• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.56-63
• /
• 2021

The aim of this study is to understand how English textbooks in Korea and Japan reflect English education policies for improving the English language learners' cultural ability. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the method of analyzing English textbooks was used because English textbooks are an important tool that most specifically reflects the English policy of a country. This study analyzed a total of six English textbooks, three middle school English textbooks currently used in Korea and three in Japan. We analyzed nouns/pronouns related to culture presented in the reading section included in each unit, and compared cultural diversity and cultural identity included in English textbooks in Korea and Japan. As a result, it was found that both countries experienced cultural diversity through English education and introduced their cultural pride to Western culture to realize the goal of strengthening global capabilities. This textbook analysis results show that English textbooks of Korea and Japan depend on American/British cultures and norms. The cultural contents of English textbooks in Korea and Japan tend to focus on geography, food and drink, festivals and activities, family and education systems, etc. And English textbooks in Korea and Japan include the cultural sections in each lesson, but they don't suggest how to relate these cultural sections into the learners' real experiences. These results can be utilized as the motives from which both countries develop English education policy and textbooks in the future.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.307-324
• /
• 2022

This study examined the content diversity of seven authorized science textbooks by comparing the characteristics of the science concept description and the contents of inquiry activities in the "weight of objects" unit. For each textbook, the flow of concept description content and the uniqueness of the concept description process were analyzed, and the number of nodes and links and words with high connections were determined using language network analysis. In addition, for the inquiry activities described in each textbook, the inquiry subject, inquiry type, science process skill, and uniqueness were investigated. Results showed that the authorized textbooks displayed no more diversity than expected in their scientific concept description method or their inquiry activity composition. The learning elements, inclusion of subconcepts, and central words were similar for each textbook. The comparison of inquiry activities showed similarities in their contents, inquiry types, and scientific process skills. Specifically, these textbooks did not introduce any research topics or experimental methods that were absent in previous textbooks. However, despite the fact that the authorized textbook system was developed based on the same curriculum, some efforts were made to make use of its strengths. Since the sequence of subconcepts to explain the core contents differed across textbooks, this explanation process was divided into several types, and although the contents of inquiry activities were the same, the materials for inquiry activities were shown differently for each textbook to improve and overcome the difficulties in the existing experiments. These findings necessitate the continuation of efforts to utilize the strengths of certified textbooks.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.65-86
• /
• 2003

Mathematics textbooks are substitutive showing real characters of didactic transposition in pseudo-contextualization and pseudo-personalization. This study analyzed statistical graphs in elementary school mathematics textbooks according to the first to the 7th curriculum in Korea. It focused on the didactic principles used in those methods through those view of Didactic Transposition Theory. The features of the elementary school mathematics textbooks in Korea are investigated and described ethnomethodologically according to each curriculum periods in dividing bar graph, line graph, pictograph, graph of ratio, histogram. The teaching sequences and methods of the statistical graphs, order and methods of sub-learning activities, teaming data, matter of the learning activity indicator were summarized. Usually, the teaching sequences, excepting the graphs of ratio, statistical graphs are introduced in the second semester of each grade. The graph of ratio is introduced in the first semester of 6th grade. As a result of analysing sub-Loaming activities, using them increased from the first to the 7th curriculum and its form was fixed constructive and stable at the 4th curriculum textbooks. As a result of analysing the teaming data, the data of the social aspects are used more frequently and the data of the individual preferences trended more gradually. As a result of analysing the matter of the teaming activity indicators, concept-explanation question style were used more frequently. Statement-practice style and consideration style trended gradually. Concluding remarks are: First, the didactic transposition of the elementary school mathematics textbooks developed systematically according to the first to the 7th curriculum; Second, mathematics textbooks gradually introduced the positive learning style of activity and the learners' spontaneousness; Third, more concrete practice activities and reflective activities were variously introduced considering the level and interest of each elementary student.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.253-276
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the aspects of task-based materials in high school English textbooks for first year students in Korea. Based on the theoretical backgrounds for designing communicative tasks and the basic contents of the 7th national curriculum for English, a total of six different qualitative evaluation categories of task-based materials are constructed. The six categories include input data, settings, activity types, language skills, activity themes, and communicative functions. The results of the data analysis showed that the regulations of the 7th national English curriculum, which were aimed at improving the students' communicative abilities, were properly reflected in the materials of task-based activities of all textbooks. On the other hand, a few problems were found in some textbooks: too many individual tasks; being out of proportion in presenting task types and themes; non-systematic introduction of language skills, etc. To conclude, a few suggestions are made to provide some meaningful considerations for the text material developers in order to produce better textbooks in the future: task goals and rationale that encourage the learner's positive motivation; authenticity of input data based on the real-world context; a collaborative learning environment that enhances communicative interaction; a proportional representation of the various activity types including creative problem-solving procedures; systematic introduction of integrated language skills, etc.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.83-109
• /
• 2021

In the early stage of lesson enactment process, teachers use textbooks and other resources to select tasks and activities. It follows that discrepancies between textbooks and research-recommended pathways for learning may lead to concerns or issues with pacing in the classroom. To explore this idea further, this study examined the alignment between three popular standards-aligned textbooks series and volume learning trajectories. The results indicated that the standards-based textbooks examined may lack attention to important topics in the pacing of volume instruction, and suggest the need to inform both pre-service and in-service teachers about the gap between textbook lessons and volume learning trajectories so that they will be able to reflect students' thinking in volume learning trajectory to their lessons.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.28 no.7
• /
• pp.697-712
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study was to seek strengths and weaknesses from analyzing Korea and U.S. science textbooks in terms of general structural features, contents, cognitive levels of questions and the purpose of questions used in science textbooks. This provided insight into improvement of textbooks that can effectively assist teaching and learning. To investigate organization of unit in textbooks in-depth, the evolution unit was selected and scrutinized as one example. The results showed that the number of pages, activities, vocabulary words, and vocabulary lists are considerably different between Korean and the U.S. Commonly, U.S. textbooks were more laden with information and lacking in coherence than those of the Korean textbooks. The findings on the cognitive levels of questions showed that the majority of questions in both nations are concerned with knowledge. However, the difference between the two nations is great in the ratios of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation questions. Questions are concentrated in review section (45% of Korean and 60.6% of U.S.) in textbooks. It suggested that well-planned questions in a review section can provide the basic guidance for strength in a science classroom.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.181-200
• /
• 2013

The Chinese Geography Standards for Senior Secondary Schools(trial) was released in 2003. The Standards put forward some changes for senior geography education, the changes in geographical education are reflected explicitly and implicitly by the textbooks. The purpose of this descriptive study was to review of the improvement of Chinese senior geography education by analyzing contents organization and coherence of the new standards-based geography experimental textbooks. The results of study are as follows. The textbooks adopts a student-centered approach through the way of 'more chapter topics with slimmed contents' and by introducing four type activities, geographical inquiries. These student activities are implicity encourages students' active acquisition of geographical knowledge what they have learned in their real lives. The organic coherence of the textbooks' contents rests on the compulsory and the elective subject relating to diversification of the learning areas. The organic coherence between the compulsory and the elective subject rests on diversification of the learning areas. More, looking at the arrangement of the four basic concepts(population, resource, environment, sustainable development) among the textbooks, it was imbalanced by subject.

• School Mathematics
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.375-399
• /
• 2002

When a curriculum change is being an issue, the editorships and the promotive directions reflect to supplement the social requests. However it is often criticized that such changes in the textbook itself are not satisfactory enough as to coherent to the editoships. And we set the following research questions; (1) One of the most important changes in the new 7th curriculum is to encourage the students' activities. We checked if it is well suited in the new textbooks. (2) Often textbook itself is not important In class, while instructor or students want something else other than the one suggested in the textbook. We asked 187 teachers how they use the textbooks in class. To answer (1), we checked up the introductory - activity - contents with 7 categories, which are ${\circled1}$ of real life sources ${\circled2}$ in use of concrete manipulative ${\circled3}$ in use of computers or calculators ${\circled4}$ in use of historical resources ${\circled5}$ stimulating to recall a relevant previous knowledges ${\circled6}$ of coherence between the activity and the exploratory contexts. ${\circled2}$ were increased, rewarding to the decrease of ${\circled5}$, in the new textbooks, while changes in ${\circled3}$ and ${\circled4}$ were not enough to talk about increments. Especially slight decrease in ${\circled6}$ were detected and it seemed to attribute to the unmatchable use of ${\circled1}$ and ${\circled2}$ with the explanation of mathematical subjects, which also implies how difficult to match ${\circled1}$ and ${\circled2}$ with ${\circled6}$. Analyzing the reponses of (2), about 70% of the teachers used the introductory activities in the textbook, which led better attention of sudents, while 30% of teachers do not use it because they felt that its inroductory activities had not been adequate for their purposes. Teachers counted inadequacy reasons for not being helpful in class, lack of time or lack of support of students, etc. Those teachers use introductory activities invented of their own for classes. As some results of the study, we suggest firstly that authors of textbooks have to get more informations to provide ways to entcourage students' interest in mathematics classes. The ways must be practical and brain storming as well as More use of computers and calculators and mathematical history are expected. Secondly, we are emphasizing the feedbacks between the textbook authors and the users(teachers and students) through internet. Which, we anticipate, will get better communications between them and be a good foundations of continuous modifications of textbooks.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.62 no.4
• /
• pp.551-567
• /
• 2023

Even and odd numbers are taught in elementary school mathematics, but the introductory activities, definitions, and properties of sum on even and odd numbers vary depending on which grade they are presented. The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the activities related to even and odd numbers presented in Korean mathematics textbooks developed under the different curriculum revisions, and to further analyze the related activities in foreign textbooks to draw implications for the teaching of even and odd numbers. In Korean textbooks, from the time of the fourth mathematics curriculum until the 2007 revision, even and odd numbers were covered in the multiples and divisors unit of the fifth grade textbook, while since the 2009 revision, the first grade textbook has covered the topic along with teaching numbers up to 50 or 100. In addition, the definitions of even and odd numbers varied depending on the grade level and the nature of the unit being taught, and activities addressing the properties of sum were only presented in the mathematics textbook under the third curriculum along with a few mathematics workbooks. In foreign textbooks, even and odd numbers were introduced in Grades 1, 2, or 5, and their related activities varied accordingly. Based on these findings, this study discusses the implications for the teaching of even and odd numbers.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.501-510
• /
• 2005

An analysis was done on the “inquiry sections” of Earth Science chapters of 10th grade science textbooks. The Inquiry sections were classified into different types and the frequencies of basic process skills, integrated process skills, and inquiry activities were measured in section to find out whether they sufficiently satisfy the requirements based on the 7th National Curriculum. The number of selected science textbooks that have been used in high school for this study were eleven. The number of inquiry tasks were on an average of 24.0. The types of inquiry sections and the elements of basic and integrated process skills were different in every textbooks. The number of inquiry activities were also different and analyzed more than those presented. They were not integrated activities but presented as scientific process skills. The basic process skills and integrated process skills presented in textbooks were $16\%\;and\;77.2\%$, respectively. However, the distribution of two kinds of process skills were analyzed to be $45.6\%\;and\;55.4\%$, respectively. In the process skills, the frequencies of inferring $(49.5\%)$ and data interpretation (68.7%) were the highest; however, the other process skills including recognizing problem, formulating hypothesis and generalization were not even presented in any of the text books. Due to the lack of the definitions of Science process skills and inquiry activities in the 7th National Curriculum, each text book defined these terms differently. It suggests that the meaning of inquiry, science process skills, and inquiry activities should be operationally defined in the national curriculum and the criteria for construction of inquiry activities are required.