Use Of Textbooks Research Articles

AN EVALUATION OF THE SYLLABUS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN CHADIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Chad has over 200 local languages plus French and Arabic as its two official languages. All the other languages taught/learnt in the country are seen as foreign ones. Since the early 21st century, of those languages, Chadian learners have been having a strong interest in English, which they see as a developmental tool. However, given the embryonic state of that language in the country, very little research has been carried out to see how Chadian learners acquire it, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the policy put in place to foster it. This paper critically looks at the current syllabus used in the teaching/ learning of the English language in Chadian secondary schools. The informants came from various secondary schools in N’Djamena, and the data were gathered through interviews and questionnaires administered to both teachers (N50) and learners (N100). The findings show that the current syllabus mostly dwells on grammar and vocabulary, leaving out other key components of the language such as socialisation, fluency or the various types of writing which make efficient users/speakers of any foreign language. The teaching approaches proposed/used, and the textbooks in use have not been adapted. The vast majority of teachers recruited to teach that subject are not trained /qualified. All these factors combine to make the teaching of the English language inefficient in Chadian secondary schools. This study ends with some proposals on how to ameliorate the syllabus to make it more adequate.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0786/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

A MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF A MEDICAL TEXTBOOK IN VIETNAM - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Visual images in textbooks can stimulate students’ interest and encourage them to learn language in more critical and creative ways (Canning-Wilson, 1999). As a natural requirement of the field, medical textbooks contain a variety of visual images, but they seem to have received little attention from textbook developers in Vietnam possibly due to both a lack of awareness and research. Therefore, the study attempts to explore the visual elements in a medical textbook in use in the country, analyze their functions as well as their appropriateness for pedagogical purposes. This paper presents preliminary findings from the qualitative analysis of the yielded results couched with Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) Visual Grammar framework to primarily identify three metafunctions of visual elements in the medical textbook. The study is believed to give pedagogical benefits to both teachers and students, and suggest practical improvement to critical aspects of the visual images, which is ultimately useful to developers of medical textbooks in particular, and other textbooks in general.

THE QUALITY AND RELEVANCE OF LEARNING MATERIALS IN INDONESIAN TEXTBOOKS IN THE INDEPENDENT CURRICULUM CONTEXT: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The introduction of the Merdeka Curriculum as the latest innovation in the Indonesian education system marks a paradigmatic change that aims to provide greater opportunities for students to develop their potential holistically. In this context, the quality and relevance of Indonesian language textbooks are crucial in supporting the learning process. This study uses qualitative analysis to evaluate the quality and relevance of Indonesian language textbooks in the Merdeka Curriculum. The results of the analysis show significant differences between evaluation approaches in textbooks from various publishers. In addition, this study highlights the importance of diversity, inclusiveness and relevance of learning materials in textbooks. The findings confirm the importance of in-depth and objective assessment of Indonesian language textbooks to ensure they meet quality and relevance standards in supporting national education goals. With a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the textbooks in use, concrete steps can be taken to improve the quality of student learning and prepare them to face the challenges of an increasingly complex and dynamic world. Keywords: abstract, italic, maximum three words,

An open educational resource to teach language and culture

Many studies on teaching language have shown that language and culture are closely related and are best acquired together (Brook, 1968; Brown, 2000; Kramsch, 2020; Kourdis & Zafiri, 2022). In an English language program (ELP), we use a variety of textbooks. These textbooks feature culture as part of the content (e.g., customs and traditions). However, the resources are typically information-focused which directs students to simply compare and contrast the similarities and differences between their own and the target cultures in a traditional way that is insufficient for the complexity of language and culture learning. Educators found that this type of traditional approach runs the risk of oversimplifying the richness and variety of a culture by reducing it to a few salient principles (Stockwell, 2018). Although language teachers have incorporated more culture in their lessons, the major concern is finding effective ways to integrate culture and language to prepare learners to engage and collaborate effectively in a global society by discovering appropriate ways to interact with people from other cultures. In addition, it may be very demanding for them to teach culture or be individually knowledgeable about other cultures to the extent required for a truly holistic English program. The project introduces a reusable technology-enhanced learning resource in the form of an open textbook for use in an English for Academic Purpose programme. This resource aims to facilitate a general reduction in issues such as ethnocentrism, stereotypes, prejudice and similar issues that have a negative effect on intercultural communication?in multicultural language classrooms, and to students’ understanding of their own culture and other cultures through activities which require critical reflections and self-assessment. It consists of three modules and self-assessment tools for using critical reflections and assessing students’ intercultural competence. Each module has main content, practice and performance tasks. Using multimodal resources and materials are provided that make student think, reflect and discuss the main concept of the module. Through these tasks, students are able to learn the main concept of each module regarding cultural knowledge and understand what they learned through the real situation and finally demonstrate awareness of the cultural knowledge in the module. The content will be shaped with technology-integrated materials to utilise the affordance and efficacy of the innovative technology. The challenges posed by the disconnect between traditional teaching materials and a fulsome understanding of culture are met by the affordances of open pedagogy and the inclusion of open educational resources. The student-centred open pedagogy approach positions learners as co-creators of knowledge in the classroom, leveraging a constructivist learning design by providing students with opportunities to share and deeply reflect on lived experience of culture. The open textbook developed for the course provides opportunities for student revision, international peer-review of learning materials, and iterative development across multiple institutions. Furthermore, students enhance the text through web annotation, supporting peer learning. This presentation outlines the transformation of an English language program aimed toward mature understanding of language and culture, enabled by open education, and will be of interest to educators in similar fields, and those planning to implement OER more generally. The project also represents a partnership between the College and the Library, bringing together expertise in open educational practices, and student-centred learning and teaching approaches that result in more opportunities for learner engagement, and accessible, shareable content for the sector.

A Cambridge University Greek Textbook at Harvard College in 1642

Abstract This paper considers a Homeric paraphrase of the Book of Job by James Duport, Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge, as the earliest known Greek textbook in use at the newly founded Harvard College, as recorded in New England's First Fruits (1643).

Review: Peru: A Journey in Time, edited by Cecilia Pardo and Jago Cooper

Review: <i>Peru: A Journey in Time</i>, edited by Cecilia Pardo and Jago Cooper

Pragmatics Based Textbooks: Do They Fulfil the Needs of Teachers and Students?

Secondary students must master not only grammar and text organization, but also pragmatic competence in the target language in order to achieve communication competence. The ability to express meaning beyond language rules is referred to as pragmatic competence. Teachers should provide materials that are appropriate for both the learning goals and needs of the students. This study aimed to determine the types of textbooks that teachers and students require. It was a mixed-methods study with a sample of 41 teachers from Semarang secondary schools. The data were gathered using a Google Form and were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. It was discovered that 56.1% disagreed that the textbooks they used contained situational context and communicative language for everyday use. 61% strongly agreed that to be effective textbooks should use communicative language in everyday situations and introduce various expressions based on the context. There was a significant gap between the types of textbooks required and the textbooks in use at the time. The majority of respondents believed that secondary textbooks or pragmatics-based textbooks should include information on the importance of pragmatics. These needs have not been met by existing textbooks. To summarize, teachers require a gamechanging textbook. The researchers therefore encourage other researchers and educators to create textbooks that can support the students’ expected outcome of being able to communicate comprehensively in English.&#x0D; Keywords: English textbooks, communicative competence, pragmatic analysis, secondary schools

OPINIONS OF SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER CANDIDATES ABOUT TEXTBOOKS

Bu çalışmanın amacı sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarının ders kitapları ve ders kitaplarının etkili kullanımına yönelik görüşlerini belirlemektir. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden durum çalışması deseni kullanılmıştır. Çalışma grubu bir devlet üniversitesinde öğrenim görmekte olan 38 sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adayından oluşmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak; açık uçlu sorulardan oluşan Sosyal Bilgiler ders kitabı görüş formu kullanılmış, veriler 2020-2021 eğitim öğretim yılı güz dönemi sonunda dijital ortamda toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler içerik analiziyle çözümlenmiş, temalar ve kodlar şeklinde tablolar oluşturularak frekanslarla sunulmuş, doğrudan alıntılarla desteklenmiştir. Sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarının ders kitapları ve ders kitaplarının etkili kullanımına yönelik görüşleri; içerik, öğrenme-öğretme-ölçme ve değerlendirme, dil-anlatım ve üslup ile teknik-tasarım ve düzenleme ile etkili ders kitabı kullanımına yönelik öneriler temaları altında analiz edilmiştir.

The Sidney Sperry/Heber Snell Debates: Critical Biblical Scholarship and Mormon Tradition

The Sidney Sperry/Heber Snell Debates: Critical Biblical Scholarship and Mormon Tradition

Content Coverage and Readability of Science Textbooks in Use in Nigerian Secondary Schools

This study evaluated the content coverage and readability of science textbooks in use in Nigerian secondary schools. The study utilized an evaluation design. The study was limited to the core sciences studied at both the junior and senior secondary schools. They are Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Basic Science. A total of one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight research subjects comprising one thousand eight hundred students and forty-eight science teachers were used for the study. Two research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The research questions were answered using the quantitative model for textbook evaluation developed by Emerole (2008) while the hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using Chi-square test of goodness of fit. The finding revealed that all the science textbooks evaluated covered the contents of the core curriculum. The result of data analysis revealed that three out of four evaluated textbooks in biology are readable. Modern Biology for Senior Secondary Schools had readability mean score of 38.41%, Essential Biology for Senior Secondary Schools had 72.4%, College Biology for Senior Secondary Schools had 66.29% while Comprehensive Biology for Senior Secondary Schools had readability index of 60.1%. The data on readability for physics, chemistry and basic science indicate that they are readable. Based on the findings the researchers made specific recommendations with respect to the textbooks recommended for use in the four subject areas in Nigerian secondary schools. This will provide a template and guide for ministry of education in recommendation of science textbooks for secondary schools. In addition, it will serve as a basis and guide for review of science textbooks in use in both junior and senior secondary schools. Keywords: content coverage, readability, science textbooks, secondary schools DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-7-06 Publication date: March 31 st 2022

Analysis of Science Literacy Teaching Book Class XI at SMA Negeri Surakarta on Acid-Base Material

This descriptive research aims to explain the scope of scientific literacy in chemistry textbooks used in Surakarta. This research data are in the form of quantity from 4 categories of scientific literacy with 26 subcategories as indicators of grouping text units in textbook analysis. The data sources in this study were five textbooks for class XI with different publishers. The technique of taking the object of research uses a purposive sampling technique. Based on the results of data analysis based on the category of scientific literacy, the average results of the proportion of scientific literacy are obtained as follows: (1) Science as a body of knowledge was 69.98% (2 ) Science as a way of an investigation by 14.43% (3) Science as a way of thinking by 10.63% (4) Interaction of science with technology and society by 4.98%. The results of the fulfilment of the scientific literacy category in book A have a ratio of the category of science as knowledge: science as a way of investigation: interaction of science, technology, and society: category of science as a way of thinking that is 9:1:1:1. The ratio in book B is 6:2:0:1, the ratio in book C is 4:2:0:1, the ratio in book D is 9:0:0:1, and the ratio in book E is 6:2:1: 1. Therefore, from the results of this study, the recommended textbook for use is the book E because it includes aspects of scientific literacy that are complete and more balanced than the other four books.

Református elemi iskolák helyzete a Komáromi Református Egyházmegyében, az 1920–30-as években

The situation of the Reformed elementary schools in the Reformed Diocese of Komárom in the 1920s–1930s. The present study provides an insight into the history of the Reformed church schools of the Reformed Diocese of Komárom in the territory of Czec-hoslovakia between the two world wars. Following geopolitical changes after 1920, the church school network had to be reorganized, which posed comple-tely new challenges to the minority Reformed Church. Subsequent to presenta-tion of the major school laws, the development of the diocesan school network is discussed. After the reorganization, teachers had to face a lot of grievances from state officials, which had a direct and indirect impact on both teachers and the educational policy of the Reformed Church. After outlining the problems of textbooks for use in schools, the diocesan schooling of the two decades under re-view is summarized.

Evidenze, miti e prassi didattiche: il caso dell’insegnamento della lettura nella scuola italiana

This paper aims to take stock of the acquisitions achieved by evidence-based research on teaching to read, to compare them with the teaching practices, as they emerge from the school textbooks proposed by the publishing houses in Italy. Moving from the importance recently assumed by scientific research on effective teaching and the need to avoid risks and misunderstandings that can be generated for its use in practice, the evidence acquired about the teaching of reading and writing is presented, recalling the need to focus on the grapheme-phoneme correspondence to be acquired by children in a progressive, systematic and explicit way. It is then pointed out that the textbooks in use propose approaches in clear contrast with this finding. The second part focuses on the experimental researches conducted in Italy in recent years, congruent with the framework previously indicated, which achieve better effectiveness and high motivation in all pupils. Particular attention is paid to the national research conducted recently by the Association S.Ap.I.E.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Open Educational Resources: The Case of Open Resources for English Language Teaching (ORELT) in Kenya

The use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in the teaching and learning of various subjects is a relatively new innovation in the Kenyan school system. With the advent and subsequent liberalization of ICT, material developers are subsequently shifting away from the traditional modes of material development in the form of textbooks and other “canonical” formats which require the teacher to use them as they are handed down without any input or modification. The Open Resources for English Language Teaching (ORELT) is one such educational innovation. This paper reports the findings of a baseline survey conducted in Kenya with a view to finding out the views and perceptions of Kenyan Junior Secondary School Teachers with regard to the adoption of open resources for the teaching of English language in Kenyan secondary schools. Sixty (60) JSS teachers of English from rural and urban schools and of mixed gender were invited for a four day ORELT in-service induction workshop at the Kenyatta University Conference Centre. The teachers were then given ORELT materials in form of CDs and textbooks for use in teaching English in their schools. They were also registered on the online ORELT platform and each given log in credentials to enable them access freely access the materials and freely interact with fellow teachers throughout the commonwealth. The study reports that whereas teachers are ready to embrace the use of open resources, they have varying perceptions on the suitability and potential efficacy of open resources in Kenyan classrooms. It also emerges that such differing perceptions are constrained by institutional, cultural, pedagogical and personal factors. Accordingly, the study recommends a more structured, inclusive bottoms up approach to any educational innovation as a means of ensuring success.

Intercultural Awareness Through English Language Teaching: The Case of Kosovo

This study seeks to understand opportunities for teaching and learning the target culture for intercultural awareness. Utilizing Moran’s Knowing Framework (2001) and its five cultural dimensions, and reviewing curriculum documents and the English textbook in use for Grade Six in Kosovo, the study finds a misalignment among curriculum documents and the textbook regarding teaching culture for cultural understanding. It is noted that while curriculum documents share the goals and objectives for preparing students to become global citizens through language and culture learning in the English language, this vision is lost along the way and rarely makes it to the English language classrooms. It is concluded that English teachers, in Kosovo and potentially internationally, need to be more creative in utilizing more authentic cultural materials in their classes to bring to life the target culture. Lastly, it is argued that learning about another culture and comparing it with one’s own helps students examine their culture from a different perspective, which in turn potentially makes culturally-richer individuals in deeper and closer touch with their culture as well as cultures around them, near and far.

PREFERRED CHEMISTRY CURRICULUM PERSPECTIVE: TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS

The (written) state curriculum is one of the cornerstones influencing education. Its specifically mediated by textbooks. In an open textbook market, the influence of the state curriculum is limited, and the main responsibility passes to individual schools or teachers. In order to understand education from the potential attainment of curriculum goals’ point of view, it is necessary to pay attention to the teachers’ textbook preferences. This research was focused on the field of lower-secondary chemistry education in Czechia, with special attention paid to the textbooks in use, their choice, and teachers’ perception of them. The data were gathered using a questionnaire distributed to a representative sample of 387 lower-secondary school chemistry teachers. The results showed that teachers favor traditional chemistry teaching conceptions. Most teachers stated that textbooks play a vital role for them when preparing lessons and new textbooks are mostly chosen by the most experienced teachers. Most teachers also expressed their preference for textbooks which contain subject-matter ordered according to the structure of chemistry, i.e. not adjusted for learners, as well as textbooks dominantly orientated towards the transmissive approach to education. Regarding the teachers’ perception of textbooks, potential limits were identified in implementing innovations in (chemical) education. Keywords: chemistry textbooks, lower-secondary school science education, teachers' teaching conception

The Feasibility of English Textbook for Vocational School

The objective of the research is aiming to identify the feasibility of the English textbooks for use by vocational school in Pandeglang regency. To reach the objective, the researchers used qualitative research. The data were collected from three English textbooks used for vocational school, interview, and questionnaire. The techniques of analyzing data were focused on the analysis of materials provided within the textbook with the core and basic competence of 2013 curriculum. The criteria were suggested by National Education Standards Agency (Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan) and Rajan material design. The findings show that (1) the material relevance to the core and basic competence of 2013 Curriculum of the first English textbook (TB1) is 81.25%, the second English textbook (TB2) is 93.75%, and the third English textbook (TB3) is 87.5%; and (2) the categories of feasible textbook for vocational students for TB1 is 83.3%, TB2 is 91.6%, and TB3 is 75%. These results indicate that the three books are relevant and feasible for use by vocational school students.

Evaluation of Mathematics Textbooks in Use in Ebonyi State Junior Secondary Schools, Nigeria

The study evaluated the content coverage, chapter summaries and readability index of twelve (12) approved and in use mathematics textbooks in Ebonyi State Junior Secondary Schools, Nigeria. Three research questions and 1 hypothesis guided the study. Evaluation design was used and simple random sampling technique was used to draw twelve out of fifty one textbooks in use. Twenty one junior secondary schools were drawn out of the two hundred and twenty one junior secondary schools in the State using non-proportional random sample to select seven schools from each of the three education zone. The instrument for data collection were an 8-point Quantitative Approach to Content Evaluation of Science Textbooks (QACEST) was used to answer research questions 1 and 2 and Flesch Readability Ease Formula used to answer research questions 3. The null hypothesis was tested using chi-square (x 2 ) test of goodness of fit at 0.05 alpha level. QACEST was validated using science textbooks and therefore valid. So also the Flesch readability formula and reliability was Kendal Tau coefficient of concordance on data collected from mathematics teachers in junior secondary. The data was ranked and Kendal Tau of concordance applied to establish the reliability. The findings revealed that the contents of the twelve mathematics textbooks evaluated reflected significantly the contents in the core-curriculum as specified, eight out of twelve mathematics textbooks evaluated had chapter summary while New School Mathematics JSS I-III had low chapter summary and all the twelve evaluated mathematics textbooks are fairly readable except STAN mathematics JSS II that is fairly difficult. The textbooks were fairly readable. Based on the findings, the study recommend that all mathematics textbooks used for teaching and learning need to be periodically revised by measurement and evaluation experts. Authors and publishers should draw their objectives and lesson topics or contents from the mathematics core-curriculum. Keywords: Content Coverage, Chapter Summary, Readability, QACEST, Comprehensibility. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-27-06 Publication date: September 30 th 2020

An analysis of place value content in the Curriculum 2013 thematic textbooks for grades 1 and 2

Textbooks play a key role in teaching mathematics in many Indonesian classrooms. Therefore, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture provides textbooks for use in schools to support the teaching and learning process in the classroom. In implementing the Curriculum 2013 (Kurikulum 2013) in elementary schools, the textbooks were designed and developed by integrating various competencies and subjects, including mathematics, into several themes. This study aimed to describe the place value content in students’ thematic textbooks for elementary school students in grades 1 and 2. A descriptive qualitative method in the content analysis was conducted by focusing on three areas of analysis: six critical skills of learning place value, stages development, and strategies in teaching place value. Some findings showed that the thematic textbooks for grades 1 and 2 covered almost all skills except mentioning numbers in other forms (rename), the material presented has developed according to students’ learning development, and has implemented all strategies in teaching place values.

Open Textbooks: Quality and Relevance for Postsecondary Study in The Bahamas

Open educational resources (OER), are openly licensed text, media, and other digital and analog assets that are useful for teaching, learning, and research. Recent research has shown that in courses where open textbooks are assigned, students perform as well as or better than students in similar courses with commercially licensed textbooks. Despite cost savings and demonstrated effectiveness, perceptions about quality, relevance, ease of access, and other concerns persist. The objectives of this study were twofold: (a) to develop a practical and reusable measure for evaluating open textbook quality in terms of pedagogy, openness, accessibility, and relevance; and (b) to use the measure to rate the quality and relevance of open textbooks for use in higher education in The Bahamas. The study confirmed the viability of the quality measure as a practical tool to assess open resources and found that the open textbooks studied were accessible and well matched to course content, but of varying quality. More study is needed to explore ways to increase faculty adoption, use, adaption and production of OER.