Carlo Spallanzani

Past and Current Trends in the Analysis of Textbooks in a Quebec Context

Abstract This article draws from two research programs on the use of textbooks for a variety of school subjects by elementary-school teachers in Quebec. Highlighting the main analytical orientations pertaining to textbooks both in Quebec and elsewhere, it first distinguishes between textbooks and schoolbooks, and then presents the importance and the role that textbooks, in Quebec elementary teaching, have had over the past 40 years. Lastly, the article portrays the state of research on textbooks, unveiling the need for a comprehensive, situated approach in research on textbooks, as well as work focused on how teachers use them and on the impact of this use on both practice and learning.

A Multi-Referenced Analysis of the Quality of Learning Climate in Health and Physical Education Student Teaching

Abstract The Learning Climate (LC) is an important component of a favorable learning environment in Health and Physical Education (HPE). Three valid observation systems and the questionnaire for teacher interaction (QTI) were used in conjunction to describe and analyse the nature and quality of the LC prevailing in HPE lessons conducted by 25 student teachers (STs) with high school students (n = 565). Descriptive, correlational and multivariate non parametric techniques were performed. Despite a high mean degree of proximity perceived by the students, LC was rather unfavorable to learning because mean appropriate motor engagement was low. However, a very high degree of proximity and influence at the same time corresponds to learning conditions favorable to appropriate motor engagement. This study helped to identify and to weight the variables which are more closely associated with a positive LC , a topic that should be the focus of HPE initial teacher training.