The evaluation of 9th grade “information and communication technologies textbook according to visual design principles

The purpose of this research is to examine prospective teachers? opinions related to whether 9th grade Information and Communication Technologies textbook is designed according to visual design principles The research data was obtained from 342 senior students in Elementary School Teaching, Elementary Maths Teachingand Computer and Instructional Technologies departments in the Faculties of Education at Anadolu University and Osmangazi University in 2006-2007 school year. A survey model was used in this research. The data of the research was obtained by personal information form in order to determine some personal characteristics of prospective teachers, and a visual design principles questionnaire created by Alpan (2004). Visual design principles questionnaire consists of 48 items with five factors; copy design, design of visual elements, page design, cover design and features of external structure intended for production. First, textbooks were given to the v prospective teachers. After prospective teachers examined that textbooks, five-point Likert scale Visual design principles questionnaire was given. Prospective teachers responded to the items in questionnaire during a lesson period. The data collection took 13 class sessions.. With this questionnaire, adequacy of Information and Communication Technologies textbooks according to visual design principles was determined based on students? opinions. The percentages, frequencies, arithmetic mean and standard deviation of data were calculated. SPSS for Windows 13.0 programme was used to analyse the data. As a statistical technique to compare students? scores, t test was used. At the end of the study, it was determined that according to the prospective teachers? opinions Information and Communication Technologies textbooks was designed properly according to visual design principles, that is, in copy design, design of visual elements, page design, cover design and features of external structure intended for production. It was determined that the student?s analysis Information and Communication Technologies textbooks showed differences between genders however no differences were found between universities.