Course Code: (6552)

Semester: Autumn 2020

ASSIGNMENT No. 1
Q.1 Make a comparison of the advantages and limitations of textbooks in modern era. What essential
changes are require din the current style and contents of AIOU textbooks at M.A/M.Ed. level?
A textbook is an organized body of material useful for the formal study of a subject area. A good textbook is
distinguished by the following pedagogical features:
 A discrete, well-bounded scope: all the material should relate to a solid understanding of the subject,
usually mixing theory and practice for each topic as it covers the subject domain.
 Use of examples and problems: the student should be able to better grasp each presented concept by
following examples, and then applying the concept in structured exercises or problems.
 An internally consistent style: after the first few sections, there should be little or no surprises for the
student in terms of layout and presentation of material. The texts user can get comfortable with the
layout, the tempo of presentation, and the pattern of figures, illustrations, examples and exercises.
 Utility for future reference: once reviewed, the textbook should isolate material that is useful to the
future application of subject knowledge in well organized appendices and tables.
 A structure that makes sense: the textbook is not just a collection of useful material, it is a guide to the
student for an order of review which will aid in mastering the subject area.
Textbook Structure
Topics are presented in major parts, chapters, sections and subsections that are organized in a way that
facilitates understanding. This means that the text’s organization is based on the intersection of two
requirements. The first of these are the requirements of the subject domain. Since most textbooks are developed
by, or based on the contributions of subject matter experts, this requirement is usually well attended to. The
second requirement is defined by the limits of the student’s mind. Cognition is a common human ability, but its
needs and limits are frequently ignored by those who have already mastered a subject area. To make the best
use of the student’s abilities, some rules can be spelled out for the structuring and presentation of ideas,
concepts, and material.
These rules should include:
1. Rule of Frameworks: Maintain a consistent structure. The structure acts as a mental roadmap that
allows learners to navigate within and through the subject domain. To best aid in understanding, the
structure should be visible early on.
2. Rule of Meaningful Names: Create and use consistent titles and terminologies. Use terminology that is
common in your discipline. These names are critical to the ability to recall or retrieve the things we
know and remember.
3. Rule of Manageable Numbers. Limit the amount of information introduced at one time. For new
material, four to six new elements are a reasonable limit. Most of us are limited in our ability to absorb
new material. As we become familiar with part of a subject domain, this number expands.
 4. Rule of Hierarchy. New knowledge builds on learned knowledge. When introducing new material, only
refer to foundational material if it is relevant to the new material. The student needs to understand the
foundational knowledge before being introduced to a new concept. When new concepts are introduced
they should be explicitly connected to the foundational material.
5. Rule of Repetition. Repeat important concepts. For example, frameworks and important hierarchies are
repeated as many as five or six times; frequently used elements are repeated three or four times; and
elements of lesser utility may not be repeated at all. There is a pattern of repetition that aids in
promoting the elements of a subject from short-term to long-term memory.
As you visit classrooms, you probably notice that most, if not all, of those classrooms use a standard textbook
series. The reasons for this are many, depending on the design and focus of the curriculum, the mandates of the
administration, and/or the level of expertise on the part of classroom teachers.
Textbooks provide you with several advantages in the classroom:
 Textbooks are especially helpful for beginning teachers. The material to be covered and the design of
each lesson are carefully spelled out in detail.
 Textbooks provide organized units of work. A textbook gives you all the plans and lessons you need to
cover a topic in some detail.
 A textbook series provides you with a balanced, chronological presentation of information.
 Textbooks are a detailed sequence of teaching procedures that tell you what to do and when to do it.
There are no surprises—everything is carefully spelled out.
 Textbooks provide administrators and teachers with a complete program. The series is typically based
on the latest research and teaching strategies.
 Good textbooks are excellent teaching aids. They're a resource for both teachers and students.

Weakness Student Difficulty Ways of Overcoming Problem

The textbook is designed Students only see one Provide students with lots of
as a the sole source of perspective on a concept or information sources such as trade
information. issue. books, CD-ROMS, websites,
encyclopedias, etc.

Textbook is old or Information shared with Use textbook sparingly or supplement

outdated. students is not current or with other materials.
relevant.

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 Textbook questions tend Students assume that Ask higher-level questions and
to be low level or fact- learning is simply a provide creative thinking and
based. collection of facts and problem-solving activities.
figures.

Textbook doesn't take Teacher does not tailor Discover what students know about a
students' background lessons to the specific topic prior to teaching. Design the
knowledge into account. attributes and interests of lesson based on that knowledge.
students.

Reading level of the Students cannot read or Use lots of supplemental materials
textbook is too difficult. understand important such as library books, Internet, CD-
concepts. ROMs, etc.

The textbook has all the Students tend to see learning Involve students in problem-solving
answer to all the as an accumulation of correct activities, higher-level thinking
questions. answers. questions, and extending activities.

When thinking about how you want to use textbooks, consider the following:
 Use the textbook as a resource for students, but not the only resource.
 Use a textbook as a guide, not a mandate, for instruction.
 Be free to modify, change, eliminate, or add to the material in the textbook.
 Supplement the textbook with lots of outside readings.
 Supplement teacher information in the textbook with teacher resource books; attendance at local,
regional, or national conferences; articles in professional periodicals; and conversations with
experienced teachers.
The front matter is the introductory section of your textbook and the first thing readers see. If you’re using an
authoring platform such as Pressbooks, the system will set up some of these sections for you, including a
copyright page and a table of contents. The following table lists the items typically included in the front matter
and the order in which they appear. While most open textbooks will have many of these elements, very few will
have all of them. Only include the sections relevant to your textbook.

Front Matter

Item Responsibility Purpose

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 Includes just the title of the book on the recto (front
Half title Publisher side of the page) with a blank verso (back side of the
page).

Book title is repeated along with subtitle (if any),

Title page Publisher
author(s) and/or editor(s), and illustrator (if any).

On the verso of title page, the following may be

included:
 open-licence information (type, definition,
where to obtain free copy of book)
 if an adaptation, the changes made
Copyright page Publisher  attribution for cover image
 publisher’s name and address
 copyright notice
 ISBN
 date of publication and publishing history
 printing information

These can appear on the colophon or separately after

Disclaimers Publisher
the title page.

The person or people for whom the author has written

Dedication Author
or dedicated the book.

A list of all parts and chapters (or chapters and chapter

sections) together with their respective page numbers.
Table of contents Publisher
Front-matter items that appear after the table of
contents are also included.

This page is used to define open textbooks and other

OER, and any other unique features for this type of
About this book Publisher book. Funding provided by the author’s institution, a
public body, or philanthropic organization can also be
noted.

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 List of illustrations
Publisher This summary is useful for the reader.
and/or tables

The forward is typically written by an outside expert

Expert (not the in the field at the request of the primary author. The
Foreword
author) foreword author’s name, place, and date are included at
the end of the statement.

The author uses the preface to explain why and how

Preface Author they came to write the book. They might also describe
their expertise in the subject area.

This is a list of individuals whom the author

Acknowledgements Author
acknowledges for their contributions and assistance.

This introduction describes the book contents as a

whole. The book’s theme, layout, special features, and
Introduction Author how instructors can make the best use of it, can also be
included. The author may also create a “How to Use
This Book” section if more fitting.

This list of abbreviations and their meanings is useful

List of abbreviations Publisher
for the reader.

If the book has been written and designed to be

accessible, provide a description of how this was done
and various options people have when accessing the
Accessibility statement Publisher book. Indicate the standards that have been followed,
and provide contact information for where people can
report any accessibility issues. (See Accessibility and
Inclusion.)

Publisher’s, This information provides background on various

translator’s, or editor’s Publisher aspects of the book’s creation depending on who writes
notes the notes.

Q.2 Explain methods of textbook evaluation. And give some suggestions to students for using textbooks.
A key feature of effective teaching is the selection of textbook evaluation that meet the needs of students and fit

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the constraints of the teaching and learning environment. There are many pressures for educators to match the
audiovisual stimuli of television, computers, and electronic games with which students are experienced. The
speed of personal computers and the ease of authoring systems permit instructors to design and customize
computer-based audiovisual presentations and to develop computer-based assignments for their students. The
tremendous increases in rates of information transfer, access to the Internet, and posting of materials on the
World Wide Web give instructors and students an almost limitless supply of resource material. In addition, the
ease of electronic communications between an instructor and students, and among students, provides new
opportunities for sharing questions, answers, and discussions during a course. At the same time, there remains a
major role for student use of textbooks and for instructional use of demonstrations, films, videos, slides, and
overhead transparencies.
Carefully scripted presentations and activities run the risk of emphasizing teacher delivery rather than student
learning. Carefully planned and prepared instructional resources sometimes tempt instructors to race ahead and
to cover more. The rapid-fire presentations combined with audiovisual overload can tempt students to remain
intellectually passive. One way to avoid this is to intersperse activities which assess student understanding and
encourage reflection and critical thinking. Another possibility is to reduce the pace of the class session, by
pausing periodically to invite questions.
Instructional resources usually fall into one of two categories: student-centered and teacher-centered. In the
student-centered model, instructional resources can be used for tutorials, problem solving, discovery, and
review. In the teacher-centered model, resources are used for presentations of supplementary or primary
material in the classroom. Information technology can also be used for communication and for information
retrieval.
The mode of teaching so common today—the lecture-text-exam approach-is an artifact of centuries of European
education. The professor's main role before the wide availability of the printing press was to lecture on
information obtained from a rare copy of an often ancient book. Despite the fears of the faculty at the University
of Salamanca during the sixteenth century, the textbook rapidly became a useful supplement to the class lecture
rather than its replacement. Today a textbook is available for almost every college science class. As McKeachie
(1994) notes, ''. . . my years of experience in attempting to assess teaching effectiveness have led me to think
that the textbook, more than any other element of the course, determines student learning."
Books are a highly portable form of information and can be accessed when, where, and at whatever rate and
level of detail the reader desires. Research indicates that, for many people, visual processing (i.e., reading) is
faster than auditory processing (i.e., listening to lectures), making textbooks a very effective resource
(McKeachie, 1994). Reading can be done slowly, accompanied by extensive note taking, or it can be done
rapidly, by skimming and skipping. There are advantages to both styles, and you may find it useful to discuss
their merits with your students.

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Issues to Consider When Selecting Instructional Resources
 What is the effect of the resources, methodologies, and technologies on student learning?
 How are students using them?
 What are students learning from them?
 Which students are using them?
 How and to what extent are students using optional resources?

One important aspect of any science class is helping the student to make sense of the mass of information and
ideas in a field. This can be done by showing students how to arrange information in a meaningful hierarchy of
related major and minor concepts. Well-chosen textbooks help students understand how information and ideas
can be organized.
Textbooks have several major limitations. Although a well-written book can engage and hold student interest, it
is not inherently interactive. However, if students are encouraged to ask questions while they read, seek answers
within the text, and identify other sources to explore ideas not contained in the text, they will become active
readers and gain the maximum benefit from their textbook. In order to meet the needs of a broad audience, texts
are often so thick that they overwhelm students seeking key information. Texts are often forced to rely on
historical or dated examples, and they rarely give a sense of the discovery aspects and disorganization of
information facing modern researchers.
Science textbooks have evolved considerably from the descriptive and historical approaches common before
World War II. Today's texts are far more sophisticated, less historical, and contain more facts than in the past,
with complex language and terminology (Bailar, 1993). Illustrations and mathematical expressions are more
common. Emphasis has shifted toward principles and theory. Modern texts attempt to deal with issues of
process as well as matters of fact or content. They are replete with essays, sidebars, diagrams, illustrations,
worked examples, and problems and questions at many different levels. One result of these changes is that the
average book length has increased two to four times in the past several decades.
In response to the need for quality science textbooks for all students, not just science majors, some authors are
returning to descriptive and historical approaches. Generally, books for science literacy courses describe
important ideas and discoveries, present a limited number of fundamental concepts, and emphasize the links
among different facts and principles. Others (e.g., Trefil and Hazen, 1995) take an interdisciplinary approach,
by covering a range of science disciplines in a coherent, connected manner.
Research on the effectiveness of textbooks has focused on two general areas: text structure and layout. The
study of text structure has focused on how the reader builds cognitive representations from text. Recent work
categorizes the structure of science text as either a proof-first or a principle-first organization (Dee-Lucas and
Larkin, 1990). The proof-first organization develops a proof or argument that builds to a conclusion, usually in
the form of a fundamental concept, principle, or law. In principle-first organization, a concept or principle is

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stated explicitly, then the evidence needed to support it is presented. The prevalence of the proof-first structure
in contemporary textbooks may be due to the fact that most college science textbooks are written by scientists
with little formal training in education. They present science the way it is practiced by experts. However,
studies by Dee-Lucas and Larkin (1990) indicate that the principle-first structure is more effective for long-term
retention and understanding by novice readers.
Layout and illustrations are important predictors of a text's effectiveness. One of the most effective types of
illustration, especially for students with low verbal aptitude, is a simple multicolor line drawing (Dwyer, 1972;
Holliday et al., 1977). Although more visually appealing, and more prevalent in the current textbook market,
realistic drawings or photographs are less effective at enhancing student learning. The organization of
information on a page also affects student learning (Wendt, 1979).
Q.3 Compare AIOU model of textbook publishing to any other model of textbooks publishing.
Publishing Culture comprises of the virtues and codes that retain in any particular nation, which becomes the
traditional value of that nation. Every country has its own Publishing Culture. The Publishing Culture of
Pakistan is very assorted, which each ethnic group deriving its identity from its characteristics cultural values
and norms which eventually makes it distinct from others.
Beginning of 20th century, western Publishing Culture has increased; a step towards disaster. Westernization
has been spread throughout our country because of the media. The TV channels show various program holders
and different characters in the dramas wearing westernized clothes. In addition to this, intimate scenes are
becoming more common in programs.
Moreover, Urdu or English? A dilemma most Pakistanis are facing today especially the youth. Each country has
its own mother language and they are not just a way of communication but also a part of their Publishing
Culture. Most of the people are not proud to speak our own language now and this is mostly seen in the middle
and upper class. Most Pakistanis are moving away from their mother language and adopting English. By
adopting English we are not just adopting their language but also their Publishing Culture, values, customs and
traditions and in the process are forgetting our own Publishing Culture. This confusion started when the British
came to rule our land and since then people have been trying to copy their language and have associated it with
prestige and class. Even our education is now focusing too much on English at all levels. It is true that English
is an international language and is used worldwide, everybody should know it in order to excel abroad. Hence
we need to find a balance between our choices of language between one that represents our Publishing Culture
and the other that will take us to international markets.
Don’t let westernization win! It is hard to steadiness in Publishing Culture and language we are adopting but we
have to poise it. Most of people of our society are being taken drugs, alcohol and prostitution for the sake of
fashion and just to express modernism. Despite their openness, no actions are being taken to eliminate them in
our society. Western Publishing Culture drive us away from our Publishing Culture as well as our religion.

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Westernization has influenced every aspect of daily life ranging from cuisine to the basic human right.
Westernization has not only created amongst the public but it was a step forward towards modernization and
modernization in no sense can be regarded as harmful. On the other hand too much interest of youth towards
western influences can be regarded as a negative impact on the society.
If we want to live with honor, dignity and secure our identity, we have to proudly own and love our country. If
we want our upcoming generation should breathe freely as an independent nation in the world, then, today we
have to work in the best interest of Pakistan. We have to rebuild our characters and minds to take the track
which leads Pakistan to the destination our ancestors had dreamt of. To minimize and resist the effects of
western and Indian channels, it is suggested that local channels should be strengthened and programmes should
have better content. These channels should produce and broadcast quality programmes that could help in the
promotion of Pakistani values and traditions and improve the image of Pakistan at international level.
Self-publishing companies aren’t publishers. On the contrary, they’re the services that enable you to get your
book out of a folder in your computer and distribute it to the world for people to read. Of course, it gets a bit
more complex than that, since there are several types of companies that can realize this for you. Pretty much all
of them fall into three basic categories:
 Book retailers, such as Amazon and B&N Press, are the online bookstores in which your book will be
discoverable and sold. Each big book retailer generally provides a branded eBook publishing platform for
you to individually upload your book.
 Aggregators, such as Draft2Digital and Smashwords, allow you to distribute to a bunch of book retailers all
at once. This will probably save you time and energy, though you’ll need to pay an extra fee for their
services.
 Print-on-demand distributors are full-suite self-publishing companies that include print-on-demand
services on top of distribution options. Naturally, they’re particularly useful if you’re planning to distribute
a printed book!
As we mentioned, you really are your own publisher throughout this whole process. That means that you get to
retain all creative control over your books, and you get to make all of the business decisions. Generally, you’ll
get to keep most of the profits (most book retailers and aggregators won’t charge you until a copy of your book
actually sells, and then they’ll take a cut of the royalties.) But what’s best for your book will depend on your
personal situation, and we’ll get to that in the rest of this post.
Q.4 What collaboration mechanism is adopted by curriculum and textbook developers for mapping the
curriculum, while designing textbook?
1. Rule of frameworks
Memory and understanding are promoted by the use of a structure that mimics the structures we all use within
our minds to store information. Before we can use or master a subject, we have to have a mental road map that

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allows us to navigate within and through the subject domain. The text can best aid understanding by making this
framework visible early on within each section or topic. The extent to which the student understands that they
are using a framework, and knows what that framework is, is important as they internalize and make use of the
material presented.
2. Rule of meaningful names
Everything we know is tagged with an index or a title. These indices are critical to the ability to recall or
retrieve the things we know and remember. Each concept, process, technique or fact presented should aid the
student to assign a meaningful name for it in their own mental organization of the material. To be most useful,
these names shouldn’t have to be relearned at higher levels of study. The names assigned by the text should be
useful in that they support some future activities: communication with other practitioners, reference within the
text to earlier mastered material, and conformity to the framework used for the subject. Each unique element of
the subject domain should have a unique name, and each name should be used for only one element.
3. Rule of manageable numbers
When we learn from an outline, an illustration, or an example, most of us are limited in our ability to absorb
new material. As we become familiar with part of a subject domain this number expands, but for new material
four to six new elements is a reasonable limit. If a chapter outline contains twelve items, the student will have
forgotten the outline before getting to the last item. When a text fails to support this rule, it requires even a
diligent student to needlessly repeat material.
4. Rule of hierarchy
Our mental frameworks are hierarchical. Learning is aided by using the student’s ability to couple or link new
material with that already mastered. When presenting new domains for hierarchical understanding, the rules
for meaningful names and manageable numbers have increased importance and more limited application. A
maximum of three levels of hierarchy should be presented at one time. The root should be already mastered, the
current element under consideration clearly examined, and lower levels outlined only to the extent that they
help the student understand the scope or importance of the current element. This area is supplemented by two
more rules within this rule: those of Connectivity and Cohesion. Connectivity requires consideration of what the
student likely knows at this point. The more already mastered elements that one can connect with a new
element, the easier it is to retain. Cohesion requires that the characteristics of new elements as they are
presented be tightly coupled.
5. Rule of repetition
Most people learn by repetition, and only a few with native genius can achieve mastery without it. There is a
pattern of repetition that aids in promoting the elements of a subject from short-term to long-term memory.
Implementations of this rule may mean that frameworks and important hierarchies are repeated as many as five
or six times, while frequently used elements are repeated three or four times, and elements of lesser utility may

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not be repeated at all. The first repetition should normally occur within a day of first presentation, followed by a
gradually decreasing frequency. Exercises and review sections are ideally contributing to a designed repetition
pattern.
5 Rules of Textbook Development long description:
1. The rule of frameworks means maintain a consistent structure. The text can best aid understanding by
making this framework visible early on.
2. The rule of meaningful names means create and use consistent titles and terminologies. The names are
critical to the ability to recall or retrieve the things we know and remember.
3. The rule of manageable numbers means limit the amount of new information introduced at one time.
4. Rule of hierarchy means new knowledge builds on learned knowledge. The student needs to understand the
foundational knowledge before being introduced to a new concept. When new concepts are introduced the
should be explicitly connected to the foundational material.
5. The rule of repetition means repeat important concepts. There is a pattern of repetition that aids in
promoting the elements of a subject from short-term to long-term memory.
Textbooks provide you with several advantages in the classroom:
 Textbooks are especially helpful for beginning teachers. The material to be covered and the design of
each lesson are carefully spelled out in detail.
 Textbooks provide organized units of work. A textbook gives you all the plans and lessons you need to
cover a topic in some detail.
 A textbook series provides you with a balanced, chronological presentation of information.
 Textbooks are a detailed sequence of teaching procedures that tell you what to do and when to do it.
There are no surprises—everything is carefully spelled out.
 Textbooks provide administrators and teachers with a complete program. The series is typically based
on the latest research and teaching strategies.
 Good textbooks are excellent teaching aids. They're a resource for both teachers and students.
Q.5 How brain functionin is associated with learning? Discuss its implicating for textbook design.
Language Educational Policy in Pakistan:
English has acquired the status of the universal language in the recent years. The importance of English is being
emphasized in different newspapers and books by various authors. Crystal (2003, p.1) rightly points out ,
” From Bengal to Belize and Las Vegas to Lahore, the language of the scepted isle is rapidly becoming the first
global lingua franca. “
Economic and social well being, advancement in science and technology has made people dependent on English
around the world. Crystal (2003, Pg.30) reveals the fact in the following words,
“English has penetrated deeply into the international domains of political life, business, safety, communication,

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entertainment, the media and education.”
Another point of view has described English as a “Trojan horse” (Cooke, 1988 cited in Pennycook, 1995 p.39).
This reflects that when English is used as a lingua franca the language user start to think in the manner
positioned by that language and they are hooked on that culture and perhaps change their original views. The
use of this metaphor implies that the perceptions and culture of English take root in the environment and
acculturation takes place. Another comment on the status of English as a lingua franca comes from
Phillipson(2001). According to him,
“English being referred to as lingua franca conceal the fact that the use of English serves the interest of much
better than others. The concept includes some and excludes some”(p.188)
The notion was asserted by Pennycook (1995) that English is the
“gate keeper to the positions of prestige in society”(p.40).
An important question which arises is that of, for whom English is serving as a gate keeper. Phillipson (2001)
explained this in that the English speaking Population which is 10-20% of the world’s population consumes
80% of the resources and is getting richer, whereas, the rest are impoverished. Bearing this standpoint in mind,
the place of English in the context of Pakistan is important to analyse. The analysis can give a clear picture
about the use of English and the benefits derived from its expansion.
The role of English in Pakistan is to be studied in the light of the fact that English has spread a world language
and also as a lingua franca beyond as, “any lingua franca of the past” (Wright, 2004 p.136). English is seen as a
means of attaining modernisation, of the nation as a whole (Rahman, 2002; Haque, 1993; Shamim, 2007). In
Pakistan, improving the competency in English is seen as part of improving the standard of education as a
whole (Shamim, 2008). Since independence, Pakistan has seen many changes in the language policies during
the initial years Urdu was approved as a medium of instruction but English was not replaced by Urdu in the
private schools. As a result, two different systems of education took firm roots in Pakistan resulting in creating a
division in the people as asserted by Shamim (2008) that, this strengthened,
“the British Education policy of two streams of Education, English- and Urdu- medium continued with the same
aims, that is, to create two classes of people- the ruling elite and the masses” ( Shamim, 2008 p.238).
The Minister of Education, Zubaida Jalal in 2004 emphasized the need for teaching English as
“an urgent public requirement” (Jalal, 2004 p.25).
This need was expressed with the
“aim to provide literacy in English to the masses for levelling social inequalities” (Shamim, 2008 p.239).
This inclination of the government was also manifested in the revised white paper on education:
“English should be made a compulsory subject, starting from class I, in all public schools. Such compulsory
education of English should only start after suitably qualified teachers for English language are available to staff
positions in all primary schools of the country to ensure that the benefit is assured to all the citizens and not just

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the elite” (Aly, 2007 p.54).
The recent educational policy presented in August 2009, also lays stress on the provision of opportunities for all
to learn English in the following words,
“Develop a comprehensive plan of action for implementing the English language policy in the shortest possible
time, paying particular attention to disadvantaged groups and lagging behind regions” (MoE, 2009 p.27).
The policy has taken onboard the recommendation of the white paper mentioned above and the policy provision
is to use English as a medium of instruction for teaching Sciences and Mathematics from Grade 6 in all the
public sector institutions.
English has been used by the elite class in Pakistan as, in Pennycook’s terms
“the gate keeper to positions of prestige” (Pennycook, 1995 p.55) (i am using it again to show the implications
of it in the scenario in pakistan)you used this quote above
The concept of inclusion and equity in the new education policy is suppose to spread the benefits of English
language to the masses so that they can also compete with the elite class for the positions and high ranks and
take part in the development of the country. The discussion above shows that the governments of Pakistan have
been introducing the policy of spreading the benefits of English to masses. The following section throws light
on the governmental efforts and commitment to promote education.
Education and Political commitment:
Education performs a vital role in nation building. The attention paid to the education sector by any government
shows the level of commitment of that government to its people. Pakistan is a developing country and education
is one of the many challenges the government of Pakistan faces. The Constitution of Pakistan has placed the
responsibility of basic education on the state as this obligation is reflected in the Principles of Policy in Article
37, (GoP, 1973). Despite constitutional and policy commitments to promote literacy and education, for most of
the past six decades, budget allocation for education and public spending have been very nominal. Educational
funding by the Government of Pakistan has not increased from an average of 2% of GNP over the past ten years
while the recommended allocation for developing countries is about 4 %(GoP, 2008 p.157). The economic
survey states the reason for allocating less budget in the following words.
“It is on the lower side in accordance to its requirement given the importance of the sector but seems
appropriate in terms of current financial situation of the economy”(GoP, 2008 p.157)
The outcome of this situation is that the,
“Enrolment in government schools continues to fall due to out-dated curriculum and text books, damaged
buildings and absent teachers” (Qureshi,2003 p.22).
Literacy rate has been improving even though at a very slow pace, a little over 0.7 percent per annum over the
last decade with considerable urban-rural and provincial differences. Of the over 163 million population, over
72 million are illiterate, 31% males and 56% females (GoP,2008). the economic survey of Pakistan 2008-09

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says,
“According to Pakistan Social and Living Measurement (PSLM) Survey (2007-08), the overall literacy rate (age
10 years and above) is 56% (69% for male and 44% for female) in 2007-08 compared to 55% (67% for male
and 42% for female) in 2006-07. Literacy remains higher in urban areas (71%) than in rural areas (49%) and
more in men (69%) compared to women (44%).” (p.158)
If we add the 69% male and 44% female they give the total of 113 which should be 100 so is the case with rest
of the figures. This shows a wide discrimination in the gender wise ratio of education. As stated in the RD1PA
different policies and plans were made to address the issues of education and literacy in Pakistan. The brief
summary of the plans and policies is as below.
The Governmental Policies: A Glance.
Policies and Plans
Important Issues Addressed
National Conference on Education Dec, 1947
Qualitative and quantitative expansion of education (AIOU.2007).
Commission of national Education 1959
Teaching of National Languages (GoP, 1959).
The National Education Policy 1970
Organization of curriculum committees and encouraging private publishers to publish textbooks (AIOU.2007).
The National Education Policy 1979
Revision of entire curricula with the reorganization of the textbook boards to ensure quality textbooks in time
availability of the textbooks and the reasonable prices (AIOU.2007).
The National Education Policy 1992
Introduction of national ideology and social values (AIOU.2007).
The National Education Policy 1998-2010
Make Learning Rewarding and attractive. The introduction of Competitive textbooks (GoP, 1998).
The National Education Policy 2009
Objective driven and outcome based Curriculum, introduce competitive textbooks, launch a review process for
textbook approval by the textbook boards, promote national cohesion by respecting each others faith and
religion and cultural and ethnic diversity ,provide minorities with adequate facilities for their cultural and
religious development, enabling them to participate effectively in the overall national effort.(MOE,2009 )
It is clearly evident that the focus of educational policies has remained the curriculum as delivered by the
textbooks. Different provisions were made in all the policies to make the use of textbooks effective. A White
Paper was published by the Ministry of Education in Feb, 2007 (written by Aly)in the situational analysis it was
clearly stated that ,

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“Textbook development appears to be the only activity flowing from curriculum even the assessments are based
on these textbooks. (Aly, 2007 p.17)”
Especially in the developing countries, the textbooks are considered as the sole source of information to
accomplish objectives and aims of curriculum. For the majority of the educators the textbooks are the only
authentic material to rely on, while the students are laden with a big bag full of textbooks approved by the
government to study.
To cite Altbach & Kelly (1988),
“Texts constitute the base of school knowledge, particularly in Third World countries where there is a chronic
shortage of qualified teachers.” (p.3)
An important development in the new educational policy of 2009(MOE, 2009) is the concept of inclusion and
equity which were not emphasized in any previous policy. Deliberate efforts to mould the minds of youth
through education especially through textbooks, started in early 1980 in Pakistan with the political agenda of
Zia-Ul-Haq in the name of Islamization of the state (Nayyar, 2003). The insensitivity towards other faiths not
only causes unrest and a sense of inferiority among the students belonging to other religions but also in the
Muslim students belonging to other sects. Agitation was seen between 2000-2005, in the Northern Areas of
Pakistan which are Shia (a religious sect in Islam) dominated. The ‘textbook controversy’ took hundred lives
and constant curfew paralyzed the whole area. The Shia Muslims were not ready to accept the books written by
Sunni (a religious sect in Islam) Scholars as they only depicted one perspective of Islam i.e. the Sunni Islam
(Ali, 2008). Insensitivity and discrimination promoted in textbooks has also been observed in other countries. In
Indonesia, for example, textbooks on the English Language give a single picture of the Javanese (a special
group in Indonesia). The textbooks for Dalits in India and Buraku in Japan also tell the same stories of
insensitivities towards the minorities (Plantilla, 2005).
The textbooks of Pakistan according to Nayyar (2003) only highlights the Muslim figures, rituals, doctrines and
values irrespective of the rest of the population. Masood & Usmani (2007) in their report on textbooks in
Pakistan explored that the content of the textbooks is discriminatory and in their words it results to,
“make Muslims feel superior tear at the very fabric of society we need to build and preserve, rather than
destroy.”
The current English curriculum for secondary school level in Pakistan (2006) says that,
“All students will develop ethical and social attributes and values relevant in a multicultural, civilized
society…embedded in the chosen themes and topics of the reading texts” (MOE, 2006p. 119).
Curriculum Formulation and the use of Textbooks:
The curriculum for grades 1-12 is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education curriculum wing, Islamabad.
In each province there is a curriculum Bureau or Curriculum Research and Development Centre (CRDC) that
provides academic support to the ministry of Education Islamabad. Curriculum formulation is a lengthy process,

15
as the ministry has to take expert opinions from all regions of the country. The curriculum draft is finalized by
national Curriculum Review Committee, Islamabad. Thus uniform curriculum of each subject is followed all
over the country.
The process above indicates complete governmental control and is thus influenced by the politics. Watson and
Aubusson 1999 (cited in Halali,et.al. 2007) studied curriculum implementation in Pakistan and found that there
has been authoritarian system in the curriculum and development process. Curriculum development is an
ideologically motivated practice in Pakistan, which often results in heated political debates in the country
(Nayyar & Salim, 2003) for instance, In 2003, when major curriculum changes from the ministry of education
were introduced by the Ministry of Education, Islamabad Pakistan. The religious parties were up in arms, for
example, they were against the removal of the Quranic references from Biology textbooks (Sarwar, 2004). The
conference on, “Protecting Ideology of Pakistan” clearly warned the government against the implementation of
‘US Agenda’ by changing the curricula (PPI, 2004). Few changes made in English textbook class 10 were also
deleted as it caused unrest among the people. The republication of these textbooks cost the govt at least one
billion Rupees (Gillani, 2004).
Subsequently, the developed national curriculum is implemented by the provincial governments. The Textbook
Boards established in the country, develop textbooks which follow the national curriculum. All the state schools
in the country are expected to use textbooks which are according to the national curriculum and which have
been developed by the respective Textbook Boards. The textbooks printed are submitted to the Curriculum
Wing of the Federal Ministry of Education which make sure that the textbooks are aligned with the national
curriculum. However, in the education policy1998-2010 as well as the education policy 2009, the concept of
competitive textbooks has been emphasized (MOE, 1998; MOE, 2009).
Textbooks are the most important element in any attempt of the educational reform in Pakistan because,
“textbooks are the sole reading material that the students will have access to and which the teachers will use as
an instructional resource.(Halali. et.al. 2007)”
Textbook are at the heart of educational enterprise as they offer students, “a rich array of new potentially
interesting facts and open the door to a world of fantastic experience” (Chambliss & Calfee 1998, p.7). The
dominance of textbooks, especially in the context of developing countries has been reiterated and highlighted by
various writers. Maxwell, 1985 for example identifies their role as the organizing centres for instructional
programme and as the most dominant element in classrooms aside from teachers, students and physical space.
(Cited in Mohammad & Kumari 2007, p.3)
The organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and UNESCO also
recognize the central importance and role of textbooks in the context of developing countries. The World Bank
for example suggests that reforms be initiated in relation to textbooks in developing countries; textbooks being ,
“a critical part of education as necessary as classroom itself, as indispensable as the classroom

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teacher.”(DeGuzman, 2000 cited in Oakes & Saunders, 2004)
The research in the area of education in Pakistan by Mohammed (1994; cited in Mohammad & Kumari, 2007)
indicated that teachers mostly teach to textbook content. He also considered such an approach typically
resulting in poor academic performance of Pakistani students However, Fuller & Clark (1994; cited in Oakes &
Saunders, 2004) identified a positive link between student achievement and the role of textbooks.
To summarize the discussion on the system and policy of education in Pakistan. English is considered very
important and the Govt of Pakistan through the language policy wants to transfer the benefits of English to
masses, so that they can also raise their standard of living by taking part in the activities which were previously
only open to the elite. English is taught as a compulsory subject and in the state owned and many private
schools government approved textbooks are used as the students have to appear in the examinations
administered by the 26 boards of intermediate and secondary education and these boards follow the national
curriculum. So, a majority of the population of Pakistan study the curriculum and textbooks approved by the
Ministry of Education. Therefore, by studying the role of the textbook and its alignment with the national
curriculum it is intended to scrutinize (or highlight) that how the objectives of the curriculum are materialized
through the medium of textbooks.
Textbooks
Education in many countries is going through reforms in the curriculum. For example, India (Srivastava, 2005)
In many countries when curriculum reforms are in process the most influenced sector is the textbook. For
example, In Malaysia the Curriculum development Centre revised the English curriculum in 2002 and textbooks
according to the new curriculum were published in 2003(Mustapha,2008). In Pakistan, the textbooks are,
“the widely used tool for curriculum interpretation and implementation (Mahmood.et.al, 2009 p.1)”.
This has been asserted by Nemati 2009 in the following words,
“One way to amend and improve a curriculum is to improve the textbooks and the materials employed in the
program. (Nemati 2009, p 98)”
Textbooks play a central role in the interpretation of the curriculum as they are the primary realization of the
syllabus that the teacher uses. The use of textbooks to teach English remains strong. Garinger(2002),explains
this in the following words.
“Even with the development of new technologies that allow for higher quality teacher-generated material,
demand for textbooks continues to grow” (p, 1).
Textbooks have a huge control over what is being taught at the school level. Teachers depend on the textbooks
to impart the fundamental concepts of the content. To cite John,
“a majority of teachers use textbooks as their principal curriculum guide and source of lessons(2001, p.32)”.
Textbooks in Pakistan are the core source of information on a particular field of knowledge, they are also
designed to reflect the values and aims of the nation. They are made to teach what the administration or the

17
government want pupils to study. It can also be interpreted in the following words that the textbooks,
“tell children what their elders want them to know (Kalmus, 2004, p.13)”.
There has been a difference between the situations in the developed and developing countries. In some countries
the textbooks are only used as resource material and the teachers are provided with other resources to
compliment the textbooks, for example in the Canadian education system
“……a textbook is always accompanied by other materials such as, CD’s cassettes, tests and a teacher’s guide.
(Fredriksson & Olsson, 2006 p.10)”.
Contrary to this, the situation in the developing countries is entirely different. Policy recommendations of the
World bank for the developing countries stresses the supply of the textbooks
” (with a) student-textbook ratio of at least 2:1 for each subject taught… countries should focus on providing
their school with good (pedagogically sound, culturally relevant, and physically durable) textbooks and on
encouraging teachers to use them. (Lockheed & Verspoor, 1991, p.57 cited in Crossley & Murby, 1994 html
doc no page specified )”
In the context of Pakistan the situation has not changed over the past two decades, despite global developments
in web based materials. The government of Pakistan in the green paper published in 2006 state the situation
that,
“the textbook is the only available learning material in most schools. Additional materials like teaching aids,
supplementary reading materials and school libraries are virtually non-existent (p.2)”.
In Pakistan, the textbooks are developed in the light of national curriculum and are evaluated afterwards to see
the alignment between the textbooks and the curriculum. The evaluation of the textbook is one of the most
important tasks of the curriculum wing. The curriculum wing of the Ministry of Education is authorized to
approve or withdraw any textual material for the classes up to XII (GoP, 1976). An approved textbook turns
into the curriculum in the class room (Lame, 1991). Skierso (1991) found that,
” most of teachers tend to follow the text’s sequence, methodology, pacing and vocabulary to the letter” (p.432).
In Pakistan research in the field of education has thrown light on the different issues Chughtai (1990), Mansoor
(1993) and Shirani (1995) showed that researchers in the English language learning have not explored the role
of English language textbooks as the main tool in the delivery of curriculum. Their main focus has been on
other areas for example, the overcrowded class rooms, orthodox teaching methods and the competency of
English language teachers. As stated above, textbooks serve as a centre of educational quality and reform.
Abbas (1993) reported on several attempts that have been made to update Pakistani textbooks, what is missing
is study of the interaction between textbooks and how teachers make use of this resource. Further studies by
Bano (2005) concluded that since teachers do not have access to national curriculum documents, provided only
to textbook writers for their guidance, it is imperative that textbook writers ensure that the textbook reflects the
aims and objectives of the national curriculum.

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