This present work was undertaken to obtain data for developing an ideal middle school biology curriculum in Korea. The structure and contents of fifteen Korean science textbooks of the middle school and the recent editions of eight Japanese science te...
This present work was undertaken to obtain data for developing an ideal middle school biology curriculum in Korea. The structure and contents of fifteen Korean science textbooks of the middle school and the recent editions of eight Japanese science textbooks were analyzed and compared each other. As the result, following findings were obtained:
1. There are 3 serial textbooks, which are science Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ, used in the Korean middle school science curriculum. Each textbook deals with the areas of earth science, biology, chemistry and physics. But Japanese science textbooks of the middle school consist of two parts: part Ⅰ deals with chemistry and physics, and part Ⅱ, biology and earth science. Biology is the most emphasized course of the science curriculum in Korea and Japan.
2. In the Korean science textbooks, the themes are focused on "structure and function" primarily and "living things and environment" secondly, and the levels "individual" primarily and "tissue and organ" secondly. In the japanese science textbooks, however themes are focused on "diversity and unity" primarily and "structure and function" secondly, and the levels "tissue and organs" primarily and "biosphere" secondly.
3. The content of illustration and picture is 0.9 in number per page in the Korean science textbooks. However, the content of illustration and picture is 1.1 in number per page in the Japanese science textbooks. So they enable students to understand easily the morphological structure of organism and the method of experiment.