A Good Text-book on History (Qualities and Characteristics)

This article provides information about the qualities and characteristics required for a good text-book on history!

1. Diction of the Test-book should be According to the Age and Standard of Pupils:

Good text-books on history must be suited to the age, ability and interests of the pupils for whom these are written.

Thus they should be child centred and should reflect the stage the child has reached.

2. Text-books should be Course and not Manuals:

The two terms course and manuals are explained below:

Manuals:

These are the text-books which are written in a detailed form and they present a detailed account of the facts and the data.

Course:

These are the text-books which provide a complete description of the facts and details. There is no likelihood or their further development/improvement.

3. Text-books should give a Cause-effect Relationship:

Good text-books in history should reveal to the pupils where they are in time, space and society. They should make clear to the pupils the relationship which links the present with the past, the local with the distant and personal and national life with the life and cultures of the people living in the other lands.

4. Text-books should be well illustrated:

They should contain pictures, maps, charts, time-lines, graphs and sketches of various historical events to make the subject-matter easily understandable and to sustain the interest of the pupils

5. Text-books should be written in Clear and Simple Language:

The author should write the books in a clear and simple language. It is possible for the author to present the events and thoughts in very clear manner if he has command over the subject. The style adopted in text­books should be lucid.

6. Free form Bias:

Text-books in history should be free from bias and should tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

7. Good Printing and Get-up:

The printing and the get-up of the history text-books should be good; otherwise the students shall not get interested in the text-books.

8. Able to Inculcate the Spirit of Internationalism and World Fraternity:

History text-books should aim at inculcating, in the students, the feeling of internationalism and world fraternity besides national integration. History text-books should not develop narrow outlook in the students.

9. Element of Selectivity:

While construction curriculum, the principle of selectivity is to be kept in mind only such events and facts are selected for inclusion in the curriculum that are helpful for upholding social values and make progressive step. This principle should be kept in mind while writing text-books of history. Such events should be emphasised in the history text-books that have influenced mankind and are likely to cast greater

10. Psychological and Scientific:

Text-books of history should be written on the basis of the principles of psychology. They should be scientifically planned and written.

11. List of Contents and Bibliography:

There should be a list of contents in the beginning of the book and in the end, there should be a bibliography. List of contents helps the students in finding out the topics which they want to study without wasting much of their time. Bibliography gives them the subject matter for further study of the subject.

12. Reasonably Priced and Within the Reach of Common People:

Text-books should be reasonably priced. They should be priced such that it may be possible for the common man to purchase them.

13. Questions at the End:

At the end of every chapter, there should be certain questions. These questions should be so designed that they may help the students to recapitulate the topic that they have read. These questions should be psychologically planned and scientifically put.