Investigation of Science Textbooks in Terms of Science Process Skills

The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which science process skills are represented in the texts and activities in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade science textbooks according to the learning areas of the science curriculum. The document analysis method is adopted in the current study. Course contents and activities in science textbooks are analyzed using descriptive analysis. The results show that there are 899 science process skills defined throughout 42 units in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade science textbooks. Moreover, it is found that science process skills are mainly focused on the 6th grade science textbook (n=215) and the least on the 3rd grade science textbook (n=112). Furthermore, when the averages of science process skills used in science textbooks are examined, it has been determined that the use of science process skills in 6th (%23.9) and 7th (%18.8) grade textbooks are above the average. While science process skills in science textbooks increase from the 3rd grade to the 4th grade at the primary education level, a similar increase is not determined in the use of science process skills in secondary school science textbooks. When science textbooks are examined according to grade levels in terms of science process skills, it is discovered that "observing" is the most commonly utilized science process skill, while "using data and modeling" is the least used.