Evaluation of the English language curriculum of a preparatory school at a state university through the CIPP model

With the growing popularity of English language education, research into language program evaluation has grown in importance recently. Program evaluation studies aim to gather information on the programs, thus helping program stakeholders determine whether the program is effective or needs improvement. This study aims to gather students, instructors, and administrators' perceptions about objectives, content, teaching methods, materials, and assessment tools of an English language preparatory program using Stufflebeam's (1971) CIPP model and determine students' perceptions about their acquisition of language skills. A mixed-method approach was adopted in the study; therefore, both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. Data collection tools included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and documents. While SPSS 25.0 was employed to analyze the quantitative data, the qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis. 161 students responded to the questionnaires, and 21 students, eight instructors, and two administrators participated in the semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that the participants generally held positive opinions about the program. Instructors, materials, and speaking lessons were considered the strengths of the program. However, some concerns regarding the online implementation of the program and insufficiency of the speaking lessons were expressed. As a result, a comprehensive needs analysis was recommended based on students' needs and expectations. Moreover, some improvements related to the assessment tools could be made for the program to be more effective.