Volume 3 - Number 1 - Biology School Textbooks and Their Role for Students’ Success in Learning Sciences - Abstract and Evaluation Approach

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rizky

The article evaluates the quality of Romanian biology school textbooks by tracing how a textbook evolves and by proposing a structured exercise for analyzing and assessing alternative biology textbook options. Students, and future biology teachers preparing to use and teach from the materials, apply this coordinated exploration to build critical analysis and enable them to express informed alternatives. It further examines how textbooks contribute to students’ progress in scientific knowledge and personal development as a learning resource.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Definition and characteristics of school textbooks

Reasons for textbook development

Stages of textbook elaboration and testing

Assessment methods and experimentation approaches

Volume 3, Number 1, 2010 BIOLOGY SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS AND THEIR ROLE FOR STUDENTS’ SUCCESS IN LEARNING SCIENCES Irina Pop-Păcurar, Liliana Ciascai Abstract: What is the quality of the Romanian biology textbooks? The article gives answers to this question by watching the evolution of a textbook and by suggesting an exercise for analyzing and assessing the alternative biology textbooks. The opportunity of this analysis has been offered to students, future teachers of biology, around the time when they will directly use the textbooks for preparing and teaching the lessons. The main objective of this coordinated exercise of exploring the quality of the alternative biology textbooks is the development of the students’abilities to critically analyze the textbooks which they will use in the near future and for which they will have to express alternative options. The interests of the authors are also focused on the role of the textbooks in the learning process, on the analysis of their contribution to the students’progress in the scientific knowledge but also to their personal development. The textbook, as a source of the basic knowledge of biology as a school subject, but also as a collector of methodological ideas, is a „territory” that is insufficiently explored by students in the initial teaching preparation. Key words: Biology, school textbooks, evaluation 1. Introduction According to the DEX definition, (p. 598) the school subject textbook is defined as „a book which contains the basic notions of a science, art or practical pursuit” and the Robert dictionary defines it as „a didactic work that contains, in a convenient format, the essential elements of a science, techniques and especially the knowledge which is required by the scholar programmes”. Gerard (2003, p 10) defines the textbook as „a printed volume, structured in order to enroll in a learning process, with the purpose of improving its efficiency. The textbook has the following characteristics: performs different functions associated with learning, serves to achieving some objectives, suggests different types of activities, likely to support the learning process.” Generally, the writing of a textbook is required by different reasons: the fact that a certain field doesn’t have a textbook, the shortcomings related to the existent textbook/textbooks, changes occuring in the curriculum, the belief of the person who suggests writing another textbook that he/she can fill this lack by developing a textbook which is qualitatively superior etc. The elaboration of a textbook requires crossing the following stages: projecting, editing, testing and evaluating the textbook. The projection of the textbook must take into consideration the target group, must mention the functions, the structure and the characteristics of the textbook (the type of the promoted learning , the types of items etc.) . The drawing up of the textbook should be done in two steps: editing a chapter and editing the whole textbook. The drawn up chapter should represent a sample that reflects the author’s vision regarding: the report information/ methodological knowledge, the typology of the activities suggested to the students, the quantity of exercises and problems etc. The chapter is tested in order to determine if the textbook is accessible, if it motivates students to study it, if it supports learning, if it contributes to forming a positive attitude towards that subject, if it encourages knowledge transfer, if it presents interdisciplinary openings, if it develops the critical and the scientific thinking of the students etc. After assessing and editing the chapter and the project of the whole textbook, all the chapters should be edited and the content and covers design should be set. Finally, the whole manuscript will be read by some lecturers, which are chosen from people who are specialists in this subject, didacticians, practitioners etc. and who are not involved in the elaboration of that t

FAQs

What central question does the article address about Romanian biology textbooks?

It asks what the quality of Romanian biology textbooks is and answers that question through analysis of textbook evolution and an assessment exercise.

Who is the proposed textbook analysis exercise designed for?

It is offered to students and to future biology teachers around the time they will directly use the textbooks for preparing and teaching lessons.

Which stages does the article describe for elaborating a textbook?

It describes projecting, editing, testing, and evaluating, including chapter-level drafting and whole-textbook editing, followed by assessment and final review.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rizky