Name: Huot Maly Institution: Royal University of Phnom Penh Title: Textbook Analysis: Level of Critical thinking in Cambodian Biology Textbooks

United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization សមា�គម្រគឹះសា�� នឧត�មសិក្សោកម� �ជ‌ Cambodian Higher Education Association

1st Cambodia Education Research Forum (CERF) 14-15 February 2014

National Institute of Education, Phnom Penh

Presentation Outline

• Chapter 1 : Introduction

• Chapter 2 : Literature Review

• Chapter 3 : Research Methodology

• Chapter 4 : Results

• Chapter 5 : Conclusions and Recommendation

Chapter 1 : Introduction

• The Cambodian education system has been reformed to meet the need of economic and social development.

• Aims of curriculum policy (MoEYS, 2004) which states that when students leave school they should have the capacity to manage and take responsibility for their own action, decisions making and judgment.

• In recent years, the promotion of active and critical learning was a ‘hot topic’ in educational literature.

1.1 Background of Study

10-Jun-14 4

• Critical thinking play an important role in a person’s learning and their everyday life. They added that textbooks were one the richest educational which should be written in such a way that benefits learners of development of analyzing, evaluating and creating (Razmjoo & Kazemporfard, 2010).

• After students finished school they will hopefully

have obtained the knowledge, skills, attitudes and the soft skills that are required by employers.

1.2 Problem Statement

• MoEYS policy describes the purpose of

Cambodian secondary and high schools as being to

produce students who are critical and analytical

thinkers.

• Textbooks are the core of what is taught in state

schools have not been analyzed.

• As Tan (1999) and CAMFEBA (2008) argued that

the workforce will require creative and critical

thinkers.

• Through observation, students could only answer

the questions whose answers are in the line rather

than those that between the line.

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1. Which levels of thinking levels of Bloom’s revised taxonomy were evident in the grade 7-9 Cambodian biology textbooks?

2. How comparable is the level of thinking provided in the Cambodian biology textbook grade 11 to that in an Australian grade 11 textbook?

3. How closely is the content of the Cambodian biology textbooks aligned with aims of the MoEYS curriculum policy?

1.3 Research Question

• MoEYS as part of any review that may occur of the curriculum in use in schools.

• To help teachers or textbook developer in selecting appropriate textbooks and learning materials.

• To share the strategy in textbook analysis across subject areas and grade levels.

1.4 Significance of Study

Chapter 2 : Literature Review

2.1 The Role of School Textbooks • Through review of literature, textbooks play a

crucial role in developing countries as – defining the curriculum – assisting teachers – especially developing students’ autonomous

learning, serving as critical vehicles for getting knowledge and students’ self-directed learning.

2.1 Bloom’s Taxonomy

• In 1956, Bloom’s taxonomy were widely known as a framework sought to described different types of thinking (Anderson, 2002).

• There are 3 domains of Taxonomy: cognitive, affective and psychomotor domain.

• Bloom’s Taxonomy provided the six categories in the cognitive domains (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation)

• The researcher claimed that this new taxonomy reflected a more active form of thinking and was perhaps more accurate than the original taxonomy.

• There are six levels of the cognitive dimension:

remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (RBT)

Figure 1 The names of six major categories were changed from noun (Bloom’s Taxonomy) to verb forms (RBT)

http://laurant.edublogs.org/2011/12/08/blooms-taxonomy

Frequency of each level of thinking in Cambodian

biology textbooks grade 7-9 were calculate.

Compare the level of thinking in Cambodian and

Australian biology textbook grade 11.

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Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Textbook

• Grade 7-9 and 11 biology textbooks were published

by the MoEYS in 2010 (grade 7 &8), in 2011 (grade

9), and in 2009 (Grade 11).

• Grade 7-9 textbooks combine 4 science subjects:

Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Earth-Science.

Cambodian Biology Textbook

• Each grade 7-10 textbook was combined into

Science Subject not separate into part as those of

Cambodia.

• Grade 11 biology textbook were published in 2010

with 30 topics.

Australian Biology Textbook

• Researcher chose the grade 7-9 Cambodian biology textbook to examine the thinking level.

• Thus, researcher can not compare grade 7-9 Cambodian biology textbooks with grade 7-10 Australian biology textbooks. Grade 12 Australian biology textbook (Biology sace 2), questions at the end of each unit are not designed all the level of thinking.

• Purposive Sampling was used to select only one Cambodian and one Australian biology textbook (grade 11) to examine and compare the level of thinking.

• The researcher reviewed all the questions in the units/topics under investigations and took notes of key terms compare to those in six level of Bloom’s revised taxonomy.

• The questions in grade 7-9 and 11 biology textbooks were analyzed to identify the frequency of each thinking level.

• After analyzed the questions into the key terms based on level 1 to 6 of Bloom’s revised taxonomy, frequency and percentage of each type of questions were computed.

3.2 Data Analysis

Table 1 The Six Levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, Behavior Descriptions and Question Stems

Level Key words (verbs) Question stems

1. Remember defines describes identifies knows states lists matches names outlines recalls recognizes reproduces

1. What happened after…? 2. How many …? 3. What is …? 4. Who was it that …? 5. Can you name …? 6. Find the meaning of …? 7. Describe what happened after …? 8. Who spoke to …? 9. Which is true or false …?

2. Understand comprehends converts rewrites estimates explains translates generalizes gives an example infers interprets paraphrases summarizes

1. Can you write in your own words? 2. How would you explain …? 3. Can you write a brief outline …? 4. What do you think could have happened next …? 5. Who do you think …? 6. What was the main idea …? 7. Can you clarify …? 8. Can you illustrate …?

3. Apply applies changes computes constructs demonstrates discovers manipulates modifies operates predicts prepares produces relates shows solves uses

1. Do you know of another instance where …? 2. Can you group by characteristics such as …? 3. From the information given, can you develop a set of instruction about …? 4. Which factors would you change if…? 5. What questions would you ask of …?

4. Analyze analyses breaks down compares contrasts diagrams deconstructs Differentiates discriminates Distinguishes identifies infers separates outlines relates

1. Which events could not have happened? 2. If … happened, what might the ending have been? 3. How is … similar to …? 4. What do you see as other possible outcomes? 5. Why did … changes occur? 6. Can you distinguish between …? 7. What was the problem with …?

5. Evaluate appraises compares contrasts relates criticizes critiques defends describes evaluates supports explains interprets summarizes

1. Is there a better solution to …? 2. Can you defend your positive about…? 3. Do you think … is a good or bad thing? 4. How effective are …? 5. What are the consequences …? 6. Why is … of value? 7. What are the pros and cons of …? 8. What are the alternatives?

6. Create categorizes combines compiles composes creates devises designs explains generates modifies organize plans rearranges reconstructs relates reorganizes revises rewrites summarizes tells writes

1. Can you design a … to …? 2. Can you see a possible solution to …? 3. Why don’t you devise your own way to …? 4. What would happen if …? 5. How many ways can you …? 6. Can you develop a proposal which would …?

Source: http://eprentice.sdsu.edu/J030/miles/Bloomtaxonomy(revised)1.htm

Some questions from the Cambodian grade 9 textbook have been provided with their classification below. 1. What are the protective walls? Describe them. (L1) 2. Define the term photosynthesis. (L1) 3. Why are natural resources harmfully destroy? (L2) 4. What is the air polluting in your community? (L3) 5. Compare the arrangement of respiration and

photosynthesis. (L4)

Chapter 4: Results

Table 2 Frequency and Percentage of the Thinking Levels in Grade 7, 8 and 9 Biology Textbooks

Grade

Level of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

7 72 (78.26) 18 (19.56) 1 (1.08) 1 (1.08) 0 0

8 65 (83.33) 11 (14.10) 1 (1.28) 1 (1.28) 0 0

9 66 (70.96) 22 (23.65) 2 (2.15) 3 (3.22) 0 0

Table 3 Comparison Thinking Levels in Cambodian and Australian Biology Grade 11 Textbooks

Textbook

Level of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

Cambodia 61 (40.67) 42 (28) 22 (14.66) 25 (16.67) 0 0

Australia 84 (27.20) 33 (10.70) 59 (19.10) 62 (20.10) 67 (21.7) 4 (1.3)

Table 4 Comparison Thinking Levels in One Unit from Each Grade 11 Textbooks

Unit/Topic

Level of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

Cambodia 2 (28.56) 0 1 (14.28) 4 (57.14) 0 0

Australia 3 (27.27) 1 (9.09) 2 (18.18) 2 (18.18) 2 (18.18) 1 (9.09)

Table 5 Sample of the Questions in Cambodian and Australian Textbooks

Cambodian Questions and exercise in unit 2 1. What is the basic structure of cell? 2. What is organelle? Which organelle that function as energy production? release of materials? products storage? break down substances? 3. Compare mitochondria with chloroplast. 4. Compare the structure of plant cell with animal cell. 5. Compare diffusion with osmosis. 6. Compare passive with action transport. 7. Experiment about Osmosis with teacher’s guide.

Evidence of learning 4 Knowledge and understanding 1. Describe what is meant by an object’s surface area to volume ratio. 2. State the two main components of the cell membrane. 3. Outline two differences between passive and active transport. 4. Explain why, with few exceptions, cells are very small. Application 5. The diagram shows what happens to an animal cell before and after it is placed in a solution that has a different solute concentration to the cytoplasm.

a. How does the volume of the cytoplasm change?

b. Describe the direction of movement of water and name the process by which it moved.

c. Does the solution outside the cell have a lower or higher solute concentration than the cytoplasm?

Analysis and evaluation 6. Identify the molecules that are part of a cell membrane DNA phospholipids membrane- protein cellulose 7. Distinguish between simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion. 8. Consider two cubes, one with 2cm sides and the other with 5cm sides. Determine which of the cubes has the larger surface area to volume ratio.

9. Decide which of these diagrams best represents the fluid-mosaic model. Justify.

Investigation 10. Design an experiment to test the effect

of concentration on the rate of diffusion.

5.1 Conclusion

• From the findings of this study, it is apparent that these biology textbook cannot develop students’ critical thinking skills.

• Poor critical thinking will affect students when they go to university, enter their workplace and live in society.

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendation

• Textbooks used as a tool for developing students’ thinking thus textbooks need changing.

• Textbook developers need revising immediately by

integrate the high level of Bloom’s. • All teachers need to be trained with critical thinking

skill which could improve the way of teaching.

5.2 Recommendation