TEXT BOOKS
Introduction:
The textbook is one of the important aids in the
teaching learning process and has occupied a provital sole in the education of the school
students, the process of education is most of the students in india and even in abroad can be summed up in one
phrase “as is the text book so is the
teaching and learning”, The
biology text book should aim at helping the student in the development
of personality , open mindedness, critical thinking in order to enable him to
discover new knowledge and understand
nature.
Biology text book:
The primary aim of textbook is to enable the students
to get the subject matter of a specific subject very easily and also in
understand able manner .the text is the store house, which gives the subject
matter in well-organized manner.in good biology textbook to motivate the student
critical thinking and seasoning power of the students.
Thus text book should help also contain diagram
pictures, photographs and line diagram. These help the students understand the
subject matter clearly. It is used to as an effective teaching aid by the
teacher. It is also useful to give practical work. Assignment and home work to
the students so it has become necessary to concentrate on the quality of text
book. This is more important for effective teaching. Text book also helps the
students to find answer for the quality questions and doubts.
Quality of a good biology
text book:
When a text book is selected, importance should be
given to the quality and qualification of the author and physical structure is made
up by the binding madam, publisher in addition to the subject matter.
The wrapper should be colorful to attract the students
the author who write text book should give importance not only to money but
also to welfare of the students.
Criteria used for the text
book analysis:
While during the text book analysis some criteria
should be taken into consideration. The analysis is made by considering the
mechanical make up or physical factor and content analysis or academic factors
of the text book.
- Size of the text book
- Quality of the paper
- Front page of the text book
- Printing
- Margin of the text book and
- Binding.
The content analysis of the
text book is
§ Selection of content
§ Presentation of content
§ Summary
§ Evaluation
§ Authorship and
§ Reference
Evaluating and choosing a
text book:
Score cards and check lists are used to evaluate and
select a suitable text book for a course. George hunter has suggested the
following score card to evaluate a book.
Hunter’s score cardpaints
1.
Educational rank of the
author - 50
2.
Mechanical make up and
cost - 100
3.
Psychological
soundness - 300
4.
Subject matter - 250
5.
Literary style - 110
6.
Learning exercise - 140
7.
Teacher’s help - 50
Total = 1,000.
Scores must be given to each of the books by evaluating them
on the basis of the above aspects. The book which secures maximum score will be
selected as a text book.
Need for biology text book:
There are two different opinions about the need for the
biology text books, addure that biology is a subject to be learned by direct
observation and experience and so it requires no text book. When the students
learn biology through the text book they get limited knowledge.
The argument of those who require text book for biology is
that the text book helps to organize and confium the subject matter after
observing the life specimen.
The visual aids like diagrams and pictures and photographs
in the text book to motivate the students to develop interest in the subject.
The questions exercise and points to think given at the end of the lesson.
Motivate the students to carry out additional work and some projects.
Characteristics of a good science text book:
It is not only the subject matter and flow of language but
the mechanical features like the paper the printing etc…also play an important
role in the selection of a text book.
According toG. Mallionson the following points should be
kept in mind while selecting a text book for junior high school science.
- The level of complexity of the text corresponding to intellectual level of the students.
- The nature of the illustration
- The style of writing.
- The suggestions about supplementary activities
- The clarity and organization of material
- The provision for individual difference. However there are certain other criteria for a good science text book.
1.
The authors – this qualification and experience Only that person who has a certain amount of experience of
teaching subject should be encourage to write a book because he can only be the
better judge of teaching learning process.
Certain minimum academic qualification should be prescribed
for the author.
2.
Mechanical features of the text book:
The quality of the paper
should be fine, the printing should be appealing and the binding of the text
book should be attractive. The size of the print should be according to the
students. The book should contain good illustrations with sketches, diagrams,
picture etc… as the Chinese saying goes “one picture is worth a thousand words”.
3.
The subject matter – Its nature and organization:
The subject matter should
follow the psychological sequence .it should be according to the mental age and
interests of the students. Each chapter should start with a brief introduction
and end with a summary.The text book should be according to the aims and
objectives of science teaching. There should be harmony of the subject matter.
Each lesson should contain practice exercise at the end of the lesson
conforming to the following.
a.
Application to life
situations
b.
Suggested activities
c.
Suggested readings
d.
Experimental work of
project
e.
Numerical examples where
necessary.
·
The text book should
contain a detailed table of contents and an index
·
The language of the matter
should be simple and precise
·
At the end of the book,
gloss dry of scientific terms with their English equivalents should be there
·
Use of community resources
should be given due emphasis
·
Each text book should be accompanied
by a laboratory manual or hand book
·
It is better correlated
with daily life situations and other subjects too
·
Text book should certain
headings and sub-headings in bold type
·
To facilitate learning,
some good methods of learning should be suggested
·
Only standard terminology
is regional languages evolved by central ministry of education and state
governments should be used
·
There must be a teacher’s guide
book for each text – book for the help of the teacher
·
The book should be
reasonably priced
·
Quotations should be in
italics
·
The book should also mention
teaching aids
·
It should cover the whole
syllabus
Conclusion:
Thus the text book is an integral part of any educational
system. Even in the advanced countries of any the world, where the techniques
of teaching learning have advanced a lot the text book is almost the role
determinant of what is taught. That text book should not be used as the only source of
instructional materials. It should be used as an aid in teaching.