Evaluation of physical science textbooks in moroccan middle and high schools: Teachers’ perspectives

Abstract

Science teaching in Moroccan secondary schools relies heavily on textbooks, which are essential tools for transmitting knowledge and implementing the curriculum. As part of the strategic objective to strengthen science teaching in foreign languages, several Moroccan publishers have recently developed new textbooks in French. However, their educational and scientific quality has not yet been systematically evaluated. This quantitative cross-sectional study therefore aimed to evaluate the quality of the five most widely used physics textbooks among practicing teachers from six regional academies. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire composed of two parts. The first part addressed the teachers’ sociodemographic characteristics, while the second part consisted of 28 items assessing five dimensions: Disciplinary Content, Methodology, Pedagogy, and Experimentation, Assessments, Organization and Structuring, and Guided Suggestions. Statistical analysis combined descriptive statistics and Chi-square (χ2) tests with Bonferroni correction. The sample included a group of 334 teachers, 54.2% men and 45.8% women, with the majority under the age of 40 (85%). A total of 67.6% had less than 10 years of experience. The evaluation of the textbooks showed good results in the Organization and Structuring dimension (χ2 = 60.458, p < 0.001), especially in terms of visual clarity and logical progression. However, major weaknesses were found in Disciplinary Content (χ2 = 105.538, p < 0.001), particularly poor contextualization and an imbalance between theory and practice. Methodology, Pedagogy, and Experimentation (χ2 = 144.646, p < 0.001) and Assessments (χ2 = 92.279, p < 0.001) also revealed shortcomings, such as the lack of practical activities and formative assessments. The largest weakness was in Guided Suggestions (χ2 = 210.937, p < 0.001), where digital and innovative resources were almost completely missing. Overall, the results indicate a clear mismatch between current educational standards and textbook content. A major revision incorporating experimental activities, varied assessments, and interactive digital tools is recommended to enhance science education in Morocco.