Analysis of elementary school science textbooks based on representation of components of the nature of science using Shannon entropy equations

Subject Areas : Research in Curriculum Planning

Zahra Rajabi ¹ , Asghar Soltani ² , Mehrangiz Alinejad ³

1 - M.A. in Curriculum Planning, Department of Education, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Education, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.

Received: 2022-01-30 Accepted : 2022-08-30 Published : 2022-08-23

Keywords: Textbook, Shannon Entropy, elementary school, Experimental Sciences, Content Analysis, nature of science,

Abstract :

The aim of this study was to analysis of elementary science textbooks based on the representation of nature of science. The research method was descriptive and content analysis. The statistical population of the research included the experimental science textbooks of the sixth grades of the academic year of 2021, simple random sampling was used and the size of the population was equal to the sample. The data collection tool was a content analysis checklist (adapted from Phillips et al., 2015). The unit of analysis consisted of complete sentences and paragraphs, questions, figures, tables, margins or definitions, and each stage of a laboratory or practical activity. The reliability of the instrument was estimated to be 0.82 through calculating the Holsti index. Data analysis was done using compensatory data processing method, that is, Shannon entropy. The results showed that the highest level of attention of elementary science textbooks is related to the science as a way of investigating and the least attention was paid to the science textbooks of elementary school related to the component of science as the interaction of science, technology, and society. The results also showed that the balanced ratio in the distribution of components was not observed in science textbooks. The general result of the research indicated that the distribution of the components of the nature of science in elementary science textbooks needs to be revised based on the results of current research.

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