Advantages and disadvantages of the use of the textbook in the classrooms of primary education. Perceptions and experiences of teachers of the Region of Murcia

Abstract

In the school there is currently a strong debate about the relevance of the use of textbooks in the classroom. New types of objectives in teaching and curriculum, novel methodologies such as work by projects or the incorporation of new information technologies and communication to daily life are some of the processes of change that education is going through today. All these changes encourage that, for some time now, the materials and methods that we use in the classrooms have been questioned, especially the predominance of the textbook. Due to these concerns, this research seeks to analyze the perceptions that teachers of the Region of Murcia have about the textbook, new methodologies and alternative materials, based on a series of semi-‐structured interviews that were conducted in the 2016/2017 academic year. The results, analyzed from a qualitative perspective, show us a clear conclusion: there are many positive aspects that this didactic resource offers, but all depend on the good or bad use that the teacher makes of it.