Students' Perceptions of Textbook Pedagogical Aids

Abstract

Despite the growing popularity of pedagogical aids in psychology textbooks, virtually no research has been conducted to assess their usefulness. In our study, students' familiarity with 13 common learning aids was measured, along with their propensity to use these aids and their perceptions of which aids are most valuable. Results from 134 students indicated that textbook pedagogical aids vary considerably in their familiarity to students, probability of use, and perceived value. Overall, the most highly rated learning aids were bold-faced technical terms, chapter summaries, and running or chapter glossaries. Lower ratings for many other learning aids raise questions about whether these are meeting students' needs or perhaps adding unnecessarily to the bulk and cost of textbooks.