Effects of pictures in textbooks on students' creativity article · June 015 citations reads 22,525 authors

 
However, textbooks have 
their own conditions and standards; obviously
 
vocabulary and format of textbook are significant, 
so content organization, power words which utilized in the textbook, page design, consequence 
of the image and pictures, technique of print and size, content legibility, etc should be deemed 
(Swanepoel, 2010).
 
Igbal (2009), Mahmmod (2011), and Saeed (2009) exposed that, quality of textbook 
include eight main elements as follow: 
1.
conformance of the textbooks with curriculum guidelines,
2.
textbook reliability and validity,
3.
proper vocabulary, figures and format,
4.
arrangement of the text inside the book and across the series of the topic, 
5.
text persuades critical and creative learning, 
6.
estimation and evaluation, 
7.
trainer guide and other learning material, 
8.
Free prejudice text. 
As shown in Figure 1, Iqbal (2009) , Mahmood (2011) , and Saeed (2009) proposed three 
additional indicators which have been identified and those included; a) persuade use of 
technology, b) suitability; and, c) environment. These points show that the curriculum planner 
and designer of textbooks as an important material should be sensitive about their accuracy and 
suitability. 

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Multi Disciplinary Edu Global Quest (Quarterly), Volume4, Issue2#14, April 2015 
www.mdegq.com 
Page 88 
ISSN 2250 - 3048 
 
Figure 1: Quality of Text book based on Iqbal, 2009; Mahmood, 2011; Saeed, 2009 Model. 
3.
 
Importance of pictures 
Pictures are considered as a valuable device to motivate and develop pupil's creativity. 
When students read picture books without many word they learn to employ their imagination to 
explain and recreate and represent the part of story that they look in the books (Fang, 1996). 
Moreover for meaningful learning students need to make connection between visual and verbal 
representations (Mayer, Steinhoff, Bower, & Mars, 1995). In this regard teachers can enhance 
students’ creativity by encouragement and reward, or by choosing interesting materials 
(Sternberg, 2003). 
Pictures also provide a time frame and give chance to the students to make decision and 
utilize their imagination to guess and elaborate what will happen. This promotes the reader to 
create his own fables based on his imagination and creativity. This is possible because 
illustrations provide mental scaffolds to facilitate their process understanding of the written text 
(Fang, 1996).
This is mainly, because illustrations help reader to make elaboration of the text, thus 
learning will be easier by motivating the students to shape and images of the information 
(Schallert, 1980). As Diamond (2008) considers, students prefer images and pictures in 
textbooks because by using them they can understand and learn better and easier than words 
students need illustrative information for leading their reaction to verbal information. Thus, 
students often connect pictures with their own life experiences. Then they can create meaning 
according to their existing schemas.
technology 
Environment 
Suitability 

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Multi Disciplinary Edu Global Quest (Quarterly), Volume4, Issue2#14, April 2015 
www.mdegq.com 
Page 89 
ISSN 2250 - 3048 
In addition, illustrations in the books can create awareness in children's aesthetic sense to 
appreciate of art and beauty. Being sensitive about art and beauty is vital because this sense is a 
base source of cognitive and practical experience (Broudy, 1977). It may provide the unsuitable 
materials of concepts and views, leading to the creation world possibility. 
Good pictures in textbooks can unleash student’s brains from common and usual 
scientific activities to diversified thinking, by making the chance to share idea of authors or 
illustrator with others (Cho & Kim, 1999). In brief, pictures and illustrations in the textbooks are 
designed for many tasks such as enjoyment, to take attention, to reinforce or saying a story, teach 
a concept, and to promote enjoyment and consciousness among children.