This study sought to determine: 1. To what extent teachers who possess theoretical and situational knowledge of elementary reading instruction are accurate in estimating the readability levels of materials. 2. To what extent teachers who possess theoretical and situational knowledge of elementary reading instruction are more accurate in estimating the readability levels of materials than a) in-service teachers who possess only situational knowledge of reading from teaching experience? b) pre-service teachers who possess only theoretical knowledge of elementary reading instruction? c) pre-service teachers who possess neither theoretical knowledge of elementary reading instruction nor situational knowledge of reading from teaching experience? Data were collected from 72 subjects who were enrolled in undergraduate classes in the Faculty of Education at The University of British Columbia and who were categorized, in groups of 18, with respect to pre-service or in-service preparation in elementary reading instruction as well as classroom teaching experience at this level. The results indicated that teachers who possessed theoretical and situational knowledge of reading were not more accurate than other teachers in estimating the readability levels of the selected passages, and that the accuracy with which teachers in all groups, estimated the readability levels of passages decreased as the readability levels of the passages increased. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

Three Canadian home economics textbooks currently used in teaching human relationships were examined to explore the ways in which they are or are not contributing to gender equity. The research posed three questions: To whom is the textbook addressed? What are the characteristics of learners assumed by the textbook? and In what way does the textbook deal with gender bias? In each textbook the preface, index, table of contents, photographs, highlighted sections, and content were examined in detail. The texts were compared to determine commonalities. The methodology was adapted from earlier textbook analyses of sex equity which were based on the study of intentions outlined in the preface, photographs, and language. Recent feminist work suggests that studies of bias must consider not only the biological concept of sex but also the social construction of gender which relates to those characteristics, activities, and roles traditionally associated with one sex. The feminist concepts of gender sensitivity and gender balance were used in this textbook analysis. The textbooks were found to contribute to gender equity in five Ways. The first approach, including males, is not adequate because it involves the risk of males and a male perspective becoming dominant. The second approach, using inclusive language, is also inadequate because it involves the risk of masking the differences existing between females and males and the problems arising from gender. Exposing differences and addressing social issues relating to gender are two approaches which may hold promise in contributing to gender equity but in the texts examined were inadequate because the issues were presented as neutral or unproblematic. Encouraging critical thinking was the final approach used in only one textbook and its contribution to gender equity was minimal because critical thinking was applied inconsistently and rarely applied specifically to problems of gender. Gender sensitivity and gender balance require the appropriate use of inclusive and sex specific language, the balanced inclusion of females and males, and detailed, sensitive, and critical discussion of issues related to gender. The findings of this study raise concerns about the analysis of textbooks. Home economics textbooks have the unique challenge of including males without allowing males and a male perspective to become dominant. Overcoming the problems of gender requires sensitivity in exposing gender differences. Neutralizing knowledge and presenting knowledge as factual rather than problematic masks differences and problems arising from them. The findings of this research suggest analysis of textbooks for gender bias should not be restricted to surface features such as explicit intentions stated in prefaces, photographs, and language. Elimination of gender bias requires substantive changes in textbook content. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. / Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 125 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1937.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1937.

The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to review briefly important studies and recommendations relating to curriculum construction in elementary arithmetic; (2) to develop a set of criteria for judging elementary arithmetic textbooks; and (3) to apply the criteria to a selected number of elementary arithmetic textbooks.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1937 G81

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

No description available.

This dissertation reports the results of a content analysis of Introductory Sociology textbooks in order to assess their coverage of, and approach to, the teaching of "culture" in the hopes of ultimately creating a unified approach for the introduction of students to the sociology of culture. Looking at introductory sociology textbooks, the current study documents if and to what extent the topic of culture is included; and if so, analyzes which topics are included, how much space is dedicated to culture, and particularly which frames (in Goffman's (1974 [1986]) sense) are used to present sociology of culture. The results of this research highlight three important tendencies of introductory texts. Firstly, there is an apparent inconsistency between current academic work in the sociology of culture and inclusion of that work in introductory textbooks. This is particularly true of cultural production. Additionally, textbooks are extremely likely to treat culture as a concept in an anthropological sense (including a discussion of language, norms, and values) or in terms of diversity or multiculturalism. Finally, textbooks on the whole do not appear to change over time in significant ways. This is certainly not the case from edition to edition (usually a span of one to two years), but also among textbooks from different time periods (the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s).