The science textbook in the 7th national curriculum has significantly improved compared to its previous ones in terms of the quality of the photographs and illustrations. However, the recent study on the student needs analysis of the science textbooks...
The science textbook in the 7th national curriculum has significantly improved compared to its previous ones in terms of the quality of the photographs and illustrations. However, the recent study on the student needs analysis of the science textbooks by the Korea Science Foundation (KSF, 2007) shows that 71% of the survey participants responded that the science textbooks are still difficult to comprehend. They demand more detailed explanations, photographs, and illustrations in the science textbooks.
The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the illustrations of the science textbooks based on 7th and the next generation's science textbook reflected from a perspective of the survey participants. For the study, the features of the internal and external forms were analyzed, and the following facts are found.
First, the next generation's science textbook has a significant increase of the illustrations compared with the science textbooks in the 7th national curriculum.
Second, the next generation's science textbook has a higher ratio of photo than the average of the 7th national curriculum. Furthermore, the ratio of actual features and the illustrations embedded to help understand the science curriculum has increased.
Third, the next generation's science textbook has the highest ratio of illustrations, a form of which the background was omitted. The illustrations and the contents of the textbook are well edited to coincide with each other. The caption ratio, which help students understand as they see the illustrations and explanations coincidentally, was increased compared with the average ratio of the 7th national curriculum.
Fourth, over 50 % of the role of illustrations in both the next generation's science textbook and the 7th national curriculum offers a general guide. There was an increase in illustrations in the next generation's science textbook which evokes motivation for the students.
Fifth, there was a high ratio of illustrations to present the scientific situation between the two textbooks. However, there were more illustrations in the next generation's science textbook to elicit more of the students’ attentions through their surroundings and their routine life.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology(2006), announced the improvement plan for the external contents of the Science textbooks. According to this plan, the external form, fonts, and editing will be deregulated from the next generation's science textbook. This also aims to improve the quality of colored paper and enforce the design of the editing and textbook formats. The development of the orientation driven by Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will be a turning point in doing more research on illustrations, designs, and editing for the new textbook which evokes motivation for students.