<p>Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka den syn på kunskap som förmedlas i läroböcker samt att diskutera denna syn utifrån hur lärare ser på sin användning av läromedel. Studien görs som en jämförande kvalitativ undersökning av sex läroböcker från två skilda tidsperioder, sekelskiftet 1900 samt sekelskiftet 2000. Den utgår från frågeställningar som om läroböckernas övergripande syfte skiljer sig mellan böckerna, vilken betydelse läroboken har för lärarnas arbete och om det går att se någon övergripande förändring i attityd till läroböcker. Med dessa frågeställningar som utgångspunkt genomförs en textanalys samt en enkätstudie. I textanalysen undersöks och diskuteras både tilltal och beskrivningar, innehåll och teman samt värderingar och attityder. Enkätstudien fokuserar på lärares användning av läroböcker och läromedel samt deras attityder gentemot det material som finns tillgängligt för undervisningen. Dessa båda delar diskuteras sedan utifrån ett kunskapsteoretiskt perspektiv. Bland annat diskuteras det urval av stoff som måste göras vid författandet och vem som bestämmer vad som är viktigt, vilken vikt kompletterande material ska ha i undervisningen samt om de krav på reflektion och kritiskt tänkande som vårt samhälle ställer behandlas korrekt. Slutsatser som kan dras av undersökningen är bland annat att diskussionen kring kunskapsbegreppet i läroböcker kan göras ur många perspektiv men att det är tydligt att en förändring har skett inom kunskapsförmedlingen, från encyklopedisk kunskap till en som kräver förståelse och reflektion.</p>

No description available.

Abstract This study analyzed treatment of geometric transformations in presently available middle grades (6, 7, 8) student mathematics textbooks. Fourteen textbooks from four widely used textbook series were evaluated: two mainline publisher series, Pearson (Prentice Hall) and Glencoe (Math Connects); one National Science Foundation (NSF) funded curriculum project textbook series, Connected Mathematics 2; and one non-NSF funded curriculum project, the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP). A framework was developed to distinguish the characteristics in the treatment of geometric transformations and to determine the potential opportunity to learn transformation concepts as measured by textbook physical characteristics, lesson narratives, and analysis of student exercises with level of cognitive demand. Results indicated no consistency found in order, frequency, or location of transformation topics within textbooks by publisher or grade level. The structure of transformation lessons in three series (Prentice Hall, Glencoe, and UCSMP) was similar, with transformation lesson content at a simplified level and student low level of cognitive demand in transformation tasks. The types of exercises found predominately focused on students applying content studied in the narrative of lessons. The typical problems and issues experienced by students when working with transformations, as identified in the literature, received little support or attention in the lessons. The types of tasks that seem to embody the ideals in the process standards, such as working a problem backwards, were found on few occurrences across all textbooks examined. The level of cognitive demand required for student exercises predominately occurred in the Lower-Level, and Lower-Middle categories. Research indicates approximately the last fourth of textbook pages are not likely to be studied during a school year; hence topics located in the final fourth of textbook pages might not provide students the opportunity to experience geometric transformations in that year. This was found to be the case in some of the textbooks examined, therefore students might not have the opportunity to study geometric transformations during some middle grades, as was the case for the Glencoe (6, 7), and the UCSMP (6) textbooks, or possibly during their entire middle grades career as was found with the Prentice Hall (6, 7, Prealgebra) textbook series.

The work which follows arose from the examination of three fifth grade social studies textbooks widely adopted and accepted in the State of Texas. Within these history textbooks, seven historical events which occurred during the American Revolution were investigated to determine how primary sources are represented in each selected textbook to support a version of the historical event they accompany. The research question guiding this qualitative study was: How do fifth grade social studies textbooks present primary sources in an American Revolution unit of study. To answer this question, I analyzed the three fifth grade social studies textbooks’ American Revolution unit of study. Historical events common to the textbooks and included in the unit of study were Tax Laws, The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s Ride, Lexington and Concord, The Battle of Bunker Hill, and The Declaration of Independence. Within the textbooks’ American Revolution units of study, the following primary sources were found: quotes, written documents, photographs, cartoons, posters, maps, artifacts, paintings, and sculpture or statuary. The researcher discovered three findings related to the representation of primary sources in the fifth grade social studies textbooks. These include the conundrum of fact, monolithic representation, and verisimilitude. Suggestions for improving school history textbooks and opportunities for future research are included. / text

published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

This is an analysis on textbooks for elementary secondary levels in Hong Kong, focusing on the type of problem solving and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in geometry strand. Textbooks can provide different learning opportunities for students. Usage of textbooks is widespread in secondary schools and most mathematics teachers are used to rely on textbooks in classrooms. As such, the differences of textbooks would affect what happens in the lessons. Problems in the textbooks are significant elements of the approach, as they are of any educational process, because problems focus on energy and attention, and conduct the students in the integration, application, and extension of knowledge. A content analysis has been taken in this study, by comparing the distribution patterns of the quantities of problems representing various kinds of applications in the selected textbooks. The framework is the conceptual framework used by Fan and Zhu (2006) which concerns with the definition of the task from the perspective of textbook analysis. According to the quantitative patterns, it hints the frequencies with students exposed to different kinds of the problems and, therefore, has critical influence on student’s learning. The coding results of the study indicated that the majority of the three types of problems were traditional, closed-end, non-application and problems with sufficient data provided. Most of the to-be-solved problems and worked problems were routine ones while half of the problems with use of ICT were of that type. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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'Alternatives to Textbooks' Breakout session from the Living the Future 8 Conference, April 23-24, 2012, University of Arizona Libraries, Tucson, AZ. / The high cost of commercial print textbooks is a major concern for both students and their parents. To address these concerns, the Provost’s Office and the University Libraries of the University of Massachusetts Amherst launched the Open Education Initiative in the Spring of 2011. The OEI is a faculty incentive program that encourages either the creation of new teaching materials or the use of existing low-cost or free information resources to support our students’ learning. Now in its second phase, the Open Education Initiative has generated a total savings of over $200,000 for students in classes that utilize open educational resources, library materials or faculty generated content. The third round of grants will support faculty teaching large general education courses who are interested in pursuing non-traditional educational resources as an alternative to the traditional textbook.

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published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education