Secondary School Biology Textbooks Research Articles

A semantic classification of nominal technical terms in secondary school biology textbooks.

Nominal technical terms (NTTs), as crucial builders for disciplinary knowledge, can cause difficulties for students. However, previous studies have rarely associated NTTs with disciplinary knowledge construction. Apart from that, scholars of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) have mainly focused on making wordlists for one specific discipline based on corpora rather than on meanings. Moreover, the current categorization of technical terms cannot reveal their role in constructing disciplinary knowledge. Against this backdrop, we carried out a corpus-based study to classify NTTs in secondary school biology textbooks and to unveil the knowledge constructed by different types of those NTTs. As a result, we found that NTTs in those textbooks could fall into five major categories: Thing, Activity, Semiotic, Place, and Time. We also found intra-disciplinary differences in NTT distributions. The lexicogrammatical analysis indicates that the five types of NTTs can construct different knowledge. With the findings, we put forward implications for teaching biology in secondary schools.

Life Skills in Biology Textbook Grade IX: A Qualitative Content Analysis

The current qualitative study focused on integrating 12 core life skills in secondary school Biology textbooks identified in the UNICEF MENA report (2017). The textbook was selected through purposive sampling, which was employed when choosing the textbook. The data analysis was done using qualitative content analysis facilitated through NVivo 14. The analysis revealed specific aspects of critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and participation skills in different activities, questions, and practical work from the textbook analysis. Some concerns were that creativity and communication skills were neglected, although only a few activities were suggested to address these areas. Furthermore, no specific content and activities taught students about cooperation, negotiation, self-management, resilience, respect for human diversity, and empathy. The current study indicates that though the Biology textbook has some specific necessary life skills, there may be a gap in the coverage of the necessary life skills identified by UNICEF. As a result of the present research, it is suggested that textbook content should be matched to fundamental life skills to ensure positive outcomes in students’ everyday lives. The information can be helpful in future textbook writing and updating to enhance the delivery of life skills education in secondary schools.

An Analysis of the Concept of Water in Secondary School Biology Textbooks

As a result of human beings' activities to dominate nature and transform it for their own benefit as they continue to advance in science and technology, environmental problems such as climate change have become the biggest threat faced by the biosphere in the current century. One of the biggest problems of humanity today is the scarcity of water resources. It is important to reveal the meanings attributed to the concept of water in biology textbooks in order to identify and eliminate the deficiencies or gaps between the concepts related to the subject. The main purpose of this study is to analyze how the concept of water is presented in secondary school biology textbooks. In line with this purpose, answers to the following questions were sought: What biological concepts is water associated with in biology textbooks and how often is it used? Under which categories can the concept of water be classified in biology textbooks? In the study, document analysis was conducted on four biology textbooks published by the Ministry of National Education to be taught in high schools in the 2023-2024 academic year. A qualitative methodology based on inductive logic was used to analyze the data. How water is emphasized in biology textbooks was discussed, and categories were developed to conceptualize explanations about water. These categories were: water as a substance in the structure of organisms, water as a habitat for organisms, water as a substance involved in chemical reactions, water as a human health factor, water as an essential requirement for organisms, water as an environmental problem factor and water as a scarcity factor. According to the results of the textbook content analysis, it was seen that the relationships between water and health concepts in the category of water as a human health factor were well structured. In the study, it was seen that the concept of water was presented in accordance with the target achievements in line with the secondary school biology course curriculum and that the key concepts were given literally. However, it was revealed that the concept of water in textbooks should be structured according to the principles of the systems thinking approach.

The role of Ethiopian secondary school biology textbooks for global understanding

This article investigates the role of Ethiopian secondary school (grades 9 to 12) biology textbooks in promoting students' global understanding. This study is grounded on Ethiopia's education policy aims and general education's curriculum framework objectives to prepare globally informed citizens. The study used mainly quantitative content analysis techniques. All pages in the textbooks were used as units of analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the textbooks represented some of the dimensions of global issues and perspectives in varied degrees of integrations, which have a potential to promote students' global understanding to some extent. However, the findings show that the dimensions of global issues and perspectives were not integrated comprehensively in the textbooks. The findings also revealed that there is no independent global education framework in Ethiopian education system, which can serve as standard to evaluate the adequacy of integration in the textbooks. It is proposed that education systems should develop a national global education framework that can serve as a standard for curriculum practitioners.

Nature of Science in Greek Secondary School Biology Textbooks

The nature of science describes what science is, how it works, and its interactions with society under the perspectives of philosophy, history, sociology, and psychology of science. Understanding it is an essential aspect of scientific literacy. Given the critical role that school textbooks hold, considering what is taught and how it is taught in schools, we find the presence of the nature of science in school science textbooks to be significant. In this research paper, all Greek biology textbooks of lower secondary education are analysed to evaluate whether principal elements of the nature of science can be found in them. The whole array of educational resources available (textbooks, workbooks, lab guides, teachers’ books) was analysed as well as the corresponding official biology curricula. Content analysis was the method of choice, and the ‘meaning unit’ was the unit of analysis. We found that most of the nature of science references in the material that students were taught in 2021/22 was implicit and not especially designed by the curriculum. Some nature of science aspects were more commonly found (e.g., evidence is vital in science) than others (e.g., science has limits). The most opportunities for the nature of science to be introduced were found in history of science vignettes, laboratory activities, and some optional inquiry activities. However, without a structured design from the curriculum, it is the teachers’ responsibility to design and facilitate nature of science instruction (or not). We conclude that lacking explicit references, the nature of science falls into the hidden curriculum and becomes falsely depicted, enforcing a positivist image of science.

Analogies used in presenting genetics in senior secondary school biology textbooks in Nigeria

The field of genetics is often believed as a subject or a topic in biology that is difficult to learn and comprehend. The study aimed to identify the analogies used in the presentational format in illustrating genetics in selected biology textbooks in Osun State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised all the nine biology textbooks presently recommended by the Osun State Ministry of Education for implementing the biology curriculum. The study sample comprised six out of the nine recommended biology textbooks in Osun State using a simple random sampling technique. An instrument developed by Curtis and Reigeluth titled Biology Textbook Genetics Analogy (BTGA) was adapted and was used to collect data for the study. The study concluded that verbal analogies, simple analogies, and advance organizer analogies are the predominant analogies used in textbooks. It was also concluded that textbooks should include and balance the ratio of the different types of analogies being used. Keywords: Analogy, Biology Textbook, Genetics, Senior Secondary School, Osun State (Nigeria)

Ortaöğretim Biyoloji Ders Kitaplarında Değerlerin Analizi

In this study, it is aimed to examine the value expressions in secondary school biology textbooks. Accordingly, all texts and visuals in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade biology textbooks were examined, it was determined which root values were conveyed in these textbooks, and the distribution of values conveyed according to subject, unit and grade level were determined. In this research, four books which are accepted as textbooks since the 2018-2019 academic year have been examined. The data were obtained through document examination and analyzed by content analysis method. According to the results obtained, the values in biology textbooks were found to include philanthropy, responsibility and patriotism respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that biology textbooks of secondary education did not contain all ten root values specified in the curriculum, that conveyed values did not show a proportional distribution as per grades and units, and that contents related to values are generally in the form of indoctrination and advice. Results of the research were discussed in terms of possible causes, and recommendations were presented so that value concepts could find more space in biology and science textbooks.

Representation of NOS aspects across chapters in Singapore Grade 9 and 10 Biology textbooks: insights for improving NOS representation

ABSTRACTBackground: Nature of Science (NOS) is defined to be the epistemology of science, and comprised of distinctive defining aspects. The representation of these NOS aspects in school science textbooks is likely to affect how students understand NOS. Representation of NOS aspects can differ between topics even within the same textbook and these topical differences may shed light on the different improvements required for a progressive and more balanced representation of NOS aspects.Purpose: This study aims to (1) analyse the representations of NOS aspects in Singapore biology textbooks; (2) identify and discuss topical differences in the representation of NOS aspects; and (3) suggest some ways to improve NOS representation in textbooks.Method: Three Singapore secondary school biology textbooks were analysed for their representations of 11 key NOS aspects using a document analysis approach. Textual material was coded into discrete categories in a topic-by-topic manner independently by two coders.Results: Informed statements regarding NOS aspects were predominantly implicit in nature. High scores for eight NOS aspects were obtained in one textbook incorporating experimental work in many chapters to support and illustrate scientific concepts. High scores for the creative NOS and the nature for scientific theories were scored in another textbook that was found to utilise History of Science to provide a context for presenting scientific information. Topics with consistently low NOS representations were predominantly presented in a descriptive, factual manner, while topics with consistently high scores generally approached the topics by discussing the historical development of knowledge.Conclusions: Using experimental work to present scientific knowledge and discussions of the historical development of scientific knowledge are both effective approaches to represent many NOS aspects well in a textbook. These two approaches can be used in combination in a textbook in order to further improve NOS representation and overcome the individual limitations of each approach.

Genetic determinism in the Finnish upper secondary school biology textbooks

Genetics is a fast-developing field and it has been argued that genetics education is lagging behind. Genetics education has, for example, been suspected of indoctrinating strong genetic determinism. As the updating of the national upper secondary school curricula is about to start, we decided to study how the current curriculum manifests in Finnish biology textbooks. We studied the main four textbooks for historical gene models and definitions of genes using content analysis. Hybrid models were pervasive in textbooks. The textbooks expressed sometimes even strong genetic determinism, which might be linked to the dominance of older historical models in the textbooks. We also found instances of determinism which we call ‘weak determinism’: genes were depicted as more important factor than environment in relation to the expressed properties. Subsequently, there were no modern gene models found. We suggest gene models should be presented explicitly to reduce misconceptions about genes. We argue that genetics education needs to take more into account than environmental effects and there needs to be more emphasis on the temporal and developmental aspect of genotype-phenotype link. Specifically in Finland this could be done by a more explicit formulation of the national curriculum.

The Nature of Science Represented in Thai Biology Textbooks under the Topic of Evolution

This study aimed to assess the aspects of the nature of science (NoS) that were represented in Thai secondary school Biology textbooks. These textbooks were provided under the framework of Thailand's national curriculum B.E. 2551 by the Institution for Promoting Science and Technology (IPST). The representation of NoS aspects on evolution topics in the textbooks was analyzed. This study employed a quantitative method for analyzing the representation of NoS. The results indicated that all evolution themes in Thai secondary Biology textbooks had little emphasis on the nature of science and on the explicit-reflective NoS instructional method. These findings suggested that it is necessary for the IPST to reconsider the Thai secondary Biology textbooks, especially the issues related to NoS.

A Study on Connectivity of the Unit of Evolution between Secondary School Biology Textbooks Reformed according to the 7th and 2009 Revised Korea National Science Curriculum

A Study on Connectivity of the Unit of Evolution between Secondary School Biology Textbooks Reformed according to the 7th and 2009 Revised Korea National Science Curriculum

Nature of science as depicted in Turkish biology textbooks

AbstractGiven the impact of textbooks on learning, this study assesses the five most frequently used secondary school biology textbooks in Turkey to examine the nature and the quality of treatment given to the nature of science. A qualitative oriented approach was employed and ethnographic content analysis was used as the methodological framework for this particular research. Data were analyzed by means of cognitive maps. The investigation revealed a number of serious problems with the way nature of science is portrayed in the textbooks. Science was generally portrayed as collection of facts, not as a dynamic process of generating and testing alternative explanations about nature. The authors of the textbooks often appeared not to understand the processes well enough to explain them to students and therefore presented various misleading and inadequate descriptions regarding scientific enterprise, similar to those revealed by research on science teachers' and students' understandings of science. Furthermore, some important aspects of science were found to be neglected by textbooks. The study discusses the future success of scientific literacy movement in Turkey and has implications for science education, science curriculum, and science teacher education in Turkey and other developing countries. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 93: 422–447, 2009

“Sex Hormones” in Secondary School Biology Textbooks

This study explores the extent to which the term “sex hormone” is used in science textbooks, and whether the use of the term “sex hormone” is associated with pre-empirical concepts of sex dualism, in particular the misconceptions that these so-called “sex hormones” are sex specific and restricted to sex-related physiological functioning. We found that: (1) all the texts employed the term “sex hormone”; (2) in all texts estrogen is characterized as restricted to females and testosterone is characterized as restricted to males; and (3) in all texts testosterone and estrogen are discussed as exclusively involved in sex-related physiological roles. We conclude that (1) contemporary science textbooks preserve sex-dualistic models of steroid hormones (one sex, one “sex hormone”) that were rejected by medical science in the early 20th century and (2) use of the term “sex hormone” is associated with misconceptions regarding the presence and functions of steroid hormones in male and female bodies.

A Textbook Case of the Nature of Science: Laws and Theories in the Science of Biology

The two concepts “law” and “theory” are among the most important elements of the nature of science. They represent both the tools and products of science itself. Unfortunately, the variable meanings and use of these terms in general discourse and in other school disciplines results in much confusion with respect to their proper application in a science context. The project included the design of a six-part model definition for “law” and “theory” based on a review of the literature of the philosophy of science with special reference to biology. These model definitions were then compared with those provided in a range of U.S. secondary school biology textbooks. The majority of all current major U.S. secondary school biology texts were reviewed and analyzed with respect to how the concepts of “law” and “theory” were defined and applied, in an attempt to determine whether students and teachers using such texts would gain an accurate impression of these terms and the distinction between them. This study focuses on biology instruction since a life science course is completed as a graduation requirement by virtually all U.S. high school students and as such serves as a widely shared educational experience across the nation. The term “law” is rarely defined in any text but various laws such as those found in genetics are frequently included as examples. The term “theory” is frequently defined but with a wide range of completeness of the definitions. Only rarely are theories in biology included as examples.

The emphasis given to evolution in state science standards: A lever for change in evolution education?

AbstractThis study analyzed the science frameworks of 49 states and the District of Colombia to determine the emphasis given to evolution in these documents at the middle and secondary levels. These concepts were species evolve over time, speciation, diversity of life, descent with modification from common ancestry, evidence of evolution, natural selection, pace and direction of evolution, and human evolution. Collectively, the 50 science frameworks emphasized evolution in a manner that suggests that if the public's support for standards‐based curricula is a reality, the study of evolution will be emphasized in an unprecedented manner in the nation's schools in the near future. However, all concepts were not emphasized equally in these documents. For example, human evolution was included in only seven documents. The word evolution is absent from some standards. Despite these negatives, recent actions to improve existing standards or to adopt new standards that emphasize evolution have occurred. The metaphor “lever of change” is often used in the context of school reform. This metaphor suggests a simple system where one change can result in a desired outcome. However, in classrooms where curriculum decisions evolve constantly, multiple factors interact and reinforce one another in response to both internal and external contingencies that emerge. Educational change can not be reduced to a simple linear cause/effect situation. The change process involved is nonlinear where what goes in is not proportional to what comes out because of feedback loops and other factors that complicate results. This nonlinearity is reflected in the varied responses of teachers to specific contingencies. Yet, systems can be changed and nudged towards a structure where desired outcomes will emerge. Judicial rulings indicating that the teaching of evolution cannot be prohibited or equal time for creationism mandated, improved coverage of evolution in secondary school biology textbooks, the negative response of many leaders, scientists, organizations, and editorial writers to the 1999 decision of the Kansas State Board of Education to deemphasize and misrepresent evolution in the state's science standards, and the emphasis given to evolution in the standards reviewed for this study, all coalesce to provide needed support for administrators and teachers who are striving to create science curricula that emphasize evolution in a manner commensurate with its importance in understanding the natural world and our place within it. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 86:445–462, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10014

Evolution in secondary school biology textbooks of the PRC, the USA, and the latter stages of the USSR

AbstractThe presentations of evolutionary theory in 13 prominent, secondary‐school biology textbooks—3 Chinese, 8 American, and 2 Soviet—were examined using the methods of content analysis. For each book, the amount of text devoted to each of 80 evolutionary topics was assessed. Such word counts were enumerated not only for the main narrative, but also for eight supplemental components (illustrations, marginal information, appendixes, etc.). Pronounced differences in topic emphasis among the 13 textbooks and systematic trends between countries are discussed. The strong emphasis on evolution in the USSR textbooks is impressive, but these textbooks also neglect some major themes, and they devote considerable text to certain concepts of an erroneous or dubious nature. The PRC (People's Republic of China) textbooks fail to introduce a considerable number of topics that are prominent in the other two systems. The eight USA textbooks exhibit great diversity in terms of total evolutionary content, number of themes treated, and which topics are emphasized. Unlike the USSR and PRC textbooks, the USA books position a vast amount of evolutionary content (26.5%‐55.8%) within components outside the main narrative. The evolutionary text of USA editions is dispersed throughout and is presented surprisingly early. Several individual themes that proved particularly revealing are examined, including human evolution, law of recapitulation, evolution and religion, evidences of evolution, punctuated equilibria, and artificial selection.

The New Soviet Educational Reform

Previous articleNext article No AccessAspects of Socialist EducationThe New Soviet Educational ReformBeatrice Beach SzekelyBeatrice Beach Szekely Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Comparative Education Review Volume 30, Number 3Aug., 1986 Sponsored by the Comparative and International Education Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/446610 Views: 8Total views on this site Citations: 13Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1986 The Comparative and International Education SocietyPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Gordey Yastrebov Revisiting the historical trend of educational stratification in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 77 (Feb 2022): 100662.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2021.100662Gordey Yastrebov The Demographic Echo of War and educational attainment in Soviet Russia, Demographic Research 45 (Sep 2021): 727–768.https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2021.45.22Rūta Grišinaitė Profesinis orientavimas sovietmečio Lietuvoje 1958–1984 m.: sisteminis, idėjinis ir praktinis įgyvendinimas, Lietuvos istorijos metraštis 2019/1 (Sep 2019): 145–176.https://doi.org/10.33918/2019/1/6Shelley Terzian , European Journal of Education 51, no.22 ( 2016): 281.https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12143Alina M. Zapalska, Geoff Perry Collaborative Learning Instrument in Teaching Entrepreneurship Issues, Journal of Teaching in International Business 13, no.3-43-4 (Oct 2002): 57–76.https://doi.org/10.1300/J066v13n03_05Frederick A. Swarts, O. Roger Anderson, Frank J. Swetz Evolution in secondary school biology textbooks of the PRC, the USA, and the latter stages of the USSR, Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31, no.55 (Jul 2007): 475–505.https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660310505Cathy C. Kaufman DE-Sovietizing educational systems, learning from past policy and practice, International Review of Education 40, no.22 (Jan 1994): 149–158.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01103690Hugh D. Hudson, Alan J. Hoffman Educational Reform in Russia and the USA: where are the troops?, Educational Studies 19, no.33 (Jan 1993): 255–265.https://doi.org/10.1080/0305569930190302Bill Taylor Multicultural Education in the former Soviet Union and the United Kingdom: the language factor, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 22, no.11 (Jan 1992): 81–91.https://doi.org/10.1080/0305792920220108Mark S. Johnson Issues in contemporary Soviet ‘education, Socialism and Democracy 8, no.11 (Jan 1992): 49–71.https://doi.org/10.1080/08854309208428120Stephen T. Kerr Beyond Dogma: Teacher Education in the USSR, Journal of Teacher Education 42, no.55 (Nov 1991): 332–349.https://doi.org/10.1177/002248719104200503Stephen T. Kerr Research news and Comment: Will Glasnost Lead to Perestroika? Directions of Educational Reform in the USSR, Educational Researcher 19, no.77 (Jul 2016): 26–31.https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X019007026J. Nicholls Eastmond, Stephen T. Kerr French and soviet experiments in computer literacy: parallels and contrasts, Educational Technology Research and Development 37, no.44 (Dec 1989): 81–91.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02307725

Treatment of Aging in Secondary School Biology Textbooks: A Neglected Phenomenon

Research Article| May 01 1982 Treatment of Aging in Secondary School Biology Textbooks: A Neglected Phenomenon L. R. Krupka, L. R. Krupka Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar A. M. Vener A. M. Vener Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (1982) 44 (5): 264–269. https://doi.org/10.2307/4447501 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation L. R. Krupka, A. M. Vener; Treatment of Aging in Secondary School Biology Textbooks: A Neglected Phenomenon. The American Biology Teacher 1 May 1982; 44 (5): 264–269. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/4447501 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search This content is only available via PDF. Copyright 1981 The National Association of Biology Teachers Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Topic of evolution in secondary school biology textbooks: 1900‐1977

Topic of evolution in secondary school biology textbooks: 1900‐1977

The Present Status of Biology in the Secondary Schools

Previous articleNext article FreeThe Present Status of Biology in the Secondary SchoolsOscar W. RichardsOscar W. Richards Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 31, Number 2Feb., 1923 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/437719 Views: 56Total views on this site Citations: 4Citations are reported from Crossref Journal History This article was published in The School Review (1893-1979), which is continued by the American Journal of Education (1979-present). PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Dorothy B. Rosenthal, Rodger W. Bybee High School Biology: The Early Years, The American Biology Teacher 50, no.66 (Sep 1988): 345–347.https://doi.org/10.2307/4448759Gerald Skoog Topic of evolution in secondary school biology textbooks: 1900-1977, Science Education 63, no.55 (Oct 1979): 621–640.https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730630507W. W. E. Blanchet Subject-matter topics contained in textbooks for use in survey courses in the natural sciences part II, Science Education 32, no.22 (Mar 1948): 88–93.https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730320204 Chapter IX: Science Education, Review of Educational Research 1, no.55 (Jun 2016): 379–386.https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543001005379