Evaluation of an English preparatory program through the context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model

Research regarding language program evaluation gained more significance during recent years with the increasing popularity of English language teaching. Program evaluation studies are mainly conducted to obtain information about programs. Therefore, stakeholders of programs in question can figure out whether their programs are efficiently functioning or whether any improvement is needed. This study aims to shed light upon the constituents, implementation, and effectiveness of the English preparatory program implemented at a school of foreign languages in Turkey from students', instructors', and administrators' perspectives. The context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model was utilized during the evaluation of the entire process. A concurrent nested strategy was selected to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and document analysis were utilized as data sources. In the study, 81 students, 9 language instructors, and 2 administrator-instructors acted as participants. Descriptive statistics were analysed thorough SPSS 25.0. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyse and interpret the elicited qualitative data. The results showed that the participants were substantially satisfied with the program. Basic language skills and the students' needs were found to be considered. Strong communication and coordination existed among the students, instructors, and administrators. However, some motivational problems were observed among the participants. In-service trainings for the academic staff were found to be necessary. Additionally, the results implied that some improvements could be made to make the program more efficient and to conveniently address the targeted objectives of the institution. Keywords: English preparatory program, the CIPP model, English language teaching, program evaluation.