The selection of Portuguese textbooks

Abstract

This paper deals with issues related to the selection of Portuguese textbooks in primary public schools in Rio Grande, Southern Brazil. According to the National Textbook Program, the schools receive a manual with an evaluation of the textbooks submitted to the Program, which provides some guidance on how to choose a textbook to be used at school. This study investigates how the Portuguese teachers choose the textbook they want to use. The schools were visited and the teachers were interviewed. The data collected reveal that the Textbook Guide is rarely used. The selection is usually made based on a superficial analysis of the books, and sometimes the choice falls on textbooks evaluated by the the official guide as having problems.