The poster introduces a research into non-verbal components in Czech geography textbooks that has been carried out by the Educational Research Centre, Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, Czech Republic. It is designed as an explorative and comparative research analysis.

The research aims to analyse non-verbal components in recent Czech lower secondary geography textbooks. Non-verbal components are defined as non-verbal representations of the educational content that is elaborated in textbooks, such as pictures, photographs, maps, plans, graphs, diagrams, schemes, charts, pictograms and symbols.

Theoretical framework of the research is based on dual coding theory (Sadoski, Paivio, 2001) and the symbolic model of picture perception (Goodman, 1968). Cognition is based on two different, partly interconnected specific symbolic systems – verbal and non-verbal (visual).  Both verbal and non-verbal systems are processed independently and interact with one another at the same time. This interaction results in internal (mental) representations of educational content, which are in school instruction confronted with various forms of external representations (depending e.g. on teacher's pedagogical content knowledge). Various forms of external representations are the main source of particular verbal and non-verbal components in textbooks.

Current research indicates that non-verbal components may improve motivation, attention, comprehension, retention and enjoyment of learning from texts (see e.g. Levie, Lentz 1982; Levin, Anglin, Carney, 1987; Schnotz, 2002). However, non-verbal components support the process of learning only if they meet some important criteria, such as being explanative, accompanied with explanative text and aimed at inexperienced learners (Mayer, Gallini, 1990).  Our research question was whether nonverbal elements contained in Czech geography textbooks meet some of these criteria. The ultimate goal of our research is to provide the qualities of non-verbal components contained in analysed textbooks with regard to their potentiality to facilitate pupils' learning.

After review of research focused on effects of non-verbal representations on learning from texts (e.g. Levin, Anglin, Carney, 1987) and review of textbook analyses dealing with non-verbal components in textbooks (e.g. Yasar, Seremet, 2007) we identified important characteristics that can be utilised to evaluate non-verbal components in textbooks regarding their potential to facilitate learning processes. These are:
a) text relatedness (e.g. Levin, Mayer, 1993; Mikk, 2000)
b) captions (e.g. Woodward, 1993)
c) mode of representation – representational vs. non-representational components (e.g. Ballstaedt, 1997; Einsiedler, Martschinke, 1997)
d) types of non-verbal components (Ballstaedt, 1997 etc.)

Ballstaedt, S. P. (1997) Wissensvermittlung: Die Gestaltung von Lernmaterial. Weinheim: BELTZ. Einsiedler, W. and Martschinke, S. (1997) Elaboriertheit und Strukturiertheit in Schulbuchillustrationen des Grundschulsachunterrichts, nr. 86. Nürnberg: Institut für Grundschulforschung der Universität Erlangen – Nürnberg. Goodman, N. (1976) Languages of art: An approach to a theory of symbols. Indianapolis: Hacket Publishing. Levie, W. H. and Lentz, R. (1982) Effects of text illustrations: A review of research. Educational Communication and Technology Journal, 30, 4, pp. 195 – 232. Levin, J. R., Anglin, G. J. and Carney, R. N. (1987) On Empirically Validating Functions of Pictures in Prose. In Willows, D. M. and Houghton, H. A. (eds.) The Psychology of Illustration, vol. I, Basic Research. New York: Springer – Verlag, pp. 51 – 80. Levin, J. R. and Mayer, R. E. (1993) Understanding Illustrations in Text In Britton, B. K., Woodward, A. and Binkley, M. Learning from Textbooks. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, pp. 95 – 113. Mayer, R. E. and Gallini, J. K. (1990) When Is an Illustration Worth Ten Thousand Words? Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 4, pp. 715 – 726. Mikk, J. (2000) Textbook: Research and Writing. Frankfurt: Peter Lang. Sadoski, M. and Paivio, A. (2001) Imagery and text: a dual coding theory of reading and wriring. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Publishers. Schnotz, W. (2002) Towards an integrated view of learning from text and visual displays. Educational Psychology Review 14, 1, pp. 101 – 120. Woodward, A. (1993) Do Illustrations Serve an Instructional Purpose in U. S. Textbooks? In Britton, B. K., Woodward, A. and Binkley, M. Learning from Textbooks. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, pp. 115 – 134. Yasar, O. and Seremet, M. A (2007) Comparative Analysis Regarding Pictures Included in Secondary School Geography Textbooks Taught in Turkey. International Research in Geographical and Enviromental Education, 16, 2, pp. 157 – 187.