Use of images and illustrations for teaching energy in Primary School textbooks

Abstract

Images and illustrations are essential in science education and are frequently used in textbooks. Although there are studies on the didactic use of images in science textbooks, they are scarce, especially in the case of Primary Education. This qualitative study analyzes the use of images in science textbooks from Anaya and Santillana publishers, focusing on the topic of energy. The textbooks from both publishers for different Primary School grades are compared. The images are analyzed using a descriptive-interpretative protocol, developed from a theoretical framework and validated through an interjudge method by the authors. The results show differences between the publishers in terms of the functionality of the images, their iconicity, and the type of knowledge they refer to.