Teaching in schools is based on teachers competencies as well as teaching material. Such teaching material and its plurality is increasing the last three decades on account of new technology. Nevertheless the role of traditional textbooks in “the vast majority of the world’s classrooms” (Howson, 1995) is more important compared with that of new technology (Sandfuchs, 2010, Howson, 1995). Furthermore a study on TIMSS data shows textbooks have a major impact on teachers’ decision about instructional approaches as well as on planning what to teach (Pepin & Haggarty, 2001; Valverde, et al., 2002). According to that textbooks are not only books to facilitate students learning but also guidelines for instructional conceptions. This is not surprisingly concerning to the teachers guidelines, which most publishers offer to the teachers. Hence textbooks have to represent instructional innovations as well as curricular changes. 

In Germany as well as in other European countries the most important challenge is to teach in classes with wide heterogeneity of the students’ achievements, previous knowledge or interests. To do so teachers have to develop instructional arrangements, which allow individualized teaching and learning (Blömeke & König, 2010; Helmke, et al., 2002). Teaching should be no longer in step but individualized. Logically some German “Bundesländer” demand individual learning support (individuelle Förderung) for each school. Despite the fact that the demand for pupil-centred forms of teaching is by no means new, the realization in the German school system is unsatisfactory (cf. Götz, et al., 2005). Teachers blame the lack instructional material, which would be needed in order to supplement a modification of classroom practice (Beerenwinkel & Gräsel, 2005; Solzbacher, 2008). Apart from the teachers statement there is rare empirical evidence that shows the suitability of textbooks with respect to individualized teaching and learning.  

This research desideratum is addressed by the project “SchiF” (Schulbücher und individuelle Förderung, translation: Textbooks and individual support). The main reseach questions are:

1. Do textbooks offer opportunities to teach in an individualized way?
2. If there are such opportunities, how are they used by teachers to develop instruction?

The leading research model follows these considerations: Individualized teaching considers students’ heterogeneity (with regard to, for instance, achievement, previous knowledge, interests). To do so, teachers have do diagnose students’ achievement, previous knowledge and interests and chose or develop educational measures which support each student’s learning. Accordingly, preferred instruction methods enable self-regulated learning. Based on this model we developed a code system to analyze textbooks. The code system refers to the model with criteria like diagnostic material, individualized tasks, and instructional methods to support self-regulated learning. The next step of the study analyzes the use of textbooks by teachers using observation guidelines based on these criteria. This paper will present first results from the textbook analysis.

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