Textbook and Criteria for Selection of Books | Secondary Education | Course code 8624 | B.Ed Solved Assignment |

 

QUESTION  

Write down detailed notes on the textbook and criteria for the selection of Books 

Course: Secondary Education

Course code 8624

Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment 

ANSWER 

Textbooks 

According to the Collins English Dictionary (1998), a “textbook” is a book used as a standard source of information on a particular subject. While answering the question, “What is a textbook? Hamilton (1990) in “Paradigm - a Journal of the Textbook Colloquium” argues that a textbook may be any book or a book substitute, including hard-covered or paperback books, workbooks designed to be written in and used up, certain newspapers, news magazines and manuals which a student is required to use as a text or a text-substitute in a particular class or program as a primary source of study material intended to implement a major part of the curriculum. What constitutes a school textbook is a debatable point of discussion in the literature. Questions have been raised such as whether the material in school and local library are textbooks or reference books. Similarly, it can also be asked whether the novels that had been studied in different classes are textbooks or not. Warren (1981) answered such questions by providing the definition, “A textbook is printed instructional material in bound form, the contents of which are properly organized. (p.43). From the above discussion, we conclude that the textbook is the reflection of the decision taken by the curriculum developers.

 

Textbooks in educational institutions have been the authority on the subject matter and essential tools for the subjects, as well as guidance in the methods and procedures to be followed by the teacher and the student. The textbook is the most commonly used instructional material because it is the cheapest and the best source of graded instruction and practical exercises, a convenient source of material for discussion and study, and a helper for unskilled teachers in class management, enabling them not to bother about duplicated exercises and dictated directions.

  

Criteria for the Selection of Books 

a)                Significance to an organized field of knowledge 

The content in the subject matter should belong to the broad areas of knowledge to provide a broader basis of understanding of the world. Since the school curriculum should also deal with specialization as well as broad areas of knowledge, there should be general areas of knowledge and a core curriculum with specialized knowledge (Mamidi and Ravishankar, 1986). 

Therefore, the curriculum should consist of several carefully selected principles, ideas, and concepts, which constitute the basic core of a subject matter. 

b)                Does the subject matter stand the test of survival? 

The status of knowledge also needs to be considered while selecting the content. The information that is tested and tried and which can be applied to the present-day situation only should be selected. According to Hilda Taba (1962), the knowledge should be valid and significant to the extent that it reflects contemporary scientific knowledge. The information should also stand the test of survival. Such useful information should be identified and included in the curriculum. 

c)                 Utility of the subject content 

The content of the curriculum has often become the target of severe criticism by one and all in society. It is mostly criticized for the heavy load of information that has no relevance to the pupils, for deadwood of information that has no utility, which is full of facts, dry and arid, the learning of which encourages rote memorization or cramming, without leaving any scope for intelligent reasoning. 

d)                Interest and ability 

One should also consider factors like interest, aptitudes, and abilities of pupils while selecting the content. Unless the content is interesting to the pupils, there will not be any learning at all. Interest depends upon the aptitudes and grasping capacity of the pupils. It is again a matter of age and intelligence of the pupils. The theories of learning and intelligence in educational psychology throw much light on the factors that develop interest among pupils. The selection of content suitable to the understanding capacity of the pupils will result in efficient learning. 

e)                Growth and development of a democratic society 

 This concept also includes social development and assumes that social change, which is taking place very rapidly, should be controlled and directed towards desirable directions. A careful selection of content that can build knowledge and abilities is required to deal intelligently with the problems associated with social change. This includes controlling the development of fissiparous tendencies among the pupils and other antisocial behavior that creates chaos and confusion in society, and the development of social values among pupils. 

Review the Approval Textbooks review parameters 

The national review committee comprises five or six members:

•       At least one expert from the syllabus Formulation Committee.        

•        Two school teachers 

Textbooks review parameters 

•           The books truly reflect the curriculum.

•           It meets the objectives stated in the curriculum.

• The book does not contain any material against Islamic and Pakistani ideology.

•           In case of approval, the textbook is sent for publishing and distribution.

•           In case of objection, complaints are relayed with revision recommendations. 

Summary 

•           Curriculum and Syllabus are the terms of education, imparted to the students by teachers. It means the knowledge, skills, or qualifications that are passed on from one generation to another. A subject syllabus is a unit of the curriculum. The two terms differ in the sense that curriculum is a combination of some factors that help in the planning of an educational program, whereas a syllabus covers the portion of what topics should be taught in a particular subject.

•           The process of curriculum construction is a cooperative effort. In this national agencies, regional and local level agencies, principals and teachers as well as community members are involved.

•           Curriculum evaluation may also be external or commissioned review processes. These may be undertaken regularly by special committees or task forces on the curriculum, or they may be research-based studies on the state and effectiveness of various aspects of the curriculum and its implementation. These processes might examine, for example, the effectiveness of curriculum content, existing pedagogies and instructional approaches, teacher training, and textbooks and instructional materials.

•           There are several obstacles affecting the quality and effectiveness of the curriculum development process in Pakistan.

                   Lack of subject area experts.

                  Textbooks often do not reflect the curriculum

                 Lack of follow-up of actual curriculum implementation

                The curriculum often different from the official curriculum documentation

 

 

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