Journal of Educational Sciences > Volume 28, No. 3, 2016

The Level of Student Involvement in the Advanced Science Textbook for the 6th Grade / Nada Aqeel A. Alabdulkareem, Saleh Abdullah M. Alabdulkareem

The purpose of this research is to identify the level of student involvement in the advanced Science textbook for the 6th Grade in Saudi Arabia, by: viewing the content (text), pictures, figures and activities which were calculated using Romey’s Formula, which measure the book involvement factor for the student, in content, pictures, figures, conclusions, and activities, by random selection of some books pages (Khoayalh, 1990), which was translated to Arabic, by researchers, and presented to arbitrators. In order to check its validity and invariability through time, two methods had been applied in analyzing the text; first by using Romey’s Formula, and secondly also by using the formula but with more classification as the text sentences were divided into (2) groups. One involves the student in his learning, and the other doesn’t. This increased invariability rate to (92.75%). The findings showed student involvement in the content of Science textbook in acceptable range. The rate was (0.4%) which means that it involves the student and allows him to analyze, brainstorm, and draw his own conclusions, while there was a decrease in student involvement in pictures and figures as it was (0.31%) indicating its poor effect on student to investigate. An increase was noticed in student involvement in activities with (0.65). Thus, the researchers recommended reviewing the original version of McGraw-Hill’s textbooks series, by the publisher, and rewriting the scientific context in an educational format, and enriching the book with effective materials, with more attentions to pictures and figures, that shows poor effect on students, in order to give the students a bigger chance to participate and interact. The researchers suggest a new method to measure the involvement depending on Arabic language characteristics and comparing it with the current research, and to conduct more of involvement analyzing studies to science textbooks.
Keywords: involvement factor , Romey’s Formula, McGraw-Hill’s books, elementary stage.