situation analisys

Situation Analysis

The purpose of an analysis is to gather information that can be used to develop the language needs of a group of students in order to know the purpose and main content of a language. However, other factors apart from learner needs are relevant to the design and implementation of successful language programs. Language programs are carried out in the particular contexts or situations

. Clark (1987, xii) comments “ A language curriculum is function of the interrelationship that hold between subject spesicif concerns and other broader factors ebracing socio-political ang philosophical matters, education value systems, theory and practice in curriculum design, teacher experential widom and learners motiyation. In order to understand the foreign language curriculum in any particular context it is therefore necessary to attempt to understand how all the various influences interrelate to give a particular shape to the planning and execution of the teaching/ leraning process”.

The contexts for language programs are diverse and the particular variabels that come into plya in a specific situation are often the key determinants of the success of a program. Each context for a curriculum change or inovationthus containts factors that can potentially facilatete the change or hinder its succesful implementation ( Markee 1997). It is important, therefore, to identify what these factors are and what their poential effects might be when planning a curriculum change ( Bean 1993).

Situation Analysis is an analysis of factors in the context of a planned present curriculum project thr is made in order to asses their potential impact on the project. These factors maybe political, sosial, economic or intitutional. Situation Analysis complements the information gathered during needs analysis. It is sometimes considered as a demention  of need analysis, and can also be regarded as an aspect of evaluation.

Procedures used in situation analysis are similar to those ivolved in needs analysis, namely, (a) consultation with representatives of asmany relevant grpups as possible, such as parents, students, teachers, administrators and government official ; (b) study and analysisi relevant documents, such as course appraisal documents, goverment reports, ministry of education guidelines and policy papers, teaching materials, curriculum documents ; (c) observation of teachers and students in relevant learning settings ; ( d ) surveys of opinions of relevant parties ; (e) review of available literature related to the issue.

Societal Factors

            The impact of societal factors on language teaching, therefore, the aim is to determine the impact of groups in the community or society at large on the program. These groups include :

a)      Policy makers  in government

b)      Educational and other government officials

c)      Employers

d)     The bussines community

e)      Politicians

f)       Tertiary education specialists

g)      Educational organization

h)      Parents

i)        Citizens

j)        Students

Project Factors

            Project are completed under different constraints of time, resources, and personnel, and each of these variables can have significant impact on a project. There should be sufficient members in the project team to do the job and they should represent a balance of skills and expertise. If the team members higly commited to the project and share a common vission, ir is likely to encounter fewer difficulties than one where the project team experiances internal feuds and power struggles.

            The following project factors need to be considered :

a)      Who constitutes the project group and how are they select ?

b)      What are the management and other responsibilities of the learn ?

c)      How are goals and procedures detremined ?

d)     Who revies the progress of the project and the performance of its members ?

e)      What experience do members of the team have ?

f)       How do members of the team regard each other ?

g)      What resources do they have available and what budget to acquire needed resources ?

h)      What is the time frame of the project ? Is it realistic, or is more or less time needed ?

Institutional Factors

A language teaching program is usually delivered in an institution such as a university, school  or a language institute. Different institutions create their own culture, that is setting where people emerge for communication, decision making, role relation and conducts

A teaching institutions is a collection of teachers, groups and departments, sometimes working in unison, sometimes with different components functioning independently, or sometimes in a  confrontational  relationship.

Institutions has also their own way of doing things. In some institutions textbooks are the core of the curriculum and all teachers must use the prescribed texts. In other institutions teacher work from course guidelines and supplement them as they see fit, Institutions also differ in the level of their professionalism.

Teacher Factors

Teachers are the key factor in the successful implementation of curriculum changes. Exceptional teacher can often compensate for the poor quality resources and materials they have to work from but inadequately trained teacher might not be able to make effective material no matter how well designed those material are. Teacher may vary according to the following dimensions:

1. Language proficiency
2. Teaching expertise
3. Skills and expertise
4. Training and qualifications
5. Morale and motivation
6. Teaching styles
7. Belief and principles

       Learner Factors

Learners or students achievements are indicators whether the curriculum is successful or not, because to the students is the curriculum implemented. Based on the students’ success, the curriculum is evaluated. Therefore, it is essential to collect as much information as possible about students before the project begins.

There are some kinds of curriculum, say teacher-centered and student-centered curriculum. Most curriculums used in Indonesia is student-centered curriculum. In developing this curriculum, the developer (whether it is administrative model or grass-root model) should considers students’ backgrounds, expectations, beliefs, and preferred learning styles.

The followings are the relevant learner factors :

1. The learner's experience in learning English

2. The learner's motivation to learn English

3. The learner's expectation about the program

4. The learner's point of view on language teaching reflects any culturally specific factor

5. The learner's kind of group learning

Learners may affect the outcomes of a project in unexpected ways.

Adoption Factors

Adoption factors are factors which exist when the curriculum is adopted by teachers. It is closely related to the teachers factors explained above. When the curriculum is offered to the teachers, by considering the changes in the curriculum, some teachers may be ready to accept the changes while others might resist it, because the changes in the curriculum perhaps affect the teachers’ beliefs and their principles in teaching students.

A language teaching approach that requires teachers to adopt new rules in the classroom, such as needs analyst, resource person, and language tutor, might not be compatible with learners' expectations for the role of teachers. The complexity and clarity of a curriculum change might also be crucial in its successful adoption. Compare the following pairs of items, for example, and consider which would be easier to explain to a group of teachers:

·         Computer-based learning versus cooperative learning

·         Communicative pair work versus consciousness-raising activities

·         A functional syllabus versus a task-based syllabus

·         A product syllabus versus a process syllabus

·         A content-based curriculum versus a negotiated curriculum

·         Audiolingualism versus the natural approach

·         The structural approach versus communicative language teaching

Profiling the factors identified the situation analysis

The goal of profiling the factors identified the situation analysis:

Identify key factors that might positively or negatively affect the implementation of a curriculum plan. SWOT analysis : Internal strengths and weaknesses, external opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique that provides assessment tools. Identifying core strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats lead to fact-based analysis, fresh perspectives and new ideas. SWOT analysis works best when diverse groups or voices within an organization are free to provide realistic data points rather than prescribed messaging.

Question

How to  steps in situation analysis?