Curricula impart knowledge, instill values, and shape collective memory. Despite growing public funding for religious schools through U.S. school choice programs, little is known about what they teach. We examine textbooks from public schools, religious private schools, and home schools, applying computational methods -- including the use of…

What kinds of images of human beings illustrate human evolution in school textbooks? A comparison between the textbooks of eighteen different countries (twelve European countries and six non-European countries) was attempted. In six countries (Algeria, Malta, Morocco, Mozambique, Portugal, and Tunisia), we did not find any chapter on the topic of…

Genetic concepts have significantly evolved over the last ten years, and are now less connected to innate ideas and reductionism. Unique reference to genetic determinism has been replaced by the interaction between the genes and their environment (epigenetics). Our analyses relate to how current school biology textbooks present this new paradigm…

The presentations of evolutionary theory of 13 prominent secondary school biology textbooks (3 Chinese, 8 American, and 2 Soviet) were examined using the methods of content analysis. Pronounced differences in topic emphasis among the 13 textbooks and systematic trends between countries are discussed. (Author/ZWH)

Contrasts data gathered regarding how textbooks deal with natural selection and teacher's ability to explore pupils' ideas related to it with an approach seeking to develop the pupils' capacity to explain biological change using the model of natural selection. Results show the approach is often characterized by superficial handling of key ideas…

Elementary and junior high school science textbooks were analyzed for the presence of prerequisite topics on evolution (protoconcepts). Results indicated that coverage of evolutionary protoconcepts varies considerably among published textbooks. Recommendations for teacher analysis of textbooks are provided. (ZWH)

Pupil learning about evolution under different types of instruction is examined. A branching style program in which written responses were required was compared with a program in which the same material was presented in straight narrative style. The project compiled and analyzed test results from 115 fifth-grade students. The students were divided…