Do English Textbooks Deliver? A Critical Analysis of Exercise Design and Expected Learning Outcomes in Punjab’s Intermediate English Textbook 1

Abstract

This study critically examines the alignment between the exercises of English Book 1, prescribed at the intermediate level in Punjab, Pakistan, and the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) outlined in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) English curriculum (2006). A mixed-method content analysis was employed, integrating qualitative evaluation of exercise design with quantitative frequency mapping to assess the extent to which textbook activities support intended learning outcomes across reading, writing, listening, speaking, and grammar domains. All pedagogical exercises drawn from the fifteen short stories of Book 1 were analyzed using a dual analytical framework comprising HEC SLO categories and the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. The findings reveal a moderate overall alignment (63%), with strong correspondence in reading comprehension and grammar exercises, but notably weak representation of listening and speaking skills. Moreover, most activities predominantly target lower-order cognitive processes such as remembering and understanding, while higher-order skills—analysis, evaluation, and creation—remain marginal. Although selected lessons demonstrate potential for reflective and moral engagement, the overall exercise design remains largely text-bound and examination-oriented. The study concludes that while English Book 1 partially fulfills the competency-based vision of the HEC framework by reinforcing structural and receptive skills, it falls short of fostering communicative competence and higher-order thinking. The paper recommends systematic restructuring of textbook exercises to ensure balanced skill integration, inclusion of authentic communicative tasks, and sustained coordination between curriculum authorities, textbook boards, and classroom practitioners.