Arthur Woodward - Böcker

It is surprising that there is so little research on textbooks, given their centrality to teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools. Textbooks have become a focus of political and cultural controversy, advocating a multicultural curriculum that has sparked some vigorous protests. Research is absent in this debate; therefore, questions of legitimate knowledge, the role of textbooks, textbook design, policy selection issues, and economic issues concerning the marketplace are not part of the current debate. Without insights of research on considerate text, mentioning, illustrations and so forth, the current controversy will result in publishers responding to demands for more content not less; thus, textbooks will become compendia of information that on the surface satisfy everyone.This volume demonstrates how research on important issues relative to textbook design can advance our knowledge about what makes textbooks effective learning tools, and thus inform policymakers, publishers, and those involved in textbook selection. Representing pure and applied approaches, researchers present papers on the quality of writing, the role of questions, the role of pictures and illustrations, and the role of auxiliary materials in the design of effective textbooks. The chapters provide insight into research and its application to textbook design and improvement -- stimulating others to follow this lead.

Textbooks have been standard schoolroom fixtures for as long as most living citizens of this country can remember. Many turn-of-the-century students were introduced to reading through the moralistic McGuffey Readers and struggled through the rather drab and colorless pages of volumes on history, geography and civics. In contrast, today's textbooks contain not only narrative content accompanied by colorful photographs and graphics, but also section and chapter exercises that are extended through the use of worksheets and other materials. Moreover, the textbook and its related student materials are packaged together with teacher's editions and tests in grade-level sets that amount to content area programs rather than mere texts.

It is surprising that there is so little research on textbooks, given their centrality to teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools. Textbooks have become a focus of political and cultural controversy, advocating a multicultural curriculum that has sparked some vigorous protests. Research is absent in this debate; therefore, questions of legitimate knowledge, the role of textbooks, textbook design, policy selection issues, and economic issues concerning the marketplace are not part of the current debate. Without insights of research on considerate text, mentioning, illustrations and so forth, the current controversy will result in publishers responding to demands for more content not less; thus, textbooks will become compendia of information that on the surface satisfy everyone.This volume demonstrates how research on important issues relative to textbook design can advance our knowledge about what makes textbooks effective learning tools, and thus inform policymakers, publishers, and those involved in textbook selection. Representing pure and applied approaches, researchers present papers on the quality of writing, the role of questions, the role of pictures and illustrations, and the role of auxiliary materials in the design of effective textbooks. The chapters provide insight into research and its application to textbook design and improvement -- stimulating others to follow this lead.

Textbooks have been standard schoolroom fixtures for as long as most living citizens of this country can remember. Many turn-of-the-century students were introduced to reading through the moralistic McGuffey Readers and struggled through the rather drab and colorless pages of volumes on history, geography and civics. In contrast, today's textbooks contain not only narrative content accompanied by colorful photographs and graphics, but also section and chapter exercises that are extended through the use of worksheets and other materials. Moreover, the textbook and its related student materials are packaged together with teacher's editions and tests in grade-level sets that amount to content area programs rather than mere texts.