Argues that textbooks legitimate selective forms of knowledge underlying supposedly democratic reforms heavily influenced by conservative economic/political forces and eclipsing the historical experiences and cultural expression of the less powerful. Views textbooks as part of social construction of reality. Calls for politicized, multiple…

Discusses a new Australian Academy of Science secondary chemistry textbook that provides a more interesting, enjoyable, and understandable base to a wider spread of students. Notes that rigor is maintained for use in college prep courses. Lists context for change, guiding philosophies, and the table of contents. (MVL)

The Advertising section of the Proceedings contains the following 18 papers: "The Birth of Adwatches: Political Advertising Becomes Front-Page News" (Jennifer Greer); "A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Effects of Source Credibility on Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions" (Kak Yoon, Choong Hyun Kim, and Min-Sun Kim);…

While censorship pressures emanate from all points on the political spectrum at different times, the current censorship movement comes mostly from political conservatives. Censorship efforts by the Reagan administration include barring entry of foreign speakers whose views do not coincide with those of the administration, inhibiting the free flow…

A bibliography of books about American Indians provides annotations and evaluations by Indian educators and others for each book, and indicates grade level, and whether the book would be recommended for Indian children. Chapter 1 discusses organization of material and lists the evaluators. Chapter 2 addresses problems (inaccuracies, omission of…

Kentucky is one of twenty-four states that rely upon a state adoption process for selecting school textbooks, a procedure that occurs every six years. Publishers' bids are solicited and evaluated by the State Textbook Commission, and the Textbook Selection Criteria Committee for Reading makes recommendations that will be of help to people…

A two part examination of the evidence concerning one possible basis for the poor mathematical performance of United States students, the content of the textbooks used in their classes, is presented. The results of a detailed analysis of Japanese and U.S. mathematics textbooks for grades 1 through 12 are reported. Two international studies (1964…

This paper examines relationships between measures of educational interest group strength, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA); characteristics of state education agencies (SEA); and selected indicators of educational policy centralization. The more specific purpose of this study is the discovery…

A guide for teachers selecting reading textbooks, this report brings together information about basal programs on the market and clarification of important issues in reading instruction. A general analysis of 20 basal programs includes a prose explication and a table comparing contents (skills), reading selections, methodology, assessment tests,…

To provide learners with the most reliable information, individuals and committees responsible for text selection examine texts for classroom use in steps. Since very few people have the specialized knowledge of all the technical fields like drafting, electronics, or graphics that make up the field of Industrial Arts, a committee is required to…

Teachers of business English and business communication must carefully evaluate the business English phenomena presented in textbooks, especially American textbooks used in foreign countries. An analysis of American texts illustrates an approach to teaching basic speaking and writing skills through simple rules, unrealistic examples, and lessons…

This report provides administrators and supervisors of reading programs with information to help them evaluate and select commercially developed reading materials. Part 1 opens with a description of the problems researchers studying the adoption of basal reading programs have observed and then offers suggestions (based on both research and…

A comprehensive composition course for the college level should include the strengthening of cognitive skills, language skills, social organization, and language patterns. The subjects which students are asked to read and write about should be multi-cultural in nature so that students learn more about other cultures while they analyze their own…

The importance of text materials in foreign language classrooms is a crucial issue and choosing a textbook and supplementary materials becomes a major area of concern for every foreign language teacher. While factors both external and internal to the school narrow the possibility of choice, several points must be considered in the selection…

It is important for the Romanian language teacher to teach the language as a cultural entity, to convey the exact values of the language. If translation cannot be dropped entirely, it is very important for the student to accept what is typical and untranslatable in itself and to identify himself with the native speaker. Although every language has…