This study explores the extent to which the term "sex hormone" is used in science textbooks, and whether the use of the term "sex hormone" is associated with pre-empirical concepts of sex dualism, in particular the misconceptions that these so-called "sex hormones" are sex specific and restricted to sex-related physiological functioning. We found…

Textbooks for GCE Advanced Level Biology have provided over-simplified and inaccurate accounts of Charles Darwin's contribution to the study of evolution over a period of many decades. They have credited him with field skills and insight that he did not possess, and repeated several historical inaccuracies. Darwin's strength was as a synthesiser…

Defines textbook genre as the manner of presentation of material and implied relationship between the author and reader. Describes a method of objectively dividing textbooks into moves separated by shifts in emphasis, and gives a genre analysis of an exemplar textbook to demonstrate how the technique might be useful in evaluating textbooks for…

Finds that high school physical science students prefer textbooks with expository text that not only gives a correct concept but refutes common incorrect ideas. Finds that writing a comprehensible text is more difficult than the researchers had imagined. (SR)

This article analyzes how science classes carry ideological elements and how that has ethical and deontological consequences with respect to science teaching. Provided are some examples of ideologizing, presenting a worldview, biased contents, and biased image of science. (YP)

Reports on a content analysis of 14 textbooks on endocrinology. Using thyrotoxicosis as the content maker, the study indicated major differences between books with regard to the information provided and the number of words devoted to the subject. Suggests that medical teachers selecting textbooks be aware of such differences. (TW)

Compares a "new" measure for assessing the level of abstraction of textual material with an old measure. Finds some similarity in their assessment of science texts, and finds that the earlier measure may be easier for the nonspecialist to use. Suggests a rule of thumb for practicing teachers. (SR)

Linguistic content analysis, method of encoding textual data by categorizing key words and identifying relationships, was developed to assess degree to which science was portrayed as process of inquiry within high school biology textbook series. The frequency of science as a process of inquiry increased from 1956 to 1965, then showed a pattern of…

This research report focuses on the latent content of textbooks, the information attempting to instruct the child in ethical and moral values. Textbooks being used in the average classrooms in the United States today in grades one through six were examined and analyzed to discover the way the two sexes are portrayed and the types of behavior…

A study examined text-based scientific concepts and described how those concepts were elaborated in three high school biology textbooks. The three textbooks were aimed at different student audiences: non-college bound students, special education students, and high school students at all levels. A concept analysis was established for each text, and…

The final report of the project that concentrated on the expository language found in content-area textbooks begins with an overview of the project, including rationale, significance, and goals. These goals were to (1) describe how high school students and their teachers used their textbooks, (2) describe and analyze the nature of expository…

Reports on an investigation of 31 introductory geology textbooks indicating that the concept of contact between bodies of rock is only rarely discussed. Data collected pertaining to 15 related terms demonstrated that many are either omitted or inadequately covered. (TW)

Questions the continued misuse of Markovnikov's Rule in organic chemistry texts. Claims that the results of several studies that show the reaction to be more complex than it appears at first. Criticizes authors of new texts who have perpetrated the rule based on reading older texts. (TW)

Examines if the reading levels of state-adopted science textbooks at the high-school level are consistent with their intended reader levels. Finds that four of five chemistry textbooks had reading levels beyond high school, while biology textbooks fared better but not as well as the physics and physical science textbooks, which were on grade level…

This study was designed to find out how far suggested textbooks have been adopted in teaching a new chemistry syllabus in Kenya and if the chemistry books now being used in schools to teach the new syllabus involve activity and encourage the process of scientific inquiry. The new syllabus is a merger between the traditional separate chemistry…