In an ever-changing world, foreign language instruction remains faithfully devoted to teaching by means of coursebooks, the design of which is based mainly on the skills or the structural syllabus paradigm that arranges language according to complexity of grammatical phenomena. In this paper, I aim to explore the appropriateness of the materials…

Approximately 15 states are changing their policies to give school districts more flexibility in acquiring content. They have changed laws or policies or have bills pending in state legislatures to redefine "textbooks". Most of those changes are similar to the approach Indiana took in its new law: a "textbook" is not only a…

Although not everyone needs textbooks, they still actively serve four audiences within the discipline. The four audiences that benefit from textbooks are students, instructors, the textbook sales force, and the textbook authors themselves. With a growing number of online classes where students have less and less, or even no, face time with their…

School administrators and teachers need to recognize that most persons--including would-be censors of school-related media communications--simply do not understand the complexities germane to measuring the impact of the mass media and the specific messages transmitted to broader audiences via a variety of media channels. In particular, what most…

The Educational Products Information Exchange Institute (EPIE) produces independently researched information on instructional material. The author believes textbook evaluation must be viewed in terms of the learner. The school, as a human system, may move toward effective expressive, productive interactions with internal and external environments…

Discusses applications of second language acquisition (SLA) research to the preparation of language coursebooks. Suggests a number of ways that SLA research findings can help improve coursebooks and enhance the learning of large numbers of students. (Author/VWL)

This discussion focuses on the role of textbooks in test washback, using the case of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to examine prevalent practices in test preparation and the materials used in such preparation. (Author/VWL)

The success of science instruction programs is linked to the presence of representative personnel on the program selection committee, the availability of materials, and the adaptation of the program to local needs. Administrative leadership is vital in each of these areas. (Author/IRT)

Examines the historical circumstances, prevailing from the early nineteenth century onward, under which the textbook-centered culture of Indian education developed. Discusses conditions associated with colonial rule, teachers' service conditions and professional status, the examination system, and imposition of a foreign language as they…

The benefits and costs of the impact of textbooks on teaching English-as-a-Second-Language courses are discussed. This paper examines the role of commercial textbooks in instruction, reasons for their present status, and the consequences of that status. (10 references) (Author/LB)

Examines the relationship of textbooks and writing instruction in America, showing that composition textbooks as they developed since 1820 have always responded to the preferences of the teachers cast up by the culture, meeting their perceived needs and recreating these and other needs in later teachers shaped by the texts. (HTH)

Discusses the use of India as a topic for teaching English as a Foreign Language and about developing an awareness of cultural diversity in Germany. Provides a critical analysis of textbooks in Germany that are beginning to offer new approaches. (Author/VWL)

Describes the many kinds of materials that English teachers can draw upon to enrich and expand students' experiences with literature. Outlines ancillary materials used to supplement the study of various literary anthologies. Argues that anthologies should be viewed as points of departure and not as destinations. (HB)

Describes that little evaluation is conducted by most textbook publishers. Suggestions for ensuring the availability of quality mathematics textbooks are given. (MNS)

Decries teachers' dependence on textbooks and "canned" materials, tracing this dependence to pressures to quantify student performance and noting the effects of this pressure on private schools' policymakers, parents, faculty, and students. Urges that textbooks be used as only a part of elementary and secondary school curricula. (RW)