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Educational reform documents and research papers in the field emphasize the crucial role of analyzing the contents of science textbooks in improving science education. The broad objective of our critical review is to explore the effectiveness of Cycle-2 Primary Science textbooks and workbooks in terms of their reflection of the Bahrain Ministry of Education's school and curriculum reforms. The readability level, gender distribution, questioning cognitive levels and location, and graphical representations of concepts are examined. The purpose of this paper (part I of the review) is to quantify the type, quality and pedagogical functions of the graphical representations of the newly developed Cycle-2 primary science textbooks and the accompanying workbooks. Twelve Science textbooks and workbooks were examined using an authordeveloped graphical analysis grid. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results show that the least analytic form of graphics dominated. There was an absence of maps and scale diagrams and most of the graphs were of static nature. Analysis also showed that indigenous graphics were dominant over foreign graphics. More than one third of the graphics served a specific cognitive function and were connected to the text, and most of them were captioned and indexed. Further research is undergoing to establish a connection between graphical representations and students' achievements and attitudes towards science.

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This research paper is the product of a research grant project (27/2012) that was approved and supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at the University of Bahrain. Research papers in the field of Science education and educational reform documents have always emphasized the important role of analyzing the contents of science textbooks in improving the science teaching, learning and assessment processes. The broad objective of our analysis is to explore the effectiveness of Cycle-1 Primary Science textbooks and workbooks in terms of their reflection of the Bahrain Ministry of Education's school and curriculum reforms. When analyzing textbook contents, researchers examine the readability level, gender distribution, questioning cognitive levels and location, and graphical representations of concepts. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the type, quality and pedagogical functions of the graphical representations of the newly developed Cycle-1 primary science textbooks and the accompanying workbooks and to quantify the nature, location and cognitive levels of the texts questions as well. Twelve Science textbooks and workbooks were examined using an authordeveloped graphical analysis grid was used to examine the graphical representations. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results showed domination of the non-analytic form of graphics. Maps and scale diagrams were almost absent and most of the graphs were of static nature. Analysis also showed that indigenous graphics were dominant over foreign graphics. About a third of the graphics served a specific cognitive function and were connected to the text, and most of them were captioned and indexed. An author developed questions analysis grid was used to examine the inchapter and end-of-chapter questions and problems of 6-cycle-1 science textbooks. Analysis showed the following distribution of categories of questions and problems: knowledge, 29%; comprehension, 30.5%; application, 12.7%; analysis, 15.2%; synthesis, 7%, and evaluation, 5.5%. Further research is undergoing to establish a connection between graphical representations and students' achievements and attitudes towards science and to analyze the cognitive level of questions in relation to their respective objectives.

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