A Qualitative Understanding Ofpreservice Teachers’ Critical Examination of Textbook Curriculum Units as Political Text

Textbooks are part of the curriculum found in today’s classrooms because they allegedly provide a framework for thinking about what will be tested and taught, to whom, when, and how. Despite its role in classrooms, little attention has been given to the role of curriculum from textbooks and its impact in teacher preparation and teacher development, particularly in teacher education courses. Apple (1992) argues that texts provide opportunities for teachers to engage in a critical analysis of the economic, political, and social realities outside and within the classroom.