Student Engagement and Teacher Practices Using Cutting Edge Elementary at the University of Duhok
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol22.Iss2.1542Keywords:
Textbook Evaluation, Student Engagement, Teaching Methodology, Contextual Adaptation, Higher EducationAbstract
This research examines the effectiveness of the Cutting Edge Elementary textbook at Duhok University, focusing on its impact on student engagement and teaching methodology across eight Humanities and Science departments. Data were collected through researcher-completed classroom observation sheets over two semesters. Findings indicate that teaching methodology effectiveness remained consistent across departments, while student engagement varied by discipline. Humanities students demonstrated higher motivation and engagement than Science students, whose engagement levels were generally lower and less sustained. The results suggest that Cutting Edge Elementary, as a communicative General-English textbook, aligns more effectively with Humanities learners, whereas Science students may benefit from materials better tailored to their disciplinary needs. Overall, the textbook is pedagogically sound and yields positive outcomes when implemented by competent teachers, particularly when adapted to student context. These findings contribute to textbook implementation practices, teacher awareness of student motivators, and the localized adaptation of materials in higher education in Kurdistan.
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