Biology School Textbooks and Their Role for Students'Success in Learning Sciences (original) (raw)

Criteria for Improving the Quality of the Biology Textbook for the Scientific Sixth Grade (An Evaluation Study)

International Journal of Humanities and Educational Research, 2021

This research aims to build criteria for improving the text book quality and to Identify the extent in which criteria might be implied in the Biology textbook, might be implied in the Biology textbook for the 6th Grade, to achieve the research objectives, the researcher depend on the description method and the questionnaire as the research instrument which consisted of (7) fields: the introduction, the educational objectives, the scientific content, the activities, the photos-figurestables, the evaluation methods, the artistic editing. It includes (99) criteria. Reliability and validity have been affirmed. The number of individuals is (1950) and the sample of the research is (331) as teachers and s supervisors for biology, they were chosen randomly who represented the Iraqi governorates of 2017. The research has concluded that the biology textbook has achieved most of quality criteria with admission of weakness in criteria of introduction and activities. The researcher recommends to adopt criteria of textbook quality which adopted by this research and to reconsider the reorganizing the textbook and to take in consideration of the practical aspect. The researcher suggests to n evolutions to other Biology Textbook to get the specialties in authorizing Textbooks .

How the textbook is inserted in the pedagogical practice of Biology high school teachers in Sobradinho, Distrito Federal, Brazil

2019

Textbooks have been present in teaching practices for a long time. It is commonplace to find students and teachers carrying several textbooks to school every day. However, does their presence in classes ensure their use? What roles do they play? Textbooks are teaching resources that are freely distributed by the Brazilian Federal government to public school students, by the National Textbook Program (Programa Nacional do Livro Didático - PNLD) and teachers choose the books to be delivered to their schools. These were factors that motivated the research about if these books become part of the teacher's pedagogic practice and, if confirmed, how. Observations were made during biology lessons in some high schools in Sobradinho, Federal District (central Brazil), and questionnaires were distributed to the teachers, who were interviewed. The results show that the use of biology textbooks by teachers was restricted to planning the activities to be developed during the classes, thus poi...

Nature of Science in Greek Secondary School Biology Textbooks

CEPS Journal, 2022

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.

Development of Lesson Study Books Specially in Biology Based on Scientific Approaches

Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA

Prospective biology teachers need to be well prepared, not only in terms of biology content but also their teaching skills, including lesson study. This study aims to developing a biology lesson study book based on scientific approach. The research method used is research and development by adopting the ADDIE model. The research instrument used was a questionnaire to measure the responses of experts, teachers and students to the quality of the book. This research also pays attention to qualitative (suggestions and comments) and quantitative data. The results showed that the book was considered feasible by experts. Teacher and student responses also showed a positive impact on the use of the book. The test results also showed an increase in learning outcomes. So, the book can be used in classroom learning.

What Makes Source of Scientific Information Good? Reflection on Primary and Junior High School Textbooks and their use by Teachers Presenting Particular Teaching Style through Example of Amphibians and Reptiles

Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2019

Textbooks are one of the most important teaching aids in education. They often serve as the main or the only source of information for students and teachers. The aim of this study was to analyze the sources of students' scientific knowledge-teachers and textbooks, with focus on information about amphibians and reptiles. Authors have conducted an analysis of the content of twelve nature and biology textbooks, with the focus on: a core biological idea, the presence of surveys and summaries, appealing graphics and factual errors. The teachers participated in in-depth interviews, and were analyzed for the reflective insight considering e.g. presence of substantial mistakes or shaping students' attitudes. Authors proposed new framework for describing teaching styles based on the dominant characteristics of their teaching process, the teachers were classified as-Didactical, Pedagogical or Ethical teacher. None of the analyzed books were flawless. The most common errors concerned the movement apparatus and the taxonomy. Authors have found out statistically significant correlation between teachers with wider knowledge, and their declaration of more diverse and suitable methods during the lessons. Teachers who do not declare such activities were more probable to put less focus on shaping students attitudes and to make more errors.

Students' Opinions about Their Ninth Grade Biology Textbook: From the Perspective of Constructivist Learning Approach

The study aimed to determine students' opinions about their ninth grade biology textbook that had been created in accordance with the constructivist learning approach. On the basis of a detailed literature review of studies on textbooks; questionnaires used for assessment of textbooks; and constructivist learning approach, a questionnaire was created and administered to 751 students from 9 schools located in the city of Trabzon. The questionnaire was classified into the following sections: contents, learning-teaching activities, assessment and evaluation activities, and physical design. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was 0.94, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 15.0. Multiple findings pertaining to each section were obtained. Overall, it was found that the students were satisfied with their ninth grade biology textbook. While the existence of various visuals was being appreciated by most of the students, some aspects of the textbooks should be developed in order better to support constructivist learning in classrooms. The study also revealed that the questionnaire developed might be used to evaluate textbooks in terms of their appropriateness to constructivist learning theory. The findings of the study are expected to contribute to improving design for future textbooks.

PISA and biology school textbooks: the role of visual material

Language is essential in doing science and shapes the construction and communication of scientific ideas. The language of science is an integration of texts, visual images (i.e. diagrams, pictures, graphs, maps, tables, charts) and mathematical expressions (i.e. equations). Learning and teaching science means also learning and teaching the media of science communication. This study aims at comparing visual material included in PISA science test items related to biological systems and in assessment tasks in Biology school textbooks intended for 7th and 9th grade students in Greece. Specifically, the following dimensions of the visual material were analyzed: -

Media Analysis of Biology Teaching Book Grade XII: A Study Based on Science Literation Category

Indonesian Journal of Educational Research and Technology, 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze Biology textbooks as a source of scientific literacy. To support the research, the authors use descriptive research methods and a cloze test evaluation sheet to evaluate the quality of the books as a source of scientific literacy reading in terms of the scientific literacy category. From the research results, it is found that there are differences in the components of the contents between book A and book B.