School Textbooks

Abstract

This paper endeavours to make sense of the various ways in which textbooks have been analysed in India, and the manner in which their goodness or worth is ascertained, based on an exhaustive review of published and unpublished studies. It examines the evolution of criteria for textbook analysis and some of the concerns raised by important policy documents. Researches are classified into three broad type: text, text and the psychological world of the learner, text and the context , based on the extent to which they move beyond the text itself, to include additional dimensions of learner characteristics, classroom and social context. A conceptual framework is presented which could serve to enable future researchers in this field to locate their particular approach as well as relate it to other dimensions while determining 'goodness' of text and its pedagogic significance .

India as an Ethnocracy

“…Textbooks for public schools have been Hinduised by emphasising the achievements of India's ancient (i.e. pre-Islamic) system of knowledge; by demonising Muslim rulers; or by quite literally altering historical facts to give a more successful vision of Hindu warriors like Chhatrapati Shivaji or Maharana Pratap 64 . In short, the government set up a multi-pronged strategy to rewrite Indian history which is consistent with the view that India is -and has always been -a Hindu nation.…”

Yeh Toh Ulto Hi Ho Gayo! Juxtaposing Educational Discourse on Forests and Conservation with Everyday Discourses of Adivasi Communities of Central India

“…Nonetheless, is it possible at all to create such a space in the textbook that caters to students across contexts? As Nawani (2010) asserts, though it is perhaps difficult to have an ideal textbook which will address the pedagogic needs of the curriculum, the developmental needs of the learner and the specific needs of the sociocultural contexts of learners, it is important to pay attention to the meaning drawn from the textbooks by the learners and the nature of experiences offered by textbooks. Since treating textbooks as a de-facto curriculum (Kumar, 1991) is still a dominant reality in the Indian educational scenario, it is crucial that we critically look at the ideas conveyed in the textbook and attempt to create pedagogical opportunities to connect with learners’ lives.…”

Textbook assessment and religious education efforts: how to achieve religious moderation in schools?

“…This vocabulary includes hypocrisy, faith, essence, and nature. As a result, the message to be conveyed is not understood by students because the level of readability of the textbooks is difficult (Nawani, 2010). In addition, the images are less relevant to the teaching materials, and the graphics are not by the provisions in the assessment instrument.…”

“…Religious education textbooks for the Indonesian context need to be appropriately designed to encourage the birth of an active tolerance attitude and not to dictate the pedagogical process in the classroom because it can cause more harm than good (Nawani, 2010). Religious education textbooks aim to teach diversity in society, including cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity (Jackson, 2015).…”