Evaluating the new grade eight general science textbook vis-a-vis the key criteria of problem-solving skills development

This study aimed to evaluate the extent to which the Grade Eight General Science textbook satisfies the key criteria for the development of students’ problem-solving skills. To achieve this objective, content analysis was employed to examine the entire unit of the textbook. Data collected through quantitative content analysis were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis and the findings were presented thematically through textual descriptions. The findings revealed that 66.5% of the textbook content was not related to real-life situations. Although students were made aware of the intended learning outcomes, 71 (78.8%) of the objectives were confined to factual, lower-level cognitive domains. The textbook made substantial use of graphic organizers and collaborative learning strategies (84.8%) as mechanisms for promoting students’ problem-solving skills. However, the use of metacognitive strategies, process-oriented tasks, and higher-order thinking–provoking activities—essential for enhancing students’ problem-solving skills—was found to be limited. To strengthen students’ problem-solving skills, the Grade Eight General Science textbook should be revised to incorporate situated problem-based tasks, open-ended questions that foster higher-order thinking, and explicit metacognitive strategies.