Effects of multiple representations of climate change in high-school textbook exercises on the learning of students

The curriculum for the increasingly used literacy-based learning has emphasized enculturing skills in students to solve and deal with problems in their daily lives. However, whether school textbooks were adjusted appropriately during curriculum reforms to conform to the learning focus set is unclear. This study addressed the issue of learning about climate change by examining the relationships among the cross-cutting concepts, inquiry abilities, and multiple representations in high-school textbook exercises. Content analysis was applied to the exercise items in the climate-change chapter of the high-school earth science textbooks used in two versions of the curriculum in Taiwan. This study analysed 88 exercise items (39 from 2019 and 49 from 2009). The findings revealed that the concept of climate change is relatively complex and requires the comprehensive application of knowledge within the earth science knowledge system, particularly addressing the themes of “interaction” and “stability and change.” Furthermore, the analyses indicated that multiple representations allow students to demonstrate their abilities and knowledge to form opinions about climate change. The research analysis simultaneously revealed that the latest examination questions are beginning to incorporate topics that integrate the nature of science and cultivate student interest in science due to the requirements of the new curriculum. The findings of this study support the importance of textbook design and suggest that multiple representations should be utilized in exercises to assess students' learning and allow them to self-evaluate.