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Value judgments in textbooks: The coefficient of evaluation as a quantitative measure

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Abstract

Treatment of minority groups in textbooks has traditionally been studied by subjective means. This factor has rendered the research, despite its volume, essentially noncumulative. Evaluative Coefficient (ECO) Analysis was designed to provide a valid quantitative index of the evaluative treatment of a subject by a communication source. Use of the instrument in an analysis of evaluative treatment of four minority groups in history textbooks used in Ontario schools revealed significant differences among evaluations accorded to the different minorities, and between different classes of textbooks. The ability of ECO Analysis to produce a quantitative measure of evaluation, along with its relative simplicity, suggests its potential for further comparative analysis of textbooks and of other communications content.

Résumé

Le traitement des groupes de minorité a traditionnellement été étudié par des moyens subjectifs. D'où les recherches en ce domaine, malgré leur volume, sont essentiellement noncumulatives.Evaluative Coefficient (ECO) Analysis a été conçu afin de fournir un indice valide quantitatif du traitement évaluatif d'un sujet par une source de communication. L'emploi de cet instrument pour analyser le traitement évaluatif de quatres groupes de minorité dans les textes d'histoire employés par les écoles de l'Ontario a révélé des différences significatives parmi les évaluations accordées aux différentes minorités, et parmi les différents groupes de textes scolaires. La capacité de l'ECO à produire une mesure quantitative d'évaluation, et sa relative simplicité, suggère son potentiel pour d'autres analyses comparatives de textes et contenus de communication.

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Pratt, D. Value judgments in textbooks: The coefficient of evaluation as a quantitative measure. Interchange 2, 1–14 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02282466

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