A képi források és az illusztrációk didaktikai szempontjairól

Images are important parts of school textbooks. They do not only have an illustrative function, but they are also able to motivate students, and even new knowledge can be gained through them since they can help to systematize knowledge. Although the number of illustrations has increased in history textbooks over the years, and even if images have shown a great variety, it does not mean that they are better in pedagogical quality. In our study, we examine pictures from current history textbooks that have been used in primary schools in the Slovak Republic. First we analyse the structure of the textbooks, then the didactical functions of the pictures/figures, with special reference to the properties of the maps in the textbooks. We also make suggestions how the pictorial material of these books could be changed to make them more resource-centric, didactically up-to-date, and more effective. In our analysis we conclude that the authors did not equip these textbook pictures with appropriate didactic apparatus. Although our textbooks are lined up with plenty of colourful and varied illustrations, due to the size of the images and the quantity and quality of the questions and tasks associated with them, these are merely illustrations and not resources. It is a bitter experience that in Slovakia the preparation of taxonomized tasks, missing from textbooks, is left to teachers.