In the digital age, do we still need textbooks?
It is often pointed out that textbooks weigh down students' backpacks. They also weigh on budgets and are not easy to replace when changes to the school curriculum accelerate—as evidenced by debates in the regions about the purchase of the next textbooks for high schools, in line with the baccalaureate reform.
Sylvain Wagnon, University of Montpellier
However, beyond these practical drawbacks, textbooks retain a strong symbolic significance, permeating the imagination and memories of generations of students (as evidenced by examples such as the "petit Lavisse" in history or the "Lagarde et Michard" in French), marking the beginning and end of the school year, from their distribution to their return.
How can we explain this longevity and importance? What does the future hold for textbooks in an era of multiple ministerial reforms and "all-digital" initiatives?
Multifaceted tool
A paper book that brings together a wealth of knowledge on a particular subject, the textbook is a "false historical certainty," as Alain Choppin, a pioneer in studies on this subject, wrote. Indeed, as a multifaceted educational tool, it acts as an interface between the institution and teachers, between students and teachers, and between families and the institution. It is also a commercial product because, in France, educational publishing is a major economic market, accounting for 14% of the sector's annual turnover.
As the repository of "official history," school textbooks reveal political agendas and potential discrimination. In 2008, a report by the Halde analyzed and denounced the sexism in French textbooks, which reflect the patriarchal domination of our society. A recent study by the Georg Eckert Institute pointed out that, although textbooks in most countries around the world, including France, increasingly mention women's rights, women are still portrayed in traditional or subordinate roles in relation to men.
School textbooks are indeed a major societal issue, and it is no coincidence that Viktor Orban's Hungarian government is using them to maintain inequality between girls and boys in line with its reactionary policies.
Educational choices
Conveying values, representations, and stereotypes, textbooks provide fertile ground for research. Their critical analysis has led to numerous studies on the construction of a national myth with Suzanne Citron and the fabrication of history in schools with Laurence De Cock and Emmanuelle Picard.
If we stick to the discipline of history, analyzing textbooks also provides insight intohow curricula have evolved and how a school subject has changed over time. The University of Montpellier has been working on this for fourteen years, and has just held a conference on disciplinary standards and "school form," to use the terms of sociologist Guy Vincent.
Indeed, the question arises as to whether textbooks contribute to the slow pace of educational change and the compartmentalization of knowledge. These debates are not new, and figures from the early20th century such as Célestin Freinet were very hostile to textbooks. Even if the slogan "no more textbooks" was primarily intended to question their use rather than ban textbooks as such, it was indeed an attack on traditional teaching methods.
Currently, the place and role of textbooks are at the heart of debates and educational choices for teaching reading, with a comprehensive analysis by the CSEN (Scientific Council for National Education) and ministerial recommendations on the choice of reading textbooks.
New uses
Does the digital age spell the end of textbooks? Even though digital media are becoming more widespread due to the cost of paper books, students remain attached to paper, and younger generations differentiate between reading on paper and reading on screen.
In the field of education, a survey of educational publishers highlights that 71% of teachers report using paper textbooks with their students and 17% use digital textbooks. However, beyond this modest breakthrough for digital textbooks, the way teachers use textbooks is changing.
In fact, the same study found that one in two teachers uses resources other than textbooks, particularly the Internet. Their role in lesson planning is therefore diminishing, even though the main advantage of textbooks remains that they facilitate lesson preparation for 73% of teachers and save time for 66%.
Digital technology undeniably poses a challenge for textbooks by creating a new environment for thought and action. It also provides an opportunity to make them accessible to children with disabilities, particularly visual impairments.
The major reforms to school curricula since 2016, which have accelerated since 2018, seem to be shaking things up. In January 2019, educational publishers alerted the authorities to the complexity of renewing all textbooks at such a rapid pace. The question of funding has been raised for both primary and secondary education. Some regions are considering withdrawing from textbook purchases and wish to switch to digital formats in order to avoid new expenses.
This development worries some teachers because of the improvised nature of such a measure and the risk of losing freedom of choice in terms of textbooks. Isn't there a risk that the choice of digital textbooks will be based on financial considerations rather than on a reflection on the new teaching methods they could bring?
Sylvain Wagnon, Professor of Education Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Montpellier
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