General Botany of the Angiosperms in high school: a comparative analysis of textbooks

Abstract

Much of the textbooks content in Brazil is related to the historical period lived. With the advancement in the field of scientific research, the textbooks have become key pieces in the transfer/adaptation of this knowledge for the basic levels of education influencing positively or negatively in approach and presentation of content. The purpose of this study was to examine comparatively how the contents of General Botany of the Angiosperms are approached in three biology textbooks of high school (1974, 1999 and 2011). The 1974 book have long texts that include an elaborated discussion and there is a tendency to simplify the content. The book of the 1999 presents the content in the form of direct and specific concepts split into separate chapters. In this work, the reduced form compromises the discussion, giving up themes that enrich the study. The book of the 2011 separate the content into different chapters and keeps reducing the content but without losing the quality and clarity of their information. Over the years, from the best understanding of the textbooks objectives and scientific research involving these documents, it is clear that the most current book is more attractive and less dense, contributing of the deconstruct the idea of a boring and decorative Botany.