Content analysis of the geography books of sixth grade Iraqi high school literature students based on the dimensions of sustainable development

Mohammadsaleh, Ghasem; Hassani, Mohammad; Ghalavandi, Hasan

doi:10.22034/jmep.2024.411704.1235

Content analysis of the geography books of sixth grade Iraqi high school literature students based on the dimensions of sustainable development

Document Type : Original Article (Quantified)

Authors

Ghasem Mohammadsaleh ¹

Mohammad hassani ²

Hasan ghalavandi ³

¹ PhD student, Department of Educational Management, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

² Professor, Department of Educational Management, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

³ Professor, Educational Management Department, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jmep.2024.411704.1235

Abstract

Abstract
The purpose of this research is to analyze the content of geography books of sixth grade Iraqi high school literature students based on the dimensions of sustainable development. The research method is descriptive, and basically a content analysis type. The statistical population of the research is the geography books of the sixth grade of secondary level literature in the academic year of 2023-24. The research tool is a checklist compiled by the researcher, which has 4 components (social-economic, resources, participation, and implementation methods). Due to the limited statistical population in this research, the sample size is the same as the population size. To collect the required data, coded content analysis forms were used with emphasis on the 4 main components of sustainable development. Their validity has been confirmed based on the opinions of experts as well as supervisors and consultants. The reliability of the research tool was calculated based on the Holstein method with a reliability coefficient of 0.87. The unit of analysis in this research is the text, activity, tables, graphs, and pictures according to which the content of the books is coded, and the collected information is done in separate tables for four components. The results showed that in the entire content of the geography book of the sixth grade of high school literature, there are a total of 122 items related to the components of sustainable development, of which the highest frequency was related to the resource component, and the lowest frequency to public participation. Also, the results of the content analysis showed that the components of sustainable development have not been equally addressed in the content of the geography textbook.
Introduction
One of the important dimensions in the design of public policies for economic growth and sustainable human development is to deal with the category of education. Education affects economic growth and development through different mechanisms. Some consider the most important mechanism of the effect of education on economic growth through increasing research and development activities, technological progress, and innovation; and others consider the most important mechanism of the effect of education on economic growth to be the external effects of education. People in an educated society increase their work and social skills by living and working together; and a significant part of the authors have considered education to improve human capital, and in this way, they have examined the effect of education on economic growth; and this is because the central role of human capital in economic growth and development has been highlighted more than in the past, especially with the development of endogenous growth models in the 1970s (Savareh, 2020). Also, education is necessary for sustainable development. Today's education is very important in increasing the abilities of tomorrow's leaders and citizens to find solutions and ways to achieve more and better stability in the future. Unfortunately, today's human knowledge, skills and experiences do not have a solution to solve all the problems of today's world in environmental, social and economic fields. Although mankind has faced many problems in the past and managed to find a way to overcome them, today's problems are on a larger scale and the population today is more than ever before. The fact is that the people of the world have the duty to learn the way to sustainability by themselves; that is why education is a fundamental issue for future sustainability. The responsibility of sustainability in the future is on the shoulders of governments and urban communities as well as individuals (Bogers et al, 2017).
Considering that the issue of sustainable development in domestic and foreign researches is not rich compared to other axes of knowledge management, in order to integrate, compare and combine the existing researches and enrich the existing literature in this field, the main goal of the research is to answer this question: to what extent is the content of the book of geography for the 6th grade students of Iraqi high school literature based on the dimensions of sustainable development?
Theoretical Framework
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is characterized by the absence of theoretical boundaries and is challenged by competing definitions and conceptual frameworks, gaps in the literature, and limited empirical data. Sustainable development is a new term and concept that has recently attracted the attention of experts and economists. The background of this attention and research trend is to find the missing link and the way and secret of economic development and to realize the definition and concept of economics (Zareh, 2017).
Rasouli et al, (2024) investigated the antecedents and consequences of the professional competence of school administrators, emphasizing environmental sustainability and sustainable development. The findings of the research showed that the professional competence model of managers includes the enablers of skill competence, managerial competence and ethics and professional behavior competences, the development of managers, social indicators of managers, the establishment of working groups to improve performance and green competence, attitudinal competences, knowledge competences, educational competences, competences of commercialization of knowledge-skills and technology, productive spirit, modification of consumption pattern, participation in development, and movement towards national authority, which leads to realization of the results of productive spirit, modification of consumption pattern, participation in development, movement towards national authority, management of diversity and variety, and strengthening the relationship between man and nature.
Shamsi et al, (2022) investigated the degree of conformity of the content of second grade mathematics textbooks with education for sustainable development. It was found that the necessary balance and coherence between the three components of sustainability education for sustainable development is not established in the content of mathematics textbooks of the second elementary school. Also, among the components of sustainability education, the economic component has the least attention in all math books for the second year of elementary school.
Research methodology
The research method is descriptive, and basically a content analysis type. The statistical population of the research is the geography books of the sixth grade of secondary level literature in the academic year of 2023-24. The research tool is a checklist compiled by the researcher, which has 4 components (social-economic, resources, participation, and implementation methods). Due to the limited statistical population in this research, the sample size is the same as the population size. To collect the required data, coded content analysis forms were used with emphasis on the 4 main components of sustainable development. Their validity has been confirmed based on the opinions of experts as well as supervisors and consultants. The reliability of the research tool was calculated based on the Holstein method with a reliability coefficient of 0.87.
Research findings
The unit of analysis in this research is the text, activity, tables, graphs, and pictures according to which the content of the books is coded, and the collected information is done in separate tables for four components. The results showed that in the entire content of the geography book of the sixth grade of high school literature, there are a total of 122 items related to the components of sustainable development, of which the highest frequency was related to the resource component, and the lowest frequency to public participation. Also, the results of the content analysis showed that the components of sustainable development have not been equally addressed in the content of the geography textbook.
Conclusion
The current research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the content of the geography books of sixth grade Iraqi high school literature students based on the dimensions of sustainable development. The results of this research are aligned with the results of Rasouli et al, (2024), Rezaei (2014), Shamsi et al, (2022), Habibi et al, (2021), Eghdami Moghadam (2016), Maleki nejhad (2019), Khorasani et al, (2018), Aghaei Foroshani (2021), Karimi (2020), Rezaei (2014), and Abbasi et al, (2016). Henkel (2021) came to the conclusion that today's society needs to revise education policies towards sustainable development in order to develop in the fields of social, economic and environmental knowledge so as to prepare students to face the problems of modern life.
In the current research, it was revealed that the components of sustainable development have been neglected in the geography book of the sixth grade of high school literature. Therefore, due to the obvious gap and inconsistency, the need to review and rethink all the components of sustainable development in the curriculum is suggested; detailed and clear explanation of concepts related to sustainable development by relevant authors. As the results of the research showed, the component of people's participation, among the components of sustainable development, has not been given proper attention. Therefore, the curriculum planners should place the popular participation indicators, especially the contributions of non-governmental organizations, in the content of the textbooks, and finally, the relevant experts' review in the compilation of secondary school textbooks in terms of appropriateness with the content of sustainable development is necessary.

Keywords

Geography

sustainable development

textbooks

participation

implementation methods

Subjects

Education Management

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