Life Science Textbooks Research Articles

Exploring the Perpetuation and Disruption of Gendered, Racial, and Working Style Stereotypes in U.S. Life Science Textbooks

Exploring the Perpetuation and Disruption of Gendered, Racial, and Working Style Stereotypes in U.S. Life Science Textbooks

Examination of Primary School Turkish, Life Science and Social Studies Textbooks in Terms of Cultural Heritage Elements

Çalışmada, ilkokul Türkçe, Hayat Bilgisi ve Sosyal Bilgiler ders kitaplarında bulunan kültürel miras unsurlarının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden doküman incelemesi kullanılmıştır. Veri kaynağı olarak ölçüt örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen ve 2020-2021 Eğitim-Öğretim yılında okutulan Türkçe ve Hayat Bilgisi 3. sınıf ile Türkçe ve Sosyal Bilgiler 4. sınıf ders kitapları seçilmiştir. Araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan “Kültürel Miras Unsurları İnceleme Formu” ile veri kaynakları incelenmiş ve veriler betimsel analiz ile analiz edilmiştir. Analizler sonucunda, ilkokul Türkçe ve Hayat Bilgisi 3. sınıf ile Türkçe ve Sosyal Bilgiler 4. sınıf ders kitaplarında bulunan kültürel miras unsurlarından en çok sözlü gelenekler ve anlatımlara yer verildiği görülmektedir. Ayrıca Türkçe 3 ve 4. sınıf ders kitaplarında kültürel miras unsurları ile ilgili metinlerin görsellerle ve etkinliklerle desteklendiği tespit edilmiştir. İlkokul Hayat Bilgisi 3. sınıf ders kitabında kültürel miras unsurlarının daha çok metin ve görsellerde vurgulandığı görülmesine rağmen, Sosyal Bilgiler 4. sınıf ders kitabında daha çok metinlerle vurgulandığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

INVESTIGATING MOROCCAN TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS AND CURRICULUM

This study provides insights into Moroccan Life and Earth Science teachers’ perspectives on the alignment of textbooks with the curriculum in middle and high schools. The study aims to explore teachers’ views on the effectiveness of Life and Earth Science textbooks in aligning with content, skills, culture, and textbook functions. Data were collected from 243 Life and Earth Science teachers using a survey instrument with 37 Likert-scale items. Results indicate that while teachers hold positive views on the alignment of textbooks with content and skills-based curricula, there is a need for improvement in the cultural aspect. Additionally, the study finds that educational stage and the language of instruction significantly affect teachers’ perspectives. To improve the quality and effectiveness of Life and Earth Science education, the study emphasizes the importance of considering the alignment between curriculum and textbooks, as well as educational stage and language of instruction, in their development and use. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the alignment of Life and Earth Science textbooks with the curriculum in Moroccan middle and high schools. These findings can help publishers, curriculum developers, and teachers in improving the effectiveness and relevance of Life and Earth Science education for Moroccan learners. Keywords: Teachers’ Perspectives, Textbooks, Curriculum Alignment, Life and Earth Sciences DOI： https://doi.org/10.35741/issn.0258-2724.58.3.47

The image of women in the life science textbooks

The aim of this research is to examine the image of women in the life science textbooks of the early republican period. In this study, the answer to the question “Are there differences in terms of gender roles in the texts and images of life science textbooks in Turkey” will be sought. For this purpose, the life knowledge textbooks that have been taught in primary schools will be analyzed. The textbooks carry the social, political, economic, and cultural characteristics of the period in which they were written. The textbooks prepared according to the curriculum, which serve the ideological and cultural reproduction of society as a set of knowledge and values, are one of the most important tools by which norms and fictions related to gender roles are transmitted. Therefore, the analysis of textbooks is important for deciphering the explicit and implicit messages conveyed about the concept of gender. The main reason for choosing this textbook is that the content of the life science textbook consists of topics that directly affect the process of socialization of the individual and their perception of gender. This study has a qualitative research pattern. The data will be collected through document review and analyzed using content analysis. Document analysis is a qualitative research method that is used to analyze the content of written documents rigorously and systematically; and is a systematic method used to examine and evaluate all documents, including printed and electronic materials. Content analysis covers texts such as oral statements, explanations, written books, magazines, novels, story archives, and nonverbal constructions. The basic process of content analysis is to collect similar data under certain themes and interpret these data by editing them in a way that the reader can understand. Extended English summary is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file. Özet Bu araştırmanın amacı hayat bilgisi ders kitaplarında kadın imgesini incelemektir. Bu çalışmada, “Türkiye’de hayat bilgisi ders kitaplarının metinlerinde ve görsellerinde kadın/erkek imajında toplumsal cinsiyet rolleri açısından farklılıklar var mıdır” sorusuna cevap aranacaktır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, ilkokullarda okutulmuş olan hayat bilgisi ders kitapları analiz edilecektir. Ders kitapları, yazılmış oldukları dönemin sosyal, siyasal, ekonomik ve kültürel özelliklerini de taşırlar. Bilgi ve değerler seti olarak toplumun ideolojik ve kültürel yeniden üretimine hizmet eden müfredata göre hazırlanan ders kitapları toplumsal cinsiyet rolleri ile ilgili normların ve kurguların aktarıldığı en önemli araçlardan biridir. Bu nedenle, ders kitaplarının analizi toplumsal cinsiyet kavramı konusunda aktarılan açık ve örtük mesajları deşifre etmek açısından önemlidir. Bu ders kitabının seçilmesindeki temel neden, hayat bilgisi ders kitabının içeriğinin, bireyin toplumsallaşma sürecini ve cinsiyet algısını doğrudan etkileyen konulardan meydana gelmesidir. Bu çalışma nitel bir araştırma desenine sahiptir. Veriler doküman incelemesi yoluyla toplanacak ve içerik analizi kullanılarak çözümlenecektir. Doküman analizi, yazılı belgelerin içeriğini titizlikle ve sistematik olarak analiz etmek için kullanılan bir nitel araştırma yöntemidir. Doküman analizi, basılı ve elektronik materyaller olmak üzere tüm belgeleri incelemek ve değerlendirmek için kullanılan sistemli bir yöntemdir. İçerik analizi, dille inşa edilen sözlü beyanlar, açıklamalar, yazılı kitap, dergi, roman, hikâye arşiv ve sözsüz yapılar gibi metinleri konu edinir. İçerik analizinde temel işlem birbirine benzer verileri belirli temalar altında toplayarak bu verileri okuyucunun anlayabileceği biçimde düzenleyerek yorumlamaktır.

Examination of Life Science Textbooks in Terms of Childhood Injuries

Examination of Life Science Textbooks in Terms of Childhood Injuries

Spatial supports for comparison in educational science images

Images, such as photographs and diagrams, play an important role in the teaching and learning of science. To optimize student learning, educational science images should be designed to facilitate the cognitive processes relevant to comprehension. One such process is comparison, which involves aligning multiple representations on the basis of their common relational structure. This structural alignment process can be facilitated by cognitive supports that are inherent to an image, including its spatial layout. Yet, little is known about the extent to which students must engage in comparison to learn from science images, and whether widely-used educational materials are conducive to structural alignment. To address these issues, we sampled multiple chapters from each of three popular U.S. middle school life science textbooks. We coded each image for the presence of prompts for comparison using cues within the images and surrounding text. For each image that prompted comparison, we coded whether its layout facilitated relevant structural alignment (direct placement of matched pairs) or obscured alignment (impeded placement). Overall, we found that comparisons were prompted for more than a third of the images. However, fewer than half of the images that required comparison had a spatial layout that provided strong support for comparison—that is, direct placement of matched objects/parts. We propose that, in concert with other cognitive supports for learning from multiple representations, spatial supports for comparison could be applied broadly to increase the effectiveness of educational science images.

The Development of Human Rights and Responsibilities in The Republic Period Primary School Life Science Textbooks

Bu araştırmanın amacı, cumhuriyetin kuruluşundan günümüze 
 kadar, ilkokul Hayat Bilgisi ders kitaplarındaki insan hak 
 sorumluluklarının yer alışını incelemektir. Bunun için ilkokul 3. sınıf 
 Hayat Bilgisi ders kitapları odaklanılmıştır. Amaçlı örnekleme tekniği 
 ile her on yıldan bir ya da iki kitap seçilmiştir. Araştırmada nitel 
 araştırma yöntemlerinden doküman analizi kullanılmıştır. 
 Araştırmadan elde edilen veriler içerik analizi ve betimsel analize tabi 
 tutulmuştur. Araştırmadan elde edilen verilere göre, 1930-1950 yılları 
 arası ders kitaplarında millileşme vurgusu ön planlandadır. 1960’lı 
 yıllarda insan hak ve sorumluluklarının oldukça sınırlı sunulduğu 
 görülmüştür. 1970’li yıllardan sonra insan hak ve sorumlulukları 
 bağlamında bir ilerleme olmuştur. Ancak daha çok itaatkâr vatandaş 
 modeli benimsenmiştir. Bu durum ders kitaplarında 1980’lere kadar 
 sürmüştür. 1982 Anayasasının etkisiyle ders kitaplarında insan 
 hakları, önceki yıllara göre önemli bir gelişme göstermiştir. Ancak asıl 
 iyileşme 2000’li yıllarda meydana gelmiştir. Bu gelişme, özellikle hak 
 ve sorumlulukların çeşitliliği bakımından yaşanmıştır. Bunlardan öne 
 çıkan iki kavram “özel hayatın gizliliği” ve “adil yargılanma”dır. 
 Sonuç olarak Türkiye’de, eğitim aracılığıyla dönemin düşünce 
 yapısına uygun vatandaş yetiştirmek amaç edinilmiştir. Vatandaşlık 
 eğitimini de konu edinen Hayat Bilgisi ders kitaplarının, dönemlerin 
 zihniyeti ve güncel sorunlarından etkilendiği söylenebilir.

Intertextuality in science textbooks: implications for diverse students’ learning

ABSTRACT A sociocultural perspective considers science textbooks as ‘cultural supportive tools’ with significant cultural missions. By juxtaposing symbolic, mathematical, and visual-graphical text, textbooks present the intertexts deployed by the scientific community to convey conceptual understandings in a way that no one form can. Intertextuality entails two aspects: bridging everyday knowledge with science knowledge, and intertextual links among the different modalities and representations. The aim of this research is to develop and utilise an analytic framework for analysing how intertextual relationships in science textbooks support diverse students’ learning. The framework was utilised to discern levels of intertextuality, types of content, and quality of scaffolds in a selection from grade 8 life and physical science textbooks. Intertextuality as the ensemble of different forms of text that ‘complement’ each other for conceptual learning was evident. However, these forms and representations were not explicitly connected to develop students’ competence in navigating the various modalities. Moreover, the science text displayed limited opportunities for eliciting events in students’ lives and for leveraging students’ knowledge to develop scientific explanations and disciplinary language. Findings are discussed in relation to the textbooks’ affordances for providing ‘hybrid spaces’ for students to coordinate and synthesise multiple representations and modalities for deep understandings.

Life Science Curriculum and Textbooks: The Comparison of Turkey and Russia

This study aimed to investigate the similarities and differences between curriculum and textbook contents of Life Sciences course in Turkey and World Around course in Russia. To that end, curriculum and textbooks of Life Sciences and World Around in effect in both countries in the academic year of 2019-2020 were examined. In the present study, using the intertwined single-case design of qualitative research designs, document review was opted for as the measure. The data achieved were subjected to descriptive content analysis. Codes, categories and themes utilized in the analysis of curriculum and textbooks were shaped in accordance with the contents of curriculum and textbooks in light of similar studies in the literature. Main features of the curriculum and textbooks and how subjects were presented were examined within the framework of activity and assessment practices. Turkish and Russian Life Sciences Curriculum and textbooks were similar overall but had some differences concerning content. Consequently, it was concluded that it would be more relevant to integrate certain activities and methods that would bring the students closer to real life into the Turkish Life Sciences textbooks.

Learning Progression: How should we teach about disease to determine students’ level of understanding?

Strengthening Learning Progression (LP) for students' reasoning abilities is important, especially learning about diseases in Indonesia. This study aimed to map the learning progression of disease in Indonesia, compare and analyze its similarities and differences with the LP designed by National Reseaarch Council (NRC). This qualitative research to map LP, using the analysis documen method by comparing the content analysis of Basic Competencies of Curriculum 13 with benchmark analysis from the NRC 2007 on Science and Biology textbooks published in 2016, 2017, and 2018 at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels published by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. The findings are the LP on disease in the curriculum and life science textbooks in Indonesia has not met the benchmarks, especially in three categories, namely; pathogens, the immune system, and infection spanning learning from K-2 (elementary) to K-12 (high school). Therefore, it is necessary to categorize LP topics in diseases based on conceptual abilities from the simplest to the most complex.

Analysis of Thinking Skills Targeted for Development by Activities in Life Science Textbooks

Analysis of Thinking Skills Targeted for Development by Activities in Life Science Textbooks

SINIF EĞİTİMİNDE HAYAT BİLGİSİ VE SOSYAL BİLGİLER DERS KİTABI İÇERİSİNDE YER ALAN TARİH KONULARININ İNCELENMESİ

Sınıf eğitiminde hayat bilgisi ve sosyal bilgiler öğretim programı ve ders kitapları içerisinde yer alan tarih disiplini ile ilgili konu ve kazanımların incelenmesinin amaçlandığı bu araştırmada, sınıf eğitiminde yer alan hayat bilgisi ve sosyal bilgiler öğretim programları, hayat bilgisi ders kitapları (1, 2 ve 3. sınıf) ve sosyal bilgiler ders kitabı (4. sınıf) incelenmiştir. Araştırmada yöntem olarak tarama modeli içerisinde yer alan literatür taraması/döküman incelemesi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Tarama sonucunda elde edilen dökümanlar betimsel analiz yöntemine dayalı olarak çözümlenmiştir. Araştırmanın sonuçları genel olarak değerlendirildiğinde, tarih konularının öğretimine ilkokul düzeyinde hayat bilgisi ve sosyal bilgiler dersi içerisinde yer verildiği fakat ilk hayat bilgisi dersinde toplam kazanım sayısına göre tarih konularının az olduğu görülmüştür. Tarih disiplini ile ilgili programlarda ve ders kitaplarında sınıf düzeyleri artıkça kazanım ve konu içeriklerinin faklılaştığı fakat konu isimlerinin benzer olduğu görülmüştür. Ayrıca hayat bilgisi öğretim programında konu ve içerik ile ilgili görselerin, öğrenciler için yeterli düzeyde açıklayıcı ve bilgilendirici olmadığını da söylemek mümkündür.

Examination of Life Science Textbooks in Terms of Key Competencies

Bu calismada Hayat Bilgisi ders kitaplarinin Turkiye yeterlilikler cercevesinde yer alan anahtar yetkinlikler acisindan incelenmesi amaclanmistir. Bu kapsamda ‘Anadilde iletisim’, ‘Yabanci dillerde iletisim’, ‘Matematiksel yetkinlik ve bilim/teknolojide temel yetkinlikler’, ‘Dijital yetkinlik’, ‘Ogrenmeyi ogrenme’, Sosyal ve vatandaslikla ilgili yetkinlikler’, ‘Insiyatif alma ve girisimcilik’, ‘Kulturel farkindalik ve ifade’ olmak uzere toplam sekiz anahtar yetkinlik arastirmada incelenmek uzere temel alinmistir. Bu sekiz anahtar yetkinlik sinif duzeylerine ve unitelere gore taranarak incelenmistir. Arastirma nitel arastirma modeli kapsaminda durum calismasi yontemi ile gerceklestirilmistir. Calismada kolay ulasilabilir durum ornekleme yontemi kullanilmistir. 2018-2019 egitim ogretim yilinda ilkokullarda okutulmakta olan Talim Terbiye Kurulu Baskanligi tarafindan onaylanmis ve 1., 2. ve 3. sinif hayat bilgisi ders kitaplari anahtar yetkinlikler acisindan taranmistir. Arastirma verilerinden elde edilen bulgulara gore tum siniflar bazinda en fazla ucuncu sinif hayat bilgisi ders kitabinda Turkiye yeterlikler cercevesinde yer alan anahtar yetkinliklerden ‘Sosyal ve vatandaslikla ilgili yetkinlikler’e yer verildigi gorulmustur. Yine ‘Anadilde iletisim’ yetkinligine ve ‘Matematiksel yetkinlik ve bilim/ teknolojide temel yetkinlikler’e tum sinif duzeylerinde yuksek oranda yer verildigi bulgusuna ulasilmistir. Buna karsin ‘Yabanci dillerde iletisim’ ve ‘Dijital yetkinlikler’e ise tum sinif duzeylerindeki kitaplarda dusuk oranda yer verildigi tespit edilmistir. Arastirma bulgularina dayali olarak Hayat Bilgisi dersi ogretim programlarinin hazirlayicilarina, ogretmenlerine ve arastirmacilara yonelik onerilerde bulunulmustur.

Investigation of Primary School Textbooks and Cognitive Structures of Students in the Context of Thinking Skills Concepts

In this study, it is aimed to examine the frequency of thinking skills concepts (problem solving, creative thinking and critical thinking) in primary school textbooks and the cognitive structures of primary school 4th grade students towards these concepts. Descriptive survey method was used in the study. Research data were collected by document analysis and word association test. In the document analysis process; life science, Turkish, mathematics, music, science, social sciences and traffic safety textbooks that were used in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades were examined. In the second stage, in the 2018-2019 academic year, the word association test was applied to 325 students studying in the 4th class in schools having different socioeconomic status. At the end of the research, it is seen that the concept of problem was mostly used in mathematics course, whereas in other textbooks this concept was limited in number. The concepts of creativity and criticism were used in a limited number of all textbooks. As a result of the word association test, it is concluded that the students associate the concept of problem solving with mathematics concepts and they create a weak cognitive structure for the concepts of creative thinking and critical thinking.

Analysis of Gaze Fixation at the Heading Positions of Column Shown in the Table of Life Science Textbooks

Analysis of Gaze Fixation at the Heading Positions of Column Shown in the Table of Life Science Textbooks

2009 개정과 2015 개정 교육과정에 따른 생명과학 I 교과서의 탐구활동 비교

In this study, the inquiry activities in Life Science I textbooks according to the 2009 revised and 2015 revised science curriculum were analysed in terms of frequency, type, skills, and scientific and engineering practices. The results of the study are as follows. First, the frequency of inquiry activity increased in the 2015 revised Life Science I textbooks. Second, the most common type was ‘Thinking’ in both the 2015 revised and the 2009 revised Life Science I textbooks. However, the rate of ‘Simulation activity’, ‘Investigation, Discussion, Debate’ and ‘Expressing’ increased. Third, there were many ‘Interpretation of data’ and ‘Inferring’ in the 2015 revised and 2009 revised Life Science textbooks, and there was no ‘Problem recognition’. Fourth, there were many ‘Analyzing and interpreting data’ and ‘Constructing explanations and designing solutions’. However, ‘Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information’ increased greatly, ‘Developing and using models’, ‘Using mathematics and computational thinking’ and ‘Engaging in argument from evidence’ increased in the 2015 revised Life Science I textbooks. And ‘Questioning and problem definition’ was not addressed. Finally, the frequency of inquiry activities, the number of inquiry skills and scientific and engineering practices differed according to the publishers. In conclusion, a variety of inquiry activities should be presented and various inquiry skills and practices are emphasized.

Network structure between concepts of units in the 2009 revised life science curriculum and science textbooks

Network structure between concepts of units in the 2009 revised life science curriculum and science textbooks

Investigation of Texts and Images in Life Science Textbooks in Terms of Values

In this research, it was aimed to examine of primary school 3rd grade Life Science textbooks’ texts and visuals of a private publishing firm, which was used in 2016-2017 education year, in terms of value education. Qualitative research methods in the research were carried out in the analytical research design and the data were collected through the documents consisting of the textbooks. In the analysis of the data, content analysis method was taken as basis. A “Value Inspection Form” was prepared by the researcher in accordance with the definitions of Turkish National Education. The situation of the 20 values in textbooks which are aimed to be given to the students in the 3rd grade life science curriculum was investigated by using the prepared “Value Assesent Form”. First, the value expressions in the texts are determined. Then, those carrying the aim of value education from visual expressions have been identified. These data was obtained from text and pictures then coded and classified. The analysis process was done by using NVivo 10 software program. According to the results of the study, it was seen that the most value in the textbook was “Love” and the least value was “Hospitality”. In the texts and images of the Life Science lesson books, it is necessary to make arrangements with more emphasis on the values that students find little such as “patience”, “scientificness”, “love of nature”, “aesthetics” and “hospitality”.

Analysis of Analogies of High School Life Science Textbooks in 2009 Revised Science Curriculum-Focusing on Genetics Field-

Analysis of Analogies of High School Life Science Textbooks in 2009 Revised Science Curriculum-Focusing on Genetics Field-

An Analysis of Illustrations in the Unit ‘The Human in the Nature’ of High School Life Science Textbooks

Illustrations in text books are the most influential material to students. So we have to analyze illustrations in text books. In this study, the number, sort, purposes of illustrations in the Unit ‘The Human in the nature’ of highschool Life Science textbooks was analyzed. The sort consists of ‘photograph (49.3 %)’ and many of ‘drawings’ and ‘graphs’. The main purpose of illustrations is for ‘providing materials 2’, followed by ‘motivation’, ‘providing materials 1’. According to the analysis of the purpose depending on the sort, ‘photograph’ is mainly used for ‘motivation’, ‘providing materials’, other illustrations like ‘drawing’ and ‘graph’ are mainly used for ‘providing materials’. The result of this study was very similar to existing studies, but there are some differences in ‘graph’. The Unit ‘The Human in the nature’ uses more graphs than any other subjects because it contains connections between various factors. For providing understandable and easily usable textbook, we have to increase the number of illustrations used for experiments. And we need more various illustrations that suit the learning situations for 고등학교 생명 과학I 교과서 ‘자연 속의 인간’ 단원 삽화 분석 93 motivating students effectively.