Importance of text books in teaching of geography:
Other than the teaching aids enumerated above Geography room and text books are also important teaching aids.
A text-book gives continuity and cohesion to the teaching process. A well chose text book forms useful basis in new lesson and affords material for home task. In use of text books teacher should take extra precaution to select only modern and recent text-book and reference book.
In the present educational set up the role of text book is of prime importance. However we find that a little attention is paid to this important aspect of education. Most of the text books in geography are not of good standard.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
They follow the prescribed syllabus too rigidly and no attention is paid to develop topics according to the need and interest of students. A good text book is one which is a source of knowledge arranged.
Image source: ccclarion.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/istock_books_college1.jpg
Systematically it enables the teacher to acquire the needed information quickly. It inspires the student to invent, to discover and to inculcate scientific methods. However teacher should not depend solely even on the best of the text books because even such a text-book omits many details which teacher wants to tell to his students.
The use of a text-book is made by the students for completing the preparatory part of an assignment. They also use their text-book for doing revision of course. Some students also consult and use their text-books to study at home, the demonstration lesson given to them by their teacher in school.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In this way text-books are used to supplement the class work. Text-books also provide a help to students in correct understanding of basic concepts and principles of geography.
Generally a number of books are prescribed by board or university to be used as text books. NCERT prepared text books are available up to class XII. While recommending a text-book to his students the teacher should consider the following points to assess the worth of the book.
(i) Correctness of matter.
(ii) Purity of languages.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(iii) Simplicity of diagrams.
(iv) Quality of printing and binding.
(i) Correctness of Matter
In this correction the standing of the author and the reputation of publishers should be considered. The books written by well known author having a long teaching experience of teaching the subject and possessing requisite qualifications are recommended.
It would be much appreciated if certain minimum qualifications and experience for authors is laid down by authorities.
(ii) Purity of Language
A text-book that presents the subject matter in a simple, clear and lucid language should be preferred. For text-book in a regional language, the terminology should also be given in English with in brackets. In such books only standard terminology evolved by the Central Ministry of Education and State Governments should be used.
(iii) Simplicity of diagrams
Only simple and well labeled diagrams be given in text-books. Such diagrams are self explanatory and help the student in properly understanding the subject matter.
(iv) Quality of Printing and Binding
It is desirable that a text-book makes use of a good quality paper and the quality of printing, and type of letters in fine. It should be so bound that its binding is appealing to the student.
In addition to the above a good text-book is expected to select and arrange the subject-matter in a psychological sequence. The book should follow the aims of teaching geography and should serve as a guide for demonstration lesson as also for individual experiments.
Each chapter should start with a brief introduction and a summary of the subject matter be given at the end of the chapter.
Some, assignments should also be given at the end of each chapter and the assignments should cover such areas as applications to life situations, numerical questions, suggestions for experimental work and projects, objective type tests etc.
Heading and sub-headings be given in bold type. A table of contents be provided at the beginning and a subject-index be provided at the end. Glossary of some important terms be given at the end of the book.