Uses the results of meta-analyses examining the effects of various message design strategies to evaluate public speaking and persuasion textbooks. Compares the conclusions of the meta-analyses to the conclusions and advice offered by textbooks that rely on social scientific studies. (MG)

A comparison of four college-level elementary German textbooks reveals significant differences in the numbers of vocabulary entries in each textbook. Further comparison of three of the textbooks with the basic German vocabulary lists provided in "Kontaktschwelle Deutsch als Fremdsprache" and in "Das Zertificat Deutsch als Fremdsprache" reveal in…

Using the "Checklist for Evaluating Sexism in Reading," an analysis was undertaken of the Ginn 360 series and the Ginn 720 series of basal readers for sex stereotypes and related language usage. The main characters and illustrations in approximately ten stories at each reading level were analyzed. Of the 116 stories examined, 49 featured…

This dissertation analyzed how political foundations, economic matters, and social problems of the United States are portrayed in selected English-language textbooks of East and West German publishers. For West Germany the research was based on nine Ieading stage-adopted textbooks at the upper level. The East Germans allow only one series of…

Summarizes results of a cooperative international analysis of social studies texts by the United States/Japan Study Group. The project found books from each country tended to justify their own country's actions while consistently oversimplifying conditions in the other. Teaching strategies to counteract textbook biases are included. (AM)

Elementary and junior high school science textbooks were analyzed for the presence of prerequisite topics on evolution (protoconcepts). Results indicated that coverage of evolutionary protoconcepts varies considerably among published textbooks. Recommendations for teacher analysis of textbooks are provided. (ZWH)

Examines the content of introductory psychology books by performing a content analysis on texts from the 1970s and 1990s to determine whether the books incorporated recent historical scholarship in discussions of Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener. Finds that some texts still misrepresent the relation between Wundt and Titchener. (CMK)

A two-stage study was designed to offer a comprehensive analysis of current basic public speaking textbooks. The first stage involved a comprehensive classification, enumeration, and comparison of the substance of six textbooks identified by publishers as leading competitors on the public speaking market. Results from the first stage formed the…

The work reported in this paper is an offshoot of a project started in early 1986 and designed to produce a comparison between the vocabulary in the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) texts and the vocabulary found in contemporary non-technical English writing. This study investigated the unique words and differences in frequency…

On the basis of the frequency of family-related concepts in 60 college psychology textbooks, the article recommends that psychology teaching and research concentrate on the interaction of an individual with his familial and environmental surroundings. (DB)

Proposes a system that can be used to analyze and evaluate any language teaching method at any level, by breaking down a particular method and comparing it to another, in terms of linguistic and sociocultural content, methodological organization; and physical quality. (AM)

Describes a study conducted to determine prevalence of educational software field testing by producers, number of teachers and students participating, evaluation criteria used, whether documentation includes field test results, field test value, and other evaluation methods utilized during product development. Textbook versus software evaluation,…

Introduces a cooperative project undertaken by the USSR Ministry of Education and by various educational institutions in the United States to assess what youth in each country learn about the other country from geography and history textbooks. The objective was to minimize misinformation. (DB)

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)