Comparison of Questions Used in Science Textbooks of Nepal and Korea: Focused on the Chemistry Unit

Questioning is the key component to create curiosity, motivation, and critical thinking in the students. This study aimed at analysing and comparing the questioning strategies in the chemistry units of middle and high school science textbooks of Nepal and Korea. The TQSAI was used as the instrument for analysing the questions in middle and high school textbooks. The questions were classified as the experiential type or the non-experiential type. In general, the Nepalese textbooks consist of a higher proportion of non-experiential questions whereas Korean textbooks consist of a higher proportion of experiential questions. In the case of the middle school, the textbooks of Nepal consist of the highest proportion of direct information type of non-experiential questions, while Korean middle school textbooks consist mostly of direct information, focus, and open-ended type of non-experiential questions. For the experiential questions, Nepalese middle school textbooks consist of the highest percentage of observing questions, while Korean textbooks consist of the highest percentage of experimenting questions. In the case of the high school and for the non-experimental questions, the textbooks of Nepal consist of a higher percentage of direct information questions, whereas Korean textbooks consist of a higher percentage of focus and open-ended questions. For the experiential questions, it was found that the high school textbooks of both Nepal and Korea consist of the highest percentage of experimenting questions. Both Nepalese and Korean middle school and high school textbooks give less priority on the rhetoric questions. Moreover, Nepalese textbooks do not have the valuing questions. This study helps the policy maker, the curriculum designer, and the textbook writer to plan the type of questions that need to be included in the science textbook with the view of generating the various type of skills among the students.