Series Of Textbooks Research Articles

History education as prevention: the topic of right-wing extremism in German educational media

The rise of right-wing populism and extremism has challenged Western societies in recent years and raised fears of the destruction of liberal democracy. Against this backdrop, it seems reasonable to encourage students in history lessons to study the rise of National Socialism in order to prevent similar developments today. However, researchers and educators have emphasised that ‘learning from history’ does not take place in a straightforward way; moreover, it is questionable whether contemporary right-wing extremism can be best understood by studying the Nazi era. In order to understand how history education could contribute to citizenship education in this respect, this article asks how the topic of contemporary right-wing extremism is approached in German educational media, and how it is linked to the Nazi era. Based on an analysis of the pedagogical approaches towards the topic in 28 history textbook series, it investigates how the pedagogical approaches, the narrative about right-wing extremism and the subject position of the reader/player are intertwined in two selected textbooks and in one serious game. In conclusion, the article reflects on whether the innovative educational design of the serious game could inspire history education to find new approaches to the topic and thereby to contribute to citizenship education.

Designing L2 pronunciation instruction activities for primary school learners

Abstract This study employs a content analysis approach to examine the presentation of pronunciation instruction (PI) activities in six elementary school English language teaching (ELT) textbook series used in China. Among the textbooks analyzed, two series are published in English-speaking countries for commercial use, while two are published in China for public schools. The remaining two series are jointly released by Chinese and UK publishers, and are utilized in schools at Shanghai and Hong Kong. Categorizing the PI‑related activities based on the framework by Levis and Echelberger (2022), the author discovered that PI is predominantly integrated into listening and speaking activities. The study highlights the evolving design of PI activities in relation to learners’ ages, reflecting the individual preferences and beliefs of textbook developers. Notably, most of the surveyed textbook series acknowledge the effectiveness of phonics for teaching pronunciation, yet the use of phonetic alphabet remains minimal. Young learners are encouraged to grasp pronunciation rules through exposure and observation rather than through direct “top-down” instruction from teachers. This research provides language educators with additional resources for classroom activities and offers textbook writers diverse insights for material development work in the future.

Testing the Ability and Limitations of ChatGPT to Generate Differential Diagnoses from Transcribed Radiologic Findings.

Background The burgeoning interest in ChatGPT as a potentially useful tool in medicine highlights the necessity for systematic evaluation of its capabilities and limitations. Purpose To evaluate the accuracy, reliability, and repeatability of differential diagnoses produced by ChatGPT from transcribed radiologic findings. Materials and Methods Cases selected from a radiology textbook series spanning a variety of imaging modalities, subspecialties, and anatomic pathologies were converted into standardized prompts that were entered into ChatGPT (GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 algorithms; April 3 to June 1, 2023). Responses were analyzed for accuracy via comparison with the final diagnosis and top 3 differential diagnosis provided in the textbook, which served as the ground truth. Reliability, defined based on the frequency of algorithmic hallucination, was assessed through the identification of factually incorrect statements and fabricated references. Comparisons were made between the algorithms using the McNemar test and a generalized estimating equation model framework. Test-retest repeatability was measured by obtaining 10 independent responses from both algorithms for 10 cases in each subspecialty, and calculating the average pairwise percent agreement and Krippendorff α. Results A total of 339 cases were collected across multiple radiologic subspecialties. The overall accuracy of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 for final diagnosis was 53.7% (182 of 339) and 66.1% (224 of 339; P < .001), respectively. The mean differential score (ie, proportion of top 3 diagnoses that matched the original literature differential diagnosis) for GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 was 0.50 and 0.54 (P = .06), respectively. Of the references provided in GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 responses, 39.9% (401 of 1006) and 14.3% (161 of 1124; P < .001), respectively, were fabricated. GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 generated false statements in 16.2% (55 of 339) and 4.7% (16 of 339; P < .001) of cases, respectively. The range of average pairwise percent agreement across subspecialties for the final diagnosis and top 3 differential diagnosis was 59%-98% and 23%-49%, respectively. Conclusion ChatGPT achieved the best results when the most up-to-date model (GPT-4) was used and when it was prompted for a single diagnosis. Hallucination frequency was lower with GPT-4 than with GPT-3.5, but repeatability was an issue for both models. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Chang in this issue.

APPLYING LITERARY ETHICAL CRITICISM TO TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION OF LITERARY TEXTS TOWARDS THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING STUDENTS' QUALITIES ACCORDING TO THE 2018 GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

The article begins by applying moral literary criticism in teaching literary text comprehension and provides an overview of the theory of ethical literary criticism. It proposes an approach to literary texts from the perspective of moral literary criticism to develop students' qualities. The research is based on general research methods (theoretical and survey methods) and specific methods (structural analysis methods). The results show that applying moral literary criticism in understanding the texts of the Grade 12 Literature Textbook (Connecting Knowledge with Life series) is entirely feasible, paving the way for its implementation in other textbook series. Keywords: Literary ethical criticism; literary text comprehension; qualities; 2018 general education curriculum.

Investigating Teachers' and Students’ Evaluation of the Textbook English for Iraq for First and Second Grades of High School Based on Litz's Checklist

The present study investigates Iraqi teachers’ and students’ evaluation of the textbook English for Iraq for first and second grades of high school based on Litz's checklist using a descriptive qualitative method. The sample of this study was 2textbook books entitled “English for Iraq for 1st Intermediate” and “English for Iraq for 2nd Intermediate”. The research data was collected from the Evaluation checklist of experts consisting of 5 Points in evaluation textbooks. The results of the evaluation of the two books have mostly met the standards of a decent book based on the criteria of Litz in terms of objectives, layout&amp;design, methodology, skills, elements of language. This study also intended to examine EFL teachers’ and students’ points of view on these two textbooks. The participants were 70 first and second-grade intermediate school students and 30 EFL teachers who chose from various intermediate schools in Wasit province. The researcher designed two questionnaires to evaluate these textbooks. The examinations uncovered that EFL teachers were to some extent happy with the “English for Iraq textbook series”; Not with standing, EFL students were fairly impartial. The evaluation also indicated that the English for Iraq textbook meets the CLT educational plan's points and targets in introducing the exercises and activities through legitimate texts (fiction and nonfiction) that are connected with genuine circumstances. The findings of this work may hold any importance with Iraqi EFL teachers, materials designers, and the partners engaged with the materials readiness Departments of the Iraqi Ministry of General Education.

Litteraturens roll i engelska läroböcker för svensk grundskolation

This study, which contributes to research on literature in language education, maps the position of literature in six concurrently available textbook series produced for, or adapted to, English language teaching (ELT) in Swedish upper primary schools. It offers a systematic overview of the number, length and forms of literary texts included in the 33 textbook items studied and investigates how those texts are embedded in them. This comparative textbook study combines a quantitative examination of literature’s presence with a qualitative content analysis that unpacks the meanings attached to that literature. The findings reveal a strong tendency to marginalise literature. Despite robust arguments and empirical support for the value of requiring pupils to read literature in ELT, most of the sampled textbooks provide few literary texts. The common positioning of literature in the textbooks, with one exception, shows a propensity to disregard literature’s contribution to pupils’ education beyond furthering their English language and literacy skills. The main contribution of this study is the provision of detailed insights into the role given to literature in primary ELT textbooks, an educational setting in which textbook use dominates. By considering both the conceptual and practical functions of textbooks, it illuminates the value of literature communicated in ELT textbooks and the support these provide teachers to incorporate literary texts in their everyday teaching.

Enhancing English Learning in Thailand: Insights from Thai Teachers on the New Say Hello Textbook Series

Textbooks are crucial in language teaching and learning within an EFL context. Therefore, this study examined language components within English textbooks used for primary language education in Thailand. It also explored Thai primary school English teachers&amp;rsquo; perspectives of the &amp;ldquo;New Say Hello Series 1&amp;ndash;3&amp;rdquo; English language textbooks utilized in their teaching. Through semi-structured interviews, insights into their experiences with the textbooks were gathered from six purposively selected Thai EFL teachers aged thirty to fifty-five. The qualitative data were transcribed and coded into themes. The transcribed data were inter-coded by another well-trained English teacher. Participants also cross-checked these data to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings. The analysis findings underscored the language components of textbooks in supporting curriculum goals and engaging students in learning English with appealing topics. The &amp;ldquo;New Say Hello&amp;rdquo; series effectively enhanced language education quality in Thailand by being age-appropriate, developmentally suitable, and culturally inclusive. The findings also showed that Thai EFL teachers reported positive experiences with the &amp;ldquo;New Say Hello&amp;rdquo; series, highlighting its interactive resources, alignment with varied learning styles, and emphasis on communicative language teaching by following the guidelines and well-structured progression of English language skills. Integrating Thai and various cultures into the textbooks was particularly valued for promoting cultural awareness and global citizenship among students. This research offered insights into curriculum development and teaching practices, suggesting that well-designed textbooks were crucial for improving language education outcomes. It also suggested further research into implementing textbooks and their influence on language acquisition in Thailand.

Ratio, rate, and proportion in Japanese curriculum materials

Ratio, rate, and proportion are arguably the most important topics in the middle grades mathematics curriculum before algebra. The study reported here describes how Japanese mathematics curriculum materials treat these topics. The analyses were conducted on the official curriculum documents published by the Japanese Ministry of Education and one of the most widely used textbook series for Elementary and Lower Secondary School Mathematics. The results of the analyses show that the Japanese curriculum introduces and develops these topics across multiple grade levels as expected for such complex topics. However, the initial definition of a proportional relationship appears before students formally study ratios. Moreover, the Japanese materials emphasize solving missing-value proportion problems by using the definition of proportional relationships, rather than setting up a proportion equation with a missing value in the equation of the form [Formula: see text] where A, B, and D are given, and x is the unknown quantity. These and other aspects of how the Japanese curriculum materials approach these topics might be of interest to audiences outside of Japan.

An examination of Japanese curriculum materials through quantitative and covariational reasoning: the treatment of linear functions

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated how Japanese curriculum materials represent functional relationships through the lenses of quantitative and covariational reasoning. Utilizing macro and micro analyses, we analyzed Japanese elementary and lower secondary-level curriculum materials, including course of study, teachers’ guide, and Mathematics International textbook series. We analyzed a set of statements and explanations in the course of study and the teachers’ guide. We examined tasks, questions, and representations in the textbooks. Findings showed that Japanese curriculum materials attentively focus on learners’ quantitative and covariational reasoning starting from 4th grade by the end of 8th grade. Particularly, Japanese curriculum materials have a spiral nature that supports learners’ covariational reasoning gradually building up to continuous covariation in learning functional relationships involved in proportional and linear situations. We discuss the possible implications of this study for teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and textbook writers.

A Content Analysis of the Algebra Strand of Six Commercially Available U.S. High School Textbook Series

Algebra as a school subject is ill defined. Students experience algebra quite differently depending on the perspective of algebra taken by authors of the textbooks from which they learn. Through a content analysis of problems (n = 63,174) in the narrative and homework sections of six high school mathematics textbook series published in the U.S., we acquired systematic and reliable information about the algebra strand (i.e., symbolic algebra and functions) of each textbook series. We introduce plots to show the density, distribution, and sequencing of content, and present analyses of data for cognitive behavior, real-world context, technology, and manipulatives. Feedback on this study from an author of each textbook series is shared, and findings are discussed in terms of students’ opportunities to learn.

Vocabulary of reading materials in English and French L2 textbooks: A cross-lingual corpus study

Foreign language (L2) textbooks and specifically the reading materials they are constructed around constitute an essential source of input for learners. However, many questions remain about the lexical characteristics of L2 textbook reading materials. This study assesses (1) their vocabulary demands by means of vocabulary loads, (2) the representation of higher- and lower-frequency words, and (3) the extent to which words are repurposed across texts. A corpus was compiled containing the reading materials from three English and three French textbook series used across all six grades of Flemish secondary education to determine whether widely observed differences in learners’ out-of-school exposure (which is high for English but low for French) somehow impact the lexical characteristics of the materials. To analyse the corpus, a custom lexical profiling system was built in Python. Results show (1) a fairly consistent build-up in vocabulary loads in the English materials but not in the French materials, (2) the absence of 20–30% of the 5000 most frequent words (flemmas) in the English and French materials, respectively, and (3) limited potential in both L2s for reencountering words across texts, with ca. 50% of all introduced lexical items being used exclusively in one text.

Environmental Sustainability Education in Twelve Series of Chinese University English Language Textbooks

Environmental issue is one of the public concerns pertaining to human welfare. English language education is supposed to take its part to contribute to the sustainable development. In this study, a corpus comprising 12 series of English language textbooks used in Chinese universities (48 volumes/books) was constructed to examine the extent to which the textbooks cover the content of environmental education, and how these topics are presented. The large volume dataset was explored by corpus linguistic tools and the in-depth discourse analysis and findings were reported and discussed within the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis. The results suggested that some key environmental semantic domains, such as “Green issues” (e.g., nature, environment, ecology), “Substances and materials” (e.g., pesticide, chemical, carbon dioxide), “Science and technology” (e.g., technologies, nuclear, biotechnology), “Farming &amp; Horticulture” (e.g., farming, crop, agriculture), “Living creatures” (e.g., endangered species, animals, wildlife) were evident. Some topics within these domains such as sustainable environmentalism, energy efficiency and sufficiency were presented and discussed critically. The textbooks are expected to help learners develop knowledge, competencies and futuristic attitudes needed to meet the sustainability challenges in various contexts.

English foreign language learners’ perceptions of cultural elements in Chinese EFL textbooks

Our study aims to culturally analyze the textbook series in the context of China using a questionnaire taken from Kilickaya (2004). To this end, 635 EFL students participated and filled out a questionnaire. In addition, 31 students were randomly selected for a semi-structured interview. The results of the study indicated that students’ perceptions of the meaning and purpose of textbooks were found to be positive. As for materials on culture, it is argued that textbooks should include both macro and micro-cultures. The findings showed that the teaching contributions did a good job of presenting various perceptions from the students' points of view. Students felt that the textbooks represented diverse societies and were relevant to their home culture, but they felt that the manuals were less effective in presenting the values of social groups. The results demonstrated that the same location of images and text in textbooks is usually the display index. EFL textbooks for language learners in China are mainly composed of index relationships between texts, pictures, and tasks, showing a focus on descriptive meaning. Ultimately, the outcomes of this inquiry provide practical implications for EFL stakeholders.

The Evolution of the University Textbook on Library Science: 1960—2024

The year 2025 will mark the 65th anniversary of the first Soviet textbook “General Library Science” prepared by O.S. Chubaryan. It was followed by other textbooks in this discipline. Reconstructing their history and evolutionary transformations is important to reflect and evaluate the progressive development and achievements of Soviet and post-Soviet library science. This is a unique pedagogical experience of forming professional knowledge and self-awareness of several generations of future library specialists, many of whom became veterans of librarianship and contributed to its progress. In Soviet times four textbooks on library science were published, approved by the Ministry of Culture of the USSR for use in higher education institutions of the country — three editions of the textbook by O.S. Chubaryan (1960, 1968, 1976) and one collective work — “Library Science. General Course”, prepared by Moscow and Leningrad scientists under the editorship of K.I. Abramov and N.S. Kartashov (1988). The post-Soviet textbook “General Library Science” by V.V. Skvortsov and N.S. Kartashov (1996—1997) was published in two parts. The transition to the Bologna system of education in Russia and the activation of higher education served as a catalyst for the project of publishing textbooks for bachelors of library and information science, the first of which — “Library Science. General Course” under the scientific editorship of A.N. Vaneyev and M.N. Kolesnikova (2013). Later, the textbook of the Moscow State Institute of Culture was published under the editorship of M.Y. Dvorkina and L.I. Salnikova (2015). At the current stage of modernization of the country’s higher education system and withdrawal from the Bologna system of education, the updating of the entire series of textbooks began. The textbook “Library Science. General Course” edited by M.N. Kolesnikova (2024) is prepared on a different conceptual basis than the previous post-Soviet textbooks. From edition to edition, the main professional textbook underwent transformations due to socio-political, cultural-historical, technological and other factors.

Analysis of Music Textbooks for Grades 5–8 in the Context of Expression of Christian Values

By applying the method of content analysis, the article analyzes basic (grades 5–8) music textbooks by different authors. The article aims to find out how much and in what way Christian values are presented in the content of musical education. The results of the research revealed that the Christian faith, its meaning and values are most reflected in Balčytis’s series of textbooks “Muzika” (2007). Malikėnienė’s textbooks “Muzika” (2010) and “Muzikos labirintai” (2012) pay more attention to the development of students’ secularity and understanding of music.

Agency, authority and universality in the promotion of global ELT textbook series

ABSTRACT There is at present much focus in ELT on describing and promoting teacher and learner agency. However, ELT as a professional field is concurrently characterised by an increasing orientation toward authoritative texts, particularly those imbued with authority at the transnational level. Global textbooks are a notable example, since they, along with global language testing and language policy, play an increasingly important role in determining teaching and learning practices across a range of different settings. Our focus in this paper is on how the authoritativeness of global textbooks is upheld in online promotional materials. Examining websites of three contemporary ELT textbook series, we analyse discourse strategies employed to legitimise the authoritative position of the textbooks and their publishers. We find that publishers legitimised their authority through strategic links to external forces (policy, testing), in this way foregrounding the universality of the textbooks. In contrast, the websites represented the agencies of teachers and learners only minimally, primarily as subordinate to the agency attributed to textbooks themselves. We conclude with a reflection on the need for applied critical scholarship in ELT that can offer practical alternatives and thus disrupt dominant notions of universality and the hierarchization of knowledge these are based on.

Colonial acts in Norwegian EAL textbooks – Relations between coloniser and colonised

This article discusses representations of colonial acts and the relationship between coloniser and colonised in EAL (English as an Additional Language) textbooks produced for grades 5–7 in Norwegian schools. Multimodal and critical discourse analyses are used to analyse the textbook series. We present five extracts from these textbooks that exemplify findings common to all the textbook series. Findings show that tokenism, exclusion and marginalisation are still common in textbooks. Implications for teachers are discussed, together with the need for them to gain greater critical awareness of teaching materials and to develop their own knowledge of colonialism, and its effects.

Textbooks on reading in Russian for Chinese universities over the past 30 years: analysis and prospects

Textbooks are the basis for implementing the curriculum and an important support in teaching activities. They play an important role in foreign language teaching, representing teaching materials that combine the characteristics of the time, learning objectives, advanced teaching concepts, and patterns of self-learning. The aim of the research is to identify trends and problems in the sphere of preparation and publication of teaching aids for reading in Russian in China. The author analyzed 84 manuals on reading in Russian published in China over the last 30 years. Special attention was paid to the 4 most representative books published at different times. Comparative-typological method, as well as methods of induction and mathematical processing were used. The comparative analysis of teaching aids was carried out considering the aspects of the purpose of creation, structure, content. The features of universal (comprehensive) and professional-specialized reading textbooks, including auxiliary teaching materials are considered. The necessity of creating a series of high-quality textbooks is emphasized, and the ways of solving this problem are determined. The author has deeply explored the alternatives of composing Russian reading textbooks from the point of view of a system of multifunctional thematic content, integration of intercultural and national-specific elements, and multipolar learning.

Measures of central tendency in primary education textbooks in Chile

This study analyzed the tasks associated with measures of central tendency proposed to Chilean students from 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; to 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; year of basic education. For this purpose, the activities involving mean, median, and/or mode were identified through the revision of two series of textbooks (16). The units of analysis were (1) type of measure, (2) task, (3) context, (4) support, and (5) cognitive skill. The main findings allowed us to indicate that the texts are aligned with the curricular guidelines, with tasks mostly associated with mean and mode, prioritizing calculation. Additionally, the tasks lack a context that gives meaning to the data. The support in which the data is presented is written and tabular. Finally, regarding the type of cognitive skills with the greatest presence in the textbooks, these are at a basic level.

Developing linguistic competence for 6th grade students in Vietnam

Developing linguistic competence for junior level students in Vietnam is an emerging issue that needs attention. This paper applies interdisciplinary research methods which are a combination of linguistics and educational sciences. The combination of the questionnaire survey method and class observation is used to evaluate students' language competencies, especially, speaking and listening. The analytical method is used to analyze linguistic skills that are necessary to be created for students during this stage. Developing linguistic competence is considered the most effective means to grow thinking capacity. The scope of this paper is aimed at sixth grade students specifically surveying their linguistic competence thereby providing an overview of the language development stage for juniors at the secondary school level in Vietnam in general and in Ha Dong district, Hanoi in particular. We conducted a case study by collecting data at two secondary schools in Hanoi city (implementation period of two months: December 2021 and February 2022). According to these factual survey results, we can primarily suggest concrete measures to develop linguistic competence for 6th-grade students in Vietnam. This will also be an information source for reference in completing the Literature textbook series edited according to the new “General Education Program in Literature (2018)” in Vietnam which is in the early stages of being put into use.