Knowing what you need in a textbook is the first step in adopting one. This article gives tips on how to review the current research in a subject area before assessing needs. A list of four references is provided. (DCS)

Reexamines aspects of the "real books/reading scheme books" debate that erupted into British literacy education in the late 1980s. Argues that the debate was not over-polarized, but that it did not take appropriate account of scholarly review of related research. Notes the relationships to current developments in the field. (DSK)

The theory and practice of political science and social studies instruction should be reformulated and reassessed in the light of political socialization studies, particularly with respect to designing curricula and selecting textbooks, planning instructional strategies, and structuring school climates and political systems. (RM)

This annotated bibliography summarizes 11 selected publications concerned with the general topic of textbook content and selection. The selections are intended to give practicing educators easy access to the most significant and useful information on school textbooks that is available from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). All…

It is noted that current methods of textbook selection are characterized by subjective judgments and faddish trends. It is felt that rarely in the process of selection are research findings that are available or principles of educational psychology seriously considered. A systematic selection process of entire series of textbooks, based on the…

The extent and nature of censorship in Illinois social studies classrooms is assessed. A questionnaire included in the state Council for the Social Studies newsletter asked social studies teachers at all levels to respond to a 12-item questionnaire covering censorship of texts, teaching methods, textbook selection processes, and origins of…

Past researchers have claimed that it is possible to over-involve individuals in decision-making and that this saturation may result in a decrease in job satisfaction. This paper presents a synthesis of three studies that covered the kindergarten through 12-th grade spectrum and tested the curvilinear relationship between teacher involvement in…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 21 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) Victorian ideology and British children's literature from 1850 to 1914, (2) a comparison of passages from books for adults and for children, (3) the use and…

Reports on a review of 25 content analysis studies of social studies textbooks published between 1982 and 1992. Finds that many of the problems noted in other types of social studies research also are evident in these studies. Provides recommendations for improving the quality of content analysis studies. (CFR)

A study measuring perceptions of participants in social studies textbook adoption for Georgia school districts investigated how participants' attitudes and perceptions correlated with textbook adoption. It was hypothesized that school systems would adopt new social studies materials which were perceived by members of the textbook adoption…

A brief and flexible overview is presented of the steps that should be taken to revise social studies instruction. The booklet lists 10 steps in the revision process. Each step has a brief commentary followed by questions that a local curriculum planning group may want to consider. Some resources to help answer these questions are included. The…