By Rima Abou Khreibi Student ID number: 110087

137 Pages·2014·5.61 MB·English

Evaluating Textbook Questions and Classroom Instructional Questionsfor
Grade 6 Science in a Private School in Dubai based on the Revised Bloom‟s

Taxonomy

ةدبًن يساردنا مصفنبب سيردتنا قبيس بهنًضتي يتنا تهئسلأا و يسردًنا ةبتكنا يف تنًضًنا تهئسلأا ىييقت
لدعًنا وىهب ىهس فينصت عببتبب كنذو يبد ةربيإب تصبخ تسردي يف سدبسنا فصهن وىهعنا
) Bloom‟s Taxonomy Revised (

By

Rima Abou Khreibi

Student ID number: 110087

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of MEd in International Management and Policy

Faculty of Education

Dissertation Supervisor
Dr. Clifton Chadwick

July 2014

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DISSERTATION RELEASE FORM

Student Name Student ID Programme Date
Rima Abou Khreibi 110087 IMP July 5th, 2014

Title
Evaluating Textbook Questions and Classroom Instructional Questionsfor
Grade 6 Science in a Private School in Dubai based on the Revised Bloom‟s

Taxonomy

I warrant that the content of this dissertation is the direct result of my own work and that any use
made in it of published or unpublished copyright material falls within the limits permitted by
international copyright conventions.
I understand that one copy of my dissertation will be deposited in the University Library for
permanent retention.
I hereby agree that the material mentioned above for which I am author and copyright holder
may be copied and distributed by The British University in Dubai for the purposes of research,
private study or education and that The British University in Dubai may recover from purchasers
the costs incurred in such copying and distribution, where appropriate.
I understand that The British University in Dubai may make that copy available in digital format
if appropriate.
I understand that I may apply to the University to retain the right to withhold or to restrict access
to my dissertation for a period which shall not normally exceed four calendar years from the
congregation at which the degree is conferred, the length of the period to be specified in the
application, together with the precise reasons for making that application.

Signature

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ABSTRACT

This study attempted to analyse Grade 6 Science textbook and classroom instruction questions.
The textbook and instructional questions were analysed using the Revised Bloom‟s Taxonomy to
ascertain the type of cognitive process and knowledge that is being taught in a Grade 6
Sciencecurriculum in a private international school in Dubai, U.A.E. Since questions play an
important role in critical and creative thinking it is important to investigate the levels of
questions used in the textbook and during instruction to determine the level of higher order
thinking and critical thinking being taught in schools. The research used a qualitative approach
of textbook analysis using the Revised Bloom‟s Taxonomy where questions were tallied and
analysed according to the appropriate cognitive dimension and knowledge dimension. Based on
the results, it was found that lower order thinking questions are more commonly found both in
the textbook and during instructions than higher order thinking questions. Furthermore,
questions in the textbook emphasized “Remember” process, while instructional questions
emphasized the “Understand” cognitive process. The most common knowledge dimension in
both textbook and instructional process is the “Conceptual” knowledge. Based on this study‟s
findings it is recommended that textbook writers and educators include more higher order
questions within curriculum and pedagogy to help improve critical thinking among learners.

Keywords: Revised Bloom‟s taxonomy, curriculum, instruction, knowledge dimension,
cognitive dimension, questions.

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ABSTRACT
(Arabic Version)

ٟزٌا خٍئصلأا هٌزوٚ ،سدبضٌا فصٌٍ ٍَٛعٌا حدبٌّ ٟصسذٌّا ةبزىٌا بٍّٙش٠ ٟزٌا خٍئصلأا ً١ٍحزٌ خٌٚبحِ ٍٝع خصاسذٌا ٖز٘ ٞٛطٕر
Revised Bloom‟s يذعٌّا ٍَٛث ٍُصف١ٕصر َاذخزصا ُر خٍئصلأا ً١ٍحر ٟف ٚ .ٟصاسذٌا ًصفٌبث ش٠سذزٌا قب١ص ٟف بٙحشط ُز٠
ةلاطٌ ٍَٛعٌا حدبِ حِٕٙ ّٓض ش٠سذزٌا ٟف ٗعبجرا ُز٠ ٞزٌا ٟواسدلإاٚ ٟفشعٌّا حٌٕٙا ِٓ كمحزٌا ضشغث هٌرٚ Taxonomy
ٟف خٍئصلأا ٗث عٍطضر ٞزٌا َبٌٙا سٚذٌٍ خجضٔٚ .حذحزٌّا خ١ثشعٌا داسبِلإا ،ٟثد حسبِإ ٟف خصبخ خصسذّث سدبضٌا فصٌا
ةبزىٌا ٟف خّٕضٌّا خٍئصلأا دب٠ٛزضٌّ خ١ئبصمزصا خصاسد ًّع ُز٠ ْأ ٞسٚشضٌا ِٓ حجص٠ ٗٔئف ٟعاذثلااٚ ٞذمٌٕا ش١ىفزٌا
ٟعاذثلإاٚ ٞذمٌٕا ش١ىفزٌا ٟف ٍٝعأ خجرشِ ٌٝا ءبٙزٔلإا ٓىّ٠ ٝزح ٟصاسذٌا ًصفٌبث ش٠سذزٌا قب١ص ٟف ْٛىر ٟزٌا هٍرٚ ٟصسذٌّا
يذعٌّا ٍَٛث ٍُص ف١ٕصر شجع ٟصسذٌّا ةبزىٌا ً١ٍحر ٟف ٟعٌٕٛا حٌٕٙا عبجرا خصاسذٌا ٟف ُرٚ .سساذٌّبث ٟصاسذٌا جبٌّٕٙا ٟف
ذصٍخ ٟزٌا حئبزٌٕا علاٚ ِٓ ٓ١جرٚ .ٓ١جصبٌّٕا ٟفشعٌّا ذعجٌاٚ ٞشىفٌا ذعجٌٍ ًبمفٚ بٍٙ١ٍحرٚ خٍئصلأا ف١ٕصرٚ ً١جضر يلاخ ِٓ
.ب١ٍعٌا خجرشٌّا دار خٍئصلأا ِٓ ًبعٛ١ش شثوأ ٟ٘ ش١ىفزٌا ٟف ٜشغصٌا خجرشٌّا دار ٟصسذٌّا ةبزىٌا خٍئصأ ْأث خصاسذٌا بٙ١ٌا
ش٠سذزٌا قب١ص ّٓض خٍئصلأا ٟف ز١وشزٌا بّٕ١ث "شوززٌا " خ١حبٔ ٍٝع ٟصسذٌّا ةبزىٌا خٍئصأ ٟف ز١وشر نبٕ٘ ،هٌر ٌٝا خفبضلإبث
."خ١ّ١٘بفٌّا" خفشعٌّا ٛ٘ ش٠سذزٌا قب١صٚ ٟصسذٌّا ةبزىٌا ِٓ ًو ٟف خ١ِّٛع شثولأا ٟفشعٌّا ذعجٌاٚ ."ُٙفٌا " خ١حبٔ ٍٝع
ٟف ٍٝعأ خجرشِ دار خٍئصأ ٓ١ّضزث ٓ١ٍّعٌّاٚ خ١صاسذٌا تزىٌا ٟفٌؤِ َٛم٠ ْأث ٝصٛ٠ ،خصاسذٌا ٖز٘ حئبزٔ ٌٝا دبٕزصلابثٚ
.ٓ١صساذٌا ٜذٌ ٞذمٌٕا ش١ىفزٌا ٜٛزضّث ءبمرسلاا ٓىّ٠ ٝزح سٚسذٌا ظطخ ّٓضٚ ٟصاسذٌا جبٌّٕٙا

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Dedication
To the spirit of my beloved father and sister Sawsan

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Acknowledgement

First, I am grateful to Allah for all I have been given and for giving me the will and power to
finish this work, without the blessings from Allah this work would not have been possible.

I also would to thank my supervisor for his continued support, Dr. Clifton Chadwick, to whom I
owe my sincere gratitude, as he showed support, guidance and assistance.

To my husband Kassem whose encouragement and continued dedication provided me with the
strength to persevere and accomplish this work. Thank you my dear for giving endlessly without
expecting any thing in return to ensure I wrote this dissertation.

To my little inspirers Meera, Mohamad, and Malak, thank you for giving mummy the desire to
continue working when she was feeling down. I hope with this work I will make you proud!!!!

To my mother, you always believed in me and gave me the strength to move ahead in life.

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Table of Content
Chapter Description Page Number
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 8
1.1 Statement of Problem 10
1.2 Scope of Work 12
1.3 Structure of Dissertation 12
Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 13
2.1 Revised Bloom‟s Taxonomy (RBT) 15
2.2 The Case for RBT 18
2.2.1. Science Related Studies 18
2.2.2. English, Islamic, and Social Science Studies 22
2.3 Importance of Higher Order Thinking for Learning 25
Chapter 3:METHODOLOGY 28
3.1 Research Design 29
3.2 Subject and Site Selection (Subjects/Participants) 30
3.2.1. Description of the Textbook 31
3.3 Research Approach 32
3.3.1. Textbook Content Analysis 33
3.3.2. Non-participatory Observations 33
3.4 Instruments and Research Design 34
3.4.1. Question Analysis Procedure Example 36
3.5 Validity and Reliability of the Research Tool 37
3.6 Research Ethics 38
3.7 Summary 38
Chapter 4: FINDINGS and DISCUSSION 40
4.1 Results and Findings 41
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Chapter Description Page Number
4.1.1. Findings for Research Question #1 43
4.1.2. Findings for Research Question #2 and #3 49
4.1.3. Findings for Research Question #4 51
4.1.4. Findings for Research Question #5 56
4.2 Discussion 62
Chapter 5: CONCLUSION 66
5.1 Summary of the Main Findings 67
5.2 Recommendations 69
5.3 Limitations of the Study 69
5.4 Further Research 70
References 71
Appendices 76
Appendix A 77
Appendix B 78
Appendix C 79
Appendix D 80
Appendix E 81
Appendix F 127
Appendix G 135

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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Statement of Problem
1.2 Scope of Work
1.3 Structure of Dissertation

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Teaching and learning is a complex process that consists of many components such as the
teacher, the student, the curriculum, and the school or classroom environment. The process of
teaching and learning is usually dictated by the curriculum, instruction, and assessments. The
teacher and the student within these contexts are at the heart of the learning process that takes
place in classrooms all around the world
The manifestation of the curriculum occurs in many forms, one of which is the textbook.
Schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), like many countries all around the world, use the
textbook as the core mode for delivering the curriculum. The textbook dictates in many instances
what the curriculum and what the instruction will be specifically in the UAE. Teachers in
classrooms across the UAE rely greatly on the textbook as a medium of instruction, and often
develop their questions during instruction and assessment from the textbook.
In classrooms, textbooks guide the instructional and practical flow of the lessons no matter
how much educators nowadays try not to rely on them (Ball and Cohen 1996). It does not matter
which school of teaching a teacher belongs to, the textbook is an important core material in the
teaching and learning process and its influence in providing a framework for the teaching and
learning cannot be ignored. Martin et al. (2005) argues the profound impact textbooks have on
instruction, teachers, and curriculum since textbooks are used by teachers and students as guides
that influence the questions levels used during the teaching and learning process.
Although, modern teaching methodologies have evolved, the textbook remains to play an
integral role in delivering the curriculum. The role the textbook plays in education is more
apparent in the UAE. The social educational context of the UAE remains more dedicatedto
using the textbook as the main form of delivery of the curriculum and thus parents, teachers, and
students tend to utilize the textbook as the main tool in the learning process.
Based on the researcher‟s experience in education and in the UAE, it was observed that
although there exists many schools in the UAE each with different curriculum and following
different standards, what has guided the teacher in delivering the standards in the classroom is
the textbook. This reliance on the textbook as a form for delivering standards is because many
educators and specifically teachers come from different backgrounds with different experiences
in the education field and from different curriculums. Many of these teachers find it difficult and
inconvenient to develop novel materials to deliver the curriculum, thus, they depend on the
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