Are there any Dominant Theoretical Frameworks for Contextualization in School Science Textbooks?

Abstract

In this work we tackled the question of whether research articles that analyze school science textbooks are theoretically grounded when considering contextualization. To answer this question we conducted a systematic literature review of the formulations of the notion of contextualization developed in scientific research that analyze science textbooks. For the selection of journals, we used the information available in Brazilian Qualis Journals, rated A1 or A2 in the Teaching area, which has Science Teaching as their scope. The research resulted in a sample of 48 articles between 2004 and 2021. The methodological framework was based on content analysis. Among the results, we highlight five different contextualization approaches in research articles that analyze textbooks. Furthermore, we notice that the contextualization perspective is not conceptualized in any predominant theoretical framework, either in official documents or academic literature. This work offers a basis for understanding how Brazilian Common National Basis (BNCC) will influence contextualization perspectives and its reflection in academic literature.