Biology Text book notes

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.

1. Size of the text book 
2. Quality of the paper 
3.  Front page of the text book 
4.  Printing 
5.  Margin of the text book and 
6.  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.

1.  The level of complexity of the text corresponding to intellectual level of the students. 
2.  The nature of the illustration
3.  The style of writing. 
4. The suggestions about supplementary activities 
5. The clarity and organization of material 
6. 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.