Reports on a study that evaluates sociology textbooks both in commercial terms and for what they say about the assumptions sociologists make concerning the world. Provides a Marxist-feminist critique of sociology textbooks. Concludes that most sociology instructors continue to adopt the fairly standard assumptions of the discipline. (KO)

Traces the changes in international textbook research in recent years. Examines the role of social studies textbooks in integrating individuals into society. Reviews the historical origins of international textbook revision, and critiques the assumptions of international textbook research. Maintains that textbook research must define its…

Questions whether a radical shift in the factual content of American schools' curricula has ever occurred. Reviews a representative high school social studies textbook, finding that it contains more historical terms than does Hirsch's famous list. (NH)

Examines the possibility that part of the problem in the teaching of physical science may lie in teaching-learning materials. Selects 14 chemistry textbooks and 14 physics textbooks in Australia. Analyzes them based on learning theory and scientific literacy. (YP)

Reviewed were 38 textbooks on investment analysis. Seven textbooks for undergraduate chemical engineering students are rated by 31 topics extracted by the review. Presents top-ranked texts in engineering economics and business/finance. (YP)

Describes ratings and rankings by both researchers and children of the new and old basal text series. Describes students' response to the texts. Identifies the engaging qualities of these texts. Shows similarities between children's and researchers' preferences. (HB)

Suggests ways of increasing the international focus of industrial organization courses. Discusses four areas of international topics that could be integrated into such courses. Includes imperfect markets, trade, and industrial policy; theory of the firm; exchange rates and market behavior; and issues in antitrust. Evaluates the extent and adequacy…

Reviews 21 one-semester economics textbooks using Kenneth E. Boulding's ideas for introductory textbooks. Lists 240 concepts and topic areas in macroeconomics, microeconomics, public policy, and international economics that may be covered in a textbook. (NL)

Examines the verbal and visual content of two widely used United States history textbooks from the 1950s and the 1980s. Finds that the 1980s textbooks do not contain significantly more visuals nor any less narrative and expository content than did those of the 1950s. (RS)

Surveys U.S. history texts to determine the coverage given to eastern European immigrants. Reports that Poland is most extensively covered and that the amount of coverage of other eastern European peoples increases with Polish coverage. Suggests a correlation between the frequency an ethnic group is cited and the size of its population in the…

Asserts, based on data collected from companies in Wisconsin, that illegal interview questions are common. Cites criteria for assessing instructional strategies on illegal questioning, and uses them to assess the instructional strategies of 11 college-level interviewing textbooks. (PRA)

Analyzed the commonly used science textbooks (n=8) to determine their cognitive level of questions. Among the conclusions are that there was a greater proportion of lower-level questions than higher-level questions in these books. (PR)

Presents five experiments examining the use of illustrations in the comprehension of technical material by students of good to very good reading ability. Concludes that technical content which lends itself to presentation as an illustration will be comprehended better as an illustration than as text and will be comprehended best of all if…

Reports that a goal and item analysis of eight history and systems of psychology textbooks and their accompanying test item files showed that the majority of the essay test items are too narrow in scope to measure the commonly stated course goals. Presents some integrative and goal-relevant essay questions to rectify this shortcoming. Includes a…

Describes the process of textbook development and production. Notes that textbook production has become a multinational business, and that textbooks used in developing nations are frequently produced elsewhere and may reflect foreign values. Emphasizes that major academic systems located in industrialized nations dominate research on education and…