A COMPARATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF USA "PHYSICAL SCIENCE" AND FRG "PHYSIK UND CHEMIE" AT LOWER SECONDARY LEVEL -USING TEXTBOOKS' INDICES-

Abstract

A comparative content analysis of USA "Physical Science" and FRG "Physik und Chemie" was made using the indices of lower secondary level textbooks. The overlapping indices of both textbooks are scattered in many pages. In this sense, the overlapping indices seem to be important. The physics and chemistry indices are almost the same ratio. So the contents of both textbooks are neither slanted to physics nor to chemistry. As for physics, the overlapping indices involve many on electromagnetics. It is thought that this is due to the fact that we enjoy the results of electronics in this modern society. As for chemistry, the common indices involve many on inorganic. This is thought to be from the fact that inorganic chemistry is more fundamental and easier than organic chemistry. Much overlapping would be expected as a result of the fact that the ratio of physics to.chemistry is almost the same in each country. Contrary to our expectation, the researchers were able to find out that there was no more than 30 percent overlapping. It is thought that this result was mainly caused by the following three points of view: i.e., (1) How much do you take applied science into consideration?, (2) To what degree do you cope with modern science? and (3) What kind of peculiar features do you take up?