Evaluation of Health Education Textbooks NATURE OF THE STUDY Introduction

Textbooks...can stabilize the curriculum...(they) can have a strong influence or even dominate the nature and sequence of a course and thus profoundly affect the learning experiences of students. (p. 360)

Clearly, anything that "profoundly affects" the learning experiences of students is an important area for educational research. Adding to the importance of textbook evaluation is the fact that current theory on school reform has focused on the selection and use of textbooks (e.g., Lee, 1996; Woodward & Elliot, 1992). Regarding reform, one of the strongest calls has been to develop textbooks that are relevant to students' interests, needs, and concerns (Ornstein & Hunkins, 1993).

According to Ornstein and Hunkins (1993), when curriculum (and its texts) are irrelevant to students, it will debilitate student motivation and learning. Irrelevant texts are defined by the authors as texts that are divorced from students' sense of reality, texts that seem to be unrelated to societal concerns and changes, and texts whose figures and facts are moved from those people, things, and events that are meaningful to students.

. . .
establishing that the factors proposed for investigation are relevant to teen mortality. In addition, associations between these factors and health education curricula are discussed. Causes of Teen Mortality and Health Education In this study, health education textbooks are to be evaluated regarding the amount and adequacy of their coverage of homicide and suicide as issues relevant to adolescents. That these health education concerns are extremely relevant to adolescents is shown in O'Donnell's (1995) report that nationally, homicide and suicide are the second and third leading causes of death among children and youth under the age of 21 years. Moreover, 16 to 19-year-olds now have the highest rate of handgun victimization among all age groups. There appear to be racial and gender differences regarding the rates of homicide and suicide using firearms. In this regard, O'Donnell (1995) reports that the firearm suicide rate for white males is over four times higher than the rate for African American males, whereas the firearm homicide rate is over nine times higher for African American males than for white males. Indeed, almost half of all deaths among African American male teenagers now involve firearms. Based on the f
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Extremely Inadequate, Summary Conclusions, Hofford Cate, HIV Virus, Research Question, African American, METHODOLOGY Introduction, Collins Kolbe, System YRBSS, Ornstein Hunkins, health education, adequate moderately, substance abuse, moderately adequate moderately, adequate moderately adequate, moderately adequate, inadequate inadequate, extremely inadequate, inadequate extremely, inadequate extremely inadequate, extremely adequate, extremely adequate adequate, adequate adequate, adequate adequate moderately, moderately inadequate,
Approximate Word count = 6969
Approximate Pages = 28 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Evaluation of Health Education Textbooks NATURE OF THE STUDY Introduction