A study was conducted to assess the role of State departments of education in evaluating ethnic content of social studies material. The approach was to identify and assess instruments, such as guidelines and historical outlines, employed in the evaluation. The way States define ethnic content is criticized. (Author/GC)

A comparative study of textbook terms was conducted to determine what high school science skills are necessary for success in associate degree physical science courses. Results indicate that, although enrollment in technology-training programs is increasing, high school textbook treatment of terms remains inadequate preparation for junior college…

Analysis of "lesson" parts in English as a foreign language instructional materials revealed many problems, including: muddled text forms; lack of coherence; lack of completion; and confusing focus of text. (CB)

The second volume of a series of textbooks designed for young students of French is reviewed by examining how the dialogs, phonological information, grammar instruction and notes, exercises, characters and their language, cultural information, and photos and documents correspond to the authors' expressed instructional intentions. (MSE)

Reports on a study into the relationship between a student's ability to solve problems in chemistry and his/her understanding of molecular concepts. Argues that teaching students to solve problems about chemistry is not equivalent to teaching about the nature of matter. (TW)

Discusses the cursory treatment of Mexican Americans and Mexican American History in United States History textbooks and classrooms. Identifies instructional methods useful in engaging student interest. Argues that the present inadequacies of education and educational tools in this area perpetuate existing stereotypes and contribute to cultural…

Publishers are compelled by public policies and practices to produce textbooks that confuse students with non sequiturs, mislead them with misinformation, and bore them with pointlessly arid writing. Recommendations for textbook policy are proposed. (BJV)

Examines the thinking of social scientists, politicians, and others who write on the subject of intervention. Summarizes the past and present treatment of intervention in social studies textbooks, stating that teachers must go beyond their texts in identifying intervention as a problem with which society should be concerned. (GEA)

Reviews five composition textbooks, assessing their attempts to integrate the reading and writing processes through literature and composition. Examines the textbooks' theoretical instantiation and notes their lack of success in achieving the reading/writing connection. (MM)

Investigates the degree to which instruction in teachers' manuals relates to the stories in basal readers. Finds that the instruction in teachers' manuals relates to children's stories less than 33% of the time. (SKC)

Discusses U.S./USSR Textbook Study Project and the concerns of its director, Howard Mehlinger. Among the criticisms of Soviet treatment of U.S. history are the overriding ideological biases and the inadequate coverage of such topics as political parties and reform movements. Among Soviet complaints are stereotypes of economic underdevelopment and…

Describes components of new elementary and secondary school textbook packages and reviews criteria for evaluating textbooks. Topics discussed include the development of teaching aids; curricular considerations; evaluating content-area textbooks; the whole language approach to instruction; and the role of librarians and media specialists in subject…

Discusses the loss of precision that normally results in solving equilibrium problems, particularly as presented through the use of quadratic formulas in most introductory college chemistry textbooks. Provides examples of demonstrations. (TW)

Discusses the field of educational publishing and argues that the majority of textbooks reflect static programs and packages and prescribed curricula. Also argues that because teachers are learning to adapt their instructional materials to their own purposes, textbook publishers will have to change both the content and pedagogy of their texts.…

Shows that "Slicing the task"--reducing the amount of print a student has to read at a given time by inserting questions into the text--may be effective with good readers but not for poor readers. (FL)