Readability Analyses of Integrated Science Textbooks for Junior High Schools in Ghana

Abstract

This study investigated the readability levels of some integrated science textbooks approved for use in junior high schools (JHS) in Ghana. To assess the readability levels of the approved integrated science textbooks in order to ascertain their difficulty or ease, the researchers used the Flesch Readability Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Readability Formulas Cloze Test to determine the comprehension levels for a sample of students. A sample of 135 pupils, drawn from rural, peri-urban and urban JHS years 1 through 3 in the Ashanti region participated in the study. The outcome of the assessments revealed that the selected textbooks had a problematic level of comprehension for many of their intended readership except those who had additional resources for assistance. The study also revealed that these approved books employed long sentences and multi-syllabic words to deliver lessons and instructions, making them difficult for JHS pupils to understand.