There is a growing research examining the use of visual diagrams in scientific explanations. However, current research in this area is mostly based on case studies involving a few explanations from one or two topics in science. There are few systematic studies that examine more broadly how diagrams are used in relation to scientific explanations…

Previous research about the presence of nature of science (NOS) within science textbooks has been found to be lacking in sufficient coverage. However, given the shift in how scholars conceive of NOS, the shortcomings may not be present in the textbooks but rather in the NOS frameworks used to analyze textbooks. Whereas traditional NOS has taken a…

Various features of scientific discourse have been characterized in the science education literature, and challenges students face in appropriating these features have been explored. Using the framework of conceptual metaphor, this paper sought to identify explicit and implicit metaphors in pedagogical texts dealing with the concept of entropy and…

Reports on a study that involves the analysis of chemistry textbooks at the college freshman level to determine the degree to which they address developments in the history and philosophy of science. Twenty-three textbooks were evaluated on eight criteria. Contains 108 references. (DDR)

Described are results from a study of college general biology textbooks determining significant increases or decreases in human-interest level and/or grade-level readability. In an analysis of eight textbooks used in 56 colleges, it was concluded that neither readability nor interest level has changed from 1960 to 1978. (CS)

Examines the reading level and potential comprehension level of 10 fourth-grade science textbooks. Reports that there is a great deal of variability between and within the science texts. (YP)

Ninety-three secondary school biology textbooks, identified in the appendix bibliography, were analyzed to determine the extent of emphasis of 44 topics concerned with the study of evolution. (HM)