Social work educators require textbooks and other teaching materials that can be used in research courses to enhance student learning. Likewise, social work practitioners require resource books that can be used to enhance practice. This article provides an essay review of four recently published books representing diverse viewpoints on social work…

Notes that most textbooks used in teacher education classes fail to discuss adequately the issues of sex equity, sex bias, sex differences, and the social contributions of women. Offers a list of resources for providing sex equity in education. (RL)

Presents results of a content analysis of 46 postsecondary reading textbooks to assess the texts' incorporation of features that enhance learning. Describes the use of a modified version of Singer's Friendly Text Inventory to analyze the texts in terms of organization, explication, conceptual density, metadiscourse, and instructional devices. (DMM)

Reviews three geometry textbooks in order to examine both the quantity and content of algebra review. Concludes that although the books incorporate a great deal of algebra, much of it is noncontextual review. (ASK)

The first purpose of a high school course in U.S. history must be to help students understand the essence of democracy and those events, institutions, and forces that have either promoted or obstructed it. This review examines five textbooks and analyzes how useful they are in aiding that process, and how they might be made more helpful. The five…

Investigates the types, frequency, and length of literature used in elementary social studies texts and teachers' manuals. Although some texts thoroughly integrated the literature into the main instruction, most relegated it to additional readings and bibliographies. Provides some useful guidelines for using literature in the social studies…

Reviewed were 38 textbooks on investment analysis. Seven textbooks for undergraduate chemical engineering students are rated by 31 topics extracted by the review. Presents top-ranked texts in engineering economics and business/finance. (YP)

Suggests ways of increasing the international focus of industrial organization courses. Discusses four areas of international topics that could be integrated into such courses. Includes imperfect markets, trade, and industrial policy; theory of the firm; exchange rates and market behavior; and issues in antitrust. Evaluates the extent and adequacy…

Reviews 21 one-semester economics textbooks using Kenneth E. Boulding's ideas for introductory textbooks. Lists 240 concepts and topic areas in macroeconomics, microeconomics, public policy, and international economics that may be covered in a textbook. (NL)

Reports that a goal and item analysis of eight history and systems of psychology textbooks and their accompanying test item files showed that the majority of the essay test items are too narrow in scope to measure the commonly stated course goals. Presents some integrative and goal-relevant essay questions to rectify this shortcoming. Includes a…

Social studies textbooks need careful inspection with regard to how they treat ethnicity. Although there have been several studies of possible bias in textbooks, there are methodological concerns that need further deliberation. Content analysis has been called a "technique for systematic inference from communications," and it may be viewed as a…

This booklet addresses the question of what is wrong with textbooks and then shows how textbooks can be improved through the selection process. A conceptual scheme is proposed as the basis of the selection process. Specific attributes and features to look for when selecting textbooks, based on this conceptual scheme, are discussed. Five categories…

There has been much recent discussion concerning the content of the standard calculus course for students majoring in mathematics and the sciences. Some of this discussion has focused on the available textbooks. One weakness noted in some of these books involves the definitions of limit and continuity for functions of several variables. A…

Analyzes seven college-level U.S. history survey texts to determine the deteriorating quality of college history textbooks. Focuses on three areas: (1) the simplification of style and content, (2) indications of implicit censorship, and (3) the lack of a thematic structure which would contribute to the students' understanding of history. (LS)

Investigates whether enriching text with analogies, similes, and metaphors has an impact on student cognitive learning and attitudes. Reports no gain on achievement, negative gain on attitude, no gain on proposition recall test, and negative gain on student attention to the text. (YP)