Relation between Cognitive Objectives from Selected Texts and from Recommendations of National Committees

Abstract

Cognitive objectives in textbooks from four curriculum areas were compared with cognitive objectives from national committees and with questions and activities suggested by Teachers’ Editions of these textbooks. The textbook objectives and questions and activities were categorized by analyzers according to the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Handbook l: Cognitive Domain. Proportions of objectives from each of the three sources were calculated and the difference between uncorrelated proportions was found.

The data suggest that writers of Teachers’ Editions are not fully utilizing the objectives stated by the textbook authors and national committees as criteria for devising questions and activities to be used in the classrooms. The study points to inconsistencies between objectives implied by national committees and objectives stated by textbook writers.