Comparative Analysis of the Quality of Visuals in Geography Textbooks for ISCED 1 and ISCED 2 Levels of Education

Abstract

The aim of the article is to assess the quality of visualisation of geomorphology, hydrology and agriculture of Czechia through maps, schemes and photographs in geography textbooks for ISCED 1 and ISCED 2 levels of education. A total of 15 geography textbooks were selected and a total of 90 visuals from these textbooks were analysed. The scaling method according to defined criteria relating to the concept of usability was applied; the result of scaling was the usability coefficient. The data obtained through scaling was subsequently statistically analysed. The outcomes of the statistical analysis show that the usability coefficient of visuals in textbooks for the older cohort is higher than in textbooks for younger students. The usability coefficient as an indicator of quality of the assessed visuals is linked especially to the tradition of publishing houses, as visuals in textbooks published by publishers with relatively long tradition are of a higher quality than those by publishers with shorter tradition and therefore less experience with publishing textbooks. Differences in the quality between individual types of visuals or themes are not statistically significant.

A content analysis of the language quality of thematic textbooks for elementary school students

“…The illustrations are supporting and complementary o the message being conveyed [31]. Appropriate illustrations become a means to improve students' understanding of a text [32]. Illustrations are also able to provide an overview that makes it easier for students to receive complex material [33].…”

Výzkum učebních úloh v učebnicích geografie: přehledová studie

“…Ačkoli učebnice výrazně ovlivňují to, co se reálně odehrává ve výuce geografie ve školních třídách (Lambert 1999, Lambert 2000, nebývají předmětem zájmu výzkumníků v takové míře, jakou by bylo možné očekávat (Bagoly-Simó, 2018). Většina prací, které jsme k výzkumu učebnic geografie v Česku a na Slovensku dohledali, spadá do oblasti analýz výkladové složky učebnic, zejména textu (Pluskal 1989, Šimeková 1993, Hudeček 2004, Janoušková 2009, Weinhöfer 2011) a vizuálií (Wahla 1977, Janko 2012, Trahorsch a Bláha 2019, Trahorsch, Bláha a Chytrý 2019. O kvalitě učebních úloh v současných českých i slovenských učebnicích zeměpisu toho však příliš mnoho nevíme.…”

Structural Cartographic Analysis of a Thematic Atlas Work

“…This part of the analysis can be compared with AACH. In principle, this analysis is based on the authors' experience gained from the analysis of textbooks [10,11], but also from other studies [12,13].…”