The Representation of Global Issues in Taiwanese Elementary School Science Textbooks

Abstract

In today’s heavily science-dependent global society, science education should be the key to learners more fully grasping global issues. A content analysis of 24 elementary school science textbooks in Taiwan was undertaken to examine how global issues were represented. The results revealed that about half of the content was related to global issues, yet it was limited to the conventional subject knowledge of science. Most of the related units covered environmental sustainability and global systems. Multiculturalism and human rights, social justice, and conflict prevention were seldom mentioned and lacked intellectual depth. In the temporal dimension, global issues in the related units were mainly presented as existing in the present period, while there was less emphasis placed on the future or the past. Regarding the spatial dimensions, global issues in the related units were mainly presented in the classroom and family contexts, rather than in the broader social or global context. To prepare our students for an inclusive and sustainable world, science textbooks should adopt a broader perspective to include more underrepresented global issues and expand the temporal and spatial dimensions to facilitate students’ future thinking and public engagement. This study is the first step toward this goal with practical suggestions for front-line teachers and teacher trainers, and for developing science education materials that better represent global issues.