Analysis of science and biology school textbooks from the perspective of the international anatomical terminology: Cardiovascular system

Abstract

School textbooks in Chile remain an educational resource widely used by teachers, therefore, they are pedagogical tools that must have a correct terminology, ensuring efficient and accurate communication. In this sense, The International Anatomical Terminology addresses the organization of names of human structures. However, it has been observed that there are still problems in the correct naming of structures, creating communication problems between professionals and science students. In this research, the histological, embryological, and anatomical terms of the human cardiovascular system present in school textbooks from 7th to 12th grade of Sciences and Biology, taught by the Chilean Ministry of Education, were analyzed. The analysis was carried out by comparing the terms used in the texts with the official terms of the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology and International Federative Committee for Anatomical Terminology. The results indicate that 25 % of the terms analyzed have errors and of these 100 % correspond to synonyms. It is concluded that errors persist in the proper naming of the structures of the human body in school textbooks. In this regard, a series of lines of work are suggested, that should bring together teachers and specialists such as anatomists and biologists to correct existing errors.