A Review of Research on the Quality and Use of Chemistry Textbooks

The number of studies analyzing chemistrytextbooks has steadilyincreased over the years and has notably surged in the past decade.In this literature review, we examine the research literature on chemistrytextbooks. The review spans 40 years of research (from 1981 to 2021)and includes 79 studies published in over 20 different journals, analyzingsecondary and postsecondary chemistry textbooks used in more than17 countries. We synthesize the samples and methods used as well asthe findings of the studies around chemistry textbooks. Based on thissynthesis, we provide multiple concrete implications to improve therigor of future studies of chemistry textbooks because most of thearticles in our review lack a discussion of the limitations of theirstudies, half do not use any theoretical or analytical framework(s)to guide the design of their studies and the interpretation of findings,and a quarter do not specify the country of use for the textbooksin their samples. Additionally, we provide concrete recommendationsfor textbook developers to improve the quality of chemistry textbooks.Importantly, textbook developers need to ensure that their productsare grounded in research and theory about student learning.