Textbooks and Students’ Knowledge

Abstract

In Slovenia, textbooks are an integral part of the curriculum. Nationally certified textbooks guarantee both teachers and students that they provide all of the necessary knowledge in each subject. There are many available certified textbooks for each subject and teachers must decide which will be the source of instruction for their students. Our research question is whether groups of students who use different textbooks as their mandatory learning resource differ in their knowledge and their attitudes towards learning. We linked existing data from several sources and explored the scope of the use of different textbooks for mathematics and science subjects in primary schools. Data on student knowledge measured independently by National Assessments (and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study were used, and differences in knowledge and attitudes to learning between students who are taught using different textbooks were explored. Although the study has considerable limitations due to missing data, the results of the analyses indicate some profound differences in knowledge and attitudes between groups of students using different textbooks. These findings could serve as a guide for teachers when choosing the optimal available textbook for their students and, even more so, as support for improving the criteria in the national system of validation of textbooks in the future. The link between the use of textbooks and student learning outcomes also highlights the need to systematically collect information on the use of textbooks among students and follow the effects on achievement in order to improve the quality of future textbooks.