Evaluation of Mathematics Textbooks in Use in Ebonyi State Junior Secondary Schools, Nigeria

Abstract

The study evaluated the content coverage, chapter summaries and readability index of twelve (12) approved and in use mathematics textbooks in Ebonyi State Junior Secondary Schools, Nigeria. Three research questions and 1 hypothesis guided the study. Evaluation design was used and simple random sampling technique was used to draw twelve out of fifty one textbooks in use. Twenty one junior secondary schools were drawn out of the two hundred and twenty one junior secondary schools in the State using non-proportional random sample to select seven schools from each of the three education zone. The instrument for data collection were an 8-point Quantitative Approach to Content Evaluation of Science Textbooks (QACEST) was used to answer research questions 1 and 2 and Flesch Readability Ease Formula used to answer research questions 3. The null hypothesis was tested using chi-square (x²) test of goodness of fit at 0.05 alpha level. QACEST was validated using science textbooks and therefore valid. So also the Flesch readability formula and reliability was Kendal Tau coefficient of concordance on data collected from mathematics teachers in junior secondary. The data was ranked and Kendal Tau of concordance applied to establish the reliability. The findings revealed that the contents of the twelve mathematics textbooks evaluated reflected significantly the contents in the core-curriculum as specified, eight out of twelve mathematics textbooks evaluated had chapter summary while New School Mathematics JSS I-III had low chapter summary and all the twelve evaluated mathematics textbooks are fairly readable except STAN mathematics JSS II that is fairly difficult. The textbooks were fairly readable. Based on the findings, the study recommend that all mathematics textbooks used for teaching and learning need to be periodically revised by measurement and evaluation experts. Authors and publishers should draw their objectives and lesson topics or contents from the mathematics core-curriculum.

Keywords: Content Coverage, Chapter Summary, Readability, QACEST, Comprehensibility.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-27-06

Publication date:September 30^th 2020