Samples and reviews a broad cross-section of United States survey textbooks available to college instructors in terms of their treatment of slavery. Reports on how they are doing collectively to represent a much revised historical topic, how they compare with one another, and which among them is most useful. (DSK)

Argues for a unified consideration of how markets fail based on how an efficiency rule (marginal benefits to society equal or exceed marginal costs to society) is violated. States that repetition of the efficiency decision rule framework reinforces basic concepts and emphasizes the normative foundation underlying the analysis of market failure.…

Analyzes six U.S. civics and history textbooks used in grades seven through nine to determine what messages these texts convey to young people about the nature of civic life. Explores the results in three sections: (1) learning about the nature of democracy; (2) national identity and loyalty; and (3) diversity. (CMK)

Presents findings from a study that established a series of criteria for assessing the equity of gender representation in foreign-language textbooks, applied the criteria to a number of Russian textbooks to compare them on a basis as a case study, and considered the criteria as a basis for the examination of gender representation in…

Presents a comparative analysis of 15 brief introductory psychology textbooks for teachers who want a leaner introductory text. Focuses on length, pedagogical aids, and topic coverage. States that there is enough variability among the texts to accommodate teachers' preferences and needs. Includes a bibliography of the textbooks. (CMK)

Examines 17 undergraduate cognitive psychology textbooks published in the United States with copyright dates between 1995 and 1999. Intends to facilitate textbook selection through a comparison of text length, reference citations, content, pedagogy, and illustrative material. Reveals that the textbooks diverge on topical emphasis. Includes an…

The present contribution analyses how Spanish textbooks deal with activities requiring primary-school pupils to work in groups. The sample comprised 24 social science, natural science and technology textbooks written for primary school children (6?12 years old). Having coded the information, the authors followed a two-fold methodology geared…

A modern understanding of the cell and its functions has been translated into learning goals for K-12 students by Project 2061's "Benchmarks for Science Literacy" and by the National Research Council's "National Science Education Standards" ("NSES"). Nearly every state has used these national documents to develop…

Seventy-seven contemporary realistic fiction children's books portraying a dyslexic character were published in the United States between 1993 and 2003. This study examined the texts to determine what types of issues the reading difficulty posed for the character. Texts were analyzed to determine if there was a relationship between the gender of…

Authors who write introductory business statistics texts do not agree on when to use a t distribution and when to use a Z distribution in both the construction of confidence intervals and the use of hypothesis testing. In a survey of textbooks written in the last 15 years, we found the decision rules to be contradictory and, at times, the…

Publishers have responded to calls for more minority characters and females in basal readers, but many of the changes appear superficial. (MKM)

This paper discusses a study designed to survey English as a second language readers for the purpose of determining whether a range of syntactic gradation can be observed, and the degree to which readers intended for the same level of proficiency are of equivalent difficulty. (Author/CFM)

Examines methods of teaching high school social studies students about the Cold War. Commonly used textbooks are analyzed for their treatment of the Cold War. (DB)

Investigates the extent to which the content of 55 college vocabulary texts is consistent with current research and theory on vocabulary instruction. Recommends less reliance on memorization and more emphasis on deep understanding and independent vocabulary development. (SKC)

Notes the central role and ultimate importance of the undergraduate, research methods textbook within sociology. Reviews nine new textbooks, and reveals substantial variation in coverage and approach. The review is based on the degree to which the texts address eight important goals for the undergraduate research course. (JDH)