In this study, an analysis of the structure of scientific explanations included in physics textbooks of upper secondary schools in Greece was completed. In scientific explanations for specific phenomena found in the sample textbooks, the "explanandum" is a logical consequence of the "explanans," which in all cases include at…

Science curriculum standards were mapped onto various texts (literacy readers, trade books, online articles). Statistical analyses highlighted the inconsistencies among readability formulae for Grades 2-6 levels of the standards. There was a lack of correlation among the readability measures, and also when comparing different text sources. Online…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which science education objectives in elementary schools addressed to the six basic components of environmental literacy (EL), and how this attention differed from Bulgaria to Turkey. The main method in the study involved comparative content analysis of these objectives. The courses sampled…

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…

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)