Abstract

GUERRA RAMOS, María Teresa  and  LOPEZ VALENTIN, Dulce María. Activities Included in the Textbook for Teaching Natural Science in the Sixth Grade: Analysis of Objectives, Procedures, and Potential for Promoting Learning. RMIE [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.49, pp.441-470. ISSN 1405-6666.

This study presents an analysis of the learning activities included in the natural science textbook for the sixth grade. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation was made of the objectives of learning, procedural contents, and potential for promoting learning. The results indicated that the objectives of obtaining knowledge and applying theory prevail; in terms of the procedural contents, the tendency was to promote observation, the search for information, and communication. This finding suggests that information is at the center of the book's didactic proposal, and aims at forming of searchers, appliers, and communicators of information. Only one-half of the activities has an acceptable level of potential for promoting learning, according to the logic of our analysis; the rest has deficiencies related to relevance, clarity, and inclusion of indicators of comprehension. The findings are discussed in terms of the critical aspects that must be revised to improve the book.

Keywords : natural sciences; basic education; textbooks; learning activities; Mexico.