Teaching demands engagement with a diverse world. When teaching about distant places, school textbooks commonly employ mediation devices of comparison, contrast and narratives of change. To what extent are such pedagogical strategies inherently othering? This question is addressed in the context of representations of Japan in English geography…

The paper discusses the collective identity of the Palestinian citizens of Israel as it is filtered to school students through the state-commissioned school textbooks. Since it was established in 1948, Israel has maintained two separate education systems, one for Palestinian-Israelis, who are now approximately 20% of the population, and the other…

Contends that if textbooks are to be improved it is essential that teachers, administrators, and textbook selectors become more demanding and discriminating consumers. Examines various textbook components that need improvement such as: (1) photographs; (2) basic skills exercises; (3) worksheets; and (4) content. (BSR)

To show that in their elementary school years, American students read many pages of inconsiderate text, a segment from a sixth grade social studies textbook is analyzed. Criteria used to determine considerateness are structure, coherence, unity, and audience appropriateness. (RM)

Analyzes nine of the leading textbooks in the field of curriculum to determine if there are common domains of content knowledge. Points out that there is no dominant textbook in curriculum which establishes a format for other textbooks to follow because there is no consensus on what content knowledge is important for curriculum study. (GG)

I examine how science curricula are complicit in maintaining the dominance of knowledge production by major powers, particularly the USA, through their efforts to tell the "truth" about certain topics, and whether resistant counter-discourses are being mounted, especially in "peripheral" states such as Canada, Australia, and…

Reports results of an investigation of science content of 10 recently published elementary science textbook series. Results show that though textbooks cover a wide range of science content, they do not promote or encourage the development of scientific thinking or attitudes, nor do they engage students in applying cognitive processes that are…

Three favorable reactions to an 11th-grade textbook chapter dealing with the history surrounding the writing of the U.S. Constitution that was written by experts as an example of an ideal textbook are presented. The evaluators thought that the chapter is in many ways exemplary and is a good initial attempt at writing an ideal text. (RM)

Critiques nine major curriculum texts. Argues the field has failed to produce important research. Looks at citation ratios in curriculum research journals versus other scholarly journals. Explores the impact and influence between curriculum texts and their intended audience. Includes suggestions for a curriculum program from the…