The selection of social studies textbooks for the elementary school

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and field test an instrument which could be used to help select a social studies textbook for a school district. In order to accomplish this purpose, answers to the following questions were sought: 1. What is involved in the analysis of social studies textbooks in the elementary school? 2. What are the crucial considerations (variables) that enter into textbook selection? 3. If a selection instrument is designed, can it be used? 4. To what extent will a group of elementary school teachers reach agreement on the selection of a basic social studies textbook? The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase was the development of an evaluation instrument for social studies textbooks. This was done through the use of a series of mailed questionnaires to social studies experts in the State of Texas. The data obtained from the responses to the questionnaires were used for the design and development of a Social Studies Textbook Selection Guide. The second phase of the study was a field test of the Social Studies Textbook Selection Guide by fifty fifth-grade elementary teachers in Region VI Education Service Center area. The teachers evaluated the five social studies textbooks for the fifth-grade that are on the approved adoption list for the State of Texas. The teachers then rated the Selection Guide. The following conclusions were drawn from the data analysis. 1. Using the input of professional educators, it was possible to design a Textbook Selection Guide. 2. Elementary classroom teachers rated the Selection Guide valuable for assisting in the selection of appropriate textbooks. 3. It was not possible to show at the .05 level of significance that in most schools teachers will agree on a single textbook as the most appropriate book for the school district. Recommendations were made in two areas of concern. Because the evaluation instrument is complex, it was recommended that a comparative study be conducted with a simplified version of the Selection Guide. It was also recommended that data be collected from teachers using the evaluation instrument to see if there is a correlation between teacher characteristics and the responses they make to the value of the textbook selection instrument.