Trends in environmental education images of textbooks from western and eastern european countries and non-european countries

Textbook analysis is seen as a major element for studying environmental education addressing pupils, image analysis being rather relevant when studying textbooks written in 11 languages. We analysed 25 textbooks from 14 countries addressed to 14–16-year-old pupils, focusing on: (1) local and foreign/global images; (2) urban/rural and nature images; (3) negative impact, human management, and the beauty of nature; and (4) men and women in images with negative and positive impact. We distinguished some trends between Western (WEc) and Eastern (EEc) European countries and non-European countries (NEc). In contrast to textbooks from EEc and NEc, which tend to show the beauty of nature with little human influence, WEc textbooks tend to exhibit more images of urban/rural landscape, of human negative impact and of human management, expressing an anthropocentric view of the environment. Men are usually more present in textbook images than women. However, some images exhibiting more women than men could be found in textbooks from WEc and EEc, but never in NEc. In negative impact pictures, men are more often present than women but NEc women are never present in such images. Women are more frequent than men in positive impact images. Results suggest that textbooks from EEc and NEc should give more emphasis to human management and urban/rural images, whereas those from WEc should give more attention to the beauty of nature. A balance in the presence of men and women in images should be a matter of greater concern by all textbooks’ authors and publishers.European project FP6 “Biohead-Citizen” CIT2-CT-2004-506015 FCT project “Analysis of school textbooks” PTDC/CED/65224/2006. CIEC – FCT research unit 317

Sexual transmitted diseases and control of reproduction in biology textbooks: a comparative analysis in 15 countries

We present a comparative analysis in textbooks of different 15 countries on the topic “Human Reproduction and Sex Education” by using a specific grid of analysis. The focus is on two sub-topics associated to pupils’ development of responsible behaviour: the control of reproduction (e.g. choice of contraception) and the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). AIDS is presented in all textbooks analysed. Some countries, but not all, give also information about other STDs. We analysed condom images and how textbooks refer to the way of using it. Results show differences not only between countries but also between publishers of the same country.European project FP6 Biohead-Citizen CIT2-CT-2004-506015.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - LIBEC/CIFPEC - Unidade de investigação (16/644)

Humans and nature relationship : images and text of ecology and environmental education

The present study investigated whether and how ecology and environmental education (EEE) affects the understanding of the Human-Nature relationship by images and historical, ethical and socio-economical textual information existing in textbooks targeting 14-15-year old children. Four subtopics - Uses of Resources; Pollution; Biodiversity; Ecosystems and Cycles – from textbooks of 15 different European and African countries were specifically selected, analyzed and comparisons were made. Results indicated that ecocentrism is the starting position. Historical, ethical and socio-economical dimensions relating to EEE is usually poor. There were also limited references to juridical norms and international agreements concerning environmental protection, biodiversity and sustainability issues.European Project FP6 Biohead-Citizen CIT2-CT-2004-506015.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - LIBEC/CIFPEC - Unidade de investigação (16/644)

Sexually transmitted Infections and the use of condoms in biology textbooks : a comparative analysis across sixteen countries

Our study focused on two topics, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and the control of STIs using condoms. For this, we analysed and compared 42 school textbooks from 16 countries on the general topic “Human Reproduction and Sex Education” using a specific grid designed by the BIOHEAD-CITIZEN project. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was a common topic in all the textbooks that were analysed, although it appeared in quite different chapters, such as, Human Procreation (the control of reproduction, the hygiene of reproduction, or in chapters devoted to STIs and AIDS), Immunology (with AIDS as an example of immune deficiency), and Personal Protection. Some textbooks provided information about other STIs in addition to AIDS. There appeared important differences among countries concerning both the number of images in the textbooks and the number of STIs that were discussed in the textbooks. There were also differences among various textbooks addressing the same educational level that came from different publishers in terms of the way that STIs were presented. More than half of the analysed textbooks did not link the presentation of STIs with their prevention via the use of condoms, and only a few textbooks illustrate an unrolled male condom on the penis. Our results also indicated that (i) for most of the analysed biology textbooks there was a preference for the biomedical model of health education that provided sufficient scientific knowledge, (ii) only in Finland there was an attempt for health promotion of competencies relating to a healthy sexual behaviour, and (iii) the textbooks from Morocco and Tunisia illustrated how traditional values could be promoted in parallel with biomedical knowledge by using injunctive moral content. Interactions between scientific knowledge (K), values (V), and social practices (P) had been found and seemed to determine what was present (and how) or absent in school textbooks.LIBEC/CIFPEC - Unidade de investigação 16/644 da FCT.European project FP6 Biohead-Citizen CIT2-CT-2004-506015.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - “Análise de manuais escolares” (PTDC/CED/65224/2006)