ENVIRONMENT

ANALYSIS
Nia Pujiawati
Content

Environment Analysis

Environment Constraints

Understanding the Constraints

The Constraints of Time

Steps in Environment Analysis

Environment Analysis

The aim of this part of the curriculum design process

is to find the situational factors that will strongly
affect the course.

Environment analysis (Tessmer, 1990) involves

looking at the factors that will have a strong effect
on decisions about:
• the goals of the course,

• what to include in the course,

• and how to teach and assess it.

 Environment analysis is also called “situation analysis” or “constraints analysis”. A
constraint can be positive in curriculum design.

For example, a constraint could be that the teachers are all very highly trained and are
able and willing to make their own class activities. This would have a major effect on
curriculum design as much of the format and presentation work could be left to the
teachers.

 Environment analysis is an important part of curriculum design because at its

most basic level it ensures that the course will be usable.

 For example, if the level of training of the teachers is very low and is not taken into
account, it might happen that the teachers are unable to handle the activities in the
course.

 Similarly, if the course material is too expensive or requires technology and copying
facilities that are not available, the course may be unusable.
 Whether the course will still be useful if the factor is not taken into
account

How large and pervasive the effect of the factor is on the course.
Environment Constraints
General Constraints Particular Constraints Effect of Curriculum
Design
Do they need English for
❶ Will they use English for a wide ❶ Set general purpose
a special purpose?
range of purposes? goals.
❷ Do they expect to learn certain
things from the course? ❷Include expected material.
❸ Do they have expectations
about what the course will be ❸ Allow learners to
like? negotiate the nature of
the course.
Do they have ❶ Are they interested in learning ❶ Use highly motivating
preferred ways of English? activities.
learning? ❷ Do they have to learn English?
❸ Can they attend class ❷ Include relevant topics.
regularly? ❸ Recycle activities.
❹ Use a spiral curriculum.
 General Constraints Particular Constraints Effect of Curriculum
Design
Do they have time for ❶ Can the course include ❶ Provide homework
preparation and marking? homework? activities.
❷ Can the course include ❷ Provide answer keys.
work which has to be
marked?
 General Particular Constraints
Constraints
Are there enough ❶ Can material be
resources? photocopied?
❷ Can each learner have a
copy of the course book?
❸ Is there plenty of
supplementary material?
❹ Are tape recorders, etc.
available?
Is it worth developing ❶ Do learners meet English
the course? outside class?
Effect of Curriculum Design
❶ Provide individualized
material.
❷ Use teacher-focused
material
❸ Match the content to
available supplementary
material
❹ Develop audio and video
taped material
❶ Provide contact with a large
amount of English in
Sometimes it is necessary to
consider wider aspects of the
situation when carrying out
an environment analysis.
There may, for example, be
institutional or government
policies requiring the use of
the target language in
schools, or there may be
negative attitudes towards
the target language among
learners in post-colonial
societies.
Understanding the Constraints

It is necessary to examine the nature of the constraint in the environment

you are working in, and to examine previous research on the constraint.
 There has been considerable research on and examination of teaching large
classes. This research has looked at the relative merits of group work and
teacher-centred activities, the effect of class size on learning, and
individualisation.
 There have been many articles and books on activities and techniques for
large classes, and on the principles of group work.
 Good curriculum design must take account of research and theory so that it
provides the best possible conditions for learning that the state of the art
allows.
The Constraint of Time

• How much class time is available

Environment • How much time should be given

to learning
• What the goals of the course are

Research • What could be achieved within

certain time periods

The effect
• Working within the constraint
• Overcoming the constraint
Steps in Environment Analysis

• Brainstorm and consider the environment factors affecting the course

Step 1

• Choose the most important factors, rank them, putting the most
Step 2 important first

• Decide what information needed to take account of the factor

Step 3

• Consider the effects of each factor on the design of the course

Step 4

• Go through steps 1,2,3, and 4 again

Step 5