Examines the amount of literature by and about blacks in American literature anthologies. (SW)

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)

A content analysis of 24 of the most widely used preservice teacher education textbooks was conducted in the following areas: sexism, sex differences, women's contributions, and total text content accorded to each sex. Findings indicated that these texts are characterized by omission and imbalance. Recommendations are made for future text…

This essay emphasizes the impact of instructional materials on the development of the individual's self-esteem. It provides guidelines and checklists for the evaluation of sexism and racism, as well as strategies for increasing awareness in the teaching-learning process to help counteract these biases. (Author/DS)

Argues that the greatest barrier to science education is overcoming students' naive conceptions of science. Recommends helping students to maintain a sense of dissatisfaction with their archaic notions of the nature of science, essentially a philosophical sense of the difficulty of the problems involved. (SM)

Examines the adequacy of descriptions of counseling psychology and its professionals in introductory psychology textbooks compared to the descriptions of other applied areas of psychology. Results indicate that counseling psychology is less represented than industrial or organizational and clinical psychology and more represented than school…

Hearing-impaired students need exposure to materials that present accurate and encouraging portrayals of people as unique individuals of equal worth and varied talents. Presented are a checklist for evaluating textbooks for fair representation of characters with disabilities and suggestions for compensating for gender, ethnic, and disability bias…

Examines the status of women as reflected by 60 college-level public relations textbooks. Finds a paucity of references to women in these texts, and notes that the representation of women in public relations textbooks does not reflect the status of women in society and in the public relations industry. (MM)

Examines 11 randomly selected English handbooks to determine the currently published guidelines for avoiding sexist language. Reveals that major differences exist among these handbooks when dealing with equality in language and suggests that feminist teachers exert leadership when selecting handbooks. Ranks five handbooks from offensive to…

Discusses the application of critical thinking skills to teaching about the Columbus quincentenary. Suggests having students explore multiple perspectives on the event and examine coverage in textbooks and other books. Urges teachers to assess critically their own teaching practices and whether they foster racial justice. (WYN)

Examines sexual stereotypes in selected professional writing textbooks published from the 1930s to the 1950s. Maintains that these textbooks--portraying women as subservient, emotional, and frivolous, and men as decisive, logical, and strong--suggest that men are more suited for positions of authority, and have played an important role in…

The history of mass communications suggests that the manipulation of visual imagery can have as powerful an effect on human behavior as the manipulation of the written word. Recent warnings about a "hidden curriculum" incorporated in the use of instructional technology indicate that multimedia techniques will not escape the controversy…