Contemporary educational reform discourses in Taiwan call for the modernization of education to meet the needs of society of the 21st century. The principles and rules of 'reason' that historically order educational discourses can't be taken for granted. This article uses Popkewitz's notion of alchemy to think about the principles. The notions of…

Compares the production and selection of textbooks in the United Kingdom and North America with respect to such areas as derivation of textbook ideas, evaluation of the ideas, production, distribution, how and by whom the books are bought, and limitations on certain textbook topics. (GT)

Examines advantages and disadvantages of using textbooks as the basis for curriculum and instruction, discussing textbooks as the predominant instructional medium. The article describes attributes of good textbooks and text structures, identifies strategies for improving readers' text comprehension, and notes teachers' role as facilitators in…