How Textbooks Support Competency-Based Curriculum? A Comparative Study of Four Chemistry Textbooks in China

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 1:45 pm
  In Poster Session: Curricula, Culture, and Critical Pedagogy: Insights from Chemistry to Social Justice

Abstract

Textbooks are a key vector for implementing competency-based curriculum. China’s basic education curriculum reform is shifting from knowledge-based to competency-based orientation, positioning textbooks as essential resources. This study uses content analysis to examine 29 interdisciplinary activities in junior secondary chemistry textbooks across four versions in China. The analysis reveals notable differences among the textbooks in the presentation and elements of learning objectives, the logic of content organization, the design of learning activities, and the requirements for assessment components. Based on these findings, the study proposes four textbook design strategies aligned with competency-based curriculum development. It offers an integrative approach for embedding competency development into textbooks in the broader context of a global shift from knowledge-based to competency-based education.

Author

• Helen Gao, East China Normal University