same academic year. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered in the study. The qualitative data were collected through semi-structered interviews. The quantitative data were collected through questionnaires developed for students and instructors by Karataş (2007). While the data based on the semi-structured interviews with students and instructors were analyzed through content analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the quantitative data. The results revealed that English Preparatory Programs at four state universities in Turkey partially meet the needs and expectations of the students and instructors. However, it was noted that the perceptions of the students are less positive compared to those of the instructors. Some revisions and regulations could be made in the program in order to better satisfy the needs and expectations of the students and instructors. Keywords: ELT, program evaluation, English preparatory program evaluation, CIPP model