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An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the inclusion of habits of mind in the science textbooks at the upper elementary stage and the textbooks authors' awareness of these habits. The sample of the study consisted of four science textbooks for the 9th and 10th grades that were selected intentionally from a total of eight textbooks and eight authors of these textbooks، two for each textbook. Two instruments were developed to collect data for this study. The first was an interview and the other was an instrument developed to analyze the textbooks based on the five habits of mind which were recommended by the American Association for the Advanced of Science (AAAS). These habits include: Values and attitudes، computation and estimation، manipulation and observation، communication skills، and critical-response Skills. The results revealed that the values and attitudes were included in the textbooks with concentration on attitudes of learning science، Computation and estimation were rarely included in all science textbooks، Observation was included in physics and chemistry textbooks more than biology and earth science textbooks، Communication was included in all science textbooks and all the textbooks didn’t concentrate on critical response skills. Furthermore، the results indicated that only 25% of the authors were aware of the habits of minds، 50% of them were aware of these habits by other names، and 25% of them were not familiar with the habits of mind. It was concluded that the inclusion of the habits in science textbooks was done by chance. The researchers recommended that authors should be informed and trained on habits of minds and including these habits in science textbooks.

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