One of the main purposes of textbooks is the mediation of educational content to students. The factual accuracy of information, as well as the clarity of the text for students plays a crucial role in this aspect. The inadequate text difficulty can complicate students' learning. Comparing different approaches to the text in textbooks, considering the objectives of education, represents key knowledge for teaching materials innovation. This research was therefore focused on the comparison of the Slovak and Canadian science textbooks for lower secondary education. The methodology for assessing text difficulty according to Nestler, Prucha and Pluskal was used for this purpose. The samples of text from the textbooks for 6th and 8th grade of lower-secondary school were assessed. It was found that the text in Slovak textbooks is significantly more difficult. While from the syntactic difficulty point of view differences were rather partial, the significant differences were found in the semantic difficulty of the text. The Slovak textbooks are burdened with an excessive number of professional terms. Considering the results in measuring scientific literacy, this approach to the text in the Slovak textbooks is not effective. The results obtained are therefore an incentive to revise used educational materials.
OECD. PISA 2018 Assessment and Analytical Framework; 2019. DOI: 10.1787/b25efab8-en.10.1787/b25efab8-enSearch in Google Scholar
Official J EU. 2018;61:1-13. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018H0604(01)&rid=7.Search in Google Scholar
Vojíř K, Rusek M. Int J Sci Educ. 2019;41:1496-516. DOI: 10.1080/09500693.2019.1613584.10.1080/09500693.2019.1613584Search in Google Scholar
Rusek M, Vojíř K, Šubová Š. Chem Didact Ecol Metrol. 2020;25:69-77. DOI: 10.2478/cdem-2020-0004.10.2478/cdem-2020-0004Search in Google Scholar
Karásková N, Doležal R, Maltsevskaya N, Kolář K. Chem Didact Ecol Metrol. 2019;24:61-76. DOI: 10.2478/cdem-2019-0005.10.2478/cdem-2019-0005Search in Google Scholar
Rusek M, Stárková D, Metelková I, Beneš P. Chem Listy. 2016;110:953-8. WOS: 000390899900017.Search in Google Scholar
Rusek M, Vojíř K. Chem Edu Res Prac. 2019;20:85-94. DOI: 10.1039/c8rp00141c.10.1039/C8RP00141CSearch in Google Scholar
Kmeťová J. Chem listy. 2004;98:557-8. Available from: http://www.chemickelisty.cz/ojs3/index.php/chemicke-listy/article/view/3300/3262.Search in Google Scholar
OECD. Pathways to Success: How knowledge and skills at age 15 shape future lives in Canada; 2010. Available from: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/9789264081925-en.pdf?expires=1614419786&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=91593BF780AE1104F5529B5DC984319D.Search in Google Scholar
OECD. PISA 2018 Results: Combined executive summaries; 2019. Available from: https://www.oecd.org/pisa/Combined_Executive_Summaries_PISA_2018.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
Valverde GA, Bianchi LJ, Wolfe RG, Schmidt WH, Houang RT. According to the Book: Using TIMSS to Investigate the Translation of Policy into Practice Through the World of Textbooks. Dordrecht: Springer Science & Business Media; 2002. ISBN: 9781402010347.Search in Google Scholar
Aydin S, Sinha S, Izci K. Eurasia J Mathematics Sci Technol Education. 2014;10:383-93. DOI: 10.12973/eurasia.2014.1060a.10.12973/eurasia.2014.1060aSearch in Google Scholar
Pyburn DT, Pazicni S. J Chem Education. 2014;91:778-83. DOI: 10.1021/ed500006u.10.1021/ed500006uSearch in Google Scholar
Mikk J. Edu Stud. 2008;34:119-27. DOI: 10.1080/03055690701811164.10.1080/03055690701811164Search in Google Scholar
Průcha J. Učebnice: Teorie a analýzy edukačního média [Textbook: Theory and analysis of educational medium]. Brno: Paido; 1998. ISBN: 8085931494.Search in Google Scholar
Wellington J, Osborne J. Language and Literacy in Science Education. London: Open University Press; 2001. ISBN: 0335205984.Search in Google Scholar
Hoang VV. Ling Hum Sci. 2018;14:1-35. DOI: 10.1558/lhs.31751.10.1558/lhs.31751Search in Google Scholar
Nemeth JM. J Chem Edu. 2006;83:592. DOI: 10.1021/ed083p592.10.1021/ed083p592Search in Google Scholar
Biber D, Conrad S, Cortes V. App Ling. 2004;25:371-405. DOI: 10.1093/applin/25.3.371.10.1093/applin/25.3.371Search in Google Scholar
Smith BL, Holliday WG, Austin HW. J Res Sci Teach. 2010;47:363-79. DOI: 10.1002/tea.20378.10.1002/tea.20378Search in Google Scholar
Gericke NM, Hagberg M, Jorde D. Res Sci Edu. 2013;43:755-80. DOI: 10.1007/s11165-012-9288-z.10.1007/s11165-012-9288-zSearch in Google Scholar
Ibanez R, Moncada F, Carcamo B. Disc Proc. 2019;56:764-85. DOI: 10.1080/0163853x.2019.1565278.10.1080/0163853X.2019.1565278Search in Google Scholar
Green C. Ling Edu. 2019;53. DOI: 10.1016/j.linged.2019.100748.10.1016/j.linged.2019.100748Search in Google Scholar
Fitzgerald WJ, Elmore J, Relyea JE, Stenner AJ. J Edu Psy. 2020;112:855-79. DOI: 10.1037/edu0000386.10.1037/edu0000386Search in Google Scholar
Hsu WH. Eng Spec Purp. 2014;33:54-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.esp.2013.07.001.10.1016/j.esp.2013.07.001Search in Google Scholar
Fitzgerald WJ, Elmore J, Kung M, Stenner AJ. Read Res Quart. 2017;52:417-42. DOI: 10.1002/rrq.184.10.1002/rrq.184Search in Google Scholar
Bansiong AJ. Cogent Edu. 2019;6. DOI: 10.1080/2331186x.2019.1706395.10.1080/2331186X.2019.1706395Search in Google Scholar
Gul S, Ozay Kose E, Diken EH. Cukurova Univ Faculty Education J. 2020;49:1-27. DOI: 10.14812/cufej.466481.Search in Google Scholar
Calado FM, Scharfenberg FJ, Bogner FX. Int J Sci Edu Part B Comm Pub Eng. 2018;8:266-86. DOI: 10.1080/21548455.2018.1486051.10.1080/21548455.2018.1486051Search in Google Scholar
Carvalho GS, Tracana RB, Skujiene G, Turcinaviciene J. Int J Sci Edu. 2011;33:2587-610. DOI: 10.1080/09500693.2011.556831.10.1080/09500693.2011.556831Search in Google Scholar
Ge YP, Unsworth L, Wang KH, Chang HP. Res Sci Edu. 2018;48:1409-31. DOI: 10.1007/s11165-016-9608-9.10.1007/s11165-016-9608-9Search in Google Scholar
Hrabí L. Náročnost textu v učebnicích přírodopisu [Difficulty of the text in biology textbooks]. In: Maňák J, Knecht P, editors. Hodnocení učebnic [Evaluation of textbooks]. Brno: Paido; 2007. ISBN: 9788073151485.Search in Google Scholar
Markic S, Childs PE. Chem Edu Res Prac. 2016;17:434-8. DOI: 10.1039/C6RP90006B.10.1039/C6RP90006BSearch in Google Scholar
Veselský M, Hrubišková H. Ped orien. 2014;19:45-64. Available from: https://Js.muni.cz/pedor/article/view/1259.Search in Google Scholar
Beneš P, Janoušek R, Novotný M. Pedagogika. 2009;59:291-7. Available from: https://pages.pedf.cuni.cz/pedagogika/?p=1000.Search in Google Scholar
