The geological and geoscientific images in science textbooks

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the results of an investigation about uses of geological/geoscientific images in science textbooks. As part of the analysis, the images were classified by the use of functions described in the literature about science education. The theory shows the important role of images in promoting conceptual development and its relationship with verbal language. The textbooks analyzed have been chosen considering the preferences of a group of teachers that had participated in an in-service teachers educational project, in Campinas, Brazil. It has been noticed that most of the images identifi ed in the textbooks play an illustrative function in relation to verbal texts, which means that the images potential for developing geological concepts is being neglected.