Foundations of Education

Reviewed by Erin Weldon, Director of Instructional Design and Development, Trine University on 4/15/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Foundations of Education provides a comprehensive exploration of education, delving into historical aspects of education in the United States, philosophical foundations, ethics, and legal points. The text focuses in on the key components of a teacher’s responsibility. The textbook could benefit from an index or glossary for specific terms to ensure a more accessible experience for those who are less acquainted with educational terminology.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This textbook presents precise and impartial information. Information is supported with numerous facts and statistics that contextualize the content. Some facts do include personal thoughts on education; however, the text maintains a balanced perspective without taking a particular stance. I appreciate the number of quotes, thoughts and scenarios shared from educators. These statements support the accuracy of how education is evolving while also maintaining its foundational roots.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is up to date and relevant for a foundations intro into education. It might be helpful to have more recent statistics regarding the bullying in the classroom. The focus was on 2017 statistics. This is an area in education that is an ongoing topic of discussion and is continuously improving as schools are working to provide new strategies or resources to prevent bullying in the classroom. As online learning continues to rise, I found the cyberbullying curricula resources to be very helpful! I appreciate the resources provided in this book on this topic for educators to create a positive classroom environment. From a higher education standpoint, it would be helpful to touch on Higher Education in addition to K-12 when it comes to Governance and Finance. There are references for colleges and universities; however, it seems as if the focus is on elementary and secondary. Many of the topics in this text also relate to higher education, especially for those who are entering the profession to teach adult learners. This could even be open a door to an OER text called, “Foundations of Teaching in Higher Education.”

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook is well-written and provides accessible text for all readers. The text avoids overly complex sentence structures and jargon. It uses active voice and familiar vocabulary whenever possible. I appreciate the number of examples and scenarios throughout the entire text. Terminology was explained with many examples for easy understanding of concepts. The textbook includes features like bolded key terms, definitions within the text, and conclusion summaries at the end of each chapter.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is solely focused on education. The content is presented in a way that follows a clear learning path. It starts with the fundamental principles and foundational knowledge required for educators, then progressively builds upon that base to cover more advanced topics and culminate in the process of becoming a teacher. I appreciate the historical aspects of education and how the foundations are still used in today’s teaching practices.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is easy to read and provides an excellent separation of topics. However, each chapter comes with a lot of information to digest. With the amount of reading involved, it might be helpful to include some of the information as a podcast or recording to lesson the reading load. There are quite a few references which is great! H5P provides great opportunities to condense information in a format that reduces the scrolling and amount of information on one page. As an instructional designer, I utilize the H5P accordion often to reduce the amount of reading and page overload for learners.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization to this textbook exceeds expectations. It is presented well from the basics of why you teach to becoming a teacher with critical topics to think about before becoming a teacher. The chapters are organized in a way that tie back to the main idea, focusing on the multifaceted components of education. The book flows from one item to the next and teaches educators about the ever-changing needs of individuals and education today. Chapters are interconnected with real-world situations and scenarios.

Interface rating: 4

The overall interface of the textbook is well-created. Navigation from one chapter to the next is easy for readers. There were a few images that were difficult to read such as the Bloom’s Taxonomy Chart in Chapter 8. It might be helpful to navigate readers to the site with the pyramid.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text was clear and understandable with no notable grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I found the concept of students arriving at school with an invisible backpack particularly insightful. This example suggests that each student carries varying burdens, some light and others heavy, based on their current life circumstances. It is important for teachers to foster an inclusive environment where all students feel valued and secure. When teachers acknowledge these invisible backpacks, they create a space where all students feel valued and secure. As a teacher it is important to remember that a student’s academic performance is not the whole picture and that we should show empathy and understanding to ensure learners feel safe and supported.

Comments

Overall, this is an excellent foundations course for future educators! This book is ideal for first-year education majors and serves as a valuable resource for developers and instructors of introductory education course. The text serves as a well-structured resource with a multifaceted approach to ensure key topics are covered effectively, preparing educators for the complexities of the classroom.