A comparative analysis of 4 th grade textbooks: The cases of Türkiye and Singapore

This study aims to examine the fourth-grade mathematics textbooks of Türkiye and Singapore within the framework of horizontal and vertical analysis. The common subject areas identified in the study were analyzed using the qualitative research method of document analysis. In the horizontal analysis of the textbooks, the average number of pages for each topic, the structural organization of the topic, and the order and arrangement of the chapter headings were taken into consideration. The vertical analysis examined the presentation of worked examples to students, the potential cognitive demand levels of the problems and their status according to the type of response required, as well as errors and ambiguities. According to the results of the horizontal analysis of the study, it was determined that the text density of the Turkish textbook was higher than the Singaporean mathematics textbook (MPHM) and therefore had a complex appearance. According to the results obtained from the vertical analysis of the study, it was concluded that the learning outcomes of the textbooks of both countries were compatible with the curricula, the Singaporean textbook included content on the use of technology, while the Turkish mathematics textbook (TMDK) did not include any content on the use of technology. In the presentation of the worked examples, it was observed that the MPHM was more effective in terms of visual representation and included multiple solutions, whereas the TMDK had more associations with daily life. It was determined that most of the questions in both country textbooks required low-level potential cognitive demands, but the MPHM included more high-level questions than the TMDK. Furthermore, it was determined that both textbooks mostly contained questions that required only answers and very few questions included questions with explanations. Further findings of this research include the fact that the visuals in the TMDK were ambiguous and that the MPHM did not contain any questions with errors except for the omission of the number of questions.