PROCESS OF TRANSLATING SYLLABUS INTO TEXTBOOK

 

While the syllabus is the reflection of what we set under the curriculum, the textbook is the reflection of the syllabus. A textbook is an important tool in the hand of the teacher. It is framed on the basis of the objectives of education and provides the base for interaction between teacher and students.

Now, there should be a systematic and logical way of writing the textbook so that it looks like a real translation of the syllabus. In order to do that, we need to keep in mind the following points.

1. Professionally edited and tested: professional experts should check the content of the textbook at par with the syllabus. Further, a field trial of the textbook is required in order to refine the content and to check the validity and reliability, before sending it for mass production.

2. Learning without a burden: special care should be given on the size and weight of the book with keeping in mind the concept "learning without burden". As the textbook gives us the reflection of the syllabus and hence the curriculum, it should not provide an impression of an overburden content. This may create fear among the students and an avoidance nature/ escaping tendency will develop.

3. Importance to understanding and reflective level over memory level: according to the National curriculum framework 2005, a textbook should not act as subject dictionaries, burden by carrying the definition of technical terms. Students should not be instructed to, or force to memorized those definitions instead of understanding, relating and applying this knowledge. The modern textbook as per the new objectives of education and syllabus should give more emphasis on understanding and reflecting the level of the concepts. In other words, it should emphasize the process rather than the product.

4. Representation of various cultures: while translating the syllabus into a textbook one should take special care and ensure that the representation of various cultures in the textbook. "The curricular content must meaningfully incorporate experiences of children and their diverse cultural context, including languages" - NCF 2005

5. Child centeredness: According to modern educational psychology, the child should be at the center of the education system. When the latest curriculum framework (NCF2005) and NEP 2020 is putting emphasis on this point, then the textbook should be written on the basis of the principle of child-centric approach.

6. Inclusion of social needs: the textbook is the reflection of the syllabus which is again the reflection of the curriculum and hence the curriculum framework. The curriculum includes the expression of society hence our textbook should not forget to include social needs. That means the textbook should able to connect the school knowledge with the greater world, society, or community from where the students belong.

7. Constructivist approach: during the process of translating this syllabus into the textbook, another point that we need to take care of is the constructivist approach, put forward and backed by NCF 2005. The textbook should be written in such a way that the child should get the opportunity and space to construct their own knowledge. For that, the textbook should be full of activities and illustrations.

8. Easy readability: textbook should be written in simple language so that each and every student can understand and reach the content and the context of the syllabus.

9. Development of interest in learning: the content as directed by the syllabus in the textbook should be presented in such a way that it develops a clear inquisitiveness, interest, and eagerness towards learning.

10. Collaborative exercise: in framing curriculum and hence syllabus, we are following the integrating approach that means the collaboration of different experts. In the same line, it will be better to select and write the content in a collaborative manner by a team rather than by an individual subject expert.  

11. Requirement of academic and Research input: the writing of this book requires a range of capacitors that include academic and Research input, understanding of children's development and labels, effective skills of communication and design.