A Longitudinal Analysis of the Extent and Manner of Representations of Nature of Science in U.S. High School Chemistry, Biology, and Physics Textbooks

This chapter focuses on text that examined representations of nature of science (NOS) in high school chemistry, as well as high school biology and physics textbooks in the United States. The longevity of the focus on NOS in science education has translated into sustained and intensive research and development efforts focused on gauging science students’ and teachers’ NOS understandings, and developing the impact of instructional approaches and materials aimed at improving those understandings. A focus on commercial science textbooks is highly justified because of their undue influence on teaching and learning in school science classrooms. A formal process was undertaken to establish inter-rater reliability in using the rubric to analyze textbook materials. The chapter suggests a much stronger ‘author effect’ compared to a ‘publisher effect’ in shaping NOS representations in secondary chemistry textbooks. The landscape of the analyzed textbooks, nonetheless, did feature some bright spots, which could be meaningfully expanded and strengthened.