Biology in Context

Biology is a progressive field that is dynamically developing and educational resources should be adapted to this. This paper presents the results of a meta-review summarizing the findings of five independent evaluations of the textbook “Biology in Context” (Šíma, 2024), a new addition to the Czech educational resource market. The aim of the meta-review is to identify and assess the inclusive elements contained in the textbook based on the detailed framework of the FRoLLM criteria. We are interested not only in content aspects, but also in the didactic sequences of the educational text regarding diversity and inclusion of students, as these can affect learning outcomes as well. The results indicate that, while the textbook has an attractive design and is user-friendly, its inclusive potential is limited. It does not include elements of reflection or self-reflection for students. Although the textbook offers various learning tasks, it primarily targets lower or intermediate levels of thinking and creativity. The textbook does not provide students with feedback on their learning progress and lacks scaffolding strategies. However, the textbook stands out for its clear and logical structure at both macro and micro levels. Different font styles and icons make it easy to navigate the material. Inclusive elements can be found in the components of the diverse presentation of the curriculum (visuals, pictures, graphs, links to videos and audio sequences) and in the development of literacy. Another positive aspect is the availability of a digital version of the textbook.