Comparative analysis of the quality of visuals in geography textbooks for ISCED 1 and ISCED 2 levels of education

Abstract

The aim of the article is to assess the quality of visualisation of geomorphology, hydrology and agriculture of Czechia through maps, schemes and photographs in geography textbooks for ISCED 1 and ISCED 2 levels of education. A total of 15 geography textbooks were selected and a total of 90 visuals from these textbooks were analysed. The scaling method according to defined criteria relating to the concept of usability was applied; the result of scaling was the usability coefficient. The data obtained through scaling was subsequently statistically analysed. The outcomes of the statistical analysis show that the usability coefficient of visuals in textbooks for the older cohort is higher than in textbooks for younger students. The usability coefficient as an indicator of quality of the assessed visuals is linked especially to the tradition of publishing houses, as visuals in textbooks published by publishers with relatively long tradition are of a higher quality than those by publishers with shorter tradition and therefore less experience with publishing textbooks. Differences in the quality between individual types of visuals or themes are not statistically significant.