A study on the readability of the Eritrean biology textbook for grade eight
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Date
2003-09
Authors
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to determine the readability of the Eritrean biology textbook for grade eight. The study was conducted in Eritrea in four selected senior secondary schools. The motivation for the study was the significant role textbooks play in the educational
setting as a primary source of information. Drawing on the assumption that students and teachers depend heavily on textbooks as a major source of information, the study is premised on the assumption that students must be provided with materials, particularly, the textbooks, that take into consideration the language ability of the students for whom they are written. With this in mind, the research sets out to
determine the readability of the grade eight biology textbook to find out the congruence or otherwise with its intended grade level learners.
To collect data for the study, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. The quantitative research methods were the Flesch, the Frequency of Gobbledygook (FOG), and the Fry readability formulas, cloze test, Word Difficult Index (WDD test, and a questionnaire. These were used to ascertain the congruence or otherwise of the readability of the prescribed biology textbook for grade eight level students. The questionnaire was included for the purpose of data triangulation. The qualitative research method was a set of interviews with students, teachers and the biology curriculum designer. They were used to reveal first hand information from the subjects of the study about the appropriateness of the language used in the prescribed biology textbook in relation to its intended grade eight level students
Description
Doctor Educationis
Keywords
Eritrea, Grade eight, Textbooks in science, Biology textbook, Appropriate, Language, Second language, Reading, Comprehension, Readability