Assessment of Mathematics Textbooks Potential in Terms of Student’s Motivation and Comprehension

This paper discusses the role and influence of textbooks in mathematics teaching and learning in lower secondary school in the Republic of Kosovo. In particular, it focuses on their potential in enhancing student’s motivation and comprehension to engage in mathematical learning. Rivers matrix and Skovsmose’s learning milieus are two methods involved in analyzing the mathematics textbooks in current use in grades 6 – 9 of lower secondary school. Rivers matrix identifies key factors of the textbook content with direct impact on student motivation and comprehension. Subsequently their degree and quality of presence are examined. Using Skovsmose’s learning milieus, textbook tasks and examples are scrutinized according to the extent in which they are embedded in contexts that make connections to real life. Further on, the organizing structure of content and the range of used or proposed teaching and learning activities throughout the textbooks is discussed. The article is the first of its kind in Kosovo and it has provided valuable data regarding the functionality level of the above mentioned textbooks. Keywords: Comprehension, Mathematics textbooks, Motivation, Textbook analysi

Employment Policy and the Labor Mobility in the Western Balkans

Industrial capitalism created major changes in society and in the demand for workforce through industrialization and urbanization. This greatly influenced on the movement of large number of workers in global proportions. But, it’s a question whether entering the European Union of state candidates will make the same move? With the entry of central European countries into the EU, Bulgarians, Romanians wandered into westward in a big number. Will the entry of Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia into the EU cause the same situation? How will their social mobility be? Croatia has at least 20,000 qualified tourism workers for the next summer season in the Adriatic Sea: Cooks, waiters, builders who can choose works as well as working conditions in the new EU member. The coast of Montenegro, a collection of world businessmen and rich people, calls for some 3,000 workers from Macedonia only. All Western Balkan countries, after the shock of transition, slowly are recovering and intentions and measures to reduce the number of workers in employment offices are rising. Macedonia claims that unemployment has decreased to 29 % in the contrast to 21 % in Serbia and Bosnia, and Kosovo Albania still have high figures. But, will public employment policies and a range of measures, among which the most common are employment under temporary contracts, reducing unemployment among young people, women, social cases, of handicapped people yield results? According to these logics of employment policy and the labor movement and the labor market, i.e. changes in the labor market, the logic is imposed when will Western Balkan countries join the EU and replaces the labor force with workers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh of Eritrea? Through these statistical indicators and various data - Interpretation of them will elaborate this phenomenon which is quite important for the reality in post-communist Western Balkan DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n6p33

A Mismatch between Curriculum Intentions and Textbook Design An Assessment of Mathematics Textbooks for Lower Secondary School in Kosovo

This paper discusses the functionality of mathematics textbooks for lower secondary school in Kosovo, as representations of the curriculum. A summary is given of the main orientations and aims of the current Kosovo curriculum for mathematics in lower secondary school. This is followed by an assessment of the level of implementation of the main curriculum objectives within textbook design and an analysis of the nature of the key elements of textbook content that enable curricular objectives to be met. These elements include the use of motivational factors, real and interdisciplinary application of mathematical concepts and content in the expository parts of the text, worked – out examples, the use of real and interdisciplinary contexts in the tasks for students to work through individually, problems and problem-solving procedures and strategies, as well as the inclusion of a range of individual and group learning activities. The results of the analysis indicate a huge mismatch between the main curriculum objectives and textbook design. The conclusion is that Kosovan students in lower secondary school are not given adequate opportunities for developing critical mathematical skills and abilities in accordance with the orientations of the national curriculum