An-Najah Staff

This study aimed at evaluating 10th grade physics textbook - scientific stream - from supervisors', teachers' and students' point of view in the northern governorates of Palestine in the scholastic year 1997\98. The study endeavored to identify the supervisors', teachers' and the students' degrees of evaluation of the physic textbook, thought in the tenth grade, as well as their ratings of the six domains: general appearance of textbook, its introduction, its content, methods, aids and activities, textbook evaluation methods, textbook development of students' attitudes. The study also examined the supervisors' degree of evaluation of each domain and the textbook as a whole. This was done to find out the extent of the physics textbook suitability as a basic tool of evaluation of learning as well as to uncover the areas of strength and weakness in the textbook for those concerned. Further this study aimed at identifying the impact of the study independent variables on the findings. The population of the study comprised all supervisors, teachers and students in public schools belonging to directorates of education in the West Bank northern governorates in the academic year 1997\98. Number of supervisors, teachers and students totaled (4, 61, 2198 ) respectively. The study sample consisted of all the supervisors 51 teachers and 195 students. The study tool consisted of two questionnaires designed by the researchers for the purpose of the study. One questionnaire was for the supervisors and teachers while the second was for students. The two questionnaires were distributed among the six domains. Referring them to referees while validity coefficient was calculated, for each, by using person's coefficients tested reliability of questionnaires. For supervisors and teachers, it was 0.94 and for students it was 0.89. The validity coefficient for both questionnaires was calculated by using Kronbach -Alpha — Equation. For teachers, and supervisors it was 0.93, and for students it was 0.88. Findings: The study showed that the supervisors' degree of evaluation of the physics textbook was generally on average and it was on average for all domains save the first (general appearance) which received high degree of evaluation. The study also revealed the teachers' evaluation ratings. Their ratings were higher than the educationally accepted level. These ratings also were statistically significant for all domains as a whole and for each domain save the sixth domain. However, it was not found that there were statistically significant differences which may be attributed to the teachers' teaching experience variable for all the six domains as a whole and for each domain except the second one: textbook introduction. These differences were in favor of teachers with short teaching experience as opposed to those with long teaching experience. Concerning the students' evaluation ratings, the study showed no statistically significant difference which may be attributed to sex variable for the six domains and for each of the study domains. However, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference which may be attributed to the variable of students' average in physics for all domains as whole. This may be attributed to the second, third and sixth domains: textbook introduction, textbook content and textbook development of attitudes. In the light of these results, the researcher recommends that supervisors, teachers and students be involved in curriculum preparation process. He also recommends supplying schools with lab equipment. Further, there is a necessity for the reconsideration of the textbook in terms of content, introduction and formation of a positive attitude among students towards physics. Finally, he calls for conducting further evaluative analytical studies of curricula applied in Palestine.