Do current textbooks include real-world examples of applied science?

The answer to the headline's question is yes. Textbooks typically connect things that aren't too abstract and that have a connection to the real world, from preschool or primary school, with the water cycle, drought, or agriculture, etc., to all types of energy, for example, in secondary school. Science textbooks almost always have a section called "Science and Society," which is like an addendum at the end of each chapter that makes that connection to the context, to the real world.

But I would also tell you that textbooks shouldn't be the sole solution for improving science teaching, nor should they be demonized. Textbooks are a resource, and, as we all discovered during the pandemic, they're a resource for teachers and students to use. In other words, they're not meant to be followed to the letter and expected to improve science education . If it were that simple, we'd create those books, patent them, and everyone would have top-quality science education.

The issue you need to understand is the importance of the intermediary, which in this case is the teachers. They are responsible for connecting the world with the students' thinking.

There are two things that are important for teachers to ensure that science is explained well in the classroom. The first is not to give spoilers , that is, not to tell the students the story before they have any questions. I'll give you an example that will help you understand what I mean . If you're explaining what a living being is in the classroom, you can say that a living being is one that performs vital functions: is born, grows, reproduces, and dies. Or you can say that it's one that is born and feeds. Or something similar. Or you can start with a question that triggers all the students' doubts: a chickpea freshly taken out of a supermarket bag, is it a living being at that moment? That already forces students to construct their own idea of ​​a living being. If you ask them a question that you know will challenge their ideas, you create the trigger for them to think and question themselves.

Next, the students must verify whether what they think is true or not. So, in the case of the chickpea, you can encourage them to express what they consider a living being to be. From there, you have to verify it. What can be verified? Well, for example, that a living being is one that breathes. And simply by placing the chickpeas from the bag into CO₂ and oxygen sensors, you can verify that they do, indeed, breathe. This will help them remember that the criterion of respiration is specific to living beings. And this isn't just in biology or natural sciences; it's a formula that works in teaching all sciences.

What happens with textbooks is that, even if it appears the way I have told you, if the teacher does not make his or her students express their ideas , if he or she does not make them check it out in the classroom and look for an explanation, science will not reach them.

The second requirement for a science teacher is to compel their students to inquire, to get their students to do science. Those of us who dedicate ourselves to science do so because we love it. We discover it's an exciting and fun endeavor because it challenges you with your previously held ideas. It's a collaborative endeavor because you can't do research alone. Furthermore, the communication process is very important. To be a good science teacher, you have to help your students experience that.

Rut Jiménez Liso is a professor at the University of Almería and an expert in the teaching of experimental sciences.

Coordination and writing: Victoria Toro .

Question submitted by Ricardo Sánchez Redondo .

Nosotras Respondemos is a weekly science consultation, sponsored by the L'Oréal-Unesco 'For Women in Science' program and Bristol Myers Squibb , which answers readers' questions about science and technology. These questions are answered by scientists and technologists, members of AMIT (Association of Women Researchers and Technologists). Send your questions to [email protected] or via X #nosotrasrespondemos.