This report presents a detailed analysis of "Discover Art," an elementary textbook series by Laura Chapman. The study was guided by a large set of framing questions requiring a detailed examination of the series' goals, rationale, and structure; content selection, organization, and emphasis; the coherence of content explication in the…

Examines the effects of corporate mergers in the publishing industry on the publishing of textbooks and standardized tests. Concludes that restructuring, acquisitions, and mergers have an intrusive effect on established practices of academic publishing and may severely limit the access of scholars to the academic marketplace. (FMW)

Reviews 21 one-semester economics textbooks using Kenneth E. Boulding's ideas for introductory textbooks. Lists 240 concepts and topic areas in macroeconomics, microeconomics, public policy, and international economics that may be covered in a textbook. (NL)

This textbook evaluation instrument is provided to assess (1) content properties; (2) instructional properties; (3) physical properties; (4) readability; and (5) other properties such as cultural mix, organization of text, and suitability for various grade levels in secondary level world geography and global studies textbooks. For the first three…

The paper analyzes seven widely-used fifth grade social studies textbooks with the hypothesis that texts are unnecessarily loaded with poorly conceived instructional design features that often do not relate to content or skills and tend to minimize the primary function of the texts. Using present and future challenges facing the United States as a…

Discusses the applicability of research into cognitive schemas, metacognition, instructional design, and learning strategies to textbook creation; the value of well-structured, coherent, and focused texts; readability formulas, narrative characteristics, science and social studies texts, glossaries, dictionaries, teachers' manuals, and practice…

This report describes a research study for the Ontario Ministry of Education that addresses the issues of policy, expenditure levels, and patterns of use related to textbooks, library books, and other classroom-based learning materials in Ontario schools. The research is based on a survey of public and Roman Catholic separate school boards…

Organized in three sections, this report presents the first case study from a project aimed at developing prototypes of ideal textbook chapters. The report (1) discusses the Ideal Text Project, in which a number of researchers in instructional science have been challenged to design a textbook chapter that incorporates the design features they…

Analyzes leading journal citations for introductory sociology textbooks to determine if there has been a decline in the quality of such textbooks. Discovers a greater percentage of citations to earlier textbooks. Suggests, however, that this could be due to expanded publishing opportunities and the emphasis given to original research. (MJP)

Analyzes 10 editions of an introductory college psychology textbook to determine changes in the content. Reveals that coverage of consciousness, personality, abnormal (disorders), therapies, and social psychology increased, while coverage of introductory material, learning, methods, intelligence, developmental psychology, and applied psychology…

A two part examination of the evidence concerning one possible basis for the poor mathematical performance of United States students, the content of the textbooks used in their classes, is presented. The results of a detailed analysis of Japanese and U.S. mathematics textbooks for grades 1 through 12 are reported. Two international studies (1964…

Charts the development of music education from early utilitarianism up to its current emphasis on aesthetic value. Recent attempts to pursue music education as an interdisciplinary subject have been limited due to budget cuts. Briefly discusses this financial crisis and suggests some sources of alternative funding. (MJP)