Despite being a landmark of 20th century biology, the "classical molecular gene concept," according to which a gene is a stretch of DNA encoding a functional product, which may be a single polypeptide or RNA molecule, has been recently challenged by a series of findings (e.g., split genes, alternative splicing, overlapping and nested…

This paper explores how the discourse of history "works" in the context of Malaysian junior-secondary education. Using the tools of systemic functional linguistics, a representative selection of school texts is deconstructed. By focusing on the intimate relationship between ideology, context, and text, characteristic purposes and their…

A study investigated the use of verbo-visual content in geography textbooks of various countries. Secondary school geography textbooks from Australia, Greece, Japan, Sweden, and the United States were examined. For each of the selected books, empirical data about the amount of texts, pictures, maps, and tables was gathered; contents were assessed;…

In 2002 a paper entitled "Writing Church-sponsored Religious Education Textbooks" by Engebretson was published in the "British Journal of Religious Education". This paper reported on and analysed some aspects of the development, by the Catholic Archdiocese in Melbourne, Victoria, of a series of religious education textbooks to…

An analysis of elementary social studies textbook series showed that the images presented in the texts do not equate with the reality that most Australians experience. A more realistic approach to teaching about Australia would be to examine the lifestyles of urban Australians. Possible ways of doing this are discussed. (RM)