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Analysis of school texts

In education, the second of importance after teacher's own personality is often textbooks and learning environments. I have maid research in this field (e.g. Åhlberg 1991, Åhlberg & Saraste 1994), also referred to in Johnsen 2001:

http://www-bib.hive.no/tekster/pedtekst/kaleidoscope/chapter6.html

http://www-bib.hive.no/tekster/pedtekst/kaleidoscope/reference.html

History

In 1989 I visited Stockholm and became acquainted to Professor Staffan Selander. Because we agreed that texts are extremely important in schools, I joined into his informal research group (e.g. Julkunen, Selander, Åhlberg 1991). Later on I was invited to UNESCO supported research group HUMAN RIGHTS IN HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEXTBOOKS directed by Professor K.-Peter Fritzsche. I had earlier made research on textbook analysis, educational objectives and educational values, and I was happy to accept the invitation. I had about ten university students with me and we systematically analyzed all common Finnish textbooks used in that time. The final report article was Åhlberg, M. & Saraste, M. (1994).

I have developed three practical and theoretically sound new quality tools (Improved Concept Mapping, Improved Vee Heuristics and ARRA or Analysis of Reasoning, Rhetorics and Argumentation ) to promote R&D of school texts.

References:

Åhlberg, M. 1991. Concept mapping, concept matrices, link tables and argumentation analysis as techniques for educational research on textbooks and educational discourse and as tools for teachers and their pupils in their everyday work. In Julkunen, M.-L., Selander, S. & Åhlberg, M. 1991. Research on texts at school. University of Joensuu. Research Reports of the Faculty of Education N:o 37, 89 - 154.

Åhlberg, M. & Saraste, M. 1994. Human rights in Finnish history and social studies textbooks. Internationale Schulbuchforschung 16(2), 117 - 128.

Julkunen, M.-L., Selander, S. & Åhlberg, M. 1991. Research on texts at school. University of Joensuu. Research Reports of the faculty of Education N:o 37.

 


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