Study of the Contents of Secondary High School Chemistry Textbooks in Iran and Malaysia Regarding Attention to Occupational Readiness Components

Abstract

This article investigated the contents of secondary high school chemistry textbooks in Iran and Malaysia regarding occupational readiness components. The method was comparative qualitative using George Bereday's approach. The data was collected by the documentary method. The research sources included primary sources (Iranian secondary chemistry textbooks in grades 10, 11, and 12 and Malaysian supplementary secondary chemistry textbooks in Forms 4 and 5) and secondary sources. Data analysis was performed using content analysis and included the review of text, images, questions, and activities in primary sources. The findings showed that the textbooks of the two countries have similarities. In both countries, the attention to recognizing and discovering occupational opportunities was more than other components. Both countries were almost the same regarding performing manual and physical skills. The concepts discussed in the chemistry textbooks of Malaysia and Iran was similar. Also, the results showed some differences between the chemistry textbooks of the two countries. Pictures and texts related to career preparation in Malaysian textbooks provided better guidance to students about choosing a career. The attention to acquiring occupational skills presentable in the labor market in Iranian chemistry textbooks was less than other components while manual and physical skills had the least attention in Malaysian chemistry textbooks. An interesting point in the Malaysian books was the inclusion of a section namely “the Career Kiosk", which provides information on chemistry-related careers. According to the findings, it is suggested that more content related to occupational readiness is included in chemistry textbooks of Iran secondary high schools, especially in the field of acquiring occupational skills presentable in the labor market and manual and physical skills. Appropriate pictures and activities could be used to guide students' future careers.