A Case Study Of Teachers' Conceptions Of Textbooks During Curriculum Implementation

The"ought to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks are like window panes, we see the trend of the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks through them but they divide us from the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks. Therefore, it is a theoretical and practical significance to study the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks. The core of the research is the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks, which means teachers' perspectives and values on textbook's objective, content, structure and instruction. To develop the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks, the below three questions are explored in this paper: First, What kinds of conceptions of textbook do the teachers maintain in the practice? Second, how many characteristics do the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks have? Third, what's the relationship between the different"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks? As we all know, the research of"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks is situational, practical, hidden and complicated. To get the qualitative information, the research has adopted the individual research, including interview, classroom and daily life observation and log analysis of three teachers in a junior school in the Eastern Area for two month. This research found as below: First, different teachers show different conceptions of textbooks. Teacher J holds the attitude of not blindly believing the new also the old authority, but critically accepting the textbook. Teacher J is like a tourism guide to textbook. Teacher K focuses on how to use the textbook to make the teaching effectively. Teacher K takes the philosophy and methods mentioned on the new textbook as the key to the holy land. Teacher K is like a pilgrims to textbook. And teacher L is much emphasis on examinations. Failure in adapting to the new curriculum reform, she loses herself and does not know how to do. Teacher L is like a vagabond to textbook. Second, different conceptions of textbooks reflect different dimensions. The understanding on conception of the structure is similar but the conceptions of the objective, content and instruction are much different. Third, the"ought to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks are different from the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks. The"ought to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks have clear and absolute boundaries. But the boundaries of the"to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks are ambiguity and complicated so that these"ought to be"teachers' conceptions of textbooks always cross each other.