A Study Of The Perception Of Teachers Towards Ncert Science Textbooks At Upper Primary Stage

Since the image of science presented in classrooms is by and large limited to textbooks, there is need for balanced representation of all aspects of science in these. The messages contained in a text influence how the users perceive the subject (primarily students but also teachers).A textbook, which emphasizes scientific facts, explanation of concepts and principles would probably “tell” the reader that science is a neatly organized body of knowledge. If the text contains questions and activities that require the user to solve, he / she may think of science as an investigative process. A textbook, which describes how scientists work and traces the historical developments of scientific ideas, is likely to imply that science, is a human endeavor. In today’s world, science, technology and society in textbooks would indicate to students the relevance of science; its positive and negative effects and the influence science and society have on each other. In India, the textbook still remains an important tool in classroom transactions associated with the teaching and learning of science. The present study is thus an attempt to gauge the perception of teachers towards NCERT textbooks of Science at upper primary stage.