Seeking evidence for “curricular relevancy” within undergraduate, liberal arts chemistry textbooks

Abstract

Interviews with representatives of nine municipal agencies involved in air-quality education were analyzed for concepts and skills perceived as important for citizens in addressing air-quality concerns. Interviewees focused mainly on general air quality-related understandings (60.2%), although cognitive skills (22.0%) and specific concepts (17.8%) were also mentioned. The major categories of desired airquality understandings identified in interviews included sources, impact, detection, and transport of air pollutants. Identified cognitive skills focused on information-gathering and -evaluating abilities, enabling informed air-quality decision making. Eight Learning Goal Sets generated from interview data and validated via peer and member checks helped guide a content analysis of six undergraduate liberal arts chemistry textbooks. Overall, sampled chemistry textbooks supported the previously identified air-quality concepts and skills. However, few textbooks directly confronted interviewee-reported, air quality-related misconceptions and inabilities. Instructional and research implications of these validated air-quality learning goals and subsequent textbook analyses are discussed. ß

Los libros de texto de ciencias como objeto de investigación: una revisión bibliográfica

“…Aquellas investigaciones que comparan el conocimiento de los estudiantes o los docentes con el contenido de los libros de texto concluyen que los textos presentan deficiencias que podrían explicar las ideas de los estudiantes o los docentes, o destacan la ausencia del tratamiento de determinados temas que podrían evitar o revertir errores conceptuales (Furió et al, 2005a;García García y Perales, 2007;Naughton et al, 2008;Martínez Losada et al, 2009). Sin embargo, se registran pocos estudios comparativos entre las actividades propuestas en los libros de texto y su utilización en el aula, y conocer esta relación podría brindar datos interesantes al campo de la didáctica de las ciencias.…”

To what extent does current scientific research and textbook content align? A methodology and case study

“…Chiang‐Soong and Yager () used both intracoder and intercoder reliability methods. Some studies had independent coders, whom met to resolve any discrepancies, but did not provide any reliability measures (Duncan et al, ; Kesidou & Roseman, ; Kulm et al, ; Naughton et al, ; Stern & Roseman, ). A few studies verified a set of coded content with other experts (e.g., Irez, ; Lloyd, ; Soyibo, ), but verifying coded information can lead to confirmation bias, even for coders that are aware of their own potential bias (Bierema et al, ).…”

“…themes, codes, and theme definitions (e.g., Chiang-Soong & Yager, 1993;Haertig, 2014;Jim enez Aleixandre, 1994;Kesidou & Roseman, 2002;Naughton et al, 2008;Soyibo, 1995). Other manuscripts also contained coded example quotes (e.g., Abd-El-Khalick et al, 2017;Irez, 2009;Flodin, 2009;Lloyd, 1990).…”

“…Later, textbook research tended to focused on broader topics, such as quantum theory (Shiland, ), photosynthesis (Lloyd, ), respiration (Roseman, Stern, & Koppal, ; Soyibo, ), matter and energy flow (Stern & Roseman, ), organismal classification (Blackwell & Powell, ), and evolution (e.g., Hughes, ; Jiménez Aleixandre, ; Nehm et al, ). The development and later revision of Project 2061 Benchmarks (AAAS, ) sparked several research studies on the use and portrayal of central learning goals described in the benchmarks (e.g., Kesidou & Roseman, ; Naughton, Schreck, & Heikkinen, ; Roseman, Kesidou, Stern, & Caldwell, ; Roseman, Kulm, & Shuttleworth, ; Stern & Roseman, ).…”

“…Themes and codes are often defined in these studies, which improves the credibility of qualitative studies (Berg, ; Saldaña, ). For instance, some studies provided a list of themes, codes, and theme definitions (e.g., Chiang‐Soong & Yager, ; Haertig, ; Jiménez Aleixandre, ; Kesidou & Roseman, ; Naughton et al, ; Soyibo, ). Other manuscripts also contained coded example quotes (e.g., Abd‐El‐Khalick et al, ; Chiappetta, Fillman, et al, ; Chiappetta, Sethna, et al, ; Irez, ; Flodin, ; Lloyd, ).…”