All major textbook companies conform to preferences of larger educational markets (California, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Florida) and exercise self-censorship to appease dissenting factions and avoid alienating pressure groups. Recent censorship controversies have involved sanctity of family, criticism of free enterprise system,…

Conservative challenges to materials used in the public schools are no longer limited to isolated attacks against individual books. Recent curriculum challenges are noteworthy for their frequency, new targets (such as the Impressions textbook series), and changed strategies, ranging from litigation and personal persuasion to highly organized…

This article describes how this topical issue on making textbooks amenable to diverse learners developed from a conference at which eight participants discussed the features of textbooks that promote or impede learning among heterogeneous students. The theme of each paper included in the topical issue is noted. (JDD)

Eleven college psychology textbooks were surveyed for their presentation of research using animals characterized by invasive procedures. The methods and procedures of the survey are presented. Survey results are discussed. Results indicated that the majority of studies are presented without reference to the subjective state of the animals…

States that many economics textbooks define economic rent in 1 of the 2 ways discussed 30 years ago by E. J. Mishan. Contends that the 2 definitions are not substantially different, rendering the dichotomy invalid. Examines 15 microeconomics textbooks to determine whether they validate Mishan's categories of rent definitions. (DB)

This ideological critique of "Espana Nuestra" reveals the presence of Spanish fascism in textual and graphic images of an elementary school social studies textbook. The analysis reveals how these images were arranged to foster and reinforce specific crucial elements of Spanish fascist ideology, such as national syndicalism, militant…

Examines the folktales chapter through nine editions of the influential children's literature textbook, "Children and Books." Compares and contrasts variables that include the language, general organization, specific chapters on folktales and chapters or sections on storytelling, illustrations, indexes, and bibliographies. (Author/LRW)

A business communication faculty survey (199 of 600 responded) indicated that 79% discuss employment communication in their courses, but only 45% address disability disclosure in the workplace. None of the 13 textbooks analyzed covered this topic. (SK)

A father and music teacher describes his frustrations when trying to get Prentice Hall Publishers to correct over 2000 factual errors in his daughter's seventh-grade science textbook. Textbooks featuring pictures of African-American women working in science labs may incorrectly portray scientific experiments. (MLH)

Finds 37 common theoretical ideas discussed in at least three of five popular collegiate interpersonal communication textbooks. Divides the common theories into four broad conceptual categories: (1) issues surrounding symbolic self; (2) issues of perception; (3) verbal skills, behaviors, and competencies; and (4) relational perspectives that view…

Examined the portrayal of poverty in economics textbooks, investigating whether poverty would be predicted as a black problem. Results found evidence that black faces were overwhelmingly portrayed among the contemporary poor, yet Blacks were not portrayed among the Great Depression era poor and nor were they used to illustrate the popular Social…

Analyzes biology textbooks on the subject of evolution before the Scopes trial, immediately after the trial, and today. Also considers the impact of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) on biology textbooks. (MM)

In this article, the author talks about Neal Frey, who for more than two decades has labored on behalf of Educational Research Analysts, a conservative Christian textbook-reviewing organization in Longview, Texas that was founded by the famously outspoken husband-and-wife team of Mel and Norma Gabler. When Mr. Gabler died at the age of 89, and…

Mirroring increased cultural and disciplinary attention to sexuality, many introductory sociology textbooks have begun to include coverage of the topic. Our study first assesses the extent of textual coverage of sexuality in a sample of 38 introductory textbooks published after 2000. Secondly, we focus on 14 textbooks with a sexuality chapter…

History and social studies textbooks have often been the object of heated political debate in various countries, since they relate directly to issues of national identity and citizenship. This article analyzes how "foreigners" are portrayed in two versions (the 2000 and 2006 versions, date of issue) of the best-selling elementary social…