Textbook Evaluation

Abstract

Textbook Evaluation : the Algerian Experience The aim of this paper is to discuss the procedure followed for the evaluation of school textbooks and how they reach the classroom. Thus, we must say from the onset, that we are not concerned with the theoretical assumptions behind textbook evaluation, nor the theoretical tenets of the teaching approach which sustain these textbooks (i.e. the Competency Based Approach, henceforth CBA) as these are beyond the scope of the present paper. We believe that introducing teachers to the technicalities of textbook evaluation will be of great help to them, because as Williams ( 1983, p.251) puts it: It is ironical that those teachers who rely most heavily on the textbooks are the ones least qualified to interpret its intentions or evaluate its content and method. When dealing with textbook evaluation we must be cautious however, because as Cunningsworth (1995) and Ellis (1997) have suggested, that there are three different types of material evaluation. They argue that the most common form is probably the 'predictive' or 'pre-use', that is designed to examine the future or potential performance of a textbook. The other types of textbook evaluation are the 'in-use' evaluation, is designed to examine material that is currently being used, and the 'retrospective' or 'post-use' (reflective) evaluation of a textbook that has been used in any respective institution. This particular paper will report on the first type of evaluation exclusively , i.e. before the textbook reaches the teacher. The other important element that teachers should be familiar with is the theoretical assumption(s) supporting the design the textbook and the choice of the teaching materials which are included, i.e. the CBA. We shall consider CBA here, is its most general term as defined by Schneck (1978: vi), and not as applied to a specific school subject: Competency-based education has much in common with such approaches to learning as performance-based instruction, mastery learning and individualized instruction. It is outcomebased and is adaptive to the changing needs of students, teachers and the community ... Competencies differ from other student's goals and objectives in that they describe the student's ability to