Text books are the most widely used of all instructional materials. Now a day’s text book has become a course of study. A set of unit plans and a learning guide as well. A text book should really design for the pupils rather than the teacher. Text book should stimulate reflective thinking and cultivate in students the scientific attitude.
In the teaching-learning process, the text-book occupies an important place. There is a saying “As is the text-book, so is the teaching and learning”. A good text-book can even replace class-room teaching. The science text-book should aim at aiding the pupils in the development of their personalities, in developing open mindedness, developing appreciation and understanding of nature and not merely stuffing their minds with facts.

Qualities of a good science Text book
Thurber and Collette suggested six criteria for choosing a good textbook. They are
Content
Organization
Literary style vocabulary
Illustrations
Teaching aids
Mechanical make up and appearance
Authorship
Content
The content of text books for any one subject matter field is remarkable uniform about 85 percent of the content being common to all of them
The content should be appropriate for the age level and experience backgrounds of the pupils
The concept should not be too complex for the maturity of the pupils
The content should be consistent with the pupil’s needs and interests
The statements must be accurate
II Organization
The subject matter should cover the whole syllabus
Subject matter should be developed in psychological sequence
The text book has to be organized into units which are based on student interests and probability of use
Inductive approach is to be used whenever possible in introducing new topic
At the end of each units there should be assignments informing to the following
Application to life situations
Self assessment test
Suggestions for further reading
Numerical questions if necessary
Assessment for practicing skills
The text book should be written in simple unambiguous scientific language. Prefer simple and compound sentence to complex sentences
It should contain a glossary of technical terms used in the books
It should suggest some good methods of learning’s
Historical development of science should be attempted
Adequate provision should be made to correlate science with other subject and crafts.
It is better if the text book contains examples from the local environment
There should be a detailed table of contents and index text books
Controversial topics should be treated impartially
The social significance of science should be stressed
Headings and sub- headings should be in bold type
Important principles should be set in italics
Each text books should be accompanied by a laboratory manual and pupil’s work book
It must be supplemented by a teacher’s hand book
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela
III. Literary style and Vocabulary of text book
Literary style has much to do with the readability of the book. Although style is difficult to judge.
Length of sentences
Directness of sentences
Number of ideas per seconds
Use of lead sentence or paragraphs
Presence or absence of irrelevant thoughts\continuity of thought
While evaluating a text book the teacher must decide whether or not the vocabulary is excessive or in appropriate text book should be easy to read
IV Illustrations
The quality and the quantity of the illustrations should be considered.
Photographs should be clearly reproduced
Diagrams should be carefully made attractive
Color in the illustrations add to eye appeal and when properly used has considerable teaching value
The recently introduced transparencies made on plastic sheets are excellent teaching aids but because of cost it can only be used in small quantities in any one book
Photograph should have relation with content in the text
Teaching aids
The table of content and index should be comprehensive
Glossary should be included
Activities should be given the end of a chapter
Activities should be closely related to content
Mechanical make- up and appearance
Artistic cover
Durability for binding
Size of the book
Good quality of paper
Length of line and size- legible
Attractive over all experience
Cover design and colour should be appealing
Ample space to be left between lines to provide for ease in reading
VII. Authorship
Only such persons who have experience of teaching the subject should be allowed to become authors of school science text books. Such authors can understand the actual learning’s situations. Certain qualifications may also be prescribed for the authors. It will be better if some training is given to them
VIII. Characteristic
Besides these characteristics, the UNESCO Planning Mission has given some principles of writing text-books in U.S.S.R. and other countries. They are as follows:
(i) It should be first of all according to the requirements of the syllabus. It should also help in the improvement of the syllabus.
(ii) The facts, concepts etc., should be modern and within the comprehension of the pupils.
(iii) The contents should contain not only the established facts but also the problems which are being researched and thereby, arousing the interest in the pupils in these problems.
(iv) It should help in linking up science with life and practice. The pupils should be equipped with ‘know-how’ utilizing the knowledge in everyday life.
(v) The whole content of the text-book should be aimed at shaping the integrated modern scientific outlook which ensures success in mastering scientific knowledge and solution of the problems of vital issues. The content should be simple, brief, exact, definite and accessible.
CONCLUSION
Text books are important tool in the hand of a teacher. It helps student to how and what they learn to achieve some definite goals. When we make a text we should give importance to its content organization literary style, vocabulary, mechanical makeup and authorship
No comments:
Post a Comment