Las actividades de Primaria y ESO incluidas en libros escolares. ¿Qué objetivo persiguen? ¿Qué procedimientos enseñan?

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyse a total of 1.340 activities which correspond to Primary School and Compulsory Secondary Education textbooks produced by three widely established publishing houses and which are aimed at studiyng the following three topics: matter, animals and vegetables. The importance given to these topics by the publishing houses, the objective which the activities pursue as well as the procedures they teach are also studied. A greater emphasis on living beings than on matter has been detected in the Primary School material. Applying the theory which figures in the textbooks and acquiring the knowledge contained therein are the most abundant objectives which are found in the activities, whereas those activities which are aimed at investigation tasks are virtually non-existent. In tune with what has been said before, the most abundant types of procedures are the communication and organisation of information to the detriment of the ones that are associated with problem solving (formulating hypotheses, data analys, controlling variables...).