Name : Dewi Abidah

NIM : 3120180054
Study Program : PBI
Subject : ESP

Refiew of related studies.

Analysis of requirement definition is something that caused controversy because of
linguists in the field of ESP have not agreed on a definition of the term 'need' itself.
Richard was quoted as saying in Al-Harby, argued that the definition of 'need' rely on
the perception of the person making the assessment. Teachers, students, administrators,
staff, parents and stakeholders may have different views about what 'need' it. Nunan
needs analysis as defined by the information gathering process when he referred to as a
needs analysis "techniques and procedures for collecting information to be used in the
design of the syllabus '' Thus, the needs analysis is a prerequisite for any design courses
ESP / EAP to achieve effective results and instructional and to convey the appropriate
input.
Why Need Analysis?
Needs analysis is recommended in English language teaching, in general, and in
teaching ESP and EAP in particular. Richards and Nunan (1994) state that needs
analysis has many objectives in teaching English as:
- Provides a means to obtain broader input into the content, design, and implementation
of the language program.
- Can be used in developing and setting goals, objectives and content of programs.
- to provide data to review and evaluate existing programs.
Studies on Needs Analysis in the Arab World
Zoghoul & Hussein conducted studies in Jordan on the language requirements of
undergraduate students from various disciplines such as natural sciences, engineering,
medical science, economics, administrative sciences, and arts and humanities. This
study examines the perceptions of students and staff members. The findings indicated
that students overestimate their language skills, whereas faculty members provide more
realistic assessments of students' abilities. This study also focused on language needs
rather than other needs that the ESP model strongly encourages and considers. This
study was also limited to student and staff perceptions rather than investigating their
actual needs. Remache conducted research aimed at diagnosing the English competency
and communicative needs of postgraduate students studying at an ESP center in Algeria.
It also seeks to identify teaching and learning problems faced by teachers and students.
Finally, a proposal was developed for a Special Purpose English course based on the
research findings. . Kuesioner digunakan untuk menganalisis kebutuhan siswa dan guru
bahasa. Hasilnya digunakan untuk merancang silabus yang efektif untuk digunakan di
semua pusat ESP. Namun, penelitian itu hanya terbatas pada kebutuhan
komunikatif. As'Seyabi melakukan studi analisis kebutuhan yang bertujuan untuk
mengidentifikasi persepsi siswa tentang kebutuhan bahasa Inggris mereka terkait dan
masalah sains dan pendidikan sains di Universitas Sultan Qaboos . Pesertanya 164
mahasiswa dan 54 dosen dari Fakultas MIPA. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah
observasi, wawancara dan angket. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa siswa sains
mempersepsikan kebutuhan belajar sebagai yang paling bermasalah, diikuti oleh
kebutuhan komunikatif dan terakhir oleh kebutuhan linguistik. Anggota fakultas, di sisi
lain, menunjukkan bahwa kebutuhan komunikatif adalah yang paling
bermasalah, diikuti oleh linguistik dan terakhir oleh kebutuhan belajar. Studi ini
menyarankan perlunya mengevaluasi program ESP saat ini di SQU dan menyelesaikan
kesulitan yang dihadapi oleh siswa. However, in the same context, Al-Busaidi
conducted a needs analysis study to investigate the academic needs of EFL students,
Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman. This study followed a triangulation
approach for data collection. The tools used were interviews, email dialogues, and
questionnaires. The participants are faculty members of college and language programs
as well as undergraduate students at SQU. This study aims to identify effective program
practices in meeting the needs of students. The results showed that students generally
had different perceptions about the intensive program. The findings indicate that there
are several objectives with the intensive program curriculum and the academic needs of
learners. The study suggests that to make programs more effective and responsive to the
needs of learners, a hybrid content-based curriculum model should be used to integrate
language courses and colleges. There is also a need for more collaboration between
language centers and subject teachers to raise awareness about the needs of students.
However, this is only limited to academic needs and does not take into account the
learning needs and target students. Pritchard & Nasr conducted a needs analysis study at
the Egyptian College of Technology, to develop materials to help improve the reading
performance of third year engineering students. Needs analysis was conducted to find
out how students and teachers view the required reading skills. The reading program is
developed based on the perceptions and needs of teachers and students. This program
was tested with 66 students to evaluate its effectiveness. The results showed that the
program helped improve students' reading skills. However, the study only focused on
reading skills, and there was no room for other skills. Methodologically, only a
questionnaire was used to collect data, and neither administrators nor teachers were
involved in the investigation.
Results and Discussion
The questionnaire was designed to obtain respondents' perceptions of the importance of
needs analysis as a fundamental step in the production of effective ESP materials. The
analysis revealed interesting findings as shown below. When respondents were asked
their views regarding the importance of needs analysis in ESP materials in Oman, the
majority reported that needs analysis was 'very important', stating that it was 'somewhat
important', while only respondents considered it 'not very important'. Such results
suggest that needs analysis is highly valued by English teachers in the context of ESP.

Figure 1 above reveals another interesting finding because none of the respondents were
deemed insignificant for ESP practice. It can be argued that teachers' expectations about
needs analysis in the context of ESP should be encouraged and motivated to ensure that
learning outcomes match the requirements and conditions of the labor market. On the
other hand, the respondent's perception of the importance of needs.
Figure 2 Item (2) in the questionnaire survey is about the value of investigating the
needs of the job market before designing an ESP course. In this context, respondents
were asked whether they considered the exploration of labor market needs as valuable
for material development. The analysis reveals that (59%), and (33%) believe that
investigating the needs of the labor market is 'very important', and 'somewhat important'
respectively before taking any steps in designing ESP materials. On the other hand,
(7.4%) of respondents think that the needs of the labor market are not important. This
finding is consistent with respondents' overwhelming support (item 1) for the needs
analysis process needs in general (Richards & Nunan, 1994), and Oman in particular
(Al-Busaidi, 2003). Point (3) is designed to investigate teachers 'perceptions to get
students' views and beliefs about their needs. The analysis shows that (46%), and (38%)
respondents believe that getting students' views about their respective needs is' very
important 'and' somewhat important '. Only (7.2%) believed that this step was 'not really
important'. These results indicate that the teacher holds a value for the involvement of
students in the process of needs analysis and material design practice (As'Seyabi, 1995).
Teachers' perceptions about involving other relevant bodies were also explored.
Analysis shows that (25.4%) believe that involving administrators and stakeholders in
the syllabus design process is 'very important'. On the other hand, (47.2%) believed that
it was 'somewhat important' to do, while (22%) argued that it was 'not very important' to
involve administrators and stakeholders in syllabus design. Less significantly, 3
respondents (1.5%) reported that it is 'not important at all' to explore the needs of
administrators and stakeholders for syllabus design. These results indicate the fact that
teachers are less supportive of involving administrators and stakeholders in the material
design process. Point (5) in the questionnaire is designed to test the views of teachers in
investigating the views of language and core subject teachers as part of the syllabus
design process. Interestingly, (65%) believed it was 'very important', and (31%)
believed that it was 'somewhat important', while (4%) saw it as 'not very important' for
exploring views of language and core subjects. teachers while designing the ESP
syllabus. It can be argued that driving needs analysis across disciplines will enable the
ESP syllabus designer to provide appropriate materials that enable best teaching
practices and quality learning as well. In other words, involving all the key players in
the teaching and learning setting is postulated to establish settings for effective learning
that are able to meet the challenges and expectations of the job market.

Analysis of item (6) in the questionnaire reveals that (90%) respondents 'agree' that
needs analysis is an integral part of writing ESP materials, while (6%) are 'unsure' of
their stance. This interesting result reveals the fact that ESP teachers recognize the need
for a needs analysis in the process of writing ESP materials. Correspondingly, the
analysis of item (9) shows the same attitude as (78%) who 'agree' that needs analysis
helps in the effective production of ESP materials. Other respondents (15%) are 'unsure'
about their views. The item analysis (10) revealed that (57%) 'agreed', (3%) 'disagreed',
while (38%) 'did not believe' that all ESP materials should be driven by needs analysis.
It should be noted that respondents expressed mixed views on the idea that all ESP
materials must be responsive to needs as a condition for their effectiveness. This might
be interpreted as a teacher's preference for more flexible materials and syllabi. Point
(11) is designed to investigate teachers' views on the role of needs analysis in writing
ESP materials. The analysis revealed results consistent with respondents' responses to
items (1, 6, & 9) because (82%) 'agreed' that needs analysis allows the production of
effective ESP material, while (11%) 'disagreed', and (9%) ) 'not sure'. Respondent's
support for the needs analysis role indicates teacher interest in the material more driven
by needs. Analysis of items (12) revealed that (26%) 'agreed', and (58%) 'not convinced'
that needs analysis is the only way to help produce effective ESP materials. On the other
hand, (43%) 'disagree' with the statement, suggesting that alternatives to needs analysis
should also be sought in designing ESP-based materials. This result contradicts the
respondent's supportive response to needs analysis (items 1, 6, 9, &11). Respondents
appear to have a two-sided view with regard to role needs analysis in ESP practice.

Conclusion

This study is an attempt to explore the views of ESP practitioners on the importance of
needs analysis in Oman in general and in the context of teacher teaching in particular.
The analysis of the questionnaire shows interesting results related to the problem under
investigation. These findings support the literature that calls for more responsive ESP
materials to needs. Thus, there is an urgent need to consider a needs analysis in the
production of ESP materials in the Arab world in general and in Oman in particular.
This may help to bridge the gap between learning outcomes and the job market
'frustration' of graduates' poor communicative skills. In this context, the encouraging
needs analysis is very important for the aspirations of higher education institutions to
prepare qualified students who are equipped with academic and non-academic skills. In
addition, ESP teachers need to have a consistent and clear understanding of needs
analysis, the partners to engage with, and the importance of applying it in their teaching
context.