Series Of Textbooks Research Articles

The ideological underpinnings in university English textbooks in China: A critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics approach

ABSTRACT China has had an ambivalent policy for the learning and teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) over much of its history. The explicit and implicit implementation of language policy has had a significant impact on the content of EFL textbooks and the ideologies underlying them. However, studies exploring such ideologies remain sensitive areas in which little work has been done to date. By applying a combination of critical discourse analysis and a corpus linguistics approach, this paper critically investigates the ideological underpinnings embedded in 10 current English language textbook series that are officially approved and widely used in Chinese universities. Results show that the significantly overused semantic domains are ‘Education in general’, Science and technology, and ‘Language, speech and grammar’, and the most underused concepts are ‘Politics’, ‘Warfare’, and ‘Government’. Unlike the English language textbooks in earlier historical periods, no explicit political philosophy is captured in current textbook series, reflecting China’s more recent focus on some concepts of education and the development of science and technology. This study may contribute to our understanding of the ideological underpinnings in English language textbooks worldwide, with the hope of offering insights into language teaching materials development.

How Is Educational Gamification Represented in School Curriculum? An Investigation of Chinese Secondary Mathematics Textbooks

Textbooks, as potentially implemented curriculum, play an important role in school education. Earlier studies in mathematics education revealed that teaching using mathematics games had a positive effect on students’ learning. However, how mathematics games are presented in mathematics textbooks has rarely been systematically examined. In this study, we aimed to investigate how mathematics games are presented in school mathematics textbooks in China. We selected three series of Chinese secondary mathematics textbooks (Grades 7–9) and identified 112 mathematics games in total; then, we coded and analyzed the games according to an analysis framework we established for the study. The results showed that, across the three series of textbooks, the distribution of games was inconsistent and, within the same series of textbooks, it was irregular across the different grade levels; in terms of locations and cognitive objectives, most games were presented as exercise questions and the main purpose was to improve students’ problem solving ability. Moreover, most of the games were single player games and there were slightly more competitive games than non-competitive games. The implications of the findings for the design and research of mathematics games in mathematics textbooks are discussed at the end of the study.

Obraz Ukrainy i Ukraińców we współczesnych polskich podręcznikach historii dla szkół podstawowych

The image of Ukraine and the Ukrainians in contemporary Polish history textbooks for primary schools The article is aimed at presenting the image of Ukraine and the Ukrainians in contemporary history textbooks for primary schools in Poland (after the 2017 reform of the education system). The author points to the presence in these textbooks of contents dealing with the subject in question, and examines the narrative of the textbooks with regard to analysis of history, presentation of shared Polish-Ukrainian elements of the past, debatable problems, presentation of common historical heroes, language and rhetoric used, and finally the auxiliary teaching materials present in the textbooks (additional reading, illustrations, maps, diagrams etc.). The analysis covers four series of textbooks prepared solely for the education market in Poland and one (“Europe. Our History”) which is a result of the collaboration between the Joined Polish-German Textbook Commission of Historians and Geographers, Centre for Historical Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Berlin, and the Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research in Braunschweig. The analysis has made it possible to draw conclusions concerning e.g. positive assessment of the degree of saturation of the textbooks with content relating to Ukraine and the Ukrainians, correctly applied explanatory narrative and presence of various elements of the textbooks’ auxiliary teaching materials, useful in the implementation of the contents discussed. The author has also noted some shortcomings, including the still dominant narrative describing Poland’s political history (especially its military dimension) and too few positive narratives devoted to Ukraine and the Ukrainians. In addition, the author points to the clearly different nature and specificity of textbooks from the “Europe. Our History” series.

Language intensive exposure in EFL curriculum:Attitudes towards the unlock textbook series at Birzeit University as a case study

Language-intensive exposure and immersion can be regarded as key factors in developing proficient language learners. In the context of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), the current research was conducted to compare two modes of teaching English using the Unlock Textbook Series published by Cambridge University Press at Birzeit University, Palestine. This research effort aimed at investigating the intensive and non-intensive students’ attitudes towards the Unlock Textbook Series in addition to the effectiveness of the intensive and non-intensive modes of teaching based on EFL instructors’ perspectives. In a descriptive design, two quantitative instruments were utilized to obtain data; a student questionnaire was implemented with students from the two tracks; intensive and non-intensive, whereas an attitudinal scale was used to examine the effectiveness of the two modes of teaching according to EFL instructors’ perspectives. The participating students were (182) non-intensive and (100) intensive students. As for the instructors, fifteen (15) BZU instructors of English participated on the condition of teaching the two tracks. The findings revealed that there were statistically significant differences in the intensive and non-intensive students’ attitudes towards the Unlock Textbook Series based on students’ perspectives in favor of the intensive students. Additionally, it was shown that the intensive mode was more effective than the non-intensive based on instructors’ perspectives. Accordingly, some recommendations were suggested.

Peculiarities of Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language in North Korean Schools (Based on the Analysis of the Textbook Series "Russian Language")

Peculiarities of Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language in North Korean Schools (Based on the Analysis of the Textbook Series "Russian Language")

An analysis of the nature of science represented in Chinese middle school chemistry textbooks

ABSTRACT Understanding the nature of science (NOS) is an important goal of science education, and textbooks are a key factor in shaping students’ conceptions of NOS. In this study, we analysed NOS represented in middle school chemistry textbooks in the Chinese mainland. The selected materials were three most commonly adopted textbook series, which were published in 2001, 2001, and 2012. The analysis was conducted from 11 aspects – empirical, inferential, creative, theory-driven, tentative, myth of ‘the scientific method’, scientific theories, scientific laws, social dimensions of science, social and cultural embeddedness of science, limitations of science – to determine the distribution of different representation types (explicit-informed, implicit-informed, implicit-naïve, and explicit-naïve) in each NOS aspect in each textbook series. Textbook analysis results indicated that each textbook series had mixed conceptions of NOS and most NOS representations were informed and implicit. The frequencies of NOS representations in the selected textbook series were roughly identical; however, the last two textbook series had relatively higher error rates than the first one. Moreover, there was an overall imbalance in the representations of NOS aspects. Our findings, combined with previous studies, were also discussed.

Teaching Difficult Stories: Trauma-Informed Teaching in the Classics Classroom

AbstractEvery textbook has its strengths, and each its own quirks and idiosyncrasies. Apart from any pedagogical concerns about the old Cambridge Latin Course textbook series, for example, was the question of how it represented problematic aspects of the ancient world, such as the role of women and the institution of slavery (see Hunt, 2016). The de Romanis Latin course (Radice et al., 2020a and 2020b), which we use at my school at Key Stage 3, takes a much more detached approach to the teaching of Roman culture, presenting its reading exercises as individual stories grouped around each chapter's centralised theme rather than as a narrative told from the perspective of one group of fictionalised characters. But difficult subjects still arise and need to be handled sensitively by the teacher – particularly given the age group (11–14) the textbook is aimed at. This paper shows one way in which this might be achieved.

Accuracy and Utility of Internet Image Search as a Learning Tool for Retinal Pathology.

Purpose Ophthalmology residency training heavily relies on visual and pattern recognition-based learning. In parallel with traditional reference texts, online internet search via Google Image Search (GIS) is commonly used and offers an accessible fund of reference images for ophthalmology trainees seeking rapid exposure to images of retinal pathology. However, the accuracy and quality of this tool within this context is unknown. We aim to evaluate the accuracy and quality of GIS images of selected retinal pathologies. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed of GIS of 15 common and 15 rare retinal diseases drawn from the American Academy of Ophthalmology residency textbook series. A total of 300 evaluable image results were assessed for accuracy of images and image source accountability in consultation with a vitreoretinal surgeon. Results A total of 377 images were reviewed with 77 excluded prior to final analysis. A total of 288 (96%) search results accurately portrayed the retinal disease being searched, whereas 12 (4%) were of an erroneous diagnosis. More images of common retinal diseases were from patient education Web sites than were images of rare diseases ( p < 0.01). Significantly more images of rare retinal diseases were found in peer-reviewed sources ( p = 0.01). Conclusions GIS search results yielded a modest level of accuracy for the purposes of ophthalmic education. Despite the ease and rapidity of accessing multimodal retinal imaging examples, this tool may best be suited as a supplementary resource for learning among residents due to limited accuracy, lack of sufficient supporting information, and the source Web site's focus on patient education.

An Investigation of Culture Specific Items in English Textbooks Taught at Iraqi State-run High Schools and Private Institutes

Introduction: The issue of culture has been a controversial topic in foreign language teaching. One of the best resources for familiarizing foreign language learners with another language culture is textbook. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the culture-specific items in in terms of Kachru’s (1985) concentric circles in English textbooks used in state-run schools and private language institutes in Iraq. &#x0D; Methodology: Two textbooks of New Interchange series and English for Iraq series were analyzed in terms of their culture-specific items using Newmark’s (1988) framework. Cultural items related to categories of ecology, material culture, social culture, organizations, customs and ideas, gestures and habits as well as anthroponyms, were identified, and their frequency counts were computed. The Chi-square test was run to test the significance of each category.&#x0D; Results: The results of a Chi-square test indicated that there were no significant differences between New Interchange and English for Iraq series in terms of culture-specific items related to “the expanding circle”. However, a significant difference was found between the two series of textbooks as to the culture-specific items related to “the inner circle”. With regard to cultural items related to the Iraqi native culture, Organizations, Customs, Activities, Procedures, and Concepts were found to be the most frequent items, while Anthroponyms turned out to be the least frequent cultural items reflected in English for Iraq series of textbooks.&#x0D; Conclusion: It can be concluded that English textbooks published in English speaking countries (inner circle) and those published in non-native countries, such as Iraq, include items from expanding circle countries.

Why Mathematics at the High School Level Evolved to Include Linguistics

This article foregrounds the fundamental role that language can play in communicating mathematical ideas and contexts. The findings from this article contribute to an understanding of different ways textbook series with particular orientations make opportunities available for students to develop forms of agency and autonomy during classroom learning. The article also contributes methodology for analyzing mathematical texts of different genres.

Linguodidactic potential of semiotically heterogeneous texts in teaching Russian to Kazakh schoolchildren

The authors characterize functioning of semiotically heterogeneous texts in the methodology of teaching the Russian language. Traditional methods of applying semiotically heterogeneous texts in the educational process are still important, but at the same timeit is necessary to transform the scientific approaches to analysing the problems caused bythe reflexive nature and situational variability of digital content in education. The aim ofthe work is to identify and describe the linguodidactic potential of semiotically heterogeneous texts used in Russian language classes in Kazakhstan schools. Methods of comprehensive theoretical analysis of scientific and educational literature on semiotically heterogeneous texts, as well as observational method of studying and summarizing the pedagogical experience of Russian language teachers in Almaty schools were used. The printed semiotically heterogeneous texts from the series of textbooks on the Russian language and literature ofthe Kazakh language school (7th, 8th, 9th grades), as well as the video clips of literary miniatures by E. Posashkova on Youtube channel were chosen as the sources for the study material. It was proved that the linguodidactic potential of semiotically heterogeneous texts is disclosed on the basis of a system of special tasks and exercises. The authors’ method of analysing semiotically heterogeneous texts in Russian language classes in Kazakhstan schools is offered. Their linguodidactic potential aimed at memorizing the main content of the text, developing the skills in the main types of speech activity and language aspects, influencing the students’ imagination, emotions, subconsciousness, ensuring the productivity of communication in the new information and communication environment is revealed. Prospective for the study is the study of the functional load of variative components of semiotically heterogeneous texts, their hypertextual connections and implementation in teaching Russian in Kazakh schools.

THE TREATMENT OF COLLOCATIONS IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS FOR VIETNAMESE STUDENTS

The present study investigates collocational profiles that appear in the English textbook series for Vietnamese students from elementary to high school grades by identifying how the series covers collocations in terms of frequency and how the mode of collocation presentation aligns with recommendations in the existing literature. A total of 30,005 collocations of both verb-noun and adjective-noun patterns were identified, of which 1,078 are targeted collocations. The study found that the frequencies of occurrences of collocation tokens increase steadily alongside the three grade levels, while the frequencies of collocation types are not distributed proportionately. As for the mode of collocation presentation, targeted collocations and collocation exercises follow the best practices recommended in the literature to a certain extent and in some criteria; inconsistency, however, was found to be one of the shortcomings across those evaluation criteria. Pedagogical implications for teachers and textbook authors are discussed.

The power of one: The importance of flexible understanding of an identity element

The number one plays a special role in mathematics because it is the identity element in multiplication and division. The present findings, however, indicate that many middle school students do not demonstrate mathematical flexibility representing one as a fraction. Despite possessing explicit knowledge of fraction forms of one (e.g., 95% of students indicated that 36/36 = 1), most students did not recognize and apply knowledge of fraction forms of one to estimate numerical magnitudes, solve arithmetic problems, and evaluate arithmetic operations. Specifically, students were less accurate in locating fraction forms of one on number lines than integer forms of the same number; they also were slower and less accurate on fraction arithmetic problems that included one as a fraction (e.g., 6/6 + 1/3) than one as an integer (e.g., 1 + 1/3); and they were less accurate evaluating statements involving fraction forms of one than the integer one (e.g., lower accuracy on true or false statements such as 5/6 × 2/2 = 5/6 than 4/9 × 1 = 4/9). Analyses of three widely used textbook series revealed almost no text linking fractions in the form n/n to the integer one. Greater emphasis on flexible understanding of fractions equivalent to one in textbooks and instruction might promote greater understanding of rational number mathematics more generally.

Gender, critical pedagogy, and textbooks: Understanding teachers’ (lack of) mediation of the hidden curriculum in the EFL classroom

Gender contents, textual or visual, in instructional materials can be considered as a hidden curriculum, and may either hinder or advance equality. How teachers interpret and respond to this hidden curriculum in their classroom discourse, however, can play a crucial role in creating positive change. This research seeks to understand how teachers work with gender-sensitive contents in a newly-published English textbooks series for lower secondary education in Vietnam. To what extent are teachers aware of genderedness in textbooks, and how do they respond to it? Approaching gender as a social construct, using multi-dimensional methods, the study critically explores teachers’ experiences with the textbooks – their classroom practices and underlying perceptions – through 18 classroom observations and 12 follow-up interviews with 12 teachers in four lower secondary schools. Results indicate that neither the hidden curriculum of gender was recognized nor a critical mediation of it was practised. Gender content, whether ‘traditional’ or ‘progressive’, was largely absent from classroom discourse, as teachers prioritized transferring linguistic knowledge. Little space was allocated for promoting students’ critical thinking and self-reflections, including those about gender-related content. Teachers did not often pay full attention to different nuances and dimensions of gender issues, while sometimes their teaching design and interaction were found to be affected by their own bias – consciously and unconsciously. The study reveals that although teachers were later willing to reconstruct their perceptions and future practices, and were able to concretize their pedagogical intentions, enacting teacher agency in relation to critical pedagogy and gender equality in the contemporary English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom in Vietnam might remain a challenge. Based on the study’s findings, pedagogical implications that may enable teachers to be potential agents of change were suggested.

Are these texts readable? An Analysis on the Readability Level of English Textbooks for Indonesian High Schools

Reading texts or passages from textbooks are commonly used as learning materials in the Indonesian EFL context. This leads to the emergence of readability or reading level analyses for EFL reading materials using conventional formulas which, unfortunately, were originally developed for either English as L1 or L2 context. Moreover, there are alternative readability formulas for EFL materials that are relatively newer yet still underused in the field. Hence, this current descriptive study aimed to address this gap by attempting to analyze the reading texts in three Senior High School English textbook series published by the Ministry of Education and Culture, using formulas measuring the readability level without grade-levelling and using simplified EFL reading materials. In this study, the two specific formulas employed to conduct the readability level analysis were Miyazaki EFL Readability Index and McAlpine EFLAW formula. The results showed that the overall Miyazaki EFL readability score of all reading texts in the 10th, 11th, 12th grade English textbooks was 50, categorized as having a “standard” difficulty. Meanwhile, based on the analysis using McAlpine EFLAW readability formula, the overall readability score was 20.86, which was considered as “very easy to understand”. Eventually, it could be concluded that the two formulas could be conveniently used to analyze the readability level of all the reading texts in the textbook series. Moreover, the texts could be deemed as of “suitable and understandable” level for the intended EFL students in Indonesia.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords:Readability; Texts; Textbooks; Miyazaki EFL formula; McAlpine EFLAW formula&#x0D;

Exploring the Global Issues in English Language Teaching: EFL Teachers’ Perspective

The purpose of this research is to examine how a particular textbook series portrays global issues. It explored teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of global issues in the textbooks using content analysis and interviews with six English language teachers. The study found that the textbooks are primarily focused on subjects that promote and develop competence and that global issues are not given priority. The teachers who were interviewed identified a list of factors that could affect the selection of global issues to be incorporated in the textbooks.

The cultural sustainability in English as foreign language textbooks: Investigating the cultural representations in English language textbooks in China for senior middle school students.

In the age of globalization, studies of cultural representations in foreign language textbooks take account of cultural sustainability. This article reports on a case study of cultural representations in two English language textbook series that are widely used in senior high schools in China. The study investigated whether the cultural representations in these textbooks contribute to the development of local cultural sustainability. Content analysis was employed to examine the texts used in these textbooks, with references to the synergy of the theoretical frameworks of cultural sustainability and world Englishes. The study results indicate that there is an imbalanced cultural representation with respect to the categories of international cultures and national culture in these textbooks. The results point to the cultures of the inner circle countries (BANA: Britain, Australasia, and North America) being predominant, while the representation of Chinese culture has a low profile. As these textbooks are an important learning and teaching resource in China, they have the potential to play a significant role in influencing learners’ worldviews as they develop their understanding of different cultures. The imbalanced presentation of culture may in turn lead to a biased worldview where learners, rather appreciating cultural diversity, may instead discriminate against certain cultures. The implications for redressing the imbalance in cultural representation and cultural sustainability are discussed.

Some Conceptual Metaphors for Rational Numbers as Fractions in Swedish Mathematics Textbooks for Elementary Education

ABSTRACT This study examines the presence of three conceptual metaphors for fractions – The measuring stick metaphor, Arithmetic is motion along a path, and Arithmetic is object construction – in four common and popular Swedish mathematics textbook series for years 1–3. I analyse the introduction of fractions and the kinds of tasks students are given in these books. The results show an abundance of labelling exercises related to Arithmetic is object construction, with representations of geometric shapes, in three of the book series. One book series reversely introduces fractions with The measuring stick metaphor and Arithmetic is motion along a path, with a focus on number line representations. The consequences of these variations in fraction introduction and treatment are discussed in relation to previous research and to process-object theories.

Global issues in a series of EFL textbooks and implications for end-users to promote peace education through teaching english

ABSTRACT English has long been accepted as lingua franca (ELF) to share values, beliefs and opinions. ELF can be interrelated with the paradigms of Global Englishes Language Teaching (GELT), English as an International Language (EIL) and English as Medium of Instruction (EMI). Textbooks should present content covering global issues (GIs), leading to a better understanding of the spread of English and its connection with globalization where peace education (PE) should be built on. English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers usually feel under pressure to follow textbooks in English prep-programs in Turkey. Therefore, the extent that EFL textbooks offer GIs is crucial for developing learners’ understanding of PE beyond national boundaries. Although relevant literature has well documented the place of GIs in language teaching and paucity of research on PE in language education, EFL textbooks have remained under-researched. For this reason, a comprehensive checklist of GIs was used to examine a five-level series of coursebooks (A1-C1). Data analysis showed that three lower-level coursebooks employed less GIs than those with higher-levels. Issues ranged from environment to health, whilst specific content for PE appeared moderately. Several implications are made for a meaningful match of GIs and GELT, EIL, EMI and EFL teaching with Language of Peace Approach.

The portrayal of women in history curricula and textbooks in Lebanon: A history of systematic exclusion

The discipline of history has been largely dominated by men who were shaping the narratives. This gender inequality has been also reflected in history education, particularly in national history textbooks. Attempts to reinstate women in the field of history have emerged with the feminist movement particularly in 1960s to date. In this study we examine women in Lebanese history textbooks. Whilst Lebanon has not been able to develop a new history curriculum since 1960s, there are currently a few series of textbooks published by different private publishers. Through a content analysis of two of the main textbook series, the study found that women were almost fully absent except for a few minor appearances that often appeared in passing and a few images. Their presence was often related to their relationship with men (wife, mother) who were deemed to be of historical significance. Women were also excluded from authoring the textbooks. More remarkably there were only a few studies examining gender in Lebanese textbooks. Addressing this long history of marginalization of women in the Lebanese curriculum and textbooks, including in history, requires efforts on various levels of the Ministry of Education, including the representation of women in history education curriculum committees, a feminist perspective on history and a study of women in history. Finally, historians as well as higher education institutes have a major responsibility in deconstructing the gender gap and bias in history education.